i dont understand any of this... and what is this "wand"

http://psinsider.e-mpire.com/index.php?categoryid=17&m_articles_articleid=1356

OMG, they can't even copy nintendo and get it better!?! Hold an entire controller in one hand to point and shoot with the other hand? That was one reason I LOVED the nunchuck design of nintendo. To have that ability to move and it is just so comfortable in your hand for games. And it's where sony took the idea for the break away controller and now this idea? To hold a WHOLE controller in your hand to use ONE STICK!!! OMG, this just gets funnier and funnier as time goes by.

I sure feel sorry for those that bought PS3 for the hardcore element and have to watch this passage into WiiVille. I bought a Wii for the controls. I knew what I was buying. This is just crazy for PS3 to push into this direction after they already made their choices on launch. I'm sure some PS3 owners are excited but it's got to be a higher percentage that will be feeling that Sony is abandoning their hardcore interests to go after Nintendo's casual crowd. Casuals don't buy many games even. Sony's gaming base does buy games. I'm not hating but it truly is confusing seeing a past market leader struggle to find some relevance in a new era where being HIGH TECH was not the answer to the future. BC and then no BC, Dual Shock traded for six axis and no rumble, then back to original controller, new motion and eye toy (trying to fight 360 and Wii at the same time). They were a gaming company with a clear focus. Now they seem lost in a forrest and reaching for anything they can grasp to get back up to the front. This is just sad during an exciting new generation of gaming.

^ Sony will not sway away from the hardcore audience, they are just expanding to the casual audience...... don't take it too personally.

Are you kidding? So you're expected to hold a Dual Shock controller in one hand and the wand in the other. Talk about uncomfortable.

Yeah, I'm convinced Wand won't really do anything to sway people from Wii. Only think it will do is get copies of the shovelware.

The better versions of games that require the nunchuk will still be far better on Wii or use the Dual Shock controller only, thus no real change to now.

This is the same problem Natal will face. You will be required to still hold a 360 controller for any mainstream genre. Basically no gain and Wii still wins.

who said that is the final design?Sony might just add a thumb stick to the final design of the wand.you guys do remember that they said that's not the final version.

Why even show it if that's not the plan? If they don't have the prototypes ready now, they're not going it ready to ship by Spring.

and why is holding the controller in your hand a bad thing? High Velocity Bowling has done the hold controller in hand to use motion control and controller buttons for a while. Its very comfortable.

btw, quit trolling. New eye toy? The PS Eye has been around for over 2 years now. They aren't remaking it. And since the Eye Toy/PS Eye tech is very functional why not use it? Sony has shown actually they see what Nintendo has accomplished and decided to follow suit while trying to improve upon the technology past Wii Motion Plus. They have managed that with how stable the control demos have been even for early tests.

Microsoft felt like they needed to go the VR root to top Nintendo. I don't see it working well this gen, but its a good precurser for next generation consoles.

Yeah, I'm still absolutely stunned that Sony would try to market such an awkward control device.. I mean seriously, a dual shock controller in one hand, while trying to aim the Sony Wand with the other. What a mess... It seriously seems like a joke. This has to go down as one of the worst control schemes in history... Nintendo must be laughing hard at them right now.

If this is truely the future direction Sony is attempting rather than console horsepower, then they are going to end up doing even worse than they are now.

No trolling here buddy.  Get that straight first.

I didn't say New motion and NEW eye toy.  The motion control is new.  That's obvious.  I know eye toy has been around.  But if it's the same old eye toy then why are there differences in it when pictured?  I'd like to know the answer on that.

And about the control demos being stable and improving upon the tech past wii motion plus?  How has motion plus shown to be UNstable.

The point is that showing a demo using a full two handed controller to just use the stick is pretty funny considering this is supposed to be launching soon and they just keep showing devices that are supposedly NOT the finished product.  Finish it already if it's that sophisticated.  Production is required soon wouldn't you think?  Natal is where Sony could have been years ago if they would have pushed their eye toy instead of pushing it off as a "gimmicky device" as they call the wiimote.  Nintendo supported the wiimote completely.  Sony just threw something out and abandoned it.  That's a shame.  If they would have worked on it more, it would have been Natal at the launch of PS3.  That would have been something to see against the Wii.  But here's the pics I'm talking about and tell me why the eye toy is different.  I can't figure it out.  But I know this isn't the same device.  If it worked with the original eye toy, then why modify the design and spend more money?

original

NEW

As for your questions: yes, and yes. It includes accelerometers and gyroscopes for the inclination (as in a Wiimote with WM+), the camera captures at 120Hz (the Wiimote's one works at 100Hz). It will basically be at least as good as a Wiimote with WM+ when it comes to pointing.

More than the numbers, though, just look at the tech demos shown at E3. Around 3:30, the block manipulation demo and the writing one right after it. They show the accuracy in pointing quite well. Or even better, see the third "blog" video from this other thread which also shows some interesting uses of absolute positioning.