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Sony Develops a Universal Game Console Controller

Posted by Soulskill on from the floats-like-a-dreamcast-stings-like-a-wii dept.

Go Rumors has discovered that Sony recently applied for a patent on a "universal game console controller." According to the patent filing, the controller "includes a hand-holdable housing and a touch sensitive liquid crystal display (LCD) on the housing. The LCD is caused to present, depending on what type of game console a user has selected, a controller key layout for a first type of game console or a controller key layout for a second type of game console. A key layout includes plural keys selectable by a user to input commands to a game console."

5 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. The haptic hell waits for them ... by Kong+the+Medium · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Everbody says the same about these newly fangled "touch"screens and their inputschemes: Give me back my haptic feedback.

    As long as the screen does not press back I will suck at the input. I need some input from my fingertips to show me that I am over "the" or at least "a" button. If it's on a screen I have to look at the screen to see if my fingers are positioned correctly.

    DO NOT WANT!

    Don't get me started on Sony last "new" input scheme, the Sixxaxis. In theory it's great, in reality the missing "weight" feedback destroys every immersion and fun in using the controller like e.g. a valve or a steering wheel.

    --
    ... whenever a text is transmitted, variation occurs. This is because human beings are careless, fallible, and occasiona
  2. God no by Tromad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sony controllers have the worst layout, with the analog sticks in a horrible position, with a form meant for girly hands. They should just give up and use the 360 controller and replace the d-pad with the one from the NES, and there you go, the perfect console controller.

  3. Nice idea but I think it'll suck by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Part of the problem is tactile feedback, since you need to locate buttons by touch during a game. However I think durability might be an issue. People tend to be hard on their game controllers and I can't see a touch screen holding up to the same kind of abuse as buttons.

    I like the idea of a reconfigurable controller, I don't don't think we have good tech for it yet.

  4. Wii's concept controllers... by Stan+Vassilev · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When Nintendo announced their new console, they hinted that the way we use the controller will surprise us. Various amateur 3D concepts popped up around the net, and most of them displayed a Nintendo controller with a touch-controlled LCD display, controls would change depending on the game.

    Now we see Sony applying for a patent on the very same idea, a bunch of amateurs came up with in their free time few years ago.

    Obvious patent is obvious.

  5. You can't patent something so obvious, can you? by mykos · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In fact, plenty of phone emulators and games have on-screen controllers that do this already.