Sony Decides on Arc Name for Motion Tracking Solution

With Microsoft's Project Natal and with Sony's motion tracking controller arriving pretty much at some point during the fall, it's more important than ever to get the details right. And Sony might have been officially referring to its new console add-on as the “Sony Motion Controller” officially since it announced it in 2008 but it's certainly looking for a more stylish and easy to remember name, which can compete with the vague exoticism of Natal.

Now, a trademark uncovered by Siliconera shows that Sony has filed for protection for the name “PlayStation Arc” in Japan. This comes after sources inside the company confirmed the internal use of the name and after the Chief Executive Officer from THQ used the Arc name several times in a conference call. There's also the fact that the website PlayStationArc.com is officially registered by Sony.

In typical obtuse fashion, the Japanese console developer and videogame publisher has not officially confirmed the name and insisted that information and details will be offered as the launch date for the device approaches. The Sony solution is based around the PlayStation Eye camera and a new peripheral the player will hold in their hands as they play.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Sony is engaging in a grand illusion designed to keep the official name hidden until the official launch but a ruse is improbable, considering that it would only benefit from the fact that players can associate its new gadget with a short and sound bite friendly name.

The Sony motion tracking controller was initially supposed to come out during spring but it seems that lack of videogames to take advantage of its capabilities forced the Japanese firm to delay the release to fall, when it will face direct competition from Microsoft.