• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Kaz Hirai interview - new PS3 controller hints, more features beyond rumble..?

G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Kikizo has an interview with Kaz Hirai up from E3. They discuss Ken Kutaragi at some length, the business generally, and more specifically, a question re. rumble in the PS3 controller, the answer to which I thought was interesting.

On rumble:

Uh, well that's something that I know the consumers have told us they're looking to have in the PS3 controller, it's something that we're obviously looking at, now that we've reached an agreement with Immersion. We're also looking at a variety of other things that we can incorporate with the controller, and we'll come out with announcements when we think we have the right mix of features for the PS3 controller. I mean, as you know, that's also an evolving peripheral, if you will, in that we started out with the original PS1 controller with no analogue, and it's come all the way to this point, so obviously, as we go forward, it's not the final model for a PS3 controller, so we'll see what comes down the road.
Click to expand...

Full interview: http://games.kikizo.com/features/kazhirai_iv_jul07_p1.asp

Seems possible Sony might take the opportunity to introduce some other things to the controller along with rumble..I could guess at one or two possibilities based on patents.
 
T

The Jer

Member
We're also looking at a variety of other things that we can incorporate with the controller, and we'll come out with announcements when we think we have the right mix of features for the PS3 controller.
Click to expand...

Color me curious.

edit: And scared, too. The PS3 has a fantastic controller, don't screw it up.
 
L

laserbeam

Banned
Sony_Revolution2.jpg


Its coming true!!!

Just kidding but seriously I could see them expanding on th emotion aspects to try and deflate Wii a bit
 
S

Segata Sanshiro

Member
I hope it has a memory stick slot and a built-in projector for Powerp...

Ehn, joke's getting old.

Can't wait to see what Sony's cooking with this, I'm always stoked for new and wacky ways to play.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
SPEAKER (lol)

I think what I really want for the controller are grips on the back. It's not a really important or big addition, but that'd be great.
 
T

Teen Ape

Member
in that we started out with the original PS1 controller with no analogue, and it's come all the way to this point

It has come along way, it started with them copying the SNES controller, to adding the N64's joystick and rumble, to tossing in the Wii's motion control. The amount of progress is staggering.
 
K

KyotoMecca

Member
and a summary: http://games.kikizo.com/news/200707/085.asp

Although specifics are yet to be revealed, we're speculating that one of the new features won't be a 'SERECT' button.
Click to expand...

Elsewhere in the interview, Kaz revealed that he will be giving the regional headquarters of the company such as SCEA and SCEE more autonomy, having come from the top of the North American arm into the new top spot at SCEI. "Now that I'm on the headquarters side, I think I am better able to modulate what kind of decisions need to made on the Tokyo side, and what kind of decisions are best left for the RHQs to make, without Tokyo intervention."

"They understand their market a lot better than anybody in Tokyo. And they're professionals at what they do. So I want to give the RHQs more autonomy, to come to decisions, make recommendations." But he stressed: "That doesn't mean just handing everything over!"

Hirai, who now works out of the Tokyo HQ and travels back to see his family every month in SCEA's home territory of Foster City, California, also discussed the controversial resignation of 'Father of PlayStation' Ken Kutaragi for the first time.
Click to expand...
 
Alx

Alx

Member
Maybe a dual-nunchuk ? (with twice as much aiming, and twice as many speakers, and twice the rumble, ...)
 
G

glaurung

Member
Probably something that works with the new camera.

Light under the PS button? Yes please.

Official headset connectivity? Yes please.

Speaker? Nah.
 
F

fatigues_gasolini

Member
Teen Ape said:
in that we started out with the original PS1 controller with no analogue, and it's come all the way to this point

It has come along way, it started with them copying the SNES controller, to adding the N64's joystick and rumble, to tossing in the Wii's motion control. The amount of progress is staggering.
Click to expand...

Im glad Nintendo came up with all those things.
 
T

The Jer

Member
The way Kaz is taking about, it sounds like they are keeping the same basic design for the controller (nice!). They are just adding tweaks and improvements.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
GhaleonEB said:
That was my guess. And maybe a speaker, as well.
Click to expand...
Ohhhh, that would be horrible.

The Wii speaker is the most worthless thing ever. The ONLY positive comment I can muster towards that piece of garbage is its clever use in Wario Ware.
 
R

Red Blaster

Member
Teen Ape said:
in that we started out with the original PS1 controller with no analogue, and it's come all the way to this point

It has come along way, it started with them copying the SNES controller, to adding the N64's joystick and rumble, to tossing in the Wii's motion control. The amount of progress is staggering.
Click to expand...

You'll go places here.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Here's one guess, from out of a relatively recent SCE patent - a new type of button.

[0046] Game Pad Buttons with 3 Axis of Pressure Sensitivity

[0047] An embodiment of the invention includes a new class of button style inputs for use in hand based video game input devices which leverages existing technology to detect 3 axis of pressure sensitivity. These buttons would be used in place of or in conjunction with in place of the traditional action buttons (i.e., .DELTA. .quadrature. OX) on device such as the Wavebird, Dualshock 1&2 and the X-Box controller which are either only digital or 1 axis analog sensors. These sensors are static NOBS which can recognize analog pressure from left and right (x.sub.1-x) forward and back (y.sub.1-y) up and down (z, -z). This leads to robust analog input in three axes.

[0048] Current digital buttons are severely limited input mechanisms and the single axis analog buttons are underutilized (most users are unaware of this functionality) and they don't have enough fidelity to impart subtle control. Thus when possible, people tend to use analog sticks. As a result, with single axis buttons, most gameplay skews to full pressure being best pressure, at which point the buttons might as well be digital, rather than analog, input devices. Three axis of analog control would allow for complex input even with poor fidelity.

[0049] Imagine a tennis game: digital button-only imports if user swings or not, single axis analog--allows for one type of swing with varying levels of power, 3 axis analog--allows for swing strength, for all swing types and at least 4 additional controls to be used for spin (English) or stroke type (forehand, backhand, lob, spike). The argument for 3 axis buttons (over single analog or digital) is directly analogues to the argument for analog sticks over "D-Pad."

[0050] To implement these new "buttons" apply existing technology from aerospace. Replace current action buttons and provide appropriate drivers to allow developers to leverage up to 3 axis of control. Would suggest visually differentiating from current family of gamepad buttons so it doesn't suffer from user oversight as current analog buttons have.
Click to expand...
 
S

Sin

Member
Teen Ape said:
It has come along way, it started with them copying the SNES controller, to adding the N64's joystick, to tossing in the Wii's motion control. The amount of progress is staggering.
Click to expand...

I swear, every time... every freaking time... (._ .
 
G

glaurung

Member
gofreak said:
Here's one guess, from out of a relatively recent SCE patent - a new type of button.
Click to expand...

Oh dear lord, please no. Can you imagine pressing all he buttons on specific sides?

*shudders

Could be fun though.
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
The 'Rai said:
But both are very important; you can have cost reduction on the hardware, but if you don't have great software, you're not going anywhere. So in my book, software is the most important driver of this business, no matter what kind of metric you're applying to, but a close second is obviously the hardware cost reduction.
Click to expand...

I loves me some 'Rai. Promoting him was a great move.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Segata Sanshiro said:
Weird...I'd have to try it out, but it sounds...weird.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. I couldn't hazard to guess at the usefulness of something like this without trying it.

Anyway, this may not be relevant at all, just food for thought.
 
T

The Jer

Member
gofreak said:
Here's one guess, from out of a relatively recent SCE patent - a new type of button.
Click to expand...

So this means that the buttons detects which direction the button is pushed in and how hard it is pushed in each direction, if I am reading this correctly (edit: from other responses, it looks like I did).

So, when I push the square button, if I push it kind of upwards, the controller could detect that and how hard I pressed down.
 
D

Draft

Member
Hmm, it seems like you would need some honking big buttons to make pressing in certain directions feasible. Maybe not though, depending on what functions you assigned to that additional input.

I would personally like to see analog sticks with independent rumble. As analog sticks most often represent the most direct control method of the game character, like moving around or aiming a weapon, some sort of tactile feedback from that input could be pretty cool. Like if you were moving through quicksand, the left analog could kind of push "against" whatever direction you're going in, of if you were firing a machine gun, the right analog stick could "bump bump bump" up to simulate the recoil.

I think this kind of stuff is awesome. The DS has convinced me the number one advantage consoles have over PCs is that the console maker is free to just go nuts with the controller, where as PC games are stuck with the trusty old m/kb.
 
Z

Z3F

Banned
I hope they fix the triggers or just make the shoulder buttons the way they used to be. For games that were not racers or shooters, the PS2 controller had by far the best shoulder buttons but the the PS3 controller has the worst triggers ever. The PS3 triggers suck so bad that many racers or FPS games don't even have the triggers for shooting or throttle control as the default controls.
 
R

Ranger X

Member
glaurung said:
Oh dear lord, please no. Can you imagine pressing all he buttons on specific sides?

*shudders

Could be fun though.
Click to expand...


I sure hope it wouldn't mean i'd have to mind where my thumb is leaning to. That would be a ****ing nightmare. I only want to press a button god damnit.
 
M

mollipen

Member
Teen Ape said:
in that we started out with the original PS1 controller with no analogue, and it's come all the way to this point

It has come along way, it started with them copying the SNES controller, to adding the N64's joystick and rumble, to tossing in the Wii's motion control. The amount of progress is staggering.
Click to expand...

Wait... why are people jumping on Mr. Teen Ape here for this post?

The original PSX controller was modelled after the SNES controller, it did gain rumble and analog after the N64 controller brought those ideas back to the table, and I'm absolutely convinced that the Sixaxis does what it does because of the Wii controller.
 
T

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
I've had an interview with Kobayashi at E3 and we talked a bit about the rumble feature in DMC4, how he misses it and stuff like that. He was a little "shy" when talking about that (like he was NDA'ed), so I asked if it would be technically possible for him to eventually add the rumble functionality later with a patch or something and he basically said he wont need to in a way that sounded like "by the time DMC4 is released there will already be a Sixaxis with rumble out on the market" (not quoting him).

It was a strange moment IMO cos he didn't just come out and say "yeah, I miss the rumble, too bad Sixaxis doesnt have it, Sony sucks" but he somehow tried to dodge the question.

Take this for what it's worth (ie, nothing really :p)

Also, a SCEE rep told me adding the new controller to the PS3 package wouldn't affect the SRP one bit. But he didn't honestly know anything more specific about the controller itself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
PLAYSTATION 6: Potential Innovations, Features, Business Strategies & More (Speculation)
Opinion Analysis Platform 2 3 4
181
13K
hussar16 replied
IGN Interview: Job Simulator Developers On Why It's a 'Failure' If Owlchemy's VR Hit is Still On Top in 5 Years
10
1K
Kuranghi replied
Apex Legends |OT| Beyond battle royale, Apex is classier than ever. Team deathmatch, gun run, & control added, new class system, and much more
|OT| 2
59
4K
LegendOfKage replied
Hidetaka Miyazaki talks Armored Core 6 with IGN
News 2
69
6K
Kokoloko85 replied
AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative Director Talks New Gameplay Features
News
26
2K
Vampire On Titus replied
Top Bottom