The controller is officially called the “Hybrid Separable Motion Controller”, and while it’s a bold idea, the execution is mostly what you’d expect. It’s simply just two Move orbs attached on top of a DualShock controller. Then, the controller is detachable in the middle, with each half stuffed with an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, vibration capability, and even a speaker.

Obviously, the hybrid controller can be operated either separately or locked together into one unit, and it’s designed in a way that games will be able to detect which configuration is in use. If you’re worried about the thing flying out of your hands, some of the drawings even show a wrist strap attach to each of the two sides.

We’re not sure if Sony intends to use this concept in the PlayStation 3 or maybe even future devices. It’s also possible that this could just be an idea that they may never end up using, so keep your fingers crossed and we’ll see what Sony comes up with in the future. It’s possible that we could see something new from them at E3 2013, but we’ll keep an open mind until then.

[via GameSpot]

With the Move controller, players will be able to physically flourish the digital Celestial Brushes of the game, though those either without a Move or preferring the classic gameplay can use the regular PS3 DualShock3 instead. There’s also been a switch to 16:9 from 4:3.

[youtube CC2vSGDaj3E

Sony has thrown in PSN Trophy support too, including a platinum, for gamers to share their achievements. It's a PS3 exclusive, too, so don't expect to see a Kinect or Wii version any time soon.

Okami HD will arrive on the PS3 as a digital download this fall. Sony North America hasn't confirmed pricing at this stage, but according to Sony Europe it will be priced at £15.99/€19.99 or approximately $25.

The calls for Sony and Microsoft to offer up new consoles aren’t as loud as those for Nintendo. Last year, Sony released its PlayStation Move peripheral to capitalize on the wildly popular motion-gaming space. Microsoft released the Kinect to do the same. And at least for now, it’s expected that those companies will be spending 2011 doubling down on those technologies with their current consoles.

But Nintendo is a different case.

Since the Wii’s launch in 2006, the game company’s platform has been performing extremely well. Nintendo says that it has sold over 34 million Wii units in the U.S. alone since the console’s launch, and each of the last three years, it has sold at least 7 million Wii units. It’s a feat that five years ago, few thought possible.

But Nintendo’s platform is slowing down. In 2010, it sold 7 million units, but the company cashed in on nearly 20 million consoles between 2008 and 2009. And there is speculation that the Wii will see even slower sales in 2011.

Realizing that, the timing seems ripe for Nintendo to launch a new console.

Historically, console launches jump start sales. It’s why the gaming business has seen console updates around every five years after a respective device launches, and it’s why speculation abounds that Nintendo will announce a new version of the Wii this year.

Of course, some Nintendo fans don’t see the need for their favorite game company to launch a new console. They point to the fact that the Wii is still tops in hardware sales, and it still has solid software to appeal to customers. Consoles should be replaced when they start to become obsolete, those folks reason, and the Wii is far from that.

But I’d have to disagree. Yes, the Wii is still the top gaming console this generation, and I do believe that it will sell reasonably well in 2011. But the console is obsolete. And the key factor that made it so popular — motion gaming — isn’t appealing as it once was.

Let’s take a look at the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Those platforms deliver far more graphical power than the Wii. They also have robust online gaming experiences that continue to captivate gamers each and every day. Perhaps most importantly, they have proven to be far more popular with third-party developers that welcome that extra power and capability.

The Wii, with its standard-definition support and general lack of popular third-party games, looks awfully less appealing than its counterparts. And it gets even worse when one considers that the PlayStation Move promises functionality with more “hardcore” games and the Kinect delivers motion gaming without the need to hold a controller.

Now, I’ll admit that many of the complaints about the Wii have been swirling in gaming circles for years. But declining Wii sales and compelling motion alternatives make them more relevant than ever.

The Nintendo Wii needs to be replaced with hardware that can at least match the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

However, unlike those initial sales figures we saw back in the middle of October, which just focused on Europe and the United States, these new numbers from Sony are on the global side. It factors in the number of Move units sold worldwide, and it looks like Sony is satisfied with the results. According to the company, they managed to move 4.1 million units. That boils down to just under one Move unit sold for every PlayStation 3 console out there.

With numbers like this, and seeing just as much strength from Kinect’s sales figues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that game developers will now take the leap into motion gaming, and start cranking out titles.

[via Kotaku]

The mistake, it seems, was prompted by slumping games sales this year – down 8-percent compared to 2009 – and shopping patterns observed in the run up to the last holiday season. Then, consumers had waited longer before buying games hardware, something that doesn’t appear to be happening this time around says Dille. No official Move sales stats have been released, but the company said it had shipped 1m to stores in the first month of availability.

[via T3]

According to House, who was speaking to Bloomberg, Move has seen “very significant sales.” He went on to add that the peripheral has seen “somewhere in the region of 1.5 million units for the new controller across just Europe.” It looks like the sales figures are exceeding even what Sony believed would happen. As a result, it’s likely that Sony will begin increasing production of the accessory, especially in light of the holiday shopping season just around the corner.

But, it doesn’t look like it’s all good news for Sony. According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, estimates about the sales numbers for Move in the United States aren’t as grandiose. According to the estimations, Move may have “moved” up to 300,000 units since its release, which includes Move console bundles. However, perhaps in a ray of hope, Sony Computer Entertainment of America hasn’t released any official sales numbers, so the official results could indeed prove to be higher than analyst estimates.

[via Joystiq]

The truth is, when you see a gaming peripheral like Sony’s Move, or even Microsoft’s Kinect, you’ve probably already made up your mind about it from the moment you look at it. Or, if anything, after you’ve seen a couple of videos about it. And while Sony understands that, they don’t believe it’s a great way to showcase Move. As they put it, “You need to get your hands on it. You need to understand it. You need to try it.”

Maguire said, “Am I expecting a massive day one? Not particularly. We didn’t with EyeToy, either. It went on to be massively successful.” And Maguire is probably right. With many things that get released, and not in just the video game market, sales tend to pick up after the brave few that experience it first start to talk about it. The same happens with moves, after all. Will PlayStation’s Move be a success over time? Probably, especially considering the life cycle that Sony gives to their devices. We’ll just have to wait and see how quickly that success comes to the motion controller.

[via Eurogamer]

The 160GB model will only be your standard issue. Meaning, you won’t be seeing any extra goodies in the box — at least, not at the start. And if you’re interesting in picking one up, you can actually find them somewhere in the United States (probably your favorite electronics retailer) for only $299.99. If you find yourself in Europe, you’ll be able to get your hands on one for about 299 Euros, beginning in October.

But, the 320GB Move bundle is where all the attention is. That’s due out September 19th in the United States, and September 15h in the European regions. It will cost $399, or 349 Euros, and it will come with one console, one controller, and the title Sports Champions. Anyone out there itching to get their hands on Move?

[via Kotaku]

Yes, we already knew about the other bundles. Sony’s got multiple ways for you to buy Move, all brought together to make something worth your time and hard earned money. Those original bundles are: a controller, PlayStation Eye, and one Move game all for $99. And then there’s the console bundle, which gives you all of that, plus the PlayStation 3, all for $399. Or, you could just buy the stand-alone pack for $49.99.

Unless you want everything and the console, then this new rumored bundle will be perfect for you. It’s everything that we mentioned up there, plus the console, but instead of the 320GB hard drive that the above bundle comes with, you’ll be getting a 120GB hard drive. There’s no official word about any of this from Sony quite yet, but these tipsters seem to know what they’re talking about. What this could mean in the long-run, though, is that the current generation of 120GB consoles out there might get a $50 price drop in general, after the release of these bundles. That’s something to look forward to, at least.

[via PS3 Blog]

For Activision, they didn’t show any of their own titles that may have been tied to Sony’s Move, or Microsoft’s Kinect. For some fans out there, waiting to get their hands on a Call of Duty Move-based title, or even for Kinect, would be a dream come true. Unfortunately, Activision seems to think that the motion-based peripherals out there, from Sony and Microsoft, are just too expensive. This is coming from Activision’s COO, Thomas Tippl. He went on to tell Gamasutra that you have to be concerned with how price drives a lot of the outcome of your install base. Generally, a cheaper price means more of an install base; and, more of an install base means more of a return on your investment.

And while there’s some companies out there in the tech world that don’t care about price (as their products are snatched up either way), Nintendo showed that if you make a cheaper console, but still have enough features to make it worth the money in general, then people will come. Nintendo’s Wii made motion-based gaming mainstream, and while Microsoft and Sony are trying to jump on the bandwagon now, if more people are thinking like Activision’s Tippl, then their price points may just be too expensive to warrant a purchase for most.

As of right now, Sony’s Move is the only motion-based controller/peripheral that’s actually been officially priced. At $49.99, it’s not entirely all that expensive, at least not in our eyes. There is a bundle, which includes a console, and everything you need for Move to function for $399, but that includes a console, so again, not too bad on the wallet. As for Microsoft’s Kinect, that’s still not official. Priced at $149.99 thanks to places like GameStop (and now, even Microsoft’s online store), we’re still waiting for some official confirmation. What are your thoughts? Does Activision hit the nail on the head with this, or are they missing the mark entirely?

[via Gamasutra]

Sony’s PlayStation Move will be hitting store shelves in Europe first, on September 15th. It will then be released to all the welcoming hands of PlayStation 3 owners out there on September 19th in North America. It will retail for $49.99, while the Navigation controller will be only $19.99. There’s obviously going to be a bundle, where you’ll get a PlayStation 3, controller, Move controller, and everything else you’ll need in one box, called the Sports Champion Bundle. Yes, it comes with a game. That’s going to run you a cool $399.99.

If you don’t want to spend that much, you can pick up the Sports Champion bundle with just the EyeToy and Move controller for only $99.99 if you want, to go along with that PlayStation 3 you already own. PlayStation Move titles will be $39.99 on their own. And, just a note that we feel like we should mention, games like Heavy Rain, and Toy Story 3 are all going to get software updates that will make them Move compatible. So, who’s getting one?