There's a bit of somewhat disappointing news that has slipped out about the PlayStation 3's version of Guitar Hero III - the game will not be completely wireless.
Although, the game's guitar controller will still be wireless, gamers will have to plug in a guitar pick-shaped USB dongle to get it to work. Apparently, the controller doesn't "work seamlessly with [the] PS3's built-in Bluetooth," according to Wired. On the brighter side, the PS3 guitar will have the controller's symbols marked above the buttons to ease navigation throughout the game.
We're not sure why Neversoft couldn't utilize the PS3's Bluetooth technology, but this shouldn't be a deal breaker to anyone. And since the game will only support two players locally anyway, gamers should have no worries about picking up the 40GB PS3 with two USB ports.
While the announcement that Sony would finally bring the DualShock 3 to the PS3 excited us all, we couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed when we realized the controller would utilize the same rumble technology found in the DualShock 2.
However, if Immersion CEO Vic Viegas has his way, the DualShock 3 will be just the first-generation rumble controller for the PS3. "Immersion is very motivated and very interested in working with [Sony] to bring the next generation of gaming technology because the gamers deserve a full, immersive environment where you can match high-fidelity graphics and sound with high-quality haptics," he said. "We're hoping [the DualShock 3] will be just the first step towards integrating the next-generation technology."
What makes this prospective upgrade even more plausible is the fact that Viegas says the upgrade will actually be cheaper since the old technology uses two motors, while Immersion's TouchSense technology only needs one to achieve better results. "Immersion is already committed that we won't charge anything extra for the next technology. We have a standard royalty rate ... we don't want to make this more expensive and give anyone a reason not to implement it," Viegas said.
If, for some reason, you don't want to get addicted to the sexiness that will be Eye of Judgment, Sony's got your back. It's the first we've heard of it, but there's definitely an option to buy just the PlayStation Eye peripheral without all the extra goodies. The price is very easy to swallow for the technology you're getting -- forty bucks. That's really not bad at all, huh? But you have to remember, for just thirty dollars more, you get Eye of Judgment, a stand and some other peripheral trinkets. The choice is yours, ultimately, but why grab the fancy new peripheral without a game to play on it?
A while back, you may recall we hailed in the new Messiah peripherals for the PS3, notably a strange light bar that snapped onto the rear of your console to give the wall behind it a sexy glow. The reviews of this peripheral are in and the verdict? The DarkLite bar is aesthetically pleasing, easy to tack on, and pretty cool. What hampers this puppy is the price.
The six stages of brightness are appealing (and probably explains the necessity for an extra AC adaptor), especially viewing the highest degree of illumination -- that thing gets bright. If you're using HDMI, it doesn't get in the way at all, but if you're using standard A/V cables, you'll have to go through the little doodad that comes with the DarkLite bar. It's annoying, but not a real issue. But for $30? It doesn't do anything, really, so for that price, we couldn't recommend this. Unless you really want to pimp your sexy console.
The standard HDD that comes with your PS3 is 5400 rpm -- not bad, but not the best on the market. We've stumbled across a write-up detailing the addition of a different hard drive, running at 7200 rpm, and its effect on a various array of games and other such things. While we wouldn't recommend you all rush out and do this, as long-term effects can't possibly be gauged just yet, it's still interesting to consider the ways Sony fans can customize their console to be unique. We'll outline the results below.
Temperature testing against the two hard drives yielded a minimal difference; no overheating will occur with a 7200 rpm drive, ostensibly.
Installing demos after downloading off the PSN had an average of ten seconds shaved off due to the higher rpm drive, except that Tony Hawk demo, with destroyed over forty seconds of install time. Impressive.
Loading games generally yielded minimal results, unless you consider 2 seconds of load time a big deal.
In conclusion, yes, a 7200 rpm drive increases your PS3's performance, but it's generally nothing that makes soil our underwear. While two seconds off load time is nice, it's not like we'd do much besides scratch ourselves in that time frame. And sometimes, it's a great itch to scratch and playing a game would totally throw us off. Thoughts?
It's one of our less-creative headlines and the picture sucks, sure, but it gets the point across. Fanatec has released a very accurate (we assume) racing peripheral for all your gaming needs, especially if you like to game in luxury. We'll get right to the features, some of which are cool and practical, others are cool and not as practical.
Leather steering wheel!
Wireless USB technology, where the USB plug is shaped sort of like a Porsche key. It's quite neat.
3 force feedback motors, so you can really feel the road.
The pedals are wireless too, with clutch and soft-stop brake. Like you'd really get an automatic fake Porsche anyway.
You get two gear sticks: a regular sequential and a 6+1 H-pattern stick. The latter is only supported on PS3 and PC.
What we find really neat is the quote at the bottom of the website: "Only available through Porsche dealers and here in our web shop." So, if you guys aren't comfortable ordering this thing online, get yourself in a nice suit and pretend to care about buying a fancy new Porsche, then buy this instead. It's only $350, after all. Pretty cool for the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, right?
It's something that happened at TGS we were all a little concerned over. Sure, the DualShock 3 officially exists, but for some reason or other, it's not getting a release outside of Japan until spring of '08. Curious as to why this is the case, 1UP did a little bit of research and contacted Sony for a reason. Sony responded: "Given our production/manufacturing timeline we plan to introduce the new controller in Japan first and then release it in NA/Europe." It's vague, but we don't need to cry out in pain and reach for our pitchforks.
The DualShock 3 will work on our systems if we import them. Sony says there's no reason for them not to work, although some of the games that will require retroactive patches (Resistance, Warhawk) probably won't get those patches until the controller officially releases in our respective territories. But newer games and old PS2 games can get the rumble as soon as you import. As Captain Planet would say, "The power is yours!" A bonus cookie to anyone who recites the Captain Planet theme song.
A cute new video for Haze highlights the PS3's newfound ability to rumble. How did they do it? Is it magic? No! It's nectar, the steroid-esque substance from the upcoming PS3 FPS. While some find it lame, we think it's a cute way of explaining the origins of DualShock 3.
In spite of what Sony is officially saying, it appears that PS3's upcoming rumble-ready controller, the DualShock 3 performs better than the DualShock 2. Kojima Productions' Ryan Payton was grilled by 1UP about the new controller if "it's safe to definitively say that the rumble in the Dual Shock 3 is better than the rumble in the Dual Shock 2." The answer? "Absolutely, yeah. It feels better, and I think Shane experienced that too."
Our hands-on time at TGS didn't reveal a significantly better rumbling experience, even when playing Metal Gear Solid 4. So, what's going on? Is it a placebo effect? Who should we believe? 1UP and Kojima Productions? Or Sony?
Sony Computer Entertainment America's Kimberly Otzman, corporate communications, confirmed to GameDaily BIZ, what we suspected all along: "The rumble feature on the DualShock 3 is the same as DualShock 2." The controller does not feature any new advanced form of rumbling, as some internet forums have been murmuring.
In addition to talking about the rumble technology, Otzman revealed information about the battery life, noting that "battery life depends on how often the rumble feature is used." She added, "When the rumble feature is completely turned off, it's equivalent with the Sixaxis (maximum of 30 hours) and when the rumble feature is active it's about 15 hours, under SCE standard testing conditions."
Obviously, battery life will be shorted with rumble. For those that are going to get the new rumble controllers, get ready to use your USB cables a lot more regularly.
A listen to the latest episode of the 1UP Yours podcast reveals that the rumbling DualShock 3 is "confirmed," at least according to 1UP's lead Sony fanboy, Shane. He says that TGS will ultimately reveal the long-awaited rumbling controllers and the now-legendary 2.0 firmware, which will magically allow you to run many XMB tools from within a game. We're sure Sony's going to playing hardball at TGS, and you'll probably want to tune into our continuing coverage of the event, starting this Wednesday.
Need more accessories that match your PS3's sexy piano black coat? Logitech has got your back. Coming soon are a Bluetooth gaming headset and a Bluetooth keyboard with touch pad, both in that shade of black that PS3 owners can't get enough of. The laptop runs on 2 AA batteries, but the headset comes with a rechargeable battery. The Cordless Vantage Headset and the Cordless MediaBoard Pro will retail for $79.99 each.
Just a guess, but maybe this Logitech headset is higher quality than the one bundled with Warhawk? Hardcore Warhawk fans (or those who bought the download version) might want to keep an eye out for this headset.
No, this is not a joke. Lair can be played on PSP through PS3's Remote Play functionality. As discovered by Dubbedinenglish on the PlayStation forums, this is quite possibly the first Blu-ray PS3 game to run successfully on the PSP. By reducing the visual quality and increasing the response time, the game is actually quite playable. In fact, because the game uses the PSP's analog stick instead of tilt controls, it actually controls better than the PS3 counterpart.
If you've ever wondered to yourself "how in the heck am I going to pimp out my PlayStation 3?" then we've got some good news for you today. Messiah has announced a new line of peripherals named Darklite, all of which deal with the PS3. This is a bold move, considering the company generally strays into classic gaming paraphernalia. The first is a DVD/Blu-ray remote which differentiates itself from other PS3-compatible remotes by being ultra slim and sliding open like a cell phone. On top of that, it's a slick jet black with metallic trim so it matches your system perfectly. Most HDTV's are a shiny black, too, so you've got some excellent feng-shui already.
The second peripheral is a bit more dramatic if you ask us. Known as the Integrated Lightbar, this Darklite product connects to the back of the PS3, matches its colors perfectly, and sheds off a deep blue aura of its own to make your PS3 seem almost ... dare we say the pun ... messianic. It's not dangerous, but we bet it gets pretty hot if you leave it on all the time (you have the options of Auto, Always On, or Always Off). Brightness can also be adjusted. Both of these items will be available September 25th at the retail price of US $30. Well, $29.99, but who's that fooling?
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Retailers say Eye of Judgment is $60, camera included
The PlayStation Eye accessory is far more advanced than its last-gen predecessor, the EyeToy. With 120fps support, high-res video recording, advanced speech recognition, and EyeCreate photo editing software, we feared the Eye would cost an arm and a leg. It doesn't appear to be the case. The upcoming Eye of Judgment, which includes the camera peripheral, is listed for the same price as a regular PS3 retail game: only $60. According to amazon.com, the game will arrive in October. At this price, it seems worthwhile to pick up -- even if you're not interested in the game.
The standard HDD that comes with your PS3 is 5400 rpm -- not bad, but not the best on the market. We've stumbled across a write-up detailing the addition of a different hard drive, running at 7200 rpm, and its effect on a various array of games and other such things. While we wouldn't recommend you all rush out and do this, as long-term effects can't possibly be gauged just yet, it's still interesting to consider the ways Sony fans can customize their console to be unique. We'll outline the results below.
A listen to the latest episode of the 1UP Yours podcast reveals that the rumbling DualShock 3 is "confirmed," at least according to 1UP's lead Sony fanboy, Shane. He says that TGS will ultimately reveal the long-awaited rumbling controllers and the now-legendary 2.0 firmware, which will magically allow you to run many XMB tools from within a game. We're sure Sony's going to playing hardball at TGS, and you'll probably want to tune into our continuing coverage of the event, starting this Wednesday.
