Rumor: Sony tries to copy Nintendo again
by David Hinkle 
{ Jul 21st 2006 at 11:00AM }
A gaming site of the Swedish variety, Game Reactor is reporting that Sony has filed a patent for a "cylinder like" accessory for the PS3 that closely resembles the functionality of the Wiimote. Now, we know the PS3 controller already mimics the Wiimote, but isn't this crossing the line?This new accessory supposedly works in conjunction with the PS3 Eyetoy camera to track movements in a three-dimensional space. Also, the accessory is said to be able to determine how it is not only held, but also how it is tilted.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Loban @ Jul 21st 2006 11:19AM
I wouldn't worry too much. It's not just the hardware that Nintendo always leads the pack on, it's also the software and we all know Nintendo's games are the best and will take advantage of this control scheme perfectly.
And this kind of thing has been happening for years. Nintendo comes up with something cool, everyone else scrambles to copy it all the while Nintendo is coming up with the next thing, then everone scrambles to catch up again. I can guarantee you Nintendo is already cooking up the control for the Wii2.
jc @ Jul 21st 2006 11:20AM
I don't see this as crossing the line. They see Nintendo is on to something so they want on also. However the big diffrence will be Nintendo will have all of their games bulit around motion. When I heard the eye toy would be involved with this I just laughed. I have only seen the stupid eye toy work with a handful of games. Sony isn't making games built around motion like Nintendo. They are tring to find away to saty afloat because deep down they know the the ps3 is a joke.
.ed @ Jul 21st 2006 11:22AM
FACT: motion capture is slow and inaccutare.
I could care less about Sony's Eye Toy gimmicky games anyway. Besides, there is a difference between Mo-Cap and real digital and analog sensors providing data. The Mo-Cap software requires intense processing and can be flawed by ANYTING in the picture.
next sony will be selling green screens as an upgrade.
BTW, the eye toy plus Mo-Cap rod would cost more than a Wii Remote anyway.
.ed @ Jul 21st 2006 11:24AM
inaccurate, like my fingers.
The RobotMonkey @ Jul 21st 2006 11:29AM
As long as they don't claim they did it first I'm cool with it.
Marc @ Jul 21st 2006 11:37AM
Guys check this out. This site shows the patent for this thing, Microsofts idea for motion sensing, and a mock up of a DualShock-Wiimote hybrid.
http://famicomrevolution.blogspot.com/2006/04/begin-of-new-era.html
jc @ Jul 21st 2006 11:38AM
Good point ed I dind't even think about ANYTHING in the view of the camera. I can just see the eye toy making movements in a game you don't want because your dog or cat walks in front of the view of the camera. Sony likes things to be slow though that's why they are going with Mo-Cap. Check out how fast a psp loads compared to a ds, or a gamecube compared to a ps2. Nintendo has always had products that just run faster. For me faster is better. We live in a fast world. I want it now. Even more so when I make motions in a game. I can't be waiting for a product to pick up my movements. It needs to be their and quick or the game becomes lame. The Wiimote looks to be quick and responsive. Once again Nintendo makes a product that performs faster and it is cheaper. Sony is greedy and cocky.
delerious @ Jul 21st 2006 11:52AM
Let them copy. Nintendo could find one single patent of theirs in something that Sony puts out, and sue them out of business. Seeing that they haven't any dignity to make 100% of everything original, I could see this happening.
will @ Jul 21st 2006 12:05PM
Imitation is just a form of flattery.
Dan @ Jul 21st 2006 12:17PM
Take a look at how it works. It's obviously inferior to the Wiimote, just as the regular PS3 controller is.
With the Wiimote, a bar displays an invisible laser grid which detects the location of the Wiimote with pixel-precision and accurately registers it on-screen.
Sony's new patented rolling pin has to rely on a crappy camera to make out where it is.
Why, oh why does everyone have to copy Nintendo?
noliberalbull @ Jul 21st 2006 12:22PM
We all knew it was coming. I'm sure they are both working on some sort of USB attachment that could act as nintendo's sensor bar...
Phil @ Jul 21st 2006 12:51PM
Sony is not a company of innovators, but a company of immitators.
vidGuy @ Jul 21st 2006 12:58PM
If it's not packaged with the console it won't have the impact the Wii remote will have regardless of its technology and use. Plus, it stands to reason less people will have it since its for a more expensive console.
Whatever they use it for, I'm not concerned for the Wii's individuality.
And how will MS feel? Motion-sensing still too underground for ya, Bill?
SpliceVW @ Jul 21st 2006 1:12PM
I think the software comment was DEAD ON. The Wii is focusing mainly on their functionality, so they're gonna have lots of great titles to go by.. whereas Sony's is a cheap add-on gimmick.
hepme @ Jul 21st 2006 2:31PM
If Sony can make it work, I'm all for it. Who cares if they copy nintendo? If we can get the wii like functionality on all the systems we'll all be better off. It doesn't matter to me who makes more money, I just want to have fun
MrMastodonFarm @ Jul 21st 2006 2:33PM
Marc- just so you, and everybody else is aware that web site is highly inaccurate. The Xwand was developed to do meanial tasks such as adjusting the brightness of a lamp, and was developed far before the Wii. Also was the Third party PS2 controller (The SplitFish?) that was shown at the past couple of E3's.
Loban @ Jul 21st 2006 3:08PM
"They are tring to find away to saty afloat because deep down they know the the ps3 is a joke."
The PS3 isn't a joke. Jokes are funny. The PS3 is just sad.
truplaya @ Jul 21st 2006 3:24PM
http://www.us.playstation.com/News/PressReleases/340
has anyone else seen this?
anakenobi @ Jul 21st 2006 3:32PM
"cylinder like"? That thing looks like a dildo.
I guess that thing will be quite handy when it comes time for Sony to screw PS3 buyers with the $600 price tag.
That will be overkill, though. The price is more than enough to screw you over.
Anticrawl @ Jul 21st 2006 3:49PM
Simple and effective Will(#9), agreed.
Anticrawl
Marc @ Jul 21st 2006 3:50PM
"just so you, and everybody else is aware that web site is highly inaccurate. The Xwand was developed to do meanial tasks such as adjusting the brightness of a lamp, and was developed far before the Wii. Also was the Third party PS2 controller (The SplitFish?) that was shown at the past couple of E3's."
Oh, oops. :P
Loban @ Jul 21st 2006 4:13PM
"ttp://www.us.playstation.com/News/PressReleases/340
has anyone else seen this?"
Where were you when this controller was revealed almost 3 months ago?
Free DS Lite @ Jul 21st 2006 7:12PM
Peripheral=No third-party support=Fail
This isn't going to make people turn away from the Wii and buy a PS3 because the support will be about as strong as the Eyetoy's was for the PS2.
Jonn @ Jul 21st 2006 9:59PM
I just like that no one, not even Rev fanboys, saw Sony copying Nintendo up and down before the sytem was even realeased. All the predictions of ripoffs from "Micro$oft" and "$ony" were based on the Wii being a success.
Billy_McBong @ Jul 21st 2006 10:10PM
the "cylinder like" accesory is gunna suck and no one will buy it
and Loban u forgot to copy the H in the link
Isaac Klavsky @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:31PM
Sony made a tampon, Nintendo made a dildo, and we're all reaping the benefits.
Shocking tech, Sony, amazing, innovative, new technology, that has never before been seen, especially at TGS 05.
John Lucas @ Jul 23rd 2006 11:16AM
Each time another company copies Nintendo's innovations & direction, it only verifies proof-in-parcel that Nintendo has never stopped being the leader of the industry.
Leaders lead. They don't follow.
That's a follower's job.
John Lucas
Logic @ Jul 23rd 2006 6:56PM
Wow. Sony didn't copy Nintendo with the controller, nor with this. And first of all, get it right "Wii Fanboy." It's the Eye-Toy that tracks movement, tilt, and all the other stuff, not the 'wand' thing. You can use any ordinary object with the Eye-Toy. The first example of this in progress was the E3 05 Cup-Duck Eye-Toy Tech Demo. And, things like this have to be experimented before applying for patents, so that means Sony had to have been working on it for a long time. Even the patent was filed last year. So enough of this 'Sony copied Nintendo!'. If thats the case, Nintendo blatently copied Sony on the backwards compatibility, and handheld to console interactivity (Pocketstation to Playstation), dual joysticks, and intergrated rumble. Enough of this crap. Please.
Locario_para_Siempre @ Jul 23rd 2006 11:47PM
Lo mas ellos copian, lo meno respecto que les doy a SONY. (The more they copy, the less respect I give to SONY)
Rationale @ Jul 24th 2006 6:08PM
backwards compatability is minor when compared to a fundamental redesign of the input device. (this is, of course, conjecture that Sony will rely on Eyetoy and this rod.. more likely than not, they will stick with their current control setup, which is still a half-assed attempt to keep up with Nintendo).
including backwards compatibility is a given. It's expected and generally accepted as an industry standard (thanks to Sony and PS2, or hell even GameBoy Advanced)
but stepping into a new frontier in game control is a risky business model that needs loads of evidence to prove disbelievers! Sony has not provided much more than Warhawk (which looks like a blast; I want to try her out) and some vague promises of future innovations within software. Nintendo is 100% behind their vision and actually has plans for future advancements. WiiSports will wet our appetite, but EA and third parties are ready to flesh out the sports concepts into full sports titles.
Given Sony's business model, their current design works fine. They have a traditional console mixed with slightly newer controls. They aren't trying to change the face of gaming. Nintendo needs Wii to really shake things up if they want to be the top dog in this industry, and so far they seem to have things pretty much on lockdown.
Heh @ Jul 31st 2006 5:47PM
People, this isn't the first time Sony steals from nintendo! The Joystic (SNES)... The Analog Stick... Almost all third party developers... And now they want sometihng like the Wii...
We shouldn't support copycats, let's all get Wiis! And make sony Fail, then all third party developers will make games for the Nintendo, and Nintendo will be the best!
Augoustinos Kallergis @ Aug 2nd 2006 9:13AM
Well, backward compatibility was in deed sony's idea... or was it Sega's? (RIP). No matter how much they try, copying will never get them to the level of an inovation. PS and XB were not planned to be used as an interactive station, they will never succeed in that game..
Just remember. Nintendo has always been about interactive fun. Those guys always had it. They just did a mistake with the N64 in trying to compete on power. They're not gonna do it again. To prove my point: Anyone ever shot ducks from their living rooms?
Agou
Tabascork @ Sep 8th 2006 7:36PM
PortableStation: Never knew about it until now.
PSP: Second attempt at a sucky portable, w/o any PS2 integration.
Sorry just had to say that. I like (keyword: LIKE, not love) my psp but I still stick with nintendo as my first console (portable or not) I got my DS before my PSP (I was going going to get an iPod instead, but changed my mind)
PS3 will suck so bad that my eyes will bleed if I saw the real thing. $600 Linux PC doesn't appeal to me at all because I already have a Windows PC that works fine. Blu-ray sucks forever just like Betamax, MD, and everything before it. The graphics will never be as good as they say (reference to PS2 and PS1). The controller will suck. Period. I wanted to buy one before, but after all the crappy crap I heared about the PS3 (delays, feats, etc.) I don't want anything to do with it.
elektronik devreler @ Sep 11th 2006 10:34PM
Totally useless for any game requiring rapid change in motion.. Unless Sony has added an acceleration sensor to compensate for rapid tilt I think we will see the same in the end product..
Christen @ Sep 12th 2006 1:24PM
"28. Wow. Sony didn't copy Nintendo with the controller, nor with this. And first of all, get it right "Wii Fanboy." It's the Eye-Toy that tracks movement, tilt, and all the other stuff, not the 'wand' thing. You can use any ordinary object with the Eye-Toy. The first example of this in progress was the E3 05 Cup-Duck Eye-Toy Tech Demo. And, things like this have to be experimented before applying for patents, so that means Sony had to have been working on it for a long time. Even the patent was filed last year. So enough of this 'Sony copied Nintendo!'. If thats the case, Nintendo blatently copied Sony on the backwards compatibility, and handheld to console interactivity (Pocketstation to Playstation), dual joysticks, and intergrated rumble. Enough of this crap. Please."
First of all, the pocketstation did not interact with the playstation console as far as I know. It played the playstation games on it, which is not interacting with the system, just the games. Sony copied Nintendo on the rumble feature. Nintendo released the rumble pak in april 1997, while sony made the dualshock controller with rumble in late 1997. And the dualshock is just a modified version of the N64 controller, so Sony copied Nintendo on the joystick idea. So all in all, Sony is a bunch of copycats.