You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here
Speaking in an interview with German website Spiegel Online, Harrison has defended the motion sensing capabilities of the PS3 controller, stating that he understands “why people are saying that [the controller copies the Wii controller], but it’s a bit dumb, if you can forgive the expression.“
Harrison compared the advancement in controller technology to that of the advent of 3D graphics, which he claims came first on the PlayStation. “When we [Sony] brought PlayStation to the market in 1994, we introduced real-time graphics in 3D for the first time,” said Harrison, seemingly ignoring the SEGA Saturn which hit the market first. “When Nintendo released N64 in 1996 and it also used real-time 3D graphics, did we say: ‘Nintendo stole our idea!’? No, of course not. Such innovations are made possible because of the combination of technology, cost and manufacturing capacity.“
Contrary to popular belief, Harrison explained that the PS3 controller design was not some last minute decision.
“We’ve been working on that [motion sensitive controller] for a long time,” said Harrison, “and Nintendo has no doubt also worked on similar, if not identical innovations for a long time – that’s normal. That’s technology. The difference between our strategy and everyone else’s is that our controller, the PlayStation Dual Analogue Controller, is the de-facto standard for videogames.“
The only PS3 game at E3 to feature motion sensing support was Warhawk, but Harrison believes it will become a standard feature for PlayStation 3 games. “I’m expecting that every game uses this function in some way,” said Harrison. “We all move the controller when we play, whether you’re playing a racing or a soccer game. Now, for the first time, we can also capture the primary input, such as the analogue sticks, as well as the secondary movements the gamer makes; and then combine the two. This is an important advantage that only the PlayStation 3 controller offers.“
Moving away from discussion of controllers, Harrison was asked about Microsoft’s Live Anywhere service, allowing the Xbox 360, PCs and mobile phones to communicate. Harrison said “this doesn’t concern me and I don’t think that it concerns the consumer. When you buy a game console, a primarily entertainment device, then you only want that. We believe that the PS3 will be the place where the users will play, watch movies, surf the web, and use other computer entertainment functionality. The PS3 is a computer. We don’t need the PC.“
About the Author
