Incog shows PS3 controller in action with WarHawk

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Incog Inc.'s Dylan Jobe has emphasised the importance of utilising the PS3 controller's motion-sensing capabilities only where appropriate, stating: "We're not going to force it."

Jobe joined Phil Harrison on stage at Sony's pre-E3 press conference to present WarHawk, a military combat game which sees players battling it out over land, sea and air. The pair demonstrated how players can fly a plane by maneouvering the controller, tilting it to arc and roll through the air.

In an interview conducted after the event, Jobe said he was unable to explain how the controller works, stating: "It's crazy Sony magic."

"I don't know - it's a special little black box inside there. For us it's very seamless. Sony provided API, and we get signals back from the orientation, so that's it. So the magic inner workings of it? I've no idea."

Jobe went on to observe that the controller boasts an impressive battery life, though he was unable to clarify exactly how long it will run for on a single charge: "The guys from Sony Japan told us that's a ten-plus-hour battery life. We've had the controllers for... I've seen it run for at least six hours and it can probably keep running. We haven't tested it fully."

Incog will be sure to make use of the controller's motion-sensing technology only where appropriate, according to Jobe: "We're not going to try and force controller functionality somewhere where it doesn't belong."

"It just happens to be that it's great to fly the WarHawk around this way, but in another game mode - let's say on the ground or something else - if it doesn't feel right we won't use it, we'll just use the stick. We're going to make sure the controller feels good in the player's hands, and we're not going to force it."

Of course, the new DualShock won't be the only motion-sensing controller on show this week - Nintendo is expected to reveal exactly what players can do with the Wii's unique "freestyle" remote controller at its own pre-E3 press conference later today. When asked how the two controllers compared, Jobe said: "I've never held the Wii controller, so I'm not sure."

However, he did go on to echo Phil Harrison's observation that the PS3 controller requires no external sensors - unlike the Wii remote. "I think that one of the most exciting things about this controller is that it is completely contained. There are no additional reference points, you don't have to put up any registration marks. It's a completely contained Sony kinetic sensor. That's the whole unit - battery, rumble, kinetic sensor. Everything is in that unit."

A release date for WarHawk has yet to be announced, so it's not known whether the game will appear as a launch title when the PS3 goes on sale in November.