Anyone else dislike the idea of wireless controllers?

[gmzone]

I always liked longer cords, yes, but wireless controllers? I hope they still
'rumble' as the Wavebird does not. I also don't like the idea of charging them. I don't really like charging my PSP and Cell Phone, why would I want something else to charge? I assume that you can charge them while playing. But, if not, can you imagine this scenario:

I can't play my PS3 or XBox 360 for a few hours. I forgot to charge my controller last night.

[PenguinMaster]

You can play while charging using the USB cable and they include rumble. You really should read more before complaining.

[JebusMcLucifer]

With the X360 you can charge while playing. And I'm sure 'rumble' will still be there.

[AdamInPlaidum]

No.

[accameron]

no. I don't dislike it at all. As a matter of fact, it rules. Sorry.

[MorPhiend]

I always liked longer cords, yes, but wireless controllers? I hope they still
'rumble' as the Wavebird does not. I also don't like the idea of charging them. I don't really like charging my PSP and Cell Phone, why would I want something else to charge? I assume that you can charge them while playing. But, if not, can you imagine this scenario:

I can't play my PS3 or XBox 360 for a few hours. I forgot to charge my controller last night.

I'm pretty sure that none of the big three would be so stupid as to let that scenario happen.

Also, technology and battery life have advanced since the Wavebird was developed. Also, recharging would allow for rumble/gyros in a wireless controller. The reason Wavebird didn't have rumble is because it was for regular batteries and they didn't want people to have to change them every hour.

Seriously, I don't know why there are so many threads on this and why it finally dawned on everyone this weekend that it would be a "problem" (which it really isn't).

[lionheart4life]

I'm fine with it, but the second a game doesn't detect a button press because something was obstructing the signal or some other crap, all hell will break loose.

[goatindaruffness]

I've been saying that they need to make universal wireless controllers for a long time now...
How can you NOT like a wireless controller??
They can clone animals, so I'm sure they can make a wireless controller with limited flaws...
-Goatman

[gmzone]

I've been saying that they need to make universal wireless controllers for a long time now...
How can you NOT like a wireless controller??
They can clone animals, so I'm sure they can make a wireless controller with limited flaws...
-Goatman

They've cloned animals!?!

[tauruskatt]

I luv me some wireless controllers, however I see the potential for your plight...last night I got stuck suddenly *sucking* in Pshyconauts, when just as suddenly I realized (well, after a few minutes/deaths) that it was my logitech controller dying on me and henseforth was being...wonky. -_-

how sad, I actually had to move my butt and plug in another contoller, no big deal, and something that can be easily avoided with a detatcable cord...huh...controllers with cords that detatch...wonder who that sounds like? ;)

edit: Pete and Pete SUCK. That is all.

[MorPhiend]

I'm fine with it, but the second a game doesn't detect a button press because something was obstructing the signal or some other crap, all hell will break loose.

Have you ever used a Wavebird? That doesn't happen. And if it does, your Wavebird is broken. And that is old technology. Things will work great for all three systems.

[greendc27]

As long as there is a way to play them while charging I'm looking forward to it. I know the 360 will be able to but have they said if Ps3 will?

[RAMSTORIA]

im all about the wireless controllers, especially rechargable ones, especially if they keep rumble

[sansfreud]

the recharging wires plug directly into the xbox 360's ports and have detachable cables, hence allowing them to become essentially wired controllers just like the current xbox's controllers. The controllers also have 3 settings for the rumbling, making the rumble feature even better than the current controllers.

everyone wins

[onikage]

I love the idea of wireless controllers as the new standard. Making them rechargeable is even better.

[GizmoGC]

Rumble = Gimmick
Wavebird = Heaven

[Scahom1]

Honestly, I don't really need wireless controllers, but hey, i'm not gonna complain about them. I have no worries about them not being charged up.

[FriskyTanuki]

Rumble = Gimmick
Wavebird = Heaven
I don't see how people can hate rumble/force feedback as it's a great form of tactile feedback that give you a physical form of feedback on what's happening on the screen. It's been around for at least 10 years, and I don't see it going away anytime soon.

[greyzieoriental]

once u go wireless u stop caring about rumble and u can lay ur controller anywhere in the room
and rumble will probably be in the wireless controllers(like the logitech ones)just takes away some battery life

i know the wavebird batteries last for months
my logitech xbox wireless is also lasting longer than expected(withhout rumble)
and if u want feedback from whats going on onscreen then just get surround sound and a nice subwoofer, shake the whole house instead of ur hands

i think its like having a tv controller with a cord, y would anyone want that?

[c]

I always liked longer cords, yes, but wireless controllers? I hope they still
'rumble' as the Wavebird does not. I also don't like the idea of charging them. I don't really like charging my PSP and Cell Phone, why would I want something else to charge? I assume that you can charge them while playing. But, if not, can you imagine this scenario:

I can't play my PS3 or XBox 360 for a few hours. I forgot to charge my controller last night.
I do not like wireless controllers either.

You're not insane.

[AdvOfJet]

I went all out a while back purchasing wireless controllers for all 3 current gen consoles. Less than 2 months later, I am back to using the good old wired standard. I love the freedom of the wireless controller but for games that require exact movements and such, I found that the wireless controllers make it extremely difficult. I have high hopes that with all the new wireless technology that’s around, these new controllers will not have this issue. I can only keep my fingers crossed.

[io]

Rumble = Gimmick
Wavebird = Heaven

LOL... I got Wavebirds with my GC when I first hooked it up for the kids. I hadn't played a console since the NES before that. When we got Mario Party 4, I played with the 3rd controller (which was the regular one) and it surprised the hell out of me when it started vibrating. I guess it could be cool, but you certainly don't miss it after playing with Wavebirds all the time.

Since then I've gotten a PS2 and have the regular controllers. They are a mess with kids around - many trippings have occured, but luckily that tiny little PS2 hasn't come flying off the shelf yet because of it. I have the cord extensions and they still BARELY make it to the couch. One thing you need to keep in mind is that with the movement towards bigger TV's (widescreen HDTV, etc) you sit pretty far back, and it is simply impractical to be corded to your game console any more. Though I'm still surprised all three next gens are gonna have wireless controllers - seemed like a nice money-maker to sell them separately.

Now, I have had the batteries die on me when using the Wavebird during some intense portions of games and that is very annoying. By the way, I use rechargeables in them (been doing so for 1 1/2 years) - for some reason Nintendo says not to, but they work just fine. They last about 2-3 months with a few hours of play per day.

[ArthurDigbySellers]

The only thing that worries me about each system having wireless controllers is the cost of these things. Remember when the DualShock 2s were $30 a pop (more?). These things are going to probably run around $50.

[gmzone]

The only thing that worries me about each system having wireless controllers is the cost of these things. Remember when the DualShock 2s were $30 a pop (more?). These things are going to probably run around $50.

Dual Shock 1 and 2's always ran for $29.99, although I remember seeing at least one store that had them for $34.99 long ago.

[Quackzilla]

Uh, unless I am mistaken, the new controlllers are WiFi, not RF.

WiFi does not get obstructed, at all, unless everything in your house is made of aluminum foil and lead.

[shrike4242]

Uh, unless I am mistaken, the new controlllers are WiFi, not RF.

WiFi does not get obstructed, at all, unless everything in your house is made of aluminum foil and lead.

Could also be Bluetooth, which seems more likely the driving method behind the controllers than WiFi. WiFi is best used for networking, while Bluetooth is much better suited for peripherals.

[epobirs]

Uh, unless I am mistaken, the new controlllers are WiFi, not RF.

WiFi does not get obstructed, at all, unless everything in your house is made of aluminum foil and lead.

WiFI is just a specific RF digital communications standard. RF is an all-encompassing term for anything using electromagnetic radiation to transmit information within a certain spectrum.

[epobirs]

Could also be Bluetooth, which seems more likely the driving method behind the controllers than WiFi. WiFi is best used for networking, while Bluetooth is much better suited for peripherals.

A major difference is that Bluetooth is targeted to very short range, ergo the Personal Area Network (PAN) concept. This keeps the power draw a lot lower. WiFi would be overkill in terms of range and annoying in an apartment building where a lot of other competing traffic could be present.

The 360 controllers probably aren't Bluetooth. If they were buzzword compatible they'd be sure to promote it as Sony is. They're likely using any of several lightweight protocols available for unlicensed spectrum use. Some of those are subsets of Bluetooth that are cheaper because they eliminate support for certain functions that would be superfluous to a game console and other intended applications. If people wanted to talk to printers from their Xbox 360 the recommended method would be to work through a PC that knows about the printer.

[Quackzilla]

WiFI is just a specific RF digital communications standard. RF is an all-encompassing term for anything using electromagnetic radiation to transmit information within a certain spectrum.

By RF I meant shitty oldschool, because the term is rarely used anymore.

[Ledhed]

The only thing that concerns me about wireless controllers is response time. Those tenths of a second really make a difference in twitch games like fighters and FPSs.

[Ugamer_X]

According to IGN, the 360's controllers use the 2.4 GHz RF signal.

[epobirs]

I've never felt the urge to buy wireless controllers, although I have bought at least one cord extender for all of my machines so I could play while on the treadmill. The extended range was attractive but the cost was always a deal breaker. If a next gen console is reasonably priced and doesn't make the battery issue a hassle I have no objections. Being able to keep the controller at the treadmill or couch and turn on the console remotely is nice, since I'd be perfectly happy to only touch when I'm changing discs.

[c]

PS3 supports 7 wireless Bluetoothed controllers, according to the press conference.

[Quackzilla]

The only thing that concerns me about wireless controllers is response time. Those tenths of a second really make a difference in twitch games like fighters and FPSs.

Ecept it's not 10ths of a second.

Have you ever used a current generation wireless mouse, or a Wavebird?

[Quackzilla]

According to IGN, the 360's controllers use the 2.4 GHz RF signal.

Wtf? That is the same as almost all cordless telephones!

[Ledhed]

Being able to keep the controller at the treadmill or couch and turn on the console remotely is nice, since I'd be perfectly happy to only touch when I'm changing discs.

Yes, remotely powering on/off has been long overdue. Though I suppose it wasn't really a concern until now with each company appearing to be taking the wireless route.

[epobirs]

By RF I meant shitty oldschool, because the term is rarely used anymore.

Perhaps where you hang out but I spend too much time around people who get annoyed if you use tech terms incorrectly. If you mean a specific implementation they expect that to be specified rather than vagueness. So it's force of habit.

[crystalklear64]

I don't really mind wireless, but I don't see the point in it either. Sure its great that you can travel X amount of miles away from your console and still have the controller work, but eye sight only works from so far away... Its not like you need all that extra room, at least not in most people's case, because you set up a couch or chair or whatever in front of your T.V. that is placed relatively close to you. I suppose tripping could be an issue, but how hard is it to watch your step? As for little kids... if they fall on their face/break a controller, let them deal with the consequences. It'll be a great learning experience on responsibility. Oh, and for those of you that need to jump around when you play (dodging things and whatnot) just don't... it looks silly ;)

Moral: Wireless=O.K. but unnecessary.
Kids=Meh around expensive stuff.
Rumble= Not a gimmick, a sweet addition to more fully immerse your self in the game (REZ!!!!)

[Ledhed]

Ecept it's not 10ths of a second.

Have you ever used a current generation wireless mouse, or a Wavebird?

Using a wireless mouse right now actually. 10ths was an overshoot, I'll admit. But I've never once used any wireless device of any frequency that didn't give me input lag at some point.

Believe me, it's a tiny gripe, and certainly not something that will prevent me from endorsing the idea of wireless controllers. I'm just going on my own personal experience with (all) wireless products. It'll never be as good as a wired connection.

[epobirs]

Wtf? That is the same as almost all cordless telephones!

A lot of them, especially the cheapest, are still 900 MHz. 2400 is the most popular choice in unlicensed spectrum. It has good characteristics for the cost, tons of off the shelf parts available, and lots of experience engineers. The 5K range is still not very popular. 802.11a was supposed to be the next big thing but the cost and continued growth of performance in the lower range (the upcoming 802.11n standard is still in there) has kept it from reaching its goals.

[Zmonkay]

You can play while charging using the USB cable and they include rumble. You really should read more before complaining.

If this wasn't the case, then yes, I would be upset, but since you can charge while playing, and rumble is still included, I couldn't be happier (hugs wavebird)

[javeryh]

I've never felt the urge to buy wireless controllers, although I have bought at least one cord extender for all of my machines so I could play while on the treadmill.

I hope you meant "stationary bike" or maybe even an "elliptical machine" because if you can play on the treadmill you aren't running hard enough... :D Great idea though...

Also, rumble is an awesome feature - I don't see why people don't like it. There's nothing cooler than trying to snipe someone from 100 yards away and the rumble on low because you are "nervous" and having a hard time with a steady aim...

[BIG5]

I only wish you could turn the console on and off with the controller, so I could shut it off at night with out getting out of bed, for instance, but the problem with that is you might accidentally turn off the power while you were playing.

[Ledhed]

I only wish you could turn the console on and off with the controller, so I could shut it off at night with out getting out of bed, for instance, but the problem with that is you might accidentally turn off the power while you were playing.

It'd be very simple to have a power-on one-button process, and a multiple-button power-off process to prevent that sort of accident. The original PSX required you to hold down almost all of the buttons to do a soft reset.

[lionheart4life]

I only wish you could turn the console on and off with the controller, so I could shut it off at night with out getting out of bed, for instance, but the problem with that is you might accidentally turn off the power while you were playing.

Did that by accident on my DS before, even though its kind of hard to do.

Although I'm not completely sold on wireless, another upside is that you don't have to worry about people tripping over/pulling the controller too far and knocking the system on the ground. This hasn't happened to me, but I'm sure its a problem for someone.

[wubb]

I'm not a big fan of wireless controllers. If they can work through a table and blanket, then I'll be cool, but I doubt they'll be that powerful.

Will make it easier to pack up for travelling though.

[radjago]

I hate the idea of wireless controllers by default. I've used wavebirds and I'm still not convinced. More than a couple times, I've been playing a game with weak batteries and had spotty and unresponsive controls. And there is an input lag. It might not be overly perceptible, but it's there.

Battery technology is too immature at this point. Even with rechargeable NiMHs, I have to worry about keeping it charged all the time and over time they'll lose their capacity to a point where it won't be useful for me anymore and I'll have to replace them. God help us if they go the non-replaceable route. Then I'll have to buy a whole new controller.

[Quackzilla]

I'm not a big fan of wireless controllers. If they can work through a table and blanket, then I'll be cool, but I doubt they'll be that powerful.


You have never owned an RF wireless device, have you?

It is a lot different from infrared, which is what you are probably thinking of.

[strebor]

The only thing that concerns me about wireless controllers is response time. Those tenths of a second really make a difference in twitch games like fighters and FPSs.

I was always worried about that too, but now I've gone wireless and will never go back. I do remember hearing years ago there was a slight delay at times. There isn't any delay time at all, the only difference with current generation wireless controllers is that they don't have the rumble feature. I've never had any problems with weird responses or anything, I would probably think it was defective if I did.


I'm not a big fan of wireless controllers. If they can work through a table and blanket, then I'll be cool, but I doubt they'll be that powerful.

Actually, yes, they do work through blankets and anything like that. I can be anywhere in the room (who knows how far away, I haven't tried more than 10 feet), and put the controller ANYWHERE and it will work fine.

Wireless controllers are a big plus for me, since my systems are in a TV stand cabinet, so when I play PS2 I have to sit pretty close to the TV (not to mention people tripping over the stupid thing). I like playing on the Gamecube since I can sit wherever I want and not worry about the cord. I would get a third party PS2 wireless controller but I'm wary about third party stuff, plus I love the official one.

[weimerwanger]

how sad, I actually had to move my butt and plug in another contoller,

Heh, you said butt and plug in the same sentence.

[NoRain]

My only concern is having to look for it without being able to trace the wire back from the console. It'd be like a tv remote. It'd also be wise if you could reset and power off your machine via the controller. DreamSnes on the Dreamcast lets you reset form your controller just something like that wirelessly and to be able to power down. The only negative I see to it being wireless is in theory it'll wear out faster, batteries and all tend to get to not wanna charge after a while. That and having to dig around looking for it without the wire to find it.

[GreenMonkey]

I don't really mind wireless, but I don't see the point in it either. Sure its great that you can travel X amount of miles away from your console and still have the controller work, but eye sight only works from so far away... Its not like you need all that extra room, at least not in most people's case, because you set up a couch or chair or whatever in front of your T.V. that is placed relatively close to you. I suppose tripping could be an issue, but how hard is it to watch your step?



Not all of us are huddled up to a 13"-19" old TV like we were in the 80s-90s like when we were a kid. Try more like sitting 12 ft away from your 90" Projection screen, with the audio rack over on the side of the room.

And yes I can watch my step, but try watching the steps of 4-5 of your friends when they are over. SMASH goes the game system onto the floor. Or when the dog goes running across the room when someone rings the doorbell (he may be little but high velocity = Gamecube on the floor).

Ever since I got my first wavebird I've gotten every wireless controller I can get cheap. Multiplayer Mario Kart is so much better without all the tangled cords - and when we were playing Pac Man Vs this weekend the only cord was the one attached to the GBA SP (you have to switch controllers around to play).

There's no response time issues any more with wireless controllers. Nintendo proved wireless as viable 100% of the time with the Wavebird IMO.

[1SwtDeception]

I only wish you could turn the console on and off with the controller, so I could shut it off at night with out getting out of bed, for instance, but the problem with that is you might accidentally turn off the power while you were playing.

I wish for that too. I'm just one hell of a lazy ass. I wish for that on my computer and just have a remote to turn on my computer and then turn it off or to adjust volume etc.

Anyways I don't dislike wireless (only on computers), I find it more convient for me since I could just put it on my bed and off I'm playing it before I sleep. In games it works fine, maybe about a nanosecond off, but it's great.

[Scrubking]

I only wish you could turn the console on and off with the controller, so I could shut it off at night with out getting out of bed, for instance, but the problem with that is you might accidentally turn off the power while you were playing.

I think this feature should be standard on all systems wireless or not. It's not that hard to have a button that you have to hold down for a few seconds to turn the power off, and if it's located near the start button no one should have problems accidentaly pressing it.

Anyway, if done right like logitech, wireless is the best thing to happen to controllers.

BTW, what happened to all those people who said wireless controllers would never happen to consoles out of the box???

[Alpha2]

I like the wave bird, it's a near flawless controller. I've never experienced signal lag with it. But batteries wear out and fail altogether, you can forget to charge them and people make mistakes. I do NOT like being forced to go wireless as a standard. I like the security that comes with knowing my controller wont unexplicably 'not work' for some reason or that any mistake I make was mine and not caused by some errant signal that burst in through my window from a neighbor's house. I want that to fall back on.

The XB2 has a wire for recharging, thats fine, wow I could even turn it off if I had one? awesome, But as nice as it might be I dont want to put all my faith in it all the time every time. I dont see myself buying the XB2 but if for anyreason I ever did own it I probably would have that cord plugged in 24/7 except maybe for rare occasions. The PS3's controller is supposedly charged by putting it on top of the system? No I dont not like nor do I trust that. Does blue tooth some how beam energy through the air to my controller? I find that unlikly. I want a cord for this, I want to be certain it'sgetting power, I want a power meter so I know how much power it has left.

As a matter of fact I NEED controller ports on the PS3 because of it's Backwards compatability. Do they make wireless GunCons? Even if they do I'm not spending more money to buy them.

When I get the system the first thing I'll be looking to do is plug in my PS2 controller

[Zmonkay]

I forgot about peripherals. I too NEED backwards compatability if I'm gonna be able to use my Cobalt Flux on any new DDR games. Stepmania only goes so far ya know

[Scrubking]

I like the wave bird, it's a near flawless controller. I've never experienced signal lag with it. But batteries wear out and fail altogether, you can forget to charge them and people make mistakes. I do NOT like being forced to go wireless as a standard. I like the security that comes with knowing my controller wont unexplicably 'not work' for some reason or that any mistake I make was mine and not caused by some errant signal that burst in through my window from a neighbor's house. I want that to fall back on.

The XB2 has a wire for recharging, thats fine, wow I could even turn it off if I had one? awesome, But as nice as it might be I dont want to put all my faith in it all the time every time. I dont see myself buying the XB2 but if for anyreason I ever did own it I probably would have that cord plugged in 24/7 except maybe for rare occasions. The PS3's controller is supposedly charged by putting it on top of the system? No I dont not like nor do I trust that. Does blue tooth some how beam energy through the air to my controller? I find that unlikly. I want a cord for this, I want to be certain it'sgetting power, I want a power meter so I know how much power it has left.

As a matter of fact I NEED controller ports on the PS3 because of it's Backwards compatability. Do they make wireless GunCons? Even if they do I'm not spending more money to buy them.

When I get the system the first thing I'll be looking to do is plug in my PS2 controller

I agree that there should be a wired option to fall back on and there probably will be, but wireless controllers aren't as bad as you make them out to be. Like I said if done right, like Logitech's controllers, there should be no problems. The only thing we will have to worry about is changing/charging the batteries once in a while.

And I don't know the details, but if Sony thinks that we will believe that their controllers will charge by simply being near the ps3 they are insane.

[Zoglog]

There have been many horrible wireless controllers that have given them a bad rep. However the latest logitech ones I own are flawless. They work well for all games i've tried and the batteries last a good amount of time. That's why I don't mind them going wireless at all. And as somone else said yes you can also connect them through USB to charge so it's not that big a deal if you've got some kind of wire fetish. Me? i'm glad to get rid of those damn wires, esp when u got 3 systems with 4 controllers each. Those wires can get tangled ;)

[Alpha2]

Like I said while back, during a session of playing RE4 my wavebird batteries finally gave out on me in the middle of a boss battle without warning, That's when I knew it couldnt be a very good idea to go wireless only.

Anyone who's ever had the battery in their MP3 player or Cellphone checkout on them before they can charge it knows exactly how much of an inconveince it can be. People don't like having to remember to charge things.

[Dante Devil]

I have the a logitech Xbox and PS2 controller. Both are great. I actually prefer the feel of the Logitech Xbox controller to that of Microsoft's 1st party wired controller (s-controller).

[FriskyTanuki]

The only thing I request from the big 3 for their wireless controllers is for it to be as sturdy as their wired controllers, because the Logitech Action Controller is a flimsy piece of crap and about the same as the flimsy DBZ controllers I had gotten before. I'm all for wireless as I like the extra range since couch is about 6 foot too long from the TV to be able to relax and play on DC or PS2 with wired controllers.

[FriskyTanuki]

Like I said while back, during a session of playing RE4 my wavebird batteries finally gave out on me in the middle of a boss battle without warning, That's when I knew it couldnt be a very good idea to go wireless only.

Anyone who's ever had the battery in their MP3 player or Cellphone checkout on them before they can charge it knows exactly how much of an inconveince it can be. People don't like having to remember to charge things.
As long as there's an led or two to let me know the status of the battery (a la GBA SP) then it's fine with me. Cell phones have the battery status meter right on their, so it's the lazy user's fault for not charging it when they see it's low.

[opportunity777]

Great idea and everybody better be doing this because I am tired of all the cords lying around.

[Alpha2]

Some of those LEDs can be helpful and some cant. The light on the wavebird only helps if you look down occasionally to look at it. My play time on RE4 was about 1.5 hours looking directly at the screen and never the controller.

As for cell phones some phone batteries will go a week or so depending on how many called you take or make. Charging it on a sunday will have it down to one or two bars by saturday, and a good long call somewhere in between can leave you without a charge by saturday afternoon, simple as that. The more you charge a rechargeable battery the quicker they wear out and some people like to get as much out of it as they can by not recharging when the battery is only half empty. As I said people don't like having to remember to recharge things.

[Zoglog]

Like I said while back, during a session of playing RE4 my wavebird batteries finally gave out on me in the middle of a boss battle without warning, That's when I knew it couldnt be a very good idea to go wireless only.

Anyone who's ever had the battery in their MP3 player or Cellphone checkout on them before they can charge it knows exactly how much of an inconveince it can be. People don't like having to remember to charge things.

The only thing I ask is a battery indicator ;). But I think that's still a pretty minor problem since the logitech batteries last 50 hours with rumble and 200 hours without.

[hollowfreak]

Rumble = Gimmick
Wavebird = Heaven

Hell if she ain't shakin it ... she's no fun :booty:

Wavebird = Half-assed
Logitech Precision = Heaven

[Zoglog]

LoL you can't classify Rumble as a gimmick and then claim Wireless isnt. Neither is necessary but each improves your experience in a different way. It sounds more like a fanboy's justification of the wavebird ;) The Logitech controllers work fine and have rumble.

[Zmonkay]

Like I said while back, during a session of playing RE4 my wavebird batteries finally gave out on me in the middle of a boss battle without warning, That's when I knew it couldnt be a very good idea to go wireless only.

Anyone who's ever had the battery in their MP3 player or Cellphone checkout on them before they can charge it knows exactly how much of an inconveince it can be. People don't like having to remember to charge things.

While everyone seems to think a battery indicator would be good, I can't help but wonder how hard it would be to simply have the system recognize that the controller died, like how some games instantly pause the game when a controller is disconected. If the system ever looses signal, either from battery loss or from straying too far from the system, it could auto-pause the game.

[Zoglog]

While everyone seems to think a battery indicator would be good, I can't help but wonder how hard it would be to simply have the system recognize that the controller died, like how some games instantly pause the game when a controller is disconected. If the system ever looses signal, either from battery loss or from straying too far from the system, it could auto-pause the game.

dunno most games i've played pause when the controller is unpluggd. Xbox atleast

[hollowfreak]

dunno most games i've played pause when the controller is unpluggd. Xbox atleast

yeah you're right but the current gen wireless controllers use dongles which the console sees as *still* plugged in even though the batteries in the controller are dead

[Quackzilla]

Some of those LEDs can be helpful and some cant. The light on the wavebird only helps if you look down occasionally to look at it. My play time on RE4 was about 1.5 hours looking directly at the screen and never the controller.

As for cell phones some phone batteries will go a week or so depending on how many called you take or make. Charging it on a sunday will have it down to one or two bars by saturday, and a good long call somewhere in between can leave you without a charge by saturday afternoon, simple as that. The more you charge a rechargeable battery the quicker they wear out and some people like to get as much out of it as they can by not recharging when the battery is only half empty. As I said people don't like having to remember to recharge things.

Wait, I thought you are supposed to charge them as often as possible, unless you aren't referring to Lithium ion and lithium ion polymer batteries.

[Zoglog]

yeah you're right but the current gen wireless controllers use dongles which the console sees as *still* plugged in even though the batteries in the controller are dead

that's a damn shame. Well since they're intergrated in the system now i'm sure they'll make sure to pause if the controller dies.... I hope lol. I don't see why they couldnt =) After all when the batteries go, so does the signal.

[Aleryn]

Rumble... never was very impressed, all the way back with Star Fox 64 and it's gigantic, battery powered "rumble pak."

Wireless good... so long as a charge lasts AT LEAST 8 hours. They get those things going 16 hours on a charge and they've got a HUGE selling point.

[Zoglog]

Rumble... never was very impressed, all the way back with Star Fox 64 and it's gigantic, battery powered "rumble pak."

Wireless good... so long as a charge lasts AT LEAST 8 hours. They get those things going 16 hours on a charge and they've got a HUGE selling point.


you realize the new logitech ps2 controller runs for 300 hours without rumble and 50 with right?

[Alpha2]

Wait, I thought you are supposed to charge them as often as possible, unless you aren't referring to Lithium ion and lithium ion polymer batteries.

I'll be honest with you man, there are so many rules for some many variations of rechargeable batteries that I forget them all. To be safe every rechargable device I own I charge fully and run till the battery is empty. The only battery I did leave charged was my Laptop battery and at one point I when I actually needed it had become a dead and completely unuseable 60 dollar paper weight.

[Mr Unoriginal]

I don't think this has been mentioned yet, but would having wireless controllers as the norm mean that we would be shelling out $40-$50 for a replacement in the future?

[Zoglog]

prob no different than we do for replacement controllers nowadays and especially not if u use CAG.

[FriskyTanuki]

The only thing I ask is a battery indicator ;). But I think that's still a pretty minor problem since the logitech batteries last 50 hours with rumble and 200 hours without.
you realize the new logitech ps2 controller runs for 300 hours without rumble and 50 with right?
Make up your mind. ;) And I've only heard 100 with and 50 without rumble for the battery lengths for the Logitech controller.

Hell if she ain't shakin it ... she's no fun

Wavebird = Half-assed
Logitech Precision = Heaven

Switch those are you hit the nail on the head.

[io]

I don't really mind wireless, but I don't see the point in it either. Sure its great that you can travel X amount of miles away from your console and still have the controller work, but eye sight only works from so far away... Its not like you need all that extra room, at least not in most people's case, because you set up a couch or chair or whatever in front of your T.V. that is placed relatively close to you. I suppose tripping could be an issue, but how hard is it to watch your step? As for little kids... if they fall on their face/break a controller, let them deal with the consequences. It'll be a great learning experience on responsibility. Oh, and for those of you that need to jump around when you play (dodging things and whatnot) just don't... it looks silly ;)

Moral: Wireless=O.K. but unnecessary.
Kids=Meh around expensive stuff.
Rumble= Not a gimmick, a sweet addition to more fully immerse your self in the game (REZ!!!!)

Well, my couch is about 12 feet from my TV - and I'd like to see you tell my 40 lb 2 year-old (AKA "Dozer", or "The Beast") that he has to face the consequences :D. Actually, he is fairly careful around our extended PS2 cables but occasionally he has snagged a foot on one of them - he isn't about to fall down though - he just ends up yanking the controller out of my 5 year-old's hands.

SIDE STORY - The funny thing about him is that he likes to sit and watch me and my 5 year-old play games and insists on having a controller as well. I had bought some old clearance PS1 controller for him to hold while we play. But he knew something wasn't right when it had the cord on it (this was when we only had the Gamecube w/Wavebirds). So we cut the cord off. Now that we've gotten the PS2 we had to get him another cheap-ass controller WITH a cord for when we play that (thanks to the TRU green tag sale I got some lame-ass EA sports controller for less than $1). One of these days he's going to realize he isn't actually playing and get PO'd at me. My 5 year-old makes a big production out of "plugging" his brother's controller into the bottom of the couch or the chair across the room before we play :D. Tonight we had a great session of "fight guys" (Lego Star Wars) and I noticed the "little one" (he's actually bigger than the 5 year-old) pressing buttons furiously.

[madmage]

The funny thing is today I was playing with my PS2 logitech controller and my gf thought it woulfd be funny to ruin my game by sitting directly in front of me, blocking the controller's signal. Needless to say it didnt work too well. wireless controllers are great, and Im willing to recharge/replace batteries to use them. There will never be a controller that is cord only again, so get used to the idea.