MKTG

It’s officially on. That is the motion control wars and, don’t hate, but Nintendo isn’t one of the combatants. Nope, this war is clearly between Microsoft and Sony. It’s the Kinect vs the Move. Full body tracking vs 1-1 controller tracking. This is going to turn out great for you, me, and both Sony and Microsoft.

Today’s video games tap into who we are as people, and into the existing systems of our world. Kill Screen Magazine strives to explore these ideas of human behavior, aiming to reach a more mature demographic.

PlayStation’s own Kevin Butler, VP of humorous adverts, is coming at you from the future in this latest promo clip for the recently-named Move motion controller.

While demoing the abilities of the Move with a boxing game and an FPS, Butler manages to poke fun at both the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s coming-soon Project Natal system for the Xbox 360 that takes motion control a step further by making your body the controller.

“Come on, who wants to pretend their hand is a gun? What is this, third grade?” Butler asks, while stating that the Move offers “what we in the future call ‘buttons’ which turn out to be pretty important to those handful of millions of people who enjoy playing shooters, or platformers, well, anything that doesn’t involve catching a big, red ball” — the latter in reference to a Natal demo.

Hit play now to see the “now-eristic” Move in action, as well as a baseball tip-off for the coming season:

Tags: advertising, kevin butler, microsoft, motion gaming, Natal, Nintendo, playstation, playstation move, project natal, sony, video, video games, Wii, wiimote

On November 19, 2006, Nintendo launched its fifth home console to the world. The Nintendo Wii was both ridiculed and praised for its unique controller system — the Wiimote — which detects movements in three dimensions.

Three and a half years later, the Wii has dominated the market, shattered sales records, and put its two main rivals, Microsoft and Sony, on the defensive. Both companies are responding with motion-based controllers of their own, though.

Microsoft has generated some big buzz with the revelation of Project Natal, a new camera-based system that requires no controller, just the movement of your body to function. And yesterday, Sony officially announced PlayStation Move, a controller setup that utilizes a camera and a remote-like controller to interact with the screen.

Here’s the question we have for all of you gamers. Which next-generation controller system excites you more: Microsoft’s Natal or Sony’s Move?

Our poll for this week’s Web Faceoff ends on Sunday, March 14, at 12:00 p.m. PT. Let us know your choice, and don’t forget to leave your opinion in the comments!

What excites you more: Microsoft’s Project Natal or Sony’s PlayStation Move?polls

PlayStation Move in Action

Project Natal Announcement

Tags: microsoft, Natal, Nintendo, playstation, playstation move, project natal, sony, Wii, wiimote

If you’re a gamer, you might have heard about yesterday’s news about the PlayStation Move, Sony’s answer to the Wii Remote and Microsoft’s upcoming Project Natal motion controller. In a demonstration yesterday, the company showed off the device, which utilizes remote-like controllers and the PlayStation Eye camera to capture your movements and turn them into actions on the screen.

We’ve seen plenty of screenshots and heard a lot about the controller’s capabilities, but we wanted to find out for ourselves whether it really could make the PlayStation more competitive with its counterparts. That’s why I decided to take the system for a test drive here at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, California.

Did it live up to expectations? Could it challenge Nintendo and Microsoft in gaming? I’ve got some thoughts on the matter:

PlayStation Move: Sony Played It Safe

First, a little bit about the PlayStation Move: It’s a two-part control system. First are the handheld controllers, which act essentially as Wiimotes. The main controller comes with a lighted color ball on the top though — this is an essential component for the second part of the Move: the PlayStation Eye camera, which tracks your movements on screen. Combined, you get a controller system.

When I held the remote-like device in my hands and actually got to play with it, I immediately became aware of two things: its accuracy and its augmented reality features. It feels just a little more precise than a Wiimote with the MotionPlus controller. Because it uses the camera rather than the sensor bar that the Wii utilizes, it can more accurately catch your motions. It also translates them onto the screen with your face on the TV.

I was impressed with the augmented reality aspect of the PlayStation Move more, though. The lighted ball on my controller turned first into a paintbrush, and then a fly swatter. It didn’t have the lag that a lot of other systems deal with, which made the experience enjoyable.

Is it that much better than the Wii, though? To be honest, I think the answer to that question depends on how developers use the PlayStation Eye camera to enhance their games. If they focus on the controllers, then it’s just a fancy Wiimote. If it focuses on bringing you into the game via the camera, then there are some real possibilities.

In the end though, Microsoft’s Project Natal is still going to garner the attention and the hype, as it is a bolder step into motion control. Sony essentially played it safe with the Move, while Microsoft’s implementing an all-or-nothing strategy with Natal.

Here is me in action with the PlayStation Move:

PlayStation Move Demo Video

Tags: games, gaming, microsoft, Natal, Nintendo, playstation, playstation move, project natal, sony, video games, Wii, xbox

We had a very hotly contested matchup this week in our long-running Faceoff series, with Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE going up against Sony’s PlayStation Network for favorite online console gaming service. After an astounding 35,055 votes we’re ready to declare the winner…

… and Xbox LIVE takes the win! They’ll obviously get an achievement rather than a trophy for this victory. Just a day or so ago the polls were holding steadily even so it was definitely in the home stretch here that XBLA pulled ahead. The final tally reads 19,858 for Xbox LIVE (57%) and 14,258 for PSN (41%), with a surprisingly small tie vote of only 939 (3%).

Thanks to everyone who voted this week! Were you disappointed with the results? Sound off in the comments!

Who would win in a fight: Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network?opinion

Faceoff Series: Overall Results

Week 1:

- Mozilla Firefox vs. Google Chrome

- WINNER: Firefox, 4600 votes (Chrome: 3310 votes, Tie: 911 votes)

Week 2:

- Tumblr vs. Posterous

- WINNER: Tumblr, 1809 votes (Posterous: 1496 votes, Tie: 256 votes)

Week 3:

- Pandora vs. Last.fm

- WINNER: Last.fm, 1187 votes (Pandora: 1156 votes, Tie: 122 votes)

Week 4:

- Twitter vs. Facebook

- WINNER: Facebook, 2484 votes (Twitter: 2061 votes, Tie: 588 votes)

Week 5:

- WordPress vs. Typepad

- WINNER: WordPress, 2714 votes (Typepad: 267 votes, Tie: 357 votes)

Week 6:

- Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard

- WINNER: Windows 7, 3632 votes (Snow Leopard: 3278 votes, Tie: 121 votes)

Week 7:

- TweetDeck vs. Seesmic Desktop

- WINNER: TweetDeck, 3294 votes (Seesmic Desktop: 1055 votes, Tie: 260 votes)

Week 8:

- Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs

- WINNER: Microsoft Office, 1365 votes (Google Docs: 994 votes, Tie: 315 votes)

Week 9:

- Apple iPhone vs. Google Android

- WINNER: Google Android, 3323 votes (Apple iPhone: 1494 votes, Tie: 228 votes)

Week 10:

- AT&T vs. Verizon

- WINNER: Verizon, 1161 votes (AT&T: 538 votes, Tie: 118 votes)

Week 11:

- Google vs. Bing

- WINNER: Google, 2180 votes (Bing: 519 votes, Tie: 97 votes)

Week 12:

- iPod Touch/iPhone vs. Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP

- WINNER: iPod Touch/iPhone, 704 votes (Sony PSP: 639 votes, Nintendo DS: 482 votes, Tie: 108 votes)

Week 13:

- Digg vs. Reddit vs. StumbleUpon

- WINNER: Digg, 14,762 votes (Reddit: 11,466 votes, StumbleUpon: 2507 votes, Tie: 1032 votes)

Week 14:

- Old versus new Twitter retweets

- WINNER: Old style retweets, 1625 votes (New style retweets: 699 votes, Tie: 227 votes)

Week 15:

- Gmail vs. Outlook

- WINNER: Gmail, 3684 votes (Outlook: 980 votes, Tie: 590 votes)

Week 16:

- Boxee vs. Hulu

- WINNER: Hulu, 626 votes (Boxee: 591 votes, Tie: 106 votes)

Week 17:

- Nexus One vs. iPhone 3GS

- WINNER: Nexus One, 6743 votes (iPhone 3GS: 2818 votes, Tie: 592 votes)

Week 18:

- Foursquare vs. Yelp vs. Gowalla

- WINNER: Foursquare, 1182 votes, (Yelp: 661 votes, Gowalla: 509 votes, Tie: 143 votes)

Week 19:

- AIM vs. GTalk vs. FbChat

- WINNER: GTalk, 2189 votes, (AIM: 1257 votes, FbChat: 511 votes, Tie: 203 votes)

Week 20:

- Music Ownership vs. Music Subscription

- WINNER: Ownership, 533 votes (Subscription: 299 votes, Tie: 237)

Week 21:

- Match.com vs. PlentyofFish

- WINNER: Plenty of Fish, 430 votes (Match.com: 334 votes, Tie: 187 votes)

Week 21:

- Google Buzz vs. Facebook Vs. Twitter

- WINNER: Facebook, 3353 votes (Twitter: 1828 votes, Google Buzz: 1298 votes, Tie: 651 votes)

Week 22:

- HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash

- WINNER: HTML5, 3892 votes (Adobe Flash: 1779 votes, Tie: 660 votes)

Reviews: Bing, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim

Tags: gaming, microsoft, playstation, playstation network, polls, PSN, sony, video games, web faceoff, xbla, xbox, XBox live

Consumer electronics juggernaut Sony is apparently stepping up to the plate to tackle Apple’s iPhone (and soon iPad) pantheon with a PlayStation Portable Phone, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

If you haven’t been following the vicissitudes of the mobile rumor mill for as long as we have, you might want to know that a PSP phone has historically been a mythical device about equally as hot and sought-after as the likewise completely mythical and often-rumored Microsoft Zune phone — the latter of which is also reportedly about to materialize.

According to the WSJ’s sources, the PSP Phone is part of a larger initiative to get some synergy going between Sony’s various existing platforms: the PlayStation Network, which offers both gaming and media content, the PlayStation Portable handheld gaming device, and its Sony Ericsson phone division.

Until now those realms didn’t quite completely gel beyond PSP-PSN integration, and the overall pipeline for the consumer hasn’t been nearly as streamlined as in Apple’s iTunes ecosystem. There have also been inside reports that Sony didn’t want to let Sony Ericsson run with the PlayStation brand even though it has expressed interest in the past. Today’s news seems to indicate the parent company has had a change of heart in that regard.

The idea with a PSP Phone would be to tie all those heretofore loose ends together and create a more seamless mobile content delivery service. We may even see another device enter the fray that would compete with the iPad and other emerging tablets of the world: something that “blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PlayStation Portable.” In other words, Sony is preparing a concerted push to go after Apple’s popular digital delivery ecosystem.

Would you be excited about a PSP Phone? Let us know in the comments.

[img credit: Engadget]

[via Engadget]

Tags: apple, ipad, iphone, itunes, playstation, playstation portable, PSN, PSP, psp phone, sony, sony ericcson, video games

It’s time once again to pit two contestants against each other in an all-out battle for the hearts and minds of Mashable readers. In this week’s Web Faceoff, we wanted to get a sense of which online console gaming service Mashable readers prefer: Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE or Sony’s PlayStation Network?

Last week we saw HTML5 take down Adobe Flash in our dynamic web faceoff, and we’ve previously looked at handheld gaming’s big three. But what about the two major online console services: does the totally free PSN hold sway or does the freemium model of XBLA offer a service compelling enough to offset the optional cost many choose to pay?

For many it will simply come down to platform preference, but if you’ve used both services and can vote (and comment) on the relative merits of each individual online component, please do. Check back later this week for the results!

Who would win in a fight: Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network?opinion

Faceoff Series: Overall Results

Week 1:

- Mozilla Firefox vs. Google Chrome

- WINNER: Firefox, 4600 votes (Chrome: 3310 votes, Tie: 911 votes)

Week 2:

- Tumblr vs. Posterous

- WINNER: Tumblr, 1809 votes (Posterous: 1496 votes, Tie: 256 votes)

Week 3:

- Pandora vs. Last.fm

- WINNER: Last.fm, 1187 votes (Pandora: 1156 votes, Tie: 122 votes)

Week 4:

- Twitter vs. Facebook

- WINNER: Facebook, 2484 votes (Twitter: 2061 votes, Tie: 588 votes)

Week 5:

- WordPress vs. Typepad

- WINNER: WordPress, 2714 votes (Typepad: 267 votes, Tie: 357 votes)

Week 6:

- Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard

- WINNER: Windows 7, 3632 votes (Snow Leopard: 3278 votes, Tie: 121 votes)

Week 7:

- TweetDeck vs. Seesmic Desktop

- WINNER: TweetDeck, 3294 votes (Seesmic Desktop: 1055 votes, Tie: 260 votes)

Week 8:

- Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs

- WINNER: Microsoft Office, 1365 votes (Google Docs: 994 votes, Tie: 315 votes)

Week 9:

- Apple iPhone vs. Google Android

- WINNER: Google Android, 3323 votes (Apple iPhone: 1494 votes, Tie: 228 votes)

Week 10:

- AT&T vs. Verizon

- WINNER: Verizon, 1161 votes (AT&T: 538 votes, Tie: 118 votes)

Week 11:

- Google vs. Bing

- WINNER: Google, 2180 votes (Bing: 519 votes, Tie: 97 votes)

Week 12:

- iPod Touch/iPhone vs. Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP

- WINNER: iPod Touch/iPhone, 704 votes (Sony PSP: 639 votes, Nintendo DS: 482 votes, Tie: 108 votes)

Week 13:

- Digg vs. Reddit vs. StumbleUpon

- WINNER: Digg, 14,762 votes (Reddit: 11,466 votes, StumbleUpon: 2507 votes, Tie: 1032 votes)

Week 14:

- Old versus new Twitter retweets

- WINNER: Old style retweets, 1625 votes (New style retweets: 699 votes, Tie: 227 votes)

Week 15:

- Gmail vs. Outlook

- WINNER: Gmail, 3684 votes (Outlook: 980 votes, Tie: 590 votes)

Week 16:

- Boxee vs. Hulu

- WINNER: Hulu, 626 votes (Boxee: 591 votes, Tie: 106 votes)

Week 17:

- Nexus One vs. iPhone 3GS

- WINNER: Nexus One, 6743 votes (iPhone 3GS: 2818 votes, Tie: 592 votes)

Week 18:

- Foursquare vs. Yelp vs. Gowalla

- WINNER: Foursquare, 1182 votes, (Yelp: 661 votes, Gowalla: 509 votes, Tie: 143 votes)

Week 19:

- AIM vs. GTalk vs. FbChat

- WINNER: GTalk, 2189 votes, (AIM: 1257 votes, FbChat: 511 votes, Tie: 203 votes)

Week 20:

- Music Ownership vs. Music Subscription

- WINNER: Ownership, 533 votes (Subscription: 299 votes, Tie: 237)

Week 21:

- Match.com vs. PlentyofFish

- WINNER: Plenty of Fish, 430 votes (Match.com: 334 votes, Tie: 187 votes)

Week 21:

- Google Buzz vs. Facebook Vs. Twitter

- WINNER: Facebook, 3353 votes (Twitter: 1828 votes, Google Buzz: 1298 votes, Tie: 651 votes)

Week 22:

- HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash

- WINNER: HTML5, 3892 votes (Adobe Flash: 1779 votes, Tie: 660 votes)

Reviews: Bing, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim

Tags: games, microsoft, playstation, playstation network, polls, PSN, sony, video games, web faceoff, xbla, xbox, XBox live