New 360 wireless controller with improved D-Pad announced (11/9, $64.99)

[quote name='Corvin']Really? You look at your controller when you play games? A-B-X-Y have had the same colors since 2001 on the original Xbox, surely people know them without looking at them by now.[/QUOTE]

I have had Xbox consoles since 2001 and I would have to think about which color corresponded to what letter. I just pay attention to the letters.
 
They could have just ignored the d-pad forever. At least this way, there is an official controller with a decent d-pad. But it's definitely odd that they're still making other controllers without one.
 
[quote name='KillerRamen']Kotaku also has a hands on with Major Nelson. At the end he mentions it is "kind of a limited edition," whatever that means. [/QUOTE]

Remember, Major Nelson also said the 250GB hard drive would only be available in the limited edition bundles (MW2, SC:C, FFXIII), and then it came out on its own.

Guaranteed, Microsoft didn't spend R&D costs to make these changes and then only sell this new controller for a limited time. First, they'll sell it in this packaged bundle with Play & Charge for a higher price. They'll get all the hardcore gamers that way, and make more money off them. But eventually they'll sell the thing on its own for the standard price.

Microsoft is so predictable sometimes.
 
Exactly, Bingo. Everyone has to remember that Major Nelson is a marketing guy. He's gotta sell the public on these things at this price point. He's not going to be like, "Oh, yeah, they'll be bundled in with the PnC for awhile, but then they'll be readily available on their own." As you said, he did the same, exact thing with the 250GB HDD.
 
I'll probably get this controller and replace the buttons with colored ones. I have a few dead 360 controllers laying around that I can get the colored buttons from.
 
'eh, there are a dozen other 360 controller colors with color buttons to choose from, it's nice to have something unique for a change.

I'm surprised they haven't released one with LEDs yet.
 
[quote name='62t']You can use the dpad if you pay nintendo, which is what sega did for dreamcast.[/QUOTE]

Which is hilarious because the Sega Saturn pads had way better digital controls than the Dreamcast (or any other pad ever).

I've said it before but I'll pay the money if, and only if, this controller works flawlessly with typical FPS games, retro platforming games, modern racing games, and fighting games (apart from only having 4 face buttons). If it can't do all those things, then I'll pass.
 
Jesus, why can't they just make a slight tweak to the d-pad (like every modder has) and then release the controller? "Revolutionary" twisting shit and non-colored buttons? Why?
 
I'm pretty disappointed this isn't the default controller that was packaged with the new 360 model. I like the idea of a better D-pad (although I kind of just wish they'd dump the D-pad altogether so dev quit using it for dumb stuff). I like the idea of more "cupped" analog sticks - those little nubs always wear off. I hate the non-standard face buttons. And I hate that once again a controller comes with a battery that doesn't match the color of the controller. I'm always up for more play and charge batteries, so no worries there.

I'll probably get one...
 
i love fighting games, i play tekken 6 all the time..

but $65 for a controller (with a charge kit)? all they did was change the d-pad to something that xbox gamers have been asking for for years. on top of that, the grey scale face buttons are asinine to say the least, and literally nothing else significant as really changed about this controller.

couldn't microsoft just lower their prices on one of their items just once? i get that its a business, but this controller is really only for people who need to use the dpad a great deal (fighting game or classic game players), and a lot of the FG audience has probably gotten fight sticks at this point.

tl;dr i agree with what a CAG pointed out. these will bomb, and hopefully drop to a reasonable price within a few months. then it will make sense to procure one.
 
While I understand that everyone is railing on the price because it's CAG, controller+p&c kit was always $65, so I fail to see why'd they LOWER the price on something new. To brush aside their raising of Live costs, the model here would've launch these at $65, drop the older controllers in price, as these are 'better'.

I do agree with those that are annoyed about the controller *not* being in with the Slim, since they likely would've been ready in time. I'm sure they eventually will be, but that doesn't help those of us who already bought one, and already also own 5 controllers.

As for those saying these will 'bomb'? Don't fool yourselves. These will sell just as well as any other controller. These were never set up to be an 'OMG LET'S LAUNCH THIS AND MAKE A TON OF NEW MONEY!'. They're controllers, no more, no less.
 
the reason people will think it will bomb is because its redundant and doesn't add much.

arguably, having greyscale buttons actually means you lose something for buying this. if they had kept the colors, then your benefit would be the new dpad.

other than a select few who "want to stay on the cutting edge", i can't see how this is going to sell well. not when you can just buy the other controllers for like $25 - $30 new.
 
what you want to look at in terms of "bombing", is how well the controller will sell at this advertised price. that means, how many people are looking to buy the controller at $65 (or a lower price if the play and charge kit is not included).

getting the controller with a new console does not count.

how do i put it.. its like making a light gun accessory for the Xbox 360. yes, its true that there are light gun enthusiasts that really want that sort of controller for their shooting games (or perhaps other uses), but you have to agree they would make up a niche section of 360 gamers.

a controller like this is really only targeted towards fighting game players or classic game players in my opinion (and evidently many people in this thread feel the same way).

so then, you have to rationalize it this way. even if there were a ton of fighting game players on the 360, which i'm sure there are..

- many of them have already bought fight sticks (street fighter IV, soul calibur IV, blazblue, virtua fighter, tekken 6, etc). that makes up the "more serious" FG players which is a niche audience

- the people remaining need to decide whether or not to upgrade to this new controller. considering it costs more than the game they're going to play it with (more than twice the amount in many cases), my opinion suggests to me that they would continue using the original controller, upgrade to a different pad or stick, or simply buy a PS3 (where the FG community seems to be more prominent).

- the grayscale buttons are detrimental to the controller's design, but that's a personal beef, so i won't hold it against them

- remember those special edition controllers for games like Halo 3 and COD4? the ones where all they did was change the face plate or perhaps mod a few buttons to resemble a game reference? how well did those sell? not all that well. and understandably so.. only halo 3 fans would purchase a new halo 3 themed controller, and the rest goes for other niche controllers that followed suit. now its true that this controller changes the dpad, something us 360 owners have been asking for for years. but is that really worth $65?

tl;dr just like Kinect, you have a product that will only be bought by a certain kind of gamer, one which already does not make up the majority. i just can't see how this controller can sell well at $65.

now, if down the line the controller drops to around $30, i think it would start to sell well. again, all of this is my speculation, most of it is factual, however.
 
I'm not a fighting game fan and with the $65 price I think I'll just stick with the old cheaper controller. Unless someone knows a good reason for the improved D-pad beside a fighting game.
 
The d-pad would be better for any 2D game: Bionic Commando Rearmed, Castlevania SOTN and Harmony of Despair, Pac-Man CE, Raiden IV, etc. But if you don't play those sorts of games, it's probably unnecessary.
 
A better D-pad is better period. Not just in 2d games. Been many a time when the sloppiness of the current d-pad has made me switch to the wrong weapon.

This Controller + Vanquish = Yes.

I don't mind the gray scale buttons at all. Not like I don't know where each button is or something.




I'll be keeping an eye out black friday.....
 
Furry, you beat me to the punch. Yes, an improved dpad is wonderful for fighters and 2D games, but frankly, the absolute shitty dpad on there now affects all games. I was playing Metro 2033 the other day, and a ton of stuff is mapped to the dpad, like switching weapons, putting on your gas mask (and changing the filter for it), and putting on your night vision goggles (and turning them on and off). What a chore. Trying to change a weapon...put my gas mask on. Trying to take my gas mask off...switch to another weapon.
 
A better D-pad is better period. Not just in 2d games. Been many a time when the sloppiness of the current d-pad has made me switch to the wrong weapon.
Click to expand...

this is a good point. i just put fighting games and classic gamers ahead in the queue because i feel that they would utilize the dpad more often and more rigorously. its also a good point that bigdaddybruce makes with metro 2033. fallout 3 has a similar weapon/item switching system, and there have been a lot of times when i use a stimpak bound to 3 (think of a number pad), when i meant to use a gun bound to 6 or 2.

This Controller + Vanquish = Yes.
Click to expand...

little lost at this, as i don't think you really need to use the dpad a lot in vanquish. i beat the demo switching weapons minimally, but as for the real game, i'm not sure how often you will need to switch items.
 
My question is, why would you ever want to retract the d-pad? Is it a total gimmick, or just a way for Microsoft to get around Nintendo's patent?
 
[quote name='AquaKnight']



little lost at this, as i don't think you really need to use the dpad a lot in vanquish. i beat the demo switching weapons minimally, but as for the real game, i'm not sure how often you will need to switch items.[/QUOTE]

Well the controller matches goes with the game's gratuitous amount of the color silver. But for gameplay seriously wasting a bullet when you don't want to is enough to make you toss the controller at the screen. Since weapon upgrades are about picking up the same gun for an already fully loaded weapon, picking the wrong weapon in the middle of a fire fight could cost you an upgrade. You'll have to wait until another gun drops. It took me an hour minus the sniper rifle, to upgrade everything to max. That's only a handful of weapons so imagine getting further along and firing one round and losing that precious last gun to upgrade because the d-pad switched to the wrong weapon. And unlike most games there is almost no lag between switching weapons since your gun transforms on the fly and you can continue to shoot without breaking your flow.


[quote name='Corvin']My question is, why would you ever want to retract the d-pad? Is it a total gimmick, or just a way for Microsoft to get around Nintendo's patent?[/QUOTE]

The 16 way disc d-pad is something that FIFA players want I think. Honestly, screw Nintendo's d-pads. They are always only ok. The best d-pads were on Saturn controllers. The second best d-pad wasn't a pad but a little stick and that was on the NGP/NGPC (neo geo pocket). Everything else has been just ok or terrible.
 
The 16 way disc d-pad is something that FIFA players want I think. Honestly, screw Nintendo's d-pads. They are always only ok. The best d-pads were on Saturn controllers. The second best d-pad wasn't a pad but a little stick and that was on the NGP/NGPC (neo geo pocket). Everything else has been just ok or terrible.
Click to expand...

I actually like my ps2 D-pad the most. I don't own ps3, but i'd imagine the controllers are pretty similar in design (maybe not weight or other aesthetics)
 
[quote name='DestroVega']isn't it replacing the old controllers? so how is it possible for it to "bomb?"[/QUOTE]

It is suppose to be "limited"
 
[quote name='62t']It is suppose to be "limited"[/QUOTE]

And it'll more than likely be limited just like how the Red Limited Edition controller was (hint: not limited at all).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top