Branding Control

Thomcult writes: What Sony could have done was realise that the PlayStation controller (not just the symbols on the buttons but the whole controller) was iconic to PlayStation brand and a permanent fixture while all else around it changed.

The role that controllers play is to act as that link between the real world and the game world. Have you ever tried playing a game without a controller? Chances are that if you did you didn't get very far. They are essential and they represent the player's entire involvement with that interactive world.