Joystiq is reporting that they have an unnamed source claiming Microsoft has a new controller for the Xbox 360 in development. According to this source, the controller will feature a redesigned directional pad which raises up a quarter of an inch when rotated ninety degrees. I assume that such a design would offer some measure of resistance and give feedback to the player then making a rotational move, such as in a fighting game.
The Xbox 360 controller is, in my opinion, one of the best ever made. It's comfortable to hold, has everything in easy reach and the ease of compatibility for use as a PC controller is a big personal plus for me. The d-pad, however, is well-documented crap. If this rumor is true, I may have a whole bunch of controllers that will need replacing.
Rumor: Microsoft prepping new Xbox 360 controller with improved d-pad for the holidays [Joystiq]
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Contest:
1:00 AM on 08.31.2010
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Dude, you're like the fucking Energizer Bunny of Sony PR-speak.
I do? haha. Well i don't think its a bad thing right? I'm just pointing out stuff Sony did better. Although it would be nice if they did take notice and pay me.
But seriously, there no malice intended with my posts.
Oh my! That looks more like a phone. Hahaha.
Also, am I really the only one who uses the sticks in fighting games...? The D-pad is better for fast double tap moves like Liu Kang's flying kick, but I can do something like Ryu's uppercut fairly well without it.
It gets fingered? HAHAHA.
Also, i do wish the DS3 gets PC support. But oh well.
The D-pad is just total garbage though, and I don't see how raising it will help any. It's just like one big button, I try to press up and I end up pressing in all four ways.
Now, I'll suck LESS on DOA4 and SC4
Well, i'm glad my hands aren't big. Haha. That's a good idea though, making a slightly bigger version of the DS3. But of course Sony has designed it with the Asian gamers in mind.
I can do most quarter circle moves with no issues with the d-pad
@robotic
well, i don't think that's happening anytime soon, so i think the DS3 d-pad is still the go-to for fighting games and in turn the PS3.
And even so; if the Classic PRO had triggers like a gamecube controller it would be by far be my favorite.
I've long heard rumors of improved d-pad for 360 controllers, I believe at one point there was going to be a green FIFA controller that was supposed to change the world. Hope this is true.
As a person who's hates every fighting game other than Soul Caliber 2, I think it would be beter to have a controller that's actually good for more than.. fighting games. When playing a shooter (third or first,) my thumbs bump into each other constantly. I even prefer the Xbox 1 controller over the PS3's. Don't get me wrong, though.. I like my PS3 a bit more than my now dead 360,
And anyway... why would you play a fighting game on anything but one of those big arcade joystick things?
Its ok. People have different preferences. Its just the accuracy of the DS3's d-pad seems more versatile than the xbox controller, no?
And i agree on the joysticks part. Enthusiasts will settle nothing less than a stick for their fighting game needs. But if you are not a hard core fighter, isn't it nice to have a controller that already allows you to play fighting games without fighting the control pad first?
'made a bunch of money'
'for my friends'
^stingy cunt
The DS3 will work on a PC - with sixaxis functionality - if you have a bluetooth adapter, and this.
Same goes for Wiimotes, they work on PC with the same setup.
The d-pad is about the only thing the DualShock does better than the 360 pad. The sticks respond better and are better placed for shooters on the 360 pad IMO.
Hey, that is awesome. Thanks for the link. Its not official but awesome nonetheless
One of the video game consoles with the highest failure rate of all time will have a better D-pad!?
Way to get your priorities straight, Microsoft. And at a time when you're marketing "controller-less" gaming.
No, seriously, good job, Microsoft.
maybe that is why the popular notion goes that the 360 has just shooters. It dos them well, a little too well. Although i think it being best for shooters is a matter of opinion or personal biasness. I have no problems playing MAG or MW2 on the DS3.
For more constructive criticism, the 90 degree rotation thing raises concerns, mainly when pulling off Final Atomic Buster/Gigaton Windup - type moves. I figure this is one of those wait-and-see scenarios.
But whatever. Any improvement is better than none.
DEAR GOD WHY?
Analog is good for standard movement, but never for twitch reflex inputs because analog will always screw it up because there's not enough resistance to human error.
Its a good thing they're working to fix the D-Pad, because I have a really hard time getting into any fighter or brawler with an analog stick.
I'm sure it does. But for people who just can't play fighting games 24/7 or competitively. Having a good d-pad, like the one on the DS3, is good enough
Ahahahahahahahaha.ha.ha. The sticks are placed better? More responsive? F*ck no. Side-by-side makes soooo much more sense. And better for shooters? Who gives a crap what's better for you to f*cking run around and headshot your tweeny-bopper friends? Real games are better with the DualShock. F*cking deal with it.
Yep, the DualShock in a heartbeat.
Point invalidated, play real games.
but at least they seem to be aware of it. here's to a perfect controller next generation!
A bit harsh but i agree with your statement. The Dualshock is a really well designed controller and has worked for Sony for years. Why mess with perfection
I love people.
The Dual Shock is just a little bit too small for me. When I hold a 360 controller, it allows my right thumb to rest flat all the way up to the buttons. The Dualshock forces me to bend the knuckle of my thumb in order to press X while I can press 'A' on a 360 controller without any such bend and that's more comfortable for me.
The added length is also convenient as I can position my ring fingers over the triggers in a similar fashion. And the combination of button designs also allows me to operate bumpers and triggers without having to move my fingers back and forth between them, as the curve of the bumpers falls directly between my first and second knuckles.
The d-pad is really a deal breaker for me and it's the only thing that keeps it from being pretty much perfect for my specific needs and desires. I'll buy any game that I'm going to use a d-pad on the PlayStation if given the option but I'd really much rather have a 360 controller which featured one that worked.
The only other time the dpad is used is for changing weapons in shooters or other single press actions.
This is of course just my experience but between my fightstick and the standard 360 controller I've never had a problem.
@matt welch
You need a prozac.
Jungle Mullet, if the Dualshocks are awful, then i don't see why Sony still continues its design use from PS1 to PS3 right?
Conrad, I think everyone respects your opinion. Most of us just feel the Dual Shock, is a much more better controller thanks largely to the d-pad and the intuitive design by Sony. The idea to have a bigger Dualshock is a good one, but like i said its mainly designed for the gaming majority in Japan.
Then i think Microsoft has underestimated the D-pad, what with platformers needing that accuracy in movements.
I wager playing Castlevania:SoN is a more better experience on the PS3 thanks largely to the well designed D-pad on the Dualshock 3. Games like LBP benefit greatly from the d-pad. Its a shame Limbo is exclusive on the 360. It will be better served on the PS3 and its better controls.
The biggest problem is the D-pad/analog placement. It is using a setup that was designed for when analog might not prove to be that popular (PSX) and they just never swapped it to the right spot. Analog sticks are, most of the time, the primary control. Should they then be in the primary spot? If it was such a great way that the Dualshock is, wouldn't everyone else have copied it? Stop blindly following Sony because you can't move on from your childhood.