DualShock
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The DualShock (also DUALSHOCK and Dual Shock) is the standard game controller available for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in America in May 1998, meeting with critical success.
First introduced as a secondary peripheral for the original PlayStation, a revised PlayStation version came with the controller and subsequently phased out the digital controller that was originally included with the hardware, as well as the Sony Dual Analog Controller. The DualShock was a success, providing gamers with a new way to get further into their games.
Design
The DualShock analog controller is a controller capable of providing feedback based on the onscreen action of the game (if the game supports it), or Vibration Function. The controller is called Dual Shock because the controller has two vibration motors: a weak buzzing motor (like cell phone or pager vibration), and a strong rumble motor, similar to that of the Nintendo 64's Rumble Pak. Unlike the Rumble Pak, however, the Dual Shock uses the PlayStation to power the vibration function, whereas the Rumble Pak uses batteries. Some third party Dual Shock controllers use batteries in lieu of the PSone's power supply. This rumble feature is similar to the one featured on the first edition of the Japanese Dual Analog, a feature that was removed shortly after that controller was released.
The controller is widely supported; shortly after its launch, most new titles including , Spyro the Dragon, and Tekken 3 included support for the vibration function and/or analog sticks. Many games took advantage of the presence of two motors to provide vibration effects in stereo; for example, Gran Turismo or the PlayStation port of Quake II.
Like its predecessor, the Dual Analog Controller, the DualShock has two analog sticks, and unlike said controller, the sticks featured rubber tips, in lieu of the grooves recessed into the Dual Analog Controller's sticks. However, the handles of the Dual Shock are a bit smaller than that of the Dual Analog Controller. The DualShock is one of the most ergonomic designs of a game controller, and, as a result, has been cloned by other companies; this has included some applications very different from controlling a videogame.
Vibration function suit
In 2002, Sony and Microsoft were sued by force-feedback company Immersion for patent infringement for the use of vibration functions in their controllers. Specifically, they were accused infringing on claims in US patents numbers 6,424,333 and 6,275,213 (both "Tactile feedback man-machine interface device", filed 2000 and 2001). While Microsoft settled out of court, purchasing a 10% share in the company, Sony continued to defend the case. Their defence centred on an earlier force feedback controller patent, the use of which Sony licenced from Logitech during 1998. Sony lost and was required to pay considerable retroactive royalties (approximately $91 million) to Immersion, for the seven years that the Dual Shock controller had been on the market, and suspend the sale of the controllers in the United States (including all PlayStation and PlayStation 2 console packages containing them). Sony appealed this decision and lost again.DualShock 2
When the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system was announced, the controller included with it was the same as the Dual Shock analog controller, except it was black, added two additional vibration levels, was considerably lighter and all of the buttons (except for the SELECT, START, ANALOG mode, L3 and R3 buttons) were pressure sensitive. Only a few games do support the pressure sensitive buttons though, such as Square Enix's The Bouncer, SCEA's Gran Turismo 4, Fresh Games' Mad Maestro, various racing games, and the PS2 Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto installments.Playstation 3
The prototype boomerang-shaped controller was shown for the first time in conjunction with the PlayStation 3 at E³ in 2005. However, it was confirmed by Sony in March of 2006 that the "boomerang" will now be replaced with a new controller design. The new design is almost identical to DualShock 2, with several additional features.
Redesign
In Sony's E3 conference on May 8th, 2006, it was revealed that the new, redesigned, wireless controller has a tilt sensor that allows six degrees of freedom (movement in all three spatial axes, plus pitch, roll, and yaw rotation). It also has broader analog sticks, a USB cable port at the top of the controller (utilized for connections to the PS3 and recharging), four LEDs presumably for play identification, and a "guide" button on the center of the controller's face. The controller is lighter than previous DualShock controllers (likely due to the loss of vibration function, see above). The controller's gyroscopic functions resemble those of the Wii's nunchuck controller add-on announced almost 8 month prior. The controller will also drop the 'vibration' feature as it will interfere with the motion sensors. (However, this was proven false as the Wii controller retains its vibration function. It's speculated that vibration features are being removed because of a lost lawsuit involving vibration functions of previous PlayStation controller designs, see above)It is not clear if this controller is considered the next in the DualShock line or if Sony plans on giving it another name. It is possible that Sony will keep the name merely for its brand name appeal, but possible new titles, such as "DualShake", have been rumored. [link]
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