 were not aware of Sony’s announcement that the rumble/vibration feature will be removed from the new PS3 controller and nearly six out of 10 gamers (58 percent) were disappointed with this news.”</p>
<p>More importantly, the study suggests this omission will cause buyers to skip the PS3 and go straight to an Xbox 360 (which already supports vibration controllers such as the Logitech pictured) or the Nintendo Wii.</p>
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Josh Goldman
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September 25, 2006
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Interesting study. I’ll miss Dual Shock, but not so much that I’ll pass up on Metal Gear Solid 4 or Final Fantasy XIII. Did the study ask participants about game choice, or was it like the one funded by Immersion?
If gamers haven’t picked up the xbox 360 the lack of vibration isn’t going to send them screaming to Microsoft’s arms like this study suggests. That’s like saying I’m going to get a bus pass because the car I want doesn’t come with heated seats.
I have to agree with FimShady. I will definitely miss the dual shock vibration feature because it just adds another sensory dimension to gaming. However, the absence of such a feature will not persuade me to choose another platform or dissuade me from buying the PS3. I hope Sony comes up with an alternative method to create vibration response in the controllers. Either way, I still buying the PS3 because of the gaming experience.
Is vibration ever a bad thing?
I don’t think so…
This study was funded by Immesion the company that holds all the patents regarding game vibration technology.
Disappointing, but I’m not getting a PS3 anyway.
The results of this study really aren’t all that surprising. Of course people are going to be disappointed with a feature present in all of Sony’s previous consoles suddenly being dropped. That said, the feature itself isn’t something I find to be a big deal (more often than not I find myself disabling it for many games because it can get annoying at times), and wouldn’t influence my decision on whether or not to buy the console. Now the price on the other hand, that’s another story…
I’m definitely a strong “hardcore” gamer that will miss the vibration function. It isn’t just the lack of vibration that changes the experience, but the controller as a whole.
The vibrating mechanism that the PS2 Dual Shock controllers had added weight to the controls, made them feel more sturdy. You felt like you had something with a little bit of power in your hands. And then the vibration kicked in and it added to that experience.
You have lighter controllers with the PS3. You will also be moving these controllers around. Its like moving a mouse on a mousepad. Not only that, but every other company (microsoft and ninentdo) paid off Immersion. Sony is the only one that hasn’t.
It won’t convince gamers to buy another platform. But it does make gamers think: “Hey, if you’re going to justify charging $600 for a console, then it better have everything all cheaper platforms have AND more.”
Some games actually depend on force feedback… When I got a Wavebird for my Cube, a lot of games simply didn’t feel right without the force feedback, or actually put gamers without force feedback at a disadvantage (Mario Party, for example).