The PS3 controller that might have been
by Ken Weeks 
{ May 13th 2006 at 1:00AM }
Gimmicky controllers are all the rage at this year's E3, so Fanatec's German-made PS2 Speedster fit right in. In fact, I consider it a sufficiently odd alternative for eccentrics disappointed by the miscarriage of Sony's PS3 boomerang design. The controller has a hinge that basically replaces left/right axis of the left analog stick, best used for driving games. Get the company to slap some motion sensing crap in it and it could have been the PS3 controller of Kutaragi's dreams.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bob @ May 13th 2006 1:13AM
Are you guys done poking fun at Sony? Seriously.
Enycma @ May 13th 2006 1:29AM
What's wrong with bashing Sony now? They've done it only in 3 or 4 posts I think? When they were bashing the "Wii" people couldn't get enough of the name? When Xbox 360 was bashed for it's big adapter, overheating, disc scratching and super noisy comments, people wouldn't leave it alone. And this went on for weeks! Sony messed up 4 days ago, let them have their fun! Anyways, Joystiq are expert pokers, aren't you guys. Nobody is safe from this site. They hit'em were they hurt!
Bob @ May 13th 2006 2:19AM
Since Sony's conference on Monday, I've counted a whopping 16 posts directed against Sony. 7 of those were jokes regarding the PS3's price. Honestly, "the PS3 still costs $600", "the PS3 is worth it's weight in uranium". This is not gaming news, it's pointless.
Yea, it was funny at first, and yes, the price is outrageous, but it's just not funny anymore.
jopojelly @ May 13th 2006 2:28AM
no.....it's still funny......
Jello @ May 13th 2006 2:58AM
Aha, there we have it ladies and gents. Someone whines over Playstation bashing, but it's always perfectly fine to bash Nintendo. Suck it up and deal with it.
James Smith @ May 13th 2006 4:52AM
Stop whining about Sony bashing. If you guys can dish it out, you gotta learn to take it too.
Boris @ May 13th 2006 5:13AM
Fuck you all. Atari Jaguar 64 is way better than PS3/360/Wii.
V1L3 @ May 13th 2006 5:33AM
To be honest, I think ALL these companies deserve bashing.
Sony arrogantly informs us that the next gen doesn't start until THEY show up (with a half-assed rip-off controller no less), Microsoft basically keels over and suggests its fans buy a competitor's console in addition to theirs simply because they know they were going to be third choice otherwise (or maybe so you have something to play when your 360 breaks down), whilst Miyamoto tells us that, after playing with the Wii-mote, he's never going back to a normal controller (which I assume means he's not going to play Super Smash Brothers Brawl, or even his own New Super Mario Brothers game, as it uses those antiquated D-Pad and button thingies).
They're all on crack, they're all lying through their teeth, and all in aid of securing your wallet - not enlightening you to the joy of gaming.
Every day, they seem to be becoming more and more like politicians - all hot air and promises.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to keep my ears shut until the software rolls around and let the GAMES do the talking.
Moogle @ May 13th 2006 8:28AM
(psst, v1l3, brawl will support the GC controller, but I don't think anyone's said that it won't also support the wiimote. Correct me if I'm wrong. Good post tho. )
Rare Hare @ May 13th 2006 11:27AM
this is ridiculous. this post is nothing but flame-baiting and irritating.
posts poking fun at Xbox 360 and Wii were present, but never blatantly rude. referring to the tilt sensors in the PS3 controller as "crap" is just juvenile, especially when the comments were completely unprovoked by anything Sony had done!
come on.. it's a little difficult to act this way towards something you've never so much as layed your fingers on, isn't it?
Marc @ May 13th 2006 12:32PM
Rare Hare, look at your comment,
"referring to the tilt sensors in the PS3 controller as "crap" is just juvenile, especially when the comments were completely unprovoked by anything Sony had done!"
Unprovoked? Sony basically stole the main thing the Wii has going for it! And this just adds to the list of things Sony (and others) have taken from Nintendo.
-3D gaming (every 3D game owes it's existance to Mario 64, u know that!)
-analog stick (N64)
-Dpad (NES)
-the four main face buttons (SNES)
etc. etc.
So how can you sit there and say this was unprovoked? I know that almost every "true" gamer started on a Nintendo system. But when another company takes the main things that a system has going for it, that IS provoked and that company (sony in this case) should be bashed mercilessly and without a cause to stop.
scab @ May 13th 2006 12:57PM
ok marc
your obviously forgetting that microsoft took all that stuff from sony and nintendo to make the xbox
but wehn your a fanboy that doesnt really matter does it.
so stfu and quit saying that sony stole stuff from nintendo if your not gonna mention microsoft
o ya u also forgot to mention that sony stole power cables from nintendo and lets see maybe playing games on a tv ya sony stole that too
and by the way the ds didnt have wifi b4 psp came out
Chris @ May 13th 2006 12:58PM
Wow, while I guess I'm in no place to judge how comfortable the controller is, it looks like something that fell off of a UFO.
Rare Hare @ May 13th 2006 1:12PM
"Unprovoked? Sony basically stole the main thing the Wii has going for it! And this just adds to the list of things Sony (and others) have taken from Nintendo."
ah, see.. you're wrong there.
the comment was unprovoked as the post was referring to a completely third party controller which Sony had NOTHING to do with.
and saying that Sony "stole" the Wii's technology is just stupid. the Wii is based completely around the fact that it has motion sensors. all Sony included on the PS3 controller were TILT sensors, which in no way steals the Wii's thunder. it's simply an dditional feature, and while it can't really be argued that Sony (along with every other console maker) does sometimes adopt a "me-too" attitude, and that the tilt sensors on the PS3 controller are certainly an example of that, let's keep in mind that Sony hasn't based their entire console around the feature. if a gyroscopic controller is "the main thing the Wii has going for it". then i think Nintendo's probably in trouble.
now, on to your list of things "stolen" by Sony:
"-3D gaming (every 3D game owes it's existance to Mario 64, u know that!)
-analog stick (N64)
-Dpad (NES)
-the four main face buttons (SNES)
etc. etc."
are you joking? are we forgetting things like the ATARI'S joystick, which was the direct inspiration for the joystick included on the N64 controller? and if you honestly believe that Nintendo was revolutionary in including things like "4 face buttons", you need a wake-up call.
also, do you seriously expect company's to see things on a competitor's product (such as the D-Pad) and just say "oh, well, that's their thing. even though it works great we'll just let them do that and not advance our own product with a good idea". no. neither did Sega or other console makers when they used the D-Pad (BEFORE Sony, mind you.. so tell me exactly how Sony stole an idea that was already considered a standard for console controllers again?). NOR did Nintendo or Microsoft have a second about using laser discs as a format for games after Sega and Sony had done it first, and it equaled success. not to mention things like built in rumble, direct console memory cards, multiple joysticks (analog sticks), internet play capabilities (introduced on the Dreamcast), etc.
companies will use and build on other companies' "innovations" and ideas. it's just the way things are, and without that the industry would be in a sad state. what one company introduces, another will take and expand upon. sometimes one company will do one thing better than the rest (ie. Microsoft and Xbox Live). simply put, to pretend like Sony is the only one that doesn't completely ignore its competitors and beat an entirely new path when creating their consoles is ludicrous. hold a gamecube controller up to a PS2 controller and tell me that it doesn't looked like a warped version of the DualShock with a few rearranged buttons. Nintendo did this because it was a design that worked for Sony. they've recently done the same thing with the standard controller shell for the Wii (including dual congruent analog sticks), and you don't hear any Sony fans whining about it.
you can be a Nintendo fan all you want. i like them too. but give it a rest and stop grasping at reasons that every other company is evil and Nintendo is the golden child. it's simply not true.
Rare Hare @ May 13th 2006 1:15PM
LOL @ scab(#12), yeah that's probably an easy way to sum my post up.
Clay @ May 13th 2006 1:35PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but motion sensing wouldn't work in said controller; the ability to change the location of parts of the controller would skew the location of the sensors, making it unpredictable as to how to tilt or turn it. Left and right especially.
Trauts @ May 13th 2006 3:01PM
That's actually kind of cool... looks like the controller's angle is adjustable.
Hot Carl @ May 13th 2006 3:24PM
Its about fu-cking time SONY is getting-shit thrown right back at them. Forget the X-box about copying. Sony's Lamestation started everything. They massively ripped of NINTENDO and There games sucked and were over hyped. I still cant find a game in that era on any console that would dethrone OCARINA OF TIME. ATARI??? lol yeah it was a great machine at-that-time, but the 8-bit NES took over like a worldwide plauge.
Obviously nintendo has srewed up on some of its future systems for example Virtual Boy anyone???? But that said, Sony bashing is soo much fun right now im am enjoying every last second of it. They deserve it and then some.... If it werent for the NES, Super Nes other companies wouldnt know where to begin about creating a true video game system.....NINTENDO paved the path for others to copy, but then again it is a DOG EAT DOG kind of world. So Fack SOny Fack MS, and long live the real, innovative, original gangster that 110% percent of us played when we were kids and made us fall in love with gaming NINTENDO.
Flat @ May 13th 2006 7:26PM
Taking an existing idea and expanding on it is a wonderful idea. It's the only way the video game market can improve. The reason Sony deserves to be bashed for copying Nintendo all of these years, is because Nintendo is the only one out there trying to innovate. Nintendo would probably take ideas from Sony IF SONY HAD THE GUTS TO TRY NEW THINGS!
Analog joysticks are most def. not the same thing as the digital joysticks that Atari introduced.
I guess PS2 introduced pressure sensitive buttons... thanks guys.
The NGC controller does look an awful lot like the DualShock, but the DualShock looks alot like the SNES pad.
Sony isn't ripping Wii off with it's tilt controller (although it was announced the nunchaku would have 8-way tilt before Sony said the DualShock would incorporate it).The whole tilting control idea actually came from Kirby Tilt 'N Tumble some years ago. If they are trying to save themselves from the Wii like this, they are doing a poor job at it.
If better graphics is "the main thing the PS3 has going for it", then I think Sony is probably in trouble.
I suppose I stole that last comment...
Please don't try to take the idea for rumble from Nintendo.
Please don't try to take the idea for Internet play capabilities form PC (Famcom if you are talking consoles).
The idea for wifi on a handheld (and console) first came from Nintendo. The PSP going wifi was announced (and probably added) later.
Yes Microsoft is guilty of ripping Nintendo off like Sony. Do keep in mind that Sony is basing their online structure on Live would you?
"come on.. it's a little difficult to act this way towards something you've never so much as layed your fingers on, isn't it? (sic)"
I totally agree. I have been hearing how much of a "crap" idea the Revolutions controller is for more than a year now, despite the fact that nobody had used it. Hurt's don't it.
BTW, I have been hearing copious amounts of Nintendo bashing since Square left to do Playstation games. That would be all of ten years thank you. Don't whine, I know it sucks to see your favorite company in a bad light, but you need to get over it. I have.
Nintendo resurrected this industry, don't forget it.
While I am at it, if Nintendo hadn't rejected Sony's idea for a disk based system, the PlayStation Experimental would have never been born (a little history for the kiddies).
Oh yeah, "Fanatec's German-made PS2 Speedster" looks like crap.
C. Grant @ May 13th 2006 8:17PM
"it's a little difficult to act this way towards something you've never so much as layed your fingers on, isn't it?"
Rare Hare, did you not realize we were actually at E3 where they have playable PS3 Dual Shake controllers?
We only tease Sony because we're corporately owned by Microsoft with a controlling share held by Nintendo, duh! Except last week when it was Wii jokes all day (yeah, we're finally getting used to it)... 360 annoyances, etc.
If you don't like people writing honestly about the video games industry, then maybe you shouldn't be reading Joystiq.
Seriously.
Marc @ May 14th 2006 12:45PM
scab
dude, i didn't mention microsoft cuz they want to "team up" with nintendo.
And to all who responded to my comment, you all probably think i'm a dumbass. I probably am. But last i checked, this was a site where you can post your opinions. But then this also gives you the right to criticize me.
So, go ahead and rip on me all you want. Free speech right? But no matter what anyone says, you can not- will not- change my stance on Sony.
Marc @ May 14th 2006 1:19PM
Rare Hare,
And about your comment (#14). I appreciate you know ALL of that information and making me look like a fool.
But, seriously, GET A LIFE! If you really need to harbor all of that information in your brain, your a real nerd!
I mean, i love games, but not that much. I don't need to go on a whole lecture telling the world that i know THIS much about gaming.
I said this to a blogger named Gareth a few weeks ago, and I'll say it to you. Go get a girlfriend, and turn off your computer.
Also I fully and completely agree with Hot Carl, Flat, and C. Grant.
LET THE SONY BASHING COMMENCE!!!!