Console controllers and missed opportunities
Looking here Nintendo has announced what the new controller looks like for the revolution. Being a long time fan of wavey mice I am glad to see them get closer to the mainstream, but I hope they will be quicker responding than mine. I wouldn't want to play a game with it thats for sure. Maybe there will be a resurgence of strategy games on consoles because of it?
Now when I was looking at the controller I thought to myself about the XBox controller lying dusty under the TV and thought: "how could that be made better?". I have never been a fan of joypads since they first appeared in the 80's. They always force my fingers into unnatural positions. The recent massive spike in buttons - X box having 2 analog, 1 digital, and 8 buttons!! - has only made it worse. I like the fact Nintendo constantly try to push back the boundaries, but why has no one thought of putting a separate set of buttons on bottom, where (or close to) your fingers sit?
People like to see the buttons clearly layed out in diagrams, but ever since the PS2's knuckle snapping top buttons, why has no one progressed them to more comfortable postions? The XBox triggers are pleasant to use, but I want more. I have 4 fingers supporting the enormous lump of plastic. Some tactile well positioned buttons under (or over!) each of them could be used. Then I wouldn't have to think "where's up a gear" in driving games, or oh crap I need to hold the aim button now.
Mouse designers have been doing this for a while - recent logitech high enders have had an almost laughable amount of buttons to do pretty much everything you could think of. I rarely use them. However games are a slightly different problem. One learns complicated patterns and requires many to handle a modern game. Any buttons would need to be stiff enough that they could not be accidentally bushed over - but the Xbox's existing buttons are ok for that. And a second set could be put in the normal (now mostly redundant) positions.
I have 1 thumb per hand. Lets give it only one or two buttons instead of 6 plus a stick!
Let's see how long it takes someone to figure this out...
Now when I was looking at the controller I thought to myself about the XBox controller lying dusty under the TV and thought: "how could that be made better?". I have never been a fan of joypads since they first appeared in the 80's. They always force my fingers into unnatural positions. The recent massive spike in buttons - X box having 2 analog, 1 digital, and 8 buttons!! - has only made it worse. I like the fact Nintendo constantly try to push back the boundaries, but why has no one thought of putting a separate set of buttons on bottom, where (or close to) your fingers sit?
People like to see the buttons clearly layed out in diagrams, but ever since the PS2's knuckle snapping top buttons, why has no one progressed them to more comfortable postions? The XBox triggers are pleasant to use, but I want more. I have 4 fingers supporting the enormous lump of plastic. Some tactile well positioned buttons under (or over!) each of them could be used. Then I wouldn't have to think "where's up a gear" in driving games, or oh crap I need to hold the aim button now.
Mouse designers have been doing this for a while - recent logitech high enders have had an almost laughable amount of buttons to do pretty much everything you could think of. I rarely use them. However games are a slightly different problem. One learns complicated patterns and requires many to handle a modern game. Any buttons would need to be stiff enough that they could not be accidentally bushed over - but the Xbox's existing buttons are ok for that. And a second set could be put in the normal (now mostly redundant) positions.
I have 1 thumb per hand. Lets give it only one or two buttons instead of 6 plus a stick!
Let's see how long it takes someone to figure this out...
Comments