14 DAY TRIAL // The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was the most important thing this week. It came back to the glamour and sizzle of yesteryear and was filled with big announcements from the top three hardware manufacturers: Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony.
But while they waged a battle in terms of new games announced for their respective consoles, it seems that Microsoft and Sony have learned a lesson from the ever-so-popular Wii and revealed their own takes on the motion controls that have become so popular with more casual users.
The hype is now down a bit and things are returning to normal so this is the best time to compare these solutions, Project Natal from Microsoft and the LiveMove 2 Freeform Motion Control, from Sony, with the Wii's original systems.
In chronological order, Microsoft's Project Natal was the first one announced at E3 at the beginning of the week. Consisting of a new array of sensors and a camera, this system is certainly the most innovative as you don't need any controllers in order to interact with the console. You just sit in front of the sensor and make gestures, which the system will translate into commands for the console. While it may seems like something very interesting, Microsoft still has to make it more user friendly in order for people to embrace it and not become weary of the technology implemented in it and reject it.
The second day of E3 brought forth Sony's announcement of the LiveMove 2 Freeform Motion Control, which, although it isn't as innovative as Natal, will certainly be a bit more popular due to its resemblance to the Wii's motion controllers. You will hold a device similar to the Wii Remote, having a glowing orb at one end, which is perceived by the PlayStation Eye camera that in turn reflects its movements to the console. While it may seem that Sony merely tried to replicate the technology used by Nintendo on the Wii, LiveMove 2 certainly seemed much more precise but it didn't gain popularity as no eye-catching tech demos were revealed.
Nintendo on the other hand is quite relaxed after seeing its main rivals revealing their motion systems and refrained from releasing any new motion-based technology, as the Wii MotionPlus will soon be launched into what will certainly be commercial success. It revealed the Wii Vitality Sensor, but it also lacked any interesting tech demos. One thing's for sure though, you can bet that Sony and Microsoft engineers are already hard at work creating their own variants on this technology, even though it doesn't have any concrete applications yet.
Overall, this E3 reflected an interesting position. Things have certainly changed compared to how they were a few years ago, when Sony dominated the market, while Microsoft tried to mimic its technology and Nintendo tried to take care of its niche segment. Nintendo is currently the leader while Microsoft and Sony are desperately trying to catch up.
What motion-based technology caught your eye? Is it Project Natal, LiveMove 2 or are you still sticking to the Wii Remore and its upcoming MotionPlus add-on? Leave us a comment.