Molyneux and Harrison say controllers too complex

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 27th February 2008

Molyneux has slated modern controllers - but to us everything since the Dreamcast is an improvement.

Phil Harrison and Peter Molyneux have provoked gaming communities all over after commenting to GI.biz that game controllers are too complicated and get in the way of good gaming experiences.

Speaking to GI.biz, the soon to be former Sony boss Phil Harrison and controversial gaming mogul Peter Molyneux said that games controllers often deter casual gamers.

"We don't use half the buttons on the 360 controller, simply because the whole dream I've got is that someone will sit down to play Fable 2 who has never played a game before and they can play with someone who's played games the whole of their lives," said Molyneux.

"I wish there wasn't so many buttons on the controller. You have to approach that in design terms by thinking you've only got one button."

Oddly, the Sony boss praised the Nintendo Wii and the iPhone as being far better designed than anything for the PlayStation.

"I saw this first hand a few weeks ago where a two-year-old was playing with an iPhone and he knows how to get the pictures up of mum and dad," said Harrison. "He's right and the rest of us are wrong - that should be applied universally. Apple should be applauded for that innovation."

So, what do you think are the best and worse controllers ever made? Let us know in the forums.