Sony Takes Aim at the Motion Control Game Enthusiast

Since its release in 2006, the Nintendo Wii has shown that the folks at the big N still have a few tricks up their collective sleeve. Coming off of two consoles(the N64 and the GameCube) that struggled in popularity against their main competitors from Microsoft and Sony, the Wii has been a tremendous success due in large part to Nintendo's decision to market the console to casual gamers.

The Wii introduced motion controls to the video gaming world, and the result has been an unqualified success. The graphics are not on par to what can be found in the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3, but Nintendo banked on gameplay being the selling point instead of graphics. Often dismissed by owners of other consoles as a gimmick, Nintendo has gladly accepted its role as the less powerful, but bigger selling game system.

However, Nintendo's dominance of motion control gaming may be in jeopardy. At this year's Game Developer's Conference Sony has shown off their long-anticipated answer to Nintendo's motion control system(see link). Currently known as the PlayStation Move, the Sony system comes with a remote and a "Sub Controller". These basically perform the same functions of the Wiimote and nunchuck.

Demos at the GDC show that the Sony setup still needs some tweaking, but I am confident that Sony will eventually get their motion control system up to par. The big question is, will Sony be able attract Wii owners that are looking for a more powerful console?

Up until now, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have been viewed as serious gaming consoles with the Wii being generally looked down upon by hardcore gamers. Sony has obviously decided that the hardcore market is not enough. There is a problem, though. The PlayStation 3 game lineup is not loaded with family-friendly, casual games like the Wii.

While the PlayStation 3 boasts eye-popping games such as God of War III and Batman: Arkham Assylum, they have far fewer "E" rated titles(aside from sports games) like Little Big Planet than the Wii. This is what is going to make or break or Sony's attempt to get casual gamers to purchase their system. If Sony can secure a solid lineup of family-based, motion control games, I believe they will be successful. With a price of $100 for a remote with an included game, the games are going to have to be good.

A motion control party game, a couple of platformers, or even a motion control educational game would go a long way to convincing Wii owners that are looking for better graphics in their games that the PlayStation 3 is what they want. You can get a 120 GB PlayStation 3 for $299, which is only $50 more than what the Nintendo Wii originally sold for. At that price, and with a solid lineup of motion control games, I think Sony will lure a significant number of Wii owners into purchasing a PlayStation 3.