Miyamoto Says Sony Controller is 'Flattering'

GamesIndustry.biz describes an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, in which the designer refers to the PS3 controller as 'flattering'. From the article: "... it kind of reinforces in our minds that we're doing the right thing. What they've done is just take your standard controller and add in this motion-sensing device that's similar to what we did back on the Game Boy Color many years ago. Maybe if they were to completely copy and go with a remote and a nunchuk and two motion sensors, I might be a little more concerned. But I don't think they're anywhere close to that."

Comments

Re:Hypocrisy

[joshsisk]

Kind of hypocritical given Nintendo's track record of Mario platformers, racers, beat-em-ups and tennis games, along with the neverending Zelda series and the myriad Pokemon versions.

This discussion keeps getting brought up, and the answer is, as it always is - just because Mario or Link is in a game, doesn't mean it's the same game. The progression of gameplay in, say, the Zelda series, from NES to SNES to 64 to Cube has been pretty impressive. I would say the leap between 64 and Cube is probably more graphical than anything, but compare the game play of Legend of Zelda to A Link To The Past, and you will see a huge leap. Similarly, compare A Link To The Past to Ocarina of Time - it's not like it's the same game with prettier graphics and new maps. Wind Waker was not a huge leap in gameplay over Ocarina/Majorica's Mask, but then again those two are probably among the highest regarded console games ever, so it's a tough act to follow.

Re:Hypocrisy

[thebdj]

Kind of hypocritical given Nintendo's track record of Mario platformers, racers, beat-em-ups and tennis games, along with the neverending Zelda series and the myriad Pokemon versions.

Tell me were any of the original Mario games exactly alike? No. Super Mario Bros 2 was completely different from just about every other one in the franchise. They change things up again with 3. Things even got a bit of a makeover in World and Mario 64 was different as well. Yes, some of the gameplay remains the same, but a lot is different. Just because you re-use a franchise over and over does not mean you cannot revolutionize with the games you make in that franchise.

The Zelda series is similar to the Mario series in many of the same reasons. The games change and have new dynamics. No one can tell me that Ocarina and Windwaker were the same game. They are two different experiences. More then just graphics changes with these series. The new Zelda even proposes to offer new twists not yet seen.

Now, the Pokemon games, I cannot condone. I pretty much hate everything Pokemon. Let us just say Nintendo was smart with that one. Tons of games that are mostly the same and kids will want damn near everyone one, and the parents are going to shell out the money.

Nintendo does vary games within the franchise and while many may play the same or close to it, they still do a good job of creating things that are new and exciting. The Wii is something that we really haven't seen before. The remote is going to create new games with new gameplay options. There has been talk that LA may even give up a lightsaber game for Wii. How sweet would that be? Not to mention all the funny videos we can get online too.

You see, what Miyamoto was trying to say was, you have all these games that you play the exact same way as before and are almost always just graphics improved versions of their predecessor, but with the Wii, you are going to get a new controller that offers great new opportunities for game play and a new experience all together. Remember, I think a few people laughed at Nintendo when they told people about the DS, but I think a lot of people now see that Nintendo may not have been as crazy after all.

Re:Hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you seen the game list for the PS3? It's all sequels. All. Nothing new. Nintendo is going out and doing new things. It's not hypocritical at all. Yes, they're reusing some of the same characters (like Mario, Link, and Samus), but they're completely new and different experiences using the Wii Remote.

What are the big PS3 titles?

Devil May Cry 4
Metal Gear Solid 4
Resident Evil 5
Tekken 6
Final Fantasy 13 (you'd think after 12 people would get sick of it, but there's no accounting for taste)

Nothing but the same thing, rehashed with high-def graphics.

Nintendo is offering a new experience. Sony is offering you a chance to buy a $2500 TV to take advantage of their $600 console to buy $70 games that rehash the same games you played on the PS2.

So, no, I wouldn't say he's being hypocritical.

Re:As A Long Time Nintendo Developer

[satoshi1]

Lukewarm reaction? Everywhere you go, Nintendo is heralded as having the best show at E3.

Re:It's interesting that ....

[chrismcdirty]

This isn't Digg. This site was designed to be a nerd news site. It deals with tech, science, games, and more. And it has done fairly well when it comes to sticking to the topics it was designed to "report" to its readers.

Are they the same?

[TheSkepticalOptimist]

I really don't think that Sony's Gamepad with motion detection is the same as Nintendo's Remote Controller.

First, the entire premise behind Nintendo's Wii controller is that you NEED to move it in 3D in order to control on screen content. Sony's concept is to give you a traditional gamepad that has the ability to offer 3D game control.

Second, Nintendo is shunning conventional gameplay with their next generation console. Expect lots of novelty and gimmicky game titles that rely on waving their remote controller in the air. I mean, they are adding fishing to Zelda simply for the sake of having the gimmick of kids bobbing and dipping their remote controller to mimic fishing. Sony is not shunning conventional game control, only offering a new unique way to control games for those wishing to incorporate the concepts. Nintendo is FORCING innovation, Sony is evolving it.

Sure, I do think that Sony saw Nintendo's efforts and obviously came out with a game control that has 3D positional feedback. Had Microsoft not jumped the gun and just had to get their Xbox360 out the door before Christmas 2005, then I am sure Microsoft would have added 3D positional gameplay to the Xbox360.

But in the long run, I really don't think Sony is copying Nintendo. The bottom line is that Sony realizes this is a gimmick, not something to base an entire generation of games on. Their ability to quickly add 3D positional control to their existing joystick smacks of the fact this is just a gimmick, hardly something requiring years of engineering. Nintendo might find their gimmicky new feature falls flat and customers WILL DEMAND from Nintendo a conventional gamepad where as Sony customers will find it a pleasant diversion to traditional gameplay.

In the end, just get the friggin consoles out the door! We can speculate about which will be a better system all we want, but until I can play some games on both platforms, arguing about it is just moot.

Re:Are they the same?

[wickedj]

Just to let you know, there is a conventional controller for Wii. It's called the Classic Controller. Basically a SNES controller with two analogs on the bottom. The Wii will also support GC controllers. Nintendo left plenty of options for developers to use standard controllers as well as the WiiMote. They aren't shunning anything. They even stated that the new Smash Bros. is more effectively played with a GC controller than a WiiMote and so it is most likely won't take advantage of the features on the WiiMote.

As for Sony copying Nintendo, I don't think it's a direct copy but I do think that the addition of motion sensors was cemented the day Nintendo announced their goals. Motion sensors have been around for a long time but it's probably Nintendo that will take it mainstream. Sony following suit is a sign that Nintendo isn't the only one who knows you can push graphics only so far. If they were the ones to think of it, at least Sony is willing to not stand idly by.

Seriously though, I can't wait to try out both consoles (though my heart and wallet is set on Nintendo).

Re: More like cynical pessimist

[the dark hero]

I mean, they are adding fishing to Zelda simply for the sake of having the gimmick of kids bobbing and dipping their remote controller to mimic fishing.

Zelda games have had fishing for quite some time now.

Nintendo is FORCING innovation, Sony is evolving it.

Sony is doing little to evolve anything. The sensor only adds tilting capabilities to its controller where the wiimote can also sense depth. You might as well just add another button and call it "evolution." No one can "force" innovation. Nintendo is making room for it. Remember that the Wii will feature the "shell" remote which the new Smash Bros. will be using.

Wario Ware: Twisted uses the same technology as the PS3 controller. The wiimote truly adds some "evolution" to a tried and true formula.

Lack of rumble feature...

[Jerim]

....caused Sony to add something else to the controller. Tilt control was the obvious solution. Sony didn't want to send out a bland controller that.

Most people will ignore the feature, and in won't make a bit of difference in the console wars. But they certainly weren't going to relase just a plain controller. They just needed a gimmick so that the controller wouldn't be a soft point in side to side comparisons.

Re:Hypocrisy

[justchris]

So are you sayinig that Mario 64 would have been revolutionary had it used characters other than Mario? Because unless you are, you don't really have a valid point here.

How revolutionary a game is has nothing to do with the characters used, and everything to do with how the gameplay is designed and how much of an impact it has on the games that follow after it.

For instance, the Z-targeting feature in Ocarina of Time is a feature that has been copied in pretty much every 3d adventure game that has come out since. It's something simple that makes perfect sense, but was missing in games like Mario 64, because no one had thought of it yet.

If you're going to strip away everything and drop a game down to it's most base characteristics, there's very little actual difference between Zelda:OoT and Mario 64, or Zelda & Tomb Raider or any of a thousand games. But each of those games has added something significant to the gaming industry to the point that every game in it's respective genre uses some form of it. And that is what I consider innovation.