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.

Oh great lorf of the mighty rumble, the DualShock 3 has finally been spotted on US retailer soil. The one above caught the attention of Stephen at a Maryland Circuit City. Now best get on the horn with your local big box, no telling how long supplies will last.

[Thanks, Stephen B.]

We'd been hearing that the DualShock 3 wasn't supposed to land until April 15th, but apparently Sony decided that getting gamers good and buzzed couldn't wait until Tax Day -- the official PlayStation Blog says the vibration-enabled controllers will hit US stores next week. There's a new DS3-compatible logo for rumble-compatible games, and quite a few titles will be getting updates to support the new controller. Everyone got their $55 together? Sweet, now all we need is an early release of MGS4.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Read - PlayStation Blog announcement
Read - Full list of compatible games

Sure, you've been able to get a DualShock 3 on the gray market for a while now, but it looks like that "early 2008" rumor was spot on -- Sony just announced that vibration-enabled version of the SIXAXIS is due to arrive in North America in April 2008 for $55, along with that new 80GB PS3 SKU. We doubt much will have changed from the Japanese version we've already played with -- if you can't stand the anticipation the whole gallery is right here.

While it wasn't as though our Tokyo bureau was blessed with PS3 firmware 2.0 way in advance of us poor saps in the States, they certainly were among the first in the world to snag the retail release of the most controversial next-gen controller, MIA since launch in late 2006 until now: Sony's DualShock 3. (In ceramic white, no less!) It's nothing you haven't already seen here on Engadget, but feel free to inspect the package porn in the gallery below, letting waves of envy wash over you as that ¥5,500 ($50 US) burns a hole in your pocket. But hey, no reason to get too worked up, after all what possible need could your next-gen PlayStation have for the hottest "last-gen" feature on the block?

Sure, 2.00 might sound like a magical milestone, but in reality there's not a whole lot here that's going to revolutionize your gaming experience, and sadly nothing yet to bring online communication and play to parity with Xbox Live and Xbox's handy dandy dashboard. That said, Sony is strengthening some of the PS3's unique features, like the new Remote Start function that lets you fire up your PS3 remotely when you're accessing it with your PSP, and playlists for music and photos. One of the biggest "additions" is DualShock 3 support, but that's so laughably last-gen that it's hardly worth noting. Sony is also packing in the ability to create and share your own Themes for XMB, and a news ticker that will eventually make way for the importing of your own RSS feeds. Sony also added a new XMB group to the main menu to pave the way for Home and other internets-friendly features, and -- oddly enough -- Canon printer support to really round out the package. The update will be available in the States tomorrow, November 8th.

Update: PS3 Fanboy has some exclusive screenshots of the new interface.

[Via Joystiq]

Nope, not an early sign of cataracts, you're looking at Sony's ceramic white 40GB PS3 and DualShock 3 controller just loosed in Japan. Like its European 40GB cuz, the CECHH00 Series PS3 aces the backward compatibility, memory card slot, and 2x of the 4x USB slots in favor of a low, low ¥39,980 (about $341/€242) price tag when it ships on 11 November. The DualShock 3 wireless rumbler (sold separately) first revealed at Tokyo Game Show hits shelves the same day for ¥5,500 or about $47/€33. Yes, both the PS3 and DualShock 3 are available in black if you're feeling the ebony over new-school ivory.

[Via Akihabara News]

Kaz Hirai has come to the Tokyo Game Show bearing good news indeed: Sony's finally putting out a SIXAXIS with rumble, the DualShock 3. The controller will look exactly like the SIXAXIS, and is going to be hitting Japan this November, and North America and Europe in spring 2008. A few games in development have the function already, including Metal Gear Solid 4, and existing games can be updated with rumble over the PlayStation Network. Of course, the beans were spilled by EA earlier today, and Kaz says Sony let developers know about the controller as soon as it was decided upon, which would explain all the other leaks over the year. What Sony has constantly described as a technical difficulty stemming from the motion sensitivity of the controller has apparently been overcome, but it's still hard not to pin it all on that Immersion lawsuit no matter how much spin Sony puts on things. There's no word on price for the DualShock 3; official list of games that will use the DualShock 3 or get a software update to use it follows after the break.

The PS3 rumor mill is working overtime today, delivering not one, not two, but three whoppers that should have fans and foes alike feeling alive with pleasure. The first top-secret super-rumor comes direct from the BBC, a small, but fairly trustworthy news organization, who is reporting that Sony's game box will be getting a digital TV tuner (at least in the UK) which allows you to record your favorite shows à la TiVo, called PlayTV, which will also let you transfer those shows onto your PSP. Of course, this news was announced by Sony at their not-so-secret Leipzig Game Convention keynote, so you can probably bank on this one. Additionally, Sony has partnered with Britain's BT Group to bring video and voice telephony to the PSP via the Go!Messenger software, which is set to launch in January of 2008. In other, less official PS3 news, word on the street is that the DualShock 3 -- not the infamous SIXAXIS -- will be compatible with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, at least based on a second-hand report from the Japanese game magazine Dengeki PlayStation. The report has fueled suspicion that the new controller pictured in silhouette in recent GT5 ads is actually the DualShock 3, and that the controller will be made available coupled with a GT5 demo. We'll have to wait and see on this one, so try and stay tuned.

Read -- LGC07: SCEE announces PlayTV for PS3, "watch, record and replay TV shows"
Read -- BT, Sony unveil PlayStation with video calling
Read -- DualShock 3 rumbles with GT5 Prologue, Japanese gaming mag claims