Gamespot's Inside E3 blog points out that Sony didn't steal their motion-sensing PS3 controller from Nintendo-they stole it from Microsoft and Logitech:They didn't steal from Nintendo. They actually stole from Microsoft (and Logitech). The picture you're looking at here [follow link to see pic] is a picture I took of gyroscopic, motion sensing controllers that Logitech and Microsoft manufactured for the PC in 1999. Yes, 1999 as in more than seven years ago.
...I just wanted to point out that this idea was soooo 20th century, and immediately flamed out on the PC because they were honestly more of a novelty than they were practical.
Of course, that would imply Nintendo stole their novel and impractical-exscuse me-innovative idea as well.
[Thanks Elijah]
1. I should either be asleep or still studying for finals; I would just like to say that, while the technology for Sony's controller may have already been implemented in 1999 by Logitech and Microsoft, the reason for implementing it is undeniably Nintendo's controller. Also, I would be willing to bet that the accelerometer functions in the PS3 controller are not implemented very often, simply for the same reason the Logitech and Microsoft controllers are no longer made: the accelerometer functions aren't the focus of the system. The Nintendo Wii's controller, however, is fundamentally different from the Logitech, Microsoft, and Sony controllers in that, it doesn't just measure acceleration, which makes it useful only during movement, it measures actual 3d position and acceleration. It is also the focus of the system, not simply a cheap add-on that will go unused, which, in and of itself forces innovation.
Posted at 4:35AM on May 9th 2006 by Tyrone Smith