Playstation CerberusA Controller Collaboration Designed by:

Zombie GenerationJordan GrigsbyWesley MinerOrion Mitchell

Christopher NelsonDeven Roberts

Game Usability

PS Cerberus Introduction• Controllers are an integral component of the game industry. Controllers

are also vital to the player experience. The interface of a controller must

be designed perfectly for the player. Controllers must be designed so they

fit a player’s hand comfortably, allowing for long periods of play. As a

result, the buttons on a controller must be organized specifically on a

controller so that every button can be easily accessed. Controllers have

evolved a lot over the years because usability has become increasingly

more important in the game industry. Useless additions and cumbersome

properties have been striped and controllers have been refined to the

point of near perfection. With the PS Cerberus looks to go above and

beyond what’s expected, in order to reach true perfection.

Introduction Continued• The Sony PlayStation has been a long-time competitor in the gaming

industry. The PlayStation 2 was the most popular gaming console of its time,

outselling and producing the Xbox and GameCube. With the coming of the

PS3, the system has unfortunately fallen behind Nintendo and Microsoft.

With the Wii came the innovative motion controller and Microsoft took that

technology even further with Kinect. The PlayStation 3 needs a well-

deserved change and designers argue that the PS3’s controller is lacking. The

PlayStation 3 needs a revolutionary design that is able to compete with the

changing world that is the video game industry. The problem being, is that

games today utilize many different gaming styles. Some prefer motion

controls while others want a more complex physical controller. PS Cerberus

looks to push the PlayStation 3 to higher standards.

AbstractThe Cerberus is the new controller being designed for the PlayStation 3

and can be used for future Sony systems. The controller implements a

touch screen interface while maintaining the traditional design of the

Dualshock 3. The controller can separate into multiple pieces for alternate

play styles for the casual and hardcore gamers. It also provides additional

room for future attachments. Cerberus is a versatile controller that takes

game to a whole new level with its innovative attachments.

Design Inspiration• The gaming industry is evolving at a rapid pace. Developers and producers all want

to create the hottest content. Gaming, like everything in society revolves around

trends. Currently, the industry is seeing large amounts of motion control based

games being produced. In addition to motion, touchscreens and button-less

interfaces are fast become popular. Our team was set on the goal of creating a

controller that could incorporate these trends without compromising simplicity.

We designed a controller that could be used for the casual motion gamer while

also catering to the core gamer. Gamers now have the ability to mold the

controller the way they wish to play. There is a touchscreen for core gamers that

serves as a keyboard and menu interface for shooters and RTS games. For the

casual gamer, the sticks are used for motion controls, offering precise motion

tracking.

Design Assumptions of PS Cerberus• With our design, we decided to revolutionize the controller industry by

attempting to implement every element of the controller, motion control, a physical controller and an LCD touch screen. The controller is an all-in-one design, and we assume that the design will revolutionize the industry because there isn’t anything out there that could possibly compete with its design. One of the assumptions that can be made is that the touch screen would allow the possibility of players being able to access the menus without interfering with the gameplay. Players would be able to send messages to other players without having to pause the game. The controller would add to the player’s experience. It would definitely please the people whom are using it because it would be cheaper because of the fact that it is an all-in-one controller. “Good game feel, then, is when the controls of game feel feels intuitive, deep, and aesthetically pleasing”. The design is extremely intuitive because of its unique design. The design will ultimately push the PS3 ahead of the game because of the fact that there isn’t a single other controller that exists like it.

Borderlands• Borderlands is an open world FPS that offers gamers both a broad range of customization as

well as an expansive world of exploration. Players take control of one of four treasure hunters

in search of the Vault, a location holding the universe’s most sacred treasure. In order to

survive, players must make use of the thousands of gun choices and hundreds of customizable

attributes available.

• Borderlands works best with the touchscreen on the controller. The screen serves as a menu

interface for easy navigation. This menu is broken down into manageable categories.

Touching the screen will pause the game and bring up the item menu on the controller’s

touchscreen. Players can select an item from the menu and a diagram of that item will be

displayed on the television screen along with a brief description as well as performance

ratings. This attribute is superior to normal controllers because the once chaotic menu

interface in Borderlands is now easier and faster to navigate.

LittleBigPlanet Summary and Use• LittleBigPlanet has long been a staple game for the PS3. It is an action-

adventure platform and puzzle game that can be played with up to four players both online or local.

• Our controller will be superior not only for adding a keyboard to make speaking online more convenient; but will also work off the move and making the user’s Sackman dance around. The control offline when split apart will allow for comfort and flexibility.

Star Craft II Wings of Liberty

• Star Craft II is a Real Time Strategy game or RTS. In the game the player takes on the role of Jim Raynor the leader of a separatist group. Then the Zerg, an alien life form attacks, and the story get interesting.

• The game involves managing resources, building a host of different troops and vehicles, and the construction buildings. The player controls groups of troops as they engage and defend against enemy forces. http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=9&q=star+craft+2&offset=72#/d31vhpb

Star Craft II and the PS Cerberus“The one great advantage that the Cerberus will have over it’s competition is that it can bring RTS games to the console system.” ( Orion Mitchell, Personal communication, June 22nd, 2012)

One reason RTS games have failed to translate to the console system is a lack of hotkeys. The Cerberus allows hotkey action through its touch screen keyboard interface allowing players to easily select troops and send them into the fray against the Zerg.

Defeat in an RTS is usually due to players not being able to get to trouble areas quickly. Utilizing the touch screen players can instantly touch and move to locations of the map. Utilizing the touch screen as a hand held mini map

Touch Screen KeyboardFor Hotkeys

Touch Screen Mini Map

Schematic #1: PS Cerberus

Top Down View FIG 1 Action Buttons

Right Bumper

D-Pad

Left Bumper

Touch Screen, with Touch Screen Keyboard

Schematic #2: PS Cerberus

Top Down View FIG 2

Right Thumb StickLeft Thumb Stick

Play Station Button

SelectStart

Schematic #3: PS Cerberus

Top Down View FIG 3

USB ConnectionUSB Connection

Schematic #4: PS Cerberus

The controller comes apart, at the USB ports, allowing the player to switch out components to enhance their style of play. Allowing different controller add-ons to be utilized and future control schemes to be created, designed and sold

USB Male Connection

USB Female Connection

Top Down View FIG 4

Schematic #4: PS CerberusUSB Connector

Connector cross is used to connect both halves of the controller together to form a more standard dual thumb stick controller.

The USB cable is used to connect the controller together but allow independent movement with each hand.

USB Cable

PS Cerberus Controller Prototype• The Prototype made up

of air dry clay consists of five parts. The left and right controls can be connected via the touch screen controller, by a USB wire, or by USB Connector. The testing procedure varies from form to form.

• Cerberus Broken-down

Figure 2

The Three Forms of PS Cerberus

PS Cerberus USB Wired• The left and right controls of

the Cerberus can also be connected via the a USB Wire. This adds a different way to use a controller that has only been seen with the more primitive controllers of the Wii Mote and Nanchuck. The Cerberus has all of the buttons that the PS3 controller has while providing a new comfortable way to play.

PS Cerberus USB Connector

• The USB Connector allows Cerberus to transform into a more stereotypical PS3 Controller. The USB connector is a thin connector that has two male USB connectors which connect into the female USB slots of the left and right controls.

PS Cerberus Touch Screen

• The Touch Screen for PS Cerberus can be inserted via the two male USB connectors on the sides of the touch screen into the female USB slots of the left and right controller. The touch screen can act as a inventory screen, a navigational map and also switch to a keyboard for multiplayer games over the internet.

Discussion of Findings and Results• The Cerberus is a versatile controller that has the ability to transform into the

ideal controller for the user. It takes some of the best ideas from some of the most innovative controllers.

• The Touch Screen reminds users of the PS Vita. Players are able to keep an extra screen open to enhance single player game play by allowing the player a place for stats, maps, and inventory. The Touch Screen enhances online multiplayer games by providing a map to show teammate locations, and a keyboard to chat via message to one another.

• Connecting via the USB wire may make the user feel they are using a more advanced version of the Wii mote/Nun chuck. The inner motion sensors allow for use of the six axis as well as prepare the PS3 for more motion control games.

• While the Cerberus is versatile, sometimes the user prefers to use a controller more akin to the original PS3 controller. By using the USB Connector they can turn the controller into an old fashion PlayStation controller that players will enjoy .

ConclusionThe Cerberus controller works well with all the games tested in

this project: Borderlands (FPS), LittleBig Planet (Platformer), and

Starcraft II (RTS), and is expected to excel in other game genres.

The detachable design allows for a wide variety of players of all

types. The design also allows for future peripherals to be

attached if desired. The touch screen implementation adds an

extra depth to nearly any game. It can display the map of the

current area, shortcut actions, a shortcut to the inventory

screen, and a keyboard for text communication.

References• Ryckert, D. (2009, October 19). Borderland review.

Retrieved from:http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands/b/xbox360/archive/2009/10/19/borderlands-

review.aspx• Norman, D. (1988). The design of everyday things. (pp. 3-

168). New York, NY: Basic Books.• Schaffer, N. (2008). Game usability. (pp. 271-389).

Burlington, MA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.• Images from:

– http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi – http://www.littlebigplanet.com/images/assets/shared/screenshots/potc_screen7.jpg

• Wcomix, (Digital Artist). (2010) Star Craft 2 [Digital Art] Retrieved June 22nd 2012, from http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=9&q=star+craft+2&offset=72#/d31vhpb