25th June 2005, 9:35 PM
That seems a little... silly doesn't it?
Maybe I'm not seeing it like you are, but wouldn't different face plates with buttons and sticks end up costing pretty much the same amount as just plain getting a new controller anyway? What would the point be? I mean, it's not like a controller is that high tech, and such a method wouldn't really let them store some sort of part inside the "base" so they could cheapen the plates... Pretty much all of the button would have to be IN the button, same with the sticks and pressure sensitive buttons.
In other words, doing something like that would probably cost both us and Nintendo more money, not less, as well as more effort and as a minor gripe, lose that odd base and you lose the ability to use your various controller bits.
Now on the other hand... you made me think of one thing. A controller with a lot of holes. Rather than entire plates, you could actually just unplug control stick parts and move them to different connector holes. The sticks and buttons would all have identifying chips the base could "read" to determine what's what, so they would all function the right way. That could allow for any number of layouts I suppose, though really there's only a few workable ones...
Nah, in the end a customizable controller of that sort just doesn't open anything up that a fixed set couldn't do... Ergonomics being what they are and all... I mean, our fingers are in fixed locations so fixed button placement really isn't hindering us...
So far I see two options. Nintendo could be using some sort of motion sensing gyro, or they could have some sort of touch sensitive surface. Or both... Those are all I can think of as far as innovation, but hey maybe Nintendo will surprise us. Maybe it'll have a light gun built in :D.
Maybe I'm not seeing it like you are, but wouldn't different face plates with buttons and sticks end up costing pretty much the same amount as just plain getting a new controller anyway? What would the point be? I mean, it's not like a controller is that high tech, and such a method wouldn't really let them store some sort of part inside the "base" so they could cheapen the plates... Pretty much all of the button would have to be IN the button, same with the sticks and pressure sensitive buttons.
In other words, doing something like that would probably cost both us and Nintendo more money, not less, as well as more effort and as a minor gripe, lose that odd base and you lose the ability to use your various controller bits.
Now on the other hand... you made me think of one thing. A controller with a lot of holes. Rather than entire plates, you could actually just unplug control stick parts and move them to different connector holes. The sticks and buttons would all have identifying chips the base could "read" to determine what's what, so they would all function the right way. That could allow for any number of layouts I suppose, though really there's only a few workable ones...
Nah, in the end a customizable controller of that sort just doesn't open anything up that a fixed set couldn't do... Ergonomics being what they are and all... I mean, our fingers are in fixed locations so fixed button placement really isn't hindering us...
So far I see two options. Nintendo could be using some sort of motion sensing gyro, or they could have some sort of touch sensitive surface. Or both... Those are all I can think of as far as innovation, but hey maybe Nintendo will surprise us. Maybe it'll have a light gun built in :D.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)