Why not built in rumble on a portable?

[wraggster]

Via PSPfanboy (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/01/10/why-not-built-in-rumble-on-a-portable/)

There sure has been a lot of hoopla over the PS3s lack of rumble. Gamers everywhere are decrying how this missing feature will make games less immersive and enjoyable. But yet, when it comes to gaming, there is a double standard between what is expected on a portable versus that of a console. There have been many generations of portables since the rumble feature was first introduced to gaming and yet, it has yet to be a standard feature on any handheld, it has just been built into a few game cartridges. Wouldn't that portable first-person shooter or driving game benefit from the inclusion of force feedback? The DS has a built in microphone and the PSP can browse the web, but neither have a feature that is standard on nearly every console for over two generations.

Sure, some would argue that they don't need yet another feature that would help drain battery life, but like many feaures on a portable, it could be turned off if the user preferred. A handheld also has the screen built in, so if it were to rumble it would have to be low enough that it didn't have the screen shaking in your hand. But even this problem would be easily solved with minimal tweaking. So it seems that the lack of inclusion has little to do with technical issues. The main reason rumble is likely not included in portables is simply because gamers don't seem to be asking for it.

But why does lack of rumble hurt a console's prospect in so many gamer's eyes, yet is okay when it's lacking on their portable of choice? If you had the option, would you want it included in your next PSP or DS?

[eatnooM]

Less refunds because people dropped them? >_<

Either way, holding the PSP for a long time screws up your hands enough without rumble, thanks

[Ichijoe]

Shure why not and at the same time why not give us DVB-T and DVB-H or possibly DVB-S2 gee I'd wonder how still I'd have to be in order to watch the BBC HD Channel on that?!

Point is the PSP™ does a good enough job on it's own at sucking down the Juice!
Rumble (e.g. ForceFeedback), would suck down even MORE! Upshot lower Batterie Life!

Besides doesn't S0NY®™ have a beef with Immersion (i.e. the ForceFeedback B*stards that stole my M$ Flight-Sim Stick from the Market),.

I was under the understanding that by not backing Immersions 'Patents' S0NY®™ would do more harm to Immersion, by refuseing to back it!



Less refunds because people dropped them? >_<

Either way, holding the PSP for a long time screws up your hands enough without rumble, thanks

Too true that!!

[Xiofire]

battery life is all i can see that would stop rumble on a portable console.
-Xiofire
PS: posting from my Wii :D

[Accordion]

well it seems not that many people can hold a wii remote properly, so how would rumble effect a handheld...

[Hungry Horace]

battery life, yes... good point.

i was thinking "weight" and "physical size of the rumble pack" being an issue myself!

[pt9087]

Weight... possibly. and there is a few good things here

[TimmyJ]

Actually, I seem to recall that the N-Gage used the vibrate feature for one or two of it's games... not that I ever owned one *cough*

[Chuthbert]

a) It would completely drain the battery.
b) It would make it far heavier, which is a big deal for a handheld.
c) The motors will need extra room, thus making the overall handheld bigger.
d) Vibration isn't ideal for a device that houses all of the machines circuitry etc.
e) Who even notices rumble anymore?

PSPFanboy doesn't know what it's (he's?) talking about. It's a stupid, pointless idea.

[Broadus]

Rumble on a portable? That's a horrible idea! Rumble is annoying enough on controllers for full-size consoles, but when your whole system is shaking, that would be extremely annoying.
And you'd have to get the whole damn system fixed if the rumble stopped working at any point. Rumble wouldn't somehow "increase immersion" or anything.

[Vega]

Rumble feature on a handheld? IMO, Handhelds are fragile things. Rumble could screw up interior hardware... maybe.

Screw rumble anyway. Never saw the point in it.

[Chuthbert]

The only games I can think of where rumble actually had any use whatsoever are MGS1, 2 and 3. And even that wasn't vital for playing the game.

Anyone who criticises the PS3 for the lack of a controller that can vibrate is a complete moron.

[F9zDark]

well it seems not that many people can hold a wii remote properly, so how would rumble effect a handheld...

Lets take a look at this shall we?

Wii-Mote: 50 USD. Biggest technological feat within it: IR transmitter and small speaker.

PSP: 200 USD. Biggest technological feat: itself. Breakables: LCD screen, UMD drive, motherboard, need I go on?

[captainmorgan]

Rumble sucks. I always turn it off when playing xbox.

[tragedie]

Anybody here have a cellphone? Those things have a vibrate feature which seems remarkably familiar. Any questions on physical size and technical limitations can be forwarded to your best friend's RAZR.

I still don't want rumble.

Why? First, those are parts I'd have to pay for and they don't just come out of the sky. Second, the immersion just isn't there. In the Nintendo 64 and the PSX, the controller was held in your palms, the PSP and DS are held in your fingers. [Insert nerve ending humonculus mumbo jumbo here.] I don't need my fingers vibrating, they're busy battling gravity.

I enjoyed feeling the rumble in Final Fantasy 8 when Ifrit charged up into the sky and rammed a big fiery ball of pain at my enemies, but what is that? That is an example of gold plating. It looks and feels great but it does not really add to the game in the way of utility. But what about in an FPS, wouldn't a rumbling sensation let that newb know that he's about to get owned? I suppose that's how you find out in real life, by feeling bullets, not by red arrows pointing to the direction of danger.

The rumble feature can be used in both immersion and add to game functionality as another medium to communicate with the player. But in a portable? Maybe later when it grows bulky and looks like if it would come back to me if I threw it.

[Vega]

plus, the screen would shake!

[S34MU5]

love that metal slug sig.....

gona make my own, found a great sprite sheet :P

[DrNicket]

tragedie has a real point with the whole cellphone vibration comparison and also somewhat on the way the PSP is held.

You don't need a RUMBLE pack built into or even added on the something like a PSP. Something that powerful would bleed batteries dry, rattle the poor device from your grasp and ruin any fun you were planning on having. Using a vibration method similar or identical to a cellphone's would make much more sense. Less battery drain and less slippage.

I must add to the comments made by those who mentioned that a PSP has everything inside as opposed merely being a controller. While the vibrations may be virtually harmless in a device like the Nintendo DS, GBA/SP, etc., A device like the PSP with an optical drive, would fall victim to alignment issues, drift, impact damage and other maladies. Should the PSP2 be made of motion-free components, (ie: flash/iPod-style storage/a Non-palated HDD), then a vibration feature would make more sense. Until then, I'd write it off for PSP lovers. Nintendo Portable Vibe? Fill your boots.

[skater9269]

Lets take a look at this shall we?

Wii-Mote: 50 USD. Biggest technological feat within it: IR transmitter and small speaker.

PSP: 200 USD. Biggest technological feat: itself. Breakables: LCD screen, UMD drive, motherboard, need I go on?
that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard a the wiimote doesnt have an ir transmitter its a reciver and b dont you think its biggest technological feat is the awsome motion sensing in 3 deminsion with its accelorometers. Bu I definatley wouldnt want rumbel on a portable I do on the other hand quite like rumble on consoles especially wii somthing about the wii.

[Veskgar]

Hey, develop a super high-tech efficient battery that would not be affected too much by rumble and I'll be all for it.

Even with the extended "STAMINA" battery from SONY, the current PSP hardware version is not that efficient. Its not bad, but not great like the DS Lite.

[devmas]

Hmm.... when I think about it, they actually created a rumble pack for the Nintendo DS. It was made for Metroid Prime Pinball, but a couple other games use it. It is a very nice rumble that is effective and not distracting.

As a matter of fact, Warioware Twisted, the GBA game you twist in circles, (and might I add the best GBA game ever made :) ) has built-in rumble. The rumble is not very strong, but I can't imagine the game without it. You can turn it off, but it feels entirely different. The battery consumption of this rumble seems almost non-existant.

The point is, I do believe that anything can have rumble, optical drive or not. However, it probably should not be a very strong rumble.

[Accordion]

Lets take a look at this shall we?

Wii-Mote: 50 USD. Biggest technological feat within it: IR transmitter and small speaker.

PSP: 200 USD. Biggest technological feat: itself. Breakables: LCD screen, UMD drive, motherboard, need I go on?

i have no idea what your trying to say.
i simply commenting on the
stupidity of users of hand held devices

[StuiWooi]

Id love my psp to rumble, and to hell with making the screen not rumble, if you want immersive when you crash your car, take a hit or fire a weapon the screen should move just as much as your hands

Also it may be a standard feature, to have rumble capability in consoles, but the number of games i own where the default is rumble off annoys me a little bit.

[steve-b]

rumble wears out anyway. My old PS controllers hardly shake at all now..they just emit a slight buzz noise. It's really just a gimmick IMO.

[OkornographyO]

I have rumble motor inside my psp. And no it dosnt take lot off the psp battery life, just about 15mins or something. And no the screen dosnt shake at all. And I really love the feeling my psp rumbling when I shoot in medal of honor heroes. :thumbup: http://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=559.0

[jayjubear]

there would be many problems with the psp if it had built in rumble

It would cause the umd to shake and probably not read right.

It would rattle the internal electronics to a breaking point. and you couldnt replace the controler like in a console , you would have to replace the whole thing

Lastly it would shake the screen so the image would be blurry or distorted.