The official North American release date for the PlayStation Move motion controller is an odd date – Sunday, September 19, 2010. However, many retailers are expecting to release the product for sales two days earlier – on Friday, September 17, 2010. Regardless, Sony expects its new controller to stir up a revolution and new experiences in gaming. And let me say, the excitement is indeed palpable, with Friday being only three days away (as of this update.)! Earlier this year, Sony’s VP of Everything, Kevin Butler, sent us a video glimpse from the future featuring PlayStation Move, and very soon, we’ll get to experience what he was talking about. (Hopefully that Cinco de Mayo burrito is just a memory for him now.)
While Nintendo’s Wii may have been the first to take the helm of motion-controlled gaming, there have been many gamers who have lamented the fact that the majority of games on that system are suited toward a more kid-friendly audience, and that there is a lack of mature titles to enjoy on the system, among other complaints.
PlayStation has long been the standard-bearer of mature, deep games for teens and adults alike. The Move controller will find itself a perfect fit for the platform, as it has already been announced that many existing titles will receive update patches to support Move control abilities. Among those are MAG, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition and Heavy Rain – two games that have the target demographic of teens and up. Some mature-oriented Move-enabled games in the near future include SOCOM 4, Killzone 3 and other titles, which have yet to be announced.
Also, there will be many family-friendly titles to enjoy, such as EyePet, LittleBigPlanet 2, Start the Party, The Shoot, Kung Fu Rider and others, making the PlayStation 3 and its higher quality graphics and power even more appetizing for the casual gamers out there, as well as that mostly-untapped market of potential gamers.
Perhaps the most important feature of PlayStation Move is its precision. With lag or latency being a major gripe from the more serious gamers when it comes to the Nintendo Wii, Sony understood that in order to play these more hardcore titles, accuracy would be key. Indeed, if anyone has ever played a first person shooter, they know that speed and accuracy are the elements that matter most. Without those, being able to stay alive and achieve victory is rather slim. With its touted one-to-one ratio of accuracy, the PlayStation Move offers gamers of all types a whole new way to experience the accuracy-dependent games they love, without the hassle of a slight lag between the actual action and its outcome on screen.
Let it be noted, however, that there does indeed exist a form of lag between the PlayStation Move and what is seen on the screen, but however, its measurement is in miliseconds – approximately 22 ms, which is roughly the same as the lag you experience (or don’t, really) between your DualShock 3 controller. Sony has stated that most modern HDTVs have even more latency than that – typically in the range of 60-160 ms. And last I checked, that pretty much negates any worries about its lag in the first place.
What makes the Move controller system a solid investment is the fact that an individual can basically keep it in the family throughout the years. The system will have a range of age-appropriate titles stretching from the family-friendly games to shooters and thrillers that attune to adult sensibilities. The PlayStation Move should indeed have something for everyone to thoroughly enjoy and experience.
After Move arrives (hopefully) this Friday, you can expect to see more articles geared toward this newest step in controllers right here on AimlessPodcasts.com, where we will definitely have our own video reviews posted. You can also expect to hear us discuss all about the Move in upcoming episodes of our podcast!