Topic: Wii U Gamepad Redesign

[broodwars]

Broodwars how are you pressing the L and R buttons? When I discovered pressing them on the sides instead of the top I had a much easier time.

As I have become accustomed to on other controllers (including the Pro Controller), I press the L & R buttons at the top.

How does that happen?

Easily. It's just like you would hold any other controller: your hands gripped around the wings with your index fingers curved over the shoulder buttons, your left thumb on the left stick, and your right thumb hovering over the face buttons or right stick (as the situation requires).

[Oblivion]

But your index fingers press the triggers on the top of the controller? I just have trouble picturing that.

[broodwars]

But your index fingers press the triggers on the top of the controller? I just have trouble picturing that.

The L & R buttons are at the top of the Gamepad along the curve between the top & the side. That's where I press them because that's the only place you can press them. I don't know what's confusing about that.  Was something lost in translation there?

[Ceric]

Pics or none of this has happened

[broodwars]

Pics or none of this has happened :

Fine. This is as best a set of pictures as I could take with my phone while balancing the GamePad one-handed, so my fingers aren't quite where they usually are (but it's close enough).

[BranDonk Kong]

Yeah, I'm not a very big fan of the shoulder button layout on the Wii U Gamepad. L2 and R2 are too far away from L1 and R1 (or LZ and RZ or whatever Nintendo calls them).

[Caterkiller]

I just press L and R on the side instead of the top. It curves nice enough to feel a comfortable buttom press.

[NWR_insanolord]

All my time with FIFA 13 has gotten me to adapt to having my fingers on all four shoulder buttons at once, and now I have no problem with it at all. This seems like something you can get used to over time.

[broodwars]

All my time with FIFA 13 has gotten me to adapt to having my fingers on all four shoulder buttons at once, and now I have no problem with it at all. This seems like something you can get used to over time.

Maybe, but there's just something really awkward about pressing the LZ & RZ triggers with my middle fingers, especially with the way those triggers press in and the distance between the two sets of triggers.  It's easier to just use the Pro Controller, which uses a different type of trigger that's easier to press (either by flipping my Index fingers between them or using my middle fingers).

[NWR_insanolord]

I thought it was awkward at first too, but I got used to it. And I might use the Pro controller in some cases, but FIFA makes really excellent use of the GamePad screen that I'd never consider it, even though it's an option.

[BranDonk Kong]

I imagine you can get used to it, but I think it's a pretty bad design. You shouldn't have to get used to it...seems a like a case of form over function.

[Ceric]

Wait... Its common that people don't cover all four of the trigger buttons?  That just seems ... awkward.

[broodwars]

Wait... Its common that people don't cover all four of the trigger buttons?  That just seems ... awkward.

Yeah, unless I'm playing a shooter that uses them for something other than grenades, I generally prefer to rest my middle fingers wrapped around the wings of a standard controller until needed.

[Ceric]

Gamepad

3DS


PS3



Wii




GameCube


Genesis

SNES

NES Max


My Son took the pictures and chose the Locals.  I didn't do the 360 Controller because it be a pain to unplug.  I also didn't find one of my Classic Controls to hold as well.

[azeke]

Most games take into account that many (if not most) only use one finger for both shoulder button and triggers.

I don't remember any game where you had to press both at the same time.

PS1 (and PS2?) controllers felt like you're supposed to hold them with finger on all four shoulder buttons, but Xbox/PS3 even CC are easier to use with just one finger switching between shoulder and trigger.

Gamepad

Speaking of. I love how you can hold wiimote and nunchuck in any hand depending on your dominant hand.

[Ceric]

It is actually a very nice design point.

[Mop it up]

I'd like a redesign with some handles, and maybe make it a little smaller.

[ThePerm]

i like the design




i also like how you can fit a psp into the screen

[Kytim89]

I kind of wish that Nintendo had allowed for the front cover and the screen to be replaceable.

[lolmonade]

Overall, I actually like the gamepad, and wouldn't want them to make any drastic changes to it that would make the original seem obsolete.  Not knowing what kind of space limitations Nintendo had when designing it, if I would want any changes, i'd prefer the following:
 
 

• It seems like there's a lot of extra space on the outside of the gamepad.  Cutting out all of that empty space and having the buttons/sticks a bit closer to the actual screen would probably make it a tighter fit in my hands.
• Compared to a Vita or iPad, the Wii U gamepad's plastic feels a little cheap, like there's hollow space inside the gamepad.  If they were to make the gamepad a bit more compact around the screen, i'd like to see a more dense material used to give it a little more feeling of weight and durability to it.
• Longer battery life.  I don't have the opportunity to binge game anymore, but even on my limited time budget, my Wii U gamepad seems like it's constantly running on empty.
• This may just be a personal preference, but i'd like the power button on the right-hand side of the gamepad instead of at the bottom. 
• The buttons feel a little soft to me.  I'd prefer them to have a bit more clicky-ness when I press them.

 

[Ceric]

lolmonade: You open the back and you can see the empty space where they were going to put a bigger battery.  Which I'm pretty sure they didn't do because of weight.  I hope they release the beefier battery here for those of use who wouldn't mind the extra weight.

[Kytim89]

Honestly, with the reveal of the 2DS and the Vita TV Nintendo might very well reveal either a Gamepad revision this holiday season, or sometime early next year. I am actually looking forward to a smaller handheld about the size of a Vita that Nintendo markets for about $99.99 at retail.

[Spak-Spang]

Or a redesign that is slightly smaller, cheaper to make that will allow Nintendo to sell the controllers for around $79.99 for a new controller.  Hopefully more like $69.99.

[ThePerm]

Nintendo ought to have the second gamepad have some improvements over the original. It makes sense to give it wifi ability, maybe some processing power. My ouya was only 99 dollars. One could only imagine what Nintendo could make for that price in the next 2 years.

[Mop it up]

I don't think an extra GamePad would sell at $100 especially since there will be so few games that use two. It needs to be priced as $80 to have a chance, but $70 or $60 would be better. The only way it could be $100 is if it sold with a game that has a two-GamePad multiplayer mode.

Preferably, the extra GamePad they sell should be smaller and more ergonomic, since the current GamePad is a monstrosity in all the wrong ways.