Kinect vs Playstation Move
At the 2009 E3, Microsoft and Sony both unveiled their new motion control systems for use with their gaming consoles, the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 respectively. Ever since these two systems were introduced, a huge Kinect vs PS3 Motion Controller debate has been waged across the gaming and hi-tech worlds. So which is better, Kinect or the Playstation Move?
Microsoft wowed the hi-tech world with their introduction of Kinect, a full body motion control system that includes facial recognition, voice recognition and full body recognition. The most significant aspect of Kinect is that no controller is required to play games. Instead players use their body and voice to control the game. It has the potential of revolutionizing not only video game playing, but home entertainment and computer technology as well as how we interact with these systems.
Sony, by contrast, has come up with a new controller to counteract the Wii with their Playstation Move, a wireless device that is shaped like a microphone that has several buttons as well as a glowing sphere on the top. The sphere on top of the controller is tracked by the Playstation Eye Camera. Based on demos at E3, Sony’s new controller appears to have better tracking and precision as well as better graphics than the Nintendo Wii controller.
The Kinect vs Playstation Move is a debate about philosophy as much as it is about technology. Sony makes the argument that some games still call for the use of a controller and buttons. There are gamers that agree with this and are impressed with the precision of Sony’s new motion controller. In fact the new Playstation Motion Controller, which will go by the name Playstation Move when it is released, can basically be seen as a new and improved controller to compete with the Wii.
Kinect on the other hand, is a much more ambitious new gaming system. Removing the controller from the equation and replacing it with the human body and voice through the use of motion sensor and sophisticated artificial intelligence technology goes far beyond making improvements on existing technology. A big advantage that Kinect has over the PS3 Move is the recognition of full body movement and the ability to map the entire bodies of game players in 3D. This brings interactivity within the gaming sphere to a whole new level. The gamer becomes the controller.
For now the Kinect vs. Playstation Move debate is still based on theory and promising potential. The two new systems are both scheduled to be released in late 2010. (Kinect is scheduled to be released on November 4, 2010). Will the more ambitious Kinect be able to fulfill its promising potential and revolutionize the world of gaming? Or will the new and improved PS3 Move have more appeal and bring a higher level of precision to the gaming world as we know it? Only time will tell us for sure. For now the debate rages on.
