[quote name='Ccl']What's sad is that: When the transformer controller came out, they had an interview on XBox Live with the hardware tech lead. It only took one minute to realize he had no clue.
He started off by saying that Microsoft knew what the problem was and addressed it in two waves:
1. There was an internal problem with how the DPad registered to the controller. He said it was based on the DPad's connection to the contacts on the motherboard.
WRONG! It's all about that stupid wall around the stupid DPad disc. When you press in any direction, there's a chance that you'll shift the disc into the wall, which causes it to bounce off and send the disc into a different direction. Bad for games like Bomberman and Pac Man where you need precise directional control. WAY worse for input-based control where a misunderstanding between D and DF could end you.[/quote]
Wow, I didn't realize the technical reason for it, but yeah, it's like it's barely usable in an FPS or something for a minor secondary function. It's okay, but still annoying that sometimes I have to press again or it triggers the wrong way.
But for say a 2D platformer or a versus fighting game? Damn. I can't play stuff where 50% of the time it doesn't register, or registers wrong.
There's NO WAY they could not know this if they actually spent time playing games with it, and this new controller just seems so clueless. It's like first, if this actually fixed the problem, it needs to be rolled out across the whole line, not as a special more expensive pad. But it doesn't even get at what the problem IS! I didn't hear what you mentioned above, but I did see some Microsoft release about "we've heard all the complaints about it, so now we've fixed it by making it cross shaped!" And it's like...THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM!
It is honestly just astounding to me, and does seem to indicate that somewhere high up the line some suit absolutely will not listen to underlings.
BTW, he claims that Microsoft fixed it starting with the European-only Lime Green controller and that all controllers made since have this "fix".
This isn't true, is it?
2. There was the tactile side where some people like to feel a circle underneath them while other people need the cross. The transforming DPad disc addresses this.
I actually agree with this. Some people like it one way, some the other.
It doesn't mean you fixed anything though. The DPad is still broken.
Yeah, and personally regarding that? I probably prefer the single thing. The Saturn's pad was AWESOME, and I prefer that design to the SNES or Playstation d-pad...BUT those do obviously work just fine. This is broken.
[quote name='crunchewy']So the transformation doesn't actually change anything other then what is under your thumb? Is that right? That's insane if true, and then I'll be glad I didn't buy one.[/QUOTE]
Yep, that's right. It's completely, insanely baffling. We're six years in, they've actually designed and released a whole new pad, and someone high up at Microsoft making decisions STILL HAS NO CLUE WHAT THE
ING PROBLEM IS which they would know if they picked the damn thing up and tried playing Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat or something.
