A couple of days ago CNBC's Todd Kendrick posted a video entitled "Better Than the Wii", showing off Sony's PlayStation Move. The video begins with Kendrick saying, "This is the PlayStation Move, and it's something I didn't know I wanted until I picked it up." The story discusses the accuracy and versatility of the controller, mentioning how the device isn't as "Wii-too" as it may seem on the surface, and it goes into how you really have to try the device to see what it's all about. From what I gather, the guy had little interest in what he thought was nothing more than a Wii clone before hand, but now he's quite excited about the device.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/video/default-ap.aspx?cp-documentid=7d645609-94a2-4b13-9e55-8090a592a147
I'm pretty sure Sony have been banking on the diea that hands-on time with Move is what'll sell the device all along. As we all know, the concept of Move isn't as creative or intriguing as something like Kinect, so the initial pre-release hype has been considerably quieter as a result, but the technology is sound, and by many accounts will be the best and most versatile motion control method on the market. I believe Sony have been designing their launch plans around the idea that actual experience with Move is what will sell the device moreso than trailers and other hands-off marketing, and we're seeing the first results of this with the recent wave of very positive impressions from typically non-gaming press. I'm sure Move demo stations at places like Best Buy and Move house parties will do quite well in getting consumers on board as well.
Move will be more of a slow burner compared to a device like Kinect, simply based on the fact that it's hard to get excited about Move without having used it, while Kinect's novelty lends itself to garnering a certain amount of interest well before hitting store shelves. I think Sony positioning Move to launch two months before Kinect was a good idea, though it's still four years behind the Wii. Had the device launched after Kinect, I think it would've struggled to get any attention, with everyone's focus remaining on Kinect and Wii. The early launch will allow the device to gain some traction before the onslaught of Kinect marketing, and now Kinect we'll be compared to the already released Wii and Move when it launches.
That being said, I think both Move and Kinect will sell primarily to existing ps3/360 users, so the marketing battle between the two probably won't be that important, and it will moreso matter how well Sony and Microsoft can get their current base onboard with these new devices. Though ultimately, the most important issue is how the big three will position their next gen offerings, as these new control methods will be standard from the outset and the bulk of gamers will be up for grabs yet again.
cant wait to pick it up.
