Miyamoto: "Revolution controller easy to copy"

i understand Nintendos concern about the controller being copied, but what is to stop MS and Sony from stealing it anyway?

If that is the case then why didnt they copywrite the rumble feature and analogue control?

Leaves the analog stick...why didn't they patented that... imagine a PS(2) and Xbox without analog sticks...you can't really.

Where did you get that?
What platform was it for? (PC? is that a usb 1.1 pug?)
It looks grim, nothing like the DC pad apart from the very vague shape.

Because contrary to popular belief, Nintendo did not make the first analogue thumbstick for use on a console controller. Take a look at this one, for example.

Good one.

I know they even came about earlier than that one. The Atari 5200 had one (although it didn't auto-center, if i recall correctly, which was wierd)

here's a pic: http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/cx52-1.gif

I think it was also one of the first, if not the first, to have the "start" button on a controller.

And yes, it was uncomfortable after a while.

There's a big difference between a control stick (or joystick) and an analogue control stick. One is analogue, one isn't!
As far as I know, Nintendo invented the first analogue control stick. Without which, ps2 and xbox would be rubbish.

That old AX analogue pad or whatever it's could bears no relevance to Nintendo's N64 analogue pad. Why?

Because N64 pad was the first analogue pad to be design in order to navigate 3D games made for it rather than 2D games like that Sega pad. That is a big damn difference. Sony, MS and all of gaming have great gaming because of Nintendo and N64. Such an impact that Sony had to rustle up the Dual Shock rip off in order to make PSone on par. The PSones pad was designed with 2D gaming in mind but not really 3D.

Analogue on 2D games makes hardly any difference to the experience in the home next to a digital cross key.

The idea that somebody might look at the Revolution controller and think, 'Oh, this is too much for me' is something that I would really regret. That is something I would love to avoid if I can," says Miyamoto.

"The controllers for this generation do not look fun to use. You don't look at any of the controllers and think, 'Wow, I want to play [with] this.' You look at these controllers and think, 'Oh my God, it looks so difficult.' That scares people away.

"Actually, at Nintendo, we're not even sure which is better. Is the + control pad the better way to, go or is the analog stick the better way to go? I haven't really been able to decide which is best." Using the analog and the L and R shoulder buttons was maybe a little hard for the younger players. We were not able to use that functionality very well in games either. On this next one [Revolution], we're really looking at solving some of those problems.

"With the GameCube, we originally thought we'd be able to use the functionality of the L and R buttons to create some really unique things. In the end we just made basic games and didn't really utilize the full potential, but with the Revolution we're hoping to do is utilize the interface to create more interesting and unique games…."

We're looking at utilizing the functionality of the Revolution and its user interface to create really unique gaming experiences."

"What we really want to do is create something that's not frightening to the user that is usable for a Zelda-type game. We're going to have to figure out a way to marry both those ideas."

Miyamoto says that Nintendo has created such a controller. Asked about all the secrecy surrounding the new controller design, he says, "Graphic chips are one thing. Those are hard to imitate. But if we showed our controller, we'd be revealing way too much. It's very easy to copy. We really want to present our interface, the controller, with software as a package."

I'm not going into Nintendo inventing the analogue stick, but it was Nintendo that done the first pad with an analogue stick that you controlled a fully 3D game with such incredible control AND TOOK IT GLOBAL, besides what analogue was happening on the PC (if you can't understand that you need a grey matter transplant). If Sega's Afterburner etc used their pad to enhance the game in full 3D then bravo to Sega but this I doubt very much.

This discussion was about how Sony "ripped off" Nintendo's analogue stick and why Nintendo didn't patent it. Nik pointed out that Nintendo didn't invent the analogue stick and couldn't patent it since there was prior art.

Now you appear to be twisting the argument towards using an analogue stick with variable levels of sensitivity to make a 3D character sneak, walk or run around a 3D environment. That is an application of the technology, not inventing it.

Mario 64 let you control the 3D character using the analogue stick, not the controller. The controller sent data to the N64 console, it's the software that interprets the data that gives the functionality you describe. In Rainbow 6 and others, you use the analogue stick to control a cursor over a 2D map, same controller, different interpretation in software.

What you are saying is equivalent to saying that Douglas Engelbart didn't invent the computer mouse because he didn't use it to play Doom. Obviously id software invented the mouse and deserved to patent it. Those Unreal guys just ripped them off.

The N64 was the first popular console designed to use 3D in its games. It was also the first popular console to include an analogue stick with the bundled controller. However Nintendo didn't invent either.