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PS3 Controller Mimics Wiimote

PS3

10th May 2006, 1:31am
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We all heard that Sony officially revealed that the boomerang-shaped PS3 controller had been scrapped a few months ago. Today, in Sony's pre-E3 conference, the new design was revealed, and (surprise, surprise) it is remarkably similar to the Dual Shock. It's wireless, of course, with four controller ports. Since the system can apparently handle 7 connections, that presumably allows for headsets for each player.

What was surprising (or wasn't, for the more cynical Nintendo fan) was that it contains an accelerometer that can judge pitch, yaw and tilt for obvious gameplay use. During Sony's conference, VP Phil Harrison used the controller to affect the flight of a plane in Warhawk 3.

Obviously, parallels to the Wiimote can be drawn, but in effect it's only half of Nintendo's controller - the nunchuck attachment. Any tennis- or sword-like actions cannot be replicated to the pixel-perfect sensitivity that the Wiimote allows, and there's obviously no aiming capabilities for, say, first person shooters.

Could Nintendo have been right in keeping its cards to its chest for so long into the development cycle?
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by Nick Schaedel » Author's Blog