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Final PlayStation 3 dev kit has arrived
Although the first PlayStation3 dev kits were nothing short of gigantic (similar to those PSP dev kits), it looks like Sony has released a "final" version -- one which doesn't exhale winds kin to a tropical storm and whine like a jet engine -- that's been tracked down and posterized. As expected, the juicy details here are few and far between, but at first glance it does seem to sport the obligatory optical Blu-ray drive, and on-hand reports stated that an alpha build of Full Auto 2 was among the data housed on the 80GB hard drive. Initial reactions were relatively positive, garnering praise for its sleek menus and "lag-free" play while connected to the PlayStation Network. The lucky few who wound up handling the not-yet-finalized controller dug the lightweight feel (thanks to the omission of a rumble feature), and noted that switching from wired to wireless modes was much snappier than the versions at (the final) E3. Unfortunately, no new information was leaked about titles in development, and no substantial secrets were unearthed, but hopefully that'll change pretty soon once these start making the rounds.[Via Game Informer]
Iwata on PS3's DualShake: It won't affect us
Whether it's the backing of an unorthodox console or just the sight of an opponent stumbling over a price tag, Iwata exudes a good deal of confidence in the interview where he shrugs off the PS3's knee-jerk addition of motion sensing capabilities. Mr. Iwata points out that having to hold the DualShake with both hands makes for a noticeably different experience. "There's a huge gap between the two, I can tell you, with that whole experience, so I really don't think that the inclusion of motion sensing into Sony's classic type of controller can affect in one way or the other the advantage that we have with the Wii controller." Though gamers will be pointing and yelling "thief" for a while to come, Iwata's calm reaction is probably the best illustration of what's really happening here. The PS3 controller has an extra feature (at the expense of rumbling) that, judging by the games we've seen so far, is unlikely to become the primary form of input as it has with the Wii. The types of games on the two systems are thus likely to be different enough to dismiss any sort of suggestion that Sony is somehow stealing from and encroaching upon Nintendo's market. It's important to keep in mind that the functions of a controller, whether they be motion sensing or sensual massaging, are pretty worthless without games that make proper use of them. (That excludes the original Xbox controller. It made for an exceedingly effective blunt weapon.)
