Pop those PlayStation Move controllers in the cupboard: you’ll need them, but not right now. In a candid interview with Pocket-Lint, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has admitted that motion gaming is in a bit of a rut right now, and will stay that way until Sony’s virtual reality headset Project Morpheus deploys in the near future.
“Motion gaming was a big thing, but, like with social games, dance games, [and] music or guitar games, I don’t think that there’s a lot of appetite for another motion game at this moment,” he explained, perhaps appreciating the struggles that Microsoft has had enforcing its own Kinect sensor with the Xbox One.
However, all is not lost for the firm’s illuminating wand, as it has a future when paired with its head-tracking helmet. “We are realising that the PlayStation Move was a bit ahead of its time – a precise and accurate 3D input device,” he continued. “We were very excited about the possibility of using 3D positional tracking to make games, but it’s really hard to do so with a regular 2D screen.”
And that’s where Project Morpheus comes in: “We are realising that when we do Project Morpheus, the one thing that you want to do immediately is interact with an object in virtual space, and the one way to do that is that you need a 3D positioning input device, like PlayStation Move." The organisation has already shown a couple of demos involving the controller, including a gladiatorial training arena.
Of course, the company’s glowing controller is not the only motion tracking device in its stable, so does that mean that the PlayStation Camera’s practically redundant, too? “The one big feature that [the PlayStation 4 peripheral] offers people now is the ability to stream themselves,” he said. “People enjoy that. And Project Morpheus requires the camera, too.”
All of the organisation’s chips are on virtual reality right now, then, it seems. Fair enough, but we’re just not sure how it’s going to get the associated costs down to a consumer friendly level, if you’re going to need a – big inhale – PS4 console, Project Morpheus headset, PlayStation Move controller, and PlayStation Camera to get started. Hmm.
[source pocket-lint.com]
Comments 23
"We are realising that the PlayStation Move was a bit ahead of its time", more like behind since Wiimote came first.
I like the idea of Morpheus but if in the future I'll have to buy a Move+Camera that doesn't become interesting for me.
I think they had it planned from the start with the move controllers. Too much of a coincidence they had a perfect controller for VR which they never really did much with. They said they have been working on VR for years too and showed a bunch of old prototypes.
I imagine that it'll come in a bundle for like...$200-$250. Maybe $300. Move wands, Morpheus, controller, and there'll probably be a bundle with that and the console. I also imagine that it'll have a standalone version for $100-$150 for someone who already owns all the necessary peripherals.
I believe project Morpheus will change it, but when that VR headset comes out, they will have to drop the price for The Move, otherwise it won't sell.
I'm very interested into Project Morpheus, but I don't want it until at least 2 years from now. Yoshida is right.
I think it just comes down to the controllers being a bit to expensive. Sony was Marketing the PS Move just like Nintendo, instead of getting both the wand and the navigation stick, you have to buy them separately and they're expensive for just the wand. Now they want you to use two wands which is even more expensive, add the camera and that makes it much more expensive. If they want the Move to do good, they really have to drop that price to consumer friendly, as of right now, the price still isn't consumer friendly.
I have the sneaking suspicion that Sony has a horrible habit of spreading itself way too thin. They're following bandwagons for the most part. Oculus became popular, and now they're got Morpheus. Wii was popular, so they jumped in with Move. If they abandoned the TVs and laptops, they might be fine.
@Heavyman99 I have to disagree a bit. Sony has been into motion controls since at least the PS2 days with the Playstation Eye. Plus it takes years to create products that are so sophisticated, it isn't just copying others. I do agree that they spread themselves thin at times.
The Morpheus is great! If it can release at a reasonable price point and include some killer software it will be great. Could you imagine playing P.T. on Morpheus, now that would be an experience.
Problem with alot of these thing is thers not really any good software for it, nintendo done it right with the wii and based all there software and hardware round it or u just end up getting a few games that support it and even fewer games that are actualy any good.
Lets hope sony give this alot of support because its going to need it.
@Heavyman99 @Edwin_Garcia following? You mean leading. They just don't seem to follow through. I bought some cheapo move controllers when I got my ps4, still sat their now.
Before everyone rights off the Move as a bit of a flop, I will say that playing frisbee golf on Sports Champions got the whole family up and playing while chuckling their little heads off the last few Christmases. Can't say anything else has done that. If one day of family harmony isn't worth the price of admission (for my family at least) I don't know what is.
Move was/is great! I actually came to this site via movemodo. My kids still use wonderbook occasionally.
Not just sports champions, but Killzone and Resistance 3 were great move titles, esp with sharpshooter. Heavy Rain and others besides. Unfortunately the games just stopped coming and many of the later ones were bad wii ports and/or just didn't make good use of the Move's accuracy.
Move wasn't perfect. I could give you a long list is "issues", but I also passed many a great gaming hour with it. Been a while though.
Software sells hardware. PS Move had none.
In my opinion the only good thing that came out of the motion control craze was the revival of the on-rail shooting genre
@Ginkgo
Omg! I completely forgot about movemodo. Same way I came here.
@Ginkgo @naruball Makes me feel all nostalgic when people mention Movemodo good to see some of the fellow veterans are still around
@RawShark I, too, have had so many memories with Sports Champions. There was a time when I'd thrown a party specifically for that game and TV Superstars (which got incredible amounts of laughs ).
@Edwin_Garcia That would be insane to play Silent Hills on Morpheus. Talk about really feeling the atmosphere, that would do it. I wonder if Silent Hills (P.T.) will support Project Morpheus, that would be just awesome.
Hope the Morpheus gets more improvements soon. Tried it, and it's not as smooth as Oculus yet.
I've been on the Project Morpheus bandwagon since day one. I don't own any of the Move stuff. I have a PS4 camera (wish I'd waited and bought it cheaper since the thing sits there gathering dust without any convincing applications). Is there a money quote from Yoshida saying you will need THE Move, or just something like the Move that they may release at the time Morpheus is released? I hope Project Morpheus is a 2015 thing and not a 2016 thing. But most importantly, I hope it works and works well.
@Demi_God
That is the reason why I never bothered with it. I would have used it as a means to mimic the Wiimote + nunchuck aiming for RE5 and Killzone 3, but the price was too high for an optional way to play two games I don't love that much.
Never been a fan of motion controls, not on Wii and sure as hell not on PS3 and 360. Sony can say Move was ahead of its time, I always viewed it the same way I did Kinect, pathetic cash-ins on an annoying concept. I'm glad neither were a huge success. Give me a regular game pad any day over this motion bs.
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