Battle of the Motion Controllers @ E3 2009

A few years ago, I worked on the advertising launch of the PS3 console. I remember being briefed by the PlayStation brand team, and a question was asked of them: how does Sony view the Wii -- is it a competitor, like the Xbox? Sony's response was confident, and a little condescending. Basically, as Japanese electronics companies, the rep explained, Sony and Nintendo were "like family." Microsoft was the real enemy. Sony, she said, didn't want to put Nintendo out of business. Heck, Sony was rooting for the little guy. In fact, Sony didn't view the Wii as a competitor at all. The market was all about power now, she said. That's what gamers wanted. And that's why Sony would win.

Flash forward a few years later, Microsoft and Sony are struggling to catch up with Nintendo's coup de grace of innovation and emphasis on playability, rather than sheer horsepower. And they've both set their sights on creating a better version of the Wii-mote.

Steven Spielberg says Project Natal, Microsoft's new bio-metric controller-less interface for the Xbox 360, is the best thing since sliced bread. The future of gaming, yada yada yada. And he should know right. Because we all know how successful Hollywood has been in the gaming business... Right...

Still, Microsoft claims Natal is "a revolutionary new way to play: no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak you and your friends can jump into the fun -- the only experience needed is life experience."

Meh. While the Natal is certainly one of the more interesting announcements of this year's E3, it reeks of another "me-too" attempt to one-up the Wii-mote and steal some of its thunder (and users) -- like Xbox's aping of Wii miis with their avatar system.

The beauty of the Wii-mote is that it's a perfect companion to the Wii, which finds itself in a fairly casual game niche. It suits it. It's made from the same DNA. I don't see legions of Xbox developers--particularly those who make games for a hardcore audience--suddenly creating Natal-compatible versions of games like Halo or GTA. I'm not giving up the controller. At best, it's a curious novelty. Not an integral part of the system.

And now, according to Endgadget, Sony has announced their own version of the motion controller for the PS3:

"...The prototype looks like a wand with a color-changing ball on top. It's designed to work in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye, with the wand overlaid on-screen with a weapon or tool. Unlike Microsoft's Project Natal, Sony says they've learned "some experiences need buttons," which is why there's still a controller involved. The system is said to be "sub-millimeter" precise, and it was demoed drawing and playing a shooter -- it's sort of the middle ground between Natal and Wii Motion Plus. Sony says it'll launch in the spring of 2010, but we don't know what pricing will be like yet."

Ok Nintendo, You're up again. What's really next?