SplitFish ready to get Sixaxis a'rumblin

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 30th 2007 at 7:15PM }

Our old friend SplitFish is in the news again, claiming to have developed a new dynamic force feedback system (read: rumble) that will work inside PlayStation 3's Sixaxis controller. SplitFish alleges that its technology does not violate Immersion patents, suggesting that Sony would not risk further legal troubles if the PS3 maker opted to use SplitFish's force feedback system.

If Sony did partner up with the Edmonton gang, it would mark the climatic moment of one of the industry's great success stories. Just over a year ago, SplitFish was peddling 3D-glasses for PlayStation 2 among the cluttered stalls at the Sands CES Showroom in Las Vegas. Now the company is a Kutaragi signature away from redefining the PS3 controller? Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves ... Perhaps glideFX-2.0 is more likely.

See also: Dual Shake may rumble still

Tags: Force Feedback, ForceFeedback, PS3, Rumble, Sixaxis, SplitFish

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tom @ Jan 30th 2007 7:25PM

None of this matters if developers don't code their games to support rumble. Hate to point out the obvious but I mean, like, duh.

mountain_rage @ Jan 30th 2007 7:31PM

Well dual-shock still did quite well on the playstation regardless of not having support from all games. It basically comes down to the fact that you don't need rumble to play games so adding it as an afterthought still works.

ShortFuse @ Jan 30th 2007 7:37PM

True, sony could make a "6-axis shake" for the ps3. you can say "no, it's too late now" but that's not true

when the PS1 came out it didn't have analog sticks and then the dual shock came out. ps1 games were then made to support the analog stick but they weren't mandatory.
For example: FFVII doesn't support analog sticks but FFVII and FFIX do.

And Rumble isn't a game critical thing. So it won't make or break a game. I know a lot of people that turn it off when they play because they don't like it.

Sony can publish games that say "Rumble Support" and developers can choose to not use it. But it's never too late for Sony to market another controller. On the other hand, it can be too early since early adopters will, without a doubt, get pissed.

This is good news. Treat it as such.

ShortFuse @ Jan 30th 2007 7:40PM

I meant to say:

For example: FFVII doesn't support analog sticks but FFVIII and FFIX do.

Capt. Castellanos @ Jan 30th 2007 7:41PM

to shortfuse #3:
uhhh, can you restate this:
"For example: FFVII doesn't support analog sticks but FFVII and FFIX do."

i didn't get it.
maybr not restate, or explain.
i'm kinda not too great with these things..

Capt. Castellanos @ Jan 30th 2007 7:42PM

oh, nevermind, i posted too late.
hahahaha.

Shadow @ Jan 30th 2007 7:45PM

Well I don't think that the problem will be devs not wanting to support the rumble feature. Devs have been putting rumble in games without a second thought for an entire generation fo games. I don't think it would be that troublesome for devs to go ahead and continue that same trend on the PS3, especially if Sony will be the one distributing the controllers(In other words, it will be in PS3 boxes as well as sold as the main controller).

I see the problem being Sony actually wanting to adopt this technology, which is what SplitFish is hoping for. Sony didn't even want to pay royalties for Immersion's patent, what makes them think they'll do the same for them? Even if SF wishes for a total takeover of their company, I just don't see that as money Sony doesn't wish to spend. Time will tell.

jchensor @ Jan 30th 2007 7:46PM

I never understood what all the hub-bub was regarding Rumble. I mean, it's just rumble. Games have been fine without them for long periods of time before the N64.

But then I played the Gran Turismo HD demo on the PS3. And I have to admit, when I drove over the wooden bridges or drove into the gravel or went offroad or crashed into walls (because I suck at the game), I really missed the rumble.

This hasn't changed my mind as I still think the loss of rumble isn't as big of a deal as some people try to make it out to be, particularly those trying to bash Sony. But it definitely helps in some games more than others, particularly racing games as I have discovered.

Mr Khan @ Jan 30th 2007 7:48PM

@ Shortfuse

Don't worry about us Early Adopters, we're perpetually mad

pissed because i had to buy an extra Saturn Controller for NiGHTS? yes.

pissed due to the rumored "Wiimote 2.0?" yes.

But, considering its a change this early in the game (if sony takes it on), it shouldn't be a problem, cuz in this generation thus far, the 3 consoles have only sold about 2-3 million more units than the Dreamcast sold in its lifetime, and between the 3 of them, haven't even approached the GC's total sales

silkylove @ Jan 30th 2007 7:53PM

"SplitFish alleges that its technology does not violate Immersion patents, suggesting that Sony would not risk further legal troubles if the PS3 maker opted to use SplitFish's force feedback system."

How funny would it be if Splitfish was wrong about that allegation and Immersion sued Sony again?

Goober @ Jan 30th 2007 8:39PM

But, but, I thought that Sony claimed that rumble couldn't be done on the Sixaxis

NeverSage @ Jan 30th 2007 8:42PM

*audience laughter* That's our Goober!

Jake @ Jan 30th 2007 9:29PM

They could add it, but it couldn't be something necessary to the game. Usually rumble isn't necessary, but rather an extra feedback. You couldn't have, say, a fishing game where rumble lets you know when to set the hook but you could have gun recoil.

Personally, I like rumble, but it certainly isn't a deal breaker if a console lacks it. Lack of games and my owning a 360 are what keep me away from the PS3 right now (and the whole money thing). But that could certainly change in a couple years.

Saint Jouten @ Jan 30th 2007 9:46PM

I would buy a PS3 in a year or two if they really did get rumble. But that's in a year or two and if they have really good exclusive games out by then.

Geo @ Jan 30th 2007 10:52PM

So rumble/force feedback is a controller thing? The idea I got from one article was that rumble/force feedback couldn't be coded into a game. They said specifically that you wouldn't get force feedback from your logictech wheel in the next installment of GT...

Tyler @ Jan 30th 2007 11:48PM

@15

uh.. the game has to tell the controller when to vibrate, it dosent just 'know' when to do it by majicks

KawF @ Jan 31st 2007 12:49AM

Didn't you clowns confirm just a scant few weeks ago through Luke Smith over at 1up that the PS3 and its games are physically and programatically incapable of supporting any sort of 1st-party or 3rd-party haptic feedback devices?

What happened to that? "Oh whoops!"

NeverSage @ Jan 31st 2007 3:27AM

@ KawF

I find it hard to believe that it's IMPOSSIBLE to add force feedback into a PS3 game. The PS1 and N64 were designed before rumble was even an option and they implimented it. Unless Sony somehow added code to the firmware to prevent rumble... I don't see how it couldln't be done.

KawF @ Jan 31st 2007 5:51AM

Warning: Rant Ahead

"I find it hard to believe that it's IMPOSSIBLE to add force feedback into a PS3 game."
- NeverSage

So do I, but that doesn't help the fact that it was "confirmed" to be impossible, even though there are in fact games on the PS3, today, and 3rd party accessories, today, that have fully working force feedback, together.

News stories based loosely on what some forum-people said and the testament of some hobo PR-dude at Sony don't need to be true. I mean, just look at when some PR-dude said that Motorstorm was in full 1080p? Did you believe them then? No, so why did you believe them when they were misquoted to having said that rumble and force-feedback would never be supported on PS3?

Yeah....

Don't shoot me, blame the people that thought they had an amazing Sony-bash-story about how GT5 would suck since force feedback and rumble would be impossible to use on the PS3 due to "patents".

Btw kids. The patents for force feedback and rumble are licensed by the accessory manufacturers. They pay Immersion. It has NOTHING to do with Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo if it's 3rd party accessories. If you plug in a Logitech FFB wheel in your PS3/Xbox/Wii/whatever and hit up the latest greatest game supporting FFB, the console maker pays jack squat to Immersion as they have nothing to do with that.

I for one certainly didn't pay Immersion anything when I hooked up a FFB wheel to my PC, and neither did any of the manufacturers of the parts used in said PC. Do you think Dell pays Immersion for the honor of you hooking up a FFB-wheel to you shiny new Dell PC?

And yes, christ almighty, it is an apples to apples comparison. Patent and royalty law does not change just because you slap a "game console" sticker on your piece of hardware.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Jan 31st 2007 6:48AM

Dont care about rumble, and won't miss it either, it was never really that useful to me except to shake when I was hit in a game ¬_¬ Saying that, if it gets the people you get turned on by vibrators back, so be it, go with it Sony.

JJC @ Jan 31st 2007 9:36AM

I never thought the rumble feature was such a big deal. It is something i notice more when it doesnt happen sure, but i also enjoy the weight difference between the PS3 controler and the 360 controller. If they added it i would probably pick one up eventually, but i wouldnt rush to get one.

BTW i think the best rumble feature i have ever experienced was in tyro station in gears of war. That was one of the few cases where the rumble actually added something to the game enviornment/play.