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- ftbl52, on 10/10/2007, -4/+35I didn't think it was possible, but Sony found another way to make the PSP less comfortable.
- KloroFormd, on 10/10/2007, -1/+25"PS3 controller connecting to a PS3"
I'd hope that's how it works... ;) - nixon956, on 10/10/2007, -3/+26looks stupid as hell
- xerus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+18Yeah, patents are fun. Chances are we'll never see this, or if we do it will be 10 years from now.
- djSyndrome, on 10/10/2007, -4/+19How would it 'improve the control scheme'? The only thing it brings to the table is a better analogue stick. PSP games aren't suddenly going to magically take advantage of the second analog stick and two extra shoulder buttons.
- razmig, on 10/10/2007, -3/+16Not to say this isn't impossible, but i don't really consider this portable anymore. I doubt many people would ride a bus or play this between classes. Plus the "Divine Comedy" thing (seen here:http://www.scaryideas.com/print/2637/) won't work anymore. But on the plus side it would improve the control scheme which is what turned me off from certain games.
- solemnraven, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15yes yes, they like the old controller so much, get some from the dumpster and duct tape it to the damn thing.
looks like the "pigeon-rat" from the simpsons.
Logic>Sony - SuperMoses, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13This has to be a joke. It defeats the purpose of "P" in PSP. That is "Portable"
- HappyScrappy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Patenting stuff isn't the same as revealing it. Patents take years to be granted, if this shows up in a patent and you haven't seen it before, chances are Sony has already abandoned.
- Tagskill, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Didnt they steal the dual analog controller Idea anyway?
- DivisibleByZero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Why does every patent application that we see online look like it was drawn with crayons, crumpled up on some guys desk for 3 weeks, then scanned with a cheap scanner from the early 90s?
Does the patent office still not accept word docs or PDFs or something? - monkeyboy7706, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3A patent doesn't mean that it will definitely be released just that Sony is protecting their idea. Many patents lead to nothing.
Anyway, the patent doesn't actually specify the PSP/Ps2 controller etc it specifies a docking unit for a handheld processing unit to be connected to to provide alternative inputs. Basically a general patent to cover any input device connected to a handheld device. - Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3"the control scheme which is what turned me off from certain games" -- those certain games are old, and will still be controlled in the same way.
- n0ia, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3It's already been done - but it wasn't Sony who did it.
http://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=2321.0 - murder1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Its not a new patent. It was filed September 22, 2005.
They were probably going to use it as the controller for the PS1 downloads before they decided on the current scheme. - KyleMistry, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3That looks really awkward to hold.
Then again, it is just a patent. In the odd case that we do get to see this, I doubt it'll look a thing like that.
..Hopefully. - Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3As further proof, see the bazillion things Apple has patented, and which won't see the light of day since they came up with a far better solution 5 minutes later...
- KireGoTI, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Okay... I thought this was an incredibly stupid idea, too, but now I actually feel the need to defend it. Sony is apparently also going for a video output that will allow you to play your games on your TV. So using a controller would be much better. It would make the experience like a PSP version of Nintendo's Gameboy TV (which is fantastic).
That being said, even this would still make the PSP just an inferior PS2. And I think the DualShock is unequivocally the most uncomfortable controller I have ever had the displeasure to use, excepting the obviously moronic original XBox controller and the actual PSP face, both of which I have only used very briefly.
The PSP is not dead, either. This is the best-competing non-Nintendo handheld in history. It is doing much better than the NeoGeo or Gamegear or Wonderswan ever did. Nintendo has won the handheld wars again, but second-place isn't all that bad, you know. - Elranzer, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The "portable" in "PlayStation Portable" refers to how all of its games are ports.
- AwesomeAndy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2You know what's funny? Last night I popped in MGS3:S to finally play, and after a couple months of 360 ownership, the Dual Shock feels very cramped and uncomfortable. It was very nice when it was new, but controller design has moved beyond it.
- smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2someone already patented a modernized patent-review process.
- smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2we've already seen it AcidMods: http://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=2321.0
this was done a while ago. i'm sure sony's implementation will be much more elegant, but it's definitely been done before. - smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2with a new firmware update, they could easily set the analog stick to be programmable and just remap the controls outside of the game. we all do it for ROMs, the PSP also does it for PSX games, so why not for standard PSP games too?
btw, this mod has already been implemented by some hackers. i imagine if they were able to remap the controls themselves (and i've seen it work quit nicely) to the second analog stick, then why wouldn't sony? - maduin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Most patent designs never look like the finished product. They come up with an idea, come up with an abstract on the basics of the idea, draw a rough draft, and then they send it to R&D for a few years where the original design is worked on a tweaked on until it's ready for production.
Take Nintendo for instance, most of their patents for the gamecube used an N64 placeholder graphic to represent their gaming device that they were working on. I'm not trying to stick up for Sony here, in fact, all I own are Nintendo systems (and a PS3), but you people need to learn to stop jumping to so many conclusions so quickly. - smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2you can always DIY: http://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=2321.0
Acid Mods did this a while ago. - smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1agreed. Acid Mod implemented this exact idea, which was a pretty cool mod IMO, but i expect that Sony will improve it before putting it into production.
also, the PSP slim already has a video out, so if you can use a standard-sized playstation controller with the PSP, then you've got an already versatile handheld that you can now hook up to the TV in your hotel room and use as a regular console. it's really quite ingenious if you ask me.
the PSP already does a good job of playing PSX games, but being able to play it with standard controls on a standard ratio and/or full-sized screen would be even more kickass. this, in addition to the added RAM and built-in flash memory might just be enough to convince me to upgrade. - Tippis, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1People playing Decent with two F15 Talons back in '95?
- smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1and just who did they steal the dual analog controller from?
- smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1well, they already have software in place for mapping PSOne game control schemes to the PSP controls, so i don't see why they wouldn't be able to do the reverse. also, the PSP slim has a video out built in, so you'd be able to plug the thing into the TV in a hotel room and use it as a regular console.
- ontain, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1that doesn't look very portable anymore. you can't just put it in your pocket.
- Agret, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I heard you get compatibility issues if you attempt to do that, i'll stick to using my TV remote.
- smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1some people just have no life. you would think that PSP owners would be the ones most concerned about Sony's PSP developments, but clearly a lot of people just like to start flame wars for whatever reasons. maybe they need to constantly re-validate their zealotry by harping on devices they don't own. maybe they just need a hobby--usually it's only losers with no skills/talents of their own that spend the most time criticizing others.
the only opinions that really ought to matter are those of current or future PSP owners. most people complaining about the PSP being a "portable PS2" made their minds up long before the handheld came out, and they're clearly not concerned with facts or interested in reasoned/mature discussions.
personally i think this would be a cool attachment for playing certain games, especially PSOne games. it's already been done over at Acid Mods, but it'd be nice to have a cheap and easy attachment. - Agret, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I heard you get compatibility issues if you attempt to do that, i'll stick to using my TV remote.
- ChileanGoD, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I always knew they wanted to hit on each other.
- cthellis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I've been wondering when they or someone else would do SOMETHING like this. Indeed it does not make a game system nearly so "portable" but most of the time people are playing at home anyway, and the ability to hook up a portable device to a regular gamepad and utilize the better grip/controls and use the system itself as mainly "screen" would let people enjoy some games more.
Proper dual analog controls and the like (includes vibration, etc) are a bitch to include in a portable system trying to remain remotely svelte, so it's the kind of stuff you really won't see except through attachment.
It'll likely not have widespread adoption or support for a while, but many people will find it an excellent idea. There are people who bought foldable/rollable keyboards for their PDA's after all. ;-) It just needs to be properly and easily mapped to the "not-dual-analog" defaults that the devs have to use for the base system itself. - smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1are you kidding? the dual analog/dual shock/sixaxis controller is one of the simplest and most comfortable controllers i've ever used.
the dual analog and its predecessor, the original playstation controller, marked the first significant departure from the tradition flat rectangular game "pad" design and actively sought to be comfortable and ergonomic. all controllers since, except for the wii controller, have followed its inclined horseshoe shaped design, though with variations to avoid copyright/patent infringement.
the controller is essentially perfect and has experienced few variations or alterations over the years because of this.
-its inclined horseshoe shape conforms perfectly to the grasp of the player's hands.
-it's smooth and rounded, and has few hard edged or corners.
-it's almost perfectly symetrical, with the face buttons reflecting the position and general layout of the d-pad. the shoulder buttons, select/start, and analog sticks are all symmetrically placed as well.
most importantly, it's simple. the layout is almost intuitive as soon as you pick it up, without too many or too few buttons. personally i find the unique color-coded shape/symbol face buttons and intuitive R1/R2, L1/L2 shoulder buttons significantly easier to remember than the convoluted alphabet buttons that are laid out counter-intuitively on other controllers.
there's a reason why the playstation controller is so iconic compared to the nameless myriad of controllers that have come before and after it that few marketing departments would ever consider using as a symbol of their brand. i know this is blasphemy to some, but i think the playstation controller is up there with the SNES controller in terms of influence, and definitely much better designed incorporating the essential characteristics of the SNES controller and adding groundbreaking improvements on it. - cthellis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Never used a Dreamcast or a Jaguar, eh? ;-)
The DualShock is just designed to be small and generic so that games of just about any type can be easily mapped. I think the GameCube's controller was probably the most comfortable to hold, but some games just suffered from its' layout, and anything that wants to USE the D-pad? Fuggeddaboudit! Heh...
Unless your hands are uncommonly large and simply CANNOT curl up at all, I don't see how this can possibly be so bad for you. I can't imagine any other controller actually being able to be used in all the ways I've wanted to hold one (which gets amazingly varied the more Bemani games you had to play on a gamepad... ;-) Along with my preferred "controller resting on knee, using index/middle to tap face buttons the way I do in the arcade" style for most fighting games).
The problem is, at some point the design became almost the universally recognized symbol for the Playstation brand, so it's almost BAD for them to alter it; it has heritage. I wish they'd have tried SOMEthing new with the PS3's bundled controller and released the SIXAXIS we currently have alongside to test out different styles. Or at the VERY least made it so you could swap the position of the D-pad and Left Analog if you want. (Which is not actually hard to do, especially if you removed haptics from your controller.) - smackhero, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1packing a PS2 in a PSP form-factor is pretty damn impressive, especially since the DS is much less powerful than the GameCube. and considering that the PS2 is the most successful console in history, being called a portable PS2 is hardly a "stigma."
the PSP has been so successful because it's such an impressive and powerful piece of hardware like the PS2 in its time. indeed the PSP capitalizes on the same contributing factors to the PS2's success:
1.) the PS2 was backwards compatible with the PS1, thus giving it an enormous library. likewise, PSP also features the ability to play PS1 games, and Sony has also extended its Greatest Hits program to the handheld, re-releasing best-selling titles for all 3 consoles at $19.99.
2.) the PS2 represented a leap forward in the evolution of home entertainment by packaging a state-of-the-art game console and DVD / CD player all in one, setting the precedence for media convergence in gaming consoles. naturally, the PSP also found its niche in portable multimedia as an incredibly versatile wi-fi enabled mp3 & video player, capable of RSS podcast subscriptions, streaming music & videos, ad hoc photo sharing and surfing the web, all on top of its huge gaming library--right out of the box.
Sony's newly developed XMB, which is featured in the PSP, PS3, and many other newer Sony multimedia products, has done a great job of building on the PS2's precedence as a media convergence device by creating an elegant and unified interface for taking/sharing photos, playing mp3s, videos, games, etc. and services/features that may be added in the future. the XMB also adds interoperability between XMB-enabled media devices like the PSP and the PS3.
and this doesn't even touch on the added capabilities through homebrew development, like doubling as an IR remote, GPS device, ebook reader, N64/SNES and other emulators, instant messenger, or even as a phone through VoIP and online text messaging services. the PSP is clearly far more powerful than a PS2, but even as a portable PS2 it would still be an incredible device. - cthellis, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2People buy keyboards for their PDA's. People want video out for their portable devices, so they can TETHER them to a TV or the like. People frequently buy big honkin' protection shells and lights-to-make-you-see-the-screen-in-the-dark (granted not important since the GBA), which turn their portable systems into unwieldy behemoths.
In short, "portable" simply means "you can carry it around with you," not "a desire to not modify the system in the slightest."
Some people will find it pointless. Some people will keep it around the house to play while they're sitting on the couch, or have tethered their system to their TV to use instead of the built in screen. Some will find it way more comfortable to play every game and bring that with them TOO (since both are portable), and use it whenever it's convenient.
Some will make up illogical insults. - joejoeself, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1what they should have done was make the psp dual analog in the first place, ***** son we in the next gen and we dont have dual analog portables yet?
- Trat, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3PSP is dead, just like that UMD stuff...
- earthnuggets, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I don't really understand the complaints about the new PSP design either. It's simply an improved version of the original, basically the PSP-equivalent to Nintendo's DS Lite. If they placed another thumb-stick on the revised model then obviously the first model would be rendered relatively inferior, especially if games started supporting the added control. Forcing PSP owners to upgrade is no way to win over the fan-base.
Yeah, and this looks pretty retarded and will never see the light of day. - celkin, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0I'm still waiting for my iPhone Nano.
- VeganG, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2It's the most awkward thing I've every seen. I feel bad for Sony, they're truly trying to do what they think is the right thing to do, but they keep falling on their face.
- Naryuu, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0now games are going to be developed solely to utilize that controller.. forcing us all to buy it to play our next favorite games on the PSP. trying to make up some of that lost profit from the ps3, eh??
- Ngai, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1whose in charge is a better question to ask...
he's the one behind all this....gotta be a way to send him a message...
email perhaps? - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1They can come up with the PSP but they can't develop a controller that doesn't resemble attaching a PS2 controller to the PSP.. I thought it was an attatchment, not a glorified PS2 controller.
- thetechkid, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Its more of a ps2p.
- Zarchon, on 10/10/2007, -7/+3I will never understand Digg. When it wasa announced that they were bringing out a thinner, lighter PSP the feedback here was almost entirly negative saying Sony can;t do anything right. That they should have added another analog joystick. Sony improved on the original PSP. They are not calling the new model the PSP2, they are not charging more for it. They simply improved the old one. Now they patent an idea that may or may not be the PSP2 and all that happens is the Sony haters beat them up over that.
BTW, I love my PSP. I will be buying the new model in August and handing mine down. - Shanobi, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0Kind of reaffirms that stigma that the PSP is just a portable PS2.
Sony's R&D need a serious retooling... -
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