Topic: Sony's secret weapon is PS3 Slim... Jim?

[nickmitch]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/18/slim-ps3-update-mysterious-chinese-firm-issues-a-cease-and-desi/

Gamespot got one, too  They also add that Sony denied any PS3 revisions, but didn't comment on the cease and desist.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

To comment is to confirm.

[NWR_Lindy]

There is no way Sony will not drop the price on this.  That's the whole point.  I figure they've been waiting for their production prices to drop to where they're actually able to maybe break even on the console or sell it at a minimal loss.  The fact that they've shrunk everything shows that this thing will have lower production costs, that's for sure.  I figure they'll drop it to $299.99 at E3.  If they don't, well...they're screwed even more than they are right now, if that's possible.

I don't know why people knock the Sony controllers.  They're the best all-around controllers on the market.  They work fine for every game type (even first-person shooters), and you never hear people complaining about their D-Pads (like on the 360) or that their hands get tired from holding them up/waggling  (Wii Remote/Nunchuck).  PS3 controllers aren't doing anything spectacular, but they don't have any glaring negatives either.

[broodwars]

I don't know why people knock the Sony controllers.  They're the best all-around controllers on the market.  They work fine for every game type (even first-person shooters), and you never hear people complaining about their D-Pads (like on the 360) or that their hands get tired from holding them up/waggling  (Wii Remote/Nunchuck).  PS3 controllers aren't doing anything spectacular, but they don't have any glaring negatives either.

Oh I don't know about that.  I despise the PS3 Dualshock's flimsy L2 and R2 triggers.  Because they don't have any kind of support on the bottom, every time I press one of them I feel like I'm going to break it.  I was playing Bioshock with it a month or so ago, and the triggers just aren't very responsive during high action situations either.  Other than that, yeah it's a fine controller.

[Mop it up]

I don't know why people knock the Sony controllers.  They're the best all-around controllers on the market.

Could it be because everyone has different-sized hands and differing preferences for comfort? I don't like the PS1/2/3 controller because I find the sticks and many of the buttons to be in positions ranging from mild annoyance (R1 and L1) to exasperatingly uncomfortable (thumb sticks).

[Chozo Ghost]

I don't like the Sony controllers because they place the D-pad before the thumbstick, which if you ask me is a very backwards thinking because virtually every game nowadays relies on the analog stick instead of the D-pad. This isn't the SNES era anymore, and while I know the PS controllers are a blatant ripoff of the SNES controller scheme times have changed... it is long past due for the ps controllers to change as well.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I find the PS3 controller to be pretty uncomfortable and clunky. Personally my favorite controller is the 360 one (besides the d-pad which is lame).

[TJ Spyke]

I don't like the Sony controllers because they place the D-pad before the thumbstick, which if you ask me is a very backwards thinking because virtually every game nowadays relies on the analog stick instead of the D-pad. This isn't the SNES era anymore, and while I know the PS controllers are a blatant ripoff of the SNES controller scheme times have changed... it is long past due for the ps controllers to change as well.

Exactly. I hate playing any game that used the analog stick instead of the d-pad because it's annoying to use on the PS3's controller. Lindy, I am of the opinion (and from what I have seen I know most people agree with me) that the Xbox 360's controller is far superior. It's perfect for EVERY type of game (unlike the DualShock 3), and even the d-pad is better than the DualShock 3's 4 little nubs. It may not be the best d-pad, but it's good enough.

[Mop it up]

Does the XBox 360 controller still have a round D-pad like the original XBox controller? Because that thing is stupid.

[TJ Spyke]

Sorta, but it's better than the original Xbox's d-pad.

[Chozo Ghost]

The PS controller's D-Pad isn't even a pad at all. The arrows aren't actually connected... wtf?

[Mop it up]

The PS controller's D-Pad isn't even a pad at all. The arrows aren't actually connected... wtf?

The arrows are connected but the case covers the center of it.

[Stratos]

I hate the PS controllers. All of them. One reason, really: the 'x' button being the universal accept/A/go button for it. 'X' for me means to cancel or go back for me. I still can't get fully used to it. Maybe it's due to using Windows for most of OS-with-GUI using life.

[broodwars]

I hate the PS controllers. All of them. One reason, really: the 'x' button being the universal accept/A/go button for it. 'X' for me means to cancel or go back for me. I still can't get fully used to it. Maybe it's due to using Windows for most of OS-with-GUI using life.

Different strokes, different folks.  I always see 'X' as a targeting icon, with 'O' as meaning "zero" or "nothingness" to be a cancel icon.  I still wish that Sony hadn't gone for shapes as their icons, though.  Royally ripping off Nintendo's SNES design didn't stop Microsoft from using A, B, X, and Y as their face buttons...even in the exact same spots on the face button section.

[NWR_insanolord]

I can't find a way to hold the PlayStation controller that's not really uncomfortable for me. I suppose I could get used to it eventually but the 360, GC and Wii controllers just fit my hands perfectly with no adjustments.

[TJ Spyke]

Different strokes, different folks.  I always see 'X' as a targeting icon, with 'O' as meaning "zero" or "nothingness" to be a cancel icon.  I still wish that Sony hadn't gone for shapes as their icons, though.  Royally ripping off Nintendo's SNES design didn't stop Microsoft from using A, B, X, and Y as their face buttons...even in the exact same spots on the face button section.

100% agree with me. This is why people who called the Nintendo 64 and GameCube (while being PlayStation gamers) always annoyed the hell out of me. "PlayStation" sounds like a toy made by Playskool or Mattel, and using symbols instead of letters further supports that since it is something you would do for little kids still learning the alphabet.

I also can't get used to the layout, too often I have to look down to remember where Triangle or Square is. A, B, X, Y are so much better.

[broodwars]

I also can't get used to the layout, too often I have to look down to remember where Triangle or Square is. A, B, X, Y are so much better.

Yep, that happens to me every time I have to do a Quick Time Event in a PS2/PS3 game.  When I'm playing through the game, I just subconsciously assign actions to their corresponding location on the controller.  But when the game actually demands that I press that button for a Quick Time Event, I freeze up and have to look down at what button that is (which usually causes me to fail the QT Event).  To be fair, this happened to me on GC games as well.

[TJ Spyke]

At least GameCube games tended to have the buttons on-screen appear in the same shape as on the controller (which helped make it easier to remember where on the controller they were).

[broodwars]

At least GameCube games tended to have the buttons on-screen appear in the same shape as on the controller (which helped make it easier to remember where on the controller they were).

Didn't make that damn knife fight in RE4 any easier (where I must have died at least a couple dozen times before I got it right), especially with Capcom randomizing the QT buttons every time you failed.  At least in the Wii version that's much easier since just about everything in a QT Event is mapped to either shaking the Wiimote or pressing A+B.

[Stratos]

The GC controller problem was aggravated further when you played 3rd party games that wouldn't translate the buttons properly from PS2-> GC.

[mac<censored>]

The GC controller problem was aggravated further when you played 3rd party games that wouldn't translate the buttons properly from PS2-> GC.

Well to be fair, that's not a "GC controller problem", it's a "crappy 3rd-party game problem".

[NWR_Lindy]

I've always considered the PS controllers to be very functional all-purpose controllers (the L2 and R2 buttons could be better though, you're totally right).  The 360 D-pad is awful (especially for fighting games), and I've always considered the controller overall to be a bit bulky.

My favorite all-time controllers are probably SNES.  Simple and comfortable.

[KDR_11k]

I hate the PS controllers. All of them. One reason, really: the 'x' button being the universal accept/A/go button for it. 'X' for me means to cancel or go back for me. I still can't get fully used to it. Maybe it's due to using Windows for most of OS-with-GUI using life.

In Japan the standard layout is that O confirms, X cancels. For some reason SCEA demanded that to get changed in the west, X became confirm and the cancel button tended to vary from game to game.

At least GameCube games tended to have the buttons on-screen appear in the same shape as on the controller (which helped make it easier to remember where on the controller they were).

Didn't make that damn knife fight in RE4 any easier (where I must have died at least a couple dozen times before I got it right), especially with Capcom randomizing the QT buttons every time you failed.  At least in the Wii version that's much easier since just about everything in a QT Event is mapped to either shaking the Wiimote or pressing A+B.

Huh? RE4 only demanded either A+B or L+R from me.

[TJ Spyke]

Well to be fair, that's not a "GC controller problem", it's a "crappy 3rd-party game problem".

I never got the hate for the GameCube controller. It felt fine to me, the people complaining about the Z-Button were especially annoying as I can't see how anyone would have a problem pressing it.

[Chozo Ghost]

My only complaint about the GC controller is the Z button. It should have been placed underneath the controller somehow, like the trigger of a gun, because that's the way the Z button is traditionally used. Putting it up on the shoulder made it more awkward and frustrating to use.

I do think the rest of the GC controller was genius, though. Having the buttons shaped, sized, and colored differently made them much easier to use when you're in the middle of a game. There was much less need for hunting and pecking, and it was very unlikely you would hit the wrong button by mistake.

In controller terms, I would say the GC was the best, then the XBOX and then finally the uninnovative PS2 .