Sony Develops a Universal Game Console Controller 62
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."
The haptic hell waits for them ... (Score:5, 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.
God no (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.
Nice idea but I think it'll suck (Score:3, 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.
Awful (Score:0, Insightful)
As someone else mentioned, Sony should have no say in controllers because their controller is a piece of junk. It was a terrible design in 1994, it is still terrible. Goddamn analogs in the middle, the split d-pad, the weird symbols rather than letters or numbers... the thing just sucks.
As a contrast: if it weren't for the d-pad, I'd say the Xbox 360 is possibly the finest gamepad ever.
But I must say that even the best gamepads are not good enough. No console comes with a truly good controller; in fact, only one console ever did: SNK's almighty, eternal, venerable, insanely expensive NEO FUCKIN' GEO! Because that's how games ought to be played: with beautiful, solid, precise, arcade-style devices that won't leave your goddamn thumbs aching at the end of the day!
Anyone who can afford to, get an arcade-style joystick for your system of choice. They tend to be expensive, true; but if you are into fighting games, 2D platformers, anything old school -- hell yes, it will be worth it!
Wii's concept controllers... (Score:4, 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.
You can't patent something so obvious, can you? (Score:3, Insightful)