Source: ps3blog.net

Sony’s Kish Hirani (head of developer services) and Paul Holman (SCEE’s vice president of research and development) were interviewed by Eurogamer and stated how advanced the ‘wand’ is compared to its rivals;

Eurogamer: So the level of precision and accuracy is greater than with motion controllers already on the market, i.e. the Wii remote?

Paul Holman: Oh, totally. It’s another generation forward, or even a couple of generations. I know in certain games or applications which are out there, people had to sort of fluff it to make it real for consumers. But this stuff is super-accurate and the impact of that is incredible. I think you have to play with it to realise what it will do to games.

In the rest of the interview they try to refrain from talking directly about their rivals but i couldn’t help but notice this. Its quite a bold statement and from the demo at E3 it does look like it can hold ground, but it remains to be seen if it is that much better than Microsoft’s Natal or Nintendo’s MotionPlus.

Last 3 posts by Trev

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Source: ps3blog.net

Sony said, here, that the PS Eye already has facial recognition just like Project Natal.

“We’ve got a wealth of libraries available,” explained head of developer services Kish Hirani.

Like most gamers out there, I’m left wondering, “Where are these games that support this camera.”

Last 3 posts by Thepreppymonk

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Source: ps3blog.net

Sony has filed a new patent allowing the PlayStation Eye to scan everyday objects for in-game use. According to Gamesindustry.biz:

The patent details a system where a camera can map in any real world item, reports Siliconera. Examples given include a coffee mug, drinking glass, books and bottles, however the mapping system is expected to be able to identify any three dimension object.

It’s definitely sounds far improved from an old tech demo from a while back where it would scan 2D objects and turn them into tanks.

There currently aren’t any videos available showcasing the technology, but Siliconera has pictures and information from the patent here. The patent explains that the above examples are also outlined, but the figures show a U-shaped object as an example.

Source: ps3blog.net

When asked about what went under reported at this year’s E3, Cowen & Co. analyst said:

The Project Natal demo from Microsoft got most of the ink, but I really thought Sony’s demo was superior from a gaming perspective.

Natal appeared to me to be a technological solution in search of a problem. Do I really care if I can navigate my Netflix queue without using a controller? I had a very hard time envisioning playing Modern Warfare 3 using Natal. By contrast, I had a very easy time envisioning it (and enjoying it) using Sony’s control/motion capture scheme.

With the public putting so much blind faith in motion control, I’m glad to see more skeptics like this guy.

However, to be honest, I’m still skeptical about Sony’s wand device. How would one play Modern Warfare 3 with Sony’s wand? Would it just be a fancy light gun? You can’t turn more than 45 degrees or so since you need to keep looking at your TV. You would still need to turn/navigate with a traditional analog stick, and shoot/reload/jump/action with buttons.

Source: ps3blog.net

In an interview with CNBC, Jack Tretton said:

“Personally, it’s very difficult for me to perceive ‘God of War 3’ being played with the Wii controller,” he says. “It’s a different experience that doesn’t lend itself to certain types of games. [But] I think our [motion] controller can be used with every game that’s on the system now — and every game we’re working on.”

I don’t see how any of the motion controllers, including the PlayStation Motion wand, can be used for an action/adventure game. How do you do 180 degree turns and run back and forth without a stick or d-pad? Every one of the motion tech demos that we’ve seen and every motion-controlled Wii game involves playing a character that mostly stays still and looks forward (baseball, tennis, boxing, bowling type stuff). The PlayStation wand demos that allowed turning the camera 1-to-1, obviously had a limited turning radius due to the fact that the player needs to keep looking forward to the TV.

Can anyone else see how you might control a action/adventure type game such as God of War 3 with the PlayStation motion wand?