Available now for $40.
Guerrilla Games (the Killzone developer) and Zipper (the SOCOM developer) designed this amazing gun shell unit that wraps around the Move and NavCon controllers. This video shows how serious Sony is about making it the standard for future PS3 games with motion controls in the FPS/TPS genre:
*** February 2011 Update ***
Here is more Sharp Shooter shell video, this time with SOCOM 4.
Also, I posted my mini review now that I have the shell:
~~~
Sharpshooter mini-review
OK, I've spent an hour and a half with it in KZ3 initially vs. bots to get a feel for it, then some of the campaign. Great product!
There is zero lag when hitting any button since it digitally connects with the Move through an internal connector. All of the buttons are relatively easy to reach with muscle memory. I do wish that they put the [] and /\\ buttons in the back of the unit (a pair are on both the left and right side of the SS, above the trigger instead). My right thumb is near there and has nothing to press, but to hit the [] and /\\ buttons I need to move my index finger from the trigger. You get used to it, but this is my only complaint.
Speaking of buttons, I was concerned at first that I'd accidently hit the M button when things got hectic (which crouches in KZ3) since it is right under the trigger, but they were smart enough to make it kinda stiff so that you have to depress it to make it trigger instead of merely brushing against it. Not once did I accidentally push it while playing, and it is still new to me so I don't see this as being a problem going forward.
The NavCon feels natural in its lower chamber, but your off-hand will be extended to use it (edit - only if you are sitting back on your couch). This may cause some fatigue if you don't find a comfortable position to use it and have the rear stock placed against your body. Playing from my couch, I ended up with my extended left arm on my left leg, and my left foot on my ottoman where I store my Move gear (similar to this one) with my knee bent. That worked out fine for me.
*EDIT* I found another comfortable way to hold the SS. Just sit up straight (or on a stool or ottoman) and your off-arm no longer needs to be extended. Using this method you can more easily hold the gun shell to your side instead of slightly outstretched like I describe above.
I was practicing using the Move last night with the demo, and notice that aiming with the SS requires more movement since the Move is extended from your hand. It becomes intuitive though and after messing with my control settings and turning auto aim off completely, I was getting some nice headshots on the A.I. from range.
I still need practice, but aiming is so much better with the Move that it'll be hard to go back for games that don't support it. I mean, I was actually getting used to circle-strafing with this thing while maintaining my aim on specific body parts... on a console FPS!
One weird but cool thing is that you have FOUR different ways to reload (X button, Z-axis Move twist, shotgun-style reload, or reload button at the bottom of the gun), so you will always have a style that appeals to you.
For me, I like keeping my thumb on the analog stick of the NavCon and my other hand near the trigger, so that knocks out the two buttons. Twisting the whole contraption on the Move's Z-axis resets my aim so I ended up liking the shotgun-reload feature of the Sharp Shooter.
Overall, the unit has some decent weight once the NavCon and Move are in place. It feels sturdy enough to where you don't have to worry about it coming apart for being flimsy. It'd be nice if it were only $30, but it functions very well as expected. The bottom line is that in an FPS game you actually feel like you are aiming and shooting a real rifle. The rumble effect adds to the immersion, making this a cool step up over traditional FPS controls. I give it an easy 9 out of 10.
Guerrilla Games (the Killzone developer) and Zipper (the SOCOM developer) designed this amazing gun shell unit that wraps around the Move and NavCon controllers. This video shows how serious Sony is about making it the standard for future PS3 games with motion controls in the FPS/TPS genre:
*** February 2011 Update ***
Here is more Sharp Shooter shell video, this time with SOCOM 4.
Also, I posted my mini review now that I have the shell:
~~~
Sharpshooter mini-review
OK, I've spent an hour and a half with it in KZ3 initially vs. bots to get a feel for it, then some of the campaign. Great product!
There is zero lag when hitting any button since it digitally connects with the Move through an internal connector. All of the buttons are relatively easy to reach with muscle memory. I do wish that they put the [] and /\\ buttons in the back of the unit (a pair are on both the left and right side of the SS, above the trigger instead). My right thumb is near there and has nothing to press, but to hit the [] and /\\ buttons I need to move my index finger from the trigger. You get used to it, but this is my only complaint.
Speaking of buttons, I was concerned at first that I'd accidently hit the M button when things got hectic (which crouches in KZ3) since it is right under the trigger, but they were smart enough to make it kinda stiff so that you have to depress it to make it trigger instead of merely brushing against it. Not once did I accidentally push it while playing, and it is still new to me so I don't see this as being a problem going forward.
The NavCon feels natural in its lower chamber, but your off-hand will be extended to use it (edit - only if you are sitting back on your couch). This may cause some fatigue if you don't find a comfortable position to use it and have the rear stock placed against your body. Playing from my couch, I ended up with my extended left arm on my left leg, and my left foot on my ottoman where I store my Move gear (similar to this one) with my knee bent. That worked out fine for me.
*EDIT* I found another comfortable way to hold the SS. Just sit up straight (or on a stool or ottoman) and your off-arm no longer needs to be extended. Using this method you can more easily hold the gun shell to your side instead of slightly outstretched like I describe above.
I was practicing using the Move last night with the demo, and notice that aiming with the SS requires more movement since the Move is extended from your hand. It becomes intuitive though and after messing with my control settings and turning auto aim off completely, I was getting some nice headshots on the A.I. from range.
I still need practice, but aiming is so much better with the Move that it'll be hard to go back for games that don't support it. I mean, I was actually getting used to circle-strafing with this thing while maintaining my aim on specific body parts... on a console FPS!
One weird but cool thing is that you have FOUR different ways to reload (X button, Z-axis Move twist, shotgun-style reload, or reload button at the bottom of the gun), so you will always have a style that appeals to you.
For me, I like keeping my thumb on the analog stick of the NavCon and my other hand near the trigger, so that knocks out the two buttons. Twisting the whole contraption on the Move's Z-axis resets my aim so I ended up liking the shotgun-reload feature of the Sharp Shooter.
Overall, the unit has some decent weight once the NavCon and Move are in place. It feels sturdy enough to where you don't have to worry about it coming apart for being flimsy. It'd be nice if it were only $30, but it functions very well as expected. The bottom line is that in an FPS game you actually feel like you are aiming and shooting a real rifle. The rumble effect adds to the immersion, making this a cool step up over traditional FPS controls. I give it an easy 9 out of 10.
