PS3 transformable controller and video service rumors

[Nesh]

That idea sounds brilliant!

It brings both worlds of gaming into one controller!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Good. As people has already pointed out, the key is in software (and usage model). They should have built-in LEDs on both so that PS Eye can work with these half-controllers.

And then they should produce some games that'll actually use it, 'coz no-one else will! The idea sounds great on paper, but I can't imagine it's really going to amount to much, unfortunately.

 

[patsu]

Yes, I would expect them to integrate the experience into XMB and titles like Home and LBP (i.e., applications that need complex actions and button combinations)

EDIT: At this point, if they add new weapons to MGS4 that use split sticks, I would think many will bite if the price is right and the experience is genuinely new.

EDIT 2: Kotaku says it's not split controller:
http://kotaku.com/5016289/rumor-details-on-sonys-motion-controls-no-break+apart

The control system, said the source, actually consists of a smaller-sized device that can attach to the body - and multiple devices are intended to be used in concert, such as wearing two on the hands to move a character's hands in-game, or four, on hands and feet at the same time to move a character's body.

 

[patsu]

Thanks to Vitaly's post in the serious Cell thread: http://blog.laptopmag.com/hands-on-with-the-qosmio-g55 (demo video included)

Toshiba's SPUREngine could detect simple hand gestures but the UI is somewhat clumsy:

The webcam senses your movement from 3 to 10 feet away and the Quad Core HD processor interprets your hand motions in real time. This was, obviously, the most talked about feature when the Qosmio G55 arrived in the office. After getting some significant time with the control scheme, we can say that we’re quite impressed.

There is much potential in PS3's PS Eye + SIXAXIS setup. Sony is missing an integration strategy to refine and categorize the expressiveness of common input concepts. If they release h/w attachments, SDK and firmware upgrades to chain these input devices together (e.g., PS Eye to sense IR movements, one-hand SIXAXIS), it should be a design win for the entire game space... not just a particular type of game input.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The video shows a very unresponsive UI where the user needed to struggle to get it to do what it should. An LED detecting contraption, with a colour change perhaps for click/no click, would be a huge improvement. Actually, now i think about it, the positioning was pretty good considering the very small camera area for measuring hand placement.

 

[patsu]

The hardware tracking works accurate enough, but the contextual menu didn't seem to work so well. It can't make up its mind between "exit the menu" and "draw a submenu".

I think it may be better if they draw a transparent "gesture button" panel over the desktop instead of going to the corner to open up an opaque, pull-down menu. The transparent panel may show more hand gesture options, so the user could just change his gesture to select the right button/option instead of trying to make fine-grain positioning.

 

[RobertR1]

Call it the "me too!" and I'll buy it on principle.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Mii Tuu

 

[RobertR1]

Mii Tuu

Sold

 

[patsu]

Call it the "me too!" and I'll buy it on principle.

Argh ! Buy a Wii for a Wii. Why take a more expensive imitation.

While I love Wii's philosophy, it is also not ideal as a UI tool (yet ?). I have problems keeping the pointer within the screen boundary. As a UI tool, I have trouble pinning gestures or a 3D pointer to small on-screen objects/areas (As a game, it may be fine). The mouse works great because it slides on an assisted/2D surface to achieve great precision, and my arm is not strained. The tablet and a handheld touchscreen are handy also.

The Toshiba UI is trying to use gesture like a mouse, which may be clumsy. We can easily choose 5 different contextual actions (because one hand has 5 fingers) -- without resorting to mouse-like tracking exercise.

For motion sensing activities, I prefer interactions like WiiSports, High Velocity Bowling (PSN game), and the "Stop" gesture in the above demo. They are intuitive and simple; not affected by screen size.

The rumored PS3 controller sounds like a multi-piece VR tool. I hope it doesn't force us to do fine grained mouse-like movements here. If it does, it should be like in Minority Report, where the UI elements follow the hands automatically, rather than the hands follow the UI windows.

For games, well... anything goes as long as it's fun.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

Isn't the new Guncon from Time Crisis 4, pretty much how wiimote would function for FPS ? Anyone have impression ?

This is exactly what I thought of when I heard the description of the FPS function of the PS3 mote.

 

[AzBat]

Looks like the PS3-mote rumor got another jolt today...

Just Play via PS3Fanboy

AzBat

 

[patsu]

Tee hee... it looks like a third party PSWii controller though. This E3 should be fun. I am expecting major news from MS and Sony.