TGS '07: Phil Harrison on Dual Shock 3

GameSpot chats with Sony Worldwide Studios boss on the new controller, the Home delay, and why there's still no price cut.

TOKYO--At the beginning of the four days of booth babes, cosplayers, and cool new games that is the Tokyo Game Show, Sony president Kaz Hirai finally announced that Dual Shock 3 controllers would be coming to the market.

However, the Sony executive apologized for not having enough time to really go into details about this, so GameSpot caught up with Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison to find out a little more.

Harrison told GameSpot that the primary reason the company brought back the Dual Shock rumble controller was that people wanted it. He said, "A lot of people have been asking for it, and now we've done it."

He also explained that there is no learning curve required for developers to implement Dual Shock into PlayStation 3 games because the system to do so is exactly the same as the one that was used for the PlayStation 2. He told GameSpot, "That's how we were able to retrospectively upgrade." He added that gamers would soon be seeing Dual Shock support for previously released PS3 titles, including Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm.

As to how the company managed to combine Sixaxis and Dual Shock, Harrison admitted it had been tricky. He said, "The two can counterexist due to some very clever algorithms that filter out the effect of motion sensitivity and part of that is done inside the controller and part of it in the library."

When asked why there was a delay to the US and Europe receiving the new controller--Japan will be getting it in November, whereas the West has to wait until spring--Harrison admitted that honestly, he didn't know the reason. But he assured GameSpot that the company is doing all it can to bring the new controller to all regions as quickly as it can.

Talking about Home, the executive said as far as he was concerned, the release delay meant nothing had changed. He said, "We will still be opening in late November/early December for general beta testing. So, the commercial start of Home will be pushed out later, but you will still get the experience this year."

One thing that might disappoint those waiting to get a PS3--there has still been no news of a price cut. Harrison explained, "There are different consumers who buy at different price points, and that's just the way the business model we have works."

312 Comments

  • saborzero

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 9:29 pm PT

    If you wait for a flawless version of ANYTHING, you might as well say you don't want it because no game is flawless. glitches are found everywhere.

  • aDhAmMe13

    Posted Dec 10, 2007 8:13 am PT

    actually delays are good news 2 me. it more or less means that some faults have been found and they r fixing 'em. why not wait till a flawless version comes out?

  • hassam7

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 3:49 am PT

    Home service is free thats a garuntee says Sony!

  • sonyducks

    Posted Oct 17, 2007 5:31 pm PT

    i am a bit dissapointed by the delay but not too much is this Home still going to be a free and easy download onto my ps3 or will i have to pay some heafty price for it?

  • PS360Fanboy

    Posted Oct 8, 2007 6:18 am PT

    so i will have to sell my 2 controller's for 2 new Dualshock 3 controllers? or will Sony replace them?

  • Victor_N

    Posted Oct 6, 2007 11:21 pm PT

    @ frankeyser: The wii has motion sensing and rumble but it doesnt work the same way as in the ps3 and why because in the Wii you have a sensor on top of the screen that detects movements and even though the controller rumbles the vibrations are low and occasional but the PS3 has the motion sensing in the controller so the vibrations may affect your performance when you use sixasis.

  • ScouseKingLFC

    Posted Oct 6, 2007 1:28 pm PT

    Why is everyone slagging offf all the consoles and arguing over which is best, you should just go out and buy whatever console you think you would have the most fun on

  • hordaak

    Posted Oct 5, 2007 9:52 pm PT

    Sony 2006: You dont need vibration. Vibration BAD.
    Sony 2007: I was wrong, you need vibration. Vibration GOOD. Sony 2006: $600 is cheap. Buy my system.
    Sony 2007: Ok, so...$600 is kinda high....
    dang wift waffers.

  • Space-Q

    Posted Oct 5, 2007 2:17 pm PT

    "No one talks about Australia! Everyone wonders about when EUrope and the US get it, what about Australia?! We helped you idiotic Americans in ur stupid War, APEC did nothing (although it helped "The Chaser's War on Everything"'s Ratings) what about Australia??? we have to pay $1000 bucks for it. You hear me??? $1000."

    Why would you pay $1000 for a PS3 if you live in australia? go surfing or something. Scuba dive in the Great barrier reef. go be a beach bum.

  • KhanhAgE

    Posted Oct 4, 2007 6:48 am PT

    Only time will tell.

    So bloody give it some time.

  • KamuiFei

    Posted Oct 3, 2007 9:04 am PT

    Why is rumble such a big deal to everyone? At least with Sixaxis you actually interact with the game itself. People act like rumble is so good. If your character got slashed, does your hand get a faux sense of being cut? No, of course not, you get a barely noticeable vibration. I try to stay alive in a challenging game, not try to get hit so my hand tingles. Also, it amazes me on how Sony tries their best to please everyone by returning Dual Shock to them, only to hear people complaining about lack of games. Well... first off top notch games take time to make, and PS3 has only been out less than a year, devs need time people more than a year.

    Secondly, why are people talking about lack of games in an article that talks about Home delay, Dual Shock 3 and reasons for no price cut? Yea...I don't know either... There is no magic wand in the gaming industry.

  • BigWorld41

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 10:11 am PT

    Step 1: Cut the price significantly. Step 2. Get FANTASTIC EXCLUSIVE games. Step 3: You will make money. Its that simple. Big World Out

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 3:34 am PT

    PS3 will only get better when the good games come out like the Jak games, Ratchet and Clank games, Burnout games, GTA IV. Crash Bandicoot has crashed and burned. it was only good on the PS1 the other games re just corny and short and pointless apart from the Wrath of Cortex which stuck to it roots.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 3:30 am PT

    No one talks about Australia! Everyone wonders about when EUrope and the US get it, what about Australia?! We helped you idiotic Americans in ur stupid War, APEC did nothing (although it helped "The Chaser's War on Everything"'s Ratings) what about Australia??? we have to pay $1000 bucks for it. You hear me??? $1000.

  • wargod53

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 3:11 am PT

    The PS3 isnt value for money, as the games on it are ll mediocre.
    They are marketting PS3 on potential......
    They better hope MGS4 and KIllzone 2 are the best things ever (hides from the fanboys rushing in saying that MGS games canot be anything other than amazing) because apart from that I can't really see what is going to claw back their poor sales figurs....

  • jaredrichards3

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 12:30 am PT

    there are no price cuts on the ps3 yet because they are so expensive to make, sony are actually losing money on each console because the tech inside them is so good. if you don't believe me go to wiki and look it up. the 360 is a lot cheaper coz it's a piece of cheap crap compared to the ps3 hence why it's cheaper. but in the long run you will pay more for your 360 with the cost of live and all so if you actually use your brain and do the math you will work out that the ps3 is good value for the money . like they say you get what you pay for.

  • jaredrichards3

    Posted Oct 2, 2007 12:24 am PT

    The sixaxis is a good controller the way it is and is way superior to the xbox controller, with the shock it will make it even better. but i'm not gonna waste my money on this until my other two controllers die. im happy with what they initially released.

    my friend told me he bought a new xbox coz his old one blew up after only 7 months, lol funny about that.

  • Yojimbo8

    Posted Sep 29, 2007 6:53 pm PT

    I don't like this Phil Harrison. Way too egotistical in his interviews and Sony needs to be a little more humble nowadays with its image if they want to win people over. This guy? Glorified car salesman with a lucky break, which is not the spokesperson they need right now.

    Also, when the media asks you an intelligent/logical questions, such as why exactly IS it taking so long for Dual Shock to make it to the US, you not knowing is NOT an answer. Consumers deserve better than that.

  • RXHELL

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 9:05 pm PT

    Will I be able to trade in my lousy SIXAXIS controllers to upgrade?

    Didn't think so.

    Pass.

  • rebelliousdude

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 8:30 pm PT

    girandhistacos , you idiot u know nothing. read what blueeyescyclone said before you act childish

  • ktseymour

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 10:04 am PT

    Nice read Rarson and Nexus, and the term for the kind of reporting that is all to common these days is called "Yellow journalism". No-one seems to ask any tough questions these days nor do the majority of reviews today contain the meat or heart of the matter, just of bunch of banter and over opinion.

  • BlueyesCyclone

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 9:55 am PT

    girandhistacos the reason why its taken so long to add rumble to the controllers was because they was sued by immersion. they took the rumble patch from them and didn't pay them straight away MS got sued to but MS payed them back straight away. get your facts right before you speak.

  • girandhistacos

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 4:37 am PT

    Christ I'm getting sick of this stuff. DO NOT PUT A RELEASE DATE ON YOUR PRODUCT UNTIL YOU ARE SURE IT CAN BE RELEASED. Morons. Sony didn't have a problem putting rumble into the controllers, they're just CHEAP. They didn't want to pay the extra little bit to put it into the SIXAXIS. They idea that they would lie by saying that they had to figure out how to make sure the rumble didn't interfere with the motion control is ludicrous, and all of you who buy that excuse are too damn gullible and stupid. Put down your controllers and go read books.

    Nintendo had the rumble/motion sensor thing figured out over a YEAR ago. Sony just thinks that they can say what they want and figure that their fans will just drool into cups and believe them and praise whatever they do.

    Of course, judging by some of the responses I've seen on this site, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you were drooling a little. Retarded fan-boys.

    Eat me. All of you.

    By the way, before you all go "OOOOHH NINTY FANBOY ON A RANT".... I own a PS3 and love it. It's a fantastic machine that hasn't let me down yet.

    It's the delays and push-backs that let me down.

    Stupid Sony.

  • andrewhateme

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    Phil Harrison "blah blah blah blah blah derka derka". Media "ummm what"?
    Phil Harrison "derka derka wheres the beef"?

  • oliver_475

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 4:08 pm PT

    no price cute = me buying wii

    I'm 14, I can't afford 400 odd pounds!

  • wwinterj25

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 1:11 am PT

    Also sony could not put the ruble in in the first place due to a lawsuit.I wish people would stop bashing sony it is a new console you cn't have everything at once.Next year will be the year for sony.

  • wwinterj25

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 1:03 am PT

    This is good news as i wanted another control pad for the ps3.I only have one.As for home well we still get the beta hopefully everyone in that.Nice sony.Keep up the good work.

  • Neo1O1

    Posted Sep 25, 2007 10:30 pm PT

    Gaming just isn't the same without the rumble feature; it gives me an all-around feeling that something is missing.

  • sjdurfey

    Posted Sep 25, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    the thing about using clever algorithms to have the motion sensor and rumble co-existing makes a lot of sense. you dont want the rumble interfering with the motion sensor, so they had to figure out a way to filter out a certain amount of sensing by the motion sensor to not have it interfer with the core gameplay, if both are implemented in the game. I dont know why people are bashing SONY about this, just because Nintendo was able to have it at launch and Sony didnt (because sony wasnt planning on it, while Nintendo was) isnt a reason to bash Sony. Plus the Wii controller is designed differently (a rectangle) which means the parts needed for both rumble and motion sensing have more room to play nice, while the bending of the PS3 controller will make it a bit more difficult. The dual shock3 (if its anything like dualshock2) has two rumble producers, while the Wii presumably only needs one. This would cause additional engineering headaches for Sony. So in short, be happy Sony finally listened (and settled with Immersion) and brought back the dual-shock and leave them alone for not bringing it back sooner.

  • whantwhant

    Posted Sep 25, 2007 10:54 am PT

    phil its alright talking about it but why not put some news on playstation store about it man

  • Sigil-otaku

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 5:58 pm PT

    @Nintendokid: I'm a 360 fan mostly and I've seen that trailer before but the thing that most stood out to me was 1:42. if people are happy with there PS3 let them be, I only slag em off when they insult the 360.

  • theNexus

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 2:42 pm PT

    rarson, your right, Sony had legal ranglings in regard to the vibration in controllers, They know it, we all know it and it is amazing how they have basically lied all the way through it.
    From the controller launch saying it was "outdated technology" , "not needed in the modern game" , "lighter controllers are the way forward"

    To this interview saying they brought it back becuase people wanted it

    Phil Harrison is one of the people in SONY who has caused problems for the PS3 a good machine plagued with problems that are SONY's own fault and no other
    I do not like Phil Harrison he is a proven liar but will never apologise and admit it even if its all there for everyone to see and is more like a politician who is very good at dodging the question when some things are put to him

    They were not willing to pay the cash and lost a legal battle on some technology, Microsoft bit their lip and sorted it out, Sony took longer to face up to it and now adding the vibration everyone wants, late but its there now.
    SO what? people can be a bit peeved at that but live with it So why not just admit it?
    For me it is 10 times worse to lie through your teeth over the matter and then never face up to it

  • smoothn00dle

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 9:47 am PT

    I think Gamespot has the worst TGS show. It is just so boring!! "American does Japanese game show" view doesn't work here. GT does it right - just show us the games, 700 games. I have been won over.

  • therejectx

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 9:46 pm PT

    no price cut sucks for many people waiting to buy a ps3.

  • Peewee20507

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 8:17 pm PT

    Ps3 is a slow moving console but its games are coming out soon wait like another 6 months and i guarantee that it will be #1. you guys should have bought the 60 gig because the 80 gig doesn't have the backwards compatibility hell yeah to Final Fantasy VII. The Ps3 is good. It has blu-ray Xbox 360 doesn't you have to pay like a million for it, **** that. but I'm not going to say Ps3 is better because it isn't it has no games Xbox 360 is the way to go right now.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 4:38 pm PT

    Of course they're not going to announce a price cut ahead of time. These things always come suddenly.

  • whantwhant

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 1:25 pm PT

    so i think that is good that we will still get to at least try it this year but what i dont understand is that if its an online service then why carnt we have it as normal like we were going to have it in october and when it comes closer to the time of duel shock 3 just let use download the lateset update of home so that it is compatable for the dual shock 3 pad. and to keep things safe like what we have brought we can put it on a memory stick

  • rarson

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 12:22 pm PT

    "Harrison told GameSpot that the primary reason the company brought back the Dual Shock rumble controller was that people wanted it."

    No, the reason they brought it back is because they settled the lawsuit with Immersion. They knew people wanted it all along, and they would've included it (and probably wouldn't have even done the 6-axis crap) had it not been for the lawsuit.

    I can't believe they interview a Sony exec about the Dual Shock 3 and they don't even have the balls to ask real questions. Like "So I thought rumble was last-gen?" Journalists need to hold Sony accountable for their actions and their statements. You can't criticize them for making lame excuses for dropping the rumble feature and then be a kiss-ass to their faces when they bring it back.

  • xbret64

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 10:41 am PT

    Harrison doesn't know why the US is getting theirs so late?
    Isn't that his freakin' job to know that?!
    Give me a break...

  • mergirox

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 8:03 am PT

    lol watch the controller cost 100 dollars

  • mattster1134

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 7:23 am PT

    Does Phil Harrison look like Billy Corgan(lead singer and guitarists of Smashing Pumpkins) to anyone?

  • GrimBee

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 3:55 am PT

    To compensate - Turn on your washing machine in your house - that way you have both home AND rumble! See Sony? Not that hard is it?

    I said it once, will say it again - They should offer to replace all the sixaxis pads that are purchased over christmas with dual shock 3 pads. It was their fault they never included rumble, everyone moaned at them when they said there is no rumble in the sixaxis.

    You know what Kaz Hirai said? "We believe the future is about ACTION over RE-Action". Basically - Movement over Rumble was his explanation as to why they took rumble out.

    So the future, according to Sony last year, is a future without rumble.
    So then they flaunt the pad like its never going to change, get us to buy them all.

    Then, less than a year later, everything they said is about as obsolete as the Sixaxis pads themselves.
    This, to me, shows that it is very unlikely that the Ps3 is not in for a very smooth 10 year life-cycle.

    Everyone seems to believe that the $500 console they are buying will be the same over the next 10 years. When Sony are chopping and changing things here and there all the time, those looking to invest on a console touted to FUTURE PROOF everything else will end up having doubts.

    Sony above all else should realise that you can't make 10 year claims, get people to buy into it and then flip it around and expect people not to get miffed off. Technology moves fast, I am glad Sony ARE making the changes - but, again, at out expense.

  • CharmedGamer posted Sep 21, 2007 10:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    CharmedGamer

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 10:44 pm PT (hide)

    That's you're opinion. I'm Heavenly Sword smashing, Lair burning and Warhawkin; it beaotch!

  • hilltops

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 10:40 pm PT

    | have said it be4..meh Rumble more Games.
    A vibrating controller is all well and good (i wont be buying one or two for that matter) but it's pointless if youhave no games that you want to play!?

  • jjllww1979

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 7:50 pm PT

    im not goin 2 bother the sixaxis is ok if i need a new ps3 and it comes with a rumble in it then yes but till then they can wait 4 my money like they make me wait 4 games come on ps3 step up

  • GrimBee

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 6:29 pm PT

    Phil should get a hair-cut

    I wonder if Blu-Ray movies have rumble applied in them - otherwise, whats the point?

  • EnigmaticBeauty

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 5:27 pm PT

    ...because people want it... does that mean, the original PS3 owners are gonna get a free vibrating controller in their hands? and as for their business model... it's not working. Sony is all about power but aren't delivering the games.

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:46 pm PT

    Yay! Dualshock 3!

    At least I can still use Home!

  • chakan2

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:01 pm PT

    Harrison told GameSpot that the primary reason the company brought back the Dual Shock rumble controller was that people wanted it. He said, "A lot of people have been asking for it, and now we've done it."

    BaubbleFish Translate Business to English: "A lot of people wanted this feature so they'll spend even more money on our over priced system..."

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