They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, unless it’s that weird guy from the mailroom who suddenly started dressing exactly the same as me, starts talking like me in the staff lunchroom and insists that everyone else in the office refers to him as Twinsy Jez…but the less said about that the better. Where was I? Ah yes, imitation. There’s been a lot of discussion about Microsoft’s up-coming new motion sensing controller. It’s an echo of the debate that raged when Sony debuted the Sixaxis. To the Nintendo fanboys, Microsoft’s motion sensing controller is a clear sign that, the team at Redmond has lost its imagination, and at worst, that the company has lost its way altogether and simply copied a competitor’s good idea.

Which is not really surprising. Fanboys (and girls I presume) show an intense blind loyalty to their console of choice that makes Ford and Holden supporters look positively disloyal, and religious fanatics look like they’re wavering by comparison.

Back when the Sixaxis controller made its debut at E3 2006, Nintendo went on record saying it half expected Sony to announce a motion sensor controller, but that Nintendo’s Wii controller and nunchaku attachment was far superior. Well, they would say that. In a similar vein, Sony’s attempts to compete with Microsoft’s online abilities is also seen as Sony playing catch-up and blatantly copying the good work of their rival. Which begs the question, what do we actually expect from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft? Just because Nintendo are the first to bring motion sensing capabilities to a home console, should the other two companies not follow suit? Nintendo has pursued motion sensing because the technology is refined, the price is right, and lastly and most importantly, the concept (hopefully) improves gameplay. If that’s the case, then it’s great to see Microsoft jumping in too.

Sony’s detractors will have us believe that Sony wasn’t even considering motion sensing until Nintendo first showed their hand. Perhaps, perhaps not. Frankly I don’t care and I don’t think it really matters. Motion sensing controllers, wireless controllers, online play. We’re talking technological advancements. As long as neither company infringes on the patents and intellectual property of the other then what does it matter? It’s called progress, people. Sometimes people act as if the video game industry exists or should exist on a separate plane to the rest of the grubby corporate capitalist world. It doesn’t.

I’m not calling for an end to innovation. But when one company comes up with a better way of doing things, either step up and improve on that idea or the very least incorporate the idea and vision into your own product. If anything, I’m critical of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft for not doing this more than they do. Back at E3 2002, Nintendo were first to release a first party wireless controller, the WaveBird; and a damn fine controller it was/is. It’s taken three years for Microsoft to finally up the ante, releasing the Xbox 360 premium pack with a wireless controller as standard and freeing all those smart enough not to buy the core pack, from the tyranny of controller wires for ever.