Opinion: PlayStation Move could be a hard sell for casual gamers

During GDC 2010, Sony’s PlayStation press conference focused on one thing only – PlayStation Move. As Sony’s answer to the Wii remote and nunchuck, Move is looking to take casual gaming audience way from competitors. How good are Sony’s chances? Gamertell takes a closer look.

Let’s first examine Sony’s angle from a marketing perspective. Sony has seen how successful the Wii has become with motion controls and wants to capitalize on the Wii’s greatest strength. That strength is providing easy to play motion control based games which appeal to a broad range of consumers.Taking this fact into account, Sony developed a logic it hopes will be successful: Copy the competitor’s style with prettier games.

Is that really enough?

One fact that has always remained strong in the videogame industry is that stronger hardware do not always yield higher console sales. The key factors in this case are ease of use, and total costs. This is where the prospect of Move starts to get intimidating.

To properly use Move you must own a PS3, PlayStation Eye camera, one Move controller and a compatible game. Assuming the casual consumer doesn’t own a PS3 (as it was never marketed to the casual audience) they will pay a steep price of entry.

Here’s an estimated price breakdown.

• PS3 – $299
• PlayStation Eye, Move controller and game bundle announced at GDC 2010 – $99
• PlayStation Move Subcontroller – estimated price $20-$30

Everything you need to get the most out of Move will cost at least $420 before taxes. $420 is not a friendly entry point for a new, casual consumer base. Add to that the confusion of getting casual gamers to know which games are Move compatible, and Sony’s track record of introducing and seemingly abandoning new hardware, it’s easy to see why Move has an uphill battle from the start.

Move will be a tough sale for both new and on-the-fence gamers. Chances are if you’re reading this site, you’re not the new audience Sony is looking to attract. By this time in 2011 we should have a clear picture on whether or not Move bears fruit.

Read [Gamertell]