[grobelaar]

The controller debacle perfectly illustrates what a kafka-esque beast Sony has become, but also hints at it's lack of balls.

Sony has a pending litigation over use of rumble in it's PS2 controllers.

Sony announces that PS3 won't have rumble - it leasts the reasons at:
a) rumble is so out of fashio
b) it won't work with the sixaxis motion sensing (which is a last minute attempt to rip off the Wii-mote).

Now recently Sony announces that it's settled the litigation over the rumble. Rumble is back, long live rumble...

Unfortunately too late for early adopters of PS3, I can't see them keeping rumble out of games, it has become such a key part.

But it does give an interesting window on the world of Sony...

First off, why the kneejerk reaction to remove rumble, that has cost sony and it's customers dear. MS just got done for $1.5B for not properly licensing mp3 technology - you didn't see them suddenly remove support for mp3.

Also why go around hyping up the fact that no one cares about rumble, then look like fuckwits when you announce it's back...

The HMV near out office has taken only two pre-orders for PS3 kits and the shop is next to an office with about 100 video game developers in it - what does that tell you... I wouldn't bother pre-ordering...