dualshock-3
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Thrill as the DualShock 3 is unboxed!
Have you ever seen anything so ... boxed in your entire life? What wouldn't you give to see that hot little piece of rumbling plastic shed its outer layer to reveal the deliciousness within, like some sort of be-dual-sticked piece of electronic corn?... OK, so we can't claim to understand unboxing fetishists entirely, but we can at least try to make up for it by appealing to their basest desires. Engadget Tokyo has one of the first retail DualShock 3s and they're taking the clamshell off ... slow.
DualShock 3 launches in Japan, gets unboxed
Our Tokyo-based Engadget friend just sent us a nasty e-mail that went along the lines of "I have it, you don't SUCKAS." What are we talking about? The rumble-ready white DualShock 3 controller. Watch as he mercilessly opens the packaging, something Americans will have to wait until next year to do. Let's hope that the mighty blister pack gods will shame him with a cut or two as he undoubtedly tears apart the package with rabid glee.
Sony DualShock 3 unboxing: ready to rumble?
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?%Gallery-10105%
PS3 firmware 2.00 hits tomorrow
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]
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.
DualShock 3 imports to be scarce
Many flocked to various import websites when Sony announced the rumble-ready DualShock 3 at Tokyo Game Show earlier this year. However, it looks like production of Sony's long-awaited peripheral won't meet the mountainous demand for the controller. Quantities will be quite scarce, as seen by Play-Asia's pre-orders already being sold out: "this is a product with limited availability and our allocations have been pre-sold."Importer NCSX also expects demand to increase the cost of importing a controller. They have some advice for those that want a rumble controller: to wait. "If prices ratchet up too high, we'd advise patience since prices should eventually drop to normalcy within 2-3 weeks after the Japanese debut." Of course, if you're bothering to import a controller, chances are you want it as soon as possible.Sony has not yet set a date for a North American release of the controller. It is expected to debut some time in the Spring. The controller will retail for 5500 yen (appx. US$47).
European MGS4 rumble bundle planned "before Easter"
If we were to ask you what games you associate the most with rumble the chances are that a high percentage of you would mention Metal Gear Solid. We know Kojima Productions has a dedicated "Rumble Guy", so it seems only right that Metal Gear Solid 4 is bundled with the PS3 and the Dualshock 3 "before Easter". SCEE VP James Armstrong made public the company's desire to do so when speaking with Meristation.com, a Spanish website.Better than a new bundle announcement is the hint that both MGS4 and DualShock 3s will be out in Europe before Easter, separately. While this is all still very vague and "before Easter" could range from a month to a day before the holiday, we're going to remain optimistic that both will be released as soon as possible. Seeing as MGS4 is slated for a first quarter release, we're looking to see it hit the shelves by the end of March, at the latest. Seriously, Konami - March at the latest.
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]
We don't have to wait until 2008 for rumble, sort of
It's something that happened at TGS we were all a little concerned over. Sure, the DualShock 3 officially exists, but for some reason or other, it's not getting a release outside of Japan until spring of '08. Curious as to why this is the case, 1UP did a little bit of research and contacted Sony for a reason. Sony responded: "Given our production/manufacturing timeline we plan to introduce the new controller in Japan first and then release it in NA/Europe." It's vague, but we don't need to cry out in pain and reach for our pitchforks.The DualShock 3 will work on our systems if we import them. Sony says there's no reason for them not to work, although some of the games that will require retroactive patches (Resistance, Warhawk) probably won't get those patches until the controller officially releases in our respective territories. But newer games and old PS2 games can get the rumble as soon as you import. As Captain Planet would say, "The power is yours!" A bonus cookie to anyone who recites the Captain Planet theme song.
Haze injects nectar into controller, adds rumble
A cute new video for Haze highlights the PS3's newfound ability to rumble. How did they do it? Is it magic? No! It's nectar, the steroid-esque substance from the upcoming PS3 FPS. While some find it lame, we think it's a cute way of explaining the origins of DualShock 3.
Kojima Productions: DualShock 3 is better than DualShock 2
In spite of what Sony is officially saying, it appears that PS3's upcoming rumble-ready controller, the DualShock 3 performs better than the DualShock 2. Kojima Productions' Ryan Payton was grilled by 1UP about the new controller if "it's safe to definitively say that the rumble in the Dual Shock 3 is better than the rumble in the Dual Shock 2." The answer? "Absolutely, yeah. It feels better, and I think Shane experienced that too." Our hands-on time at TGS didn't reveal a significantly better rumbling experience, even when playing Metal Gear Solid 4. So, what's going on? Is it a placebo effect? Who should we believe? 1UP and Kojima Productions? Or Sony?
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; official list of games that will use the DualShock 3 or get a software update to use it follows after the break.
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
PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity
In a shocking turn of events, the PS3 controller has gone from banamerang to wireless DualShock 3, except without the DualShock name and vibration.If you take a good look at the back of the new control pad (see the close-up above), you'll notice that the DualShock 2 brand name imprinted on the old controller has now been supplanted by a row of LED lights to show which input has been set, either wirelessly or via the wired USB recharge port. Sony's now the only name in-line for PS3 controllers either on the pad or in the press releases (see "the new PS3 controller").
