Sony Move for the PS3 officially launches

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the PlayStation Move, it’s out now.  The wireless motion contoller allows players to move objects accurately through 3D space in games on the PS3, using a combination of accelerometers and the PlayStation Eye to provide 1:1 motion.  The official Sept 19th launch date was originally announced back at E3 2010, but John, our man in Montreal, was at his local game store on Friday, where there were a couple of boxes worth just sitting on the floor.

Instead of ponying up the cash, he decided to trade in his Nintendo Wii gear, and walked away with a couple of Moves, which can be used in conjuntion with one another, or by two players.  He spent the rest of his store credit on Gears Of War 2.  His one line takeaway is that it’s a “Wii on steriods”, and he plans to have a more detailed review coming soon.

Press Release

FOSTER CITY, Calif., September 17, 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced PlayStation®Move will be available exclusively for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system at retail stores in the North America on Sunday, September 19. PlayStation Move offers the most immersive and realistic gaming experience for the PS3 system by fusing realistic, high-definition gaming along with accurate and easy-to-use controls. By incorporating the PlayStation®Eye camera with PlayStation Move, the user’s full range of motion is captured, resulting in ultimate control over how one plays the games, as well as the opportunity to project the player’s image into select games for new augmented reality experiences.

“The launch of PlayStation Move is the latest in a long line of innovations over the past 15 years that demonstrate how the PlayStation® brand continues to push the videogame industry forward,” said Jack Tretton, Chief Executive Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. “We’ve spent a lot of time perfecting the motion control technology of PlayStation Move, and we are confident this is a benchmark in entertainment innovation that will change the way consumers interact with games.”

To create the most realistic and immersive experience, PlayStation Move relies on the PlayStation Eye camera, along with internal motion sensors in the PlayStation®Move motion controller and the PS3 system itself, to detect the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of the user, thereby allowing users to intuitively play as if they are within the game. With close to 30 titles announced to date offering PlayStation Move functionality, including EyePet™, The Fight: Lights Out™, Heavy Rain®, Killzone® 3, Kung Fu Rider™, MAG™, Start the Party!™, Resident Evil®5: Gold Edition (Capcom), Sports Champions™, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), Time Crisis™: Razing Storm™ (NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.), and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 11 (Electronic Arts Inc.), PlayStation Move has games for all demographics and types of gamers. Whether experienced, casual, or somewhere in between, gamers will find a wide variety of content for PlayStation Move, including sports, shooters, puzzles, party and family-friendly titles. No matter which genre, all PlayStation Move games offer hours of addictive fun, while delivering a realistic and accurate motion gaming experience unlike anything on the market.

“Consumers worldwide are showing increasing interest in motion-controlled, immersive gaming experiences and Sony’s designers have crafted precision game controllers using pin-point accurate, intuitive controls,” said Richard Doherty, Research Director for The Envisioneering Group. “PlayStation Move is poised to attract game players of all ages and genres this Holiday season, raising the bar for interactive entertainment for years to come.”

PlayStation Move is available for a range of prices based on the needs of the consumer. For those consumers who already own a PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Move Bundle – at $99.99 (SRP) – is the perfect choice.  The PlayStation Move Bundle includes a PlayStation Eye, one PlayStation Move motion controller, a copy of Sports Champions on Blu-ray disc, and a PlayStation Move game demo disc and is the easiest way for current PS3 system owners to start experiencing PlayStation Move.  For consumers who don’t yet own a PS3 system, the PS3 Sports Champions Move Bundle for $399.99 (SRP) is ideal, including all of the above, as well as a 320GB HDD model PS3 system. This bundle is the most complete way to experience home entertainment on the PS3 system, including PlayStation Move motion controlled games, Blu-ray movies, stereoscopic 3D and more in stunning high-definition. For those who already own PS3 and PlayStation Eye camera, motion controllers will retail separately for $49.99 (SRP) and the optional navigation controller will retail for $29.99 (SRP).

With PlayStation Move set to make its mark on PlayStation history, a dedicated PlayStation Move advertising campaign brings back the familiar face of Kevin Butler, while introducing consumers to a new cast of characters that represent the modern family – the Maguires. In conjunction with a heavy presence in a variety of media, including television, digital, radio, cinema and print, strategic partnerships with Coca-Cola and SUBWAY® will help bring PlayStation Move to the masses. Additionally, “PlayStation Move Headquarters” stores in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and a larger scale mall tours in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, DC and Chicago will be accessible to consumers throughout the fall, providing in-depth demonstrations for those looking to experience PlayStation Move’s full functionality or try out the latest PlayStation Move games.

For the past 15 years, PlayStation has helped revolutionize the video game industry, introducing gamers to in-depth, high-resolution and real time 3D computer graphics and technical innovations such as Blu-ray and stereoscopic 3D entertainment for the home. With the introduction of PlayStation Move, PlayStation is once again set to change home entertainment by delivering more immersive and challenging gaming experiences that cater to everyone in the family.