Big reveals and surprise announcements were thin on the ground at this year's E3, with both Sony and Microsoft dedicating vast segments of their conferences to (re)introducing their respective motion control systems, Move and the newly-branded Kinect.
With Nintendo's foot already firmly in the door on the motion control front, the retaliations from their competitors did conjure up some questions. It was interesting to see in which direction Sony and Microsoft are going to be taking their innovations - and they certainly differ.
Kinect probably opens up the more avenues of the three, with complete body tracking meaning even the subtlest movements of a gamer could potentially be used as a control method. Avenues such as head tilting and leaning which could come in especially handy in shooters or racers. It was interesting to see, then, that some of the guys you'd expect to be taking advantage of this - Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games, for example - seem to be distancing themselves from Kinect, refusing to be drawn on what would simply be a "tacked-on" gimmick were it to be implemented into the third iteration of the Gears of War series. For the time being, it looks as though Kinect is going to be stuck with its catalogue of casual launch titles, and not the controller/Kinect hybrid games that the hardcore crowd are pining for. Bleszinski does show some intent for the future, though, not ruling out some dedicated Kinect games from Epic in the future. "The technology intrigues me," he says.
As it stands, though, Microsoft appear aiming for the Wii's family-oriented market. Launch games - which are mainly being churned out of the Rare studios - such as the abominably named 'Kinectimals' along with 'Kinect Sports' take the place of staple Wii titles. The new entry into the Forza series does little to inspire, appearing to be entirely Kinect-based rather than a follow-up to the previous hardcore iterations.
It's early days of course, and the technology on show in the Forza demo did look as though it could certainly come in useful in a full Forza title. Luckily, Microsoft has far from ruled out incorporating Kinect into games aimed at the Xbox's core audience. They're certainly wary of alienating existing customers, and it's something they will avoid at all costs.
"I'd like to see what a first person shooter would be on Kinect someday," says the global marketing director of Xbox 360, Albert Penello. "You're just seeing the first generation of stuff."
Proper first-party Kinect titles look to be a while off, then. On the third-party front, SEGA have been hard at work on a game for the more dedicated gamers. We're yet to hear what it actually is, but SEGA promises it'll be released alongside "more clever and sophisticated packages".
At the moment, Kinect is definitely one to keep an eye on. Slated to be released at the princely sum of $150, core Xbox users might find themselves better off investing at a later date when a wider selection of titles are likely to be available. If you want the casual titles, though, it's better than the Wii at those. Probably.
In the opposite corner is Sony's Playstation Move. It's... err, a black Wiimote. Cleverly, though, Sony have taken it in a different direction. We've
already discussed how Move is going to have to stand out to be worthwhile, and Sony have seemingly obliged.
Debuting with titles such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011 and also featuring in both Heavy Rain and Resident Evil 5 in new boxed editions, Move offers a more accurate experience than its Nintendo counterpart. Precision is the name of the game here, especially since the release of MotionPlus for Wii which built upon the not-so-accurate Wiimote in order to offer a better experience in Nintendo's core titles such as the newly-announced Zelda title, Skyward Sword.
The first-party introductory titles on offer for Move include the intriguing Sorcery and SOCOM 4, which would no doubt scare off the 'soccer-moms' of the casual demographic, instead enticing the opposite end of the market. It's a brave move, but they've covered all their bases with the obligatory Buzz! titles in the launch lineup.
The killer for the Move, though, is the price. For just fifty pounds, you can get your hands on a controller, the required Eye camera, and a selection of demo titles. Compared with Kinect, Move offers a much better package. Gamers who lament the Wii's poor graphical capabilities but long for the stick waving waggle controls are now catered for at a truly affordable price.
The tick of time will tell who'll come out on top. From a games perspective, it's got to be Sony. Whether it's a commercial hit is another matter, but for its budget price and titles on offer, true gamers will no doubt favour the Move.
Kinect, on the other hand, is definitely for you if you're into jumping, shaking, running and other living room exertions. Hopefully we'll see Microsoft take advantage of the powerful little cam in future for something a little more sophisticated.
