Video Game Product Review: Playstation Move

I was surprised to see a Playstation Move in the break room of the office where I work because we were mainly a Nintendo Wii office beforehand. Given the many bad experiences with the Wii's motion controllers that resulted in less game playing and more arm flailing, I figured the Wii was a passive aggressive way for the boss to tell us to quit playing video games during break and get back to work. So I wondered if the company's decision to bring a Move into the office was more of the same.

Move Hardware

The Move and the Wii both feature wand-like motion controllers that allow the player to point and click their way through the game. The Move motion controller feels more comfortable in my hand and has the same X, O, Triangle, Square, and other buttons familiar from older PS controllers. But now it also features a trigger button and a squiggly center button to confirm. The Move controller stands apart from the Wii controller by featuring a soft orb in the front used for more precise tracking during game play. And the darn thing works pretty well as I watch my movements translate well into the game. Though I still have trouble taking the Move motion controller seriously since it still looks like a glowing sex toy. Aside from the optional light gun accessory, hopefully the Move will not need any of those extraneous accessories that turned the Wii controller into a golf club or a tennis racket.

Additionally, the Move comes with a Playstation Eye camera. I still have my camera from the PS2 days and this new one is definitely an improvement. The camera captures my physical presence as it tracks my moves and the movements of the motion controller very well. The only bugger about the camera is how much easier it is to capture my image for the Internet.

Game Play

The only game I had access to was the Sports Champions that was bundled into the Move. The sports-themed min games play like a hardcore version of Wii Sports Resort with emphasis on the hard. I could almost hear the PS3 straining as the character movements responded pretty much in sync with mine. The backgrounds are of higher quality than the Wii thanks to the Blu-Ray technology. The games do feel pretty immersive as I play table tennis or attempt to smash my sword onto my opponent's head.

But before I can fully immerse myself in the game as the Move's blurb brags about, I notice how weak the force feedback on the controller is. I will swing my arm all the way around only to notice that an opponent already blocked my sword at the halfway point. Then I have to reposition myself to get back in sync. And then I feel less like I am playing a game and more like I am directing traffic or flailing my arms like I have beetles on my back. Then again, this is a problem that motion controllers will have.

While the Move is definitely technologically superior to the Wii, but the Microsoft Kinect and its lack of motion controllers may still be the innovative system.