Sony Expecting Modest Day One For Move, Longevity

While we expect the device to do fine (particularly on the back of all the recent software announcements), we've never been convinced that the device will do gang-busters out of the gates. PlayStation Move has a lot of potential to be incorporated into a variety of experiences, and therefore we expect the device to have plenty of longevity.

An interview with Sony's Ray Maguire at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival suggests that Sony agree. He told Eurogamer:

"Move is a natural extension in the same way as we brought EyeToy to PS2. Exactly as with EyeToy in the PS2 days, it's a product that needs to be sampled. You need to get your hands on it. You need to understand it. You need to try it.

"Am I expecting a massive day one? Not particularly. We didn't with EyeToy, either. It went on to be massively successful.

"As people saw the value when they tried it they told their friends. Their friends bought it. They told their friends. Word of mouth grew the marketplace. That's what I expect from Move as well."

Maguire reckons that word of mouth will convince gamers to pick up PlayStation Move ahead of motion-controlled rival, Kinect, this holiday:

"As always they'll look at the facts, consult with their friends, and make a decision based on both those elements," Maguire said.

"When we see people sampling it the outcome is everyone's delighted by the experience. That's the most important thing. The creativity in terms of the games being created for it already show a marked difference from the genres we had in the EyeToy space.

"It's not only about the keepy-uppy and the wishy-washy. We're starting to think about Move and how you use that in games like LBP or Killzone, some major games. With that attitude it starts becoming less of a novelty and more of just another way of enjoying the games we all know and love."

And it's that last point which is key. We've seen such a variety of content announced for the PlayStation Move that it really does have a wide audience covered. There's currently no evidence that Kinect can handle an experience outside of the fitness and dance genres (where admittedly it appears to excel). While Kinect might have that novelty factor this Christmas, we reckon it'll tail off quite quickly.