Sony has finally given a bit more backbone to their new motion controllers that will be working with the Playstation Eye. Enough in fact that it is starting to sound much more like a viable gaming platform than a half-assed attempt to keep up with the Joneses. The company caught its developing partners up to speed on the new gizmo and in so doing dropped a few details that had been missing from their E3 press conference.
The biggest bit of news that came out of it was that using the motion tracking tech is going to take a bit of processing power off the top as the “motion-tracking library has some SPU overhead and has an impact on memory as well, although these will be minimized.” Sony also says that the controllers will include rumble and that the “face-tracking and head-tracking capability already in the PS3 SDK” will give developers “powerful tools for new types of user interaction.”
Finally, in what can only be attempt to mimic the Wii more, Sony is looking into using the motion sensor and the SixAxis controller in tandem. They give the example of using the wand as a sword and the controller as a shield, I give the example of using the wand as a Wii Remote and the controller as a Nunchuck. Sony didn’t drop a price or a launch date other then to reiterate the Spring 2010 window they had already stated.
