When you think of motion control, you think of Wii.  Who wouldn't?  Well, perhaps a handful of people who own the Playstation 3.  Although not nearly as much has been made of it -- and not nearly as much has been done with it -- the Sixaxis controller that comes with the PS3 has its own motion sensing capabilities.  The Sixaxis can sense motion in three dimensions and has been used effectively in a small but distinctive selection of games.  The Sixaxis is limited to tilt control, so the experiences available aren't as immersive, but there's potential here.

Numerous times while researching this article, I had PS3 owners tell me, "don't buy a PS3 for motion controlled games".  Some other comments included, "everything but Flower totally sucks", "Sixaxis is just a gimmick", and my favorite, "asking what's the best motion controlled games is like asking what's the best cancer to get".  It's no surprise that on the whole, the mainstream gaming community has viewed the Wii's success with motion controls with hostility.  It's somewhat more surprising that Sony's own gaming community seems to have so little regard for their own console's capabilities.

While not enjoying the same range of motion that the Wii remote has, Sony's Sixaxis controller has spawned a handful of worthwhile games that use a minimum of buttons to get the job done.  Based on our research, here are the games that have best utilized motion control on the PS3.  All of these titles are published by Sony.

• Flower (PSN): This downloadable title has set the PS3 scene ablaze with chatter.  A zen game with no scores, few objectives, and an absolutely gorgeous presentation, Flower depicts what might be seen and heard if flowers dreamed.  The tilt controls are so intuitive, you almost forget you're doing them.  If you're interested in motion control on the PS3, this should be your first purchase.  MotionGaming grade: A.  MetaCritic score: 87.
  
  
• WipEout HD (PSN): Another racing game that uses the tilt control scheme to great effect.  If you ever played F-Zero on Nintendo platforms, you'll know a bit of what to expect from this futuristic ultra-fast racer.  This game also benefits from on-line competition, but its big selling point has been its full 1080p 60fps visual experience.  The expansion pack,  Fury, is even more highly regarded.  MetaCritic score: 87.
  
  
• Warhawk:  This combat game is for on-line multiplayer use only.  There's no single-player mission, and that can make getting into this game all that much tougher.  It has a steep learning curve to begin with, and having been out a couple of years, the on-line servers are dominated by veterans of the game.  But if you bite the bullet (and rifle butt, and cannon, and machine gun, and....) and stick with it, you'll find a real treat in motion control of figher aircraft and combat vehicles.  Not for the timid.  MetaCritic score: 84.
  
  
• Motorstorm: This off-road racing game wowed gamers with its exquisitely detailed racetracks set in Monument Valley.  It also has some pretty sharp and responsive motion control, allowing you to use the Sixaxis controller as a steering wheel.  It's a difficult game with a significant learning curve, and some of the vehicles are more difficult to control with motion, such as motorcycles, because they're very light and respond to pitch as well as steering.  But hang with it and you'll be richly rewarded.  MotionGaming grade: B+.  MetaCritic score: 82.
  
  
• Folklore: This action adventure takes place in modern times in a small village in Ireland, where it's said that if you visit during Samhain, you can speak to the dead.  A mysterious phone call and a murder bring together Ellen, a young woman pining for her long dead mother, and Keats, a writer for an occult magazine, to solve the mystery. Players use the Sixaxis to draw the souls of dead enemies into themselves to boost their health, done with a quick flip upward of the controller.  This small but integral motion is typical of many Wii games as well.  MetaCritic score: 75.
  
  
• flOw (PSN): The year before they produced Flower, thatgamecompany made a smaller game called flOw, which featured gameplay through microscopic aquatic animals.  Set in a drop of water, you guide your little electroplankton guy through evolution as you consume other animals, dive deeper and deeper into your body of water, encounter and deal with predators, all set to soothing music.  There's something odd going on at thatgamecompany.  MotionGaming grade: B.  MetaCritic score: 71.
  
  
• Lair: One of the most controversial games in PS3 history. No doubts that the game is gorgeous, the story is rich, and the voice acting is top notch. But fistfights have broken out over whether the control scheme and gameplay is just misunderstood or an epic failure of game design. I played through the first three levels and didn't have many issues with it, other than surprise that a dragon handles less like a fighter jet and more like a bomber. It's one of the most ambitious implementations of motion controls on PS3. Rent it and find out for yourself. You just might find a hidden gem.  MetaCritic score: 53.