These should be instantly identifiable by everyone. If you don't know what any of these are, you'd better not be proud. I'm serious. No one should be proud of their ignorance in any subject, but for this... You can be a non-gamer but if you have any kind of contact with popular culture you should have gotten this knowledge through osmosis, if nothing else.
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NOTE: Originally this was going to be one long post but I'll split it into 4 with a post dedicated to each console. This post ended up being a general comparison.
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The Playstation controller has remained essentially unchanged with regards to ergonomic design since its introduction in 1994. I can understand the "leave well enough alone" attitude on Sony's part but after having used the controllers of its competitors I believe it would behoove the company to look into some revitalization.
Microsoft and Nintendo designed their controllers very ergonomically. (Well, ok, Microsoft stumbled in America initially, but I'll get into that in a dedicated post.) They just fit into your hands naturally. The balance has been adjusted so that they settle into a solid neutral position when you rest them on your supporting fingers, the pinky and ring fingers of each hand if you're like me. Your thumbs access all the buttons on the face of the controllers, your middle fingers toggle the 'trigger' buttons and the index fingers press the bumpers or the solitary 'Z' button on the Xbox and Gamecube, respectively.
Contrast this to the Playstation controller. If you have one nearby try resting it in your hands without using your thumbs to apply pressure to the top face. Notice how the controller it weighted towards the front. Unlike the other two, with a Playstation controller I only feel comfortable holding it when I utilize three fingers to support it from the bottom. This leaves only my index fingers to access both L and R 'trigger' buttons.
With FPS games these days exclusively using the 'R1- Fire Primary Weapon' control scheme I think Sony should get with the times and tweak its controller design just a bit.
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See Also:
The Playstation Controller
The Xbox Controller
The Gamecube Controller
The pre-GameCube Nintendo Controllers
I miss N64 controllers. I can use Playstation controllers just as easy as any other other controller really. Thumb on each stick, with my right thumb also for pressing buttons, and my index fingers and middle fingers on the R and L buttons. One of the reasons R1 became "Shoot it until it dies from it" for me seems to be so that you can use your thumb to move the crosshair with the right stick and then use your index finger to shoot things. I did rest a PS2 controller in my hands on just the ring and pinky fingers and it seemed just fine.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I pretty much agree. It's not great for FPS games. It could use some tweaking, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm a PC Gamer so I prefer Keyboard + Mouse.
ReplyDelete@Mark: I'm going to pull out my PS2 tomorrow and take some pics for the dedicated posts. One of the reasons the PS controller is designed/balanced this way is due to the fact that there were no joysticks when it originally came out. Most PSX games didn't use the L/R buttons at all.
ReplyDeleteAlso, N64 controllers were one of the worst designs ever made. What am I supposed to be, some kind of 3-handed alien? Take another look at that controller.
@D4: It's almost as if Nintendo hogged up all the controller innovation.
@Javier: Same. Nothing matches the accuracy of a mouse.
When I first saw your post I thought: Three controlers! What are those two on the right from? I should ask.
ReplyDeleteThen I read your post. At least the first two or so lines.
I am not proud that I don't know them... but then again I am not ashamed.
I'll agree with you that Nintendo really stole the show for controller innovation. Hell they just own all innovation right now. The PS3 controller is slightly mixed up, with there being more of a curve and the back two buttons being slightly lower down, but I prefer the original design. The N64 design was good when you consider almost nothing used the L and D-pad. Plus it rested quite comfortably.
ReplyDelete@Bersercules: Ha, I apologize if I offended. I admit I have a brusque manner when I start into a rant.
ReplyDelete@Mark: Nintendo continues to steal the show, man. Look at that Wii-mote!
The lack of uses for the L button and D-pad are *testaments* to the controller's poor design, not pardons. The most natural way for most people to hold it was: Left hand around the center column with thumb on analog stick and index on Z button; right hand on right column with thumbs accessing A, B and the C-buttons. This leaves the D-pad only awkwardly accessible and the L button just out of the question.
Ok, well, I guess this just means I'm going to have to make a dedicated post to the N64 controller. Hope you're happy, Mark.
(_ - -)=O*(>#<_)
I am, very happy. Anything to do with Nintendo pleases me greatly. It took Sony years to steal the Wii-mote and Microsoft amazingly haven't done it yet (though they did release the kinect). Nintendo manage to steal the show because they are one of the last true gaming companies left, which is why they've constantly ignored calls to make their own mobile phone because "handheld gaming is dying". As long as we have Nintendo, we gamers are going to be alright.
ReplyDelete@Henry I totally understand!
ReplyDeleteShouldn't you have used the Wii controller for comparison, as that is nintendo's current console?
ReplyDeleteAlso Microsoft's controls weren't always great. If you can recall the original xbox controller, I still have one of those beasts lying around somewhere, now that was possibly the worst controller ever designed.
@Bonjour Tristesse: You make a salient point! If I were going for uniformity of generation then I should have chosen to review:
ReplyDelete-DualShock 3
-Xbox 360
-Wii-mote
*OR*
-DualShock 2
-Xbox
-Gamecube
Instead I must confess a personal deficiency: I own neither a PS3 nor a Wii. In addition, the Wii-mote is so different from the traditional gamepad I felt a comparison of ergonomics wouldn't be quite fair so I reverted to the last true gamepad Nintendo had released.
Ah-ha, well now, later today you'll get my Xbox controller post and I do remember the fat one. I'll reply in more depth to this portion of your comment in the post itself.