Console Wars: Round 1 – Controllers

Posted by Kevin in Articles, Console, Featured, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony | 2 comments

Yay! More fighting in a modern world. No, really, this time it makes sense. In a short series leading up to that Christmas rush, we’ll be putting consoles through their paces to make sure you make a good consumer decision this year.

We’ll break it down into simple, easy-to-understand rounds. For example, this time we’ll focus exclusively on the controllers themselves. No bull, no fanboyism – just real, dedicated opinion from people who actually play these things – a lot. At the end of each round we’ll award medals in place of the console of choice, so at the end we can tally a score and have a definitive winner. Despite the winner, the articles will still provide a good idea of what to buy, so if there’s a kid around bugging you for a console and we don’t pick it as the best one, the articles will still tally up a good idea of what to expect from said console.

Oh… and yes, I will be covering mobile platforms (PSP, DS and iPhone/iPod)!

So, on with the games! Round 1, controllers.

First, what are controllers? Well, they are the way in which you interact with your console, and the games on the console. It’s probably more important to your machine then the machine itself, as even if the games are in glorious 1080P on the best tv in the world, maybe even in 3D, if the controller is uncomfortable, you will not enjoy the experience you’re having. And since, with the economy being what it is, you’re likely to only have 1 console for the next few years, you certainly don’t want to have to “get used” to said interface.

It's almost the PS2 controller. Almost.

First off, the Playstation 3 controller.

In Ireland, Playstation has dominated the gaming market, outselling all competition every single generation it’s been on the market. There is no way you can ignore the unique approach to the control scheme it used. It took everything good about previous, similar designs and improved on it. With the PS2 it improved again by adding mandatory analog sticks. Now, it adds wireless capabilities (via bluetooth) and a new idea, SIXAXIS, which gives the controller motion abilities in, wait for it, six axes of degrees.

Initially the controller had no rumble, but new adopters of the console will get the DualShock3, the SIXAXIS, but with rumble. Rumble works well, is nice and is a tried & tested formula that’s quite hard to break.

The controversial boomerang

SIXAXIS works well when used appropriately. It was launched with much fanfare, notably with Warhawk, which allows you to control aircraft with SIXAXIS exclusively. This doesn’t really bode well as it doesn’t work as well or as intuitively as using standard controls. Sometimes it works well and is unique to the console, for example in Killzone 2 where you use the SIXAXIS to clamp bombs to walls/doors.

The initial design for the controller was a “boomerang” shape that the internet did not particularly like, despite never playing it or understanding how nice it may have felt in the hand. Seeing the critiques from internet warriors, Sony pulled the design and stuck to their tried and tested design.

Battery life is very good on the SIXAXIS controller but is slightly worse on the DualShock3, because of the extra features. This isn’t too bad, because the batteries are built-in, and charged with a simple USB to mini-USB port.

Overall this is a good controller. It can feel uncomfortable to those unused to it, but for the most part this is a fine, old and well designed device. It’s not overly ergonomic but very functional none-the-less. You could do worse.

Next up, Xbox 360.

The original Xbox console had possibly one of the most uncomfortable controllers known to man. Designers must have been basketball players as this thing was massive in the hands of a normal person.

Later in the Xbox’s life cycle came a smaller, more ergonomic controller that was generally applauded. Sadly is was too little, too late. The design came too far after the launch of the machine, after which most people had picked the console winner (typically the PS2). Also, the design was made for the Japanese market, where Microsoft had failed very badly.

With the 360, the latter Xbox contoller was taken on board and improved upon. By far the most ergonomic controller the gaming world has ever seen. It’ll perfectly fit anyones hand, and instantly introduces you to the primary control scheme – analog sticks. The back triggers work well, being depressible (i.e. the harder you push down, the harder the control is, most commonly used for car acceleration, etc.). The PS3 controller took this idea, too.

However, unlike the PS3 controller, the d-pad buttons are not depressible. This means limitations in some games in terms of controls. Even today, there are millions of players who would much rather use A or B to accelerate or brake, rather then the rear triggers. Who these people are, only god knows, but internet forums bemoan this one fault with the controller.

The rear grips make it great to handle, and like the PS3 controller, it’s wireless. However, it uses an awful battery pack. You can buy an additional play & charge kit, but for the extra money it pushes the price of the controller far above that of the PS3.

Now the most unusual one, the Wiimote.

Wiimote, with nunchuck addon

The Wiimote is a wireless, AA battery operated controller that works by sending a signal to a small infa-red strip you place at your TV set. The Wii can detect motion in the controller, but point-and-click operations require the strip.

The controller works flawlessly, but changes the paradigm in which we control modern console games. For some games, it doesn’t work alone either, meaning using an additional item called a “nunchuck” which attaches to the bottom of the controller. This is used for titles like Wii boxing (to have a right or left hook) and the movement stick for first-person games like Metroid.

However unique, fun and intuitive this method of controlling is, Nintendo know it’s not for everybody. Que a slew of add-ons and interesting gadgets to enhance gaming. This leads to overly expensive plastic peripherals that mimic guns, tennis rackets and so on. It also leads to more “standard” looking control mechanisms through the “Classic” Wii controller.

This controller is, sadly for Nintendo, more comfortable then the normal controller, which is often used really, really badly in games. As the primary control mechanism, it’s shocking to find its tacked-on in terms of game design. Not necessarily Nintendo’s fault, of course, but it can feel that way with first party games too.

The Wiimote was introduced with much fanfare, but once the controller gets into the hands of gamers, the fun dies off as flailing around your own living room is a chore. It also has lead to many design flaws being exposed – like the strap breaking and sending the Wiimote into TVs around the globe. It also lead to Nintendo releasing straps and grips for free, at much expense.

Overall

The points have to go to the Xbox 360. It’s better then the PS3, and remains more standardised then everyone elses offerings. 3 points.

PS3 comes in second, with 2 points, because it remains more comfortable then the Nintendo offering, but still adds the extra control mechanism with SIXAXIS, without getting in the way of traditional gaming methods.

Sadly the Wiimote comes in third with 1 point. New, yes. Innovative? Sure, unless you’ve seen the Atari 2600, of course. The idea is nice, the execution is a bit weak, though.

I could have included the new methods of control, using the Eyetoy or upcoming Project Natal – but these are still, thankfully, exploratory operations for Sony and Microsoft. Maybe next year…

I also could have included the keyboard and mouse, but for now we’ll stick to consoles.