Ideas for next Gen Controllers

[Kyle Meadows]

So, I was playing Skyrim on my PS3. As many of you who own it know, the circle button opens the menu. Well, perhaps it is only because my controller is damaged beyond repair, but I noticed that if I twist it the right way on the right side the menu opens. So then, I had a thought: What if this could be incorporated into a next gen controller? Think guys: to open the menu no longer takes a button. Merely twist either side of the controller. That means every button can be used for an action, thus optimizing the players experience. What do you think? And do you guys have any other ideas?

 

[Valagetti]

Well you should trademark that, not a bad idea.
Wait are you saying twisting/rotating the controller itself, or the buttons, because either idea is pretty good.
I like a custom controller to fit your playing style, like the Cyborg Saitek RAT9 mouse, I like the idea, but it needs to be more customisable.
I also like the avenger controller adapter for the controllers, hopefully the PS3 one will eventually release, I only have ideas for more of the hardcore crowd.

 

[bluegate]

Doesn't matter what company, although some are already doing this, make your future controllers with an INTERNAL BATTERY.

I hate having to buy charger packs or keep swapping batteries, seriously, who the fuck thought of that? Internal batteries as seen in the Dualshock would be fine, have it charge through a standard USB-Mini interface, so that you can always hook it up to your PC, interchange cables, just make it very user-friendly.

As for the layout and what not, couldn't care really, I just want the wireless controllers to be well thought out in their wireless design.

 

[Wushu Panda]

So, I was playing Skyrim on my PS3. As many of you who own it know, the circle button opens the menu. Well, perhaps it is only because my controller is damaged beyond repair, but I noticed that if I twist it the right way on the right side the menu opens. So then, I had a thought: What if this could be incorporated into a next gen controller? Think guys: to open the menu no longer takes a button. Merely twist either side of the controller. That means every button can be used for an action, thus optimizing the players experience. What do you think? And do you guys have any other ideas?

They're already developing next gen controllers. PS Move and Kinect. They're developing ways to get the gamer more immersed into the game by getting the gamer to literally take the action into their hands. The kinect is already showing you don't even need a physical controller.

 

[Kyle Meadows]

Ps Move and Kinect are basically the Wii taken to the extreme. I don't see that as next Gen. A gamer is nothing without th

So, I was playing Skyrim on my PS3. As many of you who own it know, the circle button opens the menu. Well, perhaps it is only because my controller is damaged beyond repair, but I noticed that if I twist it the right way on the right side the menu opens. So then, I had a thought: What if this could be incorporated into a next gen controller? Think guys: to open the menu no longer takes a button. Merely twist either side of the controller. That means every button can be used for an action, thus optimizing the players experience. What do you think? And do you guys have any other ideas?

They're already developing next gen controllers. PS Move and Kinect. They're developing ways to get the gamer more immersed into the game by getting the gamer to literally take the action into their hands. The kinect is already showing you don't even need a physical controller.

Those are what I call gimmicks. They aren't true controllers to me. A controller looks like
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ps3+controller&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&nord=1&biw=1280&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbnid=ejZSm4L7l-g8vM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ps3controller.org/&docid=RzxF0hd4I6E3NM&imgurl=http://www.ps3controller.org/ps3controller.jpg&w=300&h=300&ei=K_XSTuP-FcnRiAKc5OCIDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=180&vpy=305&dur=2785&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=154&ty=113&sig=115643751978115716532&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=145&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
or
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=360+controller&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&nord=1&biw=1280&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbnid=4_hDeKP2NrE0xM:&imgrefurl=http://pective.com/pic/xbox-360-controller-2&docid=cVycldgvWU1tqM&imgurl=http://pective.com/m/xbox-360-controller-2&w=800&h=577&ei=UvXSTp__M6KGiQLr05iEDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=191&vpy=188&dur=1463&hovh=191&hovw=264&tx=139&ty=49&sig=115643751978115716532&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=190&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

 

[Kyle Meadows]

Well you should trademark that, not a bad idea.
Wait are you saying twisting/rotating the controller itself, or the buttons, because either idea is pretty good.
I like a custom controller to fit your playing style, like the Cyborg Saitek RAT9 mouse, I like the idea, but it needs to be more customisable.
I also like the avenger controller adapter for the controllers, hopefully the PS3 one will eventually release, I only have ideas for more of the hardcore crowd.

I mean the controller, but I like your ideas too. Explain the rotating buttons bit in greater detail: hearing it would be awesome.

 

[Kyle Meadows]

How about this...

Spoiler: You ARE the controller!

No seriously, controllers are fine as they are. That twist thing sounds terrible. I know I can grip my controller quite hard for various reasons, or move from side to side slightly if im playing a really intense racing game, and I would end up activating whatever its bound to by accident more often than on purpose.

It would need to be an intense twist. Like, almost more than intentional, but not so difficult to do that you can't. It would be more like a pivot point at an area on the controller. I don't have the idea all the way down just yet. Its still brewing. I would need to find a way to compensate for those of us whose twist is hyper aggressively though.

 

[Roxor]

My idea of next-generation controllers: Make the entire thing open-source. Bundle the controller with a DVD containing drivers for all operating systems, the full source code for those drivers, hardware description language implementations of the chips in the controller, and the full schematics of the device.

 

[Wushu Panda]

Ps Move and Kinect are basically the Wii taken to the extreme. I don't see that as next Gen. A gamer is nothing without th

So, I was playing Skyrim on my PS3. As many of you who own it know, the circle button opens the menu. Well, perhaps it is only because my controller is damaged beyond repair, but I noticed that if I twist it the right way on the right side the menu opens. So then, I had a thought: What if this could be incorporated into a next gen controller? Think guys: to open the menu no longer takes a button. Merely twist either side of the controller. That means every button can be used for an action, thus optimizing the players experience. What do you think? And do you guys have any other ideas?

They're already developing next gen controllers. PS Move and Kinect. They're developing ways to get the gamer more immersed into the game by getting the gamer to literally take the action into their hands. The kinect is already showing you don't even need a physical controller.

Those are what I call gimmicks. They aren't true controllers to me. A controller looks like

wow, you honestly posted enormous links?

You're missing the entire point. They aren't gimmicks, Xbox has been working to develop serious games compatible with Kinect. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was revealed at E3 (you do know what E3 is right?) to be fully playable using the Kinect. You know all those fun Sci Fi movies that show people interacting in virtual worlds using nothing more than vocal commands and body movement? Not a gimmick noob, its the future.

If anything your controller is a gimmick. How will you sell those? It doesn't make for that much convenience, the damn controllers have more buttons than they ever did in gaming history...and you want to add ANOTHER? not to mention the high chance of accidentally rotating the thing, bringing up menus right in the middle of action scenes. You're gonna piss a whole lot of people off with a gimmick like that.

 

[Valagetti]

Well you should trademark that, not a bad idea.
Wait are you saying twisting/rotating the controller itself, or the buttons, because either idea is pretty good.
I like a custom controller to fit your playing style, like the Cyborg Saitek RAT9 mouse, I like the idea, but it needs to be more customisable.
I also like the avenger controller adapter for the controllers, hopefully the PS3 one will eventually release, I only have ideas for more of the hardcore crowd.

I mean the controller, but I like your ideas too. Explain the rotating buttons bit in greater detail: hearing it would be awesome.

So its your usual buttons, but rotate it you change you weapon, like a scroll on a mouse. The buttons would have to be a little bigger and have grips.

 

[Wintermoot]

doesn't sound as something I want to use.
my personal idea is just the 360/PS3 controller except in different sizes to accommodate different hands (for example the PS3 controller is to small for my giant hands.)
also a USB cable with every new controller regardless of wired or wireless.

 

[Joccaren]

wow, you honestly posted enormous links?

You're missing the entire point. They aren't gimmicks, Xbox has been working to develop serious games compatible with Kinect. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was revealed at E3 (you do know what E3 is right?) to be fully playable using the Kinect. You know all those fun Sci Fi movies that show people interacting in virtual worlds using nothing more than vocal commands and body movement? Not a gimmick noob, its the future.

If anything your controller is a gimmick. How will you sell those? It doesn't make for that much convenience, the damn controllers have more buttons than they ever did in gaming history...and you want to add ANOTHER? not to mention the high chance of accidentally rotating the thing, bringing up menus right in the middle of action scenes. You're gonna piss a whole lot of people off with a gimmick like that.

The whole Sci-Fi thing is that, Sci-Fi. Yes, we are bringing some of those ideas into reality, but they don't function the way they do in Sci-Fi (You don't see people in Sci-Fi madly waving there arms about trying to get it to recognise they are moving, or take the correct command), and it will be cheaper to go out and do the real thing for a long time yet. Want a FPS with you as the controller? Play Paintball or Laser Skirmish. Racing game with you as the controller? Over here the local racing tracks will let you have a drive around for a small fee. Sure, you don't get the same areas as you will in games, but RL is far more immersive than any Motion controller will ever be, especially within our life span.

As to how would you sell a controller, the same way you sell a gaming mouse over a normal mouse: More responsive, faster reacting, easy adjustments that you don't have to learn actions for, you don't have to put as much effort into carrying out actions as you would otherwise, ect. There is always things that controllers with more buttons will do better. With the current technology, imagine playing an RPG and getting your character to cast the right spell. It would be horrid.

In present time, Motion Controls are a gimmick used to earn money of the 'Wow, I've seen this in Sci-Fi' mindset. If it is developed enough, it may transcend that and become a reasonable form of controller, but currently it is inferior in almost every way to conventional controllers, and I doubt the companies are doing it to push forward technology. They are run by bank checks, not well wishes for a Sci-Fi future.

 

[Palademon]

Face buttons underneath the controller.
No longer will I have to stop aiming to reload or jump.
Edit: Probably be better just to build them into buttons inside the handles of the controller, where your fingers rest.

 

[VanQ]

In all honesty, physical controllers are as good as they're going to get at the moment. The next step IS controllerless technology, but not the Kinect rubbish we've had so far.

I recommend a series of Light Novels called "Sword Art Online." It has a pretty good concept behind it and while I'm not entirely sure of whether or not it would actually be viable, the books are still pretty damn good.

The first 4 novels have een translated and you can find them pretty easily by goolging the title. A good read with a lot of good ideas behind it.

 

[Wushu Panda]

The whole Sci-Fi thing is that, Sci-Fi. Yes, we are bringing some of those ideas into reality, but they don't function the way they do in Sci-Fi (You don't see people in Sci-Fi madly waving there arms about trying to get it to recognise they are moving, or take the correct command), and it will be cheaper to go out and do the real thing for a long time yet. Want a FPS with you as the controller? Play Paintball or Laser Skirmish. Racing game with you as the controller? Over here the local racing tracks will let you have a drive around for a small fee. Sure, you don't get the same areas as you will in games, but RL is far more immersive than any Motion controller will ever be, especially within our life span.

As to how would you sell a controller, the same way you sell a gaming mouse over a normal mouse: More responsive, faster reacting, easy adjustments that you don't have to learn actions for, you don't have to put as much effort into carrying out actions as you would otherwise, ect. There is always things that controllers with more buttons will do better. With the current technology, imagine playing an RPG and getting your character to cast the right spell. It would be horrid.

In present time, Motion Controls are a gimmick used to earn money of the 'Wow, I've seen this in Sci-Fi' mindset. If it is developed enough, it may transcend that and become a reasonable form of controller, but currently it is inferior in almost every way to conventional controllers, and I doubt the companies are doing it to push forward technology. They are run by bank checks, not well wishes for a Sci-Fi future.

They dont function like they do in SciFi...yet. The Tech JUST came out, it needs time to grow. And if I want a FPS with me as the controller i dont play paintball, i use real guns and go hunting.

You cant compare gaming mice to platform controllers. The mouse is only half a controller, you use a kayboard with a hundred additional buttons. How would a switch that opens up menus going to make it "less effort" into executing actions? And why would a switch that opens up menus allow your character in an RPG make them cast the right spell? When in all the RPGs Ive ever played...already do that. You arent selling something thats more responsive or faster reacting, or going to revolutionize controllers. Youre selling an annoyingly placed 'Select' button. A function that will easily break or interfere with the players hands when trying to hit another button.

No one pushes technology for the sake of technology, unfortunately. There is always a main motive, but the progression of technology is a large bi-product.