“Nearly perfect” and “pretty much perfect” were two of your comments about Halo 3. “I absolutely loved the Halo 3 campaign” and “Halo 3 is the best FPS I have played” were two more.*
Like fellow Xbox 360 title Forza 3 it was not a great success from a Tweak It point of view. Nevertheless, you did come up with a handful of tweaks that could be applied to Halo 3:
- Genetically-enhanced super-soldiers shouldn’t need to rely on an armour ability to be able to sprint. ~ Kennykazey, hazelam
- A compass on the H.U.D. so that “when they tell you to go east or west” you know which way to go. ~ hazelam
- Smarter allied A.I. when using vehicles. ~ Kennykazey
- Co-op matchmaking. ~ Armonster9000
*Glowing comments from Armonster9000, Sad Panda, a inferior race and Sad Panda (again) respectively.
The PlayStation’s controllers have remained remarkably unchanged considering that we are not that far away from the twentieth anniversary of the brand’s launch; the addition of the two analogue sticks being the only really significant difference that is immediately apparent.
Contrast this with how Nintendo’s controllers have changed over a similar timescale, starting with the N64’s ‘tri-hulled’ design; then onto the Gamecube’s controller, which is still one of my all-time favourites; and then from the wireless Wavebird to the Wiimote, and finally next year we’ll have the Wii U’s ‘tablet’ controller.
Clearly there must be something about the design of Sony’s PlayStation controller that just works. Either that or whenever they show something different, like the infamous PS3 ‘boomerang’ controller concept, the negative reaction is so venomous that it frightens them off from making any changes.
It is not surprising that we tend to have strong feelings about a controller. A console’s controller is arguably its most important feature. It is the part of the system that you continually interact with throughout your time with the console. Whether wireless or not it is your physical connection to the console being thrust triumphantly skywards in victory or hurled floor-wards in anger and frustration.
All that means that controllers are a very personal preference and we will all have likes and dislikes about them. Personally, this is how I would tweak the Sony’s DualShock 3:
- Produce a version which is essentially a PS3 Dual Analog controller. The “arms” of the original PlayStation Dual Analog were longer than those of other PlayStation controllers and were pitched at slightly less of an angle in relation to the controller’s ‘face’. The Dual Analog’s analogue sticks themselves also had concave tops rather than being the mushroom-like appendages we are now left with.
- While on the subject of concave-y-ness, I would also prefer concave triggers. I have tried some of the various third party add-ons to make the triggers but there is something not quite right about the feel, the pivot point feels wrong. I suspect integrated concave triggers would not have that problem.
With what must collectively be hundreds of thousands of hours of holding PlayStation controllers in your sweaty little hands, you must have some great ideas for how you would tweak it to perfection…
aerobes
I wish the charge cable was a lot longer so I don’t go goggle-eyed while trying to play when I’m charging the controller.
The controller itself has been pretty much covered by everyone here, longer arms and concave sticks and back shoulder buttons.
Having never thrown a controller in my life, I have no qualms over build quality but I will say that they wear beautifully, the way the face buttons get a gradual sheen on them after time is great and the controller ends up feeling like an extension of your limbs. I’m never as good at games when I’m using a new controller or one that belongs to somebody else. After a good few hours the natural feel starts to creep in and it feels like an old pair of shoes.
One radical thing they could do, though it’d possibly add weight, bulk and price (in which case I wouldn’t want it), is force feedback on the sticks. In driving games when you’re pushing the sticks left and right and the car is thrashing around wildly on screen, it all seems a bit too easy, unnatural and lacking in feel but I suppose that’s what real wheels are for and it wouldn’t be any use in other games. :/
What if the back shoulder buttons were moved behind the controller to where the second finger naturally lies (mine does anyway) and then it would enable me to use all 4 shoulder buttons without having to switch fingers? Hmm, I don’t know. Again, it’s messing with the fundamentals. :/
I’d suggest bringing it up to date slightly by smoothing off the hard edges but then again I like them because if you rest your finger there, there’s less chance of it slipping off.
I don’t know, it’s an exceptional design and Sony seriously have their work cut out if they think they’re going to better it for PS4.
colmshan1990
The charge cable?
Good idea, I end up using a USB extender, but it’d be nice if the packaged one was longer. And if every controller you buy comes bundled with one too, please.
As for trying to improve it for PS4?
I’d be happy if they took the approach they did from the PS1 to PS2- no change but for increased sensitivity.
If it ain’t broke…
Kennykazey
Good mention on the cable! You can get a longer one very cheap though or do as me and attach a longer USB cable to it. It’s SO worth it.
Deathbrin
Well a longer cable makes it less responsive though doesn’t it? It just won’t work with an extra long one.
ScottW-1976
Please tell me you are joking?
Watchful
Well the electrons are probably only moving about two thirds the speed of light through the cable. The extra two metres could mean your button press takes approximately 10ns (or 0.00000001s) longer to reach your PS3. To a serious CoD player that’s a long time. /sarcasm
colmshan1990
Not to mention I assume that the controller is still transmitting through Bluetooth rather than USB?
Kennykazey
I used to hate the Dualshock controller, both on the PS1 and the PS2 (I much preferred the N64(three hands FTW!) and the Xbox (S, that is) controllers as I just didn’t find the ‘Shockers comfortable. But with the DS3, things changed. Triggers were added and since I had to use it on my PS3, I started growing to like it. So, with my history of hatred for the DualShock out of the way here we go:
The DS3 is this generations best controller (say what?!), thanks to an internal battery-pack, sixaxis motion control and excellent build-quality (the 360’s buttons and triggers have a cheaper feel to them IMO). You can also have seven of them connected at the same time. Seven! But that’s not to say it’s perfect, nothing is.
The shape is not a comfortable as the 360’s, as it’s molded too steeply inwards for hands to get a good grip on it. When you hold your index-fingers on the L1/R1 and your middle fingers on L2/R2, the last fingers aren’t supported by the grips (or arms) of the controller. It also feels a tad bit small IMO.
The triggers and analogue-sticks should have been concave, as that would offer more grip (as mentioned by Watchful Greg).
The facebuttons are excellent though and so is the D-pad. But I would have preffered the PS-button to be located inbetween the L3/R3 sticks so that it wouldn’t be accidentally pressed. The 360 is really on to something with the shaped shoulder-buttons, but the DS3’s shoulders aren’t bad at all.
Not to advertise, but; I personally have the EA Sports Comfort Pack on one of my DS3’s and it concaves both the triggers and L3/R3, which is nice. It also changes the shape of the controller to make it more rounded. This it removes the steepness of the arms. It also makes it feel larger (maybe a slight bit too much?) and heavier (but not too heavy). However, it still feels a bit odd when using both the shoulder-buttons and the triggers at the same time. It’s rubbery so it adds almost too much grip, and it attaches to the DS3 very well (I had to fill one of the sleeves with a bit of paper to keep it from moving, but as it can be fixed like that in five seconds, it’s no dealbreaker) I can reccommend it, but if you have small hands (I concider mine slightly smaller than average for a man) it may not be to your liking. However, if your hands are big, you will like it (two of my test-subjects confirmed this). Nothing has loosened on it so far and still sticks on it perfectly (I’ve had it for over a week now, wich isn’t much, but I’m not expecting it to fall off anytime soon).
Deathbrin
PS button, accidentally pressed? Whoa.
Awayze
I hope the PS4 controller NEVER gets Concave joysticks, they’re uncomfortable and convex is better.
Deathbrin
The triggers on PS Move are already concave.
colmshan1990
He’s not talking about triggers, but the L3/R3 sticks.
Geffdof23
I was a little disappointed with the R2/L2 triggers when I first used a DS3 but I’m fairly accustomed to them now. I wouldn’t change anything else. I’ve been using the Playstation controllers for so long now that anything else seems wrong. The size, weight and placement of buttons is perfect, hence why it hasn’t changed for so long. You can see its such a good design as the 360 controller is basically the same layout apart from a d-pad/stick switch and the Wii went down the motion control route because there was basically no tweaking you could do to it to make it any better.
Foxhound_Solid
Ds3 is epic. Perfect, however, make them in three sizes, standard, medium and large. Some peeps find them a little small.
MICKY17
Personally, I think the controller is ergonomically perfect. I agree about having slightly concave sticks but personally the triggers are perfect to me.
BrendanCalls
As a few have said before me, If it ain’t broken dint fix it. Work perfectly well.
Roynaldo
it does, thats why its ancient old and unchanged. What can be improved? Pretty much nothing. The End
TROPtastic
I think I’d probably just make the sticks and the triggers concave, but apart from that the controller is pretty much perfect.
Thechunkymunky
I wouldn’t change a thing. My fingers/thumbs never slips off the sticks or triggers so that’s never an issue for me. Feels just right to hold and was quite happy when they put the vibration back into the controllers.
The perfect controller? Imo, yes :)
MrJimmy
I got one! somehow make them stackable, as four pads makes a very messy pile. Just do it without changing the shape at all, cos, yup, its already right.