CharlieR wrote:One other thing worth noting is that since these controllers are the original ones without the analog stick, would that affect the game selection at all?
Personally, I feel like that's the point.
The original PlayStation had quite a collection of games built up by the time the Dual Shock controller was introduced in 1997. Tekken 3 came later, sure, but still relied on D-Pad inputs to mimic the 8-way joystick of the arcade machine. The JRPGs that are listed to be included wouldn't benefit much at all from an analog stick, as the gameplay mostly consists of navigating menus. Even true classics, like Symphony of the Night and the original Resident Evil, were designed with the D-Pad in mind, and work perfectly well with the original controller. It is a bit of a surprise that Ridge Racer Type 4 is in the set, as that game definitely used analog control to its advantage.
I think that Sony would do well to market this console with a focus on its first few years of software, and provide a Greatest Hits (get it??) of the earliest games in the system's lifespan. WarHawk. Doom. Mortal Kombat 3. Road Rash. Even one of the Street Fighter Alpha games, or maybe Darkstalkers. Jumping Flash is already on there, which I think is a good call. By focusing on the earlier games, the lack of a Dual Shock controller won't matter too much. I think we'll see a few later games included such as Metal Gear Solid, but as someone who has beaten that game on the original PlayStation, with the original D-Pad controller, I can attest that it plays just fine without an analog stick.
I feel like I might be the only person on the entire planet who actually prefers the original D-Pad PlayStation controllers over the later Dual Shock revision. Just my opinion, of course, but I found the original controllers to be light, balanced, and well-made, and perfect for 2D fighters and platformers. The Dual Shock setup always struck me as an afterthought, like a toy company that uses their existing molds to create "new" toys, rather than starting from scratch and designing something new from the ground up. I never liked the placement of the analog sticks, and I can't use any version of the Dual Shock controller for more than 15 minutes or so without experiencing discomfort. It's a big reason why I don't buy Sony consoles, unfortunately. Same goes for why I never really cared for the GameCube or the OG Xbox. It doesn't matter how good the games are - if I can't play without feeling comfortable, then I'm not going to be playing for long!
Want my guess as to what happens next? We get the PlayStation Classic this year, with two D-Pad controllers, and next year, Sony rolls out the PSONE Classic, with two Dual Shock controllers, and 20 more games that came out later in the system's life cycle. I doubt they'd jump straight into a PS2 Classic, but I can definitely see the redesigned PSONE getting the classic treatment, full of games like Silent Hill, Ape Escape, Syphon Filter, Gran Turismo 2, and the like.
That, or Sony will sell Dual Shock controllers separately. Either way, as popular as these Mini / Classic consoles have become, people will go for it. Even the Atari consoles with all the built-in games eventually came with paddle controllers. As long as the initial sales are good, we'll see a "new and improved" version every year. The AtGames Sega consoles eventually had wireless controllers and HDMI output, while Nintendo, or course, released the SNES Classic after the NES Classic was such as smash hit.
Does anyone else get the feeling that these Classic consoles are starting to "jump the shark?" Is anyone nearly as excited about buying this PlayStation Classic console as they were when they got their first Atari or Sega mini console, or even the NES Classic? I did buy an Atari mini console years ago, and enjoyed it, but I don't think it's a stretch to say it wasn't nearly as exciting as having the real thing. I have no doubt in my mind that Sony's console will sell well, but I can't help but feel like the bloom has come off the rose a bit. Even hearing people gush about rumors of Nintendo releasing an N64 classic, or Sega rolling out a Dreamcast mini console, leaves me rolling my eyes a bit. If the game companies can keep making these things and finding an audience, that's great, more power to them. I just feel like the novelty of it all is gone. Now, it just feels like we're getting into a crowded "me too" category.
Again, for their sake, I hope Sony sells a boatload of these things, just like Nintendo did with their Classic consoles. When it comes to buying one for myself, though, count me out.