PS3 and Microsoft take a shot at the Motion Control Sensor Business

We all know the Wii has started a whole new way of interacting with videogames. Sure, it doesn’t have the most advanced graphics engine, but it’s simple, clean and fun, as well as it brings a whole new level of interaction never before seen on a home console.

As you’d expect, competition is soon following. The two titans of the home console industry have presented on E3 this year their proposals for engagement – while the PS3 has a prototype Motion Control wand that interacts with the PS3 Eye Toy and is very similar to the Wii’s control, Microsoft has presented something completely different – the Project Natal.

Project Natal is a motion sensing system that will be compatible with every Xbox out there. It has full body motion control by tracking 3D movement and it recognizes voices, thus totally immersing the players into the game. What it promises is amazing.

So now we have three players in the home console market that have motion control. While interesting at first and definitely exciting for the consumers, one big question rises – how will game developers react? I mean, if you were a game developer, would you develop a game just for those who bought a bonus feature for the console? One thing is the Wii which is a motion control console PERIOD. Another is a add-on that not all consumers will buy – which means you’ll only be targeting some consumers. On another hand, how will you port the games to the three consoles when you have three totally different motion control schemes?

We do not know what the future holds for the motion sensors, but it does show us something – hardware developments in the gaming industry need the game producer’s feedback. Without them it is unwise to go on. I do not know if Sony and Microsoft tried to talk it over with the producers, but one thing I do believe – it will still be hard to overcome the Wii on that field.