Sony demonstrated PlayStation Move today, a motion controlling system that the company hopes will challenge the popular Nintendo Wii.
The wireless wand-like device uses the PlayStation Eye camera to track players' body movements. The controller has its own light-emitting orb at the top that is recognised by the camera.
The quirky-looking motion controller from Sony. The Japanese company hope their new system will challenge the dominance of Nintendo's Wii
It is lighter than the Wii remote, which will reduce arm fatigue and comes with the boringly named 'sub-controller' that acts like the Wii nunchuck.
'Nothing has ever been this precise,' said Sony's President Shuhei Yoshida.
The action can also be controlled with basic voice controls.
The Japanese maker hopes to lure gamers who have outgrown the family-friendly Nintendo Wii, which was the first to introduce motion-detecting controllers in 2006.
Sony's marketing chief Peter Dille credited the Wii for 'introducing motion gaming to the masses.'
But he said Sony had the 'potential to take gaming beyond where it is today.'
Sony say gamers can use the motion controlling system to dodge virtual bullets and blast away enemies on the screen
The device is being marketed to younger gamers who have been urged to put themselves at the centre of the action in a new ad campaign.
'Start dodging bullets and blasting your enemies,' a spokesman urged.
'Start training your iPet or become part of the show. Conjure and cast spells using your unique light sphere that changes colour to add real-world impact.'
However, technology pundits who tried out the device were not blown away by the device.
Dan Ackerman, from the review site CNet.com, said the PlayStation Move did have more precision but added it wasn't 'that innovative.'
'It doesn't do anything that differently than the Wii but everyone feels they need to get into this space,' he said.
To play PlayStation Move games you must stand directly in front of the TV and at an optimal distance.
Paul Miller from Engadget found the controller was quite responsive but did not take gaming to the next level.
Referring to a game called Gladiator he said: 'You're still working through a library of sensed, pre-defined actions instead of a true 1:1 fighting game with simulated physics.'
The PlayStation Move will go on sale this autumn for under $100 (?47).
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdEJ79_iEpo"]YouTube - PlayStation Move Trailer[/ame]
The latest announcement comes as both Sony and Microsoft maker of the Xbox 360, attempt to gain ground on Nintendo. Since the Wii first hit stores, it has consistently outsold rivals by attracting casual and nontraditional gamers like women and seniors.
Nintendo have sold more than six million Wii sets in the UK in the last three years. Just over three million PlayStation 3s have been purchased in Britain.
Microsoft is planning to release 'Project Natal', which combines a camera, depth sensor, microphone and processor, in time for Christmas.
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