Levi Buchanan Avatar
Updated:
In 1996, the Nintendo 64 was the first console to launch with an analog controller, although the controller had been revealed much earlier, leaving both Sega and Sony to play a small game of catch-up. Sega released its 3D controller as a pack-in with its mascot-hopeful NiGHTS in the fall of 1996. Sony, however, waited until April of 1997 to release its first analog controller, the Dual Analog Controller, in Japan. The official North American release followed in August. The original PlayStation controller was quickly phased out of production following the Dual Analog Controller debut.
All three console makers were now analog, but they missed the second half the evolutionary cycle for 32-bit controllers: Rumble. Like the analog push, Nintendo lead the charge with the release of the Rumble Pak for the N64 controller. Shipped with Star Fox 64 in 1997 (in all territories), this add-on jolted the N64 controller with tactile feedback. Rumble was such a hit that Sony revisited the design of the Dual Analog Controller to add vibration. The result was the DualShock, which became the standard controller for the remainder of the PlayStation lifecycle and was gently updated for the 2000 release of the PlayStation 2.
The DualShock earns the first half of its name from two twinned features: Two analog stick, two rumble motors. The analog sticks on the DualShock were changed to feature a rubber-like grip instead of the indented plastic heads on the Dual Analog. It became incredibly popular thanks to wide adoption from both first- and third-party publishers. Popular games like Tekken 3 and Spyro the Dragon embraced it right away. The first PlayStation game to require the DualShock was Ape Escape in 1999.
When Sony upgraded to the PS2, the DualShock was given additional analog features. Almost all of the digital buttons on the controller were replaced with analog functionality, including the four iconic face buttons. Unlike the previous generation, the DualShock remained standard for the entire lifecycle of the PS2. Thanks to its comfortable design and the runaway success of the PS2 itself, the DualShock 2 controller rapidly became the representative controller of videogames. In pop culture, Sony's controller was often used in films and television whenever a character was playing a videogame (regardless of the actual game on-screen).
So, it was to some (pardon this) shock when Sony announced the retirement of the DualShock on the day of the PlayStation 3 unveiling. The new controller, dubbed Sixaxis, looked very similar to the DualShock 2, but now lacked rumble support and included motion control that indisputably aped the recently announced Wii. While Sony never confirmed nor denied this, many inside the industry (and on a zillion message boards) assumed the decision to leave behind the DualShock was due in large part to a very ugly lawsuit Sony was involved in with the company Immersion.
Immersion sued both Microsoft and Sony in 2002 for patent infringement over the inclusion of vibration in their respective controllers. (Nintendo escaped litigation because the design of the GameCube controller was different and protected under its own patent.) Immersion had patented its vibration system in 1995, predating both the DualShock and the Xbox controllers by years. Microsoft quickly settled its part of the suit out of court by buying into Immersion. Sony, however, fought the case and eventually lost. Sony was ordered to pay Immersion 82ドル million in damages (fees and interest raised the total to just over 90ドル million), but an appeal blocked Sony from having to pull the DualShock series of controllers from stores.
Sony eventually found common ground with Immersion and the two companies settled their differences in March of 2007. Sony agreed to pay the judgment to Immersion and embarked on a business agreement to use Immersion's technology in future controllers. Following both the settlement of the case and the less-than-enthusiastic reception of the Sixaxis by gamers, Sony announced the DualShock 3 in late 2007. The DualShock 3 went on sale in America last month with a great degree of backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 3 game library.
In celebration of the DualShock's tenth birthday, IGN Retro asked the editors of the IGN PlayStation team to reminisce on the fateful controller and its effects on the whole of the videogame industry.
DualShock's Ripples
Chris Roper, Editor in Chief, IGN PlayStation Team: The original DualShock practically defined the future of console controllers. Sure, shoulder buttons, analog sticks, rumble and all that came before it, but no previous joypad tied everything together as well as the DualShock did. The controller, and its later incarnations in the DualShock 2 and 3, helped popularize the PlayStation platforms because of their ergonomic and easy to use layout.
Jeffery Haynes, Editor, IGN PlayStation Team: By now, it's hard to imagine the PlayStation brand without the DualShock -- which is probably why there was such an uproar over the debut of the Sixaxis without any rumble support. The controller was, and is, one of the best peripherals that's ever been made, primarily because of its ergonomic nature and its button layout. It was a perfect balance of
control and function, and when you realize that both Microsoft and Nintendo have tried, and failed, to duplicate its success with their controllers, you know just how monumental the DualShock was to the industry.
What is particularly impressive to me, as far as the controller is concerned, is the variety of uses that designers came up with to use the rumble to pull gamers into their gameplay. It replicated the recoil of firing a rifle or gun (or conversely the punch your character would receive when they were shot). It simulated the power of a football tackle or sweetly making contact with a baseball and sending it over the fence. It could even be used as a cinematic accent to highlight moments of tension or drama, such as a slowly ebbing heartbeat or the pulsing power of explosions. Regardless of the game, the impact of the DualShock, and the way it provided a tactile connection to any game that used it, made gaming evolve into a true multi-sensory experience.
Greg Miller, Editor, IGN PlayStation Team: Hands down: the DualShock is my favorite line of controllers. When I picked that controller up for the first time, it felt right and it rumbled. It fit in my perfectly in my hand; all the buttons were easy to tap and spaced out right; the movement gave you a better sense of action; and as I'd hold the little guy for hours and hours on end, it never got annoying or hurt. It was the perfect marriage of design and function, and I'm happy Sony has stuck with it -- although I don't like DS3's R2/L2 downward trajectory when pressed. In these long nights of GTA, I find myself fumbling with my Xbox 360 controller. My index fingers hurt from holding the right trigger for gas, and I'm constantly fumbling as I try to get to the bumper.
That never happens with the DualShock.
Ryan Clements, Editor, IGN PlayStation Team:
The DualShock line of controllers have always been my favorite controllers among the various consoles I've owned. I always thought they were the most comfortable to use and the button layout -- as well as dual thumbstick support -- are extremely compatible with any game genre. Whether you're playing a shooter, RPG, sports game or racer, the
DualShock always delivers. I'm especially fond of fighting games so I couldn't go without the accurate d-pad the controller boasts.
But, I personally was never that invested in rumble support. I think a simple vibration in your controller is an inconsequential modification to a videogame's experience, and I place more importance in the raw
interaction between gamer and game. I also feel that a good story and strong characters are infinitely more important to a game than whether or not your hands are shaking. With that said, I think the DualShock was still a great addition to the PlayStation because a lot of people really enjoy rumble support and I will admit that in select cases it can definitely heighten your immersion. For example, music games benefit from the DualShock because you can feel a physical pulse in time with the music's beat -- or something akin to that. So while I may be apathetic to rumble in general, I recognize the impact it can have on some people and appreciate the option it gives developers.
Favorite Games
Ryan Clements's contrary view of the necessity of rumble, however, is contrasted by Roper's and Miller's views on the Dual Shock's contribution to gaming:
Roper: It's easy to argue that some franchises and titles may never have become as popular as they did (or even really worked) without the DualShock's setup and rumble. Gran Turismo fans know that controller feedback is key to victory. Black's incredibly tactile weapons would have felt limp without it, and Madden's tackles would have felt lifeless otherwise. And who could ever forget Psycho Mantis' mind-control over your DualShock? Brilliant.
Miller: I know it's cliché, but when I think of playing with the DualShock, I think of Metal Gear Solid. Snake's story was so compelling, and the rumble pulled you in. When Psycho Mantis moved it across my floor, the rumble of the action on the screen -- everything. It sucked me in.
In This Article
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition Rockstar North
Initial Release: Oct 26, 2010
ESRB: Mature PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Related Guides
Overview Basics Walkthrough Side Quests Comments