Are video-game controllers too complicated?

[Bigfoot]

As a gamer for most of their life, you might say no. But hand your parents a Gamecube controller or an Xbox 360 controller. Tell them to find the Z button or RB button as fast as they can. "You hand somebody a game controller and it's like you've handed them a live gun or a hand grenade with the pin taken out".

When I first started gaming, there was just a stick and a button. Then, as each console came out, it seemed that more and more additional buttons were added on.

Reading this article makes me wonder if in the next generation of consoles will make their controllers more "simple".

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=33508

[Devyn]

There will always be games that use lots of buttons and games that use just a few buttons. That is, until games stop involving buttons altogether. That's what I think.

[OceansAndrew]

I think the SNES controller was my personal sweet spot as far as button numbers, but I think the best controller would be basically a NES controller with shoulder buttons. 2 on the face, 2 on the shoulders.

Even that might be too many for a lot of people.

so my answer is "yes".

[danimal cannon]

The N64 controller was designed by and for rocket scientists.

[Secret Agent Man]

I think they have gradually gotten more complicated, but it was mostly out of necessity. You can't navigate a 3D environment with an NES controller very well (think of playing Mario 64). As for simplification, I feel the Wii's controller was indeed a simplified version: A, B, control pad, 1 & 2 (nunchuk adds c, z, and an analog stick).

[Zombie]

I personally think that the current (360/PS3) controllers are fine.

[FREAK55]

Playstation hasn't changed their basic controller design for their newer consoles. Perhaps people like the number of buttons on the controller as well as it's feel. I know I do.

[Neo Samus]

It really depends on how tech savy someone is. But part might be are they willing to learn the configuration of the controllers?

[Kanthos]

I think they have gradually gotten more complicated, but it was mostly out of necessity. You can't navigate a 3D environment with an NES controller very well (think of playing Mario 64).

Definite agreement here. Complexity of learning a controller scales with complexity of the games for which the controller will be used.

As for simplification, I feel the Wii's controller was indeed a simplified version: A, B, control pad, 1 & 2 (nunchuk adds c, z, and an analog stick).

And for the record, the Wii controller is easily the most complex controller used, in terms of degrees of freedom. For Wii games using non-traditional control schemes (i.e. no D-pad and buttons scheme, like using the Wii controller to play Virtual Console games), it just happens that the game designers haven't pushed the limits of the controller enough so you generally get something that's largely familiar to the user because they've done it before. If you'd never bowled before, you'd probably find Wii bowling more difficult than something like Mario 64.

Basically, the Wii controller is inherently more complex but is *perceived* as being simpler to use because even a non-gamer has previous knowledge of how to do a lot of the actions done with the Wiimote.

[Dhsu]

Beeeee ayyyyyy...

[Fenrir]

How hard is it to learn to use a new controller? I mean, really? I had the 360 controller down pat inside of an hour at Halo 3.

Not that hard.

[Calpis]

I'll agree that controllers are too complicated. Lately I've been getting this sort of twitch going whenever I'm learning something complicated for the first time. Once I learn it and know it, I'm completely fine, but when my brain is trying to do something complicated, learning it for the first time, I start twitching involuntarily and playing a game with an unfamiliar control scheme sets this twitch off like mad. It's really annoying and kind of embarrassing but overall not life threatening or unhealthy.

But the same goes for my wife. She's not opposed to video games, so I've been introducing games to her. When the control scheme goes anything beyond moving around + one action button (something like Animal Crossing or Bomberman), she gets frustrated and never plays the game again.

But at the same time it really depends on what kind of game you want to play. Could you play a game like Tekken or Halo with just movement and one action button? Probably not, but that's one reason I don't play those games, they don't play intuitively enough to be really fun for me.

[Sag Ee Mana]

I've begun to play videogames at 10-12 on a Amstrad CPC 6128 with a joystick with 2 red buttons on it. I am 31 years old now, and I can say the controllers are sure more complicated !

Personnally, I don't like a lot triggers... Gamecube, 360... I've got some difficulties to get used with that...

For example, in driving games, we have to use triggers for acceleration and break.

I really prefer the classic buttons.

I'll remember for a while how wonderful are the digital buttons of the PS2 in GTA III.

About the buttons, actually, too many buttons can kill the gameplay.

We lose a little of time watching where is the button we have to push, each controller has its own system (letters/symbols+colors)

It's not so hard, usually, it's usually well made, but if I have to learn and be used with those, what about our parents or people less used to play ?

Little off topic :

My father loves Tomb Raider. He was really good with the old ones, but now, my young brother and sister are laughing about him because he does many mistakes and makes die Lara often. Why ? Too many functions. Ok, it's on PC, it's with a keyboard, but we see the same idea : new sequel, more things, more commands.

Back on topic.

The "classic" controllers begin to be complicated because the new games ask that. So game developers should think more about the fun we have when we play a video game.

At first, we have 'Moving character', 'jump', 'attack', 'menu'... We add 'camera' because of 3D games now. And chat panel, special command... Yes it'll be easy to use all the buttons. But if we have less buttons, the developers will manage to make the game too !

Nintendo has tried a new system. My family, who was going to bed, finally made their Miis and played tennis until midnight. Ok, Nintendo wins there.

I love the Wiimote, really, but it can't be used for everything.

I know I'll play Smash Brawl with the Gamecube controller.

Paper Mario (the first one) is on the Virtual Console. I've played it with the classic controller.

I think we still need "classic" controller (the PS2 one is really good). But not with triggers (IMO of course !), and no more buttons than now.

[The Pezman]

I could be biased since I never owned one, but I think the Gamecube controller was a complete mess. I'm going to get a Wii soon enough, and I enjoy both its controllers far more. In fact, it's quite reminiscent of a PSX one.

[Doulifée]

How hard is it to learn to use a new controller? I mean, really? I had the 360 controller down pat inside of an hour at Halo 3.

Not that hard.

it took me time to get used with the 360 pad at ace combat 6 like i was with the ps2 pad for the previous opus. i made some command change to fit the trigger, because those are not button (like R2 and L2 were) I'm not against trigger like Sag said in his post, but those can't fit for a smooth gameplay like a button can, it's a case by case.

[Gollgagh]

I could be biased since I never owned one, but I think the Gamecube controller was a complete mess.

I owned a 'cube and I thought the controller was a complete mess.

Especially for fighting games, I mean dayum.

[iskyoork]

The N64 controller was designed by and for rocket scientists.

That is awesome and true.

[Z3120]

Try playing a beatmania IIDX or a Pop n' Music controller. Not only are the controllers to these games expensive to replace considering import costs, but they have a ton buttons.

But many buttons doesn't make a controller complicated so I don't know where I was going with this.

[Bigfoot]

Try playing a beatmania IIDX or a Pop n' Music controller. Not only are the controllers to these games expensive to replace considering import costs, but they have a ton buttons.

But many buttons doesn't make a controller complicated so I don't know where I was going with this.

I love my Pop'n Controller But yes, they are indeed expensive.

[starla]

The more symmetrical a controller is, the easier it seems it is to use. Take the SNES one for example, you have up down left right on one side, and a b x y on the other. start and select and two triggers. I have a thrustmaster with the same set up except it has four shoulder buttons, it's pretty perfect.

I think the PS2 one is great except for the whole "pushing the analog stick" thing. What the hell is that even, L3 R3 or what?

[DarkeSword]

The more symmetrical a controller is, the easier it seems it is to use. Take the SNES one for example, you have up down left right on one side, and a b x y on the other. start and select and two triggers. I have a thrustmaster with the same set up except it has four shoulder buttons, it's pretty perfect.

I think the PS2 one is great except for the whole "pushing the analog stick" thing. What the hell is that even, L3 R3 or what?

Yeah.

PlayStation d-"pad" sucks too. Why the hell is that middle part underneath the controller case?

[Gollgagh]

Why the hell is that middle part underneath the controller case?

Mostly because of the copyright on the nintendo style d-pad, I think

[FR]

...PlayStation d-"pad" sucks...

The 360 d-pad is worse.

[mr.wholesome]

I wouldnt say so.

Its just like learning to type on a keyboard. as long as your hands fall into a familiar position,with continued use you dont have to think about where the letters are you just think "words" and your fingers are hitting the keys,muscle memory.

So joypads are even easier IMO just wrap your hands around it in the most obvious way and your thumbs should be on the correct position. So after a session of a game you no longer have buttons or controller in your train of thought just "move there, jump there, shoot there" and your hands do the rest.

anyone who can make sense of that deserves money

[mr.wholesome]

The 360 d-pad is worse.

as much as i dislike the playstations dpad aka the thumb shredder the 360s is a lot worse which is still better than the gamecubes dpad so useless as anything more than an inventory button.

although one that really grinds my gears of late is the DS lites dpad, cant hit diagonals on it very well amkes games like contra so hit or miss its upsetting. grrr