GDC11: Sony opens Move to hacking community

Just days after Microsoft revealed its Kinect SDK for PC hacking, Sony has declared a similar set-up will be available for PlayStation Move.

The company will launch a new application for PS3 called ‘Move Me’, which can allow researchers, students and hobbyists create new types of software applications.

“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 said.

The PlayStation firm claimed suggested Move Me could, for example, help a medical researcher prototype rehabilitation applications for patients undergoing physical therapy.

“The Move Me application could also lead game design students to develop new creative concepts for gaming within the areas of 3D modelling, motion capture, and augmented reality,” the firm added.

Move Me will be available on PS3 in the spring. When installed, it will allow the console to connect to PCs, smartphone and tablet devices, and via this connection users can transfer Move data to other devices.

All this can be done without the use of an SDK or licensing agreement, Sony said – a ploy which “opens the door for wide-spread idea generation and prototyping”.

Move Me developers will also be offered sample code, user documentation and corporate material from SCE Research and Development.

The PlaySation Move uses internal motion sensors and utilises additional tracking from the PlayStation Eye camera.

"PlayStation Move’s camera-plus-controller combination allows for the most precise and immersive gaming experiences," said John McCutchan, senior engineer, SCEA Developer Support.

Though Sony has eyed the potential of Move as a device beyond gaming, the group does not appear to have a thriving hacking community. Microsoft, on the other hand, announced a Kinect SDK on the back of months of hacking from enthusiasts and academics.

More details on Move Me are available here

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