Scott Rohde, the VP of Sony's Worldwide Studios then took the stage and gave us a walkthrough of the Move's technology through some demos. First up was Sports Champions. In addition to some traditional sports, this title has a Gladiator mode that allows you to use two Move controllers: one as a shield and one as a sword. The demo tester moved back and forth, blocking and striking his enemy effortlessly. The motion looked very precise. He then showed off a special move that can be triggered by following some prompts on-screen.

After all the sword slashing action from Gladiator, it was time to check out something a little slower-paced from Sports Champions - Ping Pong! The tester showed off how the paddle exists in 3D space and you can move forwards and backwards and control the depth of the paddle when you hit the ball. The tester also showed us that you can do specialty moves like a backhand turn using the PlayStation Move's 1:1 movement.

The next game they showed off was Move Party. The person demoing the game took a picture and then said something so that she could identify herself on a menu. She then played a variety of mini-games that included tennis, a hair-cutting simulator, and a shape drawing game. These mini-games look a lot like what you would expect to see from a Nintendo party game compilation, which could be a boon for Sony if they are expecting consumers who like that type of game to migrate from the Wii to the PS3.

Next up: LittleBigPlanet! For this demo, there were two people playing the game. One was holding a regular PlayStation 3 DualShock and the other was holding a Move controller. Sackboy was controlled with the standard controller, while other elements in the environment, such as a top hat with a canon inside. The second person selected the hat and then, using the DualShock, made Sackboy jump inside. The Move controller was then used like a pointer and the second player ferried the Sackboy in the hat across a large canyon and then fired Sackboy out of the hat on the other side. The Move functionality looked very well-implemented in LittleBigPlanet, and though it wasn't expressed concretely, I get the feeling that we were seeing LittleBigPlanet 2. We'll probably see this title officially unveiled at E3 and launched with the Move later this year.

A new trailer for this holiday's EyePet was then shown, showcasing how players can use the Move to draw items for their EyePet to interact with. Cool stuff! Then, we were treated to another demo. This time it was Motion Fighters! This brawler puts you in the shoes of a street fighter, and the tester showed us how you have to really punch (instead of "just flicking") in order to land a hit. He then showed us how he can put his opponent in a submission move by landing some choice blows and moving your body into the right position in 3D space.

Next, we were treated to the first big surprise of the night: Move functionality with SOCOM! SOCOM 4 will be able to use the PlayStation Move, along with an attachment called the Sub-controller. This peripheral looks a lot like Nintendo's Nunchuk and has a thumbstick on it that gives the player the precision control necessary for a game like SOCOM. We then saw video of someone playing SOCOM using the Move. The Move controls the on-screen reticule, and the sub-controller moves the character around. The control set up looks a lot like The Conduit on the Wii at this stage.

After the SOCOM 4 demo footage, Peter Dille came back to the stage and mentioned some third-part developers that are currently working on games with the Move controller. These developers include Capcom, Activision, Konami, Crave, and Square Enix. Of course, no specific games or franchises were mentioned as being in development, so you can allay those Final Fantasy motion control fears for now.

Once these developers were listed, the press conference was over. Although we still lack some specifics for the Move in regards to price and release date, we certainly learned a lot about it from the press conference. The move looks quite solid in action, and it seems like Sony has some solid crowd-pleasers in its Move line-up. With mini-game compilations, fighters, and a shooter in the pipeline, the Move could be the next big thing in gaming. Then again, we'll have to see if the public responds to more mini-game compilations and motion controls on a new system. But either way, the Move has now officially been unveiled, and we will be able to see it in action soon!

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor