The Playstation Move vs the Xbox Kinect, may the best motion controller win

It’s officially on. That is the motion control wars and, don’t hate, but Nintendo isn’t one of the combatants. Nope, this war is clearly between Microsoft and Sony. It’s the Kinect vs the Move. Full body tracking vs 1-1 controller tracking. This is going to turn out great for you, me, and both Sony and Microsoft.

Nintendo really deserves some recognition here. They blazed the path in this field, educating and showing consumers why motion control deserves a spot in their living room. Millions and millions of people have used and feel in love with the Wii over the last few years and now both Microsoft and Sony are ready to steal a lot of consumers into their world.

The two camps are radically different. Kinect touts full body control of up to two people at one time. Tracking is accurate and seemingly lag-free. But the games are virtual Wii-clones. It’s clear the market that Microsoft is primarily targeting even though there will be some more adult titles like Star Wars and Metal Gear Solid.

But there are no buttons. Games need buttons. That’s where Sony Move comes in.

The Playstation Move controller is just like you would imagine how Sony would make a Wii Remote: dark, industrial, but solid and smart. There’s also a second smaller controller that helps complete the experience for some games.

Yeah, it sounds like the Wii, right? It kind of is, but so much more powerful. There isn’t a cable connecting the two controllers, the controller doesn’t wobble on-screen, but more importantly it has 1-1 tracking in 3D space. That means you can move the controller side-to-side, forward and back and every which way. The Playstation 3′s powerful core allows the games to take full advantage of this system.

Simply put, the Playstation Move is all about games where Kinect feels like something more. It feels like Microsoft is on the verge of something really big and is using its Xbox 360 gaming platform as a sandbox for the motion tracking system. Kinect is built into the Xbox 360′s dashboard and users can fully interact with the gaming console with nothing more their hands and voice.

It’s important to note that Sony and Microsoft are distinctly different companies. Sony is a hardware company first where Microsoft has primarily been in only software. Sony wants to sell you your whole entertainment system from the TV to the speakers to the gaming system and media playback devices. Microsoft wants to connect your world with Windows, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360. Both Sony and Microsoft have developed their motion control system with these goals in mind.

To quote the outspoken Playstation spokesman, Kevin Butler,

“I say we focus on what really matters, the games.”

That pretty much sums it up in the end. Sony is about the gaming first where Microsoft isn’t. They are about the user experience. But the real winner in the end is, well, everyone. Both systems will provide awesome gaming experiences that Nintendo showed us could be possible.

But there’s a problem. Gaming add-ons don’t sell. They never have. There has never been a blockbuster gaming add-on unless you count the Gamecube Wavebird controller. Sony and Microsoft will have the tough task from here on out convincing current system owners — and Wii owners — that they should drop some hard cash down for these systems. It’s going to take hit titles and heavy media coverage for them to even get off the ground.

Don’t think for a minute that either of these systems will be an instant hit. Yeah, sure, fanboys and pundits will proclaim their system of choice, but it’s your parents, non-techie friends, and Wii owners that will decide this one. It’s going to get bloody and that’s awesome.

PS3 Move Games and Controller a true Wii beater

This is our first impressions with PlayStation Move for PS3, and one thing that hit us right away within 15 minutes of gameplay was PS Move, and the controllers were a true Nintendo Wii beater.

Having played the Wii since release and knowing that it is the most successful games system to combine fitness and gaming, we knew the Wii system would be hard to beat. The PS3 has something for everyone, be it watching Blu-ray movies, playing the latest games, and now working out while gaming at the same time.

Sony had to bring something that could attract the hardcore gamer, and we believe PlayStation Move is that accessory. Our six hour hands-on was started with excitement and skepticism, Sony had a lot to live up to if this was the system to compete with Wii games that continue to top sales charts.

Our first game had to be ‘Start the Party’, this is something kids and adults can enjoy at the same time, one game that will bring all the family together including grandparents. The mini games vary, from cutting hair to painting and each has three settings for level difficulties.

PS3’s Move is great hardware, but you will need good software to back it up and ‘Start the Party’ is a launch title that does just that, watching my children and their grandparents play the game together was magic, and the best way to review this software, something other review sites forget to do in their tests for ‘family’ software. The smiles showed Sony knew what they were doing with ‘Move’. Technically the PS Move controller and camera combination lets the player do things the Wii could only dream about, it’s more sensitive and allows for added gameplay not possible on the Wii platform.

Sports Champions was the next game we tried and table tennis had to be the first game. After a tutorial and controller calibration we were ready to go, one motion controller each and one side of the screen each. Holding the table tennis bat was impressive, just moving it a centimeter was picked up by the game, and moving it in any direction slow or fast showed amazing response with no lag. Working out what way to stand for different hitting came after a few goes, natural table tennis players will feel right at home.

The second game we tried was archery, and having just played the real thing for a few hours a few weeks ago, I was not expecting great things. In this game we chose to use two motion controllers for one person (where the expense comes in). This allowed for true gameplay, just like the real thing. It was like I was standing in the field the other week, after taking an arrow from the bag on my shoulder with my right hand, I loaded it with two hands, pulled back the string for 100% power and took my time just as taught. After aiming with my left hand for a few moments I let go of the ‘T’ button in my right hand to send the arrow just off target. This game really shows you what’s possible with PS Move.

Other games played included ‘Kung Fu Rider’, which was too like an arcade game for my liking but will be loved by some people. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition was much more involved and took some time to get used to the controls, and certainly not one for the kids. After some practice this showed a game with graphics not possible on a Wii, and controls that took things that much further. After an hour of game time I decided that a normal controller far suited this game, which may not be the case for everyone.

This is our first impressions of PS Move, the hardware has launch titles that offer something for everyone, but it’s still early days and we’re sure much better games are to come. Next game we’re playing is ‘Racquet Sports’.