Was just in Currys Digital today and saw an advert for the little keyboard that slots into the bottom of the XBOX 360 controller. It was a massive ad and the entire package together reminded me so much of the Jaguar controller.
There's also talk of the 360 getting Wii style motion controls as well! What console will Microsoft plunder next for controller ideas? How about an update to the Power Glove? Or another 3 pronged N64 style controller?
I'm sure this has been commented on before but it made me giggle in the middle of a shop, which got me some strange looks from the people standing next to me.
The best thing about the Jaguar controller were the inserts that go over the keypad for each game. I love them, every game seems special, even if I only have three.
I'll avoid saying anything on the implied comment that Microsoft is the only one plundering for ideas.
"Your vessel, your beginning. All that you knew...is gone." - The Guardian of Forever
They aren't the only ones! Take a look at Sony. For the past 10 years all they have done is taken Nintendo's ideas and put two of them in their controllers. N64 has analogue, PS1 now has 2 analogue sticks. N64 has rumble, PS1 now has the dualshock, with two rumble motors in it! Gamecube has analogue shoulder buttons, PS2 has ALL analogue buttons (well that was used well now wasn't it). Wii has motion detction, PS3 now has sixaxis (ok I admit thats not two, but you get the idea!) That being said, the Gamecube controller was a copy of the PS2 pad with very little inovation, and the Duke XBOX pad was a copy of the Dreamcast's controller. It's all evolutions!
Actually, there is quite a good website I found ages ago outlining the family tree of the video game controller, I found it really intresting, but then I'm a bit sad like that! http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/
Nooooo, Microsoft improved the DC controller! Look at the incredibly useful White and Black buttons! [/sarcasm]
Shame MS got rid of the VMU, I always envied my friend who would bring his Chao from Sonic Adventure into school on the VMU. Imagine what one would be like now, full colour TFT screen, probably with the power of a SNES! Couple of GBs of memory and an MP3 player to boot! Still, if its not branded the iVMU and made of white plastic then it's not gonna succeed as an MP3.
Oh, and Sony doesn't change the layout/design of their controllers. Just put a PS1, PS2 and PS3 pad together.
Yeah, but they didn't really rip it off of anyone, they found a controller design that worked, the first time around. So they got lucky. When you find something that works, you don't change it. I didn't mean that they don't change their controller I just meant, they don't go...oh look at that controller....lets paint it black and slap an Xbox logo on it and get rid of its coolest and most unique feature, ooooh yeah good idea, Microsoft FTW, yeah. Nintendo seems to lead the way in coming up with a new idea every fricken time, but that's because they haven't found a niche that works well for them yet. Oh and anything with an i in front of it sucks, that's right, iPods, iPhones, iEtc., I'm looking at you. Olympus m:robe will always be my mp3 player.
I apologize, I got the wrong end of the stick! Your right, the Playstation controller doesn't simply copy the exact design of other controllers, but the fact that Sony makes no attempt at innovation at all is a little pathetic. The Playstation controller is good, but, as proven by the Wii, a completly different approach to gaming is possible with a bit of imagination. As long as fun games are made that take advantage of the new control method, then the skys the limit!
Still, I have to congratulate Sony on the EyeToy. It was rubbish, but at least they tried!
Yeah the only problem with the wiimotes is that....people aren't reaching for the sky. Developers just go...oh hey look....people like swing the wiimote around their heads like a lasso....so lets make 7 other games that do that. While the wiimote is creative and unique and innovative, it has it's limitations, plus the sensing on them isn't exactly the best. I'm more just waiting for what Nintendo's next controller will be.
HoboJoe wrote:Yeah, but they didn't really rip it off of anyone, they found a controller design that worked, the first time around. .
I think you're speaking of Sony's controller right... If so, have you seen the SNES controller? All they did was add two more shoulder buttons and give it prongs like the NES MAX has and voila, it's a PS1 controller.
