Not too long ago, there were
rumors of a new Wii-like PS3 controller that could break apart, depending on what kind of game it was being used on. Well, looks like those rumors have turned into a
patent, recently filed by a Gary Zalewski from SCEA. The break-apart controller emits an ultrasonic beam of sound and light, which can be interpreted by the PlayStation Eye to track your movement. This would effectively emulate the Wii's motion sensing, without potentially infringing on any of Nintendo's copyrights.
Whether or not this device will come to fruition is unclear. Not all patents become real-world devices. This could be PS3 tech ... or maybe even PS4 tech.
[Via
NeoGAF]
{ Oct 30th 2008 at 11:15AM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ItchyBarracuda @ Oct 30th 2008 11:20AM
This has got to be something for way down the line, patents like these are usually filed for something far ahead into the future.
I remember the PS3 architecture patent being filed in like 2002 or 2003
jamesy @ Oct 30th 2008 11:22AM
"the break-apart controller emits an ultrasonic beam of sound and light"
1. light always goes faster than sound
2. how can sound travel faster than sound?
Don't Buy Fallout 3 New @ Oct 30th 2008 12:04PM
Ultra means beyond or greater. Not faster. The wavelength of the sound is beyond our hearing, thus it is ultrasonic. It's the same speed as other sounds, but it is unhearable.
I can't imagine how this would help the Playstation determine the controller's position. But they are smarter than me.
Heli @ Oct 30th 2008 12:08PM
ultrasonic just means that the sound waves emitted are of a frequency higher than the frequencies a human can hear. (that way you're not listening to this controller beep all the time). subsonic would refer to frequencies below what the human ear can detect.
as for the "light" part. i don't think he meant the light was ultrasonic.
Heli @ Oct 31st 2008 4:06AM
sorry, i jumped the gun on saying "subsonic would refer to frequencies below what the human ear can detect." subsonic refers to things flying/moving at a speed lower than sound. sorry bout that.
spikeylee @ Oct 30th 2008 11:24AM
Like HD Wii Sports?
I am all over that like PS3F is on posts about trophies. :p
HAAS599 @ Oct 30th 2008 11:31AM
haha nice
vahdyx @ Oct 30th 2008 12:24PM
dude, I hate nintendo! they single handedly changed the gaming industry with the wii!
Microsoft getting mii's
Sony's Six-axis
now this
Sony is now gonna go for profit next system, so I'm assuming a ps3 with more memory, new casing and that thing for a controller
I'm gonna quit gaming and focus on girls now! Damnit I had a girl free life now look what games are doing.
CJLopez @ Oct 30th 2008 1:17PM
I don't see how this is nintendo's fault???
Do they had Sony and MS pointed with a gun forcing em to make this descitions????
I don't think so
Laurens Holst @ Oct 30th 2008 3:16PM
Someone here has no sense of humour?
Go get ’em girls, vahdyx!
wem003 @ Oct 30th 2008 11:25AM
Beat me to it...
But 'Ultrasonic Light Beam" sure does sound cool.
DeathroW @ Oct 30th 2008 11:30AM
.. Or.. PS2 tech? It'd be the perfect way to keep it relevant for another few years.
Don't Buy Fallout 3 New @ Oct 30th 2008 5:24PM
Given the perceptions of a sour economy, Sony should make a huge effort to reestablish the PS2 platform as a great Christmas gift idea. They could definitely help with this by making the PS EYE (the new camera) compatible with the PS2, and using a motion controller, and selling games that are similar to Wii Sports. Tens upon tens of millions of people would buy a special kit to upgrade a PS2 into a Wii like system. And many third party Wii titles could be ported over (already, many PS2 titles are ported to the Wii). And of course, Sony could sell a PS3 version as well (or just make the entire kit work on both systems, and make sure all games work on both systems even if it means two versions of the game on one disc).
The PS3 is successful at 16 million... but Sony should recognize the economic condition and that a lot of people will be buying the cheap stuff for their kids. A $99 PS2 and a $99 Motion Sports kit would sell like hotcakes.
y3k.nik @ Oct 30th 2008 11:32AM
I hope my PS3 doesnt soon turn into a console with random animal farms and cooking games. That is the reason I gave up my Wii.
If they can use this the kind of games that are releasing lately, it might be awesome!
Kspraydad @ Oct 30th 2008 11:37AM
I wouldn't mind those at all ... PSN games for $10/15 dollars though...
Averna @ Nov 6th 2008 7:39PM
Every one that comments says that they got rid of their Wii (me included)... but the Wii sold the most consoles out of the 'big three'. Makes you wonder how many households actually have Wiis in them.
Then again, I guess the majority of people that browser game news blog/forums arent the uber casual gamers that want to play Wii over ps3/360.
end brain fart
Devin @ Oct 30th 2008 11:33AM
Damn it. I just bought another DS3....hopefully these don't come out too soon or else I'll need more moneeeyyyy!!!
Batzi @ Oct 30th 2008 11:34AM
Epic Fail. Forget Sony. I don't want to play my games in motion sensing controls, let this feature stay on the Wii. Old School gaming with a damn controller is way better.
Devin @ Oct 30th 2008 11:42AM
Nobody said anything about you Having to play with these controllers....where are you getting this from?
Popfrogs @ Oct 30th 2008 12:57PM
What? If this does come to the PS3, it's just giving gamers choice. I'm all for it.
davivman @ Oct 30th 2008 11:42AM
As a patent attorney, it always bugs me when people use words like copyright, patent, and trademark interchangeably. These words are not synonyms, as they protect different types of subject matter. Sony won't have to worry about infringing any copyrights with regards to Nintendo's motion sensing technology, because copyright doesn't protect those kinds of things. Copyright protects things like books that people have written, or portraits they have painted. Sony would instead have to worry about infringing patents.
Squirtforce @ Oct 30th 2008 12:01PM
What's the subject matter?
Miguel @ Oct 30th 2008 12:08PM
I know what you mean man. I notice these type of misstatements all of the time on the Joystiq blogs. Just yesterday someone on Joystiq said that Sony posted an increase in profits that narrowed their losses? Huh? Then followed up by saying that the declining value of the Yen was hurting Sony. Declining value?
This all might sound nit picky but its hard not to notice.
reson8er @ Oct 30th 2008 12:17PM
Thank you for that clarification, its much appreciated.
Hypoid @ Oct 30th 2008 12:17PM
in response to miguel:
I haven't read the article, but maybe they meant they are referring to the "losses" from selling the PS3 below cost. So by making profits, they are reducing those "losses" that they "lost" on previous PS3 sales.
hazima20 @ Oct 30th 2008 11:43AM
Maybe we would be able to actually touch sackboy!!!
havoc @ Oct 30th 2008 3:23PM
I dont think you should be wanting to touch any little boys or thier poor little sacks.
EBE @ Oct 30th 2008 12:24PM
Ho please no!!! Give Wiii Casual Shit to casual gamers!! Hopefully, the PS3 will become soo much successfull in the years to come that SOny won't have to copy Nintendo abandon of core gamers !! this is scary..
EBE @ Oct 30th 2008 12:10PM
Ho no.. !! Please Sony don't copy Nintendo ! I hope the Ps3 will be such successfull the years to come so that Sony won't copy nintendo.. Give them the casual market for casual people (not even gamers), and stay with true gaming!
Casual Gamers will want some real gaming when they become true gamers.. People will want true HD when their eyes will be completely used to HD.. Stay serious and don't abandon hardcore gamers like Nintendo did !
Dan Rabot @ Oct 30th 2008 12:26PM
Don't buy Fallout 3 New? - Why not? i'm so gonna buy that on Friday, you've cast my world into doubt.
GTJoe @ Oct 30th 2008 12:47PM
Personally, I think that thing looks like some sort of sex toy.
4thcage @ Oct 30th 2008 12:53PM
That was my first impression too. And what with that ball thing?
Kspraydad @ Oct 30th 2008 1:00PM
It is a patent drawing..ie. it is there for clarification to represent the functions...it doesn't need to actually LOOK like the controller in fine detail.
j.howlett @ Oct 30th 2008 1:03PM
i recall reading about break apart controllers in a magazine years ago. i think it was just a bunch of what ifs before ps2 and gamecube launched
Lars @ Oct 30th 2008 1:28PM
Ugh, this looks aweful. What they should have done is basically split a PS controller in half, and make the grip more like a pistol grip. Then put the IR/Sound emitter at the tip of it. Then you don't lose any controls and you have a really comfortable one-handed controller.
There's a reason why pistol grips haven't changed much since they were invented.
I thought at first that the Wiimote was awesome since it was like a TV remote, but constantly pointing it towards the TV really starts to hurt your wrist, unless you're always standing.
Tokyo @ Oct 30th 2008 2:00PM
vahdyx said...
dude, I hate nintendo! they single handedly changed the gaming industry with the wii!
Microsoft getting mii's
Sony's Six-axis
now this
Sony is now gonna go for profit next system, so I'm assuming a ps3 with more memory, new casing and that thing for a controller
I'm gonna quit gaming and focus on girls now! Damnit I had a girl free life now look what games are doing.
EBE said...
Ho no.. !! Please Sony don't copy Nintendo ! I hope the Ps3 will be such successfull the years to come so that Sony won't copy nintendo.. Give them the casual market for casual people (not even gamers), and stay with true gaming!
Casual Gamers will want some real gaming when they become true gamers.. People will want true HD when their eyes will be completely used to HD.. Stay serious and don't abandon hardcore gamers like Nintendo did !
EBE said...
Ho please no!!! Give Wiii Casual Shit to casual gamers!! Hopefully, the PS3 will become soo much successfull in the years to come that SOny won't have to copy Nintendo abandon of core gamers !! this is scary..
Oh please! Listen to yourselves. Read what you're typing. Grow up already. Gaming needs to grow the fuck up. But it never will.
Laurens Holst @ Oct 30th 2008 3:14PM
Ultrasonic? Poor dogs!
And I can already see the bats outside flinging themselves against the window whenever I play a PS3 game with this controller :).
drepsx3 @ Oct 30th 2008 3:21PM
Sounds great! But what about the Legend Boomerang controller?
abe @ Oct 31st 2008 12:55AM
heli plz do not talk of what you do not know ultra does not men faster it refers to amplitude of a wave just like infa and it means smaller amlitude, sonic refers to speed of sound starting with moc one ,sub for under moc 1 and super refers to any thing above moc 1 and sound is not limeted to a single speed the less entropy the faster sound is as for moc it refers to speed of sound in 1 atmosphere or 14 psi
abe @ Oct 31st 2008 12:57AM
heli plz do not talk of what you do not know ultra does not men faster it refers to amplitude of a wave just like infa and it means smaller amlitude, sonic refers to speed of sound starting with moc one ,sub for under moc 1 and super refers to any thing above moc 1 and sound is not limeted to a single speed the less entropy the faster sound is as for moc it refers to speed of sound in 1 atmosphere or 14 psi
Heli @ Oct 31st 2008 4:48AM
I didn't say ultra "men" faster. I said it indicates higher
frequencies. This also means the waves are of a shorter wavelength, not smaller amplitude.
I always thought sonic refers to a blue hedgehog that runs really fast. Possibly faster than "moc" 1.
You're right about sound not having the same speed, it depends on the medium in which the sound travels through. e.g. sound travels faster in water than in air. Not exactly sure how thermodynamics comes into play.
Also, Mach numbers are used to describe the speed of objects in relation to the speed of sound in the same medium (doesn't have to be air). The Mach number indicates how many times faster than the speed of sound an object is traveling. e.g. object at Mach 2 would mean the object is traveling 2 times the speed of sound in the same medium.
abe @ Oct 31st 2008 4:45PM
water has less entropy than air do to the level density ,thermaldynamics dont mean tempature, hydrogen has more entropy than oxygen in same tempature cause it tends to move around more and i am never sure of the spell but yes knew about moc or mach and how it is mesure, and sorry i did due some research and it does say wavelength for ultra. as for the medium what i mean by mach one is that it is standar speed of sound in air, if it it sounded like i was saying that that speed is only limited to air then i am also sorry bout that i dont know if that speed can be recreated in other circumstanses but never ment to say that that speed is only limited to air. however i do enjoy discussing this stuff so if you want to continue this discussion then add me if you want psn=hispania.