Jul 7, 04:11 AM

Immersion Rumble Hub-bub

Immersion.Gamasutra has some news about how Immersion is feeling a little left out of the next-gen console market, and is raising hell about the fact that the PS3 controller won’t have a rumble feature. Their main ammunition is a survey that supposedly proves that gamers want rumble in their controllers.

Now, Ploob hasn’t decided about the importance of rumble in the gaming experience, but there is one thing that we will comment on: *dishonest marketing research practices.”

Proving that gamers want rumble is one thing. In fact, we think that a lot of gamers probably do want a rumble feature in their controllers. Using a crooked, loaded survey to do it, however, is inexcusable.

Go take a look:
http://www.gamersurvey.info/

The survey commits a number of questionnaire design atrocities that would make any self-respecting marketing researcher gasp in horror.

First, it the first page starts you out with some standard demographic questions (what consoles you play, etc). On the second page, however, the horror begins.

Question 3: What can the rumble (vibration) feature add to game play? (Mark all that apply)

The possible answers:

Can you say “leading question?” Four suggested positive answers and only one neutral response? How could you get anything but positive results here?

Question 4: When playing console video games, do you turn off the rumble feature?

Does anyone even notice or hate the rumble feature so much that they would turn it off? Please.

And the survey continues on with a few more ridiculous questions and even more ridiculous answers to choose from. There is no way that this survey could come out with any other verdict on rumble than a positive one. In effect, all they have done is created an invalid survey and wasted a bunch of people’s time.

Whether you like rumble or not, that is irrelevant here. These kind of tactics have no place in the gaming industry or good business.

-Jon
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