GDC 06: Sony Q&A raises PS3 HDD, controller questions

Phil Harrison's postpresentation comments cast doubt on hard-drive being bundled with the new console, raises prospect of "batarang" redesign.

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SAN JOSE, Calif.--After presenting his keynote address at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison held a brief luncheon with selected members of the gaming press. While the lunch was fine, the Q&A session that accompanied it raised more questions than it gave answers.

Affable on stage, Harrison grew testy at the questions directed at him. After repeating Sony's previous assertions that all PlayStation 3 games would require the hard drive to run, he rebuffed questions on whether PlayStation 3 would ship with it. "I'm head of software studios, not hardware," said a vexed Harrison. His remarks appeared to contradict recent European press reports that said Sony had confirmed that the next-gen console would come bundled with a 60GB HDD.

Then, when asked a software-specific question--whether the PS3 games shown at the presentation would be available at launch--Harrison was once again evasive. After declining to "speculate" on the console's launch lineup, he then simply said that question would be answered "at E3."

Another of Harrison's comments raised questions about another part of the PS3's hardware. The console's controversial controller, which has been derisively nicknamed the "batarang," was not displayed next to the PS3 console that was on stage during Harrison's speech. When asked if a recent legal ruling against Sony by peripheral-maker Immersion, which accused the company of infringing on its patent to create the PS2's Dual Shock controller, prevented its display, Harrison issued a stern denial.

Harrison then said that "the PS3 controller will be revealed at E3." (Emphasis added.) Though he would not elaborate, his comments appear to imply that the PS3 controller has been redesigned, as some sites have reported. When asked for clarification, a Sony rep would only say, "To date, the PS3 controller shown has been a prototype. I can confirm that Phil stated the final PS3 controller will be at E3."

For more news from the event, check out GameSpot's GDC 2006 page.

162 Comments

  • killyoufun

    Posted Aug 23, 2006 5:55 pm PT

    ps2 design better!!!!!!!!!

  • lunchboxer

    Posted May 7, 2006 3:44 pm PT

    yay, controller redesign!!!!!!
    ...BOO!!!! NO HARDDRIVE BUNDLED WITH THE SYSTEM!!!!!!!

  • AzN_K3V1N

    Posted Mar 28, 2006 9:27 pm PT

    A Dual shock conroller would be better batarang.

  • Khimarhi

    Posted Mar 28, 2006 5:20 pm PT

    more non-news yay

  • kalkhaja

    Posted Mar 28, 2006 7:30 am PT

    i think they wont change the controller much. kuteragi said the same thing about the PS2 controller being different from the PS1 controller but it ended up as planned (EXACTLY THE SAME)

  • gamer_x38

    Posted Mar 25, 2006 4:57 am PT

    it looks like a boomerang. it nothing compared to xbox 360 controller. when ps2 and xbox came out xbox was the messed controller. now look at it PS3 has boomerang looking one

  • clousr

    Posted Mar 24, 2006 7:06 pm PT

    tyrone biggums dont take no crap and niether does phil

  • jaefrmbk2k

    Posted Mar 24, 2006 9:40 am PT

    Hi. I'm from the year 3000. here's a tip for the whiny babies: simply swap the batarang/not quite ready for prime-time controller, for the Logitech Wireless like i did. geez.

  • Sandman100

    Posted Mar 24, 2006 9:01 am PT

    Watch out Nintendo there going to steal you idea. There going to change the controller to something like yours. I ok with the prototype one it be fine. Sony need a new controller design for the third system.

  • UltimatumCHIEF

    Posted Mar 24, 2006 4:19 am PT

    WARNING: To play "Banana controller" you need extra 3 fingers.....don't ask.

  • Valen_Ca

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 7:02 pm PT

    " Aww come on... i wanted a Batarang!!!!"

    I couldn't agree more R3last, after all can you think of a better way to prevent people from mugging you for your console come launch day? Just take the controller out of the box before you leave the store and hide it in your coat, that way if someone grabs your console you can whip out the Batarang and throw it at them. If you charge your shot and throw, it just right it might even return your PS3 to you when it comes flying back into your hand. This was the same idea behind the original X-Box controller, I mean why else would it be so big ?

    As for the Hard Drive, i've said it before and I will say it again, Sony won't be dumb enough to not pack it in with the system, unless of course they are going to launch the system with no games and just make people use it as a Blu-Ray player.

  • tait007

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 6:58 pm PT

    Face it, no matter what the controler looks like, the PS3 will still be AWSOME. Microsoft and nintendo that should be shaking and not laughing. Lets focus on all the great stuff he did say in his keynote.

  • jmahartley

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 5:08 pm PT

    What a dumbass!!!!! I'm so sick of hearing all this crap about the ps2.5.

  • DargusLacroix

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 2:57 pm PT

    so basically sony just about fumbled the whole ps3 GDC thing. way to go sony!!! i sure nintendo and microsoft are laughing at you right about now.

  • nev70

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 2:45 pm PT

    Yeah Sony stole their dual shock design and have various impending legal action some of which have already gone against Sony thats why they need to change it ! just thought i'd let u know.

  • Charlie2688

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 2:15 pm PT

    Ok....that guy was shurley getting angry...if he probably got a little bit angrier he could have use the "batarang" against the press!

  • R3last

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 1:56 pm PT

    Aww come on... i wanted a Batarang!!!!
    But the system shipping with the HD is an AWESOME plan, how will that effect the already elusive cost though?

  • Kempatsu_basic

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 1:44 pm PT

    harrison is such a weiner. if your gonna appear at GDC then your gonna have to answer hard questions. DURKA DURRRR

  • pritz

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    To be honest i see nothing wrong with the current Dual Shock 2 controller, it has no complaints as far as i know, why change...ok play with it so it is bluetooth enabled and maybe imporve improve on certain aspects......it would carry on a tradition a reminder kind of think of the previous two sony consoles



  • trogdorchief01

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    yeah!!! i hope i get to play the PS3 with a real controller, and not a batarang

  • acummuta

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 12:35 pm PT

    Yeah, there you go UltimatumCHIEF. Get your controller in 4 fruity shapes and flavors. The Batarang Banana, Abusive Apple, Grappling Grape, and Whiplashing Watermellon. Pick yours up today!

  • tuff_gong92

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 12:32 pm PT

    Well batarang or not the controller will be the genius Sony has produced before. All i hope is that the controller will not have triggers like the Xbox controllers. Then I'll be pissed.

  • mcgrawgamer

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 12:13 pm PT

    I've seen comment after comment regarding the ps3 controller. Fact of the matter is Sony themsleves saw something wrong with the controller that's why they are re-doing it. Whether the reason for the change is due to legal issues or consumer complaints it's changing, but what I took from this article is this. sony is about 8 full months from launch time and they seem to be confusing themselves as well as consumers. Harrison said he is head of software not hardware. Don't you need hardware to run software? He would have been better off saying I can't answer that right now rather than get frustrated big wigs say it all the time "No Comment"

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 12:00 pm PT

    We have to keep waiting more about the damn controller or whatever its called.

  • jon1233

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:49 am PT

    No more boomerang jokes after E3, YES!!!

  • UltimatumCHIEF

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:47 am PT

    Sony has a secret weapon at E3 it's called, Banana controller....Ha ha ha ! !



  • DrKill09

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:37 am PT

    Good. I hope they get rid of that uncomfortable looking controller. Let's just hope those morons don't come up with a worse design.

  • patjuan

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:15 am PT

    I actually think that the redesigning of the PS3 controller is because Sony did lose the case against Immerson for patent infrigment. Even though the case is being appealed, They are going to have to redesign the motion vibrator and the controller that houses it.

  • funky_muzic

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:00 am PT

    Not only should a controller be comfortable, but you should be able to forget about it while playing a game. The last thing you should have to do is look at the controller to find the right button. The best controller out there right now is the Game Cube controller. That thing just sits right in your hand. It just feels so natural. The only problems with it is that it's lacking a "trigger" button (it worked so well on the N64, why get rid of it?) and the funky little "Z" button above the right shoulder button is a little hard to use sometimes. Still, I think it's the best controller out there...until the Revolution drops!

  • abelmaestro

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 11:00 am PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • buildar

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:36 am PT

    i find it strange that we're suppose to be talkig about the PS3 batarang, but hte ps2 dualshock keeps coming up. Personally i prefer it to the x-box controller and to the 360 one, but really my favourite controller was the Dreamcast one. Light with easily accessible buttons. Plus i don't like the shoulder button on the 360, but hey its just a personal preference probably somethign to do with he size of my hands. Besides no body has held the PS3 controller yet. So who knows, maybe it just looks funny but is really a comfortable controller. The comfort of using the controller is really the most important thing. You can only play so much when it hurts your hands (e.g., for me is the DS)

  • ClandestineZero

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:34 am PT

    Ok... So the gaming system that isnt a gaming system may or may not come bundled with a piece of hardware that is absolutely necessary to playing games. I think based on dedication to just gaming, the order is:

    1. Revolution (All it does is play games, DVDs with an add-on or something to that extent)

    2. XBox 360 (plays games but does other things as well, like stream media and DVD playback)

    3. Playstation 3 (Plays Blueray and streams media first and foremost, games may need an add-on)

    I'm not rating favorites or anything, I'm just pointing out how different these all are by detailing what they are designed for. It seems the 'Play' in playstation now means 'Plays movies and music'. This sucks. I liked the PS2 because it had a bunch of fun games. With PS3 that isnt even the point of the system anymore.

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:33 am PT

    YES SONY just show us what you got!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:27 am PT

    That controller looked ugly (female type). Hope the newly disigned one will be good!

  • Unreal8889

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:26 am PT

    I liked the way it looked

  • Titan_BG

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:26 am PT

    abelmaestro - hey look here is #6 for only sticking to one console you are being loyal to a giant corporation, not getting to experience any other great games (Marios, Halos) and are just plain old being stupid. Take a look at Morrowind if you are so convinced. Also remember what produces graphics on a console (the graphics card) now both the PS3 and the X360 have very similar graphics cards so the difference in ram is just going to speed up play not make the graphics any better. (If you dont understand any of this take some computer classes).

    About the controller I cant believe so many people like to Dualshock 2, its key problem is that the left analog stick, which most people use while playing games is on the same level as the right. It needs to be shifted up like the XBOX's controller to make it more comfortable over longer periods of gaming. They will probably take a close look at the X360's controller since that is probably the most comfortable controller I have seen so far in all generations.

  • abelmaestro

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 10:03 am PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 9:59 am PT

    Why is it that Sony is always the most confussed. I guess thats just one more reason I hate Sony.

  • tmacyao111

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 9:57 am PT

    Shouldn't they have revealed it a long time ago?

  • acummuta

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 9:25 am PT

    The only reason Microsoft and Nintendo people talk about how much Sony copies stuff is because Sony is the only one with its head so big it can't fit through the door. They're always boasting about how great they are and how insignificant the competition is. Well if they're so insignificant why are you always copying ideas from them. Yeah, Microsoft is beneath us...but we'll copy all their ideas. Right down to acheivement points. Flattery or theft. I don't know? Although their acheivment points name..."entitlements" couldn't be more retarded. Like I said before. I'm going to be buying a PS3, but they couldn't make themselves any easier of a target right now for critiscism. It's because they're so prideful and they can't keep their mouths shut and talk about how better they are then everyone. Sony is shifty. That's all their is to it. All that trying to convince people their movies were really games back at last E3. Downright dirty. It's all just a ploy to try and steer people away from getting a 360. End rant.

  • jonnyjd

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 9:14 am PT

    Possible redesign of the controller...YES! Phil Harrison getting huffy...Phil, did you expect that no one would question you about hardware especially when you gave the speech? Duh...

  • squallff8_fan

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 9:10 am PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • squallff8_fan

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:59 am PT

    I keep hearing how sony copy's this and copy's that? So what, if u owned sony and seen xbox live being successful and wanted to make a great online feature wouldnt u do the same? Anyways the point im getting at is sony isnt the only ones who copy others ideas, everyone does it, and for xbox fanboys u cant talk because your so called richest man in the world bill gates is only rich because of sum1 else is idea he stole, so dont come at sony talkin this yap of who stole whos idea, and besides look at a few of the latest news from GDC, MS is trying to copy eye toy with there xbox 360 camera, see it works both ways, steal an idea from sum1 and the other side steals an idea from u. All the systems will be great and have the strengths and weaknesses but dont bring up facts unless u are sure that the company u are backing up has never stole an idea from another, company, because it makes your comments about who copied this and that pointless.

  • acummuta

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:47 am PT

    Excellent point. You can't represent a multi-million dollar company and be an ass to the press.

  • roadifer

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:33 am PT

    If he's representing a worldwide electronic company, they better brush him up on his people skills. He should expect the questions he is getting. If he can't comment, then say no comment instead of being gruff with everyone.

  • qwikqik

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:28 am PT

    It's all fun and games 'til somebody loses an eye!!

  • qwikqik

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:25 am PT

    Be careful luiz, it'll probably come back around and smack you in the head!! LOL!

  • luis7989_7

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:23 am PT

    what the hell, i donīt know wether to play with it, or throw it to play with my dog!!!!!!

  • qwikqik

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:22 am PT

    abelmeastro, How can you even say that? *Sarcasm Alert* Maybe you're a Sony insider or something? If so, I've got questions: #1. Have you played a PS3? #2. How do you like the controller that isn't even finalized? #3. Is the gameplay and graphics all that we expect it to be? #4. What do you think of Warhawk? #5. How much does the PS3 cost? Since you obviously are privy to all these things, How does it match up to the 360? It's better, right? In order to make that judgement, I would assume you have spent a considerable amount of time with the 360 also? Have you? PUH-LEASE! Sometimes, I feel dumber just reading some of these posts. *2nd sarcasm alert* FANBOYS RULE, period.

  • Skelitor

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 8:12 am PT

    All will be revealed at E3. Can't wait!! : )

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