Watch the PlayStation Motion Controller in action

by Richard Mitchell { Jun 3rd 2009 at 8:00PM }

You've read about it, you've seen pictures, but trust us when we say that seeing the PlayStation Motion Controller in action is believing. Embedded above is the full presentation of the motion controller taken from Sony's E3 press conference. You should watch it. Like right now.

Tags: e3, e3-2009, motion-control, playstation-motion-controller, sony

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Big D. @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:02PM

This looks so amazing! Can't wait for this to come out. The possibilites are endless.

D_Average @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:52PM

I propose the name 'Wizard Stix"

fakingmyself @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:37PM

"The possibilites are endless." Indeed ,

Imagine playing Demon's Souls with the sword and shield combination they did , it will kick major ass . I hope they'll make it work for older ps3 games when those bad boys come out .

Bagels: Commander in Chief of the lolcat sarcasm alert force. @ Jun 3rd 2009 11:25PM

Dude... Imagine... everything...

Todd @ Jun 4th 2009 10:53AM

So hilarious. I suppose everyone has to clone Nintendo sooner or later. Dubbing this the Sony Dildo might be going too far. ;)

I love how the fanboys are claiming this controller is for the extreme market, while the Microsoft attempt is merely to clone the Wii. Denial much? Yeah.

Spex @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:03PM

If Microsoft didn't show off their motion sensing project, I might've cared. But this is already obsolete. Why bother holding up some sticks when I can just set up a little device at the TV and be able to use my ENTIRE body.

rohan @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:04PM

Sony did a live demo, Mircosoft just showed a promo ad and a vid that is it

Wiizer @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:05PM

Because this was an ACTUAL presentation of what the product can do, not a simulation.

And you are so gettin' downvoted for hatin' in the PS3 post.

chrisnick @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:06PM

how are you gonna walk foward in natal without ramming your balls into your hdtv?

TomCo @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:06PM

Dont forget the asian lady kicking the invisible balls!

j.howlett @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:06PM

i still think actually holding something makes it easier in some cases and yhe on screen action looks less like old special effects from old movies and tv shows

MaliceMajorE15 @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:10PM

spoken like a true fanboy. bare in mind that this is 1:1 tracking they are showing off here. there is no lag and its easier to execute whilst sitting down and it will be ready sooner. its different to say the least.

Wiizer @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:10PM

Also, before you start talkin' smack about voice recognition---

That portion was more about the Milo software than NATAL. If necessary, Sony could utilize software that recognizes a person's voice to turn something on and off on the PS3. Also, we've all heard of "Hey You, Pikachu" and this is essentially what Milo is about. That tech isn't actually brand spankin' new.

Richard Mitchell @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:13PM

For the record, Microsoft did a live demo as well. Not sure where you heard that they didn't.

Big D. @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:15PM

Exactly, Sony can do voice recognition too. The PS Eye already has a mic on it so it's easy. Plus what Microsoft showed has already been done by Sony. On the PS2. Natal is no more than a fancier EyeToy/Eye. PS3 can and has already done that. Not to mention, for me I need something in my hand. Microsoft is coming out with a motion controller too and even said some things you need a controller for. So there you have it. But yeah Natal has been done before. What Sony is doing with this is the first time 1:1 is being done properly. Not even the WiiMote or Wii Motion Plus is 1:1 as far as I know and if it is then Nintendo sucks because the Wii Remote really doesn't work as well as they make it out to, I own a Wii and it's very frustrating sometimes to play certain games.

MaRRODkez @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:16PM

I'd still rather have something physically in my hands when I'm playing a game, rather than dancing around in front of a camera with my ENTIRE body.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:17PM

Voice recognition is near impossible from a mic sitting on a speaker below your TV. It works with a headset or a mic right at your face, which is what MS demoed it with and what Hey You, Pikachu (or Seaman) used.

I wouldn't count on there being much good voice recog with Natal unless you put on a headset (kinda breaking the "you are the controller" aspect). Same with Sony.

Dudeman (psn: Jballboy88) @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:19PM

it matters cuz u can have as much motion control crap as u like, but without buttons, its just weird.

imagine playing an fps with natal. i cant. but sony didn't just show a dude playin around in 3rd & 1st person with both a gun AND a bow-and-arrow, he also had an rts/fps combo goin.

natal is microsoft trying to tap into the wii casual market. the ps3 controller is for real gamers who want a new twist in the type of games they already know and love. i could totally see myself playing killzone 2 with this thing. maybe not games like lbp (there natal has an advantage... but how would u run?) but every fps, madden, mlb '10 the show, basketball games, and more! can u say the same thing about natal? NO!!!! EPIC PWN!!! EPIC OWN!!! EPIC STONE[er]!!! woot!

Wiizer @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:21PM

@ Richard Mitchell

Please, we are trying to have an argument here. Could you stop interrupting?

Nugent @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:42PM

I've never used the PS Eye, but the promo materials say that it actually has multiple microphones in it so that it can filter out background noise. So theoretically, with the wand in hand to identify the "real" speaker, it could have voice controls that aren't completely screwed by background noise.

It's interesting in the demo that when he crouches down in the bow and arrow demo, the avatar seems to crouch too. I wonder if that's done via motion sensing on the camera, or on the wands.

Kenny Powers Fastball (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:00PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDzXqK4fh-A

That Natal tech sure looked awesome in the live demonstration ... not

Kenny Powers Fastball (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:03PM

BTW that was meant for Richard Mitchell.

PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:03PM

at the first few commentators saying Sony did a live demo and Microsoft did not, did you like...skip the 10 minutes that they demoed natal?

Doghunt00 @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:52PM

I do wanna say, I no its not the same thing but when i had an eye toy eventually doing the things on screen felt uncomfortable and awkward and my arms got tired but either way i'll say wii's days are coming to an end.

Rob Accomando @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:35PM

Sony fans voted you down because the truth hurts.

FraGNeM @ Jun 4th 2009 1:40PM

No, Rohan, that's not it. MS showed off actual on-stage demos of the tech as well.

Watch all the conferences next time.

Captain Planet @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:04PM

Wow, that was lamer than, well, Sony's press conference last year.

chrisnick @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:21PM

man, that's one big ass gap!!

chrisnick @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:05PM

if i can lift an enemies chin like that in natal (in an actual game) with a sword, then natal ftw, if not, i'll pay for these instead. Sony did show actual gaming concepts though, so either natal is gonna be better, or its gonna bomb like all hell.

AnimaOnline @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:55PM

You wont be able to do anything like that in Natal.

Natal can't track the angle of your hand anywhere near the accuracy of Sony's motion sensor controllers. If you think about holding a virtual sword, the console needs to know exactly where the tip would be. To Natal your hand would look the same even after twisting your wrist. It's monitors face tracking and overall body movement.

Of course I don't want to get into it and say that Natal is crap, I just want to say that these are both very different. They're clearly fantastic ideas. You can expect to see some amazing unique ideas coming from both companies when these devices hit the shelves.

Magetto @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:05PM

Am I the only one thinks that Sony shoved this in last minute because of the Microsoft Natal thing? It seemed pretty unpolished for such a big announcement, and those guys looked really nervous.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:07PM

All their demos were kinda crappy like that. They cut the mod racers thing off in the middle after goofing off. Even the GoW3 demo seemed like they didn't practice it enough.

But yes, I expect this was shown because MS showed theirs.

TomCo @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:08PM

They're nervous because they're academics, not PR goons.

J-Link @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:14PM

It didnt look as last minute as six-axis, now that WAS tacked on. This ccontroller seems as if it had been thought out as it was precise.

Big D. @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:17PM

They explained it was a tech demo and it's still in development. Not sure if you've ever seen a tech demo but that's what they look like.

Nick @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:12PM

are you kidding me? They actually used the damn thing for their demo, they didnt show a fucking kid with a skateboard go "scan" and it did some cg stuff on the screen. Everything you saw in that video was hypothetical, the only real they they showed off was that girl hitting balls. Milo was even staged, that kid didnt know what she was saying, she was reading a script, and who the hell wants to play a game by walking up to your tv, im taller than my tv by a lot, im not about to get on my knees so i can look into some water.

I personally want to hold something in my hand, and hopefully not waggle it around very much. Bow and arrow looked awesome, thats what i thought the wii was gonna do.

Pat @ Jun 4th 2009 2:07PM

This wasn't last minute at all. If you recall there were articles last year about how Sony and the PSEye team were testing color tracking with the PSEye. If you check an Eyetoy demo they used you can see an almost identical skeleton like the one used in the live demo. Besides you can't plan or produce a demo like this in ONE DAY.

When I watched MS's presentation I thought Natal was quite interesting, but after I watched Sony's I gave it a second thought. All we saw in the Natal demo was a), a very long pre- recorded and post produced "target demo", b) a presenter controlling the Xbox interface with it (what we have done with EyeToy games since the beginning), c) a paint demo, d) a Tetris- like game demo, and e) Milo pre- recorded video demo.

Now, the paint demo was actually bad. Nothing that was shown showed any accuracy as far as painting. The presenter was just throwing splats of paint onto the canvas and the elephant shape had pretty poor edge quality meaning that the camera isn't very high res. On the other hand, the Tetris- type game showed more promise and was actually cool. However, there was no clear demonstration that the tracking was an accurate 1:1. While the character was moving somewhat like the presenter she missed a lot of hits, which makes me wonder how much was a result of her gaming skills and how much was a result of the sensors not detecting the motion. On the other hand, while the PS Motion Control presenter also missed a lot of shots you could clearly see that the objects he was grabbing were capturing even the tiniest movements of his body.

Finally, the Milo demo was bad. First of all it is a horrible concept for a game: do you really want to pay to talk to a virtual kid? The character only answered two lines and without a live demo on stage we can say how "canned" the reactions are. Also, as far as responses I remember I had a hospital game over ten years ago where you could "talk" to the computer in your virtual office that had more variety of answers that what was shown. And that game was in a floppy disk. ;P Finally, they tried to emphasize the lady touching the water as fantastic. Really? We have been doing that with the PSEye for quite a while now. And there was no Z- axis motion there. All x and y just like the Eyetoy.

Natal is a cool concept but until it is realized it is just that. The Sony demo impressed me more and half of the tech required is already in many living rooms. Besides, as it was pointed out, some games just require that you hold something physical to play as all of you PSEye/Eyetoy players out there have experienced.

I'm glad Sony is pushing again the PSEye and can't wait for this incredible way of controlling games to come out.

stormtrooper190 PSN= (im not telling you that) @ Jun 4th 2009 5:51PM

on really they are swicht

Magetto @ Jun 4th 2009 7:51PM

That comment wasn't meant to be an insult, or anything. I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same because how unready they seemed, and disorganized it felt. It was just an observation.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:06PM

Doesn't matter. Nor does MS' system. Nor Wii Motion Plus. The problem with waggle isn't the tracking. The problem is it's just not suitable for many many games. If I wanted to play fitness games I'd be tickled pink. But I don't, so I'm not.

Dudeman (psn: Jballboy88) @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:27PM

no thats not true. the ps3 controller is perfect for an fps, rts, 3ps, basketball, football, baseball.... possibilities are endless with the ps3's processing power + the perfect tracking (better than the wii motionplus will ever be, i guarantee). u saw how he handled a gun, bow & arrow, and a tank! rts is for sure, i can see some definite madden integration, & hell, even Resistance 3 could use it. crouch to get into cover (hopefully they'll add that in #3), trigger button to shoot (i dont kno the button layout but i assume they have a trigger in there), and maybe a button or a reach-over-the-back motion to reload. You can even have rpg integration, with different hand motions portraying different emotions towards what people say to you or something!

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:33PM

People play CoD or resistance for hours. No one is going to jump and and down behind a couch for 3 hours.

Again, the problem with waggle is not that it is imprecise.

Donald @ Jun 4th 2009 5:44PM

"You can even have rpg integration, with different hand motions portraying different emotions towards what people say to you or something!"

That sounds pretty ridiculous, and sounds like an example of something that would be branded lame and gimmicky on the Wii, but all of a sudden it's SUPER INNOVATIVE XTREME HARDCORE on the PS3.

aristokrat @ Jun 4th 2009 2:18AM

"Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't."

Dummy00001 @ Jun 4th 2009 5:43AM

IMHO WiiMote Plus and the thingy from Sony are suitable for much more games than original WiiMote.

It just games would be different.

And thanks to Wii/WiiMote onslaught we might finally start getting new games based on the new way to interact with environment.

From my perspective, frankly, anything is better suited for games than classical controller. True, it is much much more universal. Yet by being universal it is also mediocre at pretty much everything.

mr nimblewick @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:07PM

That's nifty. I hope they aren't discouraged from including it in the PS4 when it fails as a peripheral.

I like the part right before this video when talks about the light on the PS3mote changing color when you select a different spell in a game.

J-Link @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:10PM

I thought the light changing was a gimmick personally but the rest of the control seems pretty good, like what the Wii remote was meant to be.

Moris @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:59PM

Actually, the light is really a gimmick if you think about it. It can be used as a visual clue for you to know what you have selected, AND it's probably used for the camera to sense certain movements and to be able to tell each controller apart (example: blue lit controller is in left hand, red in right)