The Battle of Motion Control

So in case you've been sleeping under a rock recently, there's no doubt you've seen the numerous attempts Sony and Microsoft have made to make it into the Motion Control realm. But why are they trying to break into the motion control realm? Are they trying to be innovative? Not at all!

Now try to remember back to 2006 (I know thats a long time ago, so don't strain yourself). Nintendo had decided to throw it's hat into the seventh generation battle, a war that had been started by Microsoft a year earlier. But Nintendo had forsaken the conventional controllers in favor of motion controls. This took Nintendo out of the funk that the Gamecube caused, and launched the Wii into being the number 1 selling console of this generation, a record they still hold today.

But the question is, will Sony's Move or Microsoft's Kinect lead their systems to that number one spot? Well let's look at both systems, starting with the Playstation 3's Move.

Now first of all, if you look at the Move, the first thing you'll probably notice is... the design is very very simmilar to Nintendo's Wii and Nunchuck combination. The biggest difference between the two is that the Move is wireless. Now what I've seen from the Move, it's clear that they're trying to emulate the Wii. Even their initial demonstration was very identical to the Wii's original demonstration. So no, Sony isn't trying to hide the fact that they're attempting to be a Wii killer. But how does it play? Well it's impossible for me to say personally, since I've never even picked up the controller, however I've heard from several sources that the controls actually DO improve on the Wii's controls. Which is great for them, since, lets be honest, Sony's first attempt with motion control, the Eye Toy, was an epic failure.

Now let's look at the Kinect. Unlike Sony, Microsoft isn't expressly trying to prove their superiority over Nintendo. Which is odd, becuase they're definitely the ones that have the right. Rather than coming up with a new controller to play with, Microsoft is going completely controller-less. The Kinect integrates your whole body into the game, much like the Eye Toy attempted to do. And some of the games almost feel like you're a motion capture employee, which is really cool. Much unlike the Move, which seems to be a bit more focused on integrating their motion controls into other games, the Kinect's main focus seems to be games made specificaly for the Kinect, which as Nintendo clearly proved, is the better idea. (Trust me, as a die-hard Nintendo fan, I know how bad it sucks to just slap on motion controls to another game).

Regardless, it's true to say that both of them improbve on the Wii's controls. But does this mean that these new motion controls are going to put them on top. Truth be told, no, I don't think so, and here is why.

First of all, the demographic is all wrong. Odds are, if you were looking for motion control, you got the Wii. Most of the people who bought the 360 or the PS3 don't really care about Motion control. As a matter of fact, they tend to be the main skeptics of motion control. Most of them are going to look at something like the Kinect, and think "$150 for this little add on, or 3 brand new games? I think the choice is obvious". And most of the people who DO buy it are people who just have the money, or people who probably won't use it too very much, other than to show off the fact that they have it.

So you're probably thinking then, "Well maybe they're trying to appeal to a new demographic". And odds are, you're probably right. I think the whole point is to try and take away that audiance of Nintendo's. The problem you run into there is price. Now we assume that when you think of a new audiance, you mean someone who hasn't bought your system, right? Therefore, starting with the Kinect, you still have to buy a $300 system, then the $150 Kinect. And this alone isnt even including games! However, the Wii is currently sitting at $150, meaning the Kinect alone is the same price as the Wii! And Im not sure how much the Move is, but I do know that the PS3 alone is still more expensive than the Wii. Therefore, the Wii definitely has price working to its advantage. That, combined with the fact that the appeal just isn't really there as far as as the Kinect and Move go.

But I think the biggest problem is is the timing. Truely I believe that it's far too late to be trying these things. I mean, had Microsoft or Sony tried this before, I already know they'd be on top over Nintendo, becuase they are improved over their motion controls. However, going back to the demographic, most people already bought the system they wanted, and those that wanted motion controls, got the Wii, and odds are, those that want motion controls are going to stick with the Wii.

As always, this is my opinion. So, if you think otherwise, let me know here, on Facebook (facebook.com/djghostpirate), or on Twitter (@ghostpiratedj).

My perscription: Wait and see how the Move and Kinect develop. And maybe wait for a drop in price
Dr. Buck