Topic: New Patent for 3DS (new circle pad revision?)

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/05/nintendo_patents_ornamental_design_for_3ds_circle_pad


I could source the actual patent, but here is the pic

[oohhboy]

A redesigned slide pad for more grip.

The current one has little grip and gets slippery pretty quick. It's one of the oversights the 3DS has along side the grease lines and not going for second pad from the get go.

[Ceric]

I rather have the Grease lines fixed.  Though this is probably a move to the same ones that are used on the uMote for cost savings.

[Ignoramus]

The thing about this news is that nobody really cares about the new circle pad grips, what people are more interested in is what this patent could say about a 3DS revision and how close we are to one.

That blueprint doesn't show two circle pads or anything inherently different than a regular 3DS visually, so maybe this has nothing to do with a new 3DS revision at all. Maybe it will be like the Wii Motion Plus where 3DS's are just shipped with this new circle pad without it costing anything different.

[Pixelated Pixies]

I wonder if this patent might also be applicable to the Wii U tablet controller. I think the circle pad is fine for a handheld (although more grip would be a welcome addition) but I really don't like the idea of a dual circle pad controller for a home console. I'd prefer to have real analogue sticks on the Wii U controller, but if not real ones then perhaps this patent for something between the two might be preferable.

[oohhboy]

This isn't a patent of a device, it's a design on a single subpart of the slide pad, the grip. The 3DS is drawn as a dotted line as it only demonstrates a potential use of the new grip.

There will be a 3DS revision, it's a matter of when. This points to a potential change that might exist in the revision. No one is excited because it's just some rubber grips. If you get excited by this, you might have some issues.

[BlackNMild2k1]

There will be a 3DS revision, it's a matter of when. This points to a potential change that might exist in the revision. No one is excited because it's just some rubber grips. If you get excited by this, you might have some issues [with the current grips].

fixed.

[Chozo Ghost]

This alone wouldn't be enough to justify a complete revision. However, take that and combine it with dual pads and maybe a better camera and a few other tweaks here and there and then you have something.

BTW, isn't the circular ring grip design kinda like that of the N64 controller's stick and on the Gamecube as well?



See what I mean?



And here of course is the Gamecube's analog stick. Again, the same circle ring design.