Sony defends loss of rumble News
PlayStation 3 News by Tom Bramwell
Sony's Phil Harrison says he has no regrets at all about not including rumble functionality in the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS controller. But is he bothered about the overuse of capital letters?
"Not at all," he told Eurogamer's Rob Fahey recently, although to be fair he was talking about whether Sony has had any second thoughts about ditching rumble. "I think that the next generation interfaces that can be created built on SIXAXIS motion sensitivity give tremendous gameplay benefits that far outweigh a reactive vibration function.
"The vibration function is the game sending a single channel of feedback to the player - six axis of input puts the player in control in a much richer, deeper way. So, game design can go in much more interesting directions as a result of that than from receiving a single input from the game itself."
The obvious retort to which is surely Sony could just have included both? Immersion, which makes rumble and force feedback technology, has said they reckon it's pretty easy. "I think the caveat to that statement always has to be based on the fact that when we make a pad, we're making maybe 150, 200 million of them," Harrison explains. "So it has to be done at a price, and it has to be done at a volume that fits our production requirements. I think the decision that we’ve made to build in the SIXAXIS functionality, and Bluetooth wireless, and great battery life, and all the other functionality that comes with it, far outweighs the chatter that we’re getting on vibration. And, it's incredibly light! Just pick it up!"
For more of Rob's interview with Harrison, keep an eye on Sony's semi-official Three Speech blog, where it's being serialised over the coming weeks.
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billythekid
26/10/06 @ 14:30
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Light is not good! I'm with you smoothpete, the weighty nature of the wireless 360 pad is spot on. The wired 360 pad feels like a fisher price toy in comparison. Still at least it's ready to RUMBLE!
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Agree, lighter ISN'T always better. At least he admits losing the rumble was due to the cost.
I can't imagine how much I'll miss rumble, it's been ages since I played a game without it. I'm a bit skeptical about motion sensitive controllers too if I'm honest, it sounds too wierd. Though by the same token I used to consider vibrating controllers retarded.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 26/10/06 @ 15:48
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Penguinzoot
26/10/06 @ 14:47
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The obvious retort to which is surely Sony could just have included both? Immersion, which makes rumble and force feedback technology, has said they reckon it's pretty easy. "I think the caveat to that statement always has to be based on the fact that when we make a pad, we're making maybe 150, 200 million of them," Harrison explains. "So it has to be done at a price, and it has to be done at a volume that fits our production requirements.
Um ... did he just say that the decision to omit rumble was not about technical feasibility, but about price? I thought Sony had previously said it just wasn't technically possible? Hmmm.... "And, it's incredibly light! Just pick it up" Its light because you took out the motors, duh!
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 26/10/06 @ 15:53
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escapedape
26/10/06 @ 14:51
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"Sony have done it again and trampled on the opposition with their design and innovation"
innovation? LOL
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most recently on 26/10/06 @ 15:51
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@yellowtruck:
It might easily (very easily) me quieter than the 360... But does absolutely not look fantastic... It's massive and its design reminds me of the late eighties... Then again that's just my opinion... On topic, indeed this is another inevitable Sony comment and they won't admit that they miss rumble until the PS4 comes out... |
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Eighthours
26/10/06 @ 14:59
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Most hands-on PS3 reports I've read say that the controller is the weak link.
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My two penneth:
So ASK THE QUESTION Rob, put him on the spot and ask him if it's really nothing to do with the issue with Immersion. If this interview is another puff-piece count me out. PH deserves to have a lot of tough questions fired at him given Sony's recent public track record. The fact that it's being placed on that blog suggests it won't be the killer interview PH deserves. ps The Sony fanbois are clinging to the fact that PS3 controllers pick up and register with the console when switched on faster than the 360 (albeit by about half a second). If that's what it's going to come down to what next? Mine has a better off button that yours? I shouldn't joke clearly. |
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escapedape
26/10/06 @ 15:04
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yellowtruck, that's a bit tiresome you know. you clearly think you're far funnier than you actually are.
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the_dudefather
26/10/06 @ 15:05
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how you you pronouce SIXAXIS when speaking do you shout it, or take a pause before and after the word to emphasise it?
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escapedape
26/10/06 @ 15:08
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Having played plenty of rumble-tastic games, i'm incredibly used to using it to gauge things such as being shot in shoot 'em ups and drifting off the road in racing games. It gives a nicely helpful bit of tactile feedback when you're concentrating on other stuff, and visually it isn't always made clear.
Case in point: without rumble, half the time i'm being shot in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, I wouldn't be able to notice as quickly. |
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Moonprince
26/10/06 @ 15:14
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"The vibration function is the game sending a single channel of feedback to the player - six axis of input puts the player in control in a much richer, deeper way. So, game design can go in much more interesting directions as a result of that than from receiving a single input from the game itself."
An attempt to get a job at Nintendo surely? |
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I can't help but thinking it feels like a backwards step. Joypads are a process of evoloution, and through those evoloutions we have the pads we have now. If we look at stuff like shoulder buttons (SNES), analog stick (N64), rumble (N64 again) and dual analogs (PS), these are now almost industry standard, and so to not have one of these feels like a devolution.
Regardless of who wins the battle this generation, I almost guarantee that consoles from the next generation onwards will have some sort of motion sensing built into all of them, so Sony should have just bitten the goddamn bullet and put rumble in, it just doesn't feel right! |
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Nothing to see here fanboys.... Move Along.
Makes you wonder what you are doing here then... ¬_¬ Actually, I kind of want my controller to have some weight. My biggest con against the sony controllers is that they are usually to small and to light. Add some weight and make the grip longer and they would be great. But before we jump to conclusions, let's just wait and see how it turns out to be eh? Most ppl, me included, haven't even touched the damn thing. |
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BartonFink
26/10/06 @ 15:32
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You didn't include rumble in it because you lost your court case with Immersion.
You would have to licence the technology from Immersion costing you more money. That is the only reason it's not included. They should try for once just to tell the flippin truth people might respect them more for it instead of laughing at their horrible attempts at spin. [edit] Apparently Phil did say that it would make it more expensive. EG just neglected to mention that in the article.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/10/06 @ 08:38
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