Introducing the PlayStation®Move

As a design major student who is also a gamer, I always associate art and design with video games, also movies and music as well. I believe design is not about immobility: motion coexists as a part of design like always. Today, I am so excited about the new invention from Sony, the motion controller for Play-Station, the Play-Station Move!

The notion of a video game motion controller emerged back several years ago, when the world’s top gaming company, Nintendo, announced their Wii console, the revolution of a new age gaming experience began. And apparently, Sony is behind a little bit, but when it’s ready to join the revolution, it brings the world a new idealized gaming experience which I think is a lot better then Wii.

I like the design of the Play-Station Move because of many reasons: the major one is the light ball on the top of the stick controller. When the controller is powered on, the rubber ball on the top of the controller will light on, blinking slowly and transmitting colors. How cool the design is! I can even gaze at it and watch the colors change for a few minutes in dark.

Another cool fact of its design is that the gamer can see their self in the game. The idea of combining real live capture with the game is so fantastic. For instance, in the game “Start the Party,” the gamer’s movement and surroundings are captured by the camera. When it turns to the TV display, the game combines the real background and the gamer self with built scenes, and the controller will become different tools and weapons held by the gamer, it creates the illusion for feeling you are really placed in different scenes as what you can see on TV display. This is impossible for the gaming devices in the 90s. Of course, the motion controller still has many other cool functions beyond. However, the idea of its design is very creative and interesting, both the Wii and Play-Station Move give gaming a new distinct aspect compared to the traditional gaming experience.

From this example, I can see that design is really changing the world in different realms. The new gaming experience is leading the entertainment up to a higher level. And we all enjoy the change, the innovation that design “does” and “is doing.”