PlayStation Move

BY:ISAAC

PlayStation Move stems from early work on the EyeToy, a webcam-based controller for
the PlayStation 2 conceived in 1999 and released in 2003. Early in the EyeToy's
inception, developers experimented with color-based 3D wand tracking, including
prototypes using spheres. By the time it was released, the EyeToy's focus was on
hands-free applications. With the emergence of affordable inertial sensors and the
success of the Wii Remote motion controller wand, in 2008 Sony began work on
productizing its own motion controller wand, revisiting the sphere-tracking concept for
use with the PlayStation Eye, integrating inertial sensors, and refining the device from
an engineering and a design perspective. The Move's internal development codename
was the "Y-con", so called because three groups - the hardware team in SCEI in Japan,
the software engineering team at SCEA, and Sony's Worldwide Studios - worked
together to develop the hardware, with the three points of a "Y" indicating the three
teams coming together. This was the start of a new form of development at Sony, where
hardware had previously been developed separately from software teams and later
delivered along with technical documentation for software teams to get to grips with
themselves; this move was continued with the development of the PlayStation Vita and
PlayStation 4. The motion controller was revealed at Sony's E3 2009 press conference
on 2 June 2009, with a live demonstration using an engineering prototype. Tentatively
referred to as the PlayStation Motion Controller, the device was originally stated to be
available in Q1/Q2 2010. As of August 2009, the controller features and design had not
been finalized. Soon after revealing the motion controller to developers, Sony indicated
that it was exploring the possibility of using the motion controller in combination with a
standard PlayStation 3 gamepad, such as having the player use "the motion controller
as a sword and use DualShock 3 as a shield." One combination control scheme was
demonstrated in September 2009 at the Tokyo Game Show for Biohazard 5: Alternative
Edition, making particular use of the DualShock 3's analog stick. Although users found
the setup to work well, some found holding a DualShock with one hand to be somewhat
awkward. At the time Sony was already rumored to be in the design phase of a
supplementary controller akin to that of the Nunchuk controller for the Wii Remote.
In January 2010, Sony announced a revised release target, stating instead that the
motion controller would launch in Q3/Q4 of 2010. On March 10, Sony revealed the
official name and logo at the Game Developers Conference, showcasing the final
motion controller design, and unveiling the PlayStation Move navigation controller (then
referred to as the PlayStation Move sub-controller), to be launched concurrently with the
motion controller. The logo is a colored squiggle-like shape, representing a light trail

from the sphere of a PlayStation Move motion controller being waved. Newly revealed
in the final motion controller was the inclusion of an internal magnetometer.
PlayStationMovePlayStation Move motion controller works with PlayStationEye USB
Camera to accurately track player position. Advanced motion sensors precisely track both
fast and subtle movements. Motion controller's sphere uses internal RGB LED to provide
visual feedback
Vibration feedback is felt during specific actions
Includes DUALSHOCK3 action buttons for advanced gaming.
Utilizes Bluetooth technology for wireless gaming.
Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
Charge the controller and automatically pair with the PS3 system
via a USB cable
Up to four motion controllers can be connected at once to the PS3
system. The primary PlayStation controller's basic appearance has
survived with only minor changes since it accompanied the first console to the
marketplace all the way back in 1994. Considering some companies radically change
their pads every console, which can mean every 4-5 years, Sony's persistence (which
some will call stubbornness) has resulted in a controller design which anyone familiar
with a PlayStation pad since the mid-90s can pick up and be instantly at home with.
Alongside its iconic "handlebar" shape, PlayStation controllers have also become known
for their use of symbols to mark their face buttons in place of letters. Sony's Teiyu Goto,
the man who designed the controller, says "Other game companies at the time assigned
alphabet letters or colors to the buttons. We wanted something simple to remember,
which is why we went with icons or symbols, and I came up with the triangle-circle-Xsquare combination immediately afterward. The primary PlayStation controller's basic
appearance has survived with only minor changes since it accompanied the first console
to the marketplace all the way back in 1994. Considering some companies radically
change their pads every console, which can mean every 4-5 years, Sony's persistence
(which some will call stubbornness) has resulted in a controller design which anyone

familiar with a PlayStation pad since the mid-90s can pick up and be instantly at home
with. . The satisfaction of accurate control. The thrill of augmented reality. The fun of a
microphone or gun, or racquet in the hand. The sheer joy of movement. When you
engineer sixteen years of PlayStation into one object. On one hand, the Move controller
is a very pricey gaming controller. On the other paw, iFixit's tear-down revealed "it's
quite the bang for the buck," with a processor, accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth,
vibrating motor and MEMS compass tucked inside.

Edited by: nick