Are You a Top or a Bottom? -- Determining Where to Position the Playstation Eye

The most frustrating thing that can possibly happen when you come home with a brand new toy is that it just doesn't work, and that goes double for high-tech doodads like Move.

One of the most common problems I've encountered so far has been bad calibration, leaving players wondering why their cursor is halfway across the screen when they're pointing straight ahead, or why their avatar aren't doing what they want them to do

Some of the problem can be attributed directly to human error. Quite simply, 1:1 motion capture isn't something that most of us are used to, and the process of getting it to work correctly is still a foreign concept. Expect to do a lot of tweaking and calibrating at first (I imagine this will become second nature over time), but also understand that you're learning how to play games in a markedly different way than usual. It isn't something you've completely internalized yet.

Also note that individual games have specific ways of calibrating and also may require that you be closer or further away from the camera than normal during play. It really all comes down to the way the software handles the mechanics of each title.

But one major thing you can do to make Move work better is positioning the Eye correctly. Out of the box, Sony gives you the option of sticking the Eye in a central position either above or below your television. The problem is that Sony has no idea what kind of display you actually have, so these end up being somewhat vague directions.

For most setups, you want to place the Eye on top of your television, preferably as close to shoulder height  as possible. Hopefully, this will allow you to point it straight forward and give you a comfortable angle to play at. Of course, if you plan on playing sitting down, then you may need to adjust the angle of your camera so that the ball on the end of the Move is visible at all times.

If you've got a Playstation 3, chances are you have an HD setup and a TV that's thinner than normal or features "stylish" casing that can limit your options. There are several different mounting clips available at retail, you can use a small piece of black tape to stabilize it, or try this neat trick to keep it in place without any extra help whatsoever!

Generally, placing it below your television can cause some strange problems. I've run into a number of situations where somebody felt like they were having to aim too high in Sports Champions' Archery event, or that their pointer was anywhere near accurate in light-gun games like The Shoot and Time Crisis, but upon moving the Eye to the top of the television, had their problems disappear altogether.

Of course, if your display is already mounted high on the wall, or you're using a projector system, finding a place to stick the Eye lower isn't such a bad idea, and at least one game (Eyepet) requires it, since it needs to be able to find your "floor" for the virtual critter to scamper around on.

That should cover the basics of Eye positioning but, as always, if you have any further questions, comments, or other problems with the device that you need addressed, please feel free to ask!