Andre Yoskowitz
20 Sep 2007 19:58
During his keynote speech today at the Tokyo Game Show, Sony president Kaz Hirai finally confirmed the upcoming DualShock 3 controllers with rumble feature.
The sixaxis controller will be available in Japan in November and then in the US and the UK in Spring 2008. No price has been set as of yet.
"We have not made any changes to its outward appearance and design, but it does have vibration," Hirai added.
Earlier in the day the controllers were seen in action at a demo of "Burnout Paradise" in which journalists were allowed to use the new controllers.
Hirai said there would be nine titles available at TGS that supported the new controller including the upcoming "Metal Gear Online." For months now Sony has downplayed the lack of the rumble but apparently recently "we have been able to overcome this difficulty," said Hirai.
There was also legal issues that were stopping the controller from being made. In 2002, Immersion sued both Sony and Microsoft for "patent infringement related to the inclusion of rumble features in their game controllers." Microsoft settled, but Sony decided to fight. In March 2007, Sony was ordered to pay out over 90 million USD to Immersion and the case was finally settled.
Source:
GI.biz