Battery life proving problematic in adding rumble to SIXAXIS?

[wraggster]

via engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/17/battery-life-proving-problematic-in-adding-rumble-to-sixaxis/)

It's unlikely that we'll be the only ones thrilled to see this fiasco finally reach closure, and even though the dust has somewhat settled, the PS3 faithful are still operating sans a first-party rumbling controller. Rumors may have suggested that such a device was indeed getting ready to launch in the not too distant future, but according to a blurb at Inner Bits, battery life could be holding things up. While it doesn't come without a tad of salt, Sony is reportedly "facing some difficulties with regard to battery life," as sources supposedly mentioned that "the rumble and wireless support" were causing the batteries to "drain too fast to be acceptable for consumers." Of course, there's always the third-party alternative if you're not picky, but those holding out for the real deal could be waiting a tick longer if this proves true.

[Triv1um]

Yes, this was always going to be a issue with adding rumble to the pad.

They are going to have to put a better battery in there which will make it more expencive.

I personally think putting rumble in there new pads is a bad idea. I think they should make a usb rumble pack that plugs into the top.

[Basil Zero]

Yes, this was always going to be a issue with adding rumble to the pad.

They are going to have to put a better battery in there which will make it more expencive.

I personally think putting rumble in there new pads is a bad idea. I think they should make a usb rumble pack that plugs into the top.

Now thats a good idea right there, especially making it a "option" is a better idea.

[jdnation]

When this question was put forth to Immersion they refuted the claim that adding rumble and tilt sensitivity to the controller would drain the battery life. In fact they scoffed at it and said the additional power was negligable... Besides the 360 and Wii mote controllers have rumble... is that causing a problem???

This report is based on that insider source, and most likely the guy could be mistaken, but let's play along...

Reasons I can think of is that most likely Sony isn't just tacking rumble onto the SIXAXIS, but is utilizing Immersion's revolutionary Next gen force feedback technology that simulates weight and directional resistence in ways never before felt... basically, it's rumble on crack! If that is so, that's amazing, and Sony's controller will be a force to be reckoned with so they're jsut having initial problems getting everything to work together.

Also if the above is true then that sort fo controller will have to be redesigned and engineered with this new rumble + motion throughout, so no USB add-on peripheral will be able to accomplish this...

And if you feel rumble is killing your battery, then, turn it off! But according to Immersion, you don't have to worry about it, so stop spreading needless misinformation about rumble. Proof from Immersion's own site:

Motion Control and Tilt Sensing
Next-gen vibration can work alongside motion-control and tilt-sensing features. Because the speed at which a user can move or tilt the controller is much slower than the frequencies generated by vibration feedback, it's possible to differentiate these signals using filtering and other techniques.

Wireless and Easy on Power
The new technology can be used in wireless controllers, and power consumption will not be greater than existing dual-motor systems. In fact, in many cases, power consumption will be less.


http://www.immersion.com/gaming/video_pc/next-gen/index.php

[-Xandu-]

Nintendo Wii doesn't have any battery life issues with the vibration or motion sensing feature ;).


I personally think putting rumble in there new pads is a bad idea. I think they should make a usb rumble pack that plugs into the top.
And copy Nintendo again??.. Good idea :).

[Accordion]

the Wii mote does not hsve rumble.

my phone vibrates more than the remote...its more of a shiver.

[mnuhaily22]

the Wii mote does not hsve rumble.

my phone vibrates more than the remote...its more of a shiver.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[alucard001]

lol, no games support rumble right now anyhow, hopefully they fix this up before GTA IV is out, so they can add rumble to GTA!!!