Over a year (yeah, really) after this thing was originally announced, Nyko has finally slid the final piece in place in order to offer up the rumbling, bumbling Zero Wireless PS3 controller to end users. Granted, the version hitting shelves as we speak does include rumble, but since you've waited this long, you're probably better off getting the real deal when it lands in April -- for $5 less. Still, those who actually prefer 3rd party kit can look forward to being $59.99 poorer and receiving 25 hours of play on a full charge, LED-backlit buttons, "heat-dissipating aluminum panels (saywha?)," and your choice of black, white or silver.

[Via Joystiq]

We were just alerted to an "easter egg" of sorts hidden in plain site in the text of the PS3 firmware 2.01 update released on November 20th. It's not much, but an asterisked notation for "Vibration Function" says that the DualShock3 will be "Available for purchase in early 2008." Goodish news for those of you having trouble acquiring the rumbler from Japanese importers.

[Thanks, Arun]

Everyone's favorite last-gen feature is just about ready to make its grand appearance on the PS3: although firmware 1.94 hasn't been officially released yet, ShackNews is reporting that copies of Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction contain an updater to Sony's latest code, and it provides support for the rumblin' DualShock3 controller due out in Japan in November and in the US sometime this spring. No word on what other updates 1.94 provides, but it's not like anything else is even close to as important.

[Via Joystiq and Tech.co.uk, thanks sk]

If you're a publisher trying to keep mum about a "brand new" controller functionality from Sony, it might be best not to put those controllers into the hands of members of the press and set 'em a rumblin'. The big sticker on the back that says "RUMBLE" doesn't exactly help either. IGN spotted the new, much rumored version of the SIXAXIS while at a pre-Tokyo Game Show event, playing a demo of Burnout Paradise. IGN says the controller is notably heavier than the SIXAXIS, but otherwise looks identical, and the rumble was comparative to a PS2 controller. An announcement is expected tomorrow at Kaz Hirai's keynote.

[Via Joystiq]

Man, Sony must really love teasing us: just a couple days after we got word that rumble-enabled SIXAXIS controllers were leaking out to developers, Sony's director of corporate communications Dave Karraker told GamePro that the company has "not added rumble [to PS3], and have no announcements regarding this feature." That's a non-denial denial, if you ask us -- way to be sly, Sony. Karraker also confirmed that updated SIXAXIS controllers with refined motion-sensing features were shipping out, but characterized that as "part of the normal development and evolution of controllers." Here's hoping the SIXAXIS evolves itself a rumble unit sooner rather than later.

[Via PC World]

We've been expecting SIXAXIS controllers to get their shake on ever since Sony and Immersion settled that little patent dispute of theirs, and that glorious day seems like it's inching ever closer, with game-industry gossip blog Inner Bits reporting that rumbling SIXAXIS prototypes are already in the hands of developers, and that they'll be unveiled in two to three months -- or whenever Sony's happy with developer support. Inner Bits is also saying that updated SIXAXIS units with refined motion-control features are already starting to filter onto shelves, so it looks like the controller devs at Sony have been busy the past few months.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

While there may be one very obvious Sony gaming peripheral that's screaming out for a rumble feature, that hasn't stopped modders from looking at adding the functionality to other Sony gadgets. A modder by the handle of FOO-f00 has given the PSP a basic rumble feature through a bundle of wires and circuitry that somehow translates the speaker volume into a signal that a motor can use. FOO-f00 made it so it only activates once a high enough pitch is reached, but we'd imagine the result is far from a perfect rumble feature. Still, the project is very much a proof of concept: and an awesome concept at that.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Those with loads of disposable income probably wouldn't mind ponying up for the relatively inexpensive rumble cartridge made specifically for Nintendo's DS Lite, but the frugal (and engineering) sets will certainly appreciate Xyzzy's efforts. After dissecting a Pokemon Pinball GBA game and ripping the rumble motor from a salvaged Nokia 5100, he put his circuitry knowledge to work and conjured up a rumble device that fit flush in the DS Lite and cost him nothing more than a little blood, sweat, and tears. Be warned, however, that this guide isn't for the faint of heart (or those who don't natively speak in 1s and 0s), but feel free to tag the read link and get busy if you dare.

[Via Joystiq]

Don't look now, but here we have yet another crop of details on Sony's (still) forthcoming rumbling SIXAXIS. In a recent interview with Kaz Hirai, he mentioned that Sony is currently looking at "a variety of other things [besides rumble] that it can incorporate with the controller," and while he wasn't giving out specifics, he did say that we could look forward to any enticing announcements in due time. He also declared that the controller itself was an "evolving peripheral," and piqued our interest even more by suggesting that the existing model would not be "the final model for a PS3 controller." If nothing else, we're utterly relieved to know that conjuring up a controller for the PlayStation 4 will be a piece of cake -- getting a first-party rumbling version for the PS3, however, still seems to be an issue.

[Via Joystiq]

It's all coming so fast. No sooner does Sony fess up to August price cuts than we start hearing tell of a response from the 360 camp, and now it sounds like Sony has even more goodies for the PS3 faithful. First off is a Circuit City memo that got forwarded to us showing those price cuts indeed happening today. It'll get advertised next week, but if those shelf jockeys are doing their jobs, you should supposedly be able to walk into a Circuit City right this minute and walk out with a brand new 60GB PS3 for $499. To add further drama to the situation, people are taking clues from the 80GB PS3 box as proof of the inclusion of a "Rumblaxis" (fancy new word courtesy of PS3 Fanboy) controller being included with the new system that's set to launch in August. People are conjecturing the red light on the Home button is a clue to such rumble functionality, and eagle-eyed readers have also noted that the "Contents" section of the box has more text describing the SIXAXIS item than can be found on the 60GB box. To be honest, we're not spotting the difference, but feel free to make up your own mind with the links provided below. Check out the Circuit City memo after the break.

[Thanks, Vagrant Pistol]

Read - Red light Rumblaxis theory [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Read - Contents flap Rumblaxis theory [Thanks, Jeremy]
Read - Original box photos

Managed to not entirely forget that Sony owes us all a rumbling SIXAXIS or two? If so, you may actually be delighted to hear that the end result could be quite the device if whispers stemming from the latest issue of PSM France are to be believed. Reportedly, the forthcoming controller will not only sport a vanilla rumble, but it will also boast a "touch sense" feature that allows rumbles to emanate from specific locales on the device. Additionally, the shakin' is said to be "more powerful and more intense" than prior renditions on the PS2, which means that the 90-pound wusses in the crowd best get to the weight room, and programmers are purportedly working to enable shorter bursts of sensation to make even the most subtle of movements ones you can feel. Now, how's about a release date?

Looks like Microsoft, no slouch when it comes to lawsuits, is heading back to court for another round of player-hating, he-said-she-said proceedings with Immersion (no stranger to the court system itself). The case seems a two-way deal stemming from a 2002 Immersion patent infringement suit, in which Microsoft paid $26m to settle the case and buy a piece of the business; apparently Immersion hasn't honored a clause stating that Microsoft is to receive some change in the event that Immersion and Sony settle, and the folks in Redmond want retribution: $15m minimum. Immersion, of course, thinks it's not required to pay out any such cash, leading one enraged Microsoft rep to shout into a hanging mic, "We will show Immersion the meaning of rumble!" No, not really, but we'd certainly plunk down to see Microsoft and Immersion counsel duke it out in the square circle instead of a stodgy court room.

[Via Gamasutra]

It's unlikely that we'll be the only ones thrilled to see this fiasco finally reach closure, and even though the dust has somewhat settled, the PS3 faithful are still operating sans a first-party rumbling controller. Rumors may have suggested that such a device was indeed getting ready to launch in the not too distant future, but according to a blurb at Inner Bits, battery life could be holding things up. While it doesn't come without a tad of salt, Sony is reportedly "facing some difficulties with regard to battery life," as sources supposedly mentioned that "the rumble and wireless support" were causing the batteries to "drain too fast to be acceptable for consumers." Of course, there's always the third-party alternative if you're not picky, but those holding out for the real deal could be waiting a tick longer if this proves true.

[Via Joystiq]

Why Logitech decided to eschew a "next-gen" feature for a "last-gen" one in its newest PS3 controller we'll never know, but the esteemed peripherals manufacturer is nonetheless poised to loose its rumble-tastic, accelerometer-free Cordless Precision for PlayStation 3 on the gaming world. IGN got a first look at the SIXAXIS competitor, and while they appreciate the build quality, battery life, and solid wireless connection, the lack of motion sensing, crappy D-pad, and absence of Bluetooth-related functionality (the Precision requires a USB dongle to communicate with the console) aren't worth the ten dollar discount you're getting when compared to a first-party offering. Plus, now that Sony and Immersion have finally made nice, you're bound to see some Bluetooth gamepads incorporating both force feedback and tilty goodness in the very near future.

[Via Joystiq]

Man, hasn't this one been a rollercoaster? After months in the courtroom, large sums of money being resentfully exchanged, and Immersion laughing all the way to the bank, it seems like the two firms have finally got over their beef with one another and are ready to make things happen -- officially. This slowly developing friendship has been waiting in the works for some time now, but according to a reported blurb by Sony's US PR head honcho Dave Karraker, the company is "currently in discussions with Immersion on how it can incorporate their technologies into Sony's products," but unfortunately, he concluded by informing us that "no timetable was set." Still, the inclusion of rumble features on PSOne and PS2 dual shock controllers in the latest PS3 firmware all but substantiate the post-lawsuit relationship, so we can't imagine (okay, so we can) this debacle dragging out too much longer.

[Via PS3Fanboy]