Miyamoto talks PS3 controller

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has described Sony's decision to include motion-sensing technology in the PS3 controller as "flattering", whilst criticising the company for producing the same old 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: "It's 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 we're doing the right thing.

"What they've done is just take your standard controller and add in this motion-sensing device that’s 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 don't think they're anywhere close to that."

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

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

But does everyone want to play games with a controller that requires you to move about instead of just sitting on the sofa? Well, there are plenty of options, according to Miyamoto: "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 been a cause for much hilarity amongst UK gamers - turns out the Japanese aren't too sure about it, either.

"In Japan, a lot of gamers thought it was a strange name, and the comment we got the most was that it doesn't sound like the name of a game system," Miyamoto said.

"What we did find with the casual gamers or the non-gamers - because it does sound so different and unique - it doesn't sound like a game system. And that's a plus for them."