By Evan Ackerman

One of the biggest announcements at this year’s Game Developers Conference here in San Francisco is the Move, Sony’s new motion control system for the PlayStation. It’s generally similar to the Nintendo Wii, in that you hold a thingy, and something attached to the game console watches that thingy (in this case, it’s the PS Eye camera), and can tell where the thingy is being moved and translate that motion into in-game actions. Here’s the thingy in question:

More, including hands-on impressions and video, after the jump.

There’s a trigger on the reverse, at the top near the glowy ball, which changes color to differentiate one remote from another. Depending on the game, you can use one remote or two at the same time. It’s very light, lighter than a Wiimote, which makes me think it must have a rechargeable battery inside. I got a chance to test the Move out for a while last night, and it’s pretty impressive. It’s less forgiving than a Wii as far as where you can stand, but it’s much more precise and gives you a huge range of motion. You can rotate the controller vertically (twist it) or horizontally (make it do flips) and the system has no trouble tracking what it’s doing. This means that for fighting games, you can pull all kinds of moves just like you (hypothetically) would in real life: for example, you can spin around, and the tracking handles it perfectly. Or, for games like table tennis, you can actually put spin on your shots buy angling your wrist just like you would in real life. It’s a lot of work for a video game, and a lot of fun.

While the technology is great, in my opinion, the actual gaming software isn’t quite at the same level. What I was hoping for was a system that would take my motions and integrate them into the game directly. What happens currently (and it’s worth noting that all the demos were pre-alphas) is that the system reads the motions you make, and uses those motions to trigger preprogrammed actions. The Move is supposed to be very easy to program into games, though, so hopefully we’ll be seeing some innovative titles in the near future.

As far as pricing goes, a bundle with the PS Eye camera and one Move controller (and a game) should go for under $100, which usually means $99.99, but it could be less. You’ll also be able to get the Move controller by itself, and as part of a PS3 bundle. Look for launch late this year, in time for the holidays.

By Chris Scott Barr

Back in August we told you that Microsoft had signed an exclusive deal with Netflix, making the 360 the only console which could stream their movies. Well it would seem that either the exclusive deal was carefully worded, or was only for a very short period of time. Why? Because the company just announced that later this year the PS3 will get a similar treatment.

That’s right, PS3 owners will soon be able to stream the very same movies to their console, with the added benefit of not needing to pay for something like Xbox Live Gold. The downside is that in order to stream the movies, you will need a special Blu-ray disc. This will be provided free of charge to all Netflix subscribers who request it. A minor annoyance, likely in place due to the existing agreement with Microsoft. There’s no word on exactly when this is going to be rolled out, but you can reserve your Netflix Blu-ray disc now.

[ Netflix ] VI A[ Crave ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you have a PS3, then you probably take advantage of of its Blu-ray player. You’d be crazy not to. Unfortunately one drawback to the PS3 is that you have to have a separate remote to operate it. Why? Because it’s one of the only home theater devices to use Bluetooth to communicate with its remote. Well luckily there now exists a remote that can control more than just your PS3.

The Blu-Link remote works off of both Bluetooth and infrared signals, thus catering to all of your devices. It supports up to six different devices, and can learn commands from other devices. You’ll also find dedicated PS3 and Blu-ray control buttons. $49 might seem steep for your average universal remote, but this one looks to be well worth the money.

[ Interlink ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By Shane McGlaun

Turtle Beach has been making nice gaming headphones for the PC and the Xbox for a while. The line has been a bit scant on headphones for the PS3 though. I have used several of Turtle Beach’s PC surround sound headphones and they work pretty well.

The company has now announced a new set of gaming headphones called the P21 for the Sony PS3 console. The P21’s feature a USB powered inline amp to provide deep bass. A mic boom allows players to take advantage of in game chat functions.

The amp features independent control for volume levels of the chat and game audio. Bass boost allows for deeper explosions and better music in movies. The P21 will also work with a PC when used with the optional RCA to 3.5mm adapter. Turtle Beach will sell the P21 headphones for $79.95 online and in major retail outlets.

[ Turtle Beach ]

By Shane McGlaun

One of my favorite Need for Speed games back in the day was Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. I liked being able to play the cop and give people tickets and I liked running from the police as well. I guess EA tried to go all “PC” with Need for Speed ProStreet and took the racing off the streets. The game was cool, but I wanted police chases.

The latest title in the franchise, Need for Speed Undercover, gave me my wish and EA has announced that new DLC for the game is available for the PS3 and coming soon for the PC and Xbox 360. One of the DLC packs is a free offering called the Challenge Series and adds 60 events to the game. Along with new events called Highway Wars and Highway checkpoint races.

Players can also win three new cars in the Challenge Series. A premium content pack is also available for $5 or 400 MS points called the Boss Car Pack. The pack gives all of the cars the level bosses drive in the entire game. I am glad to see EA offering some free DLC for fans of Undercover.

[ Need for Speed ]

By Shane McGlaun

I am a huge UFC fan and have been watching the events since they first started back in the late 90’s. I still have fond memories of one of the early events where the boxer came in with one glove thinking he was going to beat the other guy down only to find himself on his back getting beat like a drum a few seconds later.

I have been waiting for the new UFC 2009 game to come out and it is almost here. The game is set to ship on May 19 for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Until then THQ has announced that a playable demo is available for download for both game consoles right now.

The demo allows players to fight a match between Chuck Liddell and Mauricio Rua and includes a portion of the full tutorial mode the game will have to teach players how to use the controls. Liddell fans still angry that the Ice Man was knocked out last weekend can get some payback.

[ UFC Undisputed ]

By Luke Anderson

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks playing Rock Band. Fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to have a set of instruments that play perfectly (if only the same could be said about the person playing them). I’m also fortunate enough to be an Xbox 360 owner, as my Guitar Hero II and III controllers both work with the game. The same cannot be said for PS3 owners.

There was supposed to be a patch last week that would allow PS3 owners to play Rock Band with their Les Paul from Guitar Hero III. The announcement was made by Harmonix that it would be available last Tuesday, but the patch never came. Naturally, people everywhere were outraged that they would be lied to in such a way. It wasn’t until over a week later that we learned why the patch mysteriously disappeared from the radar. Apparently Activision (Guitar Hero III’s publisher) has been putting legal pressure on Sony to not release the patch into the wild.

I’m not affected by this particular issue, but frankly I’m appalled at Activision for taking this stance. The only reason for them to object to the patch is that they’re afraid that Rock Band may end up becoming a more popular game. They don’t seem to care that the only people upset are loyal Guitar Hero III customers that just want to be able to use their controllers. Hopefully Activision wises up and figures out that the only people they are hurting are their customers, and themselves.

VIA [ GamerFront ]

Sony officially announced today that the much-anticipated 40GB PS3 is heading to America and will be available for purchase on November 2. The 40GB PS3 version will retail for $399 in the U.S. and Canada and come bundled with Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray.

Sony also announced that effective immediately the 80GB PS3 console would be reduced in price to $499. The sacrifice the 40GB PS3 makes in the name of lower cost is PS2 compatibility. The 40GB PS3 will include HDMI out, Blu-ray drive, WiFi and all of the other features offered on other PS3 models with the exception of the PS2 compatibility and the reduction from four USB ports to two on the 40GB version.

VIA [ Sony ]

By Shane McGlaun

Any owner of a PS3 knows that when you go online there always seem to be hoards of 13-year-olds that have nothing better to do in life than to try and make gaming more arduous for the rest of us. Logitech has released a new Bluetooth headset for the PS3 that will let you work out your frustrations during online play, by taunting back.

The Logitech Cordless Vantage Headset uses an ambidextrous design so it can be worn on either ear. Logitech says the device is easy to connect and provides a reliable link for voice chat or gaming. The headset uses large-diameter audio drivers and advanced noise-filtering circuitry for clarity.

Those concerned with the quality of their hairdo while gaming will be glad to hear the Cordless Vantage for PS3 is a behind the head design. The headset is powered by an included rechargeable battery good for a claimed 12 hours of use per charge. The Logitech Cordless Vantage Headset will be available in November for $79.99.

VIA [ Logitech ]