Archive for the ‘PS3 Fitness Game News’ Category
I just got my notice that mine is on the way (I paid a little extra to Amazon to have it delivered on the “day of release”)
Come back later today for a full review to see if it’s all it’s cracked up to wii, I mean be 
It’s only a few weeks until the Playstation Move launches. So let’s say you placed your pre-order on Amazon to guarantee that you’ll get it on the first day. The next question, of course, is: what games can you get that’ll help you get a great workout?
From early press reports, these look like the best fitness games that’ll be out in the first month or so of the console.
1) Sports Champions:
Sports Champions
is a street fighting simulation game that will let you use one or two PlayStation Move controllers to punch, uppercut, put opponents in headlocks, and perform head blows in a quest to be the toughest bare-knuckle street fighter.This will be a title launching on the Playstation Network and if it works anything like the video trailer looks, it will be pretty darned cool and a totally immersive game, especially for a downloadable game. (I’ve since realized that this doesn’t use the Playstation Move controllers, just the Playstation Eye camera (that you need for Playstation Move). Will be impressive if it works. You’ll need to buy a PLAYSTATION Network Card
starting in early November. Time will tell which one reigns supreme. Sony’s version will let you dance with up to 4 people and sing on up to 2 microphones, download songs, and upload dance videos to share with the world!
from EA follows on the heels of its predecessor, a top rated title for the Wii. Expect better graphics with the PS3 version. Instead of using the Playstation Move controllers, EA decided to go with its own wireless sensors that don’t require you to hold anything. It’ll be interesting to see how well it does.
from Konami finally comes to the PS3 and promises to be a “reboot” of the series, with Just Dance-like hand movements and improved graphics.
will be a multi-platform release from Majesco on the Wii, Xbox, and Playstation. The Playstation version is reportedly compatible with Playstation Move, but it’s too early to tell to what extent it’ll be used. Still, if you’re already into Zumba for exercise, it may be a nice addition to your collection.
is a fitness title featuring Mel B (formerly known as Scary Spice). You can work out alongside Mel receiving her feedback in dance fitness, cardio, step and kickboxing.
Not this time! Amazon.com has an option where, for a shipping fee of $7.97, you’re guaranteed to receive PlayStation Move Starter Bundle
I’ve signed up for this, and as long as Amazon holds up to its end of the deal I’ll be posting my thoughts that night! Stay tuned!
Some good news for Sony in the Playstation Move / Xbox Kinect wars. Among members of the media who have already tried both, many are declaring Sony’s controller more precise and offering a more satisfying and integrated experience. According to PC World, Sony “seems to have the lag-free precision-tracking parts down pat, arguably better than either of its competitors“. USA Today says “Overall, Move feels responsive, and the PlayStation Eye camera seems to track movements well”. While CNET says “the PlayStation Move is currently our favorite entry in the motion control competition. Kinect works well enough, but it’s not always as responsive as you’d want, or at least that’s how some of the games we tried felt”.
That’s three very strong reviews from three of the most trusted names in video game reviews. Of course Sony shouldn’t rest on its laurels: all it needs to do is think of the lesson of Betamax vs. VHS (or even motion control-less Playstation 3 vs. Wii) to remember that the best technology doesn’t always translate into the winner. But it’s a good start for them.
Details are still sketchy about Playstation games specifically geared towards fitness and exercise, but I’ll pass that on as soon as I hear anything.
In other news, Sony Move pre-order links are now live on Amazon. If the experiences we’ve had buying the Wii Fit are any indication, it’s never too early to order yours!
At the E3 conference in Los Angeles, Sony announced some more details about the Sony Move.
The new motion-sensing controllers will hit stores in North America on September 19, 2010. On the day of launch there will be 15-20 games which support it.
There will be several parts that make up the Sony Move experience.
camera. This is the same as is currently available, and will probably sell for the same price as it does today, about $34.99. I’ve always been impressed by the Playstation Eye’s technology but not the anemic amount of games designed around it, so it’s nice to see it’s finally getting a second chance at life by making it an integral part of the Move.
. This is the picture you’ve seen floating around, which looks like a black ice cream cone with a colorful ball on top. This is the equivalent of the Wii remote, and will sell for $49.99 each.
. This is the equivalent of the Wii nunchuk, in that it’s used in conjunction with the wand controller for things like moving characters around. This will sell for $29.99 each.
Sony will be selling the Playstation Eye, the Move controller, and a game called “Sports Champions” in the PlayStation Move Starter Bundle
It’ll also sell this bundle with the PS3 console in the PlayStation Move Console Bundle
When Playstation Move officially launches, about 10-15 games will launch with it was well. Time will tell if Sony takes the lead with Playstation Move, if Microsoft takes the lead with Kinect (not sure about the technology yet, but as usual Microsoft marketing has outdone itself with the name…I’ll bet you’ll see people spelling it Kintec, Kinetic, Kinnect, etc), or if Nintendo will hold the lead with its Wii.
The winner among the three should be the company that has the most consistent and accurate motion sensors, combined with the highest quality games. The good news is, regardless of how it turns out, we the consumer should be the real winner.
UPDATE: all the links above are live links to pre-order on Amazon. Click them to become one of the first to experience the new controls–and if history is any indication, these will be hard to come by when they’re released. As usual, Amazon has a policy where if the price decreases between now and the launch date, it’ll give you the lower price.
About two weeks ago, EA Sports announced their plans to release a new version of EA Sports Active in the Fall. It looks like it’ll be a complete “reboot” of the highly successful franchise. Ironically, it also looks like they won’t be using Sony’s Move. Rather, they’ll be developing their own proprietary controllers.
New Controllers for EA Sports Active 2.0
The controllers consist of a heart rate monitor which will wirelessly transmit data to the Wii, as well as what looks to be leg and arm straps with motion sensors, a decidedly more “high tech” system than their giant rubber band and Nunchuk leg strap. Great news for those of us who constantly got tangled up with the nunchuk wires and the resistance band.
It’s good to see EA Sports really pushing the bar forward. It’s also interesting to see the platforms they’ve chosen: the Wii and the Playstation 3, but not the Xbox. One of the things I’m hoping beyond hope for is that they’ll put the same graphics quality and performance into their Active product as they do into games like Fight Night, Madden Football, and NBA Live. The biggest drawback to the Wii was that it had to stick to cartoony graphics. But to do actual sports simulations that look real would be a dream come true. And dare I say…some day to be able to do them in 3D?
As with all the other announcements, EA Sports Active 2.0 (working title) will be released in the Fall, in time for the Christmas shopping season.
One of the games you see in a lot of those previews for the Sony Move involves what looks to be some heavy hand-to-hand combat.
The game being shown in those screens is Motion Fighter, a title to be released by Sony. It looks pretty intense in a “Fight Club” sort of way. Of course, time will tell if the motion controls are truly accurate, but it looks like a promising start. And Sony says it will include a calorie counter in the game, so if you’re in a bad mood and don’t want to clobber those cute little guys and gals in Wii Boxing, this might be a good way to take out your aggression.
The game is still in development, but Sony has said that it’ll include a calorie counter. So as you beat your opponents to a pulp, you’ll be able to see how much weight you lost doing it!
Well, as I mentioned in my last post, last Sony announced the name of the new motion controller that it intends to launch in the Fall. It’s called “Sony Move”. Here’s their YouTube video (you may have to sit through an ad first, before you see…well, another ad).
My first reaction, as I’m sure many of yours were, was, “hey! it’s a Wii with better graphics!”. In the video, the handheld controllers look very futuristic, like space age ice cream cones. But as far as how they work, it seems strangely like a Wii remote and nunchuk, and the gameplay looks strangely like games found in Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. Of course, in all likelihood that’s exactly what Sony was going for.
What the new Sony controllers (should we call them "Son-ii-motes"?) look like.
The Wii has not only set the bar, it also invented the bar in the first place (literally). That’s why over 68 million units have been sold, and it’s not slowing down soon. But Nintendo did leave the door open for someone to build a better mousetrap. For certain games, the Wii remote and nunchuk don’t perform adequately or as precisely as they should. And of course, while the cartoony graphics are endearing in their own way, there’s something to be said about realism. Admittedly, one of the things I’m most looking forward to is a day when I can swing at a baseball thrown by an actual major league pitcher instead of facing “Sakura” for the umpteenth time.
Sony has a bit of catching up to do, with only 33 million units sold. I think the main question will be–does their technology work as well or better than the Wii’s? If not, game over.
If so, it’ll be interesting to see if users are willing to pay a premium for more realistic, 1080i graphics. And interestingly, Sony has also announced that it’ll be producing games in 3D. That’ll be a one-two punch which, if executed right, will usher in a whole new world of games.
When the Nintendo Wii first came out, lots of folks scoffed. After all, who in the world would buy a video game system that didn’t use those handheld game controllers with the little joystick and the buttons that video game players have been using for years?
You know the rest of this story of course. The Wii was a phenomenal hit. It didn’t just change the video game industry, it changed the cultural landscape. Everyone suddenly had to have a Wii. Video games were no longer just limited to teenage boys, but suddenly the whole family got into it. And unlike video games of the past where the only exercise would be to the thumbs, some of these video games actually worked out the whole body.
Well, the good folks at Microsoft and Sony finally got it. Last year, both of them announced their plans to update the Xbox and the Playstation 3 to support motion controllers.
Microsoft code launched a research project code-named “Project Natal”. Microsoft engineers are aiming to make a video game system that doesn’t use controllers at all. It’ll just use cameras and sensors.
Sony has decided to go a slightly more traditional route. They’ll use their existing camera system (the PlayStation 3 Eye
In all honesty, I’m a bit skeptical that Microsoft will be able to pull off a system without any controllers at all. If they can, more power to them. But this past week, Sony has already started demonstrating its technology, and it looks great.
So come Fall, there should be a lot of PS3 games using this technology. And as with the Wii, chances are we’ll see a lot of games that can be used for fitness and exercise. And I’ll be sure to review those games on this site.
As for the future, it’s anyone’s guess. Will Nintendo release other improvements to their motion controls? Will they release a high definition Wii system? Will Sony’s technology work? How about Microsoft’s? Whatever happens, I’ll keep you up to date with what I hear here.
And thus begins an exciting new journey. Stay tuned!