PS3 boomerang controller tossed, doesn't come back
by Ken Weeks 
{ May 9th 2006 at 2:00AM }
Despite sentimental appeal in the Australian market, Sony's initial "boomerang" PS3 controller always reeked of funky concept design for funky's own sake. Now that we know Sony "doesn't do gimmicks" (unless stolen from Nintendo), it's little wonder the "Croc" has been tossed, never to return.Here's to the last burst of creativity Sony ever had.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
James @ May 9th 2006 2:04AM
Boomerang tossed along with the Dual Shock. Yes, the vibration function is NO longer in the PS3 controller. The news of that will be more widespread very soon.
Ritz @ May 9th 2006 2:09AM
o.O
For $711 Canadian taxes included, it better not have tossed the vibration function. Wait. It makes sense, they lost against immersion right? Poor Sony.
Shagi @ May 9th 2006 2:11AM
Lets all have a moment of silence for the 'Double Dong'...
Striker Dude @ May 9th 2006 2:12AM
"Here's to the last burst of creativity Sony ever had."
Sadly, I fear this statement might become true. Atleast they tried right?
Goober @ May 9th 2006 2:14AM
That may be the best headline we're going to get all year folks. Good show!
csokn @ May 9th 2006 2:15AM
The $899.99 PS3 includes vibration function.
baR_n1 @ May 9th 2006 2:15AM
Wow, these stories are coming fast and furious. =P Who knew sony was going to steal the show with their baffling display of disappointment after disappointment?
Anyway, i find it completely ironic that this controller would have been so much better suited to the tilt sensing gimmick than the same old dualshock (minus the shock) they are settling with. If only they had thought of it sooner. This would have made for a great steering wheel controller. Reusing the same old design will only serve to remind ppl that there is no rumble.
Freddy Q @ May 9th 2006 2:22AM
Nintendo shrugged off the similarities, with a spokesperson saying "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".
Yem @ May 9th 2006 2:26AM
So.. much.. NERDRAGE!
Can someone please put the two Xbox & two PS3 feature tables side by side (as was nicely done last year when the 360 specs were revealed)? Cheers.
As far as I can see the PS3 is much better spec'd than the 360 and the price reflects that.
And FFS - they didn't copy the idea from Nintendo, you retards. It's been around for 20 years: http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3blog.html?topic_id=24600407
Smellslikepie @ May 9th 2006 2:31AM
nd FFS - they didn't copy the idea from Nintendo, you retards. It's been around for 20 years
That's true, they stole from MS, and Logitech. But hey, it as bound to happen, not everything is completely original.
pat @ May 9th 2006 2:31AM
^
actually games for the gameboy color had this technology.
Nodnetni @ May 9th 2006 2:31AM
It doesnt matter that the technology has been around for 20 years, what matters is nintedo was the first to incorperate it in to a 1st party system controller.
The New Revelation @ May 9th 2006 2:33AM
I'm at the same time excited and disappointed by Sony's press conference. I was excited by everything, even the two sku's were fine -UNTIL- I found out that the lower model lacked HDMI interface (critical for 1080p gaming).
I still think that when push comes to shove, the PS3 is going to sell like fire when it comes out, even with the higher price point.
BUT to Sony's credit, they thought of an Xbox Live centralized network before Microsoft unveiled theirs, and they've also spent millions of dollars researching motion sensitive technologies (like Wii). To Sony's detriment however, the only things they seemed to have successfully implemented was the use of the DVD w/ PS2, and the shift to 3D graphics from 2D with the PS1.
They unfortunately miscalculated horribly when it came to user interface and online gaming.
Ya win some you lose some. I wouldn't right Sony off yet. I'm personally picking up the Wii, skipping the 360 and going for the PS3.
Sony has made many believers with the PS1 & PS2, and inspite of the kneejerk reactions of gamers (many who seem to be poor, heh, kidding, no I'm not :) I think many people will be ready to jump on board the PS3 bandwagon in time for launch.
Xbox 360 needs to do something -SERIOUS- between now and November to grab a hold of the market share. They need a killer app before the PS3 launch, not at the PS3 launch.
skyman8081 @ May 9th 2006 2:39AM
You know, this makes Joystiq's Controller Redesign contest a little creepy.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/25/joystiq-readers-redesign-the-ps3-controller/
And I still don't see any indicator of what player you are on the controller itself. If you're going to rip off a feature, rip off one that is NEEDED with wireless controllers for a sane user experience.
Grant @ May 9th 2006 2:40AM
There's a difference between being somewhat responsible with your money and being poor...
pat @ May 9th 2006 2:40AM
#13
They will just show some halo 3 and they will be fine. those bastards
Smellslikepie @ May 9th 2006 2:40AM
Yeah, #13, that's something that grabbed my attention! The core model for Sony's Playstation 3 doesn't seem to be upgradeable, and I think that's where Microsoft has an advantage. If you bought the core systen you could by all the necessary accesories/peripherals to make it match the Premium Version, only without the chrome detail (I'm glad I got a Premium :p).
But with the Playstation 3, it's missing hardware that is inside the box. A smaller internal hardrive, No Wifi functionality, and no support for MemoryStick /SD/CompactFlash.
chris @ May 9th 2006 2:47AM
skyman8081, there are four little numbered LEDs on the top side (or whatever you would call it) part of the controller, near where the wire was on the DualShock.
Kwipper @ May 9th 2006 3:08AM
I for one am glad they didn't change the original controller design much. Also I really hated the vibration function. I found it to be quite distracting.
However lets be real. We all know the real reason for Sony removing the vibration function. It's that little lawsuit they got with "Immersion Corporation". It was NOT because the motors inside the controllerinterfered with the controller.
Jeremy @ May 9th 2006 3:18AM
YOU CAN BUY THE PS3 TILT CONTROLLER RIGHT NOW:http://digg.com/gaming/Buy_a_PS3_Tilt_Joystick_NOW_-_Sony_Blatantly_Copied_Everyone_
1st Sony said Wiimote was "gimmicky". But now Sony's Phil Harrison says "rumble was last generation, movement is this generation." Back in 2000 Microsoft had a big failure of a product with the same tech called the Microsoft Sidewinder Freestyle Pro. In 2001 XGaming had Cyberstik2. Old Tech! http://avault.net/hardware/getreview.asp?review=cyberstik
So where are the Sidewinder Freestyle and Cyberstik now? They were failures long ago and are not made anymore.
So they copied an old tilt gamepad concept, but what else?
Besides the fact that they had already copied Nintendo's analog sticks and rumble ideas... now they go after their movement concept as well!
And did you notice the PS2 button, a copy of the Live button on the 360 pad, and 360's analog triggers (though that is old tech also).
And to think, Sony was actually going to come to the next console war with the dualshock AGAIN if they had not copied something?!? No, worse...they were going to come with a batarang if they had not been "inspired" by Nintendo!
Sony has no innovations.
Xanikseo @ May 9th 2006 3:38AM
OK, "Sony didn't steal the idea from Nintendo". But why do they release it when Nintendo decide to release their motion-sensitive controller? Why do they release it after they had just said Nintendo's controller was a gimmick?
How can Sony be better than anyone, if all they do is copy!
James @ May 9th 2006 5:34AM
19. "I for one am glad they didn't change the original controller design much. Also I really hated the vibration function. I found it to be quite distracting."
I think a slight vibration is perfect for driving games. It gives you a sense that you're gripping a steering wheel while you're gripping the controller. Now without a feedback from the controller, the feel of a driving game is now totally disjointed from the gamer (driver) which is a very bad thing. How would you get a feedback from the game if you suddenly drive off the road and onto dirt with the help of the vibration function?
Don Jose @ May 9th 2006 10:04AM
That's too bad.
Even though it looked literally unplayable, it was sony's most innovative gaming product since the original PS.
mjp @ May 9th 2006 11:08AM
I think the boomerang would have been more fun than the dual shake as a motion sensitive controller. Looks like a steering wheel for a car or plane right out of the box.
petfish @ May 9th 2006 11:19AM
Of course, the old boomerang design would have been better suited to motion sensing - I can see zillions of neutral ways to hold it, whereas the old dual shock controller . . . Well, I'll put it this way, get three gamers in a room with a dual shock controller, you'll see five different ways to hold it. They should have told the fanboys to shut up.
fhornmikey @ May 9th 2006 11:33AM
Honestly, you're all a bunch of idiots.
You can bitch and moan about how "Sony stole this," or "Sony ripped that off," or how they're, "Just copying Xbox Live," and all sorts of other BS, but can you blame them?
Would you have taken the PS3 seriously without a clean and unified online service? No, then you would've just bitched and complained that it wasn't as good as Xbox Live. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
What about the controller, sure it wasn't their idea first, but as has been proven NUMEROUS times in this industry (just take a look at force feedback for example) almost EVERYTHING has been done before.
Sony has to remain competitive in the market place, and if that means giving an avenue for Wii games to be ported (via the new control mechanism, although apparently it's still up in the air as to how exact it can be) or providing a unified online service (which gamers HAVE been asking for) then they'll do it. I didn't see any of you saying "OMG, SONY was the first company to use DVDs as the media of their game system... Microsoft is just ripping them off!"
Please, take your fanboyisms and go somewhere else, you're ruining the comments section for people capable of thinking without bias.
wes @ May 9th 2006 11:43AM
fhornmikey: do you work for Sony's damage control team? You are the fanboy trying to hush things down and you look like a complete idiot doing so.
fhornmikey @ May 9th 2006 11:48AM
@27.
No, not at all. In fact, I own almost ALL of the videogame systems released since the 80s (with the exception of the turbografx, the 3D0, and a few others). I'm sitting here playing my Xbox360 right now, and just before that I was playing Tales of Symphonia on my Gamecube, and let's not even go look back in my room, where you'll find *gasp* my second Xbox and a Dreamcast.
Fanboy? No.
Sick of people like you, yes.
wes @ May 9th 2006 1:51PM
You are so in denial it stinks, owning lots of consoles doesn't make you NOT a fanboy, trying to bash people when they speak up their minds, makes you a fanboy AND an idiot.
Ps: funny to know people like me make you sick, your life must be pretty depressing.
fhornmikey @ May 9th 2006 2:44PM
No no no, you misunderstand me, it's perfectly fine for people to speak their minds, but usually you wind up looking a bit more intelligent when you have your facts straight before you open your mouth.
Ever heard the saying, "it's better to remain silent and be thought stupid than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt," before?
And yes, owning alot of consoles does in fact make me "not a fanboy" and I'll tell you why. It's because I don't support only one company or system, I support all of them. I know that all of them each have their own individual strengths and weaknesses and I enjoy them all because they're all different.
What I do not enjoy however, is reading a bunch of comments ripping on Sony simply for persuing what is in fact an incredibly smart business decision.
The fact remains that you have yet to refute any of my points and instead resorted to personal attacks.
wes @ May 9th 2006 4:26PM
Ok, apologies for the personal attacks, but you cannot say without lying that the first thing you thought of when Sony showed their new controller function was "Wiimote".
It is obvious the controller's new function is very similar to the Wii's, it just looks like Sony wants to copy MS live and while that get some of the action that the Wii will have and call it innovative without blushing of shame.
This is not a smart business decision, well maybe 5 or 10 years ago yes, but it seems like more and more people are getting sick of seeing Sony copying other companies and treat this as their own.
I haven't seen 1 blog that didn't compare the Sony controller with the Wii remote, so i felt like you were acting ignorant about this.
Anyhow, no harm done dude!
ps: my English sucks but i hope i explained it well enough.
Cloud @ May 9th 2006 4:30PM
So how much do you think this boomerang should be worth on ebay? >: D
whatever @ May 10th 2006 8:50AM
I wonder how the shares of Microsoft belonging to most of the writers of this blog are doing. Altough I like to read this blog, it amazes and frusrates me every time thet they always seem to choose sides. Seeing that this blog is called Joystix and not x-boxstiq or anything else, I would expect it to be neutral, however this is absolutely not the case,. In this case it is the last sentence (of sony not having any creative idea) that bugs me. Without the playstation, there would not even be an x-box. Sony has been a major player in the console market, and with them they brought some amazing products. Anyway, some time ago I told myself to not read this blog again, but I couldn't resist. I really hope, you will pick up again with some neutral reporting so I can enjoy this site again.
Adrien @ May 18th 2006 11:38AM
Seeing as I have the feeling noone within this post is getting in on the billions of dollars that the videogame industry reaps a year; take the time to leave the juvenile sony stole b.s. it's insulting your intelligenge. Who really cares?! It's about making money folks. It's not as if the developers of a certain company are somehow the ONLY ones able to come up with new and innovative ideas right? These are the consoles we are going to see for the next 5 years or so and unless someone here is making one (or Sega) gets back into the market. Accept the truth that companies; people copy to further their ambitions...