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SIXAXIS being discontinued in America, still no sign of DS3s in Europe
Well hooray for that. It's about bloody time that Sony finally says that they're discontinuing the SIXAXIS controllers. They'd told Stephen Totilo of MTV exactly that, adding that once the current stock runs out (estimated to be sometime during the Summer) there will be no more. Presumably this means that DualShock 3s will be made standard pack-ins when buying a PS3. Again, it's about bloody time.Meanwhile SCEE are remaining tight lipped regarding any date for a European launch of the new rumbling controllers. We're hoping they'll hit before June, considering how big of a fan Kojima is of using the feature. There is a rumor that DualShock 3s will be hitting Europe a month from now, on May 2nd. If we hear anything more then we'll be sure to let you know.
DualShock 3 to shake the US next week
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 announcementRead - Full list of compatible games
DualShock 3 coming next week, compatability list revealed
America will be able to get its hands on Sony's DualShock 3 next week. A new post on the PlayStation.blog reveals which US titles are rumble-ready. It's been a long time coming for rumble fans -- let's just all forget how Sony touted rumble as a "last generation" feature.Future titles will feature a DualShock icon (featured, right) if they are compatible with the new peripheral. That's rather unnecessary, in our book. Why? Because we expect every game from this point forth to rumble when played on the PS3. That's the way it was always meant to be.
DualShock 3 to arrive in April for $55
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.
DualShock 3 to debut in April for $54.99
More news from the Destination PlayStation retailer conference: last-gen rumble is reportedly coming to North American PS3 controllers this April with the release of the DualShock 3. The unit should go on sale on April 15th for $54.99 (a $5 premium over the rumble-less Sixaxis), timed to coincide with the April 17th launch of rumble-capable GT5: Prologue. We've asked Sony to confirm this information.[Update: Press release just came over the wire confirming an April launch and the $54.99 price tag.]%Gallery-16981%
Rumor: Gamestop conference call mentions 120 GB PS3
Adding to earlier claims from an Ars Technica mole, IGN reports various sources have told the website that a recent Gamestop conference call reportedly confirmed the death of the 80 GB PlayStation 3 model. The sources also allege that in its place Sony will release a 120 GB version packaged with ready-to-rumble DualShock 3 controllers.Sony told IGN that any talk about new consoles iterations is rumor and speculation, and therefore no comment. We haven't seen any patents filed for a new PS3 model (each one has a different model number; see our fancy SKU chart), but the circumstantial evidence is starting to add up.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
DualShock 3 rumble works with PS2 games
Even if your PS3 doesn't work with PS2 games, apparently your fancy, imported DualShock 3 controller will. And that doesn't just include letting you spin two (count 'em!) two analog sticks while you're catching monkeys with a net. No, friends, you'll also be able to feel the visceral thrill of rumbling as you whack the monkeys with your stun club. ... Or, you know, play other PS2 games that don't involve catching monkeys. The DualShock 3's rumbling abilities with PS2 games, which only a few would have noticed by now, was apparently added by the PS3's 2.0 firmware.So the DualShock 3 is the newest gen of a next-gen peripheral now reaching back through time to accommodate a last-gen feature on last-gen games. But the only PS3s that support it will be those that play last-gen games, a feature that itself has become last-gen. We've honestly lost count of the layers of irony. Help us out here, Alanis.
DualShock 3 said to be in short supply from importers
It looks like those hoping to get a jump on the DualShock 3 action by importing one of the controllers from Japan may be in for some disappointment, as importers are now reportedly warning that stock could be "extremely limited." According to GamesIndustry.biz, Play Asia says that it's already filled all its pre-orders, and it's speculating that prices could "skyrocket" when the controller's released on November 11th. Some retailers are apparently even being advised by suppliers to only sell the controller with the purchase of a PS3 console, although it's not clear if anyone's actually going that far. National Console Support, however, says it expects prices to return to normal within two to three weeks of the Japanese launch, which would still give you plenty of time to taunt your friends with it before it's available 'round these parts.
PS3 firmware 1.94 to bring rumble support
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]
Play Wii games with a PS2 controller, consort with witches
GameCube adapters for PS2 controllers are nothing new, but this $13.70 one from UGame seems targeted to the Wii and, most importantly, has some wacky boxart. You should be well aware by now of our weak resistance to goofy packaging. They pull at us, whispering cryptic messages into our ears, like dead children trying to give us clues about their murderers.There are so many odd things going on in this UGame cover: The redhead witch in the flimsy blue dress is holding a golden Wii remote with an attached wand. Could it be some sort of Brando accessory that we haven't heard about yet? The schoolboy chasing the woman looks too happy for his own good. Perhaps class just let out? Or maybe the leggy sorceress hypnotized the salivating fool, leading him to what will surely be his grisly death. Above them, another young witch flies over the scene, straddling a torn PS2 controller cord fashioned into a broom. For reasons never mentioned, she is dressed as PaRappa. Past the post break, we've got a larger image of the box, a photo of the actual product, and Clarissa Sabrina, the teenage witch. Wiggle your nose and head over there.
Sony Japan's ceramic white PS3 and DualShock 3 announced
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]
TGS07: DualShock 3 unveiled, PS3 learns to shake, rattle and roll
At their Tokyo Game Show press conference today, Sony finally revealed how the PS3 got its groove back. Kaz Hirai announced that the DualShock 3 -- a Sixaxis controller with rumble -- will be out this November in Japan and Spring 2008 everywhere else. Future games, such as Metal Gear Solid 4, will incorporate rumble technology, while older titles can enable rumble through software updates. No price has been given, nor was there any discussion on whether the Sixaxis would be phased out.
Released PS3 titles may become rumble compatible
Following the not-so-surprising announcement of a rumble-ready PlayStation 3 controller, Sony sent out a press release to list all of the titles that are compatible with the new controller. The list features pretty much every title in the console's library except for flOw and Lair. Also mentioned in the press release is that "PS3 titles that are already in the market may become compatible with the rumble feature through software update." It sounds like a no-brainer, but we're hoping this means Sony will set the trend by updating all first-party games from Resistance to Heavenly Sword. For sake of being complete, we've alphabetized the list of compatible titles and posted it after the break.
Sony's DualShock 3 is finally official: PS3 gets rumble
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.
Sony's PlayTV turns your PS3 into a TV tuner / DVR, plus VoIP on PSP, DualShock 3 rumors
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 callingRead -- DualShock 3 rumbles with GT5 Prologue, Japanese gaming mag claims
DualShock 3 rumbles with GT5 Prologue, Japanese gaming mag claims
DualShock 3 will be compatible with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, allegedly reports Japanese publication Dengeki PlayStation. The sparse detail was provided by a NeoGAF poster (sans scan) rounding up the magazine's news and has fueled speculation that the gamepad silhouette featured on the official GT5 website (pictured above) is actually a DualShock 3, rather than the assumed SixAxis. With Prologue scheduled for October (in Japan), the next logical assumption is that DualShock 3 will launch alongside the dressed up demo. But these are uninformed guesses, folks. Let hearsay be hearsay until Sony speaks up ... maybe right now in Leipzig. (But probably not until TGS.)[Via PSPSPS.tv]
Playing Xbox 360 with your Wii remote
An adventurous and skillful modder has managed to turn a Wii remote into an Xbox 360 controller with middleware help from the PS2 control scheme -- it's as if all the console makers are working in harmony for this one hack. Try humming this to the tune of "Dem Bones" (actually, don't, because we're not even going to try to fit the rhyme scheme): The Xbox 360 is connected to the XFPS PS2 to 360 adapter ... which is connected to a big black box Microcontroller "with custom firmware emulating a PS2 controller" ... which is connected to a Samsung Q1 PC with custom Wii remote firmware ... which is connected via Bluetooth to the Wii remote itself. Full details of the process can be found here. A video demonstration is embedded after the break that not only shows the control scheme work with Halo 2 but also the thought put into making it a comfortable and viable control scheme (such as anti-acceleration and smoothing algorithms).[Via Engadget; thanks, Chris]
PSP patent presents possible DualShock / Sixaxis controls
Those of you disappointed by the PSP Lite's omission of a second analog nub may want to settle down into a comfy chair and peruse patent #0070174531 which envisions a "control docking unit" that could be "configured to accept a portable processing unit and provide alternate control operation of the portable processing unit." It's a stretch, but we think "portable processing unit" is patentspeak for "PlayStation Portable." Though the attached image above shows a DualShock, the patent specifies a "wired or wireless communication link" which gives us dreams of wire-free Sixaxis PSP control. Couple that with the PSP Lite's TV-out functionality and whaddya got? ... actually, it looks an awful lot like a PS2. But one you can take with you, so count us in.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Sony patent shows the SIXAXIS getting friendly with a PSP
So the PSP "lite" didn't exactly usher in a golden age of dual analog stick gaming that many Sony fans have been pining for, but it looks like a stop-gap savior might be in the works all the same. Sony has applied for a patent to hitch its DualShock or SIXAXIS controllers to the PSP as a sort of dock, allowing for wired or even wireless control of the PSP. Of course, dual analog control won't be much help on most PSP games, but gamers will be able to enjoy that downloadable PSX content as it was originally intended. That is, of course, if this harebrained scheme ever makes it to market.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Sony ups PlayStation 3 firmware to v1.7, PSOne titles not faring so well
Another PlayStation 3 firmware update, another list of issues. Unfortunately, this seems to be somewhat of a recurring theme, and while users may not have found issues with last month's refresh, the v1.7 isn't as kind. Reportedly, the latest update enables the PS3 "to play PSOne titles that are already saved on your PSP," but numerous sources are suggesting that the feature, um, doesn't work. On a lighter note, PSOne and PS2 dual shock controllers will now shake, rattle, 'n rumble when connected to your PS3, and those with PSPs sitting around can also hit up v3.4 (required for the PSP-to-PS3 playback) on their handheld machine. So, dearest readers, we'll point the question at you: is your recently update PS3 playing nice with those PSOne selections?[Via Joystiq, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
