It’s time to Start the Party! with PlayStation Move - find out how social games evolve with the title’s creative director, Steve Goss.
How do you use PlayStation Move in Start the Party!?
The unique proposition of Start the Party! is combining PlayStation Move with the live video feed to produce an augmented reality experience. Start the Party! attaches objects to the PlayStation Move motion controller so you see yourself on-screen holding a tennis racket, a baseball bat, an electric fan and so on.
We then get you to use that object in the gameplay: if you're holding a tennis racket and huge green bugs start flying around your head, splat 'em; if you've got a baseball bat when the piata appears, get whacking - Start the Party! puts the gameplay in your hand!
What are the benefits of using PS Move in Start the Party!?
There is no other technology that can create the experience of Start the Party!, the augmented reality combination of PlayStation Move and the video feed are unique to PlayStation 3.
The precision of PlayStation Move allows the PlayStation Eye camera to track your movements in a fully 3D space with complete accuracy and use that in gameplay. As you move, lunge, strike and pop, every movement is translated into gameplay!
How has the high degree of accuracy and speed afforded by PS Move helped in creating Start the Party!?
The augmented reality approach of Start the Party! relies 100 per cent on fast and precise motion tracking. From subtle movements of your hand to big movements of your whole body - every movement you make, in true 3D, is captured by Start the Party! and however frantic and fast you are, your movements are accurately tracked...
How does the inclusion of PS Move change the way you approach and play Start the Party! compared to other titles in that genre?
Social gaming relies on pick up and play immediacy, and by putting instantly recognisable objects in your hand, you're able to grasp the challenge presented. If a pair of hair clippers appear in your hand, you know it's time to get cutting!
Using the live video feed means you are in the game, not controlling a game character but actually you and your friends are inside the game world.
What is the most exciting aspect of using PS Move in Start the Party!?
The ability to allow the player to use their whole body and true three dimensional position to control the game!
What were your favourite moments of developing Start the Party! with PS Move?
The moment we put a paintbrush in the player's hand and allowed them to paint on the screen!
What challenges did you encounter in creating Start the Party! with something as innovative as PS Move?
There was lots of learning as we developed Start the Party!, many things we thought would be simple turned out to be more complex than we expected. Putting objects in your hand allowed us to try out many ideas quickly, but ensuring the player understood what to do and how to move was not as straightforward as we assumed!
Augment your reality with PlayStation – Part 2
