Tagrineth said:
Also, Sony needs to make a pad with the left stick in PRIMARY position.
Actually, I'm rather hoping they press the attractiveness of the controller for developing dual-analog control, as they're the only controller capable of taking full advantage of it for games. They are aligned evenly, and offer a total of 6 buttons for access when holding the controller that way--four analog triggers and pressing the analog sticks themselves down (not optimal, but at least available). Even just using the four triggers, though, they should offer plenty of options, as one can assign differences to button combinations as well as light clicking versus the full analog pull range. (Not as exacting as the triggers on GC or Xbox tho, so they could work to enhance that. They MUST remain buttons for that, though--just better buttons.) This could certainly be used excellently in all cockpit-view sims and first-person shooters, and any games specifically designed towards dual-stick control. The way the GC and Xbox controllers are set up now, you'd have to hold them at perverse angles to operate both sticks well (and the Gamecube's two would have notably different feels), at which point you'd have damn few controls at your disposal unless you moved your thumbs off their stick. The PS2 controller is still my favorite, as I like its light weight, simplicity of design while carrying more complexity of function, which adds to the versatility of use, as it lets me shift my playstyle dramatically depending on the game. (And it remains the only controller I could imagine playing Bemani games on--even ignoring that they're only on Playstations anyway.
[Well, excepting DDR now, but that doesn't involve the normal controller.] )
The main thing they could do to make the PS2's analog use more comfortable would be to set them down a bit more and perhaps push them slightly outward so one doesn't have to stretch one's thumb as much. They could still keep both the left analog and D-pad use equally comfortable. The rest of the changes would be cosmetic: better/more-sensitive buttons and analog sticks, better materials, better texturing, better grip, enhance the D-pad comfort and accuracy. (I rather like the Xbox-S's D-pad, I just don't like it's position for playing games where that is primary control.)
Nintendo's controller I look forward to in general now. The N64's was unique and interesting, and the GameCube's is very solid and easy to get lots in control. (I usually only break out of my reverie if I have to hit the Z-button.) But the point was made--and is certainly true--that their design is not used best only in 1st-party games, while it can be very fumbling or even cripple others. (For me especially with fighting games, as I want D-pad control, and it's puke-worthy on the GameCube's controller.) I'm interested to see what they come up with next, but I'm not expecting too great a shift. I think it's more likely that they may move closer to uniform design to increase ease-of-use with 3rd party developers, or that they will not change their current one overly. (Perhaps improving Z-button location and size, and add another on the other side.)
The Xbox's I'm not sure about. I can see them going to a 6-button main face control, perhaps (making lots of Street Fighters happy
), or perhaps moving away from two large triggers to fit four shoulder buttons in somehow. I'd certainly like to see the other guys offer the break-away fronts the Xbox controllers have; that's just handy and clever.
Overall changes I expect on all fronts would be material and button quality, as well as improving vibration as we go along. (Though that's pretty good right now. Developers need to use it better as it is.)
New tech that we DON'T have right now but I would like to see? Well, in the main controllers I'd like gyroscopic sensors inside as well. I'm sure games could make interesting things of tilting and controller-movement. A screen on the controller itself would also be handy. The Dreamcast got a bit of it with the VMU memory cards but didn't make much of it, but there are certainly a lot of handy things one could get from small screen capabilites on the controller itself, especially for multi-player games to avoid screen clutter or windowing. I figure it would add WAY too much cost to get decent screens on the controllers, but we were talking about what we'd LIKE to see too, ne?
(I'd also like touch-sensitive ones. Wooo! Hehe.)
For other controllers, I'd like to see at the very least a good one that can map body movement well (a la Police 911, not EyeToy) as the very least. I also just hope in general that the consoles will allow USB controllers so PC and console can utilize each other's to enhance the gaming all around.