Button Layout Poll - The Final Chapter

[zhasha]

Pretty sure all of the SNES controllers I've used had 4 different colours on the face buttons. Maybe it's a PAL/NTSC region thing.

EDIT: By the way, I have both of these, but am too lazy to take a photo. So
Confirmed: SNES controllers are different depending on region

 

[Spectralist]

Pretty sure all of the SNES controllers I've used had 4 different colours on the face buttons. Maybe it's a PAL/NTSC region thing.

Good guess. The wikipedia article suggests you're right. I wonder why they went with the two tone version in the US & Canada. I always wondered why all the promotional media I saw represented the controller with different button colours than I had.

 

[Sphinxter]

DO YOU SEE, the snes has two diagonal pairs of buttons, the pandora has four in a plus sign pattern, they're nothing at all alike and not even the least bit similar.

 

[fretfrenzy182]

DO YOU SEE, the snes has two diagonal pairs of buttons, the pandora has four in a plus sign pattern, they're nothing at all alike and not even the least bit similar.

That looks like a plus pattern to me. its just that they are colored to make it look diagonal. diamonds are squared turned sideways, and both pandora and snes have that.

 

[may88]

I voted GP2x because there was not a "don't give a shi" button. Good to be on the losing side (no I'm not Irish).

Why oh why do we have to follow what has gone before?
Both these systems are inferior to Pandora so what copy the button layout.

 Y
A X
 B

How's about these then? Let's buck the trend. I'm not a monster button basher and leave it to other to argue the virtue of this configuration.
But it would be nice in a few year's time when Craiginator #2 is being designed to have the question, Do you want buttons like the SNES or the Pandora?

 

[fusion_power]

I'm sure everybody knows that the Pandora will have the GP2X Button-Layout so this Thread is pretty much obsolete...
however, so I've voted for GP2X because I never had a SNES and I don't see any sense in the totaly twisted layout. On Top the XY comes first, then the AB but it's even reversed so Y-X-B-A if you start from the top diagonal row...wtf? " Was there ever a deeper sense behind this? I know in Japan you read from right to left, could be a explanation, I don't know.

 

[Mofokubik]

What if we replaced the buttons with tiny lcd screens, like the optimus maximus

 

[zhasha]

II know in Japan you read from right to left, could be a explanation, I don't know.

Actually, you either read from top to bottom, then right to left, or if you're on horizontal text, from left to right, top to bottom. The latter is what you'll mostly see in this here compooter age.

 

[Asiyura]

What if we replaced the buttons with tiny lcd screens, like the optimus maximus

Are you ready to pay 950€ for a Pandora with less battery time?

[edit]Some small corrections[/edit]

 

[Near_Kstor]

Truth is I voted for the SNES layout, but only because the XBox layout was unavailable...

I like it better when the A is the bottom one:

Y
X B
A

 

[God Ginrai]

On the buttons, I'm sorry but I still don't understand the logic behind your reasoning. I can understand that coming from a Genesis background the SNES layout can be a bit odd, but that still doesn't explain how you think the GP2X layout is more logical than putting them in relative order. Not the fact that they're using it, mind you, just the order itself.

Edit: I just noticed your registration date. Could it be that you own a GP2X? I've never owned one, and didn't even notice the button layout till it was brought up in a Pandora topic some months ago. With that in mind, yes, it's logical to use the GP2X layout if you've owned one before, but for everyone else who's in it just for Pandora, the GP2X layout will make very little sense.

What you were describing was why to use a diamond shape instead of a square shape more than it was about what button should be labeled what.

Anyways, the reason I believe the GP2X to be more logical is because it Keeps the AB and XY on their own seperate Axes:

_ Y
A-|-B
_ X

That way, the letters that are close to each other are connected in a more structured way. Your eyes can follow the axis to the other side to find the next or previous letter.

Also, I do own a GP2X, (one of the first editions, even) but I thought the layout was logical before I even ordered it. (back when I was deciding whether to get it or not)

-God Ginrai

 

[moxie]

I voted GP2x, mainly because the sensible option - That is, "I don't give a sh*t, OK, it's friggin' buttons!!!" - wasn't available. I'm not bothered at all about what is on the buttons or in what order, as long as they are uniquely labelled. I am a bit bothered about how serious this seems to be to people, though. Like - Priorities, people? Reality check?

 

[God Ginrai]

I voted GP2x, mainly because the sensible option - That is, "I don't give a sh*t, OK, it's friggin' buttons!!!" - wasn't available. I'm not bothered at all about what is on the buttons or in what order, as long as they are uniquely labelled. I am a bit bothered about how serious this seems to be to people, though. Like - Priorities, people? Reality check?

Like I said, I won't be complaining if the layout I want doesn't get chosen. I was just responding to someone who claimed the GP2X layout was illogical.

-God Ginrai

 

[moxie]

I voted GP2x, mainly because the sensible option - That is, "I don't give a sh*t, OK, it's friggin' buttons!!!" - wasn't available. I'm not bothered at all about what is on the buttons or in what order, as long as they are uniquely labelled. I am a bit bothered about how serious this seems to be to people, though. Like - Priorities, people? Reality check?

Like I said, I won't be complaining if the layout I want doesn't get chosen. I was just responding to someone who claimed the GP2X layout was illogical.

-God Ginrai

Yes, I know. When I started writing my reply, your post wasn't there yet, so it is in no way directed at you

 

[gibberish]

not fussed. same with the silk screening, the keyboard font and all the other things that dont really matter.

 

[-Tj-]

What you were describing was why to use a diamond shape instead of a square shape more than it was about what button should be labeled what.

When did I ever say anything about the shape of the button layout? I've only ever been talking about button labels this whole time.

Anyways, the reason I believe the GP2X to be more logical is because it Keeps the AB and XY on their own seperate Axes:

_ Y
A-|-B
_ X

That way, the letters that are close to each other are connected in a more structured way. Your eyes can follow the axis to the other side to find the next or previous letter.

Also, I do own a GP2X, (one of the first editions, even) but I thought the layout was logical before I even ordered it. (back when I was deciding whether to get it or not)

I'd thought about the cross (or "t") shaped pattern at one point, but it just makes saying things like "press A and B" or "press X and Y" useless since it's difficult to press the buttons in that combination with the GP2X layout (tried it on a PSP and a 360, and on both I had to change the position of my hand to do so). With the buttons labeled sequentially you can at least do that. I'm not saying that games will use that combination, and I can think of very few games that do, but with the GP2X layout you can almost never say, "press AB" or "press XY". Sounds like a ridiculous argument, but that's what button labels are for.

Kinda thought you might have a GP2X. You seem pretty adamant about the layout. Anyway, I almost bought one a while ago, too, and would have bought one regardless of the labels on the buttons had I bought one. I feel the same way about Pandora, but hey, it's a "what if" discussion. I still don't follow your logic, but not everyone's logic makes sense to someone else. At least I know where you're coming from now.

II know in Japan you read from right to left, could be a explanation, I don't know.

Actually, you either read from top to bottom, then right to left, or if you're on horizontal text, from left to right, top to bottom. The latter is what you'll mostly see in this here compooter age.

Wanna make things more confusing? Japan prints some books Western-style, too. Book opens from right to left. Confused the heck out of me when I saw my first Japanese magazine printed that way. The ads on the back looked like it coulda been a cover. :blink:

 Y
A X
 B

This one's my favorite. A and B are the buttons I most frequently use. I'd swap X and Y, though.

 

[God Ginrai]

What you were describing was why to use a diamond shape instead of a square shape more than it was about what button should be labeled what.

When did I ever say anything about the shape of the button layout? I've only ever been talking about button labels this whole time.

What I mean is that the only time you need to consider the arc the thumb travels is when you are deciding how many buttons and in what pattern you should have on your controller.

Anyways, the reason I believe the GP2X to be more logical is because it Keeps the AB and XY on their own seperate Axes:

_ Y
A-|-B
_ X

That way, the letters that are close to each other are connected in a more structured way. Your eyes can follow the axis to the other side to find the next or previous letter.

Also, I do own a GP2X, (one of the first editions, even) but I thought the layout was logical before I even ordered it. (back when I was deciding whether to get it or not)

I'd thought about the cross (or "t") shaped pattern at one point, but it just makes saying things like "press A and B" or "press X and Y" useless since it's difficult to press the buttons in that combination with the GP2X layout (tried it on a PSP and a 360, and on both I had to change the position of my hand to do so). With the buttons labeled sequentially you can at least do that. I'm not saying that games will use that combination, and I can think of very few games that do, but with the GP2X layout you can almost never say, "press AB" or "press XY". Sounds like a ridiculous argument, but that's what button labels are for.

Kinda thought you might have a GP2X. You seem pretty adamant about the layout. Anyway, I almost bought one a while ago, too, and would have bought one regardless of the labels on the buttons had I bought one. I feel the same way about Pandora, but hey, it's a "what if" discussion. I still don't follow your logic, but not everyone's logic makes sense to someone else. At least I know where you're coming from now.

With the GP2X layout, however, you can still press combinations of AX, AY, BX, and BY with ease, so I don't see your point about the AB thing. (Developers choose what button to assign a function to by placement, not by label) It's just different names for different buttons. Also, if you know that the letters to press are far from each other in the alphabet, then you immediately know they are on separate axes, and not across from each other.

-God Ginrai

 

[Vorporeal]

I voted GP2x, mainly because the sensible option - That is, "I don't give a sh*t, OK, it's friggin' buttons!!!" - wasn't available. I'm not bothered at all about what is on the buttons or in what order, as long as they are uniquely labelled. I am a bit bothered about how serious this seems to be to people, though. Like - Priorities, people? Reality check?

Like I said, I won't be complaining if the layout I want doesn't get chosen. I was just responding to someone who claimed the GP2X layout was illogical.

-God Ginrai

I don't mind if it ends up having the GP2X layout. I guess what I'm mainly trying to say is that we might want to preemptively come up with a standard way of defining (in software) what the button layout is so that developers (if they choose) can read in that data and modify the in-game button prompts accordingly.

 

[-Tj-]

What I mean is that the only time you need to consider the arc the thumb travels is when you are deciding how many buttons and in what pattern you should have on your controller.

*snip*

With the GP2X layout, however, you can still press combinations of AX, AY, BX, and BY with ease, so I don't see your point about the AB thing. (Developers choose what button to assign a function to by placement, not by label) It's just different names for different buttons. Also, if you know that the letters to press are far from each other in the alphabet, then you immediately know they are on separate axes, and not across from each other.

The point about the AB/XY thing is that the buttons are next to each other based on the natural sweeping motion of the thumb, which was my point about bringing up the thumb motion. When you say "AB" or "XY" you know they're probably next to each other. The thumb easily sweeps over those inputs. AX/BY, the thumb can press those sets simultaneously. There's none of that with the GP2X layout.

Honestly, I still get some of the PS buttons mixed up. "Press triangle." Wh-wha? oh damn, that's square. :lol: Like I mentioned, I grew up with Sega systems, so I'm used to the XY/AB setup. The SNES setup throws me from time to time, but not nearly as often as the PS layout.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. As long as emulators allow button customization via button input (press button to define X) I'm fine with anything. Make 'em blank, visible only under black light, or braille. I still want my Pandora.

I guess what I'm mainly trying to say is that we might want to preemptively come up with a standard way of defining (in software) what the button layout is so that developers (if they choose) can read in that data and modify the in-game button prompts accordingly.

What if Pandora had some kind of button name assignment setup outside all the games and programs? I'm no coder, so this might come out sounding like nonsense or ignorance, but are the buttons and the button names separate, or one and the same? If the button name is just an assignment to some kind of code, I don't see why it would be difficult to have an app that swaps button letters around.

For example, if the buttons had number assignments internally...

  2
1   4
  3

... then developers could call those numbers when they make their games, and have their text display the name of the button based on the user's name for them.

Something like "To jump, press [button3]. To fire, press [button1]." If the user had defined button 1 as "A" and button 3 as "B", the resulting on-screen text would end up being "To jump, press B. To fire, press A."

Of course, if this isn't already in there somewhere, it could be like Scottie said... "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

 

[greendots]

...

I guess what I'm mainly trying to say is that we might want to preemptively come up with a standard way of defining (in software) what the button layout is so that developers (if they choose) can read in that data and modify the in-game button prompts accordingly.

What if Pandora had some kind of button name assignment setup outside all the games and programs? I'm no coder, so this might come out sounding like nonsense or ignorance, but are the buttons and the button names separate, or one and the same? If the button name is just an assignment to some kind of code, I don't see why it would be difficult to have an app that swaps button letters around.

For example, if the buttons had number assignments internally...

  2
1   4
  3

... then developers could call those numbers when they make their games, and have their text display the name of the button based on the user's name for them.

Something like "To jump, press [button3]. To fire, press [button1]." If the user had defined button 1 as "A" and button 3 as "B", the resulting on-screen text would end up being "To jump, press B. To fire, press A."

Of course, if this isn't already in there somewhere, it could be like Scottie said... "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

Yes, I suggested this when we where last on the topic of buttons... Environmental variables could easily be used and allow people to change their key layout with a single command in the terminal.