Popular Science Chooses PlayStation Move Over Kinect

[Tom Goldman]

Popular Science Chooses PlayStation Move Over Kinect

According to Popular Science, PlayStation Move is the hardcore motion gamer's choice.

In Popular Science's recent "Best of What's New 2010" feature, it chose to feature PlayStation Move over motion gaming competitor Kinect. Move is called the "most immersive game controller," while Kinect is referred to as "kid's stuff."

The article writes: "Sony's Move is the first motion-capture game system accurate enough to attract the hardcore gamers who consider the Wii and Microsoft Kinect to be kids' stuff." It echoes Sony's marketing campaign that calls Move "more hardcore" for having buttons [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101504-Sony-Moves-Buttons-Make-it-More-Hardcore].

Popular Science says that Move's technical capabilities "translate into the ability to take out zombies in Resident Evil with dead-on accuracy." It's not a totally inaccurate statement as there are shooting games available for Move already, but I wouldn't call the offerings for PlayStation Move as good as Resident Evil just yet. Edit: Aside from Move-compatible Resident Evil 5 that I blanked on, thanks Scunner [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Scunner].

So is there a Sony fan over there at Popular Science? I'm actually surprised by the article, because for all intents and purposes Kinect has a higher "wow" factor you'd think a magazine would want to highlight. It brings a somewhat new experience into the living room and is already being hacked to do some really cool things [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105582-Kinect-Hack-Roundup-Robots-Mario-Kart-and-Boobs]. Neither device has reached its true potential yet, which makes it all the more confusing that Popular Science would refer to Kinect simply as "kid's stuff." Maybe Move just makes for a better screenshot with its glowing ball?

Source: PopSci [http://www.popsci.com/bown/2010/product/sony-playstation-move]

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[SilentHunter7]

I think they picked move because the controller has more tactile feedback than Kinect. But who knows.

 

[Something Amyss]

I think they picked move because the controller has more tactile feedback than Kinect. But who knows.

More than likely.

I wouldn't throw them into the "fanboy" bus just yet.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Ok, I both agree and disagree with this statement.

Using your body to control the game sounds good and works perfectly well for party games, but for anything else having buttons REALLY is needed. I would personally like the Move to be able to point and shoot at stuff in shooters, without the announce of trying to remember what gesture is used for placing up clamores without spending the camera into an uncontrolled spin. However, the Wii has been doing that for 4 years, and the Move still essentially is a Wiimote with a ball on it. It isn't anymore "hardcore" then the Wiimote, that depends on the game.

 

[Deadman Walkin]

Haha. "PlayStation Move is the hardcore motion gamer's choice." Haha what a contradiction.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I think they picked move because the controller has more tactile feedback than Kinect. But who knows.

This is most likely true. The problem with motion controllers in general is that they're usually lacking physical feedback, with something like the Kinect even more so.

 

[deth2munkies]

This just straight reeks of corporate backing. I read PopSci from time to time (<3 it waiting rooms), and I haven't agreed with a lot of their gaming-related articles (although no specifics spring to mind), so take what I say with a grain of salt. You can't ignore the fact that the Move introduces very little over the Wii whereas the Kinect at least takes a new approach to the motion gaming thing (well if you don't include the Playstation webcam thing).

 

[seekeroftruth86]

"More hardcore because of buttons"?! Are you serious? They may be necessary but how does buttons make a system more "hardcore"?

I'll answer that. It doesn't. That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a good long time. Thanks PopSci. Way to be on the cutting edge.

On that note, why haven't they done anything with the Kinect's programming potential? It is probably the most advanced motion sensor tech on the market right now! They should be drooling over this! If not for games but for the other possibilities in science, technology and applications!

PopSci's really whiffed this one.

 

[Something Amyss]

Haha. "PlayStation Move is the hardcore motion gamer's choice." Haha what a contradiction.

Not really.

It's ridiculous to think that motion controls immediately preclude the "hardcore."

Though hardcore's kind of ridiculous in and of itself, so I suppose I'm not too chafed either way.

 

[Morgan3rd]

You know whats hardcore? Mouse and keyboard. Enough buttons for you?

... imbeciles...

 

[Something Amyss]

You know whats hardcore? Mouse and keyboard. Enough buttons for you?

... imbeciles...

No wai, man, keyboards are for noobs!

Am I doing this right?

 

[Icehearted]

I think by and large a piece like this tries to stick with what's official rather than what's hacked. I've also never seen MS actually claim that their target was anything but casuals. I will say that it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a motion gimmick to get me to buy the system, especially given that the gimmick has proven to be more intrusive and cumbersome than natural and user friendly.

 

[Scunner]

It's not a totally inaccurate statement as there are shooting games available for Move already, but I wouldn't call the offerings for PlayStation Move as good as Resident Evil just yet.

I'm sure how good it is because I haven't played it, but there is a Move compatible version of Resident Evil 5 out. So you could say there is at least one shooter for the Move as good as Resident Evil.

 

[Treblaine]

I am not at all surprised considering input lag on Kinect's most basic games like Kinect Adventures is over 500ms... that eliminates almost all ability to be quick and precise. I've used both and Kinect is ridiculously unresponsive, it goes beyond what you can feel, I mean you can see it plainly and obviously. Move your hand, and half a second later it responds.

Haha. "PlayStation Move is the hardcore motion gamer's choice." Haha what a contradiction.

Err... What? Is Kinect supposed to be the better choice?!?!


Kinect is a joke. It's a gimmick.

 

[Frotality]

no, im pretty sure a normal controller is still the most immersive controller. move hasnt proved itself any less gimmicky than kinect yet, so im forced to believe that either they have no idea what they are talking about (like everyone who talks about gaming outside of actual gamers and developers), or this is a very thinly disguised ad.

 

[runedeadthA]

O.K the direct truth here: The liked the Move because it was shiny.

 

[Wandrecanada]

I think this whole "hardcore" affair boils down to software and the idea that the Move is just an alternative controller while Kinect is Xbox 360 v2. Sony has touted it's intention to integrate Move support into controller based games relegating the Move to a peripheral alternative. Kinect on the other hand has displayed a decided lack of interest in integrating motion controls into a paradigm that doesn't really need it.

What we'll see from this in future will essentially be Sony with games supporting both alternatives and devs needing to split their resources to build multiple control schemes while Microsoft will have two decidedly different kinds of game. This will give Microsoft a far more rarefied selection of games that take the most advantage of the control scheme it's designed for. Expect some massively original content coming for Kinect in a year or two that will probably bend your mind in half and spank it. If the public supports it for that long...

 

[trog08]

Wait but Resident Evil 5 Gold edition has move support. Doesn't that kind of make it a Move offering?

 

[Elesar]

It comes down to what the guys at Penny Arcade said about a week ago. Here, let me dredge it up:
Source: Full Circle [http://www.penny-arcade.com/2010/11/8/]

Kinect versus Move is a media-driven false choice. The Microsoft Kinect is a demonstrably, profoundly bad Playstation Move. There's simply no comparing the two devices, at least, no way to compare them that makes the Kinect look good.

He goes on to list some reasons but it boils down to that. As for hardcore, the jist of my "well the Move is more hardcore" argument is: The Move has Heavy Rain. Until the Kinect can top that, the Move is more hardcore AND artistic. Just is.

Finally, while the Kinect DOES have the "Wow" factor, from what I can tell that wears off and that's all it really has going for it. The Move doesn't have much more going for it right now, but it functions better on average so I think it'll win out in the long run.

But what do I know?