Last year at E3 Microsoft and Sony announced game changing tech, literally, and unless you’re a gamer, you probably haven’t heard of them.  Both have to do with user motion-control for the Xbox and PS3, which directly encroaches on Nintendos long standing, and popular gimmick.

Except MS is taking a different route than the motion controller.  They’re taking the controller completely out of the equation by using a host of sensors designed to read your body.  Yep, pretend like you’re driving a car, shooting a gun or even fishing and you can play your favorite driving, shooter and fishing games.  If this sounds good to you, then you’re the exact kind of gamer the monopolistic company is looking for.  Which is to say you’re not (a gamer that is).  You see, this sort of virtual technology has never caught on, and yes, this isn’t its first incarnation.

Karate games could be really cool... just not multiplayer. "Dude, you're not supposed to REALLY kick me!"

I remember playing VR games in Vegas nearly ten years ago, and it was lame.  Why?  Because if you’re pretending to grip a steering wheel, aim a gun or cast a net and there’s nothing in your hand, then you’re going to have no connection with the game you’re playing.  But isn’t that the point of video games, to play them, to disconnect from reality?  Oh wait, that’s what all entertainment is designed to do.  Maybe that’s the point, to reach a level of gaming where you don’t feel like you’re playing a game.  Perhaps this is supposed to make the virtual world more real.  It’s an interesting concept and is the entire idea behind Project Natal.  It’s also a giant gamble.

Sony on the other hand is taking a page right out of Nintendos play book.  Instead of a cheap knock off though, Sony is putting the motion controller on steroids, handing it over to NASA and making it the next Mars rover.  Natals tech is impressive, but where the Wii failed, the Playstation is probably going to succeed (IE reinvent the gaming controller).  Using the already existing Playstation Eye and a wand-like controller, Sony will be able to achieve a level of accuracy, precision and response time that will make geek dreams of becoming a true blue Jedi Knight (or Sith Lord) a reality.

Unfortunately, pictures of Playstation Move, as it is officially called, have brought up some peoples concerns of “looking stupid.”  I say no less stupid than anyone playing Wii Sports, or even using no controller at all.  Besides, you’re playing video games, who cares what you look like!  The revolution the Playstation team is going for is more a bridge between hardcore and casual gamers.  We can both enjoy Moves goofy looking glowing ball while we shoot up our enemies or cast our line.

It does look like Harry Potter Year 2101, but it glows like a lightsaber, so it's ok.

Having owned a PS3 for years now, I find nothing in Project Natal that might draw me away.  On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed the Wiis controllers and have almost picked up my second console on a number of occasions, so Move is perfect for my gaming habits.  All bias aside, Xbox will definitely benefit from a reinvigoration via Natal, since nothing new has come its way for a while now.  PS3 just came out with the Slim which rolled with a nice price drop, so Move is going to just add to the recent momentum Sony has been experiencing.  Combined with Netflix hitting the PS XMB this fall, getting rid of that pesky disc, Microsoft might start falling behind in the ever violent console war.

Wii will become obsolete, which is good, because it was old tech packaged with a fancy controller.  Look at it strictly on a console basis, Nintendo never came out with a next generation machine.  The Xbox still is only a gaming machine which will soon read your movements.  The PS3 still has developers working hard to unlock its potential, games like Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, and FFXIII are probably the most impressive examples of what the Playstation can really do.  Along with being the only future-proof Blu-Ray player, it’s a fairly indispensable piece of home entertainment hardware.

Regardless, we’re looking at every gaming system taking steps to be more than just a 5th generation Atari.