Sony's motion-sensing controller is 'flattering', says Miyamoto

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has described Sony's decision to include motion-sensing technology in the PS3 controller as "flattering", whilst criticising the company for simply producing the same games with better graphics.

In an interview with Canadian publication the Edmonton Sun, when asked if he thought Sony had copied Nintendo's idea for the Wii's remote controller, Miyamoto replied: "Itâs kind of what always seems to happen. But the fact that they looked at what we were doing and decided it was a good path is kind of flattering; it kind of reinforces in our minds that weâre doing the right thing."

"What theyâve done is just take your standard controller and add in this motion-sensing device thatâs similar to what we did back on the Game Boy Color many years ago. Maybe if they were to completely copy and go with a remote and a nunchuk and two motion sensors, I might be a little more concerned. But I donât think theyâre anywhere close to that."

Miyamoto went on to discuss Sony and Microsoft's showings at E3, stating: "Theyâre talking about the next generation of the same old videogames - itâs the same old experiences with new graphics."

"And while there are people who enjoy that, weâre really talking about the next leap in interactive entertainment, and really bringing interactive entertainment not just to videogame fans but to everyone."

However, questions have been raised as to whether gamers want to play with a controller that requires plenty of physical movement, rather than one which allows them to simply sit on the sofa. But according to Miyamoto, there are plenty of options available: "The fact of the matter is, if you want to, you can play in much the same style as you did before."

"You can sit with Zelda and just with little movements you can control the game perfectly well. Similarly with tennis, by kind of slapping the Wii remote against your hand, you can play the game that way if you really want to."

"As people get better and better at the individual games, it may be that their motions drift from the more exaggerated to the less exaggerated. But at the same time, I tend to find that moving around a bit more tends to be more fun."

As for the Wii name, which has met with a mixed reception in the UK, Miyamoto said that some Japanese gamers have also found it hard to get used to: "In Japan, a lot of gamers thought it was a strange name, and the comment we got the most was that it doesnât sound like the name of a game system."

"What we did find with the casual gamers or the non-gamers - because it does sound so different and unique - it doesnât sound like a game system. And thatâs a plus for them."