Topic: 3DS Analogue stick/Circle pad

[TJ Spyke]

No one seemed to have a problem with the GB or GBC being the same way, and I don't think they did it on purpose just to release a revised unit.

[Chozo Ghost]

I felt like a huge chump when the SP was revealed.

That's kinda how I felt not long after I bought a DSi and then the 3DS was announced. I had a DS Phat since it launched and I thought I was smart by skipping the DS lite in favor of whatever came next, so I waited and got the DSi and then boom less than a year later the 3DS was announced. The DSi isn't even necessarily better than the DS lite either, since it removes the GBA slot.

Maybe what I need to do now is instead of buying a new handheld every revision or every other revision I should wait until the 3rd one before investing. It seems like Nintendo goes by about three handheld revisions per generation. The GBA had 3 if you count the Micro, and the DS had three, so perhaps the 3DS will have three as well?

[NeoStar9X]

If this is what is needed to make sure 3rd parties develop games for the system then so be it. A redesign that includes it will have to be bigger though as it's already crowded in the 3DS as it is. That means possibilities of a bigger battery and larger screen. It also means they can increase the price of the system. That is if they do a redesign. They might just include this in all 3DS boxes until they can get cost down to do a redesign. Especially if not all games need it. Just use it for games that do.

Not happy that it has come to this. Though don't hate it. I guess I'm really indifferent about the whole thing.

[Chozo Ghost]

What I would like to see happen is the new revision take the current model's $169.99 MSRP, and then the old (current) model can be dropped to $149.99 MSRP. I think that would be the reasonable way to go.

Also, another thing they could do is just start bundling the dual slider addon right in with the current 3DS so every one who buys the 3DS from this point on would have the dual slider thing bundled with it. It won't be integrated into the handheld until the next revision, but Nintendo can start bundling the addon with the systems immediately and get that started....

It would also be nice if they gave a voucher or something to all the people who already purchased a 3DS so they can just get the add on for free. Not that the $10 price is excessive or anything, but lets face it the early adopters deserve to get it for free.

[Drizzt]

Early adopters probably won't get it for free because Nintendo already did the Ambassador program.

[Ian Sane]

I felt like a huge chump when the SP was revealed.

That's kinda how I felt not long after I bought a DSi and then the 3DS was announced. I had a DS Phat since it launched and I thought I was smart by skipping the DS lite in favor of whatever came next, so I waited and got the DSi and then boom less than a year later the 3DS was announced. The DSi isn't even necessarily better than the DS lite either, since it removes the GBA slot.

Maybe what I need to do now is instead of buying a new handheld every revision or every other revision I should wait until the 3rd one before investing. It seems like Nintendo goes by about three handheld revisions per generation. The GBA had 3 if you count the Micro, and the DS had three, so perhaps the 3DS will have three as well?

They do often go with three but I think the second variation is the one to go with.  By the third they start cutting features out to lower costs.  The GB Micro ditched the GBC/GB backwards compatibility and the DSi cut the GBA.

[Mop it up]

This is probably radical thinking, but these days people get too caught up on hardware. It's the games that matter, it's always been that way, and it should still be that way. If a system has the games you want to play, I see no reason to not buy it when you want it. Whether it happens in a month or five years, all gaming systems get replaced, so there's not much point in waiting if you want the games now.

By that same token, it's starting to feel as if Nintendo doesn't understand why the 3DS isn't selling well. There's nothing wrong with the hardware, and whether or not the price was an issue, that is no longer a factor. It's because it doesn't yet have games. And not just any games, but the kind good enough that make people go out and get a system to play them. I believe that will happen this holiday season with things like Mario Kart and Super Mario 3D, and will continue next year with Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion 2. But if Nintendo doesn't realize that, and actually releases a revision soon (or uses the slide pad attachment for more than Monster Hunter 3D), it won't help. Which seems odd to me, because I've always thought they were a software maker first...

[Chozo Ghost]

This is probably radical thinking, but these days people get too caught up on hardware. It's the games that matter, it's always been that way, and it should still be that way. If a system has the games you want to play, I see no reason to not buy it when you want it.

It is all about the games, sure, but ideally you want to play them on a system with the biggest screen and the longest battery life possible. You also want something which is as ergonomic and lightweight as possible and also as durable as possible. The hardware matters because it has an effect on your enjoyment of the software. That is most especially true with handhelds. With consoles it doesn't really matter as much.

[Mop it up]

What I find stupidly funny about this thing is that the camera movement in Monster Hunter Tri isn't even analogue, meaning that it doesn't matter how much or little the stick is tilted, the camera will move at the same speed. It wouldn't function any differently were it mapped to a D-pad or touchscreen, so I don't understand why that wouldn't suffice even if CapCom is insistent on not improving the camera. I wish Nintendo wouldn't bend over backwards to satisfy laziness of a developer, but I guess they're not in a position to refuse.

[Chozo Ghost]

I wish Nintendo wouldn't bend over backwards to satisfy laziness of a developer, but I guess they're not in a position to refuse.

Yeah, I suppose they should have not included any analog at all on the 3DS and then forced developers to struggle to make their 3D games work in an awkward way with just a D-pad just like with SM64 DS.

[Mop it up]

Your point doesn't make sense, because as I explained, the game wouldn't be any different without a second circle pad. I actually think it will make it more awkward, since the bulk of the device makes it more difficult to reach the face buttons and touchscreen.

[Ceric]

Your point doesn't make sense, because as I explained, the game wouldn't be any different without a second circle pad. I actually think it will make it more awkward, since the bulk of the device makes it more difficult to reach the face buttons and touchscreen.

As someone who has used the d-pad (Wiimote controls) and the Second Analog (CCPro) on Tri.  The camera is definitely geared to the d-pad.  Unless they totally revamp the camera I agree this is really a non-issue.

By that same token, it's starting to feel as if Nintendo doesn't understand why the 3DS isn't selling well. There's nothing wrong with the hardware, and whether or not the price was an issue, that is no longer a factor. It's because it doesn't yet have games. And not just any games, but the kind good enough that make people go out and get a system to play them. I believe that will happen this holiday season with things like Mario Kart and Super Mario 3D, and will continue next year with Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion 2. But if Nintendo doesn't realize that, and actually releases a revision soon (or uses the slide pad attachment for more than Monster Hunter 3D), it won't help. Which seems odd to me, because I've always thought they were a software maker first...

Totally agree.  Maybe they should have delayed the system till right now and launched with everything currently out and kept the current time frame as everything else.  We be having a totally different discussion right now in equivalent time, so February of next year.

[MaryJane]

Engadget got some hands on time with new add-on here's what they have to say:

Nintendo may be AWOL on the TGS show floor (as usual), but that's not stopping Capcom from strutting the big-N's hardware in its stead -- we dropped by its booth for a gameplay-free handling of the 3DS extended slide pad add-on. The control-extending cradle is every bit as bulky as it looks, killing any hope we had of cramming the rig into our pocket. The trade-off? It's much more comfortable to hold than the naked 3DS, giving our meaty hands a smooth, contoured surface to grip. The new right-hand circle pad feels just as solid as the handheld's dedicated pad, and didn't significantly obstruct our access to the 3DS' face buttons. All in all, the cradle is a comfortable, if awkwardly large extension to the 3DS that doesn't seem to compromise the handheld's existing input.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/nintendo-3ds-extended-slide-pad-add-on-first-hands-on/

[BlackNMild2k1]

That's what I was hoping for. This attachment will atleast make the 3DS comfortable to hold and use. Since most of my travel play time will be in a car or with a suitcase or bag of some sort, and most of the rest of the playtime will be at home, it shouldn't be too big of a deal to have teh attachment handy, but I really hope they streamline the design down too keep it from doubling the thickness of the 3DS.

[Adrock]

I'm not sure you can necessarily have it both ways. The bulkiness seems to be what makes it comfortable to hold since there's something substantial to grip.

[Ceric]

Keeping the shape is fine in my mind but, I think I'm going to wish it was hollow in the dead space in there to fit bigger batteries.  Though I'll have to have it in my hands to make areal determination.

[Chozo Ghost]

I'm not sure you can necessarily have it both ways. The bulkiness seems to be what makes it comfortable to hold since there's something substantial to grip.

Agreed. Why does anyone want to hold onto a gaming system that is the size, shape, and thickness of a cracker? That's something I don't understand. Everything keeps getting smaller and thinner, but if you ask me the original Gameboy and Gamegear might have been fat and heavy, but they were also the most cuddly and comfortable to use.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Just having a wider grip on the left & right side would improve comfort.

But having a thicker grip would make it more controller like.

So either way would work for me. I guess they should go for maximum comfort though since optimal portability is already out of the question.

[Ceric]

I'm waiting for the one that inflates up when you go to play it.

[ejamer]

I'm not sure you can necessarily have it both ways. The bulkiness seems to be what makes it comfortable to hold since there's something substantial to grip.

Agreed. Why does anyone want to hold onto a gaming system that is the size, shape, and thickness of a cracker? That's something I don't understand. Everything keeps getting smaller and thinner, but if you ask me the original Gameboy and Gamegear might have been fat and heavy, but they were also the most cuddly and comfortable to use.

I understand the appeal of comfort, but battery life and portability are still king for me. I love pocket-sized systems that can be carried inconspicuously, and am grateful when batteries last for more than a couple of hours without needing to be recharged.

[Chozo Ghost]

A handheld can be larger without effecting battery life. A bulky plastic shell consumes no battery energy whatsoever and would make the handheld easier and more comfortable to hold. It would make it less portable and more difficult to fit in your pocket though, so you do have a point there. But assuming it would be a shell thing you could take on or off then you could have best of both worlds.

[NWR_insanolord]

Hell, making a handheld bigger makes it fairly easy to improve battery life. On something like an iPhone, the main obstacle to improving battery life is the lack of space for a physically larger battery. Of course, though, Nintendo could have made a higher capacity battery the same physical size as the one in the 3DS, so I'm not sure it would make any difference if the system were larger.

[ejamer]

A handheld can be larger without effecting battery life. ...

Totally true - I wasn't suggesting that the cradle will affect battery life, just that it would take away from one of the two main factors I care about when picking a handheld system.


It's also true that having a removable cradle is better in some ways that simply having an over-sized system. This way you can choose whether to bring it or not. Now if only they could make it less ugly...
 :

[nickmitch]

I'm waiting for the one that inflates up when you go to play it.

In stead of Monster Hunter, it'll be bundled with one of those anime dating sims.

[Ceric]

I'm waiting for the one that inflates up when you go to play it.

In stead of Monster Hunter, it'll be bundled with one of those anime dating sims.

These are the jokes people.