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Sony ignoring PS3 Wiimote chatter News
PlayStation 3 News by Robert Purchese
Sony has declined to comment on speculation that it is making its very own Wiimote-style controller for PS3.
Reports suggest the platform holder ran secret focus groups in the US at the beginning of the year, where console owners were shown the motion-sensing device.
Visually it appeared very similar to the Nintendo controller, according to PlayStation LifeStyle, and was apparently "incredibly responsive and accurate".
Titles shown ranged from tennis to fencing to paintball, and when the demonstrator ducked in the latter, so did his on-screen character. The PS3 controller was also shown playing Quake on a laptop, we're told.
Of course, Sony is no stranger to motion-sensing controls, having included it in its Sixaxis pads since the launch of PlayStation 3.
Earlier this year rumours began circulating that Microsoft had its own Wiimote-style controller in the works, too, with developer Rare supposedly involved on the software side.
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alimokrane
02/06/08 @ 13:30
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Of course, Sony is no stranger to motion-sensing controls, having included it in its Sixaxis pads since the launch of PlayStation 3.
Oh Yeah Indeed Rob, something that was put in there at the last minute, is almost entirely ignored by develoeprs and works like crap in games that wasted time using it. indeed no stranger.
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most recently on 02/06/08 @ 14:31
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alimokrane
02/06/08 @ 13:45
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@swam
Stating facts is now considered bashing. What has the world come to. |
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JohnnyWashnGo
02/06/08 @ 13:46
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"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Ghandhi
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MasterNameless
02/06/08 @ 13:48
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I've already seen an Xbox 360 'wiimote' unfortunately... about 8 months ago now, they had one at work. They said not to say anything, so I'm not even going to even leave a clue as to where it is that I work! Safe to say that it isn't a games company... but somewhere in the media. Oh bugger, that's a clue isn't it! Oh well. It was one of our sister companies anyway, who have gone bust!
It pretty much looked like an half an old xbox controller with an extra long handle, and white of course. Can't even remember the game they were playing, except it was rather colourful and looked pretty pants. Something to do with ballons I think. They were in very early testing stages, and god knows if they ever actually plan on releasing it! I'm sure the same probably goes for Sony's attempt too. |
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While I enjoy the different control method the Wii offers for certain games (such as Metroid Prime), I'd rather Sony and Microsoft stick to the traditional controller.
I'm not saying the Wii is overshadowed by a mass of gimmicky and sh*t games that try and use the controller properly, but if the PS3 and 360 start adopting the same control method then we'll have even less games to look forward to than we have now. |
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markypants
02/06/08 @ 13:54
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Makes sense really. I mean, copying successful controller layouts has happened throughout the history of computer gaming. It doesn't bother me really as I think the Wiimote works brilliantly and having first hand watched my wife go from non gamer to gamer over the last few weeks, I think these devices would be a good addition to both Xbox & PS3.
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SeesThroughAll
02/06/08 @ 13:56
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WTF?? BOTH COPYING NINTENDO??!!
All things considered, I wouldn't be surprised if this one was real too. And it is kind of funny, and it is kind of sad... |
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Oh shock of shocks. I wonder what unimaginative addition will they bolt on so that they can claim it's 'nothing like the wiimote'? DUAL SENSOR BARS???
They need to finish up ripping off the 360 (is that in-game XMB out yet?!) before they move onto something adventurous like this. But hey, at least this is Sony's way of admitting that HD isn't necessarily the way forward, and that the Wiimote isn't a gimmick. |
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Didn't Sony show something like this before, but it used the EyeToy?
They developed it to recognise movement and shapes so you wouldn't need a dedicated controller. I fucking hate the Wii though and it's gimmicky controller (and I own it and Wii Fit), it has lead to some of the worst gamers ever. Tennis and Bowling; that's all it is good for. Though Mario Kart is kinda fun... well it was for the few hours it lasted. In other words, please don't copy it, make something better. |
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@ Lazydan
But you do realise that the 360 pad is also just a complete rip off of nintendo pads, with the shoulder buttons, the diamond layout of the face buttons, the rumble and the analog stick. it Also rips of Sony's dual shock by having 2 sticks instead of one. Dreamcast had there alone service before live, probably the only original thing microsoft have done is include a harddrive every one rips off each others ideas, usually nintendos |
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rhinoxious
02/06/08 @ 14:21
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makes sense for Sony and MS to release their own, after all everyone stole nintendos analogue joypad idea.
Worst case scenario is that all console of the next-gen have two standard controllers, one remote and one regular, this will result in very high costs for anyone who wants to play multiplayer games at home. |
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MasterNameless
02/06/08 @ 14:23
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@L42yB & Landmaster
OI! Stop narrowing that search you two! Shouldn't have left any clues... damn it! Oh well, media companies spring up and go bust pretty regularly in these parts so that's no biggy. I've never starred in a carry on film, or done any audio book commentary if that helps you narrow it down. ;) Obviously, I'm not that worried about it. Doesn't take the fun out of it does it? |
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"How come Nintendo hasn't patented the shit out of the Wiimote? Surely both MS and Sony can't just rip it off... can they? "
Nintendo havent done anything that hasnt been done before though. The remote is made up of two parts, the motion sensing chip which they dont make and was used in other devices before the wii came along (some car airbag devices use the same technology). They could patent the idea for putting it in a controller but MS got there several years earlier so would only be Sony missing out, but then again the PS3 came out the same time so they could probably manage prior use as well and escape any patent. The other part is just the camera which tracks the sensor bar, again been done before and even if they tried to patent that the simple solution is to have the remote send out the signal and then have a camera on the tv. The technology in the wii remote isnt all that innovative or groundbreaking |
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The problem will be attach rate though, for either company. How do you make a peripheral, which will be perceived as "ripping off Nintendo" attractive enough to sell sufficiently to make developers want to invest in it? When they can use their motion game ideas for a known commodity that will sell tons no matter how crap it is.
A good example is the Playstation Eye. I admit to not having played it, but it looks to me like it has one really interesting game (EoJ) and a bunch of gimmicky rubbish on PSN. Where's the next killer app? Well good luck to them and it will be interesting to see what they come up with. Of course, knowing Sony it will likely hit Japan first, then USA six months later, then the "very important market" of the EU sometime around 2012... |
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bigbadbeasty
02/06/08 @ 14:34
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What a surprise!
Typical copycat tactics. It was always inevitable the more the Wii succeeded. It really is a pity they can't come up with there own ideas, or take a chance on something. As for the 'boo/hisses' from those who think the control system is just a game bolt-on gimmick (which it can be tbh, just like the DS early on), think of what could be done if all the games were designed to be like it from the start. It will mean that more quality games are made, without the port issue. |
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ligurmatic
02/06/08 @ 14:35
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This is what patents are for. You can all sit there and complain about Sony "stealing" poor, defenceless Nintendo's ideas, but if they were patentable and Sony infringed on that patent then they'd have to pay through the nose or find another way of doing it.
Just ask Immersion about rumble. |
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and when the demonstrator ducked in the latter, so did his on-screen character.
I was all set to believe this until the above line. Unless it's using the camera in concert with the remote, then the above is just plain impossible. A downward movement would be impossible to interpret as ducking in any reliable manor and I don't think PS3s are psychic. A camera doing shape recognition would be able to tell if the user ducked though, so I'll call shinanigans on this until I get more info on how this is actually supposed to work i.e. with infra red sensors and/or a camera etc. etc. |
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This 'copying' notion riles me. Nintendo didn't invent the analog stick or the gamepad - they took two existing controllers that had been around since the 70's and combined them into one. Now if Sony or MS take the wiimote and improve upon it by adding new functionailty - detection of position in 3D space for example - good for them. What's wrong with taking forward existing concepts ffs?
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Wii outsells PS3 more than double, Sony's alarm bells start ringling, emergency plan: PS3Mote! But the real issue here is: the development COSTS and TIME are too high! The price of PS3 and games are too high, and won't be lowered otherwise it's not profitable. So besides it being an unethical move to just copy the Wiimote, the PS3Mote will not save the bad sales! And I predict a lot of gaming companies will get in trouble if they keep their tunnelview and only develop bigtime projects for PS360. This is what is breaking the industry, not the Wii. Square Enix is already starting to show cracks (see the news item on Square Enix financial statement and measures by CEO Yoichi Wada).
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most recently on 02/06/08 @ 15:58
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MasterNameless
02/06/08 @ 15:09
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@MattDamon
Atari. Check the third paragraph, under 'history'. Surprisingly, Sony were second to adopt it, although I'm not sure that counts as it wasn't for a console as it was with Atari... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_stick
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most recently on 02/06/08 @ 16:11
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bigbadbeasty
02/06/08 @ 15:15
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"This 'copying' notion riles me. Nintendo didn't invent the analog stick or the gamepad - they took two existing controllers that had been around since the 70's and combined them into one. Now if Sony or MS take the wiimote and improve upon it by adding new functionailty - detection of position in 3D space for example - good for them. What's wrong with taking forward existing concepts ffs?"
A joystick existed yes, but the joypad was Nintendo's idea- Along with virtually everything else that is expected on a joypad today. Analog sticks were availble on an old Atari, but were nothing as like what we have now. Whether you like it or not it is still copying, I certainly have no faith in MS or Sony taking it to the next step. They tend to be copy monkeys. The only thing I wished MS would copy is console reliability ;) |
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MasterNameless
02/06/08 @ 15:27
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@MattDamon
I do unfortunately remember playing on the old Atari joysticks... And you're probably right on the pressure sensitive bit, although it's been so long, and I would never have noticed at the time! I was just confirming APHIZM's point that nintendo's idea was the old analogue joysticks and the joypads squished together. I don't think we necessarily need to call it copying though, it's more of an evolution. Just like with the evolution of man, the human body kind of knew that it's original template worked, so it just copied itself over the millenia making slight adjustments over time! The analogy(no pun intended) even works when analogue sticks became self-centering, as our backbones became self-straigtening! Well, it kinda works... edit: grammar
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seasidebaz
02/06/08 @ 15:37
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so....
what happened was sony broke into microsoft hq, stole their xmote, and showed it to a focus group. then said "but does it make the games any better???" or... as this was in america, one of the "focus group" got "kidnapped" by the "sony alien", then all hell let loose, all his friends claimed they'd been abducted too and seen this "awesome technology from the future". and nobody told the poor guy he was actually in nintendo world playing wiisports. then he went home to sleep in the barn with his favourite goat. oh, and i have a "teleng colorstars" game from prehistoric times that has an analogue stick. |
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designerheadache
02/06/08 @ 15:41
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It just seems good business sense to me, that if the Wii is doing so well, both Microsoft and Sony would copy the controller, so that they can easily bring the costs down for developers to port their "unique" games across to each console respectively.
Copying doesnt seem the right word for me, evolution seems more appropriate. |
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