E3: New Sony motion controller debuted

The controller, which is yet to take an official name, works by interfacing with the PlayStation Eye, which tracks the movement of a large lightbulb-like device on top of the microphone-style stick.

Several demos were carried out by EyeToy creator Richard Marx, including writing his name on a virtual wall and then painting on it with a regulated paint flow partly controlled with the analogue sticks.

The controller was also applied to the usual sports areas such as baseball and tennis, but things got a bit more interesting when Marx picked up a second controller and began reaching into the world on screen to manipulate objects in a room, use a bow and arrow (which became more accurate when he crouched), shoot a Desert Eagle, and even wield a sword and shield.

While it’s still an interesting piece of tech, and looks incredibly accurate, the idea’s beginning to show its age, particularly after the announcement of  360’s Project Natal only a day earlier.

Sony says it plans to bring the product to market in spring 2010, but is this too little too late for Sony’s foray into serious motion technology?