Pointless Gear Watch: Logitech “Motionless” PS3 Controller
June 13th, 2007I have to say, I’ve typically been a fairly big fan of Logitech gear. Most of their stuff is top-notch and for console controllers, they are by far the only 3rd party controllers I’ve ever used that actually felt and played well. I own both a PS2 and original XBox wireless Logitech controller (and I still use the PS2 one with some frequency).
So it’s extremely surprising to me to see Logitech release what appears to be a remarkably stupid PS3 controller. Why is it so stupid?
Well, let’s say you want to create a 3rd party controller for a system. What would be the absolute bare minimum functionality that you would need to have in the controller? Personally, I’d want it to be compatible with all of the games that are available on the system (I’m not talking about specialized controllers like racing wheels or “classic” controllers for older games). If it doesn’t meet this bare minimum goal, then there’s really no point to the controller, right?
Well, apparently Logitech didn’t really consider this, as the controller lacks the motion controls that are available on the SIXAXIS and which are actually used in some games. But, they added “rumble” which helps… absolutely no one at the moment, as no games support rumble.
Maybe there are no games that absolutely require the motion controls yet (I actually don’t know for sure, although I remember people mentioning that they are used fairly well in Resistance), but they are available in the standard controller that comes with the system, meaning that developers are already creating games with it in mind. The lack of this standard feature just seems remarkably silly.
Posted in Gear, Idiocy, Jeff, PS3 |
June 13th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
You guys sure have a lot of these “pointless” gear watches. This is overwhelmingly idiotic though.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I see the last one we had was over a month ago. Define “a lot”?
June 14th, 2007 at 4:30 am
Truly baffling…………
It’s as pointless as making a Wiimote without the IR camera, great peripheral but how on earth would you select a channel? You couldn’t so no one would consider making it. Flow and Rub a dub can’t be played with this folly and as you said future game will be totally unplayable. There’s got to be some reason behind this crazy decision.
@FX-1 I’m sure your comment reads a lot worse than you intended so I’m not knocking you, and you did agree it’s idiotic. However I hadn’t seen this so I’m pleased Jeff put it up, being a new PS3 owner I have just the one controller.
I fully intend to buy LittlebigPlanet when it arrives in the UK. I have 3 sons and will need 3 extra controllers to play the co-op mode; I’m assuming that Media Molecule will almost certainly be including the motion ability’s. LBP will be a bit of a showcase for the PS3 and it would be crazy to not include it somehow. My point is I could have bought 3 totally useless controllers had I not been informed here, now I think I will buy the official ones to be safe or wait for the official Sony with rumble. Thanks Jeff
June 14th, 2007 at 11:58 am
“I see the last one we had was over a month ago. Define “a lot”?”
It was a joke, would you prefer a
to go along with it? 
Well, there it is. And if you were offended by the second sentance, that was about the decision to make the controller, not the heading. They probably should have been separate paragraphs, sorry.
June 14th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Nah, I wasn’t insulted. I knew what you were saying, but I also just wanted to point out that we don’t have them all too often. =)