Video Game News 4

Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect for Fitness

As most of you have heard by now, Sony and Microsoft have both been working feverishly to jump on the motion control bandwagon. On September 17, 2010, Playstation will be releasing the PlayStation Move to the Playstation 3, while on November 4, 2010, Microsoft will be releasing Kinect for the Xbox 360. Neither are new video game systems: both are just add-ons to existing systems.

For those of you who haven’t heard, here’s a brief description of each:

The Playstation Move is, to put it bluntly, works almost exactly like the Wii. It has the “Playstation Move Controller” (like a Wii-mote), the optional “Playstation Move Navigation Controller” (like a nunchuk). There are of course areas where it’s different than the Wii. First of all, it uses an actual camera (Playstation Eye) mounted on top of your TV instead of a sensor bar, which theoretically will give it much more precision. Also, the graphics of Playstation 3 games are much higher resolution than the Wii (meaning that you may be able to play photo-realistic games as opposed to just with cartoon characters).

The Xbox Kinect will attempt to take it a step further. It will also have a camera mounted on top of the TV, but will not use controllers at all. Instead, it will detect where your body is at all times and essentially use your body as the controller. Like the Playstation 3, its graphics are much higher resolution than the Wii.

Since I have a Playstation 3 already, I’ll be getting the Playstation Move. I’ve even started up a sister blog to this one in which I’ll share my thoughts about the best fitness games for Playstation Move. As for the Xbox Kinect, I’ll admit I’m a bit skeptical as to how well it’ll work, especially after my experience with Your Shape.  Still, Microsoft has a lot of smart people working for it and they’ve poured a lot of money into it, so I can be convinced (I’m not nearly rich enough to own three video game systems, but if someone from Microsoft is reading this, I’ll be happy to start a blog for you if you send me a review unit :P).

Anyway, don’t worry–this is the first time and the last time you’ll hear about Sony and Microsoft on Nutwiisystem. My first love and loyalty will always be to the Wii, and so as always this blog will continue to be solely dedicated to new Wii Fitness games. And there are a lot coming down the pike in time for Christmas 2010, so stay tuned!

In fact, I see the new competition as an opportunity for Nintendo, not a threat. As you’ve seen from this blog, the quality of Wii games (and particularly Wii exercise games) has gone way downhill for the past few months, and we’re seeing more copycat games than real innovation on the platform. I’m convinced that this is because Nintendo has had a virtual monopoly on motion control games, so whatever awful games publishers put out, people will buy them. But now that there’s competition, we should see the quality improve if the game publishers and Nintendo want to stay relevant.

Anyway, it should be an exciting few months! Hold on to your seats!

4 Comments

  • Reply
    Robin H.
    Aug 21, 2010 9:21 am

    I feel the same way about the XBOX 360 Kinect, I think it will not sell that well since the XBOX fan base is mostly FPS fans the same as PS3. At least with the PS3, the controller will have that Wiimote feeling. The bad thing about the Move is that you have the buy the sub remote(aka Sony Nunchuck) separately. I am interested in getting a PS3 but I don’t know about the Move. Since The Move is coming out in September, I just wait for the reviews before jumping on the bandwagon. It just sucks that the PS3 doesn’t have any good bundles until around the Christmas time.

  • Reply
    gypsy
    Aug 30, 2010 2:45 am

    I’m bot into video ganes, yet. I’m looking for something for excercise at home, beyond a video. I’m leaning toward the kinect, mainly because it seems like it’ll provide the best workout but also because I have to purchase the entire system for whichever I go with. The wii is cheaper, and up until 3-4 hours ago, I was going to buy it, but the kinect seems like a better investment, particulary because I’m hoping I will get into some of the adventure games since I’m an avid reader of scifi/fantasy. Maybe, maybe not. I do think the move looks better for those games, but I’m hoping ms will introduce some handhelds for weapons, since it might not be that easy to totally pretend. Anyways, I’m really excited. Of course I can go to the gym or just jog around the block, but if I prefer to spend $300-600 I doubt ms or sony or nintendo would complain.

  • Reply
    Bell
    Sep 10, 2010 5:11 pm

    You really hit the nail on the head with this post. There are darn few blogs other than fitness or cycling that I even bother to read.

  • Reply
    Lori
    Oct 10, 2010 3:46 am

    I am so confused on whether to get playstation or xbox or the kinet, I just used my wii for the fitness and party type games, not the shoot and kill stuff. Got tired of my wii and sold to friend, heard the new wii supposed to be off the charts but that could be alot of hype too.

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