I like a good, numbing vibration in my console gaming experience as much as the next person, but I can’t say that the absence of force feedback would disappoint me or keep me from buying a PS3. Apparently I’m in the minority though according to a study released by Ipsos Insight.
The survey-based marketing research company questioned 1,075 console gamers aged 18+ on their intent to buy a next-gen console and found that “three of every four respondents (74 percent) were not aware of Sony’s announcement that the rumble/vibration feature will be removed from the new PS3 controller and nearly six out of 10 gamers (58 percent) were disappointed with this news.”
More importantly, the study suggests this omission will cause buyers to skip the PS3 and go straight to an Xbox 360 (which already supports vibration controllers such as the Logitech pictured) or the Nintendo Wii.
Consumer Study Shows Video Game Console Purchasing Behavior May Be Influenced By Vibration Feedback Technology [Press Release]