PS3 controller - what is it good for

I'm looking to get Burnout Paradise, having really loved Revenge and learned through another thread here that they patched the whole 'can't restart an event' issue (which until then had really put me off).

So, as with any multiplatform games I've been weighing up whether to get it on PS3 or 360. The PS3 has custom soundtrack and 1080i, which nearly swung it for me, but then I remembered that in the past I have found the PS3 controller awkward for driving (especially in GTAIV and Wipeout HD).

The reason for this is that I just don't like the feel of the analogue stick. Wipeout HD allowed for use of D-pad, but GTAIV and other driving games (including, I believe, Burnout Paradise) do not. The analogue stick feels a bit too long - I measured it and it's pretty much the same length as the 360, but to me it feels like one of those long sticks you see in fork-lift trucks and cranes! It's flimsy, over-sensitive and awkward. The 360 stick, on the other hand, feels more responsive and ergonomic.

However, for some other types of games I have always gone for the PS3 version because of its controller - mainly fighting/hack 'n' slash, platform, action and football (anything that requires a bit of button bashing!). When it comes to FPSs, I think the 360 controller is much better.

So I was wondering, which types of games do you think the PS3 controller is best suited for, and which do you prefer the 360 for? Also, if you own both consoles, does the controller play any part in your decision when buying multiplatform games? Has anyone played both versions of a game and found that the controllers make a difference?

Well for me personally the 360 control wouldn't be better for any sort of game.I can't stand the d-pad and one analogue stick being next to eachother.

I agree the PS3 d-pad is better than the 360 one, but games rarely use it (at least for movement).

As for the position of the 360's left stick, at first I found it a little weird but I've come to prefer it.

I also agree with Daweii about the triggers - the 360 ones are brilliant. I have trigger clip-ons for my PS3 controllers but it's just not the same.

I do like the 360 thumb sticks better mainly because they have an octave curve while the PS3 sticks have a concave curve, or the other way around, I as always get the two confused. I also like the location of the left thumb stick on 360. It's further left and higher up, it just feels like a more natural location for me. As for the triggers, I like 360s better as well but it's almost no difference for me personally as they're pretty similar.