Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

PS3's Lack of Rumble May Disappoint 201

Posted by Zonk from the all-tilt-no-rumble dept.
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.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

PS3's Lack of Rumble May Disappoint More

PS3's Lack of Rumble May Disappoint

Comments Filter:

  • I agree (Score:5, Funny)

    by eggsurplus ( 631231 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:51AM (#16200265) Journal
    The rumble is a great way to provide immediate feedback. Now I won't know when rocks are chasing me down a hill or when I run over a prostitute.

    • Re:I agree (Score:4, Interesting)

      by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @01:10PM (#16201409)
      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.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by timeOday ( 582209 )
        Rumble is a very good feature I would miss if I were going to buy a PS3. My favorite games are driving games, and rumble is (IMHO) almost essential to know when you're starting to slide, or you have a wheel off the track on the "rumble strip" (that's what they're really called) or somebody is bumping you from behind.

    • Re:I agree (Score:5, Funny)

      by OSS_ilation ( 922367 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @01:36PM (#16201823)
      But it does have tilt functionality... hmm, yes, I can see that. It's tilting...tilting.. tilting allllll the way into obscurity.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by stunt_penguin ( 906223 )
      They won't get a rumble during the games, but I predict a shock when they go to buy a console and some games and check their bank balances afterwards.

      Sorry, couldn't resit.

    • Tilt detection sucks (Score:3, Interesting)

      by danpsmith ( 922127 )
      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
  • FTFA...

    Press releases are boring. We go through literally hundreds of them a day, and for the most part, they're self-serving documents full of half-truths and inflated claims about products and services.

  • Reasoning? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by tygerstripes ( 832644 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:52AM (#16200291)
    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.

    • Re:Reasoning? (Score:5, Informative)

      by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @01:05PM (#16201367)
      The reason is a patent dispute. Sony infringed Immersion's patent, MS copied them, Immersion notices and sues both, MS settles and buys a license while Sony decides to look tough and fight it out in court (not sure if they lost already or if the judgement is still pending). Since it wouldn't help their case they stopped infringing upon the patent with the PS3, adding tilt detection to have an excuse to claim that their new controller isn't worse. Nintendo is exempt from all this since they developed rumble independently from Immersion and have their own patents for their implementation.

    • That's why. (Score:3, Insightful)

      by SanityInAnarchy ( 655584 )
      The lack of rumble alone is just the straw that broke the camel's back. It says a lot about Sony's incompetence, and I don't particularly want to buy a console from an incompetent company.

      I'm suspending judgement until it comes out, but I'm telling everyone I know -- I don't care if you buy a Wii at launch, but wait a month or two after the PS3 comes out before you buy one. Then you'll know how much games will actually cost, you'll have a better idea all around if the console is worth it at any price, and

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sehryan ( 412731 )
        Are you kidding?

        If you can get your hands on a PS3 at launch, do so. But don't open it. Put it on eBay, and make a fortune off of those who DIDN'T get one at launch, but HAVE to have it.

        Then you will have plenty of money to buy a Wii with games, a 360 with games, and, after a couple of months the PS3 (again) with games.
    • The vibration motor was removed because it would interfere with the accelerometer.

      Nintendo is able to retain vibration for the Wii because the Wii remote, which contains a vibration motor, relies upon an optical sensor bar and the nunchuck attachment, which contains an accelerometer, lacks a vibration motor.

      • Close, except the wiimote (as well as the nunchuck attachment) both contain several acceleromoters. So yes, the wiimote also gets absolute positioning from the seensor bar, which presumably helps identify and ignore any noise create by the rumble, but it does also include acceleromoters.
    • All we wanted was a console that blew away MS, Nintendo, and anyone else that came along. That refers to gameplay capabiilties and features like a hard disk, but not reworking every aspect of the PS2 and calling it a PS3, then saying, Oh yeah, it also plays games that will cost 100 each.

      GRR.. Sony's pissing me off, again.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by ClamIAm ( 926466 )
      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

  • Stop the Presses! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jandrese ( 485 ) <kensama@vt.edu> on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:53AM (#16200295) Homepage Journal
    Rumble pack technology provider publishes paper saying people want Rumble technology? Who would have thought?

    Personally, I didn't find much value in the rumble packs in the PS2. I've always hated how they call it "Force Feedback" too, since it's no such thing. I usually leave them on, but it's not like having the controller vibrate in my hands has really enhanced the game experiance. I think the tilt sensors will be far more interesting, although most likely just used as an occasional novelty by game designers. I'm expecting fighting games where you can duck left and right by tilting the controller (which would be more natural than the shoulder buttons they use now) and lots of use in minigames.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by DrXym ( 126579 )
      I liked the rumble pack, but it's a shame that Sony didn't choose to put a speaker or something in the device instead, similar to the Wii remote.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      it's not like having the controller vibrate in my hands has really enhanced the game experiance

      You put it in your hands?
    • Bias or not, I honestly cant see this study coming out any other way. It was a stupid move by sony to remove the rumble pack, everyone knew it then, everyone knows it now.
    • I usually turn "vibration" (I refuse to call it "rumble" or "forced feedback") off. It's a useless part of the gaming experience to me.

    • Re:Stop the Presses! (Score:4, Funny)

      by Phisbut ( 761268 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @02:24PM (#16202615)
      Personally, I didn't find much value in the rumble packs in the PS2. I've always hated how they call it "Force Feedback" too, since it's no such thing. I usually leave them on, but it's not like having the controller vibrate in my hands has really enhanced the game experiance.

      True, and I never saw how a vibrating controller could enhance immersion. Immersion is different reactions for different actions, with the rumble, if my character gets shot, my controller vibrates, if my car runs into a wall, my controller vibrates, if I summon an aeon, my controller vibrates, if something explodes nearby, my controller vibrates... heck, just make it "if something happens on screen, my controller vibrates", and put the controller to auto-vibrate all the time.

  • There are three types of lies... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by AKAImBatman ( 238306 ) * <akaimbatman AT gmail DOT com> on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:53AM (#16200297) Homepage Journal
    ...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.

    • Re:There are three types of lies... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by _xeno_ ( 155264 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:13PM (#16200619) Homepage Journal

      I foolishly registered my slim-line PS2, so I now receive the Official US PlayStation Magazine. They ran a similar article this month.

      They came to basically the same conclusion: most gamers would miss the rumble and that some would not buy the PS3 for that reason. This is the official magazine, endorsed by Sony. They're expecting gamers will miss the rumble and may not buy the PS3 because of it.

      Yes, the Immersion study is probably biased, but I know that one of the many reasons I'm not getting the PS3 at launch is because they removed the rumble feature. I'm sure they'll add it back in, eventually, and I'd rather put off buying a PS3 until they do. (And HDTV comes down in price. And good games are released for it. And it costs less than $300. And...)

      But, anyway, the results aren't as suspect as you'd think. The Official PlayStation Magazine agrees with them.

      • But, anyway, the results aren't as suspect as you'd think. The Official PlayStation Magazine agrees with them.

        Interesting. The question is, where are these 32% of people who aren't going to purchase a PS3 just because of the rumble? You'd think a few would be popping up here and saying, "Yeah, that's me. I'm not going to purchase a PS3 just because of the rumble. The other factors like price and availability have nothing to do with it."

        It just seems... odd.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Sparr0 ( 451780 )
          Maybe they don't know about the price? The vast majority of console buyers have no idea about release pricing until the unit hits a store shelf. It is a surprise on release day to them. They don't follow the industry news, and no one really advertises the prices to anyone other than hard core gamers.
        • Yeah, that's me. I'm not going to purchase a PS3 just because of the rumble. The other factors like price and availability have nothing to do with it.
          • by GhaleonStrife (916215) ATuesday September 26, @01:30PM (#16200849)
            Yeah, that's me. I'm not going to purchase a PS3 just because of the rumble. The other factors like price and availability have nothing to do with it.

            Hmmm. You either copy and pasted that reply redundantly or you two should hook up pronto.
        • I'm not buying a PS3 because of the rumble, the price, the availability, and every other PoS thing Sony has done over the past year or so. I'm sick of all of it. Lack of rumble is just the dogshit on the garbage pile.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by ivan256 ( 17499 )
        Let's say the numbers are exactly right, and 5% of potential PS3 customers don't buy one based solely on that one feature... How much of Sony's revenue did Immersion want in order to license the patent from them? Just because a decision pisses off some survey takers, internet fanboys, and potential customers doesn't mean it was a bad decision.

        For the record, I don't miss rumble at all in the Wavebird, and typically turn it off during long sessions with a corded controller because I *hate* it. So I may be bi
        • Well, it can enhance gameplay in some ways. I always liked the way it would act as another warning in some suspense games (Resident Evils, Eternal Darkness, Silent Hills...) that your health is low (heartbeat and whatnot). Others it was just another form of input. But I too often turn it off. Games like Jade Empire? Utterly useless. And half the time it rumbles so hard it makes a wonderful knocking noise that I'm sure nobody really likes... (at least the XBox S controllers).

  • I don't really like a rumble feature (Score:5, Insightful)

    by SnowZero ( 92219 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:55AM (#16200347)
    Rumble can, and does, enhance some titles. However there are invariably titles which overuse it, ruining an otherwise fine gaming experience. I don't mind getting a thump when I hit a wall in the game. What I can't stand is a constant rumble if an engine is damaged, or during some "The boss is coming out of the ground" sequence that lasts five minutes. Give people's hands a rest, please. It reminds me of the some of the first THX movies, which would abuse the capabilities by overusing them for loud sounds.

    So, I for one will not miss rumble. Not for how it could be used, but for how it was too often misused.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by LoverOfJoy ( 820058 )
      I've never played a game where you couldn't turn off rumble in the settings. I don't own a PS2, though. Is it common to be forced into experiencing badly implemented rumble for games?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by SnowZero ( 92219 )
        You can almost always turn it off, but you won't know its annoying in most games until you have already been playing awhile. This is particularly true for games that decide to have some "earthquake" sequence when a boss comes out. Force feedback would be neat, but the rumble is just simply annoying most of the time, and you have to dig in the menu and turn it off, unless you are playing a multiplayer game and the other people want to leave it on :(

        If game designers worked for phone companies, cell phones
        • So it's up to you if you want to take your chances. Are you someone who thinks MOST of the time the rumble is lame? Turn it off. If you think MOST of the time it's great, leave it on...until you come across one that is lame and then turn it off for that particular one. It's up to you to decide if it's worth trying...unless of course it's not an option.

    • Re:I don't really like a rumble feature (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Lave ( 958216 ) * on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:45PM (#16201051)
      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: (Score:2)

        by harryk ( 17509 )
        Point 4.

        I think its interesting that what you describe is not necessarily 'rumble' and should more accurately be portrayed as force-feedback, and Immersion (or whatever) certainly can't claim they invented that. Rumble is simply a shaking vibrating motion within the controller, higher speeds of the motor cause more vibration, or rumble. What you describe is actually force-feedback. Just like steering wheels are tighter to turn at high speeds, and softer to turn at lower speeds, also causing feedback when
    • I agree with you. I do not like the rumble feature, I initially forget to turn the rumble off on the games that I play and generally later go back to do it.

      Rumble is used effectively so rarely that I would prefer if it defaulted to off. It's used to give feedback on things that it has no business giving feedback for (like getting shot or punched), the timing is so off on many games that it kills me, and it is used far too frequently (Oh I was hit... 3, 2, 1 (buzz) Oh wasn't that immersive, I got shot and it

  • rumble with wireless controllers (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sonixtwo ( 878390 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:56AM (#16200357) Homepage
    I use wireless controllers when I play my games, all of which do not have a rumble feature. I'm sure there are some that do, but I imagine it would kill the battery life pretty quick. Although I do not consider myself a hardcore gamer, I don't think the rumble is that essential of a feature.

    • Um (Score:4, Insightful)

      by tgd ( 2822 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:58AM (#16200403)
      360 controllers are wireless and rumble.

      I get 20-30 hours of use out of a charge of batteries on them.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by VJ42 ( 860241 )
      The Wii's controllers are wireles, and IIRC they have rumble.
    • My Logitech wireless Xbox controller [amazon.com] does, and it works great. You can choose to turn the vibration off if you want to maximize the battery life.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by hal2814 ( 725639 )
        In what games is rumble required and in what way is it required? Not that I don't believe you but I've never run across such a beast.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ad0gg ( 594412 )
          Perfect Dark requires rumble. When you pick a lock, you slow turn the analog controller in a circle till you feel the slight click of the lock pin.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ant P. ( 974313 )
      I've got a few Game Boy Color games with rumble that last for ages on just one AAA battery.
    • Uh, the vast majority of wireless controllers have rumble, presuming that the console they go with also has rumble. (Obviously, a wireless controller for a Sega Genesis won't, but I don't know of any wireless Xbox controllers that don't.)

      You're probably using the Wavebird from Nintendo which doesn't have rumble. Logitech wireless controllers are much better.

      Oh, and BTW, Xbox 360s *come* with wireless controllers with rumble, and they last 20+ hours on a single battery charge. They work great.

      I understand

  • Some games definitly won't be the same without the Rumble feature. Project Zero for example. Most games don't really need it though. Mind you, most PS3 games don't need the tilt feature either. None of the games I played at TGS used it and some (Resistance) could have done with rumble.

    It's not a big bother really. If the Rumble feature is needed to enhance the experience, then the game should just be made for the other 2 consoles.

    • the first time I was excited about rumble was N64 Goldeneye. in that game it was absolutely essential to the immersion (combined with the gun-like controller and relative newness of the technology). after a while I got used to it and only noticed when it *wasn't* there because the game felt so flat.

      on the other hand, with the GameCube I don't care much about the rumble. on SSB, for example, I have it turned off because it just doesn't add anything.

      I expect rumble to be important for the Wii though since the

  • Some background please? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Thansal ( 999464 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @11:57AM (#16200377)
    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: (Score:2)

      by VJ42 ( 860241 )
      Don't quote me, but IIRC MS licenced the rumble from Immersion, and Nintendo do it a different way, so aren't affected.

  • Completely Agree (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Wraithfighter ( 604788 ) <mtgfighter@yahoo.com> on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:00PM (#16200415)
    Yeah, there's gonna be some mocking of this, because there's a lot of times when rumble is misused (Psycho Mantis anyone? Oooh, the Rez vibrator!), but it's really great when you don't immediately notice it.

    Best example I can think of is Halo. Firing weapons produces vibrations, and when you're in the warthog's gunner seat and taking advantage of the unlimited ammo on the backseat cannon, it can throw off your aim a little bit as your hand starts to go numb...

    But, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I will miss the rumble pack, if only because of that whole Rez vibrator thing :).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ashultz ( 141393 )
      ...because your hand going numb is a desirable thing in a game, and not at all suggestive of doing your nerves permanent damage.

  • Backward compatibility (Score:4, Insightful)

    by techstar25 ( 556988 ) <techstar25@gCHICAGOmail.com minus city> on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:09PM (#16200555) Journal
    From the article "a majority of console gamers use rumble/vibration quite regularly and clearly value it, and a majority expect existing rumble/vibration capability to carry forward to the PS3. In addition, a majority don't currently realize Sony's PS3 controllers won't allow for this backwards compatibility,".
    What that means is if you have an older game that you are used to playing with rumble, it will feel very different on your PS3 (without the rumble). In fact, since the system won't be designed for rumbling, I'm not sure if it can even developed by third parties (in the form of a new controller). It kind of takes away some of the allure of backward compatibility doesn't it?
    • Console games are generally coded to be played on a specific piece of hardware with all the same parts. So I wonder if PSX/PS2 games that try to access the rumble function of the controller will crash or if the PS3 will have some sort of workaround in its emulation.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Jerf ( 17166 )
        I seriously doubt the rumble motor provides any feedback about how well it's doing. (The only thing that would be useful for is diagnostic purposes, and the human can already tell pretty well that rumble isn't working.) So, even when the rumble feature is present, from the console's point of view, the commands to start/stop/modulate the motor already go into a black hole and the programmer just has to trust that the rumble feature is working as intended.

        "Emulating" an event black hole isn't that hard.

  • 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).

    The article seems to be /.ed, but...

    8% care about integrating motion/tilt sensing in a standard controller. The Wii requires you use its motion/tilt sensing technology in its controller. It's not a good idea to po

  • The tiger woods series makes great use of the rumble. It's pretty cool when it sinks up with the audio of a heartbeat during a pressure shot. I think it was a creative use of the rumble.

  • Players prefer tech they're familiar with? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by hal2814 ( 725639 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:23PM (#16200763)
    Of course gamers picked rumble. They know rumble. The only motion detection most of them know anything about are largely failed attempts. U-Force or Power Glove anyone? And while rumble is one of those things that's good when used right and terrible when used wrong, most developers tend to get it right. What I don't get is why motion detection comes at the cost of rumble. They're treating this like an either/or situation when I'd imagine someone could engineer a method to do both if Sony were so inclined.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • (completely unbiased) poll

    Is there such a thing?

  • Did you mean: disappoint

    Spell-checking these article submissions is a very easy task for the editors compared to evaluating their content - why isn't it done?

  • Disclaimer: I work for Sony. This is my opinion, not theirs, etc.

    This survey funded from Immersion, the company whose rather iffy patent in my opinion (dual-actuator rumble first appeared in the Hard Drivin' arcade machine as I recall, so if anything Atari invented it then these guys patented it? please!).

    I won't miss rumble, mainly because I hold a joypad for long portions of my working day and rumbling pads annoy the shit out of me 99% of the time. Few games have ever used them imaginatively (yes, I inclu
    • I work in a game testing lab. We turn off Rumble on all our consoles. (Thankfully, 360s have a Dashboard option to turn off rumble altogether so you don't have to do it individually in each title.) Our big problem was that frequently the controllers we weren't using while testing multiplayer games would rumble themselves off the table.

  • Kid a toy store. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by sm4kxd ( 683513 ) on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @12:55PM (#16201201)
    As much as I dislike Sony, it seems to me that Immersion is just being a child in this situation. They sued Sony and Microsoft, when Sony fought back, Immersion dug their nails in and stuck through it. Now that Immersion has effectively mauled Sony's feeding hand, they still want more. It really seems to me that all this is similar to when a little kid makes a decision and then begs and pleads to alter the consequence of that decision.


    I would think a respectable company would take Sony aside in the courts and say "Look, if you put rumble in the PS3 and license with us, we'll back off this PS2 issue a bit." This just seems to me like a shady company trying to wring out Sony's pockets. They may be right, but in the interest of their public image, and in this case, the amount of licensing money they stand to lose by not being included in the PS3, they should be trying to compromise, not stealing Sony's wallet.

  • While I think that a rumble feature does add to some titles, and I will probably notice in some games where it's missing, I certainly don't consider it a crucial feature.

    However, the only reason it was removed in the first place was, of course, so Sony could go "Hey look! We have motion sensing too!" Except that it's only along one axis really, and some people *cough*Nintendo*cough* have proven that it's possible to have both. So it's really sort of crappy. I think there are far more games already that
  • " while only 8% care about motion / tilt sensing (sorry, Nintendo)"

    That's like asking 1000 people if they want wheels on a boat.
    Oh, only 8% of you do? Sorry Nissan.

    Stop associating the ps3 tilt sensing with Nintendo's product. Apples and oranges. Of course most people don't want some tilt/motion feature tacked on to a regular controller.
  • I regularly use the rumble feature in RPGs (Oblivion comes to mind). I will carry the (wireless) controller around the house while i do things and wait for something to happen in the game, and the rumble lets me know if I get attacked.
  • I had a PS2, that i modded for imports with a case mod.

    After that mod I found out after 6 monthes when I tried a wireless controller, that I had screwed through the controller cord, and had no power running to the controller. However I did have analog control. The only thing I didn't have was rumble.

    It took me 6 monthes, and I'm a heavy user of video games, I probably have close to 60 ps2 games and pick up one every month or so if there's somethign good.

    Try telling me it's crucial, you can't because it re
  • Well if only 8% of the people care about "tilt" controllers then that is bad news for the Wii that uses it as it's main advantage over the other next gen systems.

    All kidding aside...

    This type of stuff is nonsense, when the system is out and great games are out for it that will drive sales. A rumble joystick will not hurt or help a game like Resistance Fall of Man. The controller does have a small part in that it can't suck, but few do, except perhaps the new Nintendo one, and even if that proves to be a f
  • 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-generatio
  • Let's get rrrready to ... oh ... you have a PS/3 ... nevermind.

  • Wow these Immersion guys won't give up! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AbRASiON ( 589899 ) * on Tuesday September 26, 2006 @04:43PM (#16205303) Journal
    I have to say as a disclaimer that I for one personally beleive that rumble IS an addition to a console.
    While some claim it's a gimmick and or annoying, I feel that on a sublminal level it adds substantially to games with good feedback - infact it's one of those things you simply don't realise it was good until it's gone.

    Anyone need only play Rallisport challenge 2 on the Xbox 1 to see it was very very well done in that game, combined with the good noises in the game it really did sound and feel like slipping around on either rocks, grass, dirt and so on - very very well done.
    Also Halo made fairly good use of rumble too.

    So for the record, I WANT rumble in the PS3 quite badly actually I'm really really sad to see it go.

    That being said, these Immersion people are nothing sort of being a bunch of fucking assholes.
    Not only do they have a patent on something which is INSIDE MOST WOMENS BEDSIDE DRAWERS and is as simple as a weighted motor,.... they have the nerve to enforce their bullshit patent on Sony.
    To add insult to injury this is the SECOND time they've antagonised Sony / the media with bullshit comments like this.
    They are essentially saying "nyah nyah nyah, we won!" trying to present themselves as innocents fighting for the gamers, when it's assholes like this who cause gamers problems in the first place.
    They beat Sony and now are antagonising them with this "gee people will miss the rumble that SONY TOOK FROM YOU" that's what they are saying, in an effort to try to convince Sony to license their "technology"

    This article is likely true in the fact that hey we will miss rumble, hey don't we all wish Sony would impliment it but the flaw is it comes from immersion, anyone else handling this study makes this a perfectly good article but being handled by Immersion? It's just antagonism and bullshit, fuck these assclowns, I really do wish they'd disapear.

    Fingers crossed there IS rumble somehow on the PS3 because I certainly want it myself - we'll see what third party manufacturers will do.

  • The highly acclaimed Nintendo Wavebird has had almost universal acclaim as one of the best implementations of a wireless controller as well as the first first-party wireless controller. It's largely responsible for almost every new console using a wireless controller.

    The thing is, it also lacked rumble, yet this didn't really stop people from buying and gushing over them. Personally, I like rumble, so no, I didn't buy one. This is where we get into the meat of this problem. In my case I felt that rumble out
  • Personally I have enjoyed the use of rumble in a number of games.

    That said, I think you can party make up for what rumble gives you simply with auditory feedback - not quite as direct but it still gets the point across.

    After reading previews for the game Lair I am more than happy to have tilt sensing in its place, though I still find it odd they did not simply also have rumble (I do not buy the official reason, and agree it's probably because they don't want to give immersion any more money - a case where p
  • "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)."

    "Do you want to keep having what you've had for years and have become familiar with?"
    "Yes."

    The low showing for motion (and/or position) sensing controllers may have something to do with the fac that they're new an
  • If this is such a dealbreaker... why the success of Nintendo's wavebird?

Slashdot Top Deals

"What man has done, man can aspire to do." -- Jerry Pournelle, about space flight

Close