PlayStation 3 Controller Thrown Away. Doesn't Return
Boomerang nightmare ends. Cold sweat washed away
Good news for anyone wanting to buy a PlayStation 3 when it debuts this winter today as SCE confirms that the massively unpopular boomerang controller shown at last year's E3 is not the final design that will launch alongside the console.
The change was confirmed today at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, with keynote man Phil Harrison commenting to us that the design has, thankfully, been scrapped. A new, unspecified design is underway, with PlayStation executives slated to unveil the new pad at E3 in May of this year.
As you will know, the pad Sony originally showed received the worst reaction in console history, with gamers and the press shocked at what they saw as little more than a rework of various Sidewinder PC pads from the mid-90s. Even the infamous 'Duke' pad as seen with launch Xbox consoles got to see market before it was canned following outrage from normally sized people.
Speculation has flared that SCE will directly copy Nintendo's motion-sensing controller concept, a games industry soap opera episode that will cause fanboy meltdown should it carry weight.
Read our full report on Sony's PlayStation 3 keynote, the most concise online at time of press featuring a full run down of launch plans, announced games and the massive online service Sony has planned by clicking here.
The change was confirmed today at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, with keynote man Phil Harrison commenting to us that the design has, thankfully, been scrapped. A new, unspecified design is underway, with PlayStation executives slated to unveil the new pad at E3 in May of this year.
As you will know, the pad Sony originally showed received the worst reaction in console history, with gamers and the press shocked at what they saw as little more than a rework of various Sidewinder PC pads from the mid-90s. Even the infamous 'Duke' pad as seen with launch Xbox consoles got to see market before it was canned following outrage from normally sized people.
Speculation has flared that SCE will directly copy Nintendo's motion-sensing controller concept, a games industry soap opera episode that will cause fanboy meltdown should it carry weight.
Read our full report on Sony's PlayStation 3 keynote, the most concise online at time of press featuring a full run down of launch plans, announced games and the massive online service Sony has planned by clicking here.
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Comments
majin dboy 23 Mar 2006 10:37
1/6
no no no no no.
sony CANNOT copy nintendo.can they?
i dont think they will,its just not sony(i mean to innovate not copy)surely there are copyright issues here.
sony CANNOT copy nintendo.can they?
i dont think they will,its just not sony(i mean to innovate not copy)surely there are copyright issues here.
ohms 23 Mar 2006 11:11
2/6
I actually thought the controller looked pretty interesting, at least they were trying something different.
Everyone who's been cussing it hasn't even held the thing, it might have been pretty confortable... maybe.
Everyone who's been cussing it hasn't even held the thing, it might have been pretty confortable... maybe.
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OptimusP 23 Mar 2006 11:12
3/6
They can't copy Nintendo's way of how the revolution controller does what it does (since Nintendo patented almost every aspect of it , down to adding a add-on to the revmote with means of a wire) which means they can't use gyro's and the GPS-derived 3D locating technology that Nintendo uses for it's revmote (none which Nintendo invented, they just licensensed all that stuff from other companies, it's the manner how those techs are used and implemented that is patented).
But there are other ways of tracking 3D movements and using those for commands in games (however... Nintendo also has some vague patent that seems to indicate that Nintendo patented the principle of using a device to track and use 3D movements as commands in games and only games) which do not violate Nintendo's patents. Thing is... finding that new way will require high R&D costs and time... Nintendo's revmote patents must be seen as a delaying tactic, delaying MS and Sony as much as possible into making a viable alternative to the revmote.
But i do believe that Nintendo has used and patented the most efficient way of 3D-control so that any alternative will/could be more cubbersome, less intuïtive and so on then Nintendo's one.
But there are other ways of tracking 3D movements and using those for commands in games (however... Nintendo also has some vague patent that seems to indicate that Nintendo patented the principle of using a device to track and use 3D movements as commands in games and only games) which do not violate Nintendo's patents. Thing is... finding that new way will require high R&D costs and time... Nintendo's revmote patents must be seen as a delaying tactic, delaying MS and Sony as much as possible into making a viable alternative to the revmote.
But i do believe that Nintendo has used and patented the most efficient way of 3D-control so that any alternative will/could be more cubbersome, less intuïtive and so on then Nintendo's one.
soanso 23 Mar 2006 13:43
4/6
If sony did copy it then nintendo would simply sue them and watch the revenue flow in.
I wonder what sort of message it'd put out if they did copy it? It'd be like a big confirmation for nintendo that their way was right.
though no doubt commentators and media types would credit sony for inventing the damn thing like they do with everything else.
It's great for people to try and do something different but that ps3 controller just looked unusable (much like the sidewinder ones hahah)
I don't think sony could copy the revo controller. I'd very much doubt if they could still have 7 controllers all like that. I'm sure it'd have to send and reciceve a lot more information than a normal one which would mean a redesign and some more time...
surely?
I wonder what sort of message it'd put out if they did copy it? It'd be like a big confirmation for nintendo that their way was right.
though no doubt commentators and media types would credit sony for inventing the damn thing like they do with everything else.
It's great for people to try and do something different but that ps3 controller just looked unusable (much like the sidewinder ones hahah)
I don't think sony could copy the revo controller. I'd very much doubt if they could still have 7 controllers all like that. I'm sure it'd have to send and reciceve a lot more information than a normal one which would mean a redesign and some more time...
surely?
ann0uk 23 Mar 2006 15:23
5/6
Sony would lose a lot of credability if they copied so i dont think that would happen.
I dont see why people have a problem with the controller, so ok it looks like a boomerang but I bet it is very comfortable to use.
Ergonomics are far more important, quite frankly I found that the dual shock was a little uncomfortable when using the analogue control.
Sony are redesigning the controller and not changing the whole thing completely, there will be some extra bells and whistles but that is it.
I dont see why people have a problem with the controller, so ok it looks like a boomerang but I bet it is very comfortable to use.
Ergonomics are far more important, quite frankly I found that the dual shock was a little uncomfortable when using the analogue control.
Sony are redesigning the controller and not changing the whole thing completely, there will be some extra bells and whistles but that is it.
saurian 24 Mar 2006 21:12
6/6
majin dboy wrote:
no no no no no.
sony CANNOT copy nintendo.can they?
i dont think they will,its just not sony(i mean to innovate not copy)surely there are copyright issues here.
sony CANNOT copy nintendo.can they?
i dont think they will,its just not sony(i mean to innovate not copy)surely there are copyright issues here.
There are , but they are copying Xbox Live arnt they?? If it will sell consoles they will do it.