The Motion Controller and the PS Eye are the minimum needed to bring 'Move' to a any PS3 console. No exceptions. If you already have a PS Eye then the controller alone is the only purchase necessary. On the other hand, to fully enjoy certain games, you may want TWO Move Controllers.
It's hard not to be impressed by the Move. While I can't see how the Move's Motion Controller can become PS3's 'main' controller, I believe that it's going to find lots of good uses and hopefully in hard-core games and in the RPG games that I'm usually playing.
SETUP
Press the PS button. If the controller is charged... you're done.
Of course, to do anything useful, you WILL need a PS Eye camera and maybe a game :). You CAN use the controller to navigate the PS3 XMB menus but it may take some getting used to - I am still reaching for the DualShock.
MOVE'S MOTION CONTROLLER
The Wikipedia has a very thorough review of the technology inside the controller - impressive. It's probably worth going there to get an idea of what's under the hood.
From a user's point of view, the Move could be viewed as approximately the right side of the DualShock 3 where the motion tracking function is the R3 analog stick, R1 is the MOVE button and the R2 becomes the Move's T(rigger). You also get the 4 Square/Circle/X/Triangle, in a square (not 'diamond') formation, the PS button as well as the START and SELECT. So far, the most used buttons during gameplay were the MOVE and the T(rigger).
In addition, you get a wrist strap. At the opposite end of the microphone or thick wand-shaped Move there's a USB Mini-B port for charging and another port that seems to be proprietary - must investigate.
The controller is quite substantial as far as both size and weight - I like that and liked its being shaped in a way that makes it easy to grab and hold. Very much like a microphone or a very thick magic wand; NOT a remote control.
Based on my experience so far, Move's ability to track your motions far surpasses anything that I'm aware of in the gaming universe. Every single movement, up/down, left/right, toward/away and wrist rotation are accurately captured and almost instantly reflected on the screen and so is acceleration that would usually translates as 'force' in games such as sword fights or ping pong. In addition, there is haptic (tactile/rumble) feedback, a little too weak in the games I played so far, making the gaming experience that much more realistic.
I am not writing a lot about the Eye camera because... it's just there and it's not the subject of this review. For as long as it can see you, it simply does its part so that you may enjoy your game.
PLAYING
I've tried so far everything in the Champions game and one puzzle game demo downloaded from the PSN. Our little girl is playing the Eye Pet demo and my boys are playing mostly the sword fight and the archery games in Sports Champions. Considering that Sports Champions is an early game, my expectations were not that high but, surprisingly, Ping Pong did meet my expectations. I've been playing real Ping Pong ever since I was 11 or 12 so I probably know what I'm talking about and the Move version of Ping Pong is GOOD. As for the others... sword fight, kids like it. Archery was okay, Bocce was so-so, Frisbee Golf not too bad. Three of the six Champions events benefit significantly from using TWO Motion controllers.
For the games I've played so far, this is NOT a couch experience. On the Sports events I was sweating after a few minutes and I had to get off the couch and stand up even when playing the puzzle because of its depth element. This is probably a good thing.
I am sorry for having to do this but, absent 'hard core' games, the only comparison I can make is between Move and Wii and... to put it VERY mildly, the Wii shows its age when placed next to the Move. Except for it lacking a built-in speaker, the Move controller is ahead of Wii in every single respect: precision, responsiveness, ergonomics. The fact that the Eye camera can and in certain games DOES track your body not just the controller helps too. Of course, the Wii has the games but the Move games should be coming fast so I'm not worried.
MY RATING
It's 5 stars for the technical merit, ease of setup and for the overall experience. Hopefully, the games will be coming quickly and in good quality. PlayStation Move Controller
It's a shame that Sony's new motion controller Move is so much compared to the Wii. Aside from the basic principles, Move is a lot different than the Wii. And if you ever played Wii and then pick up Move, you'll quickly be able to tell the difference. The accuracy with this thing is out of this world. It follows the wand with 1:1 motion and no lag at all(not yet anyway) And you can go into 3D space, like going into the the picture and grabbing something out, something the Wii couldn't do. But this review isn't about the Move VS Wii, so I'll shut up. I've played Sports Champions and Start the Party and some demo games, and this controller is perfect. It's built solid and it feel good in your hand. The glowing orb on top is actually pretty cool, but it's not just for looks, it actually has a purpose, and it's purpose is to help the camera follow the controller by following the light. This controller is still very new so I can't note on reliability, but I'm sure it's great giving it's from Sony. - Move - Playstation - Video Games - Playstation 3'
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