PS3 control pad : hit or miss ?

[Max_DC]

Well I thought that the overloaded PS3 thread is not the right place to discuss this topic, that's why I decided to create a new thread.

The new controller has two analog sticks, the usual four-button complement on the right side, as well as four top-side trigger buttons. However, in Nintendo Wii fashion, the new PlayStation 3 controller also has motion-sensing capabilities. Sony's Phil Harrison stated that the controller is capable of sensing motion in six degrees: up, down, left, right, forward, and back. Even with the added functionality, the controller will weigh no more than the wired DualShock controller, according to Harrison. Dylan Jobe of Incognito Studios proceeded to demonstrate the controller's motion-sensitivity in Warhawk, a jet based fighter game. He tilted the controller to control the orientation of his aircraft. Turning the controller upwards caused the aircraft to point its nose in the air, and shifting the sides of the controller up and down caused the aircraft to tilt in a similar manner. Additionally, the controller will no longer feature force feedback vibration. Sony claims that the feedback vibration would interfere with games that use the motion sensor.

Well you know all the articles about the new pad on several gamesites are kind of excited about these motion-sensing capabilities, but in some way they don't really seem to care about the missing vibration function. Personally I don't understand that.

I mean this new feature is great, no doubt about that, but am I willing to sacrifice the rumble effect for it ?

I say "YES" when talking about Ace Combat...but what about other genres ? Racing games, Jumpn'Runs, Beat'emUps, Ego shooter etc...

I understand that both features won't work at the same time, but I would like to have the choice. So I say : Put in the rumble effect and add a button for switching between motion-sensing and rumble. And I don't care for the law suit... I would pay 20 $ more for the rumble feature, it's a key feature in my opinion. Or they develop sth new...

Would anybody prefer this one ? :

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

 

[Solid Lifters]

This is the post I made in the PS3 thead a while ago. If there are more detailed posts or articles about the new controller, post them in here.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2247495&postcount=1399

PS3 to Feature Motion Sensing Technology?
By James Brightman -- EIC, GD Biz
Published 4:40 PM CDT, November 25, 2003

Sony might let gamers control the PS3 the way Tom Cruise controlled the computer in Minority Report...

SCEE vice president Phil Harrison recently spoke with the Australian Financial Review. He revealed to the publication that Sony is currently investigating the use of motion sensing technology for their next-generation console. Furthermore, the motion sensing digital camera, EyeToy, and its associated games have actually been used as a preliminary test for the technology. Most would probably agree that Sony's early test was a success -- certainly sales of the EyeToy in Europe would seem to indicate that.

"EyeToy was a signpost for things in the future. If you can attach very high-resolution, low-cost video cameras you can deduce some quite interesting things about their users. We'll be able to extrapolate eye movement and gestural recognition, more complicated finger movement, and the logical next step of that is to deduce from a person's facial expression and demeanour what their emotion state is," said Mr. Harrison.

Harrison then went on to discuss even cooler possibilities, such as new menu systems that could be controlled by gamers simply waving a hand in a certain direction. He compared it to the futuristic computer database used by Tom Cruise in the film Minority Report. Of course, just because Sony is working on these features doesn't mean they're a lock for the PS3. Nevertheless, it's great to hear about some of the ideas swirling around at Sony's R&D.

 

[Max_DC]

Thanks Solid Lifters, I think your post was the one I saw the new pad for the first time... Do you like it ? It is great, but no rumble ? I couldn't play without rumble anymore tbh....

 

[Solid Lifters]

I don't care for the rumble feature all that much. Actually, it's bad for your finger and hand joints. All that vibration causes your joints to wear out faster. That's why, sometimes, you hands hurt after playing for a while. That, and not stretching you hands every once in a while.

The banana design looked cool, and I think it could have been better, but we'll never know.

But, I'm happy to play with what we'll get, though. Lifting the controller straight up should make a cool "jump" move for certain games, like FPS.

 

[F1GTR]

Looks like R2 and L2 have more travel now.

 

[G.T]

Looks like R2 and L2 have more travel now.

Hmmm, could mean you could use them for acceleration/braking instead of the x/square buttons, which I find easier sometimes on the Xbox/Xbox360.

 

[Tenacious D]

I saw a mockup with the left analog knob and four way buttons swapped, as they are with the GameCube and Microsoft controllers. I think that would be the way to go with it, and maybe they will.

 

[German Muscle]

Im happy with it, If they made it so the unit can power up and down witht he button in the center and if they had rumble in it even if you had to sacrifice the motion sensing It would be perfect.

 

[Robin]

If they had jazzed it up abit by having like maybe a 2 tone colour scheme and see through crystal buttons it would be cool, imagine if like the triangle, square etc etc all lit up... and where suspended in glass!!! now that would be cool....... I would have been happy if they had just put the buttons from the PSP on......

see the problem is you can either use a tried and tested controller..... or try something new...... in all fairness it must have been a hard decision for sony to make....

biggest annoyance is no rumble.... all because of the court case as it has NOTHING to do with messing up the motion sensing... nintendos can do both!

Motion sensing anyway is the bigeest gimic ever!

 

[Rogue Ssv]

Your crazy;.... that'd be soooooo hot

 

[the Interceptor]

I watch this from a Gran Turismo point of view, which means that I don't use the rumble effect at all. It's the first thing I turn off when setting up GT, and I won't miss it a bit with the new controller. For me, the rumble effect is just annoying and disturbing, and it adds nothing to realism. Driving a car with a gamepad is nowhere near realistic anyway, and some rumbling won't help it. So, I actually am happy that they sacrificed it for the motion sensors. Not like I'd be eager to use them in any way, but they won't disturb me either I guess.

About the shape of the new pad: I'm okay with it, I don't have to have a new design only for the purpose of being new, so why not use something old but good? Some corrections and modernisations here and there, and that's it. Porsche uses that idea for the 911, and look how good it has become over the decades.

To decide wheter the old or the Croissant design is better is a matter of using them. I've never held the Croissant in my hands, so I can't really say if I'd like it better or not. But I don't feel "fooled" by Sony for re-introducing the old design either.

I voted for "Should be a great game pad!" by the way.

Regards
the Interceptor

 

[Poverty]

I turn off vibration in GT4 too! Can you still get vibration if you use a controller withought motion sensing?

 

[ExigeEvan]

I'm disappointed that they've got rid of the rumble feature.

In racing it's not much of a feature but I find it essential for games like Timesplitters and MoH where it is often the first thing you notice when hit.

 

[LaBounti]

Its a tough call but Tourist Trophy would be fun with this controller. I'll have no choice but to like it, the DS2 imo was the best controller until the 360 pad came along. The sticks have been improved and the 2's are now triggers. So it could be a great device.

Possible uses:

Quick camera swings
Leaning left/right in FPS's
Leaning in motorcycle games like TT
Preloading and balancing in games like MX VS ATV

 

[Max_DC]

You turn off the rumble ? Wow...didn't think that anybody does sth like that... music...ok...but rumble ?
Personally I need the rumble effect for the feeling of the car. No rumble, no feeling... ok it's not that bad, but I notice it when I play old PSone games every now and then....
Imo this new pad is 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Motion sense has a huge potential, but as I said before, probably not for every genre. That's why I want both. Well I think we have to wait, maybe they add some rumble. They also changed the direction with the Banana pad, so why not again ? Ok, the lawsuit, but every mobile phone has a rumble effect, you can't tell me that there are no possibilities for an inovation company like Sony to avoid legal issues by inventing sth similiar to the system in the DS2.....

 

[YSSMAN]

I dunno about the new pad. The lack of a rumble feature and even a slight overhaul was a bit dissapointing. I mean, I'm happy they didnt use the flying bananna design, but they could have evolved the controler a little bit more.

I still say that the new 360 controller is one of the best, ever, best only to the origional XBOX controler (A lot of people didnt like it, I thought it was perfect).

But I doubt the controler will effect sales all that much, if anything, it should help them. Most kids don't want to have to get used to an entirely new controler every time they buy a system (Take note Nintendo!, J/K), so using the baisic DS2 design wont kill Sony in the process.

I think the motion sensor idea is a somewhat good one, but I don't think it will work out as well as it did with the Wii.

 

[tha_con]

If they had jazzed it up abit by having like maybe a 2 tone colour scheme and see through crystal buttons it would be cool, imagine if like the triangle, square etc etc all lit up... and where suspended in glass!!! now that would be cool....... I would have been happy if they had just put the buttons from the PSP on......

see the problem is you can either use a tried and tested controller..... or try something new...... in all fairness it must have been a hard decision for sony to make....

biggest annoyance is no rumble.... all because of the court case as it has NOTHING to do with messing up the motion sensing... nintendos can do both!

Motion sensing anyway is the bigeest gimic ever!

You are incorrect, because the difference between the two technologies used is what allows nintendo to use rumble.

The Wii uses sensor technology, which determines the area of the TV that the wand is pointed at.

The PS3 uses gyroscopic technology, that merely determines the angle the controller is being held at, this is done by force of gravity, and nothing more. The problem with rumble and this technology, is it can shake the sensor, and create false input, which would hinder gampley.

Hope that clears it up for you.

 

[guska]

*crawls out from under his rock* Uhhh, guys this may be a really stupid question...but...what lawsuit are you guys talking about? Did Sony get sued because the vibrations gave someone RSI or something?

I like the new controller, and as has been mention umpteen million time before, i will miss the rumble! Also, I know it has USB charging, but can you use it while pluggd into USB? I dislike wireless controllers for the simple fact that always seem to go flat at the worst possible moment (and in games that dont auto pause)

 

[tha_con]

*crawls out from under his rock* Uhhh, guys this may be a really stupid question...but...what lawsuit are you guys talking about? Did Sony get sued because the vibrations gave someone RSI or something?

I like the new controller, and as has been mention umpteen million time before, i will miss the rumble! Also, I know it has USB charging, but can you use it while pluggd into USB? I dislike wireless controllers for the simple fact that always seem to go flat at the worst possible moment (and in games that dont auto pause)

It's hot pluggable, meaning you can plug it in, or unplug it, at any moment, without any interruption in performance or gamplay.

 

[KENJIusa]

Now go back under your rock

 

[amp88]

I'll wait until I play with it before I pass judgement. I'm not really bothered about the loss or the rumble effect anyway. Whenever I play with the DS2 (which isn't very often now) I turn it off.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I would love to know how sensitive this motion sensor is going to be. It's really gonna suck if you've got to keep it dead level while playing.

I also don't see why the rumble and motion sensor can't be alternated between. I understand that they can't work at the same time but seperatly should be an option, unless it really is all about the amount of space available in the DS casing.

Another thing is, is there the possibility of expansion through the USB port? Perhaps a bolt on rumble feature or maybe even a screen for small read outs?

 

[Robin]

You are incorrect, because the difference between the two technologies used is what allows nintendo to use rumble.

The Wii uses sensor technology, which determines the area of the TV that the wand is pointed at.

The PS3 uses gyroscopic technology, that merely determines the angle the controller is being held at, this is done by force of gravity, and nothing more. The problem with rumble and this technology, is it can shake the sensor, and create false input, which would hinder gampley.

Hope that clears it up for you.

Actually, thankyou for clearing that up because I didnt really see the difference, now i know they use a different method to create a similar feature (that would explain that sensing bar that the wii has to have on top of a tv). Sony could have just used that!

But this raises another question (which was asked earier aswell)...... will the PS3 games be rumble compatable if you choose to use the DS2 instead. Im sure lets say if you bought GT5 I bet if you wanted to use the DS2 they would have rumble programmed into the game.

 

[Omnis]

Do you guys think they'll release the boomerang anyway? Nobody even tried the damn thing, and they already ditched it. I'd like to get my hands on one, just out of curiosity.

 

[Poverty]

I think motion sensing will flop. All the things Ive played that used motion sensing sucked. Imagine if you just want to lie back and play games, you cant do that with motion sensing ones.

 

[Solid Lifters]

I think motion sensing will flop. All the things Ive played that used motion sensing sucked. Imagine if you just want to lie back and play games, you cant do that with motion sensing ones.

I'm sure they'll let you turn it off. You can with rumble.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I'm sure they'll let you turn it off. You can with rumble.

But will you have to use motion sensor in order to free up the other buttons for extra controls?

 

[G.T]

But will you have to use motion sensor in order to free up the other buttons for extra controls?

That's what I thought. You might NEED the motion sensor to be able to do certain moves or something.

 

[JFM92_GTRacer]

I can live without the vibrations. I love the new controller and i'd cant wait to try them out when i get it.

 

[slackbladder]

I could'nt say if I will like the PS3 controller. I'll probably have no choice but I will miss the rumble.
I can see how the rumble motors would effect the gyroscopics, but why not have the controller so that when the rumble is on the motion is off and vice versa as has been mentioned?

The 360 pad is very comfortable, the buttons are'nt too hard (like they were on the Xbox) and the triggers have more give in them. however the d-pad is terrible, particularly on Oblivion where I end up casting the wrong spell because the d-pad is so in-exact. It's aldo a bit on the heavy side.
I'm hoping that the PS3's pad which is supposed to be more sensitive will be better.