DualShock 4

by Mr Daax , aka: SSG Daax, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, 09:43 (4208 days ago) @ Kermit

The controller looks enough like the old one (ergonomically) that I still think I'll hate that aspect.

I've grown very fond of the 360 controller, and share the same aversion to the PS controllers. However, I was reading the most recent Gameinformer, and they had some developer quotes regarding the DualShock 4 that may help take away a bit of that aversion. Ultimately, I'm gonna have to feel the controller before I decide if I like it or not. Here's those quotes:

DriveClub game director Col Rogers
"We have very high framerate on the analog controllers and things like that, so we get much more accurate steering response. All the items like the touchpad and the lips on the control sticks make the new controller much better to use than the previous iterations."

Killzone: Shadow Fall game director Steven ter Heide
"We were less worried about new features and more concerned with things like reducing lag and having a good feel to the controller. We've seen some pretty wild experiments over the years where we were experimenting with various things, but we're very happy with the new things like the touchpad and the light bar and how they can be used for gameplay."

Infamous Second Son producer Brian Fleming
"We've been working with Sony for 15 years, and this time is different. That's just fact. It's crazy the level of involvement relative to prior generations. The head of the hardware team has visited us multiple times. It's not like Sucker Punch is magical. It speaks to their process this time around, and it's helped us be in a position to where we're really excited for the platform."

And finally
Bungie COO Pete Parsons
"Sony's hardware design team was great. They contacted us early in the process to get feedback on the DualShock 4. We make action games, and our feedback was simple. We wanted to make sure that the DS4 really paired up well with Destiny's gameplay. For us, that meant the controller needed to feel more substantial, and the triggers needed to be concave."

Things like this, Sony's deeper involvement with developers and reaching out to them for feedback, or the Indie-friendly approach they're taking, make me more excited for the PS4 right now. For me, if it all boils down to "I like everything about the PS4 except the controller" then I'm just gonna get a PS4. If I really need an Xbox controller, then I'm sure someone will figure that problem out, like these guys did.