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Rainbird on 10 June 2009
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TheSteve said:
Rainbird said:
TheSteve said:

But, again, it's ONE thing in the game, and it is just plugged in there seemingly at random.  Here we are at the latest release for the system, and SixAxis is still a one-note aftrerthought...

To everyone commenting on my previous post: it's pointless because, while in that ONE instance I found it fun, it's more an afterthought than anything.  "Oh, hey... remember that Sony tried to cut into the Wii hype by shoddily cramming"motion controls" into their hardware...  Stick it in there somewhere!!"  Pointless.

What you are arguing is that Sixaxis isn't competing with the Wii, and you are absolutely right. But you are complaining about nonsense, should we be complaining about the ability to push down on the analogue sticks? Of course not, because it's another option for developers to use the controller, and some developers use it really well. The same goes for Sixaxis.

We saw how things went when Sony tried to compete with the Wii, in the case of Lair, and it didn't work. But that doesn't mean Sixaxis controls are just 'afterthoughts' that developers put in to their game because they can. Some developers actually have good ideas for using it, and some cases of Sixaxis use actually make the game better and more fun.

If you want to argue that the Sixaxis hardware was just an afterthought of Sony's, then I agree. It wasn't all that well done. But now we have it, and some games have made good use of it, so why declare it useless?


I haven't called it "useless"...  It's obvious that the Wii showed how "usefull" motion controls can be.  Sony just failed to.

What I have said is that the implementation of SixAxis has been pointless...  I have yet to see one person in this thread name an example of SixAxis implementation that DIDN'T feel like a tacked on bit of nonsense for little other reason than providing a chance to say "it's used in this game!!  Remember?  You turn that one valve with it!!  I can nod my head on Little Big Planet!!  You control ONE power on InFamous with it!!  You use it in ONE level on Heavenly Sword (also, you can move things after you throw them, but people probably already realized that really WAS a worthless application of the tech)!!"

I equate it with "Rumble Massage" for the Community Games thing on 360...  If that was the ONLY example I could give of rumble being used in a game, it would be pretty friggin' pointless.  Instead, we have it as a semi-immersive bit of force feedback that some like, some don't.

SixAxis has made small cameos in a handful of games, and apparently has had a PSN title or two based around it.  That's not useless, but it IS pretty irrelevant.  That's my whole point.

In that case, we will never agree. My whole point is that they do not feel tacked on, if a developer does them right. Just like some control schemes are bad, some games have bad Sixaxis controls. None of the things you mentioned are there because the developer "could", they are there because the developer wanted them. Sixaxis controls were tacked on in Lair, but few games have them tacked on these days.

In LittleBigPlanet, you can already move your arms around with the analogue sticks, and since Sixaxis allows you to move your head and your hips, it adds to the silliness. It's not a useful game mechanic, but it adds to the fun.

In InFamous, you're controlling one power that makes sense for it.

All of these things are "useful" motion controls, because they add to the games. When done right, Sixaxis controls are as irrelevant as any other button on the controller.