PS3 the new Wii? PlayStation Motion Controller aims to perfect the Wii-mote

Sony takes aim at Nintendo and Microsoft's motion controls.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Amid an already-good Sony E3 press conference, a time-out was taken amid PSP Go details, PSP games, and PS3 holiday titles to peek into the future at some on-the-horizon motion-control technology. The routine was familiar already: in fact, Microsoft and Nintendo had similar “the future is motion” pit stops in their 2009 E3 press conferences.

Being last, it seemed, would be a disadvantage to Sony. Appearing onstage were two of Sony’s team behind the PlayStation Eye and EyeToy, and the general nervousness seemed palpable. When the prototype device was revealed–a black wand with a glowing purple bulb on top–it almost seemed like a joke. But a funny thing happened: the longer the demo went on, the better it got.

Sony’s black wand appears to be the PS3’s Wii-mote. Configured with an analog trigger and some number of buttons, the wand has one-to-one mapping just like the Wii Motion Plus. The glowing orb, which changed color during the demo, was integral to the positioning technology, although exactly how wasn’t detailed in the press conference.

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