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Xbox 2 Controller Loses Two Buttons, PS3 Gains One?
sbszine writes "Gaming rumors site C&VG is reporting that the the black and white buttons will be removed from the Xbox 2 controller, according to an un-named source. This would seem to support the reports of no backwards compatibility in Xbox 2. The site also has some interesting PS3 controller rumors: wireless control as standard, and a dedicated 'trigger' button for FPS games (in addition to the existing shoulder buttons)."
Ugh! Sony has a GREAT controller and they do not need to mess with it! More is less and less is more. I know this is controversial and up for debate, but I really do think that a good thing should not be tampered with. Heck, I still like the cramps I got from my NES pads.
They actually released a smaller version for the Japanese market, but since nobody in Japan bought an XBox, I guess it didn't matter much.
I have yet to see one of the Japanese controllers.
Have you not heard of the Controller S? It's about the size of the Playstation controller and is quite comfortable. They also changed the slanted diamond of buttons and replaced it with a conventional square diamond, just like the Dual-Shock. Personally, I have big hands, so I had no problem with the original controller, but for people more used to the Dual-Shock, the Controller S is quite nice.
I really hope they change the shape of the PS3 controller, neither the cube nor the x-box controllers (neither x-box, the canned ham or the smaller one) give me any problems, but the PS2 controllers give me a sore hand. Its those little tails, they dig right into the palm and while it isn't a lot of pressure, I get sore after awhile.
Then again I may be some kind of mutant and could be the only one with this problem, but Sony has had the exact same controller for 2 generations now, would a change not be good?
On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
Most current fps games have a secondary fire (sometimes a scope or other feature if you're getting technical) on their weapons. They normally require a second button or trigger. Having just one trigger button doesn't make sense unless Sony plans on changing the fundamentals of most fps games. In this case, having the trigger for primary fire and a non-trigger button for secondary fire would feel clunky, if you ask me.
I'm not going to buy this rumor just yet, and hopefully it won't come true.
Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
Sounds rather like the Z button on the N64, doesn't it?
Which was, incidentally, fantastic. Unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with Gamecube controllers to remember if they have one or not. Clearly I need to get a Gamecube.
Miri it is whil Linux ilast...
I'm not sure I really like this change to the xbox controller.
:o/
Sure - the black and white buttons arent that handy when in action, but they are very usefull in a game like madden nfl where you have ALOT of things you can do pre snap.
I have a hard time imagining how to do without these two buttons and have the same amount of options!
I agree that the Dual Shock 2 (PS2) controller is just about the best gamepad you could buy, unless you have *very* specific needs for one thing or another. If you buy one and a USB adapter from Lik-Sang, you have just about the best gamepad in existence for playing Game Boy, GBA, NES, SNES, Neo-Geo, etc games on your computer.
I do think that a couple changes could be made worthwhile.
People joked about the size of the X-Box controller. While I do think that the thing was a bit awkward (and it was unusual), it did teach me that larger controllers aren't a particularly bizarre idea. I *would* like to have larger grips on the PS2 controller -- thicker and longer.
If Sony can put triggers on the PS2 without ruining the balance, more power to them. One thing I'd like to see -- the triggers being *analog*, unlike the X-Box's ridiculous digital triggers. It's so frusterating to both have no feedback in a trigger to know when it's activated, no click or anything, and to lack analog control, which would make up for not having said feedback.
May we never see th
I do think a new system should have new controllers. Being able to use a dual shock from a PS1 to a PS2 was a nice touch for some people though.
My favorite controller remains the dreamcast but the Xbox S controllers I have are pretty near and dear to my heart.
Some of my friends have ps2's and they can't deal with analogue, I guess the sticks are just too flimsy or something. Anyway we play fighting, FPS, and driving games(occasionally strategie).
Console controllers are terrible for all of these except fighter's, the driving games are what hurt the most because it would be so easy to just make the triggers analogue, all of the crappy physics could be negated with some analogue triggers and good force feedback. FPS's require triigers, they found that out with GoldenEye, granted it wasn't perfect but it was a lot closer, some of the more recent games have tried to offer more functionality with fewer buttons and have gotten burned(R6:Raven Shield, GTA:vice city[xbox]). Their success is due to the fantastic original design and they can afford to suffer from assbackwards menu's, when someone games on a pc they often have to deal with 20-25 buttons (proper voice and weapon binds) and mastering a game on a console means getting good muscle memory of controller layout. We can use more button's, your developers want them, what are you thinking?
My requests for next gen controllers (not listed above) are decent force feedback, and analogue sticks that are easy to use (Play station too loose, Xbox inside feels digital outside requires too much precision for casual gamers, Gamecube good god what were you thinking.
They also, supposedly, stopped making the larger ones, though you can still pick them up. Mine came with the smaller one (I bought it over a year ago), and I bought the bigger one because I prefer it.
-PainKilleR-[CE]
People keep complaining about the triggers on the ps2 or xbox, but I think the Gamecube triggers are great.
They are analogue, have a good range of motion and they have a digital click when you fully depress them and then push just a little more. It's great for precisely controlling speed in games like Rogue Leader so you can get behind a ship and tail them or boost away if you're in trouble. I don't understand why one would make an analogue trigger like the ps2's triggers. The range of motion would be so short fine controll would be way to hard.
Also, the Gamecube triggers are nice and comfortably curved so you fingers don't slide off or cramp while trying to hold them in place, it just kind of cradles your fingers where they should be. That, and Nintendo obviously made the right choice in putting the left joystick under the thumb's natural rest. I absolutely hate the left joystick on the ps2 controller, you have to angle your hand all janky, or the joystick sits under the joint of the thumb instead of under the nailbed like it should. Using both joysticks on the ps2 requires me to rotate both hands into an uncomfortable position, ugh. The triggers suck and those afterthought joysticks HAVE to move!
"Cheeze it!" - Bender
Who the heck cares? These are unfounded, unconfirmed rumors. For all we know, the PS3 and XBox Next could use psychic control.
My favorite controller remains the dreamcast
Such an obvious troll...
Actually all new Xbox's are sold with the Japanese controller also knows as the S-Controller.
I fought the corporate America, and the corporate America bought the law.
I think it is very interesting that while Nintendo has been talking recently about simplifying gameplay and having games that use only a single button, Sony is making their controler more complicated.
I think the end result will be the PS3 appealing to the college and up crowd, and the Nintendo Hypercube appealing to the younger crowd, families, and old school gamers. In fact, very close to the current situation.
Fortunately, Sony has figured out that one of the best things Nintendo has done this generation is the Wavebird. I'm glad the default controller is rumored to be wireless.
I don't get it.. xBox was far from a perfect system, but the things they are changing are not the ones that need to be changed. While the original controller that shipped with the xbox couldn't have been much worse, the s controller was very comfortable and functional. The original b/w buttons were a long way away from where they were usable, the S controller made them great auxillary buttons for things like audibles in sports games or potions in ActionRPGs. The size fits nicely into many people's hands, in fact, I now prefer my S controllers to my Dual Shock controllers (long play cramps my hands on the Sony joysticks). The S controller should be refined, not destroyed and rebuilt. Then again, with the xbox Next seemingly changing everything else that worked or made sense (hard drive for downloadable content, caching and game saving, No backwards compatibility, etc.) it wouldn't surprise me. It would just be nice to have the triggers be analong...
Even though I said that the Dual Shock controllers give my hands cramps after hours of playing, I still think they are some of the best controllers I have ever used. They are simple. Minor enhancements to these controllers would help, but don't make it into an N64 controller. The changes kind of scare me, but I AM looking forward to the wireless.
I thought the same thing about the Nintendo controllers that everyone cracks on them about.. Then I played my brothers Gamecube for a few hours. While the layout of the buttons is really funky initially, after a few hours of play, it is obvious a LOT of thought went into its design. The buttons just FEEL like they are in the right places when you need to press them. I am sure that a Gamecube owner can probably explain it better than I can.
Go ahead, flame me.. I know I just jumped into a console holy war.
http://www.tomandemily.com
I have to say, I really enjoy the shape and texture of the xbox s controller. It's actually not too bad of a joystick, its big problem is really the black and white buttons, and the shape of the buttons themselves. They are rounded up, so if i'm holding them down, I start to hurt my fingers. I got top spin a while ago and now I don't play it because it hurts my hands to hold down the buttons for a long duration. The buttons need to be flattened out like ont he gamecube or ps2. The black and white ones just suck. They are good for halo type use, flashlight on off, or switching grenades, but they arent versital enough to be used in all games. There's no reason for them to be pushed into the controller and difficult to hit.
Gamecube is nice, but the direction pad sucks and there's not enough buttons to translate cross platform games effectivly. But otherwise the layout is nice and unique, though a little hard for me to play a game where you'd have to switch which buttons you are hitting quickly, like doing x,y,b or something is tough to move your thumb to sometimes. C stick also sucks. Its like the b/w buttons on xbox, can be used for non important stuff, but why limit controls like that when you can just create an effective right analog stick?
I like the ps2's dpad the best for whatever reason. Any of the round ones you see on computer joypads suck for me, becuase I cant press absolute directions consistantly.
A personal pet peeve of mine are the big trigger buttons. Anygame where to play it you have to hold the r trigger down for the duration (driving type game or something), makes my fingers hurt when I'm done playing a long session. Its a big bulky button, and theres a lot of range of motion to get it to fire off. If the buttons were smoothly responsive the whole way from start to finish, it wouldnt be bad, but when theres like 4 cm of deadzone that just makes my finger tired. That's why I like the ps2 the best, quick little toggle triggers that I can hit quick, and they respond quick.
One big complaint for all three is playing something like soul calibur on them sucks. Whenever you have to press 2 or even 3 buttons at once, I find it very hard to do with my thumbs. So what happens is I hold the controler with my right wrist flipped over and use my index and middle finger to press the buttons. After a while though that gets painful. Hard to manage the simultanious presses now a days...
I want responsiveness from a controller and some good erganomics behind it. I don't want force feed back messing up my control and I don't want vibration that'll give me jollys when I put the thing in my lap.
Speaking of that, does anyone think adding vibration to controlers makes em die easier? Ever since I got the ps1 controler with vibration in it, the lifetime of my joysticks have been cut in half. My nes and snes and original non analog ps1 controlers still work fine, and they've had twice as much of a work out as the vibration ones. Meanwhile the vibrating ones die after a year of good use. Oh well. Can only cross my fingers and pray the next round of joys are well thought out and comfortable.