PS3 six-axis controller

[azmun]

I recently read a review about this pad. The basic form is the same as the PSX and PS2 controllers. However, some differences exist:

1-no rumble feature
2-slightly smaller and lighter design
3-wireless (bluetooth) capability with built-in rechargeable battery
4-L2 and R2 shoulder buttons now trigger style
5-motion sensitivity
6-USB plugs

I'm curious to know if Sony still has the pressure sensitive face buttons in place. Can anyone confirm this? Those didn't work particularly well. In racing games, you couldn't always tell if you pressed the buttons hard enough to get full throttle. Overall, I really like these refinements. Although I've never held one, I especially like the trigger style shoulder buttons pioneered by the Sega Saturn 3D controller. I only wished Sony made these compatible with or at least a version available for the PS2.

[system11]

I think it sucks. Not a fan of triggers (for racing games - analogue right stick is the Only True Way), and those ones look obviously tacked on to the older design. Rumble is fairly important IMHO too.

[azmun]

Not a fan of triggers (for racing games - analogue right stick is the Only True Way)...

I agree, the analog sticks of PlayStation pads rock. Too bad not all racing games allow you to use em. Only problem I got is it isn't nearly as precise as triggers. For some some games, I still prefer the triggers. About the pressure sensitive buttons, perhaps Sony decided to do away with them? They are much better off as digital.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

For azmun,

I'm not sure if the official Sony PS3 'sixaxis' controller is pressure sensitive...

Innovation Concepts has said in the past that it's feasible to make such a PS3 wireless controller with sixaxis motion-sensing capabilities and still have that classic Dual Shock rumble technology (like that found in the original PSx Dual Shock and PS2 Dual Shock 2 controllers). We'll have to see if this will happen though... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[VNAF Ace]

IGN dissected the PS2 and PS3 controllers and compared them.

http://gear.ign.com/articles/748/748732p1.html

The motion sensor is clearly tacked on and there is room for rumble motors.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

IGN dissected the PS2 and PS3 controllers and compared them.

http://gear.ign.com/articles/748/748732p1.html

The motion sensor is clearly tacked on and there is room for rumble motors.

So a future PS2 sixaxis controller with built-in Dual Shock is feasible then...just wait for it to come out. SCEI will wise up and implement it as not to dissapoint it's PS3 fans (like with how Microsoft redid it original XBox controller with the redesigned XBox "S" Controller version)..... ^_~

Either that or a respectable 3rd-party hardware publisher will make such a PS3 3rd-party Sixaxis controller with such built-in Dual Shock functionality..... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SuperGrafx]

So a future PS2 sixaxis controller with built-in Dual Shock is feasible then...just wait for it to come out. SCEI will wise up and implement it as not to dissapoint it's PS3 fans (like with how Microsoft redid it original XBox controller with the redesigned XBox "S" Controller version)..... ^_~

Microsoft never "re-did" the original Xbox controller. The Controller S was being developed in tandem by Stratus design with the larger Duke controller, though it was destined for use in the Japanese market only.
Even before the console was released in the US there were already photos of the Japanese Controller being published, then called the Akebono.

MS released the Akebono in the States with a few tweaks (longer cord, different face buttons, slightly enhanced triggers, etc) as the Controller S, but it was always being developed as a Japan/Asia-only solution from the start.

On a side note, Best Buy and a few other stores began selling the actual Japanese Controller S in 2002/2003 as a "Special Edition" for $24.99. I bought a few cuz I liked the green jewel. They sold out quickly and haven't been seen in retail since.

[Xuse]

I wouldn't expect any Sony 1st party peripherals to offer Dual Shock functionality in the future. Immersion Technologies had sued Sony for infringing on its patents (which included how Dual Shock is powered). Immersion won their case thus forcing Sony to remove Dual Shock from all of their products. The only reason PS2s are still available in stores now is because the case is pending appeal.

Sony removed the PS3 rumble feature because they didn't want to deal with these legal issues. If a rumble feature returns, it will have to be a new technology not patented by Immersion.

Microsoft took the easy route and settled out of court.

[SuperGrafx]

Microsoft took the easy route and settled out of court.

They took the smartest route, IMO.

[zaphod]

umm, there is NO new rumble tech that is not patented by Immrsion. They've got EVERYTHING. they even say so on their website. "We own touch."

And they are abusing this like a mofo. Instead of taking entrepeneurial risk and bringing products to market themselves, which is what a patent is supposed to encourage, they are just patenting everythig under the sun that has to do with force feedback, and making veryone pay them.

Son thought they were big enough to get away with saying "f*ck this bullsh*t" and release dtheir dual shock anyway without paying them a dime. Well we saw what happened...

People talk abotu big bad sony steali from immersion. but I'm sorry, i have ZERO sympathy for that company, and all other IP vultures.

[GeniusFurrball]

I personally agree with Zaphod on the zero sympathy march. Fact is, they just sat on their patents for a long time waiting to for the optimal time to sue/settle. They were out to milk the big companies, and where I can appreciate a good stick-it-to-the-man story, this goes above and beyond decency in my book.

But onto topic a bit: I love the new controller mostly, the triggers are still growing on me. I never held the Dualshock with 2 fingers per hand on the shoulders, so on the Sixaxis my finger slips off the triggers alot unless I bring up another finger, which I need to get used to. The face buttons are still pressure sensitive, but games are using the triggers more than the face buttons for anolog applications. The part that is upsetting me is that some games have their menu "action" sensitivity set way too low (like in Need for Speed: Carbon for example) so you have to almost stamp on X to select the menu tag. Most games so far don't have this problem though, just EA games so far. =P

I don't miss rumble one bit; I never thought it added much. I usually just put the controller down in those "The floor is shaking cause he's big!" IGCs and such. Could it be used well, maybe, but 99% of the games out there didn't do it, so I feel we're not missing much.

They'll most likely never release a rumble enable sixaxis now not only because of the lawsuit, but because, like the Xbox2's HDD, the devs can't depend on it being there all the time, so they can't make really specific features for it that the game depends on (i.e. Genji 1 for PS2). That usually means that most devs, especially the big ones, will never bother wasting precious cycles on making a feature in a game for a hardware feature that maybe 10% of their user base is going to enjoy if Sony ever DID release a Sixaxis rumbler.


So I rambled a bit; sorry. Keep in mind this is all my opinion and in no way fact. ^^