Sony Introduces Motion Controller: Behold The PSWii

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Back when all three consoles were just spec sheets and demo units it was Microsoft vs. Sony and Blu-ray vs. HD DVD. Even the pundits who thought the Wii's motion control interface could win it market share weren't predicting that the modest device would prove as popular as the XBox and PS3 combined. Both Microsoft and Sony realized some time back that the Wiimote wasn't just a fad and adjusted their plans accordingly. Microsoft has been hard at work on Project Natal, while Sony has finally taken the wraps off its own controller dubbed the Playstation Move.



Reports coming back from GDC, where Sony unveiled the Move this week, are generally positive, with industry journalists often praising how the controller feels in games like SOCOM 4. Like the Wiimote, the Move will be paired with a secondary nunchuk, and it's not clear how much the two controllers and the PlayStation Eye will cost.



Just because motion control was an integral part of the Wii's design doesn't mean it'll be a slam dunk for Sony. The additional peripherals add to the cost of what's already the most expensive console on the market and developers won't be able to exclusively target the Playstation Move or automatically assume that PS3 players are using it. Technologically, Sony's Move appears to be the equal of the Wiimote, but do PS3 owners want to play the same way Wii owners do?