Wednesday, June 03, 2009

E3 2009: Microsoft challenging Nintendo, Sony finished



So, the three press briefings have come and gone. What remains? Quite obviously, Microsoft had the biggest surprise in store for us. Project Natal is certainly ambitious and may serve to position the Xbox360 quite differently in terms of target demographic. Nintendo, while briefly showing that odd finger sensor had almost no surprises when it comes to hardware. Team Ninja working on a new Metroid game was the big news of the briefing and it is hard to exaggerate the ramifications of this collaboration, given Nintendo’s poor track record with third party developers in the past.

Immediately, arguments ensued over whether Xbox360’s Natal or Wii’s Motion Plus will be the more accurate system. But that appears to be an academic debate. The big question in my mind is: where does that leave Sony? The truly gargantuan sales figures of a ´Brain Age´ and a ´Wii Fit´ clearly show where the gaming mainstream has shifted to (or rather, where the new mainstream has been discovered). This is precisely where Nintendo is positioned and it clearly is where Microsoft would like to be with Natal. Sony, however, will have nothing to offer this new mainstream. If they really are working on a Wiimote-like controller themselves, they will show it no earlier than E3 2010 and it will launch no earlier than 2011. This will be too late for this generation because, in my mind, by 2011, Microsoft and Nintendo will be talking about their successor consoles. And with the next generation of consoles, no one will care about a PS3 peripheral.

It seems quite obvious that the PlayStation3 will be falling behind even further, after the E3 announcements. While mainstream gaming has shifted (and opened up to millions new gamers in the process), Sony has remained where the mainstream used to be. Of course, ´God of War III´ will be a spectacular game. But, in terms of sales figures, it will be a niche product and fail to move substantial amounts of hardware. Especially given that Sony boss Stringer will not allow a price cut until Christmas at the earliest. I am absolutely sure: Sony will remain in third place for this generation and I am even less optimistic about Sony’s progress in the next console cycle.

EDIT I stand corrected. Sony did show motion controls other than the Sixaxis. I was unable to watch the Sony conference and really had not seen the motion control section in Joystiq’s live transcription. Sorry. Thanks to Some Guy for pointing out my mistake.

It is interesting to note that I wrote about the patent most likely implicated by this technology back in 2005 and I even tried out a similar prototype at the 2001 ECTS, London’s former videogame expo. There, a webcam connected to the PlayStation2 was tuned to certain bright colours and had the dimensions of various tools and weapons stored in memory. Holding a brightly coloured plastic sword or mace, the console could estimate a 3D position based on the object’s dimensions by comparing them to the actual view in perspective. This way, the same weapon was replicated in the game and moved almost in real-time to my movements. Considering this was fake 3D – since the console only estimated a spatial position based on the distorted perspective of a 2D image – it worked pretty well. It seems to me that the demo shown at the Sony conference was almost the same technology and will work the same way.

However, even if the technology shown will be available next year and works well, it is still no comparison to Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s real 3D motion controls. The only advantage is that Sony’s approach should work with a standard webcam, which will make it the cheapest of the three. But the experience may be less immersive, too. So I stand by my initial judgement: Microsoft may be successfully moving on what now is Nintendo’s turf – the new mainstream – but Sony will most likely fail to catch up.

37 comments:

Some Guy said...

If they really are working on a Wiimote-like controller themselves, they will show it no earlier than E3 2010 and it will launch no earlier than 2011

Um, you didn’t watch the Sony press conference did you? Sony showed off their motion controller and it is launching spring 2010, while Natal is launching fall of 2010/ spring 2011.

Anonymous said...

Too late for the game with motion-sensing for MS and Sony.

MS' Natal will be too expensive to take off.

Sony's is just Wii Motion Plus copycat with a camera.

Both will use lots of processing power and limit the kinds of games made for either platform because they use cameras.

If the camera does alot of the processing then they will be expensive. Either way, they are late and they are added costs and doomed to fail.

Anonymous said...

wow, you were way off and for the love of god publish the nibris speculation article

Anonymous said...

sonys is wii motion plus copy are ypou sure

wiimote with wiimotion plus = 1to1 perfect 3d motion controls with 1mm perfection and a true perfect aim ir mouse pointer


ps3 motion has no perfect pointer and its motion sensing is only 1cm accurate its no were near wii motion plus or wiimote mouse pointer it simply does not compete

also no speaker no rumble and no nunchuck type analog stick so no fps motion controls


its a weak copy wii motion and other controls conbined kill ps3 motion and natal


natal no feed back no rumble no speaker no fuking controls at all = better eyetoy and thats all

no fps fpa rts rta advantage no analog stick and 50% of demos and promos were faked


scan the skate borad then not use it that didnt even make sense


there both waggle fest ideas wave about ideas there not 1to1 perfection with ainm and traditional analog combanation controls like wii and therws no speaker or rumble


THERE FOR THERE WEAK COPYS

WII HD WITH DUAL WII MOTION PLUS AND DUAL IR POINTER MOUSE AND A WIISPEAK AND CAM IN THE BOX FOR A RETAIL PRICE = TO WIIS SAY END 2010


DESTROYS MICROSOFTS HOPES AND SONYS

A WII PRICE DROP TO SUM 100 POUNDS SUM 150 DOLLARS AGAIN DESTROYS THE COMPETITIONS DREAMS


ITS OVER NINTENDO HAS ALREADY WON

Anonymous said...

MICROSOFT DOESNT HAVE REAL 3D ETRHER ITS JUST EYETOY ADVANCE ITS IMPOSSABLE TO DO FAST PERFECT FPS ETC VIA NATAL

ITS IMPOSABLE TO MIX NATAL WITH A ANALOG STICK

AND ITS IMPOSSABLE TO GET RUMBLE OR SOUND FEED BACK IN UR HANDS WITH NATAL


SONY AND MICROSOFT CLEARLY CANNOT COMPETE

Anonymous said...

nintendo is for kids

Anonymous said...

ok I have just watched the G4 E3 2009 Conduit developer walkthrough and to sum up my thoughts: it looks as boring and lame as ever I'm afraid.

I'm not going to support it.

Anonymous said...

- Galaxy 2 looks exactly like it's predecessor with some very subtle improvements. No major update on the engine. It looks like a mission pack. Nothing mind boggling.

- Red Steel 2 looks ok. I'm not terribly impressed by the graphics. But I guess it's too early to judge. No blood is a joke tho. A BIG JOKE.

- Spyborgs looks good.

- Metroid Other M looks very promising. The trailer is very impressive. This is how Metroid is supposed to look like in 3D. I'm glad that Retro isn't making this one since their last two Prime titles didn't live up to the hype at all. Prime 2 and 3 felt kinda stale and boring imho. I hope this game is more fun than Metroid Prime 2 and 3.

-Dead Space looks quite good actually. But its on rails just like Resi.....


- Silent Hill looks ok . Its hard to tell from the vids...


- No More Heroes 2 looks weird. I dont like the lead character.

-The Last Guardian looks amazing. But it's not for Wii.

- I wonder what Miyamoto is working on besides Zelda.

pero_detlic said...

i just dont see what's so great about natal.. it's just advanced eye toy...

sony's gadget looks better actually, but still i think the wiimote with wm+ and IR is the best solution

galaxy 2 and new metroid are great news, especailay metroid (i really hope team ninja won't screw it up) and i'll be quiet for a while :)

still, kinda weird... we already have metroid and mario on wii.. i hoped for some f zero or starfox

but still, new galaxy, metroid, new sm bros, re darkside chronicles, dead space will do just fine

at least E3 2009>>>E3 2008

Unknown said...

Microsoft and Sony are both going to suffer from the same thing:

The motion sensing hardware/software isn't bundled with the console, so hardly anyone will have it. Therefore, no third parties will make software for it, which means no one will buy it. Cue the endless loop.

Anonymous said...

Microsoft and Sony are both going to suffer from the same thing:

The motion sensing hardware/software isn't bundled with the console, so hardly anyone will have it. Therefore, no third parties will make software for it, which means no one will buy it. Cue the endless loop.

June 04, 2009 2:46 PM
exactly my thinking add the poor point /mouse support nether support it only wii does add no rumble add no imursion speaker add no analog stick add the camera isea is always laggy and loose compared to the advanced senser option


THERE BOTH CASUAL WAGGLE PRETENDING TO OFFER THE PERFECTION ON WIIMOTE AND WII MOTION PLUS

PS3 MOTION = 1CM ACCURATE

NATAL EVEN WORSE

WII = 1MM PERFECT AIM

WII= 1MM PERFECT SPEED FORCE PERFECT WII MOTION PLUS

WII HD SOONER RATHER THAN LATER

I REST MY CASE UR HOMOR FIND SONY AND MICRSOFT GUITY OF COPYING IN A WEAK WAY WAY WAY TO LATE

Anonymous said...

lol conduit got 76% from ONM!! lol!!! see I told you its crap!! It aint hard to tell its crap!! I bet it will get even lower scores!

Anonymous said...

Dude.
You need to chill.
Maybe give your family a call
or go outside and get some fresh air or something.

Anonymous said...

Oh and when you're done getting some fresh air...and re-connecting to the rest of the world.....

Ask yourself....

"I haven't played the Conduit.
How do I really know it's crap?"

Anonymous said...

This website also gave Red Steel: 1 a 91% rating.

So what's the lesson learned today?

Anonymous said...

hey m8 trust me, Conduit is crap.

Henrik said...

What I did get out of the sony press was that there motion sensor was a combiantion of tracking the ball with the camera AND sensors in the stick that they held.

I dont know where this "1cm accuracy" comes from? When I looked at the demo it seemed to be exactly like the motion+ except with more options when it comes grafiks, motion tracking of the face (enhance the 3d depth with tracking of the face in fps)

But still: Nintendo has it on the market in a couple of weeks.

Anonymous said...

henrik:::: SONY CLEARLY STATED MY FRIEND that the PS3 MOTION WAS ACCURATE TO A MAXIMUM OF 7MM AROUND 1CM... THEY STATED THE SENSERS INSIDE ARE AROUND 7CM ACCURATE THEY STATED THAT ITS A FACT EVERY ARTICLE IV READ ON PS3 MOTION STATES THAT VERY FACT ,,(U FANBOY).. STOP TRYING TO SAY THAT WASN'T STATED BECAUSE IT CLEARLY WAS STATED AS """FACT""" I DONT LIE I REPORT THE TRUTH ONLY....


WIIMOTE AND NUNCHUCK WITHOUT WII MOTION PLUS HAVE A TIGHTER MOTION ABILITY THAN PS3 MOTION WITH OUT WII MOTION PLUS WIIMOTE IS CLEARLY MUCH TIGHTER THAN 7MM

AND THE WIIMOTES POINT/AIM MOUSE TRACKER IS ALSO 1MM ACCURATE ITS PERFECT FOR FPS AND TIGHT PRECISION AIMING AND POINTING...

PS3 HAS NO MOUSE/POINTER TRACKER IT ONLY HAS LIGHT ORBS SO AGAIN PERFECT AIM AT HIGH SPEED IS IMPOSABLE,, ITS A WAVE CONTROLLER NOT A 1TO1 3D PERFECTION CONTROLLER,, LIKE WII HAS IM NOT FANBOYING HERE IM QUOTING ENGINEERING FACTS,, (IM A SKILLED MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND I BUILD AND REPAIR PRECISION CNC TURNING AND MILLING MACHINES AND YES IV WORKED WITH GYROSCOPES ALSO)I KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT....

THE ORBS LIGHT IS TRACKED BY CAMERA

1 LAGGY, 2 NOT PRECISION PERFECT ITS MORE A LOOSE WAVE LIKE CONTROL JUST A TIGHTER EYETOY BASICALLY

2 NO AIMING LIKE WIIMOTE LIGHTGUN MAYBE POSSABLE BUT FPS NO WAY


NOW ADD WII-MOTION-PLUS

UR CONFUSING WIIMOTION PLUS WITH A BASIC WAVE CONTROL (PS3 MOTION)

WII MOTION PLUS OFFERS 1TO1 SPEED/DIRECTION/AND FORCE TO 1TO1 PERFECTION

EVERY SINGLE WAVE THING THAT PS3 MOTION DEMO SHOWED WII CAN DO BETTER AND TIGHTER PLUS THE POINTER MOUSE ALSO

NOW WII MOTION PLUS ADDS EVERY WRIST MOVEMENT FINGER TWIST EVERY TWITCH TO PERFECTION SO A TENNIS RACKET CAN BE MIMICKED PERFECTLY NOT JUST THE SWING (AKA PS3 MOTION) BUT EVERY DAM MOVEMENT UR HAND AND WRIST AND ARM MAKE

I.E PERFECT REAL WORLD PHYSICS


BOTH PS3 MOTION AND NATAL SIMPLY CAN NOT REPEAT CANNOT DO THIS ITS A ENGINERRING FACT SORRY FRIEND BUT IM 100% RIGHT HERE

ADD SPEAKER ADD ANALOG STICK ADD RUMBLE

YOU HAVE PERFECT CORE GAME IMURSION CNTROLS


VS SONYS AND MICRSOFTS CLEARLY CASUAL VERSION


TRY LOOKING AT THINGS AND THEN THINKING ABOUT IT


BOTH SONY AND MICROSOFT HAD FAKED DEMOS

PS3 MOTION HAD A GUY (NOT AIMING AT ANYTHING) BUT THROING NINJA BLASDES AT TARGETS AND OVER ADSADURATING HIS MOVEMENTS TO PRETEND THE TERCH WAS COOL


BUT HOLD ON HE WASNT ACCTUALLY AIMING ANYWERE

IT DIDNT MAKE SENSE DID IT

NATAL KID SCANS SKATEBOARD THEN PLAYS WITH OUT THE SKATEBOARD

WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO SCAN SOMETHING YOUR NOT USING


AGAIN A LIE


WIIMOTE AND WII-MOTION -PLUS DESTROY THE COMPETITION

AND WII HD WILL LIKLY HAVE WII MOTION PLUS AND IR POITER MOUSE IN EACH HAND WITH RUMBLE AND SPEAKER IN EACH HAND ALSO AND MAYBE A WIISPEAK& CAMERA OUT THE BOX AS WELL AS HD

SAY 2010 2011

ITS TOO LATE PLAYSTATION AND XBOX CANNOT COMPETE

Anonymous said...

the size of the orbs give it away the camera tracking is clearly very lose and laggy and those orbs will break or crack or get crushed very easily

no mention of analog stick no mention of rumble no mention of speaker

not pasrt of standard ps3 package wii hd likly to release at around the same time

= PS3 IS DEAD

Anonymous said...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/e3-2009/5432288/E3-2009-Sony-demos-PS3-motion-sensitive-controller.html


clearly states 7mm accurate WITCH IS UTTER GARBAGE ITS NOT 1TO1 ITS NOT AIM PERFECT ITS CLEARLY A EYETOY WITH ADDED WONDS AND NOTHING MORE

Anonymous said...

PostPosted: 6 Jun 09 12:20 am Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post
At their E3 press conferences, both Sony and Microsoft did what we all actually expected them to do at last year's show: Reveal their motion control "solutions" to Nintendo's Wii. However, according to worldwide President Satoru Iwata, Nintendo had tried what both of their competitors are planning to use, and rejected them.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Iwata explained that they had at one time attempted to make use of camera-based interfaces for motion control, but found that the accelerometers they eventually went with yielded better results.

Of course, that's not to say it won't work. "Until they say when they're releasing it, how much it costs and what software it comes with, we won't know whether that is the route we should have taken," Iwata said, adding "However . . . I think they couldn't choose to release exactly the same thing."

But does it bother him at all that Sony and Microsoft appear to be trying to take a slice of Nintendo's pie? Actually, the Times reports, he's happy that the innovation which Nintendo brought to the marketplace and made Wii a hit is catching on and becoming an industry standard.

"Companies whose people said that motion-sensing wouldn't work are now proposing motion sensors," he said.


fact ps3 motion is 7mm square accurate = lose and craapp

fact 2 camera motion will always be laggy

fact 3 ps3 motion has no perfect aim mouse/pointer

fact 4 traditional controls combined with mouse pointer and motion make core gaming sense ]

motion cams do not non analog stick remotes with gay looking orbs do not make sense

natal no controls at all so agaijn like ps3 motion not suited to FPS/FPA/RTS/RTA/ETC CORE IN GAME GAMEPLAY

natal offers no fedd back like rumble or imursion speaker and no abillity to aim perfectly and fast and fire a weapon its a casual wave fest of shhiitt as is ps3 motion


CAMERA MOTION IS SHHITTE AND DOES IT SINK IN THAT SONY AND MICRSOFT CANNOT GET ROUND NINTENDOS PATENTS SO RELY ON CRAPPY CAM MOTION


WII HAS ADDITIONAL CAM MOTION COMING FROM 3RD PARTYS

GAME OVER SONY GAMEOVER XBOX

Anonymous said...

who cares........

Anonymous said...

GAMERS CARE OBVIOUSLY SONY FANS AND XBOX FANS AINT GAMERS AS THERE FOOLED BY WEAK IMITATION.....

IT ONLY SHOWS THAT MII A NINTENDO FAN HAS THE CORE GAER INTELIGENTS TO SEE WHAT SONY AND MICROSOFT CARNT SEE

YET THERE CORE GAMERS RIGHT """OBVIOUSLY NOT""

IMITATION IS SUICIDE AND MIMICRY THE ACTION OF THE UN-TALENTED

AKA SONY AND MICROSOFT

Henrik said...

Fanboy this, fanboy that. Show me a link to those facts about 7mm accuracy. And what does that do for aiming and controling the movement i dont know, im not a developer.

but, i dont doubt that what you say is true. It´s not about that.

I actually am a fanboy and have bin following this blogg since 2005 or something. Hyped the REVOLUTION two years before it even came out. And I love what nintendo are doing.

Just fun to see Sony and Microsoft are trying to catch on. It´s only good for us, the gamers.

anyway, whats up with this Anonymous guy?
Ever herd of caps (un)lock

Henrik said...

correction: I saw the link now. Thanks. A good read :)

Anonymous said...

imitation is suicide mimicry the action of the un-talented AKA sony and microsoft

Some German Guy said...

This 7mm nonsense must be a mistake on telegraph.co.uk. Listening to the developer during the presentation it actually sounds like he's saying "sub millimetre accuracy".
Check it out at 5:36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgLN7uOj8Jg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enetzwelt%2Ede%2Fnews%2F80014%2De3%2Dsony%2Dstellt%2Dneuen%2Dbewegungscontroller%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

Anonymous said...

FANBOY SHUT UP EVERY SINGLE IN DEPTH ARTICLE CLEARLY STATES 7MM SQUARE ACCURATE

STOP SUCKING UP TO SONY THERE LIARS THERE GAMING HOSTORY CLEARLY PROVES IT

COMPARE SONYS MOTION LIKE THIS SONY ANALOG VS NINTENDO

NO CONTEST AND IT WILL BE THE SAME WITH MOTION I PUT MY LIFE ON IT MY SOUL MY CHILDRENS SOULS

SONY USED CAMS NINTENDO HAD ALREADY REJECTED CAMS

SO WHAT ENGINEERING DESIGN REASON WAS THAT

CAMS ARE WEAK AT MOTION SENSING GET IT THRU UR SONY LOVING HEAD

STOP THE WHOLE SONY IS BETTER WEN HISTORY PROVES OTHERWISE


RUMBLE PAKS NINTENDOS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BETTER

ANALOG STICKS NINTENDOS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BETTER

LOADTIMES AGAIN BETTER

CONSOLE BUILD QUALITY AGAIJN BETTR PLEASE SEE SONY FOR WHAT THEY ARE

AND THE SONY MOTION CONTROLS HAVE BASIC ACCELORSENSER THINGS IN THEM NO BETTER THAN NUNCHUCK

THE ORBS ARE FOR MOTION TRACKING not perfect fps like aiming or mouse

its not accurate and its not 1to1 and its no match for wii motion plus

and WERES THE ANALOG STICK

JESUS FRIEND 2+2=4 AND 4 ONLY NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES SONY TELL YOU THE ANSWER IS 6.7


AND COPYING IS GOD DAM GAY INNOVATING IS GENIUS

do you fan copiers and thiefs because i dont

Henrik said...

The only fanboy here is you "the anonymous with CAPS". And its tiresome.

Good for nintendo, they have amazing games. Love'em!

But if, and only IF (clear enough?) Sony or Microsoft come up with some good tech and games we all benefit.

the amateut independent game analyst said...

this will be a developers nightmare not in terms on code but in debugging and testing

Rebeca said...

Nintendo follows the footsteps of Sony and Microsoft by slashing the price of its Wii system, where you can now pick it up for $199.99. Of course, taking a look around at online deals might help you save more as selected stores do offer some sort of further rebate or throw in a free game of your choice at that price point.

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