Using PlayStation Move without games

Every time I saw videos of the PlayStation Move, I always felt it was just another controller to play games. Instead of using an analog stick to aim, you point the Move at the screen. Along with this new style of input comes the haunting feeling of sub par party games flooding the market. But I never really looked at Move as more than a DualShock 3 replacement. It never occurred to me that Move can be an extension or perhaps even an evolution in interactivity with the PS3.

After watching the latest Move tech demo on the PlayStation Blog, I realized that Move can be used in creative ways outside of the gaming space. Think about some of the lesser used applications on the PS3 such as the web browser of video chat. These applications have remained virtually the same since they were introduced. Imagine how engaging these features can become if Sony utilizes Move to its full potential.

The tech demo showed the multi-touch capabilities of Move. When using two Move controllers at once, we have the potential to create customized windows in which to display any kind of content. This can theoretically be done with a controller, but you can be much more precise with Move. It’s also more fun this way.

About a year ago, Sony demonstrated high resolution enlargement technology for the PS3′s web browser. It allowed for a new kind of web browsing experience using a sophisticated zoom feature. Various links can be inserted onto a web page that are displayed by zooming instead of clicking links. Check out the video below for reference.

If this feature could be tailored to work in conjunction with other applications with Move as a primary controller, people will experience the PS3′s multi-media capabilities like never before. This can be done by enhancing multi-tasking on the PS3. Sure we can browse the web or look at pictures while listening to music, but that’s pretty much its limits. I want to see a dedicated room, just like in the tech demo, that lets me browse the web in a window size of my choosing. In that same space I could share a link with my friend in a video chat by combining the two windows using Move. Why not let us manipulate images with Move as well? The PS3 has basic video editing software, so why not go all in?

Everyone is waiting for that special piece of technology that will make them feel like they’re in Minority Report. Move may not be hands free, but its ability to manipulate objects in 3D along with the existing applications that reside on the PS3, can get us that much closer to the fantasy.

Move doesn’t only have to be about the games. It’s supposed to a way to extend the PS3′s life while introducing brand new mechanics never seen on a gaming console. Sony has a golden opportunity here. Let’s hope it doesn’t dissolve into just another way to play digital ping pong.

Read [PlayStation Blog]