Not to be outdone by Microsoft, earlier this week Sony revealed to Game Developers Conference attendees an application for the PlayStation 3 called "Move.me." Available this spring, the app will grant academic researchers, university instructors, college students, programming hobbyists, and HCI developers the ability to hack the PlayStation Move motion controller by transferring Move data from the console over to a Windows PC, smartphone and tablet device.
"Move.me isn't a game," reads the Move.me introduction. "It's a software server application for the PS3 system that uses the PlayStation Move motion controller as an input device. We want to see what innovative applications programmers can create using the PS Move controller, the PS3 system, the PlayStation Eye camera, and a PC."
"With the Move.me application, the high-quality, high-level tracking data that PS3 game developers use can be exported to the PC, providing a powerful tool for creating innovative applications," Sony added during GDC.
Sony offered a few examples, explaining that Move.me could help a medical researcher prototype rehabilitation applications for patients enrolled in physical therapy. It could also help game design students to develop new creative concepts for gaming within the areas of 3D modeling, motion capture and augmented reality. Other examples include applications for sports physiology and fitness training, music and the creative arts, and even creating kid-friendly programming interfaces.
The best part about Move.me is that developers won't need an SDK like other motion sensing products offered by competitors. Users also won't need to sign a costly licensing agreement. In fact, the Move.me app will come bundled with sample code, user documentation and corporate material from SCE Research and Development to get designers immediately started "out of the box."
Although Move.me will be available this spring, Sony is also offering an Early-Product Seeding Program for those who'd like to get started early. The application can be found here, but you'll need to be affiliated with a school, university or workplace.
