PS3's Lack of Rumble May Disappoint

Immersion Corporation, who you may recall from their rumble-controller suit against Sony, has released a study. Engadget reports that (somewhat unsurprisingly), it indicates gamers will miss the rumble feature in PS3. The 'SIXAXIS' gamepads planned for the PS3 will only have the 'tilt' feature, as far as is known so far. From the article: "Not only does the (completely unbiased) poll report that 72% of the 1,075 respondents agree vibration feedback enhances their game experience, it goes on to note that 59% of those surveyed would prefer rumble on the PS3 controller, while only 8% care about motion / tilt sensing (sorry, Nintendo). As if these numbers didn't paint a clear enough picture of the message Immersion is trying to convey, two further questions spell it out even more explicitly: when asked if the lack of rumble capabilities would affect their buying decisions ... 5% said that it would definitely cause them not to buy a PS3 and 32% claimed that they were less likely to pick one up for this reason and this reason alone. " GameDaily has a further, more detailed exploration of the study.

Reasoning?

[tygerstripes]

I heard they need to keep costs down, as every unit they sell will further ensure Sony's doom... or something. Somebody told me.

Seriously, they've fscked up every single aspect of the publicity, popularity and launch of the PS3 through trying to make this system do everything. They even said as much. And then they leave out the rumble.

Fucksakes.

There are three types of lies...

[AKAImBatman]

...lies, damn lies, and statistics.

Considering that this survey was done by the same company that sued Sony over their rumble feature, I'm not at all surprised that the numbers for rumble are coming out high while the numbers for tilt sensors are coming out low.

That being said, I have heard a lot of disappointment being expressed over the PS3's lack of rumble. Most people don't seem to think the tilt sensors are a good replacement, and mostly think it's a gimmick ripped off from Nintendo. (Which would explain why the numbers are so low for the tilt sensor, while most people I've spoken with are very positive about the Wii-mote.) Yet I don't hear enough that I would consider the lack of rumble to be the feature that's going to kill the PS3. It seems to me the price tag, lack of games, and console shortages are all far more problematic.

If Immersion is trying to prove to Sony that they should have licensed the technology, well this (as in "suspect numbers") is the wrong way to go about it.

Some background please?

[Thansal]

I remember this lawsuit being created (didn't MS get hit by it also?), however I do not remember the out come.

Why is it that only Sony has stoped with the rumble packs?
Are N and MS paying for the right to use a motor in their controllers?

Re:I don't really like a rumble feature

[Lave]

I agree 100%, but you are talking about current generation games. This controller has gyroscopes which change things dramtically as anyone who has played wario ware twisted will tell you. I've geeked out and numbered my views on this. See number 4.

1 Sony are lieing when they say that the rumble interfers with the gyroscopes (as they stated in E3 conference)- rumble has been removed purely because of the patent case with "these guys". 2 "These guys" are producing a case for why Sony should license the technology off them. 3 Despite the "I hate rumble" comments here - it is clearly unfair to say rumble is unwanted. It can truely add to games. But on current generation consoles the effect has never been truely "essential." Hence the sucess of the wavebird (which lacked rumble). 4Despite this Rumble is inherintly important for gyroscope control - Wario Ware Twisted for the GBA is probably the closest relative to what Sony are offering - being that you rotate a two handed controller. It uses rumble to create "tension" and "steps" in the virtual object you are rotating. This is so *very* important but so *very* hard to describe (for people like myself at least). It conveys the weight of the object brilliantly. For instance it really makes moving a heavy object (Planet Earth, Piano, Hammer) feel so different to controlling a light object (pin, pencil, leaf) - despite the fact you are moving the same controller in both cases. 5 Because of this, and this alone, it is great shame that the PS3 does not include rumble.

Re:I agree

[rsilvergun]

Fatal Frame used it pretty well. When you got near something you could photograph the rumble kicked on. Ridge Racer V would rumble when a competitor was trying to pass you. I remember Metal Gear Solid's goofy 'telekinesis' sequence. There aren't a ton of good uses for rumble, but there are a few.

Many don't know about next-gen force feedback

[counslr2002]

I'm sure there will be alot of comments about the uselessness of force feedback. But before jumping to conclusions, check out the company's release of their next-generation force feedback a couple months ago, which they are no doubt trying to get into the current consoles. http://www.gamedaily.com/features/?id=1039 [gamedaily.com] "The effect is satisfying, yet it doesn't come close to capturing actual gunfire or explosions, partly because it takes time for these motors to build up speed. But this single, next-generation motor is not only capable of spinning in multiple directions, but it can stop on a dime and is generally much stronger than its predecessors. The result is a richer, more intense experience that will further immerse us in these upcoming games. To demo this, Immersion had me play a couple of PlayStation 2 games using the standard DualShock, those being EA's Medal of Honor: Frontline and Sony's Gran Turismo 4. Employees encouraged me to fire my character's guns and rev my car's engines, and things happened and felt as they should. But then we moved onto LucasArts' Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast for the PC. The game had been specially rigged to work with this next-gen vibration, and the moment the tester pulled out his character's light saber I was blown away. Unlike in previous Star Wars games, where a controller will output the same level of rumble no matter what's going on, there's varying degrees of it, from when the light saber's powered on, to when its cutting things up and to when it's not being used at all, whereupon which the controller provides a very satisfying "hum". And the vibrations don't stop until the weapon's put away. Furthermore, gunfire is just a lot more intense. Not only does each weapon (blaster pistol, cross bow, disrupter rifle) feel different, but the kick back is superb. The difference between this technology and previous controllers is akin to making the jump from the original Resident Evil on PSOne to Resident Evil 4. It's just in stark contrast to what I've been used to."

Re:Reasoning?

[ClamIAm]

they've fscked up every single aspect of the publicity, popularity and launch of the PS3 through trying to make this system do everything.

Blah blah blah. Back in 2000, nerds on the Internet were saying the exact same shit about the PS2. I have seen no surveys, much less reputable ones, that indicate that the average video game buyer is pissy about the PS3. There's a reason Sony dropped the price in Japan but not the US. I honestly cannot grok why people think that they are making decisions about the PS3 at random.

Oh, and this survey was funded by the folks who own the rumble patent (Immersion). You might think it's a coincidence. However, a survey done by the same research company showed favorable results [shareholder.com] for another Immersion product.

Re:sorry Nintendo my ass...

[jferris]

I would be able to agree with you if it had a use as a standalone component. The Wiimote was presented to early adopters as "the controller". It had an accessory port. I believe that I read that it was Retro that said something along the lines of "we have this idea on how to expand the functionality of the Wiimote for Metroid Prime 3". The idea was good enough that Nintendo saw the potential and developed around its use. It is required for things, now, such as navigating through the Wii Channels, and a couple of other things (of which I do not recall).

Out of the box, not all games will require it, which is why the original comparison is not fair. The new Sonic game does not require it, ExciteTruck, and I believe the SMB does not require it either. I am not sure of the exact breakdown. The key point is that it is an accessory. But still, it is a good enough product that a lot of games will require it - not because it is an extra source of income for Nintendo, but because it creates a lot of options for developers. I am looking forward to seeing what other kind of uses developers will come up with, from a hardware standpoint.

Really, it comes down to the fact that the PS3 is build around the hardware of the system itself, in terms of power. The controller was an afterthought. I really don't think you will see a lot of games built around the gameplay mechanics of the controller. The Wii, on the other hand, was built around the gameplay mechanics when they decided that they didn't just want to create a more powerful system - but something different. The PS3 will do good at what it is supposed to do, as will the Wii. They just happen to have a common point (if you stretch it) that is a core part of one system's design, and an extra to the other.

Tilt detection sucks

[danpsmith]

Tilt sensing actually does suck. It makes the games harder to play than just using the analog stick and if it's not the focus of the game all of the time, you can easily be tilting the controller without knowing it. Microsoft tried this bit years ago with one of their controllers, and I bought it and I've never had a less pleasurable gaming experience than falling off the motorcycle because I tilted the controller wrong while trying to grab a drink. Dumb idea. That being said, I don't know if Nintendo's controller is strictly a tilt sensing thing. Besides, the control is a lot more like you would have for an arcade game in that there's a certain understanding that you will be using the way your hand is positioned to determine a great deal of the action because the controller is unique. With a regular controller and tilt sensoring, you are more prone to tilt it because you forget that you are supposed to be watching yourself. It's when they make the tilt sensoring a side attraction or an "added feature" on a game that it sucks. Using alternative control mechanisms doesn't necessarily suck. Although I will reserve my final opinion until I see both implementations, I believe Nintendo's idea looks more believable as a way to attract customers. (Not that that means anything, Wii could easily come in last place).