When we saw the PlayStation motion controller unveiled at E3, it certainly looked interesting, but Sony didn’t give us much to go on. Details? There were none. They were like here’s this thing you can wave around. Now we know what’s up, thanks to an interview with PlayStation R&D man Richard Marks. No, not the singer/songwriter.
The interview, found on the PlayStation.blog, takes us through the development of the PlayStation Motion Controller. Toward the end, you get to hear about some of the updates to the controller, including the addition of an analog trigger and rumble support.
As for the analog trigger, Marks says that it fits the bill for picking items up with varying pressure. Think of it as a control for grip power. The placement on the controller looks as if you’d grab something like you would with a pair of tongs. That could be neat. Marks calls the action a metaphor for squeezing, and teased at some unannounced usages of this capability.
The rumble gives you tactile feedback, just like any other controller these days.
Marks also touched on how the device detects what you do with it. It seems that a camera tracks on-screen placement and 3D depth, while internal sensors give angles and tilt. The combination, they say, gives this controller a new level of accuracy. From what we saw in this video, the control looks highly accurate.
Watch the full interview below.
Published: Aug 28, 2009 05:20 pm