In a move similar to that which Microsoft made just a week ago with Kinect for Windows PC’s, Sony has decided to release a set of tools for hobbyists to use with the PlayStation Move motion controller and the PlayStation 3 console.
According to the official PlayStation blog, the kit announced at the GDC yesterday is called Move.Me and will be released on the PlayStation Network soon. It will act as a server application running on the PlayStation 3, but when working, will send complete state data of the PlayStation Move and Navigation controllers directly to your PC, given you the same information as developers get access to, for a much lower price.
The news hasn’t exactly been kept top secret, with various details coming out to press last month, even earlier than the Kinect for PC announcement from Microsoft. Sony announced last month that they would release a new Move server project at the GDC that would allow academics and hobbyists to develop software running on the PlayStation Move controller via a PC.
Sony has some pretty big ideas for Move.Me on the PC, with Sony’s senior engineer of developer support, John McCutchan saying “We see Move.Me as an opportunity to satisfy the need for new, innovative, interactive technology in fields like academia, healthcare, and more”
Microsoft meanwhile has been nothing but enthusiastic for developers creating Kinect hacks. Microsoft even said the Kinect was left open by design, and "hackers" were simply creating drivers for the device, allowing anyone to control the device using a Windows-based PC.
Starting this spring, developers will have an official SDK to work from to create homebrew applications and games. Details about the Kinect SDK are still scarce, but with the wide range of available hacks and other interactive programs available, the possibilities for an open Kinect environment are endless.
Sony plan to release more details on Move.Me later this week at the GDC, including a possible release date.
Image Source: Official PlayStation Blog