Sony reveals 'Move' motion controller

Sony has officially released details of its Move motion controller.

Sony has officially revealed details around its much anticipated motion sensitive controller at the Games Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco today.

The Move bares more than a passing resemblance to Nintendo's Wii motion controller but according to Scott Rodhe, the vice president of Sony Worldwide Studios, the will Move allow for 3D rotation and incorporates an analogue trigger.

Sony will also include a plug-in controller attachment that'll not only add further to the Move's Nintendo-like looks, but will also provide additional in game controls.

The PlayStation "Move" mightn't win any awards for originality, but Sony are confident that the Move will be a success by offering a high degree of accuracy and some backwards compatibility compatible with existing PlayStation 3 titles.

At GDC Sony demonstrated a game called Move Party, by Supermassive Games, which aside from a superficial similarity to the Wii Sports title bundled with the Wii, made use of the EyeToy camera to capture the player and drop them into a virtual in-game environment.

In Move Party, the controller can, amongst other things be a sword or a bat, or a racquet.

If, like me, you are a big fan of LittleBigPlanet (which I assure you is the cutest console title known to humanity), the good news is that the Move should be able to be used to navigate your sackboy, which sounds like a whole lot of fun.

The PlayStation Move is to be sold as a standalone option, and bundled with PlayStation Eye camera or with PlayStation 3 consoles. Sony hinted at E3 that they are aiming to release a Move bundle consisting of a game title, controller and EyeToy camera for under US$100.

Where things get really exciting however is the addition of Sony's much anticipated 3D firmware upgrade and a 3D-capable TV.

Adding depth to existing hand eye co-ordination plus the accuracy of the Move/EyeToy camera combo and PS3 gaming could very quickly leapfrog its competitors in the fiercely competitive gaming console market.

Microsoft is also throwing its hat into the motion control ring, with a device known as 'Project Natal' that uses sensors to 'see' players, who use their bodies to control the game. It is expected to be released before Christmas.