In my opinion I don't care which is better. The crossfire for the endless debate for the best waggle will be hilarious.

They both look fun. Sony impressed me with the RTS portion of the demo when they went into the FPS mode to control the individual tank. Microsoft's has a lot of potential to be awesome and could work well into a lot of games.

That said, I don't care too much for either, I like having a controller, not a wand in my hand. Don't fix what isn't broken.

@ParaParaKing

And yet Microsoft and Sony saw fit to jump into the motion space themselves. Hmmmm...

Never expected any of those people to say anything different. The day I hear Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo concede defeat to the other is the day that Megan Fox comes to my door and becomes my sex slave.

This will be forgotten about hopefully soon

@Magnalon

Uhhhh.... isn't that EXACTLY what Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are trying to do? Aren't their new technologies are great improvement over the current standard Wii Remote? Isn't that proof that they are moving beyond mere "waggle" and into experiences that require more precise and accurate motions? And why does it have to be "legitimate" for core games? That sounds like yet another excuse for long-time gamers to whine, "Well, what about meeeeeeee?"

@mega
I have to say, after playing with Motion Plus at E3, it's still a long ways from a "real" motion experience. I'd say Natal is the closest in theory.

Core Gamers:"well what about meeeee"

Most core gamers don't want "motion" in it's current state, so there's no whining here. Like I said, most of our core games need a controller. The only genre I've seen Motion Plus making real advances in is sports.

The point here is all 3 companies are laughing all the way to the bank with technology that isn't a true experience. You don't think Iawata and Co. had the motion plus figured out years ago? Market saturation, baby.

Nintendo makes the Wii-Mote - $40 a pop
Nintendo has a revolutionary add-on necessary to enhance controls for select games- $20
Nintendo introduces the "classic controller" - $20
Nintendo introduces the "revolutionary" Balance Board - $90
Nintendo introduces the new "motion plus" with makes your controller "better" - $20 a pop
Future:
Microsoft announces Project Natal - $100+ per household?
Sony announces "double-wandtandre" - $100

One of the reasons I love the DS so much is because it shipped with touchscreen functionality, and it does everything I need it to do, out of the box. It has a great selection of core, and casual games that I can enjoy at my leisure, ALL with a complete, and intuitive control system. While the Wii "waggles" in nearly every game, the DS rarely has a "scratch fest".

Wii= Wii
Natal= eyetoy
sony's= eyetoy+Wiimote

there all full of it if you ask me.

@mega
The NES was introduced to the West because of core gamers who wanted more detailed, graphic games (and were sick of text adventures), and titles that gave you more of a lengthy challenge (IE graphic adventures like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy). I'm not sure I understand your point with the above. "Core" doesn't equate to "conservative, archaic, 100% traditional". If anything, we just don't want gimmicks, and we want our games to have substance.

The point here is not to listen to core gamers 100%, but also do not let money alone dictate your decisions. Also, I never said Nintendo should take core gamer's opinions alone. In my opinion, the DS is the correct way to do things, and please every fan base: the Wii is the anti-thesis of this goal.

Sony is building their business strategy around catering to "core" gamers (Sony CEO's words at the recent press conference), and Nintendo is going out of their way to attempt to cater the core (Reggie blatantly made a few "core service" remarks at the conference). What Nintendo is doing with the Wii is just saying "here's a bone: we like money". The core is celebrated in some companies, and others, it's ignored. Obviously, Nintendo has the right idea of ignoring the core in favor of money, and I'm saying this isn't a favorable outcome in the future, if other companies are following this business model. Corporations are not infallible, and "making money" isn't an excuse to do whatever you want.

We will never agree on this Wii vs. Everything debate, but I'll ask you: can you admit the DS is doing everything better than the Wii, in terms of catering to every possible fan-base?

I really don't get the whole "Sony Control = Wii" argument. From a Microsoft Rep, I understand. From a rep it's just coyly talking shit without directly paraphrasing "LOL your control is a toy compared to my cockrocket orgasm blaster 2000!"

The simple situation with the Wii is truly that, Simple. People WERE excited when it was coming out because I know that when I heard of it. I was excited. Not for "waggle" or some semi-motion control. But because it was touted to do things that were supposed to be one to one. I was supposed to be able to swing the wiimote as though I actually had a tennis racket in my hand and so on.

When the Wii was released however, we did not get as advertised. We got a relatively weak, compared to nintendo's explanation, version of what was supposed to be delivered. And suddenly "swinging" a tennis racket one to one became "generally making a starting motion to activate a preset movement.".. That was where Nintendo failed. Gamers wanted extreme control, extreme accuracy. Nintendo told us it would be this way and they did not deliver.

Later they would try to make amends for this mistake by releasing a controller addition to make it more similar to what they originally announced. But for many, now may be too little too late. The device doesn't seem to exactly be one for one, and from games like Red Steel 2 - while still impressive looking and will be fun, isn't exactly played on a one to one basis. Sword Swigning, it seems, while using the Motion+ will make the game play more in line with your direct movement, combat and actual function still operates on a pre-set movement with a starter.

What Sony Demo'd is essentially the same thing Nintendo promised, but in no way delivered. And that's where I hope the two companies differ.

I'm more excited for the Sony Motion controller personally because of the 1:1 motion and the fact that since it's close to what the Wii has, it would be easier for third party developers to port their titles from the Wii to the PS3. Seems like they would have to do a bit more to get it working for the Xbox though.

In this battle i cheer for Natal, Sony is just copying the Wii.

I think that MS will release "hardcore" versions of the already known Wii mini-games, because it's like, in the Wii you waggle a little bit here and there and with the Natal you will have people running across the room with broken limbs.

NATAL = VISTA
the next gen "experience" M$ tried to offer but will fail and NATAL2 = Windows7 will fix its issues

Sonys control scheme works far better for the hardcore.

Microsofts Natal works best with the casual.

How bout you just make some games? No really I`m not going to buy any of these until a solid amount of games exists.

My theory: They will both fail due to expensive price, and the games that do get produced will be tech demos like Wii sports. Only Sony and Microsoft themselves will be able to take advantage of the technology, third party games will be sparse and not that great.

I`m still mildly optimistic though.

@megaStryke Right on. The NES would've never succeeded under Atari's supervision. "Classic" gamers, most of the folks who cling tightly to the 2600 machines of that era never bothered to pick up the NES and figure out why the hell that machine beat the 7800.

Gamers are whiny, clingy sons of bitches who never know what's good for them and thus the big bucks of gaming aren't made chasing them but going after things like the Wii and casual gaming. The American industry seems to be content trying to chase that market, while Japanese companies seem to be interested in at least trying to branch out a little and try new things. This is also why games for the 360 will largely be sports games, garbage RPGs like Oblivion and FPSes, and we'll never see an western studios put out something as unique and fun as Katamary Damacy. It took Harmonix blatantly ripping off Guitar Freaks to come up with Guitar Hero, right down to paying for the patent rights to the guitar and game design.

(I say this knowing full well that as a gaming curmudgeon, I'm being a complete dickhole.)

Which is why I'm incredibly skeptical of Natal. I've lost all faith in the ability for MS to invent something uniquely new(Even Sony could come up with a new method for fucking up Operating Systems delivered on music CDs). They've been playing catch up since day one with the original Xbox. nothing about it was innovative. it was just a bigger box with more horsepower. It didn't actually *try* anything new.

Deeper, Natal gets blown away when it comes to interacting with real objects. The spray can part of the PS3 tracking demo is the real killer part of the PS3 experience and something I don't think can be recreated with a Natal experience. An object analogue, that is, an object that resembles some given virtual object, will beat holding your hand in the air with nothing to hold on to or feel in real meat space. I'd be surprised if Natal can figure out which direction my wrist is facing, or how much pressure I'm putting on a button.

Yes skynet has arrived !!!!

Personally I'm interested in both but the Sony statement of 'the eyetoy is more accurate' is odd. Last I checked the resolution of the eyetoy wasn't stellar, it was sufficient but not stellar and as far as I know the technical specs of Project NATAL are unreleased. Therefore I don't see how Sony can comment on a Z axis problem.

I'll rate the two when I have them in my hands and not before.

I agree with Sony, for "proper/core/gamers" games you will need buttons, it's also good to have "something" in your hands.

I think both companies are doing what they do best...

MS - Chasing that extra market and extra money from a new demographic, the dreaded casual gamer. With the low price, Natal and family friendly games i can see the succeeding to an extent, but they're just a bit too "gamery" to top Nintendo's success.

Sony - Adding a tried and tested new control method, albeit an improved and updated version, to their core demgraphic of hardcore gamers. i can see some interesting, and proper, games using their motion controls but sony are not looking to take any market from the Wii. They stick to what their good at and they support their key demographic.

Two different control methods for 2 different breifs. One is designed for one goal and looks like it will do well with that goal, the other is designed for another goal and certainly looks promising.

One is not better than the other, one is looking awesome for me, the other is looking like it'll be awesome for someone else.

I think the only problem is that the hardcore gamers that have an Xbox are a going to be a bit left out, with their motion controls not really being amied at them, however MS will do just fine because there will undoubtedly be some Wii converts buying 360's.

i just hope that any 360 users out there that want to play some proper games, gamers games with motion controls are going to be able to swallow their fanboyism and join us. I know i would if the Xbox truely offered something that i couldn't get on PS3.

"I just hope that any 360 users out there that want to play some proper games, gamers games with motion controls are going to be able to swallow their fanboyism and join us. I know i would if the Xbox truely offered something that i couldn't get on PS3."

BIG FAT FUCKING LIE.

And I refer to my above point. Harcore games with motion controls. For the forseeable future, that my friend, is an Oxymoron.

Nah, I just don't buy it. All the examples you give would be at best: Gimmicks, at worst: A fucking joke.

Waving a sword in a dungeon crawler? Behave.

Give me the joypad.

This motion stuff, it's not for you and me, mate. It's the gaming equivalent of Jon Bon Jovi.

I... kinda agree with Mr. Koller on this one.

As amazing as I think NATAL is, I simply cannot see that I would find many games using it that I would really ever play. It seems too casual for what I would want to play. How do I use those motions to switch weapons? Shoot? Move? Interact in dialog? Pick up or swap a weapon? And how can I do it all at the same time?

Koller says 'some games need buttons, and I think that hits it right on the head. I think NATAL looks neat because it's new... but I think that Sony's tech will likely be better for the "gamer" community.


Either way, I think we can all agree that Nintendo sucked. :P