DUAL SHOCK 3 CONTROLLER COMING APRIL 15TH
Kotaku is reporting that Sony has announced they will be releasing the DualShock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 on April 15th of this year. As the name implies, the controller (priced at MSRP $54.99) will finally bring vibration feedback to Sony's console, eliminating one of the bigger complaints about the system.
At the $54.99 price point, I certainly don't see myself replacing both of my Sixaxis controllers, but I'll certainly grab at least one to serve as my "main" PS3 controller shortly after they become available. How about you?
- DualShock 3 Dated For US – Kotaku
MICROSOFT SUES IMMERSION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT
How’s this for a twist? Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against Immersion stating that the company is in breach of the contract the two companies signed when they settled Immersion’s vibration feedback lawsuit against Microsoft back in 2003. Apparently the dispute comes down to certain monetary compensation Microsoft was supposed to receive as part of their purchasing a stake in Immersion at the time.
Quite humorously, ArsTechnica is reporting that at least part of the dispute comes down to Microsoft feeling they are entitled to part of the money that Sony paid out to Immersion when they lost the patent infringement suit brought in regards to the haptic vibration technology used in the Dual Shock controller.
“The complaint details the Sublicense Agreement (SLA) that Microsoft and Immersion entered into in 2003, following the settlement between the two parties. According to the complaint, the SLA entitles Microsoft to a minimum $15 million payment as a result of Immersion’s settlement with Sony. Microsoft and Immersion apparently agreed to share the bounty that would stem from a court battle with Sony, and Microsoft says they have yet to be paid.” – ArsTechnica
The lawsuit shouldn’t have any bearing on Microsoft’s license to use Immersions vibration technology with the Xbox 360, so doomsayers on that end should probably be ignored. For more details on all the specifics, check out the full article over at ArsTechnica.
SONY SETTLES IMMERSION LAWSUIT – RUMBLE TO FOLLOW?
Gamespot is reporting that Sony has finally settled with Immersion Corporation on the vibration feedback patent dispute case that most believe resulted in the Sixaxis controller not supporting vibration feedback. In addition to settling the dispute over the patent infringement issues with the PlayStation 2 and Dual Shock Controller, Sony has also entered an agreement to work with Immersion on bringing "advanced vibration feedback" to the PlayStation 3;
"Our new business agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment is specifically intended to enable advanced vibration capability for the benefit of the PlayStation gaming community, we are happy to provide our technology in this regard and hope to make technical proposals very soon with respect to use of our technology in the PlayStation products." – Victor Viegas, CEO Immersion Corporation
Let me go on the record right now as saying I don’t care what anyone else may say about having to buy additional controllers, should Sony roll out vibration feedback, unless Sony does something exceptionally stupid , I’ll be more than happy to purchase 2 new controllers for my PlayStation 3 if it means that I can get some rumblin’ action.
- Sony and Immersion Patch Up – Gamespot
IMMERSION SURVEYING GAMERS ABOUT VIBRATION FEEDBACK
Those crafty devils at Immersion are sponsoring a survey which apparently is geared towards convincing Sony that they really need to re-think their stance on vibration feedback and the Playstation 3 controller. While it at first appears as just a survey about how the participants feel about the use of vibration technology, it quickly becomes a bit more pointed to the Playstation 3 and it’s lack of that feature. Let’s take a look at one of the questions, shall we?;
“If rumble is removed from the PS3 console, your PlayStation or PS2 games also may not have vibration when played on the PS3. How would the lack of rumble in the whole console affect your decision to buy the PS3?
I would definitely not purchase a PS3 without rumble
I would be more likely to purchase an Xbox 360 with rumble
I would be more likely to purchase a Wii with rumble
I would buy a PS3 anyway, but I’d be disappointed
It would not affect my decision at all
Other, please specify “ – Immersion Survey
You’ll note how it’s a bit slanted towards the negative end of the spectrum, which pretty much would guarantee Immersion gets the results they want. They may as well have titled the survey “Just drop the appeal and license the technology already“
Check out the full survey here and be sure to let them know what you think. Who knows, it could actually help Sony decide that they do need to bring vibration back into the equation – I mean, what are they going to do if Sega decides they want to release a high-definition version of Rez with a Trance-Vibrator? (ed- For the record, that Trance-Vibrator link may not be safe for work – you have been warned.)
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