Sony: PlayStation 3 Lack Of Rumble Due To Cost
Published by Robert Staehlin October 4th, 2006 in Gaming, Sony, PlayStation 3.PS3 rumble would have been too expensive
The new PlayStation 3 controller does not include rumble because the cost would be so prohibitive, it would be a “huge disservice” to gamers, says Sony President Kaz Hirai. He is confident that it’s better to offer consumers motion sensing instead of a vibration feature.
“We felt that ultimately, the vibration feature, which is a feedback feature, as compared to the motion sensing which is an input functionality… when you compare the two, we decided that the input device is a lot more important that feedback, and that has been a strategic decision that we’ve made,” explained Hirai.
Avoiding the lawsuit won by Immersion over the very technology Sony is now rejecting, Kaz insisted that it cost was also a major factor in the decision.
“The issue is trying to isolate the vibration feature from the motion sensors. Is it technically feasible? Absolutely. But the balancing act that you need to do, is to be able to present the controller to the consumer at an affordable price. We have one controller in the box, but many consumers will want to go out and get an extra controller. To isolate the vibration from the sensing, if that means that the controllers are going to be so expensive, then we’re doing the consumer a huge disservice.”
Source: Kikizo
Playstation 3 sucks
the xbox 360 is the way to go
i hate sony’s attitude and the fact that all of the games for the playstation 3 are japanese anime games and thet crap about the controller
that motion senseing is just stupid it reacts with a 1 to 2 second delay
This is just another thing that will hurt Sony’s market share.
I feel bad for them…
Isn’t the price of the PS3 a huge disservice to the customer anyway?! I can’t imagine how motion sensitivity is going to increase the fun factor of most games, sure there will be a few dedicated titles, but nothing mainstream like Madden, Tekken, or Gran Tourismo.
The console costs $600, then you have to buy a HD cable in order to view your games in HD for another $100. Additionally, the PS3’s used for the TGS all were unstable and required constant rebooting. I don’t even think they were running playable games. Nyko’s “Intercooler” attachment is going to be available at launch for the PS3 which might indicate that it probably runs as hot, if not hotter, than the Xbox 360. All this and gamers are going to be so disapointed that the 360 games actually look better.
Keep in mind that Sony will have a VERY limited supply of PS3’s so if yours breaks it will probably take you 2-3mos to get a replacement. That’s if Sony doesn’t pull its “Rebooting 20x a day is within normal limits and we won’t replace these units” policy. Sony did the same thing with the large amounts of $300 PSP’s that had several damaged pixels on their LCD screens, stating that “damaged pixels are the norm for LCD screens and we won’t replace perfectly good units.” Luckily I knew a guy at a store and went through 5 PSP’s and had to eventually settle on one with pixels out in the corner of the screen out of view.
A history of losing format wars (UMD, Beta, MD), an overpriced console (3DO, Saturn, TG), an insanely faulty history in production (Laptop batteries, PSP LCD’s, now unstable PS3’s), and one of the worst customer services I have ever encountered…Where do I sign up!
Article about TGS overheating:
The company’s desperate claims that “it’s not a problem with the PlayStation 3 unit itself”. Sony spokeswoman Nanako Kato said that about 200 PS3 units were clustered together in close proximity at TGS 2006, and housed in kiosks that concentrated the heat generated by their processors and provided poor ventilation. She concludes by assuring us that “for a normal player at home, there shouldn’t be any problem”. Umm… “shouldn’t” or “wouldn’t”?…
i wouldnt buy an xbox 360, didnt feel next-gen and brought barely anything new to the market besides the updated xbox live - hardly ground breaking stuff; it looks and feels rushed, an xbox 1.5 - yes
ok wait on moment. How would rumble cost more than motion?
I mean rumble is a technology all ready developed whereas motion sensing would require millions of dollars of research and development at the cost of the consumers. It is completly illogical to say that motion sensing is cheaper to implement than rumble.
“the cost would be so prohibitive, it would be a huge disservice to gamers.”
A huge disservice to gamers is the AUD$1000 price tag.
The issue is trying to isolate the vibration feature from the motion sensors. Is it technically feasible? Absolutely.
Well than why dont you do it Sony? Nintendo has combined motion sensing, rumble and a speaker into one small control.
Sony has clearly become out of sync with the gaming community by seemignly attempting to create a class of haves and have nots with thier steep console pricing. And rather than attempting to expand the market like the other two companies through innovation in control, gameplay and online services sony appears to be trying to close the market down to hardcore gamers.
If I was the President of Sony I’d be firing the entire marketing teamand who ever else thinks that money can be made in a minority market.
VincibleAndy: That 1 to 2 second delay you speak of was on early preproduction models. From what I have seen lately there is NO delay now.
Hotshot: I don’t think you get it. They want to have motion and rumble BUT in order to isolate the vibration from the motion sensors would make the controllers very expensive to produce. Yes, Nintendo has both. BUT Nintendo’s motion sensor is IR based therefore NOT sensitive to vibration. It’s like the power glove all over again.
None of us have a PS3 yet. Until we do, and can compare them side by side, don’t you kiddies think it’s a bit premature to start claiming who has better graphics? Maybe the 360 will. Maybe the PS3 will. Noone outside of SONY knows for sure.
We will all have to wait for NOV. 17th.
HotShot
They didnt say that motion sensing is cheaper then rumble. They said that it would cost the consumer more to have both features on the controller. You say Nintendo has it on their controller but Wii isnt really “Next Gen” gaming. While its got some new technology in it its no where near that of the PS3 or even the 360. ITs more of a “off the shelf” technology.
You say the $600 price tag for the PS3 is a huge disservice but tell me this, where else will you find a BD player for under $1000 that also happens to be a next generation gaming console along with a bunch of other stuff?
Nothing is ever perfect at launch, but eventually the kinks will get worked out and the bottom line is that Sony isnt going anywhere. PS3 will outsill both Wii and 360 put together as long as their supply allows it.
Not that I want to sound like a fanboy, or like every other Sony basher on here, but Sony does make the better gaming console. Period. I have the xbox, the 360, never got into Nintendo’s latest because its just too “kiddy” for my taste. So while I do enjoy MS’s gaming consoles you have to be a fool to think that Sony will not be able to top them. Sony is not in the business of failure and in two years time you will see the PS3 outsell every other console out there combined.
Cosmo- Wii not next gen? Well please define what a next genreation console is than, becasue it is not graphics that define generations but the implementation and creation of technology which in turn creates a new gaming experiences. The most notable example of this definition was the jump form 2D to 3D.
“You say the $600 price tag for the PS3 is a huge disservice but tell me this, where else will you find a BD player for under $1000″
Tell me where I can buy movie on Blu-ray format and get a compatible 1080p LCD TV for under $5000. Otherwise DVD format is perfectly fine until prices for large LCD tv’s and blu-ray players tart to come down.
“Sony does make the better gaming console”…based on what, games?, Reliablity?
AAA titles for sony’s new console are very few and the launch line up is luckluster in terms of originality. Most developers are just porting games across both systems. Previous sony exclusive like GTA will now appear on Xbox 360 at the same time a PS3.
Sony and reliabilty are two words that dont really go together in the same sentance. Kmach put it perfectly…
“an insanely faulty history in production (Laptop batteries, PSP LCDs, now unstable PS3s)”
130 million PS2 isnt hard to imagine considering everyone had to replace thiers every 2 years.
certainly sony will beat 360 in Japan but it will be a hard sell to the rest of the world.
i bought my ps2 same day they came in stores in germany and it runs perfektly even today so i do not think you have to replace them every two years. you should clean dust from him!
I like the way Sony lies when they say they think it is more important to give the consumer motion sensors than rumble. If you remeber their original controller that looked like a boomerang had rumble, not motion. Then they were being sued by Immersion, for copyright infringement. Sony didn’t want to pony up the cash and make a deal with Immersion, so they came up with an alternate controller (ripped off from the wii) and told us consumers that they felt motion sensitivity was more important than rumble. Microsoft was also sued by Immersion, but they payed up so that consumers could keep their rumble controllers. I feel that what comes around goes around and Sony’s rampant lies are gonna come back and bite them.
Why is there such a huge need by owners of the X-Box 360 to bash Sony? And sometimes vice-versa…
I just bought the 360. I love it, great system.
I will also buy the PS3. If it is a good as the PS2 was in it’s own time, it will also be a great system.
Both of these systems are expensive compared to what the original systems cost.
Gaming has gotten expensive..
Deal with it or don’t do it.
Sony is completely comparable to the X-Box 360 in cost. So don’t even start…
I paid 400 for my system, (Yeah, I wanted the wireless controller and the hard drive!) another 50 bucks for the Live online. Another 50 for an additional controller!)
They, (X-Box) are shortly going to be offering their own HD drive( And by the way, Microsoft gets royalties off the computer software used in the PC versions of HD, so they support THAT system over Blu-Ray, And because to support Blu-Ray would mean support for rival Sony) 200 bucks…
They decided to add it, because they needed to compete with Sony having a built in High Def DVD player… Personally, I wish they had waited to get their system out and had it integrated. I hate an add on design. (Will I buy it? Yeah, an HD drive for 200 is a good deal, they go for 500 right now!)
However…
When I buy the PS3, it will cost me 600 up front, AND include the Blu-Ray.. Built-in!
Pay me now, pay me later..
The rumors of lock-up were rumors that surrounded the X-Box 360 at first also as I recall, the reason I waited to buy it till just now…
I think both of these systems are going to kick ass and offer a great new level of gaming for BOTH systems.
Support one, or support both…
But let’s not spread rumors and lies..
It does no one any good, and you may just be hurting a new system that deserves a chance.
No reason to feel threatened people.
X-box 360 is not going anywhere.
Neither is Sony or the PS3, so deal with it. Get over it. And enjoy these two hot new gaming consoles!
Sheesh!
Can we all just get along?
Sony claims that a controller with both motion controls and rumble would be too expensive, but I say give the consumers that choice. Offer one controller with and one without rumble with respective pricing. The original Playstation controller did not have analog control (or rumble I think), but it was offered at a later time. It is not too late for Sony to change their ways! They could have even made it an add on feature as was the Rumble Pak for the Nintendo 64 (although this would make the controller rather unsightly!). For me, the feedback associated with the rumble feature is an important element and is one of the inhibiting factors in choosing not to purchase the PS3 at this time. Price is not that important…if I want it, I will save and get it. Just give the CONSUMER the choice in what is important to gameplay and what is not.