If there is a better time for the PlayStation Move to be saved, Sony certainly doesn't want to see it. Those who have been holding off on picking up the peripheral may be waiting for a game that simply demands to be played with motion controls, and luckily the wait will soon be over.
The gallery of PlayStation legends assembled for PlayStation Move Heroes will be arriving on store shelves March 22, 2011, and for those who pre-order the game, Nihilistic Software will even be throwing in some bonus downloadable costumes.
The news couldn't be better, as this announcement from Sony comes hot on the heels of the holiday sales numbers that were anything but encouraging for the Move's prospects. Previous consoles had shown that for a new piece of hardware to really catch on with audiences, there must be at least one killer title on launch day.
While the Nintendo Wii may have gotten more than they bargained for with the shockingly-successful Wii Sports Resort, it would seem that gamers are no longer satisfied by mini games and tech-demos alone.
Microsoft's Kinect had one fully-realized and developed game at launch with Dance Central, but still lack a motion-controlled title that will appeal to newcomers and hardcore fans alike. It is here that PlayStation Move Heroes stands apart, combining a new form of controller with a collection of the console's most beloved and revered platforming legends.
The titular characters from the Sly Cooper series, Jak & Daxter, and Ratchet & Clank are being brought together into one massive title, and according to Sony Marketing's Cristian Cardona, the idea of the famous figures being used as recognizable faces to spice up a mini-game collection couldn't be farther from the truth:
"There’s actually a full story surrounding the game and why they’re all together (more on that later)."
By pre-ordering your copy of Heroes with either Amazon or Gamestop, you'll be given access to a special pack of downloadable costumes for each of the game's stars. Pirate Sly, Freedom League Jak, and Trillium Armor Ratchet can be yours on launch day, though Cardona also hinted that these are just a taste of the total number of alternative skins.
More details on the game's story, levels, and combat will be forthcoming, and since the game's launch is only two months away, it shouldn't be too long before the publicity train gets rolling.
Fans of the Move should be happy to hear that Sony is finally unveiling a title that combines the past with the future, and offers a fun and effective use of the motion controller for more than a simulation of real-world objects.
The Kinect's launch titles may have blown the Move's out of the water, but perhaps 2011 will be the year of both PS3-exclusives and Move titles. The screenshots of Heroes may not have been a shocking departure from the aesthetic of the various series, but giving players a familiar environment to try out a new control scheme might be a wise idea.
Whether pre-ordering or waiting for release, we'll see just how much potential the future of the Move holds when PlayStation Move Heroes arrives on March 22, 2011 exclusively for the PlayStation Move-equipped PS3.
Source: PlayStation Blog