Nintendo pooh-poohs Xbox, PS3 motion control

Microsoft’s Project Natal camera-based motion-control technology grabbed headlines last week, but Nintendo’s President has said the Wii's approach is way better.

Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo has already produced experimental games which use cameras to measure the player's movement – the technology used by Project Natal — but claimed to have achieved far better results using accelerometers.

It was such tests, Iwata said, which prompted Nintendo to opt for accelerometer-based Wii controllers.

However, Iwata admitted to the Financial Times that until Microsoft and Sony – which also showed off a motion-controlled gadget of its own last week – each unveil details about their gaming systems, such as price and bundled software, Nintendo won’t know if it made the right choice.

Project Natal doesn’t use any form of physical controller. Instead, the gamer’s movements are picked up by a camera-equipped sensor bar that translates their twists and turns into on-screen action.

Sony’s Motion Control for the PS3 is a mix between the Wii’s controllers and Project Natal, because gamers must hold a wand-like device that can be recognised by a nearby EyeToy camera. A demo video is available online. ®