Make your Move

Sony Playstation Move
Price: Rs 3,650

First impression is the last impression, goes the old adage. And it holds true when it comes to gaming; or, to be precise, when it comes to motion-sensor gaming. There’s certainly a ‘wow’ factor to it, which explains the sudden rush of products from Sony and Microsoft in this category. Nintendo Wii already has motion-gaming consoles.

What is Move?
Unlike Kinect, which tracks players using a combination of cameras and sensors without a controller, the Move uses both a Wii-like controller with a built-in accelerometer, gyrometer and a PlayStation Eye camera to detect movements of the player. And, it’s pretty good at detecting what it needs to in any given game. But, you have to calibrate it every time you start a new game. However, the accuracy of movements, according to our reviews, was better with Sony Move than with the Nintendo Wii controller.

The Move controller resembles a microphone. It has a small ball on the top that changes colour depending on what’s happening in the game. We played games like Table Tennis and Golf on the Sony Move and have to admit the experience was definitely better than that on the Wii. Priced at Rs 3,650, the Move starter kit comes with PS Eye Camera, one Move controller and a disc with nine game demos.

The Move experience
Though the lack of a controller on Kinect was liberating, we found the Move controller to be receptive and worth a hold. For instance, during Tiger Woods 11 game, minor changes in the swing action delivered a great impact on the shot hit. The Move controller, which you hold like a golf club, made the entire golfing experience very creative, and players need to be conscious of how hard they swing and how much they rotate the controller, as both reflect on the gameplay. Even while playing Table Tennis, when we tried the backhand top-spin or the forehand top-spin, Move controller topped the accuracy in its movements. With the smash shot in table tennis, the precision and timing of the Move controller scored over that of Wii.

We think it would be unfair to compare Move with Kinect, but if we had to, not holding anything in your hand while gaming worked way better than trying to make a precision move with the controller in one hand. Also, you would need multiple controllers to play with friends, which means an extra cost. Kinect is yet to announce its pricing and availability in India. So, for those in a hurry to experience motion gaming, Sony PS Move is in stores already.

Should you buy it?
If you have been a Sony Playstation fan, then it makes perfect sense to invest in a Move controller and a few motion games. The experience is just worth all the sweat.

— With inputs from Priyanka Joshi