14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that after talking about the Sony motion tracking wand as being a spring 2010 release for quite some time, the Japanese console manufacturer has actually decided to push the release date back to the fall of this year, mainly as a way of making sure that the device has a wide array of videogames ready for it when it is launched.
At the moment, only Ubisoft has confirmed that it is working on titles for the wand and for its competitor, Project Natal, other developers not comment on the subject.
Kaz Hirai, who is the president of Sony Computer Entertainment, stated that “We have decided to release the Motion Controller in fall 2010 when we will be able to offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users.” He added that “We look forward to soon unveiling the exciting software line-up that further expand and define the PS3 platform as the ultimate entertainment system for the home.”
From the statement that Sony put out, it seems like the hardware itself is ready for deployment but more time is needed to make sure that all the game experiences are there for a successful launch.
By pushing the release date towards the fall, Sony is settings itself up for a full confrontation with Microsoft and its Project Natal motion tracking system. This could be good news for the potential buyer, as close release dates might mean lower prices for the two systems when they come out or bundles that also add titles to the devices on sale.
There are also some rumors that Sony has finally settled on a name for the wand, calling it Arc. Previous reports said that other names considered but abandoned were Sphere and Gem.