# New Controller concept



## MetalHead74 (Sep 21, 2011)

Hello everyone, 

 Some friends and I had this new idea about a controller for PS3 or Xbox.

The main reason for this is to make the controller more precise and accurate like a mouse.
I have been a avid PC gamer for many years and i love FPS games but i cant stand them on console.So i was thinking what could make a controller more like a mouse and i think we have come up with a good idea and i was wanting to get some honest opinions on it.


So what we thought was to replace the analog sticks with touch pads like you have on a laptop!
I think if done right it would be almost as good as a mouse. Im not looking to make a mod like this myself it was just an idea and would like some feedback to see what other people think.Would it work? What problems would there be? 

 Here is a rough draft...







Oh and also the pads would be buttons just like the analog sticks are buttons just push them down while still haveing control !


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## Frizz (Sep 21, 2011)

Good idea, although instead of touch screens it might be better to use touch pads, as when touch screens get dirty or moist it interrupts the tracking of your fingers.


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## Jstn7477 (Sep 21, 2011)

Probably something like the "squircle" on the old Microsoft Zune players would be better than a touchscreen. I don't think there's much need to display information on a screen in that location, not to mention how detrimental it would be to battery life.


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 21, 2011)

Yes i agree the kind like a laptop pc has for mouse.


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## Mussels (Sep 21, 2011)

the precision would be woeful compared to analogue sticks, and you couldnt use them for movement any more.


try gaming on a PC with a touchpad and you'll see the kind of problems i'm talking about.


you're talking about removing the most important part of a controller, which is the great precision (which translates into adjustable speeds for movement, turning, etc) of analogue sticks. in no way can a touchpad even match that, let alone beat it.


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## ViperXTR (Sep 21, 2011)

ive also had a similar idea long ago when i first played my first person shooter game in the nintendo ds, the touchscreen was used for aiming and it felt more natural compared to the analog sticks


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 21, 2011)

Mussels said:


> the precision would be woeful compared to analogue sticks, and you couldnt use them for movement any more.
> 
> 
> try gaming on a PC with a touchpad and you'll see the kind of problems i'm talking about.
> ...



Ahhh very good point you make about the speed.. i didnt think of that. hmm well maybe just have a pad on the right and leave the stick on the left for movement... hmm


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## LordJummy (Sep 21, 2011)

absolutely agree with mussels. I think touchpads/screens would be far far worse than analogue sticks. it would be inferior in just about every way possible. sensitivity, accuracy, speed, feedback, tactile sensation, sound, etc.


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## Kreij (Sep 21, 2011)

Replacing the analog sticks with small trackballs might work pretty well.

I don't have a console and have only used a controller about 3 times in my life, so take that into consideration when evaluating my comment.


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## Frick (Sep 21, 2011)

Kreij said:


> Replacing the analog sticks with small trackballs might work pretty well.
> D



That would be interesting to try actually.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 21, 2011)

I like the resistance and tactile feedback analog sticks have.


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## LordJummy (Sep 21, 2011)

Trackballs would fail the same way touchpads would vs. analog sticks.

There are reasons why analog sticks have taken over as the primary movement control for consoles.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 21, 2011)

also your concept isn't really new


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## erocker (Sep 21, 2011)

MetalHead74 said:


> Ahhh very good point you make about the speed.. i didnt think of that. hmm well maybe just have a pad on the right and leave the stick on the left for movement... hmm



Replace the D-Pad with a touchscreen, that would be good. For many games the D-Pad is used more as a selection pad. A touchscreen can come in very handy here.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 21, 2011)

erocker said:


> Replace the D-Pad with a touchscreen, that would be good. For many games the D-Pad is used more as a selection pad. A touchscreen can come in very handy here.



see #9?

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html


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## erocker (Sep 21, 2011)

BumbleBee said:


> see #9?
> 
> http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html



Sorry, I'm still "waiting for response from ign.com". It's probablly my interwebz fault at work.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 21, 2011)

erocker said:


> Sorry, I'm still "waiting for response from ign.com". It's probablly my interwebz fault at work.



aww it's okay. 






the d-pad is touch sensitive. the problem is your thumb can't idle on it.



> Dear Control Engineers: Please don't remove the D-pad on a controller in favor of a touch-sensitive surface. You may try to con fighting gamers into thinking it'll make smooth circular motions easier, but you may not realize they like to rest their thumb on the pad when idle. Thanks. Your Pal, Craig


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## Kreij (Sep 21, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Trackballs would fail the same way touchpads would vs. analog sticks.



Not if you implemented a self centering, analog trackball.


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## Frick (Sep 21, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Trackballs would fail the same way touchpads would vs. analog sticks.



I'm not sure it would. You have the precision and feeling of actually moving something.


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## MRCL (Sep 21, 2011)

There's a reason controllers are how they are now. There's been a lot of experimentation throughout the time consoles exist. Even weird stuff like the Negcon and Jogcon.

Never really caught on. Granted that was before the Analoge Sticks, but still.

The controller BumbleBee showed is reviewed by Mark here.

A touchpad would also wear out pretty fast. Every played SSX? I tend to hold down the D-Pad with the force of a thousand suns right before a jump. A touchpad wouldn't last a day in my hands.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 21, 2011)

this is one of my favorite obscure controllers.


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## erocker (Sep 21, 2011)

BumbleBee said:


> aww it's okay.
> 
> http://www.gamersace.com/images/Genesis-Touch360.jpg
> 
> the d-pad is touch sensitive. the problem is your thumb can't idle on it.



Gawd, that controller is awful. 

I love my Xbox360 controller, however I never actually use the D-Pad except for those games where you need to select a weapon with it or something. I wouldn't mind a little touch-LCD screen in there instead.

For fighting games, I use this:






None of that analog flim-flam..


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## MRCL (Sep 21, 2011)

erocker said:


> Gawd, that controller is awful.
> 
> I love my Xbox360 controller, however I never actually use the D-Pad except for those games where you need to select a weapon with it or something. I wouldn't mind a little touch-LCD screen in there instead.
> 
> ...



So basically a Sega Saturn controller... 






I'm really curious about new controller inventions. The Wii U controller doesn't count, it already looks like an abomination. And its tecnically a tablet with some buttons and sticks slapped on it.

Edit: Just noticed... wtf is that PlayStation logo doing on that Saturn controller.


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## LordJummy (Sep 21, 2011)

Kreij said:


> Not if you implemented a self centering, analog trackball.



That's what an analog stick is. It's a self-centering, calibrated ball with a stick protruding from it lol. You're just working your way back to an analog stick.

Oh, and you could never attain the quick precision that you get with the stick with a ball. The stick allows you to have a finer control over it.



MRCL said:


> There's a reason controllers are how they are now. There's been a lot of experimentation throughout the time consoles exist. Even weird stuff like the Negcon and Jogcon.
> 
> Never really caught on. Granted that was before the Analoge Sticks, but still.
> 
> ...




That is EXACTLY my thought on this. The controllers have evolved to what they are now for very good reason. I think a lot of these ideas would be backwards progress, although I like the creativity!


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 22, 2011)

Well maybe when the next gen consoles come out they will just give in and have mouse and keyboard support for all games, and i wont have to worry about controllers anymore 

 I hear the new counterstrike is going to be crossplatform i am VERY interested to see how that will go and if they will actually do it.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 22, 2011)

MRCL said:


> I'm really curious about new controller inventions. The Wii U controller doesn't count, it already looks like an abomination. And its tecnically a tablet with some buttons and sticks slapped on it.



I don't like the Wii U controller either. 

Sony and Microsoft put the face buttons above the right analog stick but Nintendo decided to put them underneath the right circle pad. some people at E3 who got to demo it reported thumb cramping.

the face buttons and triggers are also digital not analog.









MetalHead74 said:


> Well maybe when the next gen consoles come out they will just give in and have mouse and keyboard support for all games, and i wont have to worry about controllers anymore
> 
> I hear the new counterstrike is going to be crossplatform i am VERY interested to see how that will go and if they will actually do it.



I doubt it.

if you want to make a better PS3 controller add more resistance to the analog sticks, make the triggers concave and use micro switches instead of membrane.


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## MRCL (Sep 22, 2011)

Make the damn analog stick plate thingies whatever you call them concave. I still slip off the sticks occasionally. Why oh why won't they learn.


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## de.das.dude (Sep 22, 2011)

why not invent a friggin mouse for the xbox/ ps3?


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## BumbleBee (Sep 22, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> why not invent a friggin mouse for the xbox/ ps3?



it's already been done and with Motion Controls I don't see the point making more mice. I think consumers are trying to get away from desktops not closer to them.


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## brandonwh64 (Sep 22, 2011)

I know the first time I die in a FPS game, my thumbs will be shoved through those touch screens...


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 23, 2011)

de.das.dude said:


> why not invent a friggin mouse for the xbox/ ps3?



They have there are 2 companies that have done it  i think its called the fragenstine or somthign and  splitfish or somthing. But they are not the same as a real mouse but probably better than a controller maybe. 


 I just cant stand a controller for fps, i feel so constricted and limited, other types of games are great with controller.


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 23, 2011)

BumbleBee said:


> it's already been done and with Motion Controls I don't see the point making more mice. I think consumers are trying to get away from desktops not closer to them.



Motion controllers are a fail in my eyes for FPS, ive tried it and its not that great, nothing will beat a mouse, at least nothing has yet...


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## burtram (Sep 23, 2011)

BumbleBee said:


> this is one of my favorite obscure controllers.



I had the glove for the PS1. LOL, it was fun for a while.


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## Deleted member 3 (Sep 23, 2011)

Or you connect a keyboard and mouse, problem solved.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 23, 2011)

MetalHead74 said:


> They have there are 2 companies that have done it  i think its called the fragenstine or somthign and  splitfish or somthing. But they are not the same as a real mouse but probably better than a controller maybe.
> 
> 
> I just cant stand a controller for fps, i feel so constricted and limited, other types of games are great with controller.


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## MetalHead74 (Sep 23, 2011)

Ya i watched a ton of other videos about this too, but seems like some games like halo limit your turning speed while black ops doesnt.. So it seems this is the best alternative for now,but i still think they need to just have the option to use both from the console without haveing to buy extra stuff.. but i guess i can keep dreaming.


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