US DualShock 3 dated and priced
Perhaps the earthquake was a PR stunt.
DualShock 3 will be available to buy in North America in April, SCEA said overnight.
The long-awaited rumble enabled and motion-sensing PS3 pad will cost USD 54.95, which is around GBP 28 / EUR 36.
Kotaku reports that the pad will arrive on 15th April, although SCEA's press release just says "April".
Sony Europe has yet to match SCEA's statement about the controller's release plans, with a spokesperson yet to get back to us, but the platform holder originally said that both the North American and European releases would be in "spring".
DualShock 3, unveiled at Tokyo Game Show in late September, launched in Japan on 11th November 2007, and costs JPY 5,500, which is just about consistent with the US price.
In Japan, it's available in Ceramic White and Black, although SCEA's release doesn't say whether or not we'll see both.
A lot of PS3 developers have already patched or released their games to include support for DualShock 3, including MotorStorm and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and Sony says more than 100 will be compatible when it launches.
You can check out what we made of the pad in our DualShock 3 first impressions.