2007's worst kept gaming secrets

The Dual Shock 3 is announced for the PS3

Oh Sony. Why did you have to make such a big deal out of this not existing? If you’d just said nothing and put out a rumbling sixaxis as an optional upgrade later, things would have been fine. Hell, if you’d just glossed over the original controller’s lack of rumbleor mentioned that it might be coming later, probably no-one would have minded. Now however, you just look a bit silly.

Rumble was a ‘last-gen’ feature we were told. Not something we should even care about in this day and age. It’s all about motion control, don’t you know? Move on! But the fans wanted it, luddite concept or not, and at this year’s Tokyo Game Show they got it. A few journalists noticed rumbling controllers quietly appearing on PS3 units for the Burnout Paradise demo and soon afterwards Kaz announced the pad officially. No explanation for the change of heart of course, or any justification for old-gen tech suddenly becoming relevent again. But the denial and subsequent confirmation of rumble couldn’t have coincided could it, as many gamers speculated, with the dispute and resolution of Sony’s litigation with rumble company Immersion? No, of course not. Sony doesn’t to and fro with PlayStation policy.

David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.