The New Xbox 360 Controller Is Really About Patents
![The New Xbox 360 Controller Is Really About Patents [Microsoft Introduces A New Xbox 360 Controller With A New D-Pad That Scoots Around Nintendo Patents]](http://nexus404.com/Blog/thumbnailimages/alt/New-Xbox-360-ControllerTFTSThumb220153.jpg)
I actually like it, but the D-Pad on the Xbox 360 controllers is one of the most often complained about features of the Xbox 360 console (well, after the red ring of death, paying for Xbox Live, and about five other things). Microsoft introduced a new Xbox 360 controller with a new D-Pad this past week that seems to be well received. But the other tech blogs are missing a big point – this new controller is all about the patents.
Ever wonder why Sony and Microsoft don’t have the ‘traditional’ D-pads on their consoles? Microsoft has (had) the infamous disc and Sony has just the four buttons arranged like a D-Pad. Nintendo actually has the traditional cross-shaped D-Pad patented. (See US Patent 4,687,200). That’s why Nintendo products use it and others don’t. For example, the Sega Genesis didn’t use a cross D-Pad, but the Dreamcast did. I assume Sega paid some sort of licensing agreement for the Dreamcast (which is odd) .
So, everybody hates the “disc” D-Pad that the Xbox 360 controller uses. And video game hardware is such a low-margin segment of the industry to begin with, so licensing the patent from Nintendo is out of the question. So they come up with this brilliant rotating disc thing that lets you use a “traditional” D-Pad without infringing on the Nintendo patent. Major Nelson confirmed in his online YouTube video that Microsoft has this “hybrid” D-Pad patented, so don’t expect others to use it.
Say what you will about the state of patents in the tech industry, but this new controller is a pretty hip way to get around the Nintendo patent.
While the new controller is getting pretty good marks across the board – it’s worth noting that we find the recoloring of the A, B, X and Y buttons odd. While the off-grey looks awesome – it’s weird for them to abandon the familiar colors, especially since games often reference them on screen with just the colors.
At any rate, the new controller is coming this November for $64 in the US and in 2011 for Europe and the rest of the world.
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I could be wrong, that that pic looks suspiciously like a b&w photo with the green added. I wouldn’t be suprised to see it with regular colored buttons.
It’s an obvious photoshop job. The only differences with the new controller are a shiner chrome guide button, and the new D-Pad.
The Silver Halo Reach controllers’ buttons are still colored.
I’d argue that the disc shape isn’t inherently bad. Ever used a Saturn pad or, heck, even the original Xbox S controller? Both used discs, and both had outstanding d-pads (yes, even for fighting games).
The problems with the 360 d-pad go deeper (quite literally) than the shape. It’s the underlying mechanics that make it inaccurate and unresponsive. If they had just copied the controller S d-pad 1:1, no-one would be complaining.
You think the ‘disc’ is the issue?! Well you’re wrong. The ‘disc’ was never an issue and if that is the only thing changed, than this revised controller does not solve the dpad problem.
I recently took apart my xbox Controller S and 360 controllers, and what I discovered is that with the exception of a revised top disc mold, they’re identical. The pivoting mold, which presses upon the rubber contact pad is virtually identical. They’re the same height, the only difference is color and a 2nd point to prevent the pad from rotating.
The PCB, however, was a different story and this is where I believe the problems we all have stems from. The Controller S has a traditional segmented contact point, and the 360 controller has an inter weaved contact point.
Both should be fine, except the dpad mold was designed to allow contact over a wider area, as a result, it has these two thin teeth, which run parallel and on the outsides of the contact points.
In other words, the weight is pressed over a small strike point and the interleaved contact point cannot get a strong signal because of this.
This explains why after making a disc to rest between the dpad and the rubber pad greatly improved the response and feel of the 360s dpad.
(I took the unfinished coaster/spacer from a pack of Amazon Basics DVD+R DL media and turned it into a disc, then shoved it between the two. Now the pad is amazing, thou very loud. Next step would be to try it with the teeth grinded down and a spacer of identical factory height.)
Actually, Nintendo’s d-pad patent has expired in the US, not sure about other countries however.
Controllers are high margin. Cost for assembly are somewhere around $15 (from foxconn).
Additionally, as another person pointed out, the Nintendo design patent expired long ago. It is not protected by patent.
Sorry chaps. Watch Major Nelson’s YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz6aTTKE6hE
The A, B, X, Y buttons are clearly now grey.
thanks for this; as I always wondered why other consoles didn’t use the D-pad +; and instead always used the crappy disc d pad style lol… nintendo is very wise to have patented the + style d pad