Just How Important Is Force Feeback?

There seems to have been a whole lot of dirt kicked up about the new PS3 Dual Shock controller, from accusations that Sony copied Nintendo‘s motion sensing ideology to the fact that its design is basically the same as the previous Dual Shock’s… sans force feedback. Let’s talk about the latter, specifically the importance (or lack thereof) of force feedback.

Detractors are using just about every last bit of ammo they can muster to throw at the PS3 right now, and the fact that Sony has removed force feedback entirely from its redesigned controller has raised more than a few eyebrows and attracted staunch criticism. Sony’s reasoning for the removal is that the technology would interfere with the Dual Shock’s new tilt sensitivity technology, others say the two technologies could work easily in the device and that Sony is merely covering its bases in anticipation of further legal action from Immersion, a group that sued Sony claiming copyright infringement on its force feedback technologies for use in the Dual Shock 2. Me? I say, force feedback ain’t all that hot anyway.

Now don’t get me wrong there are some games that definitely make wonderful use of force feedback technology, who can forget the first time Psycho Mantis telekinetically “moved” your controller across the floor, or “feeling” your car slide over the tarmac in Gran Turismo? Unfortunately such innovative and intricate use of the feature as we’ve seen in games such as Metal Gear Solid and Gran and Turismo is a rare luxury. For the majority of games it seems more like an afterthought, hardly ever enhancing the gameplay experience and ultimately disposable, heck I don’t think I even notice force feedback in the majority of the games I play anymore (must be my hairy palms). It seems as though when the tech was first introduced developers had more ideas about how to use it, apart from the aforementioned examples there was the ability to feel Harry Mason’s heartbeat get louder,  and beat harder and faster as he neared death in the HUDless Silent Hill, but as time wore on it has become a feature that’s tacked on simply to meet the Sony product specifications checklist, what’s the point anymore?

What Sony has done, for whatever reason is get rid of a poorly and scarcely well used technology and implemented one that’s far more likely to see practical and beneficial use. The new tilt sensor is built into the familiar housing of a regular Dual Shock controller, so developers don’t have to re-think how they do things but rather how their game can benefit from having these functions available. Consider having the ability to perform fakes, jukes and shoves in Tekken simply by tilting the controller, or peeking out from behind cover in Metal Gear Solid 4 or Splinter Cell, performing barrel rolls in Warhawk and looking up down left and right in firs person shooters. The new technology has a myriad of gameplay uses and enhances the controllers button set, where force feedback technology did nothing but provide (very often) mundane tactile sensation.

The bottom line is this, let’s wait till we get the thing in our hands before we crucify Sony for the decision, we might just be pleasantly surprised. As always, I’d like to hear what you guys think.

There seems to have been a whole lot of dirt kicked up about the new PS3 Dual Shock controller, from accusations that Sony copied Nintendo‘s motion sensing ideology to the fact that its design is basically the same as the previous Dual Shock’s… sans force feedback. Let’s talk about the latter, specifically the importance (or lack thereof) of force feedback.

Detractors are using just about every last bit of ammo they can muster to throw at the PS3 right now, and the fact that Sony has removed force feedback entirely from its redesigned controller has raised more than a few eyebrows and attracted staunch criticism. Sony’s reasoning for the removal is that the technology would interfere with the Dual Shock’s new tilt sensitivity technology, others say the two technologies could work easily in the device and that Sony is merely covering its bases in anticipation of further legal action from Immersion, a group that sued Sony claiming copyright infringement on its force feedback technologies for use in the Dual Shock 2. Me? I say, force feedback ain’t all that hot anyway.

Now don’t get me wrong there are some games that definitely make wonderful use of force feedback technology, who can forget the first time Psycho Mantis telekinetically “moved” your controller across the floor, or “feeling” your car slide over the tarmac in Gran Turismo? Unfortunately such innovative and intricate use of the feature as we’ve seen in games such as Metal Gear Solid and Gran and Turismo is a rare luxury. For the majority of games it seems more like an afterthought, hardly ever enhancing the gameplay experience and ultimately disposable, heck I don’t think I even notice force feedback in the majority of the games I play anymore (must be my hairy palms). It seems as though when the tech was first introduced developers had more ideas about how to use it, apart from the aforementioned examples there was the ability to feel Harry Mason’s heartbeat get louder,  and beat harder and faster as he neared death in the HUDless Silent Hill, but as time wore on it has become a feature that’s tacked on simply to meet the Sony product specifications checklist, what’s the point anymore?

What Sony has done, for whatever reason is get rid of a poorly and scarcely well used technology and implemented one that’s far more likely to see practical and beneficial use. The new tilt sensor is built into the familiar housing of a regular Dual Shock controller, so developers don’t have to re-think how they do things but rather how their game can benefit from having these functions available. Consider having the ability to perform fakes, jukes and shoves in Tekken simply by tilting the controller, or peeking out from behind cover in Metal Gear Solid 4 or Splinter Cell, performing barrel rolls in Warhawk and looking up down left and right in firs person shooters. The new technology has a myriad of gameplay uses and enhances the controllers button set, where force feedback technology did nothing but provide (very often) mundane tactile sensation.

The bottom line is this, let’s wait till we get the thing in our hands before we crucify Sony for the decision, we might just be pleasantly surprised. As always, I’d like to hear what you guys think.