The PS2 was supposed to kill the Wii with its In2Games‘ Wii-like peripherals.  After all, the PS2 install base (and price) are far superior to the Wii’s, right?   Motus Games Darwin controller was supposed to give the 360 Wii-like controls and kill the Wii as well as the Gametrak Freedom.  Sony seems to be going patent crazy themselves with all sorts of ideas.  Can we all stop what we’re doing for a moment and listen up?

IF THE CONTROLLER ISN’T FIRST PARTY, IT WILL FAIL…  *clears throat*

Okay, go about your business now. Keep reading for a few key points if you’re still not convinced…

Controllers that don’t ship with a console usually tend to sell poorly.  The biggest exception is when there is a mid-lifespan shift to a new controller by the first party (think PS1 -> Dual Analog/Dual Shock, or the Xbox Duke -> Type S controllers.)  This gen has been a bit tricky with (at least seemingly temporary) obstacles for third party controller manufacturers even getting the ability to function as a controller, let along take that input tech and work it into a new form factor.  See many wireless 360 controllers around?  Didn’t think so…

For a control scheme such as motion control to catch on, there needs to be critical mass.  The music instrument folks fought a long (and expensive) uphill fight to establish a market for their controllers.  They are the exception to the norm.  You can now largely go into any store and buy any system-specific guitar (don’t get me started on the fact that they have to be system specific when every console out now supports USB) and play just about any guitar-based music game with it.

With these “Wii Killer” motion controllers, you’re either getting a wonky remapping of the regular controller functions or some new control scheme that only games written specifically for it will support.  That’s the problem right there in a nutshell.  If you’re simply remapping regular controller functions, chances are you’re not doing it any better than the first party that no doubt spent millions of dollars on controller research and if you’re hoping for other third party support, you’re crazy.  What company would spend hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars developing a game based on the control scheme of a controller some other third party is trying to gain market traction with?  I’ll answer you, nobody will.  Statistically, it’s not going to happen.

I wish all these companies trying to rework these controllers and control schemes would instead direct their energy and efforts to working directly with the first parties.  The could certainly be subcontracted to flesh out ideas that are worthy of fleshing out and if it got the green light, it would be released as first party with the appropriate support.  At that point, other third party developers could feel safe using the technology, but before that it would be foolish for them to develop games for controllers like that.  Stop wasting everyone’s time trying to market us into submission.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone can come up with an example of a third party controller that drastically changed the control scheme and brought in support from other third parties.  I won’t say it’s never happened, but I certainly can’t think of an example.

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