Sony files patent for universal game controller

[JP2daMC]

Sony files patent for universal game controller by Jason

PALGN News: Why didn't we think of that?

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[fullmetal_adam]

Good idea...in theory, but I don't know how good it will feel to use. I guess we'll have to wait for the pictures.

[Kaiden]

i have a wii - with 4 wiimotes, 2 nunchuks, 2 classic controllers...
xbox 360 - 4 controllers, 1 arcade stick
ps3 - 2 controllers.

its a pain to buy all those...
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[ODEED]

I think it's a good idea as long as they use the xbox controller as a base design example.
Not that the xbox is perferct but I really don't like the way the PS3 controller fits in your hand. It's way too light and is too straight / square and the trigers are spongy and under used because they are in the wrong place and don't get me started on the (over)range of motion the thumbsticks have.
But I'm sure some fanbois will not agree and say the xbox controller is crap, but as I play both consoles (and have for some years) this is just my personal opinion.

[trixSTAR]

[Zarnoss]

I'm with ODEED on the Playstation controller issues.
The analogue sticks are way too close together, i always end up ramming my thumbs together in heated gaming sessions due to the convex knobs, would be much better with a concave design and about 4 cm's wider apart.
The 360 controller except for the lousy dpad IMO is perfection.Especially in regards to sprung triggers compared to touchy L2/R2 triggers.
If it had the Playstation d-pad....it would be amazing.(not a fan of the nintendo crossbar dpad)

Btw i guess sony will actually have to pay for all the patents on the devices held within the unit, sounds expensive.Although I guess for such a universal game controller the payout might be worth it.
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[IISpacebreakII]

Yeah I do agree that everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to what they expect in a controller. I still think the Gamecube controller was the divine perfection, but the xbox 360 and playstation controllers are still very good.

I can't see myself using one of these though. Like its great for multiplayer purposes, but when it comes to single player I just have to use the original controller. Its just the right thing to do imo =p

[macca macca]

Yep, personal pref. My i have been using the PS controllers since the early days of PSX and i belive it's the perfect shape. The x-box controllers don't fit on my hand properly, (large hands). I find u have toi grip in the exact way as they intended, and that is made for a small handed person, so i have to bend by fingers ALOT. With the PS controllers, u can just slip your hand down the grip a bit....

[notsofat]

i saw this on a fan concept of what they thought the "nintendo revolution's" (aka wii) controller would be like.

[sobriquet835]

I think that all the controllers have their issues, none of them is perfect. The Original Xbox controllers are considered too big my many people, so they introduced a smaller version which most people like, but some still prefer the larger of the two. Most people who had a Gamecube say the Gamecube controller is awesome. I only played Gamecube a couple of times, and I hated the controller. The button placement is... terrible. It's very hard to pick up and play, since the buttons aren't placed symmetrically like most controllers. The N64 had a great controller, but only one stick is a problem. The playstation 2 for me was perfect, but it has no triggers. On dualshock 3, it has triggers, but the depth of the triggers makes L1/R1 a bit awkward.

Anyway, I think this controller is a great idea, but choosing a button configuration could be interesting. And if it's gonna work on 360. PS3 and wii... well the wii could be a problem, unless it connects to the Wii the same way a GCN controller does, and is used like a Classic Controller.

[IISpacebreakII]

I think the button placement on the GCN controller was just a bit of a learning curve really, once you get used to it the fact that the 'A button' is in the centre made the controller an absolute gem of a thing. Scaling through walls of text even seemed fun. The best thing about the controller though imo is the shoulder buttons, its the only controller where I can press in both of them at the same time without it feeling weird. Not sure if anyone else has this problem. It could be because the other controllers use trigger buttons though (Which I actually don't like). I think another problem is, and people might not have noticed it, but the PS and Xbox controllers hand grips are directed more outwards then the Gamecube and 64's, whereas the latter controller hand grips tend to go straight down from the controller. So when you use a PS3 controller, the buttons are vertical but your thumb movements aren't vertical.

I don't like the D-pad that Nintendo use either, but its a staple mark of Nintendo, and I wouldn't like to see it gone.

[jesuslol]

One thing I have noticed in the talks about controllers it that the xbox people always say that the sticks hit together and some other complaints. There are 2 ways to hold the playstation controller in my experience.
The way that it is normally held by the xbox players is normally fairly deep in the hands. They wrap their hands around the plastic parts and left their fingers lie. This causes their thumbs to be in very far and when you put them on the analogue sticks it uses the area around the first knuckle or close to there.

The other way to hold it is to put the balls of your thumbs on the analogue sticks then put the balls of your fingers on the shoulder buttons. This puts the controller high in your grip. You get a much much better range of motion on the analogue sticks.

And the gamecube controller was so excellent. It just fell into your hands and fit perfectly.

[Zarnoss]

I actually never thought of the way i held the playstation controller before , but i find that I am in the category where i hold the controller high up, and not really gripped but it is more like the controller just sits in the cradling fingers with the thumbs really only having the only pressure on the controller via the stick.But after a fair while of gaming using the PS controller due to the convex shape of the knob my thumbs will always ever so slowly slide off until i am at a point in a game where i need to fore example strafe right and look left causing thumb jammage.If there was only that small increase in length on the controller this conundrum would be totally averted.
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[stick_theory]

I've used the dual shock ever since the dual analogue was released. I really feel sony missed with the dual shock 3, my thumbs do crash during fps, however before this generation I rarely played fps so I can't really comment if this has always been a problem. I really dislike the triggers, theyre too close to L1/R1 and are too sensitive. Apart from the horrrendous Xbox d-pad, the xbox control performs wonderfully, I would say that prioritising the left analogue stick is genius and the triggers actually feel like triggers. Just personal preference though. =]
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[matrix-cat]

I find the 360 controller awkward to hold if I hold it the same way I would a Dual Shock. I have my index fingers on L1 and R1 and my middle fingers on L2 and R2 when I hold a Dual Shock, and I can't do the same with a 360 controller. Well, I can, but it's shaped so that if I try and hold it that way my hands pretty much envelope it, to the point where my middle fingers almost touch in the middle. If I hold it with just my index fingers on the triggers it's much more comfortable, though using two fingers for four buttons is hardly ideal.

My dream controller would be a Dual Shock 3 with L2 and R2 replaced with the 360's triggers, and the D-pad from a Sega Saturn controller. And maybe longer prongs to wrap my non-button-pressing fingers around.
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[djrussell]

[pom013]

Even better would be one type of console, that way you would only need accessories for that and you could play ALL the games without missing anything. Thats what you get for having a free market economy though!

[fullmetal_adam]

[Buttmouth]

As Kaiden writes, its a freaking good idea. Sure the execution might not be as good as the idea, but we'll have to wait and see. It's got my attention, I just wish all controllers were USB so you only had to buy one of them... But I suppose that would cut a lot of revenue for other gaming companies.

Eventually I reckon Sony will have one, Nintendo will have one and MS will have one. All universal controllers, but all with their unique take on design and ergonomics.
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[Sinthesys]

That's the point though. Controller design is crucial for personal comfort, and so if the universal controller is going to have any appeal, it'll need to have a great design...

Sure every company may eventually release one, but for now, this is all we have to go on.
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[Buttmouth]

Fair deuce. Well I hope its shaped like a guitar. For supreme personal comfort.
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[Sinthesys]

I hope its ribbed. For her comfort..
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