The current generation was a wonderful step for the advancement of gaming. Nintendo's Wii was a revolution in how it effortlessly introduced video gaming to the masses. It made the hobby more than acceptable in the face of society. Nintendo had a stranglehold on the market, and Microsoft and Sony did their best to play catch up with their motion control devices. Surprisingly, Xbox 360's Kinect proved to be an eye-opening revelation with its distinctive controller-less gaming input and exclusive software. Just as shocking was that PlayStation 3's Move strived for little more than disappointment. It is not as though the technology was not there! Rather, there has not been any unique or compelling software released for it that convincingly showcases the great potential of the technology. With PixelJunk 4am, that stigma may well change.

PixelJunk 4am, formerly known as PixelJunk Lifelike, is a visual application developed by Q-Games and multimedia artist, Baiyon. Less of a rhythm or music simulation game akin to Guitar Hero or Rock Band and more of a console-based, music creation and supplementing suite, PixelJunk 4am utilizes the PlayStation 3's motion controller to tangibly affect the various sounds as you desire. You physically point your Move controller around, searching for a tactile vibration. Once found, you can then "pull" that aural element into your music. You are actually partaking in the music's conception, instead of just imitating it.

The software's essence is apparent in the application's name. 4 a.m. is a hazy and disorienting time of day; the darkest hour wherein even the most sensible minds start slowing down considerably due to weariness. Watching this program in use will leave you mesmerized by the swirling and trailing lights and the way they sync perfectly with the interactive music (the Move's orb changes color to help you keep track of the… track you are manipulating). Amazingly, the experience is all based on experimentation, and you are able to join a friend for some local co-op creation. Additionally, you can hop online, stream a performance live, and receive on-the-fly feedback from others (ie. this new type of performance broadcasting is a far-reaching emulation of the ever-changing, yet symbiotic DJ-crowd relationship). 

You are able to work with several tracks simultaneously (like rhythm and bass) as well as simple sound bytes to turn a simple arrangement into an exciting one. PixelJunk 4am looks to provide intrigued gamers with the resources necessary to create their own unique style of music. Perhaps the most innovative use of Sony's motion controller, PixelJunk 4am may be a bit too high-concept and abstract to garner a mass market, but it looks to be the first wondrous software that will truly achieve the device's potential.

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