New Button Poll With Impossibles Removed

[edgex004]

I'm in the "delay my Pandora over buttons and I'll hex you some bad juju" category.

 

[heng]

Other:
☯
☆ ☭
‽

 

[trooper]

F
K :angry: U
C

K.U.F.C ?. Is that a football (soka) team btw ?. :huh:

Trooper

 

[DaveC]

I don't like the Greek alphabet idea. It just doesn't look like it fits.

I would like the SNES layout. I am not sure why that is not possible, since when can Nintendo patent a letter arrangement?

Maybe we could use symbols like Sony does only not the same ones.

 

[PoisonedV]

Arrngements of dots IE:
1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots, 4 dots (never been implemented before?)
colored circle on each one
card suits (never been implemented before?)
Just remember, letters could be confused with the keyboard...

 

[Tom`]

I don't like the Greek alphabet idea. It just doesn't look like it fits.

I would like the SNES layout. I am not sure why that is not possible, since when can Nintendo patent a letter arrangement?

Maybe we could use symbols like Sony does only not the same ones.

My first choice would be the SNES layout as well. I don't like the idea of geometric shapes - to me it has all the disadvantages of Greek letters and none of the benefits.
However, even if the layout of the SNES could have been patented (doubtful), the patents were probably filed around when the SNES came out in 1990, and since the term of patents filed before 1995 is seventeen years, any patent should have expired last year...

 

[plopperz]

However, even if the layout of the SNES could have been patented (doubtful), the patents were probably filed around when the SNES came out in 1990, and since the term of patents filed before 1995 is seventeen years, any patent should have expired last year...

They would've renewed the patent (or filed a new one) for the DS, because it uses the same arrangement.

 

[Tom`]

However, even if the layout of the SNES could have been patented (doubtful), the patents were probably filed around when the SNES came out in 1990, and since the term of patents filed before 1995 is seventeen years, any patent should have expired last year...

They would've renewed the patent (or filed a new one) for the DS, because it uses the same arrangement.

Patents can only be renewed by an act of Congress, and that very seldom happens. And if it's the same arrangement, it couldn't be patented again - only if it had changed significantly enough for the changes to be patented in their own right.

IANAL, etc...

 

[Eolair]

I don't like the Greek alphabet idea. It just doesn't look like it fits.

I would like the SNES layout. I am not sure why that is not possible, since when can Nintendo patent a letter arrangement?

Maybe we could use symbols like Sony does only not the same ones.

I think it sounds crazy to be able to patent the ordering of letters or numbers, because it's not a new invention. But who knows, in the US they've seem to have forgotten the word "invention" and you can patent just about anything for your own profit. I wonder if I could get a US patent on the number arrangement "1, 2, 3, 4" :rolleyes:

 

[Edy]

Here's IMHO the most appropiate layout:

. .. Y
. X .. A
. .. B

Why? Think it simple:

1) Buttons that could intuitively do the common functions applicable in most programs. A for "action", B for "secondary action" or "back", X and Y entirely application-defined.

2) In this layout A and B are the most accesible buttons with the right thumb, so they should have functions that are commonly used. If this policy is applied from the beginning of the Pandora development, then most applications will follow the same intuitive "standard".

3) Greek letters, shapes, symbols, dots.... they finally must be written somewhere in the application's manual in a way that could be easily identified by the end-user. Not to mention forums, webs, etc. Most of times manuals are written in plain text format. It would be quite annoying having to keep the CharMap tool open each time one wants to write anything on Pandora. And don't forget that different languages name the symbols in different ways, including greek letters. Same goes for the NSWE layout. "A" is "A" in any language.

4) It's easy to distinguish "the A button" (in the gamepad controls) from "the A key" (in the keyboard). Anyone can easily realize which control one is refering to.

EDIT: I really don't know (and don't care) whether this layout is being already used by some console or not. I've just thought on the most simple and intuitive layout that could make things easier for both developers and users.

EDIT2: I would also like the A - B positions switched (A bottom, B right). I just chosen the position of "primary" - "secondary" buttons as I'm most used to.

 

[Mookmac]

3) Greek letters, shapes, symbols, dots.... they finally must be written somewhere in the application's manual in a way that could be easily identified by the end-user. Not to mention forums, webs, etc. Most of times manuals are written in plain text format. It would be quite annoying having to keep the CharMap tool open each time one wants to write anything on Pandora. And don't forget that different languages name the symbols in different ways, including greek letters. Same goes for the NSWE layout. "A" is "A" in any language.



This is my concern as well. If I want to write a program and tell the user to press a certain button then I have to start fiddleing around with inserting greek symbols into my code. It would be by far the easiest option to keep it as some latin alphanumeric symbols. Greek letters may look cool but they're not very practicle and it just means more uneeded effort for devs. Even if the ABXY layout is patented by Nintendo what stops us using any of the other 22 characters standard to the english alphabet?

 

[fishybawb]

This is my concern as well. If I want to write a program and tell the user to press a certain button then I have to start fiddleing around with inserting greek symbols into my code. It would be by far the easiest option to keep it as some latin alphanumeric symbols. Greek letters may look cool but they're not very practicle and it just means more uneeded effort for devs. Even if the ABXY layout is patented by Nintendo what stops us using any of the other 22 characters standard to the english alphabet?

You could always tell the user to press "alpha" or "beta", rather than α/β I suppose. Bit of extra typing, but no messing around with symbols that way

Edit: Although this would require learning the symbols for some people...

 

[gaterooze]

Instead of the actual Greek letters you could just write [a], , [x], [y] -- everyone will know what you mean as they look very similar, it would be a common shorthand.

 

[GuchaRU]

maybe somethink like pc keyboard numpad? 2468? =)

 

[aatu]

1) At first Snes layout was clearly the most popular (in all polls)
2) Meanwhile Greek letters weren't that popular (at all)
3) Then there rose some amount of fear of patent/copyright/trademark/etc issues with Snes layout
4) Greek letters gave an opportunity to safely(?) bypass these issues
5) At the same time giving some association to Pandora's myth
6) Now the Snes layout with Greek letters is the most popular choice

If it really is possible (=safe) to use original Snes layout, then there will be support for that (as it has been witnessed numerous times already). But in the meantime, it seems the most popular choice will be Greek letters with Snes layout.

And like someone already said, it sounds crazy that one could be able to patent the ORDER of button labels. I don't know about US, but I hope EU hasn't gone that far... Does anyone have any lawyer friends that could find out about it?

 

[PoisonedV]

Controllers designs, and buttons layouts are a fucking patent MINEFIELD. I know that Craig and Co have probably already finalized the design, but I would strongly recommend against using any nintendo-type layouts. Thats why most game controllers for the PC use '1 2 3 4'

 

[fusion_power]

I don't like the Greek alphabet idea. It just doesn't look like it fits.

I would like the SNES layout. I am not sure why that is not possible, since when can Nintendo patent a letter arrangement?

Maybe we could use symbols like Sony does only not the same ones.

Someone just had to ask Nintendo directly, if this (and other Things) are patented. Would be afaik much quicker than searching throug Millions of patents.

 

[TheFlyingPig]

Personally I'd like different colored circles (Zodiac style)

If not that it would be cool if the letters spelled something

 

[chad78]

Someone just had to ask Nintendo directly, if this (and other Things) are patented. Would be afaik much quicker than searching throug Millions of patents.

Sure - I'll call Reggie in the morning. :rolleyes:

EDIT - Reggie - not Reggis.

 

[jbr]

Someone please explain how you can patent "BAYX." Perhaps a trademark, but what kind of corrupt patent officer would ever approve something like that? Can I just go patent every combination of four letters and charge a royalty every time they appear somewhere? What about colors? Can I say that black is my intellectual property and every book printed in black ink is stealing it from me?

Man, the world is so messed up.

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