Okay, alot of people have been speculating ways in which the buttons might dynamically change in order to suit different games (by replacing them with touch-screens and such) I've got a different solution: the end of traditional face buttons altogether. A control method that has no bias for any one particular sort of game.
A controller that is more intuitive and more functional that Gamecube's. A controller that will make your mother want to play revolution just as much as you do.
And here it is. My Revolution controller design.
Left controller. Right controller. ANd, the (unlikely but cool)
Revolution immersion helmetTry to ignore the fact that I can't draw.
HISTORY
This is the third or fourth version of the same basic design. I drew this one after seeing don't hate's design: I liked his so much a stole from it a bit. In particular, I added a d-pad and a c-stick, which weren't in any of my previous designs, and also stopped trying to make both controllers usable for both hands.
Those changes aside, I think I came up with the design more-or-less independently. Back when I came up with my very first design, people were still theorizing that the controller would just be a gamecube controller with gyration, or a single handle with gyration. This didn't make much sense to me: I thought it would be really awkward to move a controller around and, say, push buttons and move an anolog stick with the same hand. So I split the controller in two: one hand controlling the analog stick and buttons, and the other controlling gyration.
The main problem was figuring out how one hand could have that much control. It hit me: give each finger a button. In my original design, one hand held a stick with four buttons along the back, an anolog stick under the thumb, and a start button centered under that. And the other hand wore a gyration glove. The design slowly got better and more plausible after that.
FEATURES
move your character and perform actions with one hand. Experience finely-tuned motion control with the other: depending on the game, you might be able to swing swords, aim guns, or even tilt the entire playing field
left input:
-one analog stick that doubles as a button
-one d-pad
-start button
- four finger buttons to replace GameCube's 4 face buttons. Finger buttons are better than regular face buttons because: 1)there's no bias for or against any particular kind of game, 2) button combos are much easier. Because of that, the 4 buttons can essentially function as 15.
right input:
-one analog stick that doubles as a button.
-fire button under the thumb; alt fire button under the index finger. These buttons are specifically designed for supporting the gyration control. For example: if you are controlling a sword with your right hand, you might push the fire button to do a jab.
-touch sensitive panel for the rest of the right hand's fingers. This panel senses when your hand is gripping the controller. If you release your grip, most games will stop registering your hand's movements (essentially so you can scratch your nose without swinging your sword).
Revolution immersion helmet: headphones that allow you to hear noise from the tv; 3d-glasses; and microphone.
output (not pictured):
-button-specific rumble. Because each finger has it's own button, each finger can have it's own specific feedback. In-game tutorials could tell you which button to push directly without a beginner having to search the controller for that specific button.
-built in lighting. For the buttons that aren't always under a finger (start button, analog sticks, d-pad) there is a circle around each of them that can pulsate with light. Again, this is so beginners can know instantly where to press without having to search the controller for the right button.
-built-in game-controlled resistance for both analog sticks.
-built in rumble for each hand.
-built-in speakers for each hand.
-built-in hot-cold output for each hand.
-built in air(?) output for each hand. This output allows you to feel, at the very least, something moving forward/backward/up/down across the palm of your hand.
Output from unknown location: (either the left-handed controller or revolution immersion helmet). Blows air directly onto your body.
other features:
-10-15 hours of battery life.
-controllers can be plugged into revolution for easy charging. Can be played while plugged in.
-controllers can be stored in the revolution for maximum portability.
GAMEPLAY
Imagine you're playing metroid. You land on the planet, And the moment you step out of your ship your hands turn cold. You can feel pricks of rain.
You move around with the anolog stick, jump with the index button, and morph ball with the middle button. You move your right arm to look around. You spot an enemy. You scan it with the d-pad first, then you ready your weapon and aim. You hold down the fire button, and you feel your right hand start to warm up and shake. You release, and you feel and hear a powerful blast move down your hand and out into the planet. Your hand cools down.
YOu move into the next area, and can feel the heat as you approach a pool of lava. Suddenly, a monster bursts from the deep. He roars and you can feel his breath on your face. You steady your aim, and press the alt fire button to launch a missile, and can feel it as the monster explodes in front of you.
FEATURES NOT INCLUDED
secondary screen: Already proven useful for a lot of things but: 1) It would make the controller feel too complex. 2) it would be really annoying to have companies force you to constantly look down at the screen in single player games, just to see your health bar or something. Because, if it's there, it WILL be used in every single game.
touch-sensitve buttons: possible; each finger has it's own button. But, it would be annoying not to be able to rest your fingers on the buttons.
button 'rings' that can be pulled as well as pushed: Kind of cool idea, but it would make games way too complex and unintuitive.
8 buttons, 4 per hand; motion sensing in both hands: Again, useful for some things, but otherwise it would be like a giant house with no walls on the inside. Developers (and players) wouldn't know what to do with all that freedom.
all buttons containing the ability to be pushed up, down, left or right, like a d-pad: again, too much complexity.
Even better feedback for right-hand gyration: Even with rumble and everything, the gyro controller is like the DS's touch screen: no feedback. Ideally, there would be something that could stop the gyration controller in mid-air, but I can't think of a realistic way to do that.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
controllers might cause serious hand cramps.
Battery life.
playing cube games might be awkward. Still, backwards compatibility shouldn't be the first priority. You can always (hopefully) plug in a classic cube controller into your revolution.
OKay, yeesh, it's late. This post is too long, and probably unreadable. Sorry.
(edit: spelling and such)