Why Motion Gaming Should Be Left Out Of The PlayStation 4

At the end of February, Sony will be holding a special PlayStation event that, industry experts believe, will be used to show off its next console. Likely dubbed the PlayStation 4, the console is expected to come with an improved online experience, better graphics, and Blu-ray. And since the PlayStation 3 comes with the Move motion-gaming accessory, it's believed that the console will also integrate a similar function in some way.But I'm here to tell Sony something. I can appreciate that the company wants to jump on the motion bandwagon made popular by the Wii and arguably better by the Kinect, but bundling such a feature into the PlayStation 4 makes absolutely no sense.[Image credit: Tai Chiem]

Sony is to gaming what a Mercedes-Benz is to cars. The company has for years been delivering the most expensive consoles and its customer base has come to expect a certain level of technical achievement not available elsewhere. Whereas Nintendo appeals to the casual gamer looking for simpler experiences, Sony is trying to woo the hardcore segment that won't be caught tossing around a Wii Remote.

That's precisely why the Move controller was such a bad idea. Yes, I know that Sony was trying to catch up to its competitors and it thought that the Move would work, but it's proven to be a bad idea. The Move is largely ignored by gamers and developers, and there isn't a single person I know that feels the PlayStation 3 would be better with the Move than without it.

So, why should Sony deliver a console that aims at delivering everything but the kitchen sink? Sony can be successful by delivering a good-looking product with high-end specs that customers actually want. And as long as it plays nice with developers – something Nintendo hasn't historically been so great at – the company should have a respectable level of success in the next generation.

[aquote]Motion gaming is a gimmick. After a few fun plays it becomes old and annoying[/aquote]

Motion gaming is a gimmick. It's something that, after a few fun plays, becomes old and annoying. It's also something that really only makes sense for kids or those who like to throw parties and make fun of drunken fools jumping around the living room with a wand in their hands. Motion gaming like what we find in the Wii and PlayStation 3 has done nothing to improve the overall playability of a game. After a few plays, the neat idea a developer has come up with is tossed aside for traditional play.

The time has come for Sony to acknowledge what its brand and its hardware are really all about. The future resides not in all of the features Sony can add to a console, but in the quality of those features. And motion gaming delivers no added quality that the average PlayStation 4 owner will care about.

So, don't even think about bringing motion gaming to the PlayStation 4, Sony. Believe me – it's one hugely bad idea.