Why Don't Microsoft/Sony Just Develop Wii-Style Controllers For Their Systems?

[AntShaw]

Not quite, the PS2 version doesn't have the World Tour or the character creation. One of my friends bought and returned her PS2 version of RB just because of that. The game was pretty much just a Quick Play mode.

Add no DLC for PS2 as well. Thats the major deal breaker. With them releasing at least 3 songs a week, you can add so much replayability to this game. Add to that all the instruments and you can clearly see why it has been a bona fide success.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Yes Rockband has much more longevity than Wii Sports IMO.

 

[Danalys]

If I'm not mistaken, media labs (think MIT) have been looking at camera facilitated input schemes for some time. I think it's a real mistake to think of camera input as being a gimmick- in fact I think when it is done correctly that it will usher in a new era of human-computer interaction. We could even have a gesture/speech hybrid scheme because the Eye includes a microphone. I don't see any reason not to be optimistic here. Perhaps some forum members can give detailed analysis of their experience with the Playstation Eye, and compare its performance with its predecessor the EyeToy?

It is my impression that the Wii targets a different market segment than the PS3, as the benefits of the PS3 are largely reaped through high definition displays and multi-channel sound systems. Particularly the PS3's extra-gaming functions seem to be compelling for consumers prizing value in their home electronics. I see the Wii as an important and popular toy, and in fact competing more with the PS2 than with the 360 or PS3. That is not to say that Wii games do not adequately compete for leisure time among people who have multiple systems, Nintendo remains a very relevant producer of creative and engaging videogame content (judging by players' comments), and I don't see the company going anywhere unless their leadership fails them.

But I was thinking about a way to turn the PS3 into the ultimate web surfing machine. Years ago when I was in the dot-com industry, I chanced upon this intriguing piece of software called TheBrain (http://www.thebrain.com) that was supposed to help you organize your information. It essentially allowed the user to build a complex graph of relationships between things, even webpages, and it was nicely animated to boot. Over the years I keep seeing this design pop up for navigation on websites, and I think once I even noticed it over at CNET (could be wrong). But what if someone were to build a PS3 websurfing virtual world tool where information could be visualized in this graph-like way? Some automated system like Places in Firefox 3 could be used for quick or auto-bookmarking and meta-information could be shared through some social bookmarking scheme. All interaction could be done through gestures via the Playstation Eye. Would an application like this not potentially unseat the personal computer as the primary tool for accessing the web? Would it be technically feasible for this application to function with less than 160 megs of ram? Just a thought....

Home is the new internet paradigm sony is trying to push. homes are sites, if they allow you to put up text on the walls aswell as pictures and movies. it'd add a lot if you could use the PSeye with it to control movements of your avatar.

as for wii like control, if there was a guncon killer app that used the sixaxis like the nunchuck then they'd be in business. the hardware is already there for the PS3.

 

[Teasy]

Being able to aim with the Wiimote doesn't actually feel better than using the analog sticks for me. It's still just an rough abstraction. And I actually have a hard time playing a shooting game where the targeting reticle is not locked to the center of the screen. It's disorenting after playing FPS games for so many years. I feel more in control with the sticks.

I suppose people can get used to even the worst controls if they use it enough, some people actually prefer a controller/stick to keyboard and mouse....