So you've likely heard the news by now. Sony will include six degrees of motion detection in the Sony PlayStation 3 controller. Essentially this means the controller mimics a second pair of analog sticks by detecting movements up, down, left, right, forward and backward. This slightly removes Nintendo's advantage since the motion detection of the Wii controller and nunchaku joystick peripheral provide the same capability of two sets of analog sticks.
Still, I'm confident Nintendo has very little to worry about. Feature-wise, the PlayStation 3 controller lacks key characteristics found in the Wii controller. Although Sony's new Dual Shock can facilitate a similar 'pointing' feature, it falls behind in its impact on gameplay. The Wii's advantage comes from the fact that it can detect the orientation and depth of the controller from an initial position. This will, for example, enable players to swing a sword or throw a ball and see the consequences made on-screen. The Wii controller is also better suited for a wide range of motions since it is one-handed. Finally, there's that last piece of intrigue of which Nintendo will reveal in all its audible glory during its press conference tomorrow morning.
Then there's also the strategy. Whereas Nintendo has a clear and succinct direction for its future (including a specific idea of the kinds of games that will support it), Sony is content with the lazy route of flattering Nintendo and Microsoft with its use of their innovations. Sony can't even come up with an original logo design for its console, instead opting for a blatant Spider-Man font.
Six degrees of Ken Kutagari? I met Peter Main, Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales and marketing at E3 2001. Main was replaced in 2002 by Peter MacDougall who passed his position in 2003 to Reggie Fils-Aime who kicked ass in 2004 under Satoru Iwata who was appointed Nintendo president in 2002 by Hiroshi Yamauchi who got conned by Ken Kutagari with the Play Station. Do you know Kutagari?