Sony's Wiimote competitor to come as break-apart DualShock 3?

So GamesIndustry's got word that Sony's supposedly-forthcoming Wiimote competitor is taking shape as something that sounds a lot like a break-apart DualShock 3, which would split down the middle and be used as two independent halves. Because that's really what the PS3 needs, is another kind of controller. Seriously, do they really think any new device will be greeted warmly by the PlayStation fans they first disappointed with the SIXAXIS, and then bullied into paying $55 for a DualShock 3 (and only because they spent so much time fighting Immersion over the money they clearly owed in the first place)? There's a chance we could find out at this year's E3 if this controller really is in the works, but it's a small one as they're still trying to help people get over the DualShock 3 hump, after all.

[waingro @ Jun 13th 2008 10:16PM]

please god no

[rafa @ Jun 13th 2008 11:18PM]

You've got your wish: http://kotaku.com/5016289/rumor-details-on-sonys-motion-controls-no-break+apart

"An anonymous industry source has told Kotaku that reports of a "break-apart" motion controller for the PlayStation 3 that splits into two parts are not entirely accurate."

[james @ Jun 14th 2008 12:33AM]

How was Immersion owed money? The filed for the patent on force-feedback in 1997
"No. 970953 filed on 11/14/1997"
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6300936.html

which is 3 years after the playstation came out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation

Sony got screwed somehow and Immersion should have never won

[james @ Jun 14th 2008 9:59AM]

Oh I forgot the playstation one didn't have rumble in the beginning, but the N64 had the rumble pak nearly a year before Immersion even filed for a patent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_Pak

how do you file for a patent on something that already exists and actually get awarded the patent?

[Marrvia @ Jun 14th 2008 12:49AM]

james, Dualshock wasn't launched with Playstation. It came out 3 years later after Playstation was released.

[gabe @ Jun 13th 2008 10:20PM]

a controller than only a Sony fanboy would love!

[ryan.sahb @ Jun 13th 2008 11:35PM]

And that makes total sense.

COMRADES, ME MUST ABOLISH SONY'S PRODUCTS, THEY ARE A DANGER TO THE MOTHERLAND

[ryan.sahb @ Jun 13th 2008 11:35PM]

shit, we :P

[DeoWulf @ Jun 14th 2008 12:06AM]

Considering some of the posts I've seen on gaming blogs from Sony fanboys, it might be the other way around.

Seriously, I have heard something to the effect of:
"LONG LIVE THE PS3! WE WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS! ONE DAY EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD WILL OWN A SONY SYSTEM!"

I am not kidding.

[B-Mo @ Jun 14th 2008 6:14AM]

Well DeoWulf, I do kinda want one for MGS4 and Warhawk... will you buy me one? It'll be one step closer to the goal...

[v3xx @ Jun 13th 2008 10:25PM]

lol sony. just the name alone brings thoughts of crappy xplod car audio and proprietary devices. they should stick to 1 or two markets and make something decent.

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 14th 2008 2:58AM]

So I guess you are suggesting they should get out of the gaming business, or the PC business, or the TV business, or music, or movies, or... oh well the list goes on. If you want something to make you happy at night, you can sleep well knowing Sony is still losing a lot of money on the PS3.

I don't think people release how many different divisions Sony really has and how differently managed each one is. It is easy to lump "Sony" as one whole company, but at least in this case try to think of it as "Sony Computer Entertainment". Also I would cry if they released another controller that is suppose to be the new standard. They finally got things as right as they should be with the DS3, if anything they should strive to make their controllers more like Microsoft's than Nintendo's (I still hook up my Xbox1 controller for some PC games/emulators because my hands don't start to ache after some heavy button mashing some games require).

[DeoWulf @ Jun 13th 2008 10:30PM]

Sounds like the original Gyration (the company Nintendo bought to make the accelerometers in the Wiimote) concept.
http://img.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/101174/gyropod_concept_art_teaser_qjgenth.jpg

[JoeBlow @ Jun 13th 2008 10:37PM]

That's some fine non partial reporting, Lou.

[Wii60 @ Jun 13th 2008 10:38PM]

Dude, that's actually pretty freaking sweet. I wonder if it will be as cool in practice.

[Ace b @ Jun 13th 2008 11:47PM]

it probably wont.It is Sony we're talking about.
And this is coming from someone who actually likes them.

[kingofwale @ Jun 13th 2008 10:44PM]

>Seriously, do they really think any new device will be greeted warmly by the PlayStation fans they first disappointed with the SIXAXIS, and then bullied into paying $55 for a DualShock 3


ABSOLUTELY, Ryan, time to take off your fanboy glasses and realize that Sony fans LIKE rumble, and the only one BULLIED was Sony for having to work out a deal before getting rumble back.

And yes, as an editor of a tech website, innovation (whether it will work or not) should definitely be discouraged like you just did. no?

[Phour ZwanZig @ Jun 14th 2008 12:38AM]

Not really, if you think about it guys.. I mean, how many versions of the controller do they need.. If they would have just payed the royalties then they wouldve had rumble from the get-go.. Instead it comes out of the customers pocket.. Even thou ppl bought them and were happy about rumble, go back the the posts about it comming out.. PPL were pissing and moaning about spending more money on a controller than should have been with the system from the get-go.. Its not the bloggers fault. If I had a PS3, I know I wouldnt be happy..

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:10AM]

The PS3 has two different official controllers, one that improves on the first and both were made to always work wirelessly (of course there is a media remote, but it's only for people who want to make some functions faster and is not necessary).

Yes, people bitched at the time the DS3 was released because they probably had already spent money on other controllers, or at the very least had one controller that didn't rumble. I'm sure 1st Gen iPhone owners wish they had 3G, GPS, etc and I've seen plenty of those people complain too.

Finally, should Sony have paid for royalties upfront before releasing a new system like Nintendo and Microsoft did? Yes. Should they have had to pay? No, but the patient system is horribly fudged up and they ended up doing something instead of living us with nothing. Plus developers were able to go back even to the launch title days and add rumble support.

I don't even like the idea of a new PS3 controller, but I don't agree with what you said either.

[Jimbo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:17AM]

phour, that Immersion lawsuit was seriously bunk. It was filed in the notirously corrupt Eastern District of Texas, where the patent judge's son makes millions because if you hire him as a lawyer, his dad will have a conflict of interest and your company can't get screwed by the insane procedures in that court. If you don't pay his son exorbant sums of protection money, then you're screwed.

Sony knew they were fighting a losing battle, but also knew if they bend over to every patent troll, being such a leader in invention of technology, they'd lose theirr business. So they fought.

It's worth noting that at the time of the Sony lawsuit, a major investor in Immersion was Microsoft. And Microsoft got a lot of the money Sony had to pay. But Microsoft had said in court many times that Immersion's lawsuit was bullshit (which it was). It's insane to say that a force feedback patent (which is different from rumble) that came out later than rumble, covers rumble.

The writer here clearly did not give the issue a fair discussion. I don't know why he decides to state his conclusions in such an egregiously dishonest manner.

I don't like that I'd have to buy another controller for the PS3, for sure. I know the Eye isn't well supported even though so much potential exists, and the Sixaxis function, though a pretty damn good tech, gets terrible support sometimes. Of course, it's probably even worse on the wii. But this story is typical anti-Sony FUD. Peripherals on the PS3 are pretty damn cheap in many areas, and online support is also cheap. Sony's not ripping gamers off when compared to Nintendo and MS.

I seriously think that if Sony came out with wii-sports tomorrow, and Nintendo hadn't, this editor would pan it as terrible, and a flock of sheep would agree.

[Kiv @ Jun 14th 2008 2:25PM]

How innovative is it really when taking into account the wiimote? Not that I am saying, "Oh Nintendo did that first, nobody is allowed to do that ever." Just sayin, it's not like they are doing something ground breaking that should be praised as if it were some magnificent innovative invention.

[chris @ Jun 15th 2008 11:12AM]

The wiimote's innovative? Have you heard of the NES zapper? '84. So the wiimote recognises a line of light instead of a box of light. Yes their is more to the wiimote. 24 years have also past.

[Kris S. @ Jun 13th 2008 10:46PM]

Whoever came up with that drank a nice, big glass of FAIL before going to work.

[J. Evans Turner @ Jun 14th 2008 10:25AM]

You're fooled by Engadget's whipped-up Photoshopped image? Shouldn't the speculative nature of the article tell you that it's not a real image?

Sheesh.

[strang @ Jun 13th 2008 10:47PM]

I wish SONY would just standardize their controllers. I still haven't bought a Dual Shock 3 yet.

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:12AM]

Standardize as in how? Do you mean release the bluetooth profile so 3rd party developers can develop controllers without the need for a USB plug-in or dongle? Because every console has multiple controllers. If you buy a DS3 now I don't think you will be missing out on anything.

[grull27 @ Jun 13th 2008 10:48PM]

I don't think so.

[Abuzar @ Jun 14th 2008 12:40AM]

Is this Clak in disguise?

[Sudo @ Jun 13th 2008 10:54PM]

My dreams of jigsaw puzzle controllers are even closer to reality.

[Fraser JK @ Jun 13th 2008 11:02PM]

I don't want this! Nooooooh! Please, no more controllers.

[jimmyink @ Jun 14th 2008 8:57PM]

THEN DON'T BUY IT!!

No one is putting a gun to your head you moron!

Pretty biased report if you ask me, I bet i can guess what console the writer supports...

[Bryan T @ Jun 13th 2008 11:05PM]

On paper, this sounds like a real neat concept. One moment you're driving a car or something, then you get knocked out of it and are forced to fight. you tear your controller apart and you now have two swords/lightsabers/guns whatever.

I like the idea!

But the real thing could be really different.

[Taylor @ Jun 14th 2008 2:21AM]

if half a Dualshock didn't look so ugly and unsymmetrical, then I'd be all for it

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jun 13th 2008 11:19PM]

McBunt, you're a moron.Sony the next time I tell you anything, I'd like some credit also

[David @ Jun 13th 2008 11:32PM]

I think he's drunk, we've all been there.
you get home from a night out, but you don't want to go to bed, you want to troll!

[Windzilla @ Jun 13th 2008 11:29PM]

Jeez

If your going to do motion do everyone a favor and copy the wiimote as closely as humanly/legaly possible. Improve if you can, but don't try and reinvent the whiil.

oh yea, i went there *SNAP*

i should rename myself stuck in the early 00's man

I could call myself Double aught

Yea *SNAP*

[kingofwale @ Jun 13th 2008 11:37PM]

yeah, because we all know Wiimote works fantastic right?

Heck, never had problem with the game not recognize the motion i was doing, no?

[DeoWulf @ Jun 14th 2008 12:10AM]

Perhaps you have problems with the accelerometers, but as far as ergonomics the Wiimote works much better than two halves of a Dualshock would. I can barely get a grip on the Dualshock when it's in once piece. I think the arms are too wide.

[scott @ Jun 14th 2008 2:06AM]

maybe you have small hands...

[Jimbo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:32AM]

deowolf, Sony isn't spliting a DS3 in half. That's just engadet making a funny photoshop. I'm sure it would be similar to the wiimote+nunchuck or two nunchucks... though I'm leaning towards at least one saber type controller. No one outside Sony has any idea what it will actually look like (if sony has decided yet). I think the Sixaxis could do fine if there was decent support. I also think the Eye could do what the Wii's light bar does, only much better, the the controller itself has an IR light in it. This is a well documented advantage.

The wii has so many controllers it is ridiculous. While every PS3 comes with a controller that can play all the games, the wii needs so many extra ones. The Classic, the Nunchuck, the wheel, the link's crossbow.... the wavebird perhaps. The wiifit just came out, after all.

And Sony catches the flak for a product it hasn't even made, while Nintendo gets a pass for doing a much worse job unifying its controllers, and also charges an arm and a leg for peripherals that don't even recharge. Why?

The wii has a lot of completely stupid peripherals like the wheel, and sony has a legit idea that is getting torn up to shreds. (I like the wii a lot, but you can't deny that they get a lot of money selling extra toys that don't add much).

Oh, that's right, AOL and MS are discussing future tie-ins in the wake of the failed Yahoo merger, MS has recently paid AOL $750,000,000, and AOL owns this site.

It's getting a lot more clear to me what's going on with this article. Heck, PS3 fanboy has only recently become favorable to the PS3 after months of bizarre trollish statements. I used to think FUD accusations were paranoia. I think it's actually a problem now.

[kiv @ Jun 15th 2008 11:19AM]

Jimbo, I don't agree with that. I only have the wiimote+nunchuck combo and that's basically all I use for everything. Generally, even if they release silly little addons, they are all pretty unneccessary and I never use them, even if they'd come with the game. I figure why try and adapt to different controllers when you can try and master the important one. Nowadays I can play while laying stretched out on the couch in the most comfortable of positions soley due to the fact that I don't have to keep my two hands next to each other to use a controller anymore.

That all said, I don't see why PS3 owners should be unhappy when a new controller comes out, it's not like you will need to buy it to keep using the system. It's just an unneccessary item that you might LIKE to get, but no one HAS to. New things always come out, no use grumbling about newer tech being better than older tech. (And if it's a terrible controller, then you REALLY dont have to get it @_@ )

That's how it's always going to be. How do you think someone feels when they spec out a new computer, then next month cpu's have twice as many cores or any other of the countless things that are changing in the computer business.

[Motoken @ Jun 13th 2008 11:32PM]

the wii had 3 diff controllers (wii fit board, nun chuck and remote, also some people prefer to use the game cube controller.) , why are we complaining about 2 controllers for sony?

still don't see the huge deal about rumble.... my friend came over to play warhawk and he did not even notice there was no rumble. (but then again i have an awesome sub woofer and sound system, you can feel it rumble the floor lol. )

[Metayoshi @ Jun 14th 2008 12:08AM]

The point, though, with Ninty's controllers, is that they are all used for different things, save the Classic Controller and Gamecube Controller which are nearly identical. You'd use the Wiimote by itself for one thing, i.e. Mario Kart, add in the Nunchuk for games that need the extra functionality, such as for Twilight Princess, use the Balance Board for a game like Wii Fit or We Ski, use the Classic Controller for playing SNES games on Virtual Console, and use the Gamecube controller for playing games like Smash Bros. Brawl.

The Sixaxis and DualShock 3 are the same controller with but one is with rumble. If Sony makes a split DualShock 3, as long as they make games that use it to its full potential, I'll be fine with it.

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:16AM]

Well they have made sure that dualshock support is being used in new titles and updated older games as well so I don't think they will release a controller that wouldn't be put to use. Heh if anything I'm surprised we haven't seen more use out of the Eye (I remember seeing lots of examples of scanning your face into games).

[xor24 @ Jun 14th 2008 4:06PM]

@metayoshi
finally someone with some common sense and plus if u really hate it u dont have to buy it so what difference does it make

[AWWang @ Jun 14th 2008 12:19AM]

Well this is rather odd.. I see a buch of people getting hurt by these controllers.. :)...

[LT73 @ Jun 14th 2008 12:27AM]

I say build Nunchuks they way there were intended to be built. Like serious nunchucks (sans the chain/rope of course). Not these silly misshapen (rectangular?!) dinky little things for the Wii. Please. The Wii. Just hearing the name makes me wanna heave.

I still don't know why our left and right analogs have to be stuck together in one controller. I would honestly prefer them apart. Two separate controllers, with two triggers left and right, and two buttons either side available to your thumbs (or something like that).

[Jon Graft @ Jun 14th 2008 12:59AM]

This would be, what...their 3rd controller? Should we go over how many different versions of XBOX 360 there are? More than friggin' 3. >_> This site is either filled with Apple fanboys (which is cool with me, Apple for life!) or XBOX fanboys (which need to just keel over and die...your system is shit)

[PsychoAnalYst @ Jun 14th 2008 1:47AM]

From what I can tell this site has two kinds of primary loud-mouthed morons;

A) Those who puff themselves up with all kinds of smug over how they saved $50 by buying some piece of crap that doesn't work properly, has vastly inflated operating costs and fails whenever you're using it for something intensive - they're likely to support Microsoft, Ford, Chevy etc.

and

B) Those who think that when you pay more for something, that thing is automatically better than it's competition by virtue of it being "of a higher calibre" than the competition. Such people tend to think that if you surround yourself with expensiveness it somehow reflects on you as a person. They're likely to support Apple, BMW, Mercedes, Sony, Bang & Olufsen etc.

[Kimosabi @ Jun 14th 2008 1:31AM]

Please...Please...Please redesign the shoulder triggers. The current ones on the sixaxis and the DualShock3 are terrible! They're too round, so your fingers are always slipping off, and they're in a poor position (put them lower!). I hope they're going to have a nice grooved trigger (i.e. Xbox360 controller). But one can only hope..