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Xbox controller redesign: now with a hopefully non-shitty D-pad

freakish lightfreakish light butterdick jonesand his heavenly asshole machineRegistered User regular
edited September 2010 in Social Entropy++
So I was skimming headlines on my home page today and look what jumped out at me:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/08/microsoft-redesigns-xbox-360-controller-with-transforming-d-pad/1

TL;DR they're recoloring it to silver and grey, the face buttons are going grayscale, and the coolest and most relevant feature: there's going to be a new d-pad design to hopefully fix the mushy crap issues with all the previous ones.

Basically the diagonals retract back into the face of the controller, leaving the four directionals standing out in sharp relief, so you hopefully never hit up+R or down+R when you're just trying to hit R.

Comes bundled with the play and charge kit, there will be demos at PAX, and it retails for about $65.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz6aTTKE6hE&feature=player_embedded

Personally I hate the one that's on there now, it's the weakest part of the 360 controller and the primary reason I buy my platformers on PSN.

freakish light on
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Posts

  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    @majornelson: Coming to #PAX this weekend? I'll have a few of the new controllers to give away during the recording of my podcast Sunday morning.

    Usagi on
  • UrielUriel Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Remember when SNES controllers were like 15-20 bucks?

    Uriel on
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    Uriel wrote: »
    Remember when SNES controllers were like 15-20 bucks?

    Uh

    they still are

    Rankenphile on
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  • UrielUriel Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Yeah man but they were even when the SNES was the Top Dog.

    I was trying to make a comment on the price of the controller.

    I know it's wireless and has a lithium battery though so man it's really a wash.

    Uriel on
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    man try and buy a wavebird these days

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • UrielUriel Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    How much are wavebirds going for I think I still have one laying around.

    Uriel on
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    40 or 50. they don't make 'em anymore and they're so much better than the regular gamecube controller with its short ass cord

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    Uriel wrote: »
    Yeah man but they were even when the SNES was the Top Dog.

    I was trying to make a comment on the price of the controller.

    I know it's wireless and has a lithium battery though so man it's really a wash.

    you are purchasing far superior technology for a relevant system and dealing with 20 years of inflation

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    GET THAT COMMON SENSE BULLSHIT OFF MY INTERNET

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    no.

    Rankenphile on
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  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    YOU'LL DO IT OR YOU'LL FACE MY PATENTED ATOMIC ELBOW

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Rank you stone cold logical.

    DarkPrimus on
  • 101101 Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    D pad is pretty nifty, not a fan of the way it looks though.

    101 on
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Rank you stone cold logical.

    Brains from the top rope

    Give him the intellectual stunner

    Think him out cold

    Rankenphile on
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  • World as MythWorld as Myth a breezy way to annoy serious people Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    are they doing the face buttons in varying shades of gray? is that for colorblind folks? if so that's pretty cool

    World as Myth on
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  • Wrench N RocketsWrench N Rockets Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    It's gone all mono-chrome.

    Interesting design choice. I wants to see one in person.

    Wrench N Rockets on
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  • Tommy2HandsTommy2Hands what is this where am i Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    you know, I kinda don't like the grey look

    maybe the videos are just exaggerating it though

    Tommy2Hands on
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  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    it's cool but doesn't it kind of fuck up the color based system and all the games that depict it?

    it's probably not that big a deal

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    wait

    they're making all of the buttons grey?

    so instead of the years of color coding we've gotten used to

    and the fact that lots of games specifically reference the color of the button

    they're just like "nah, let's make them fucking bleak"

    Rankenphile on
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  • World as MythWorld as Myth a breezy way to annoy serious people Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    the only games I can think of that make a big deal of emphasizing the colors are rhythm games, which you use different controllers for anyway

    correct me if I'm wrong, I have only had one cup of coffee

    World as Myth on
    kQwcZLJ.png
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    they're the shades of grey the colors would be if you just turned on grayscale in photoshop or something, seems like

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    like, I genuinely don't understand the logic behind that choice

    not trying to be inflammatory or whatever

    just sort of taken aback by the thought process behind removing the color from the buttons

    it doesn't make any sense to me

    Rankenphile on
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  • Wrench N RocketsWrench N Rockets Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    wait

    they're making all of the buttons grey?

    so instead of the years of color coding we've gotten used to

    and the fact that lots of games specifically reference the color of the button

    they're just like "nah, let's make them fucking bleak"

    But they are now different shades of gray.

    What would be god damn bitchin is if each had dim LED in it so it glowed the correct color.

    Wrench N Rockets on
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  • undeinPiratundeinPirat Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    all the games that tried to get around fourth wall and shit by referencing the colors of the buttons

    all for naught

    undeinPirat on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] steam: undeinpirat
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    the only games I can think of that make a big deal of emphasizing the colors are rhythm games, which you use different controllers for anyway

    correct me if I'm wrong, I have only had one cup of coffee

    I can think of dozens of games that show the button on screen (Press X to jump) with the color of the button

    I tend to associate the color rather then the symbol, in those regards

    I can understand the aesthetic choice of removing the color, I guess. Make it look a little bit less child-like maybe? But I don't get what they're gaining versus a number of things I can see that they are losing in this process.

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • Tommy2HandsTommy2Hands what is this where am i Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    wait

    they're making all of the buttons grey?

    so instead of the years of color coding we've gotten used to

    and the fact that lots of games specifically reference the color of the button

    they're just like "nah, let's make them fucking bleak"

    But they are now different shades of gray.

    What would be god damn bitchin is if each had dim LED in it so it glowed the correct color.

    that would be fucking cool

    Tommy2Hands on
    8j12qx8ma5j5.jpg
  • Wrench N RocketsWrench N Rockets Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    From a design standpoint I think it's an interesting idea.

    From usability, yeah I question the logic.

    Wrench N Rockets on
    sig_lambo.jpg
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    wait

    they're making all of the buttons grey?

    so instead of the years of color coding we've gotten used to

    and the fact that lots of games specifically reference the color of the button

    they're just like "nah, let's make them fucking bleak"

    But they are now different shades of gray.

    What would be god damn bitchin is if each had dim LED in it so it glowed the correct color.

    see, I thought about that, but you'd think he'd mention it

    I dunno

    maybe they will

    that'd be kinda neat.

    Eh, I know it's not really for me anyway, I'm not exactly on the market for a new controller, and I've never had problems with the D-pad, so whatever.

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • World as MythWorld as Myth a breezy way to annoy serious people Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    the only games I can think of that make a big deal of emphasizing the colors are rhythm games, which you use different controllers for anyway

    correct me if I'm wrong, I have only had one cup of coffee

    I can think of dozens of games that show the button on screen (Press X to jump) with the color of the button

    I tend to associate the color rather then the symbol, in those regards

    I can understand the aesthetic choice of removing the color, I guess. Make it look a little bit less child-like maybe? But I don't get what they're gaining versus a number of things I can see that they are losing in this process.

    see, I'm the opposite, I've always associated it more with the shape -- the colors are pretty irrelevant for me

    you're like this and I'm like this

    World as Myth on
    kQwcZLJ.png
  • VALVEjunkieVALVEjunkie Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Wow is that video SUPER quiet for anybody else?

    I have the volume maxed out and I can barely hear it.

    VALVEjunkie on
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    the only games I can think of that make a big deal of emphasizing the colors are rhythm games, which you use different controllers for anyway

    correct me if I'm wrong, I have only had one cup of coffee

    I can think of dozens of games that show the button on screen (Press X to jump) with the color of the button

    I tend to associate the color rather then the symbol, in those regards

    I can understand the aesthetic choice of removing the color, I guess. Make it look a little bit less child-like maybe? But I don't get what they're gaining versus a number of things I can see that they are losing in this process.

    see, I'm the opposite, I've always associated it more with the shape -- the colors are pretty irrelevant for me

    you're like this and I'm like this
    Chocolate chocolate chocolate! ACK!

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • World as MythWorld as Myth a breezy way to annoy serious people Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I never realized the d-pad was a universal problem; I always figured that I spilled soda in mine like right off the bat

    all of them

    immediately upon purchase

    (it's possible)

    World as Myth on
    kQwcZLJ.png
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    yeah the way most xbox games work they emphasize the color when they tell you which button to push

    but at this point I've got the colors mapped pretty well to the buttons so I don't think I'd have a problem

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • RabidDeathMooseRabidDeathMoose Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I'm surprised they didn't even keep the colours on the button labels.

    EDIT - as has been mentioned countless times already I see. Excellent.

    RabidDeathMoose on
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    suddenly I am listening to a motorhead cover of Louie, Louie

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    So does this mean I can play Megaman 9 and not die 800 times due to mechanical error ?

    Because Honest to god The Wii version is almos t a different game solely due to the controller.

    King Riptor on
    I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited August 2010
    Koshian wrote: »
    Koshian wrote: »
    I hope they'll still make controllers in matte white

    faux metallic plastic has always seemed really ugly and hokey to me

    like, it looks like something you'd get at a sharper image

    also acts as a golf ball polisher, am/fm radio, meat thermometer and lists mixed drink recipes

    Underwater pogo stick!

    Rankenphile on
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  • KrunkMcGrunkKrunkMcGrunk Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    $65? Jumpin jesus!

    KrunkMcGrunk on
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  • YukiraYukira Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    $65? Jumpin jesus!

    Comes with the rechargeable battery and cable.

    Yukira on
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    how about that live price hike


    goddamnit

    PiptheFair on
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