PlayStation Move's Ability To Offer Varied Experiences Puts Its Future In Good Stead.

Some bloggers might wish you to believe otherwise, as they compare every intricate difference between the platforms. But if E3 taught us one thing, it's that the platforms are distinctly unique. I see Kinect as a device to entice people into the XBOX platform. I don't see that with the Move. I see the Move as a device aligned with the traditional PlayStation ethos: something for everyone.

The original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 both captured multiple audiences. It's always been Sony's strongest suite to offer diversity. Take LittleBigPlanet: it's a super-accessible, cutesy platformer. But it also one of the most hardcore experiences you can possibly have this generation. I feel that Kinect gives the XBOX an identity problem. The XBOX 360 has long defined itself as the most serious console of the bunch - but Kinect throws that image out of the window with abundance, and yet there is no middle-ground. Microsoft's offerings span Kinect Sports to Halo - polar opposites. It's clear they are attempting a splash - a blitz in the Wii market that will almost certainly make the hardware a moderate hit this Fall. And while bloggers will paint Move's steady Holiday sales in a derogative light, it's after this Christmas that I think the real motion control war will take place. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

Just looking at Kinect's launch line-up you can see the holes in the platform. Any platform launch should come with variety, and Kinect is completely devoid of that, offering little beyond sports and mini-game compilation. Move meanwhile has been quietly assembling a Fall line-up that's both large and packed with depth. From RUSE to SOCOM 4, Sports Champions to Start The Party, Tiger Woods to The Fight — there's a mixture of genres that cover a range of demographics. That's due to the diversity of the platform.

Looking at the launch line-up, and thinking to the future, Move has the greater potential for varied experiences. It's become somewhat of a joke since Kevin Butler delivered the "Pew-Pew-Pew" line — but how can you deliver a shooter or platformer on the Kinect? It could be argued that Kinect is a brand new initiative that should be treated as such, but that in itself is a limiting factor. You're asking developers to come up with something brand new, wholly developed for Kinect — a platform which, no matter how successful it is, will never have a particularly huge install base. It's a risk.

And risk is where Move succeeds. To begin with, it's a relatively small investment for the consumer. Yes, you can argue that additional controllers are required for the full experience. However, should you simply wish to try the system out you can do so for less than the price of a standard game (if you know where to shop). Chances are you already own a game to try it out on, so there's already a winning point there.

It's not just the consumers who will benefit however - Move can also benefit developers. Both the teams working on SOCOM and RUSE have stated that it took them roughly six-weeks to implement the motion control mechanics into their games. With such a small investment, I can see PlayStation Move controls becoming a de-facto alternative control method in the future. And that will put Move's support through the roof, without ever isolating those who refuse to use motion controls. As a secondary control scheme, PlayStation Move's library can grow in a way that Kinect's never can.

That's why PlayStation Move is running a marathon. I'm sure its sales will be strong out of the gate, but it will falter next to the flash-bang of Microsoft's Kinect. I fully anticipate Move to have long legs. Expect Dead Space 2, Metal Gear Solid: Rising and other big-name titles all to support Move. They are big names for the device, names that are unlikely to be mentioned in the same breath as Kinect. And that's why Microsoft have an uphill battle outside of their marketing blitz this Fall. Sure they might sell on promises this Christmas, but Move's going to sell purely on practicality over the next three years.

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