PS3 Demo at Target

My first question when sales associated asked if I needed any help was, "Do you have any Wiis?" I knew his answer would be "no", but when he said, "Of course, and we're not even supposed to talk to you guys." I had no idea what he meant.

There was no Wii demo unit in the store, but there was a cheap PS3 setup: huge monitor mounted on the glass game cages with a controller mounted on a vertical swing arm. To reach the controller your face was about 15 inches away from the 20" flat screen. I could see the pixels in the LCD. And Motor Storm is not a game you want to face kissing a monitor on.

The game was weak. Having just played Excite Truck an hour before, I was expecting something more realistic, which Motor Storm was, but it kept all the same goofy gameplay elements intact as well: falling off the sides of the map, turbo and over heated engines and crashing (which was kind of pretty and very cinematic). Why does a rally truck need a horn?

Whatever.

So once I stretched my arms forward far enough, I kind of started to enjoy the environment of the game; I got a better sense of it's purpose. I got the good graphics (up my nose). I got the speed. It's Wave Race: Blue Storm set in a dessert. It'll be popular because it's the only unique racing game on launch day.

I also realized that the L2 and R2 buttons were now more trigger-like. So much so that they moved the L1 and R1 buttons up a few centimeters, which quite uncomfortable to get to. Doable of course, but awkward. And since the controller was mounted to the case by a swing arm, there was no testing out the motion sensors in the de-rumbled controller.

Also disappointing was the lone demo in the console. Just like the Wii.

WTF.