Joystiq impressions: DualShock 3 (PS3)
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Apr 2nd 2008 at 7:30PM }
More poetically speaking, Joni Mitchell's words that "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" were never truer than in describing what happened when we went from the PS2's DualShock 2 to the PS3's rumble-less Sixaxis. When you get your hands on a DualShock 3 for the first time, your general expectations of controller feedback from a PS3 game are fulfilled. After giving the heftier controller (193g vs. Sixaxis' 138g, even though it "feels" heavier) a little charge time with the USB cable, it was time to test some games.
PlayStation 2 titles (for those who have backwards compatibility) control and give feedback just like you remember -- minus a pesky cord. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune feels like a totally new experience with every gunshot, punch and explosion letting your hands know something is happening on-screen. We had a little hiccup updating MotorStorm, one of the few titles that requires a rumble patch (make sure to go to the online option -- it doesn't auto update), but other than that, the DualShock 3 performs like one would expect. For those who don't want the rumble functionality on, there's always the option of turning it off by hitting the PS button ... but, why would you do that? The DualShock 3's suggested price is $55 and should be available as soon as the box from Sony arrives at your local store.
Gallery: DualShock 3
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:45PM
I have never cared for rumble or six axis for that matter... I have yet to see six axis implemented properly except in one case which was a PSN game called high velocity bowling... other than that it feels like a gimmick... I feel the same way about the waggle controls on the Wii .... The IR pointer is actually an OK feature but I really don't like waggle.... I will probably pick up a few more cheap 6-axis controllers when they get discounted.... If the rumble was actually intuitive I would like it but its typically just the same as the bass that comes out of my subwoofer.... I never saw rumble as a big deal.... The Wii controller is a terrible design but the tiny speaker is actually a nice touch.... I would rather have a couple of cheap 6-axis controllers instead of a full priced DS3.... If I had it to start with I wouldn't complain but I don't miss it or anything... I would still like to feel the weight difference of the new DS3 and 6-axis
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:26PM
I'm going to assume that you don't like buttons because the Wiimote has them. Also, you don't like games, the Wii has those.
Well I guess you can play with a piece of paper... wait that's white, like the Wii, you wont like that...
*Thinking*
Oh you might like to play with rocks and a stick!
Crap you *waggle* the stick at the rocks...
...I give up...
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:57PM
@Raikage
I have a Wii and its OK but I could care less about rumble or 6-axis/waggle in any controller.. Including 360 & PS3... Just an opinion there is no need to be condescending...
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:00PM
Opinions are immunities to being told your wrong.
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:08PM
BOB SAGET...
You're*
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:25PM
@Raikage
Just my personal view based on experience ... Your the one who chose extrapolate a scenario based on my opinion ... Keep it up because your deductive reasoning is only rivaled by Jessica Lansbury ... I suppose its your natural defense mechanism ...
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:32PM
@Raikage
"Opinions are immunities to being told your wrong"
Joystiq is a blog ... thats the point ...
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:45PM
@Raikage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B_n9YaAMmg
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:47AM
Regarding that video... I'm sorry brah XD
Best thing I've seen all week!
justly @ Apr 5th 2008 12:00AM
im with you on the games for the axis stuff. when i got my ps3 i was amped because the 1st game i got (outside of motorstorm) was bowling. I was thinking to myself, this is great way better than i expected. but after that game there really isnt much else. and i havent gotten warhawk yet , probably never will
JAmerican @ Apr 5th 2008 2:27PM
John you get +5 for the video! Nice!
MMLgamer @ Apr 10th 2008 8:23AM
Dual analog should be off centered to put the most commonly used analog where your thumb can easily reach it. The right analog is barely used in many games which is why it's better for the buttons to be closer to your thumb whereas your left thumb will be mostly using the left analog stick over the d pad.
Gurei @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:47PM
Sony is serious about innovation.
Yubastard @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:09PM
Ha Ha! They invented rumble... before Sony, there was no unbalanced mechanical oscillation. The whole World started shaking with Sony. /sarcasm
343 Guilty Fart @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:20PM
They invented the internet, right?
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:51PM
No, but they invented Chuck Norris who invented the internet...
Wyvernlink @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:14PM
Yah, Norris may have invented the internet but only one man can claim to have invented the environment AND been the first emperor of the moon! Al Gore!
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:48PM
@wyvernlink
Sounds like George Lucas
Darren Tilley @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:32PM
Sony may not have invented rumble, but people do take for granted a number of controller innovations that were all Sony.
Sony was the first company to do dual Analog sticks on a console joypad. Now everyone has them.
Sony was the first company to make analog sticks into a button that you can press. Now completely taken for granted in console FPSs.
Sony was the first company to do two rows of shoulder buttons. Microsoft resisted this with the original xbox controller, but eventually gave in.
embassy @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:23AM
darren,
too bad sony never realized that the dual analogs should be off-centered.
and while sony was busy having two rows of regular shoulder buttons, everyone else was enjoying shoulder *triggers* which actually improved gameplay and immersion/feel.
i'll give sony props when due, but they're controllers? no sir.
Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 3rd 2008 2:31AM
@embassy
Why must they be off center? Are your thumbs that way? Anyway, there are things I would definitely change, but you can't deny the impact of dual analog. When Nintendo added the analog stick they were really bring back an old technology, but made it into a convenient thumb stick. But creating the dual analog was the step that really had the most impact on modern console gaming.
bm @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:30AM
"When Nintendo added the analog stick they were really bring back an old technology, but made it into a convenient thumb stick. But creating the dual analog was the step that really had the most impact on modern console gaming."
LOL!
Oh god that's so ridiculous I'm not even going to try and argue against it. Idiot.
Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 5th 2008 2:19AM
@bm
Hah... I just noticed your dumbass reply. So you don't think dual analog was a major impact? It revolutionized FPS, Action, and Adventure games on consoles. MANY games use a dual analog control scheme now. You can deny that if you want, but I don't need to prove anything.. you need merely look around to see the truth.
bm @ Apr 8th 2008 7:23PM
"It revolutionized FPS, Action, and Adventure games on consoles."
You're using the word "dumbass"? Hahaha!
Dude, remember the C buttons? The console equivalent of WASD, the golden standard for all PC FPS games that doesn't use nor need analogue sensitivity. Turok, Goldeneye and Perfect Dark revolutionized console FPS controls, the second analogue stick added absolutely NOTHING. If it did, don't you think PC gamers would be clamoring for some sort of analogue WASD controls by now?
Same goes for whatever else you mentioned, action, adventure, whatever. Camera controls have absolutely zero use for analogue. C buttons did fine. Know that little game called God of War, that used the second analogue stick for well-implemented dodging? DIGITAL. Doesn't even use the analogue functionality. C buttons would have done fine.
Sony did NOTHING but go "oh lol guys we can do that too but twice as good!"
Next generation I'm sure they'll have TWO pointer devices. ;)
eddyk @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:51PM
It's a Last gen feature !!
eddyk @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:53PM
That's what they said ...
Cal @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:58PM
It was last gen when the PS3 was launched, now it's retro
Duck Turkin @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:01PM
Here we are again, beating a meme to death...
Howl- SRF @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:01PM
Its funny... You seem to think its fine to make use of a old meme but if someone brings up "2 gamecubes duct taped together" they get voted down...
The anti Sony bias is terrible.
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:34PM
Don't get confused. That line is still hilarious. It's at least as funny as it was the last 500,000 times it was posted. Its irony has perhaps faded a bit, buy only a scarce few percent.
Howl- Sony Defense Force @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:02PM
No, its no longer funny.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:20AM
I don't think I've ever seen a "2 gamecubes duct taped" comment voted down.
Nor have I seen any nintendo fanboys complaining about it.
"Rumble is last gen" however, gets voted to oblivion, AND every PS3Fanboy and wannabe bitches about it.
Fernando Rocker @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:56PM
That's what I call top noth technology. =p
Howl- SRF @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:06PM
Your right Fernando. I wish I could have the amazingly intensive CPU and GPU the Wii has.
Wow, honestly are you seriously laughing at the technology the PS3 has?
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:08PM
Your what I call a top notch troll
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:15PM
... Its an IR pointer, strap, AA batteries and a tiny speaker short of a Wii mote... Oh yeah it would also need to look more like a TV remote
John McPoop @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:18PM
and oh yeah it would need another controller attached to it just to move around .. And then yet another controller for vintage titles... But its better technology to charge someone 3x for one controller
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:38PM
Is trolling allowed here?
Matt B @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:03AM
It's encouraged apparently.
Kamall @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:05PM
Yes Fernando, last gen feature in a next gen console, oh the irony, hahahahahaha, we FUCKING GET IT, this joke is FUCKING OLD, stop beating the proverbial dead horse. What did you expect Sony to say, all companies will try to spin anything as positively as they can, even your beloved Nintendo.
I suppose that future games will still have Sixaxis support for many that have that controller, even though it is now discontinued, or will some future titles require a DS3?
What is the battery life difference between both controllers?
I'm wondering why Joystiq posts any PS3 relavant news when its almost always going to be flaming and bashing, Joystiq hates the PS3, why post about it, just to see the humorous comments?
The Sound @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:10PM
Uhhh, the DS3 has the SIXAXIS in it, meaning it still has motion controls....
Kamall @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:13PM
I know that The Sound. I meant if future games would require rumble and so those with only Sixaxis controllers will be forced to buy the DS3?
Like with Ape Escape back in 1999 for the PS1 required a Dualshock controller. Thats too bad, I wanted to play it on my PSP. : (
Dangerdork @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:15PM
I'm glad you had the word "proverbial" in there, I would have thought he was beating a dead horse, literally, or maybe proverbialy beating a literal dead horse.
/end smartassery
Sinister Rouge @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:22PM
Nintendo don't spin. They waggle.
Rob @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:53PM
Actually...
Ape Escape didn't require the Dual Shock specifically to play. The Dual Analogue would suffice. There's a difference between having two extra sticks and having rumble.
Thr3e2wenty8 @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:25PM
"I'm wondering why Joystiq posts any PS3 relavant news when its almost always going to be flaming and bashing, Joystiq hates the PS3, why post about it, just to see the humorous comments?"
Some of these posters go beyond fanboy, they actually would fight each other if they were to actually leave thier homes. Video game consoles have now somehow overtaken religion as the biggest cause of war. Proof that we are only getting "dummer".
Frank @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:07PM
Wow, 3 topics today on PS3 controllers... couldn't you just have thought it out and combined them so we don't get the same comments in each one?
Cutty @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:12PM
Perhaps Joystiq should add another post informing some of our dear friends that the DualShock 3 still does what the SIXAXIS did...
Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:12PM
Joystiq Impressions------IT RUMBLES!
KrazyIan @ Apr 2nd 2008 8:21PM
So when they released Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, they coded support for rumble, even though at the time of its release, nobody who owned the game had a controller capable of rumble? Did Sony tell the developers to code rumble because a rumble-supporting controller was on the way?
I dont own a PS3 so I may be out of the loop on this, but was just curious.