August 31st 2010 4:01 pm PT

Finally, a stock XBox 360 controller that I can play SSFIV and other fighting games.

I haven’t bought an extra controller since I upgraded to the slim so perfect when that time comes.

Cool stuff.

But $65, what the hell.

was so excited until I saw the price… This should be sold alone and given with new consoles. I don’t need another play and charge kit.

Wow waste of time, honestly if you’re that pissed about the d-pad buy a joystick or stop gaming lol. Rather see a price reduction on controllers lol.

Very nice implementation. Looking forward to testing the feel of it!

Um, yeah…. $65 is WAY too much for this. Sorry Major – no sale. I can make this mod on my own.

Ahh, I see. You got the negative news out of the way early in the week to deliver good news for the rest of the week, including a special announcement at PAX?

Not sure why it isn’t in the coming soon reach console.

Won’t be in need of new controllers for a couple of years

Chances are I won’t be buying one of these, but man… I have to admit it looks pretty.

I kinda liked the colors on the buttons… why get rid of em? The d-pad change is amazing though.

I really need a new play & charge kit (since you can’t buy the batteries separately anymore) so I might wait and pick this up instead.

Yuck, the buttons look bad, should’ve kept the colours.

Neat! But why only with a play and charge kit? I don’t need another cable, or more batteries for that matter.

New d-pad = cool. Concave analog sticks = cool. Silver/gray color = cool. New “grayscale” A,B,X,Y buttons = meh

awesome controller. yeah, the price is a bit much, but the original controller was $50 when it first came out. so figure $50 + play and charge ($20), for $64, that’s $6 off, not bad. if i have some spare change laying around this holiday, i’ll probably pick it up.

I already have 4 controllers, so I’m not the target market. But, I’m surprised about the gray buttons. Quite a few games use on-screen colors to indicate which button to press.

And, yes, “ZaZeeMan” I expect that this announcement is timed to help push the bad news off of page 1. Larry is quite good at that marketing stuff.

It’s cool that they have done this but, this is quite annoying. why didn’t you put this into the slim 250gb 360??? im not buying another controller not after i’ve spent £200 for a new console!!!

Well my controller has gotten alot of use so I think it’s time I get myself a new one. I’m glad I didn’t buy the black one that comes with the slim and now I can get this one when it goes on sale.

This price fits in perfectly with the price of a new Xbox Live subcription. Both things I will no longer be picking up this year…

I don’t know if it’s just me but there’s no audio in your video major

Looks sweet. I put off buying fighting games for the 360 cause I heard D pad complaints, but now this appears to be a great solution. Just in time for the next Mortal Kombat : )

The changing of the colors on the buttons is just horrendous and makes no sense. All current games put the colors in when they illustrate what button does what. What about people who learn the controller buttons based on the colors like perhaps small children who can’t read? This change makes no sense at all. Seems like the engineers had some idle time when they came up with that one.

Yeah, it’s time to say farewell to the 360 and hello to exclusive PC gaming! First, they raise the price of Xbox LIVE, then just two days later they are telling us if we want this new controller, it’s ONLY available with a play n charge kit for 65 dollars.

WTF MS?

First, why….WHY are you making this controller only available with a play n charge kit?

Second…this just PROVES that the LIVE price increase and controller pricing is nothing but for GREED!

So tired of this greed crap.

I’m going to PC gaming exclusively!

I hope the d-pad actually feels different and not only looks different.
If the engineers spent time with NES and SNES controllers to copy the feel of those, then great.

You guys should bundle it with a copy of LIMBO! Perfect match

I can tell you what I think already. I’m glad that they finally did this, as the current is atrocious to play on. However I’ll probably never play with the controller. $65 is just way too much to pay for it. If it was $40 I would at least consider it, but the fact of the matter is that it costs more money than a game and I would rather play more games than gather more hardware.

5 Years everyone waited for a decent D-Pad and now weeks after the launch of the 360S it comes as a stand alone Joypad. You guys a really good on losing all the credits you earned with the 360 in my eyes.

Was the problem with the D-pad really that it wasn’t flat enough/raised enough? My problem has always been that because it’s a solid piece sometimes a left press registers as up, or right registers as down, etc. This looks no different that the old one.

And what about the cheap sticks that loosen up and no longer center after a month of use? They fix those too?

The d-pad looks really great. However, I think it would be better to keep the colors of the face buttons, since many games use color-coding for a different things (power-ups, etc.). Also, I don’t think this controller looks good in “grayscale”. I also don’t like the smooth analog sticks, the prevoius version was more user-friendly and looked better, too.

Ultimately what I hope is that Microsoft will eventually put this new d-pad into every Xbox 360 controller out there. It’s about time to say the least. It’s a neat little improvement, definitely worth it, but you have to keep the sticks and colors as they were in my opinion.

gray buttons are a bad idea. especially when you guys are trying this big casual push. when a non gamer is playing it is much easier to say the red or blue button instead of the B or X buttons.

just saying.

Argh! Such torment. I would have been all over this if it was the Halo Reach or Fable 3 controller… why release such a great new design right when you have two collector’s edition controller on the market? I already have 4 controllers… I don’t need 7!

Looks great, but seriously it should have come with the Slim that a lot of people (myself included) just bought.

Like the new d-pad (at least the thought behind; will need to see how it feels). Changing the colors of the buttons is a mistake though and serves no real purpose. Also, I thought the new color for Xbox 360 was black. Why is the controller white again? Don’t tell me there will be a white version of the slim.

Just open it up and put the original coloured ABXY buttons in from an old, busted controller. The gray ones look, as others put it, kinda meh.
TBH, I’ve grown tired of using batteries or the battery packs as they drain too quickly. Instead I just keep the cable in my controller 24/7. When I pick up a new controller, it’ll be a wired one, so this controller wasn’t meant for me anyway.

The raising is unnecessary. Just increase the space around the d-pad. The problem is that the d-pad hits the sides of the well when you press it in a direction.

The original Xbox had a fantastic d-pad. The current design is intolerable even for menus. I know many people who preordered FF13 on the PS3 (before the technical issues were known) simply because of how horrible it would be to spend 60 hours choosing commands from menus with the 360′s awful d-pad.

Totally understand the price, as it does come with the Play N’ Charge kit, but c’mon! Why couldn’t the new Halo controllers be fixed for this?! I’m getting 2 new controllers with my new Halo: Reach 360, and now you’re going to drop this bombshell on me? Well, I’m sorry to say, but you aren’t getting any of my money by doing that.

Should have shipped with the 360 S, $65 for a controller, I’ll pass.

Good questions….I’ll have answers that we’ll go over on this weeks Podcast at PAX.

The price is for the Play and Charge kit which comes WITH the controller.

BAH! I’m happy enough with the standard wired controller. It works better than any Play and Charge kit.

Why didn’t they make the Halo Reach controller like this?!?!?!

a) Gray A,B,X,Y buttons make no sense
b) Why isn’t this bundled with the Xbox 360 S and the Halo Reach Xbox 360 S?
c) $65 is … … lol.

why a twist, why patent it? why not just have the dpad raised from the start? seems like a lot of R&D time wasted there

LOL @ the Nerd Ragers. Keep on raging, then ask your mom for more money. Kthxbai.

You took your time!
Anyway, not sure if want. I’d say colour the buttons in again but otherwise it seems sound.

Sure hope this new d-pad has been tested with fighting games such as Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. If makes pulling of moves as straightforward as it should be, then it’s a must buy for me.

I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.. awesome..

Umm no thanks MS il stick with my Street Fighter IV Fightpads for DPAD use. They are cheaper and much better.

I would have pre-ordered if it weren’t for the Xbox Live Subscription increases… What’s the point in buying a new controller if I’m buying all of my games on the PS3?

Give me a reason to keep my Gold subscription and I’ll consider it. I share the sentiments that the new controller should have come with my new 250 GB S console.

Taking away the button colors is probably the stupidest thing that could be done. As others said, with the huge casual push that’s coming up, I don’t understand the thought behind it. “Core” gamers know where the buttons are, and what is what. But if my sister, little cousins, friend’s little siblings, etc., are playing Xbox with us and see a button on the screen, they will occasionally look down at their hands to see what is going on. Color is integral here. Nothing will match up from the screen to the player’s hands. If a green button pops up on screen, you expect to have a green colored button on your controller. Now there is a green A on the screen, and a colorless A on the controller. It makes no sense.
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In short, I have no idea what’s been going through Microsoft’s collective head this year.

“Good news, everyone! We’ve reinvented the D-Pad! Bad news, you must buy it in a buy it in a bundle.”

That’s a little backwards, honestly. The worst idea I’ve seen is the monochrome face buttons; I thought everyone moved on from the “make everything silver and shiny, or close to it” fad.

Thankfully, I have a broken 360 controller, so I’m popping this guy open when I get it and putting the colored buttons back in. You know, the way it should be.

The lack of colour buttons kills this for me.
I hope controllers shipped with consoles are keeping the colour buttons – I hate it when games do not use colour button symbols (its more difficult to navigate), which would become norm once the controller has no corresponding colours.
Then again this is probably aimed at fighting game enthusiasts and fighting games already use their own buttons.

Major Nelson, is there any chance you can help spread the word that there are those of us out there with big hands who’ve been waiting/hoping for a bigger controller?

I’ve already bought my son a MadKatz minicon, because he’s just a toddler. My wife games on a standard 360 controller, which she loves. I also game on a 360 controller, but it feels a bit like we’ve got a controller that’s just right for baby bear, just right for mama bear, and a bit too small for my hands.

Personally, I thought the size of the original Xbox controller was good, and I’d love to see 360 controllers available in sizes S, M and L. (I mean, it makes sense that young children, teens, women and men all game on the 360, so a range of sizes would make sense for all those different sized hands!)

I hope this comment gets through to you, and if there’s any chance of (or any news of) a larger controller being made available, please let us know! (Personally, I’d love a large, wired 360 controller using the same design as the current one, maybe 10% bigger in all dimension.)

I’m confused, why do I have to twist and pop-up the D-pad? Can’t it just be normal (fixed) to begin with?

Wired version please.

The color change is for this controller only. We’re not removing the color from the buttons on other controllers.

Looks nice but I think you should leave the coloured face buttons in. Many games even colour code the prompts on screen to go with them.

The d-pad is still going to hit the sides, you needed to widen the housing it sits in. And it’s poorly positioned. Anyone considering this for fighting games should get a MadCatz Fightpad instead, you can actually buy one of those on their own and don’t cost anywhere near what this will.

@TBizzle4Shizzle
“In short, I have no idea what’s been going through Microsoft’s collective head this year.”

You can add XBLA games prices and “1200 is the new 800″ to that list. (see Comic Jumper and the whole Summer of Arcade)
Oh, and the new Xbox Live Gold price in the US and other countries.

And still, we read fanboys who will defend anything made by MS.

ok, which idiot decided to drop the color coded buttons. So many games actually refer to the color in so many places, and I always instruct my wife to press the blue button, etc…

Typical Microsoft M.O., fix something users have been complaining about for years, but only make it available in one format as an extra add-on and try to pass it off as a value.

I can’t wait until I start reading forum posts about this “revolutionary” d-pad when it starts to twist off and break.

It’s a + ok, but if it’s still as wobbly like the other one that doesn’t change anything.

@Major
I think we get that this is a special controller and will be the only one to feature the colorless buttons, but what honestly was the rationale for it? Did you guys have playtesters who gave feedback something to the effect of, “You know what would make this even better and easier to play? Making the buttons different colors from what they are on the screen. The green A, the blue X, the yellow Y, and red B are all too easy to remember. I think I would have more fun if you made them grayscale instead so that what the game is telling me to push is different than what’s in my hands.”

Pretty cool but not digging the color schemes of the buttons and bumpers.
I liked that they were different colors, made it easier for little kids to play or understand.
And the bumper’s colors look horrible.

But I may buy it

wow, Microsoft just triee to nickel and dime their fans. They release the same controller w/ improved D-pad? IMO its a total waste.
Microsoft is getting plain ol GREEDY now.

wait, what? Major Nelson is NOT a fictional person?

I learn something new every day..

Anyway, I already got a custom controller for my fighting game and SHMUP needs

This kinda seems like NASA spending however much money to develop a pen that works in space, when Russian cosmonauts just used pencils!

Why not just release a pad with a traditional D-Pad that actually works? Surely if you want a raised cross on your D-Pad, you would want it raised all the time… so why develop one that changes with a twist?? More moveable parts means more likely to break!

I agree with what everyone has said about the colour buttons too… I think metallic colours would have looked awesome with the silver pad (which does look good, except for the buttons).

non coloured buttons is bad idea, because nearly all interfaces in games use the colours to say what button does what, they should have kept the text coloured or something.

Will the controller be in the Microsoft booth at PAX for people to try out?

@PRIMETIME3
I don’t see the problem with releasing a new controller. I mean, what is a company supposed to do? Recall all controllers and ship out ones with improved D-pads for free even though the old style still works? No. Consumers have to go to the store and by them if they want the upgrade. Sony did the same thing when they came out with DualShock3 controllers. Sure, everyone who had the original PS3 controllers were kinda screwed, but if you want the newer features, you go and buy one. But the issue here is not just that they are adding a new D-pad. If they changed the D-pad and that was it, no color scheme change, not having it limited to coming with a Play and Charge kit, it would be awesome. People would be happy. But all of this other redesign is upsetting.

Sigh. As it’s been said before, why was this not included with the redesigned 360? If that’s not stupid enough, I have to buy a play and charge kit which I don’t need to get one. Just another disappointment. I’m a one console per generation guy and will stick with the 360 this gen. (too much invested already) Next generation I will definitely think hard and long about the competition’s offering due to MS’s shenanigan’s. A couple of years ago the thought of not buying a next gen xbox would have never crossed my mind.

Also, as far as getting our questions answered, I’m not gonna hold my breath. You’ve promised before and hardly ever deliver. I understand though. I’m sure the big dog’s in the company don’t want the talking head PR guy discussing the controversial issues.

Actually what you “heard from the community” is that the current D-Pad DOESN’T WORK! I’m hoping this is more than just a “design style update” and instead a full-on rebuild for accuracy and reliability.
Why you got rid of the button colors…that does not make any sense to me.

Looks good

Just why couldn’t this have been included with the New 360? I spend tons of money on XBOX already, how much money does Microsoft need to make? It doesn’t make sense not to do that.

I’m sorry that I’m just constantly posting here, but the grayscale choice still baffles me. Think about it in terms of the guitar controllers for Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Those games rely so much on the player matching colors, and that’s how the player learns. At this point, I could probably play a guitar with 5 grayscale buttons no problem at all, but if that were the case when the guitar / band game genre was still new, I probably would have stopped playing. How are you supposed to press the green button if there is no green? People look down at their hands to see what is going on more often than you realize, especially younger or more casual players. I’m still trying to wrap my head around why this design choice was made.
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And as others have already said, it looks like the D-pad really hasn’t improved from what the actual problem is. No matter how high the buttons are raised, if it’s still on a swivel, it’s still going to suck. That remains to be seen though, and I could be wrong.

Really no reason to only bundle with Play and Charge kit other than to force people to spend more money. M$ is not looking good this week.

hehe
no just no

“The color change is for this controller only. We’re not removing the color from the buttons on other controllers.”

Glad to hear that.

No thanks. WAY too little, and about 4 years too late.

You guys are batting a thousand this week. Do you even realize that the gaming community is sitting back and laughing at you right now?

Thumb up for the improved D-Pad (finally…), but thumb down for the grayscale buttons.
Colors are too characteristic, a lot of games walk you through with colored buttons. Now how you are supposed to quickly tell a newbie what button to hit? You have to look down for a letter while a color can be seen from the corner of your eye.
It’s much easier to yell, “hit the green button!” than “hit the button with the letter A on it”

So there is a new Play & Charge Kit? Which won’t work with old controllers? The new Xbox can’t use the old HDD. Why Microsoft?

(Answer is probably for us to buy everything all over again).

To all the non-gamers complaining about colored buttons

Please leave xbox because you must truly suck if you need to look at the buttons to play.

Custom controller design with improved D-pad? Great idea and long needed.

Change of colors on the buttons? When you let the ID guys win the battle bad stuff happens. The colors are deeply embedded in the Xbox experience so getting rid of them breaks that flow.

Overpriced peripheral with unnecessary components? That’s the MS way. I’d be happy if the finally sell rechargeable batteries without the sync & charge.

@VENOM MADNESS
Did you bother to actually read any of the responses? Like I said, if I were planning on getting this controllers, which I am certainly not, the lack of colors wouldn’t affect me at all. I know what I’m doing. But Microsoft is pushing the casual stuff hard. New gamers, kids, casual gamers… you know, that huge group that MS is going after… look down at their hands a lot when they are playing. I have siblings who do it. When I got my original Xbox, I memorized the colors of the buttons weeks before memorizing the letters.
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But that’s okay. I see that you’ve got Pro as your gamer zone setting. You’re more hardcore than the rest of us.

@Venom Madness: it’s not a problem for us. It is “obvious” we exactly know where A, B, X, Y buttons are without looking.
It’s a problem for the non-gamers, newbies, and those can’t yet read (4-5 years old).
So what? Why removing colors? It’s a nonsense and inconsistent with the past and with those games that empathize button colors instead of letters.

I really like the grayscale buttons!

@Goon360 – From page 1
LOL that would be wicked!!!!!

Really like the dpad improvement but I don’t think I can get over the price. Much too high.

I like it but will it come with a regular battery pack backing?

And everybody gets one free?

I wish you guys would of mentioned this during E3. I would of bought this instead of the new 360S black controller.

looks nice but they must stand a test before there are beather as other joypads droppt for many years.
the d pad wasnt good for fighting games.
i think it look not realy beather.
i hope for an test.

$65 == too expensive
Play-n-charge == sucks
Rotating D-Pad == cute, but useless
Monochrome buttons == really bad idea

I think I’ll pass

Changing the DPad finally is great but i dont this this is any kinda of real improvement. The mechanism inside the controller that handles the inputs is whats wrong with the dpad. This is still the same exact dpad inside and is still going to wrongly detect the inputs. Also i have to say it, the gray ABXY buttons are very ugly and will actually confuse people, I think it makes the controller look cheap. The joysticks seem like they might be a real improvement in making them keep grip longer. But the dpad is the main focus here and i think its done really wrong.

A dpad where each side feels like a separate buttons is the best way to do it. People’s complaint with the dpad is that you can easily push down when you wanna push left. This change wont fix that. The Grat button just look bad. Hoepfully your team reads this and understands why the dpad is hated in the first place.

Can we get a wired version? I know they’re not as popular but I can’t stand having my wireless stuff crap out during an online match, for that reason alone I will used a wired controller until the day I die. Make it happen Major!

Make a black version with the colored buttons, and I’m in. Otherwise, no. Just no.

This should have been included with the 360 Slim. not happy

TBizzle4Shizzle

It’s one controller, get over it. I also think you’re not giving enough credit to young kids. They’re smarter than you think. The comment about me be “pro” is pretty lame. Who even thinks about that? I just want to play with people that can kind of keep up.

Gray buttons! WHY? Thanks for making “quicktime events” more difficult. If they are the same internally at least that’s an easy mod to fix. MS, “Hey guys we finally FIXED the D-PAD!” Gamer community, “Hurray!” MS sheepishly adds, “We broke the skittle buttons though. We needed to hobble it so it’s actually not a better product.” GC unsurprised, “BOO!”
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Forced bundling with the play-n-charge to make it $65? Good thing I already have 4 P’N'Ces and the damn “quick charger” to boot. With the subscription increase this is another slap in our faces, buy us dinner first next time.
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At least I found out in time to cancel my Halo Reach Edition 250″s” console pre-order… I certainly don’t want to pay a premium for two “dated” controllers in the bundle.

Only took you guys nearly 5 years to realize what a piece of garbage your original d-pad was. No problem, though. I made a ton of money locally upgrading them for people in a process that only took about 20 minutes.

Is this “Hose Xbox Users” week? I just got the new 360 a month ago and *now* they’re gonna release a controller with an improved D-pad after 5 years of people complaining? Why was this thing not bundled with the new system?

Anyone who owns a 360 at this point already has a Play and Charge kit or doesn’t want one. Forcing an extra $15 accessory you don’t need down your throat is only going to piss people off even more. Especially when lots of first time 360 owners probably just shelled out over $100 for extra controllers with their 360 S. At the very least this should have been announced alongside the new system. Is it too much to ask to have some respect for your customers?

Between this and “Let’s Raise the Price of Live for No Reason” it’s a crappy week to be an Xbox owner. Can we get some good news like, “First-party titles will be $50 going forward”?

I’m not a fan of the color scheme or the fact that it’s only available with the Play-and-Charge Kit, but I’m glad Microsoft is finally doing something about that D-pad of theirs.

The D-Pad looks very good, but why change the colors of the buttons? When I’m playing something with my 4-year-old daughter I say “press the green button” and not “press the A button”.

Oh what a coincidence… lets NOT release this with the new consoles, let’s release it a few months after they come out to get more money out of people… is this controller really a game a changer…?

lol are you serious?

gaming is becoming a joke.

if anything all the newer accessories should be lower in price considering us who bought the xbox when it came out were stuck with a small harddrive which they knew wouldnt nearly be enough and has made them countless $ on people having to upgrade or buy a newer console.

gaming is supposed to be a hobby not a pocket breaker

Meh I think I’ll wait for the Razer Onza.

Better D-pad? Win. Big win.
Lack of space around the D-pad suggesting it won’t actually work, and is still on a swivel? Big lose.
No coloured buttons? Lose. Big lose.
Nice colour scheme otherwise? Small win.
Not included with the new Xbox? Silly.
Bundled with unnecessary play and charge kit? Insane.

Not good overall.

I welcome a change to the D-Pad, but is it going to be more “clicky” (and less clunky) than before? My major gripe with the existing one is that it’s hard to tell when you’re making contact with any particular direction, so you end up mashing unnecessarily hard just to register a hit.

Too bad the problem with the original d-pad wasn’t just the shape. I think the original one is only a 4 way d-pad not an 8 way which has been the standard for a few decades now. Have the engineers done anything to improve the guts of this thing?

I’m not sure if the new d-pad is an improvement. It looks like it might be just a gimmick that doesn’t solve the problem. My problem with the current d-pad is that it is inaccurate because it’s all one button. Even if you raise up-down-left-right, the problem may still exists, because the plus is still all one piece. (If you push left but you don’t push it straight on, you may still end up going down or up.) And games that use the d-pad for 8-directional input don’t get any benefit from this at all. (I’m not even sure whether this d-pad will still allow 8-directional input.)

Now maybe when it’s a plus it only physically allows 4-directional input and when it’s a disk it allows 8-directional input. If the plus configuration physical prevents more than one direction from being pressed at a time, that would help with the accuracy problem, but only for games that use just 4-directional input.

My xbox controllers already have concave sticks. (The ps3 controller sticks are convex. Sometimes I think this improves control. Not sure.)

But are these sticks actually improved in any way? I prefer the PS3 sticks. They seem to provide more even resistance throughout their range of motion. Then again, that might be because my xbox controller is worn out and loose from extended use. Whatever the reason, my xbox controller sticks provide jumpy control and they often get stuck going one way or another during gameplay and I have to re-center them manually. Hopefully these sticks hold up better.

I don’t mind having a controller option without the 4 color buttons. It does allow for a better looking controller. (I do see how it could make things a little harder for new gamers.)

I agree with the complaint about selling this only with the play and charge kit. That’s just not right. Tell me that it works with batteries and also with the current play-and-charge cable. They should definitely make this controller available by itself at a more reasonable price.

Oh man, you got to love Microsoft…sigh

The d-pad looks great, really great…all the rest, not so much, it just shows how money hunger Microsoft is and how little they care for the fans, it´s sad really.
Not only is it selling at $64.99 (it´s a fricking controller, not the cure for cancer, it´s only available with the PLAY & CHARGE KIT!!
So, you need to sell the kit…..
Overpriced and with limited appeal….great job, another one from Microsoft…sigh, what happened to you guys?
Do you want any help getting back on track?
How many morons do you think there is in the world…….too many, i know, and that´s your bread and butter

I’m not sure if the new d-pad is an improvement. It looks like it might be just a gimmick that doesn’t solve the problem. My problem with the current d-pad is that it is inaccurate because it’s all one button. Even if you raise up-down-left-right, the problem may still exists, because the plus is still all one piece. (If you push left but you don’t push it straight on, you may still end up going down or up.) And games that use the d-pad for 8-directional input don’t get any benefit from this at all. (I’m not even sure whether this d-pad will still allow 8-directional input.)

Now maybe when it’s a plus it only physically allows 4-directional input and when it’s a disk it allows 8-directional input. If the plus configuration physical prevents more than one direction from being pressed at a time, that would help with the accuracy problem, but only for games that use just 4-directional input.

My xbox controllers already have concave sticks. (The ps3 controller sticks are convex. Sometimes I think this improves control. Not sure.)

But are these sticks actually improved in any way? I prefer the PS3 sticks. They seem to provide more even resistance throughout their range of motion. Then again, that might be because my xbox controller is worn out and loose from extended use. Whatever the reason, my xbox controller sticks provide jumpy control and they often get stuck going one way or another during gameplay and I have to re-center them manually. Hopefully these sticks hold up better.

I don’t mind having a controller option without the 4 color buttons. It does allow for a better looking controller. (I do see how it could make things a little harder for new gamers.)

I agree with the complaint about selling this only with the play and charge kit. That’s just not right. Tell me that it works with batteries and also with the current play-and-charge cable. They should definitely make this controller available by itself at a more reasonable price.

(Sorry for the double post but I’m trying to adjust for the removal of the lines between paragraphs. Trying 2 lines between paragraphs this time.)

Great news, but the buttons? meh…

Guessing from the notepad this might be where you record your show. I always wanted to see the process of how you guys film your podcast. Pictures, videos, etc…

Guessing from the notepad this might be where you record your show. I always wanted to see the process of how you guys film your podcast. Pictures, videos, etc…

I guess blank lines get removed.
*
So you have to do something…
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like this.

@Licantropo: Major wrote in the comment section, that the button colour stuff is exclusive to this controller.
I guess thats a win-win situation. As mentioned above “we” already know where is each colour – “we” do not look at the controller while playing. And the grey design is somewhat cool.

I’m not sure if the new d-pad is an improvement. It looks like it might be just a gimmick that doesn’t solve the problem. My problem with the current d-pad is that it is inaccurate because it’s all one button. Even if you raise up-down-left-right, the problem may still exists, because the plus is still all one piece. (If you push left but you don’t push it straight on, you may still end up going down or up.) And games that use the d-pad for 8-directional input don’t get any benefit from this at all. (I’m not even sure whether this d-pad will still allow 8-directional input.)
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Now maybe when it’s a plus it only physically allows 4-directional input and when it’s a disk it allows 8-directional input. If the plus configuration physical prevents more than one direction from being pressed at a time, that would help with the accuracy problem, but only for games that use just 4-directional input.
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My xbox controllers already have concave sticks. (The ps3 controller sticks are convex. Sometimes I think this improves control. Not sure.)
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But are these sticks actually improved in any way? I prefer the PS3 sticks. They seem to provide more even resistance throughout their range of motion. Then again, that might be because my xbox controller is worn out and loose from extended use. Whatever the reason, my xbox controller sticks provide jumpy control and they often get stuck going one way or another during gameplay and I have to re-center them manually. Hopefully these sticks hold up better.
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I don’t mind having a controller option without the 4 color buttons. It does allow for a better looking controller. (I do see how it could make things a little harder for new gamers.)
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I agree with the complaint about selling this only with the play and charge kit. That’s just not right. Tell me that it works with batteries and also with the current play-and-charge cable. They should definitely make this controller available by itself at a more reasonable price.
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(Sorry for the triple post. It would be nice if blank lines in comments were displayed and we could delete our own comments.)

I would consider this if the buttons weren’t gray. I think the controller looks a lot better with the abxy buttons a specified color.

Only on the Play & Charge kit. Lame.

Microsoft is on a lame roll lately with their price increases and crappy product improvements.

I like the controller, i feel that all controllers should come with a play and charge kit or the patented Microsoft way of putting batteries into either slot and not worrying about positive/negative charges.

D-Pad i don’t think anyone uses much, but i do like the improvements in it. I don’t really like removing colors from the standard buttons.

Need this in black to keep up the color scheme.

If the rechargeable battery is Li-ion and they release a version with a colour-scheme I like, I will buy a bundle. For that much money.

The only thing that would make this controller more awesome would be to have replaced the green leds with white ones.

This is a recall issue for me…
My Xbox joystick has a useless d-pad!
Tsc tsc tsc MS…

I like it. I will definitely be picking one up, but not right away. Is this a limited run, or will I be able to buy one in six months when I need a new controller?

Also wanted to point out that the youtube video has mono sound on channel R only… not sure if that was intentional given the color tone of the controller

Looks cool but I already invested in the Hori Controllers for fighting games.

you guys are just now hearing about the crappy d-pads you’ve been pumping out since launch?
this should have came out years ago, lol

Is Microsoft becoming out of touch with its fan base? Man, you guys are getting more and more like the current US Gov.

A new D-Pad that you knew was junk from the start and it took how long to come up with a new plan? Then you make a fancy one with grey button and decide to sell it ONLY as a bundle with the charge kit. WTH?? Again, who is the genius in your marketing??

You must be over stock on charge kits as they aren’t selling. So to pawn them off, you make a new controller and supply the charge kit with it to try and cover profits and dwindle charge kit supplies that are in your warehouses. Sell it at $5 cheaper than if you were to buy a controller separate with the kit. Granted you can buy a wireless controller for $35 than the suggested $50.

Why wouldn’t you sell this alone?

You know what you need on your LIVE service? A feedback tab and have weekly surveys. Better yet, get your top execs to do an Undercover Boss and show them how out of touch they are with society.

Only picking one of these up, if my current controllers break. After yesterday’s news about subscription pricing increases, I didn’t think they would follow it up with another higher priced and a not really needed item.
oh well..

So how do you keep it from rotating when something like the Street Fighter fireball motion is used?

down+dn-rt+right = rotation.

If the super-smart engineers didn’t think of this one, they all deserve to be fired…

Anybody who buys this over a Razer Onza when they drop is a total moron. Unless they really need a new wireless controller.

Wow..it only took five years to fix the horrible D-pad. And you grey out the buttons so gameplay is now more confusing to casual users, oh and it’s only available with a play and charge kit.

The analog stick have always been concave too.

Your D-pad has always been garbage. This “fix” is a little late. And way to make it so we have to buy it with a charge kit. Awesome, just awesome. If you guys want to know how to make a good controller, look no further than Sony’s PS3. Your analog sticks are trash compared to theirs too, concave or not. I have bought 1 PS3 controller for the 2 years I have owned a PS3. I can’t count the number of controllers I have had to buy for my xbox over the years without getting violently ill. Merch it separately and price it accordingly and I will buy it, until then take your “updates” and shove em up your ass Microsoft.

I still can’t believe it took you THIS long to fix your d-pad. And, seeing as though I haven’t used it yet, I say the word “fixed” with a little reluctance.

Seems like a lot of sleeping dogs woke up with the post about the higher xbox live subscription costs, heh…

People, it’s only a controller, you are in no way obligated to buy it and you can still opt to buy the classic one. No need to complain: Don’t like it? Don’t buy it. Problem solved.

Well now isn’t this a surprise… NOT! Leave it to Microscrew to FINALLY fix a known D-Pad issue, yet ask for you to become a little more poorer in the process. GET A CLUE MICROCRAP, I SHOULN’T HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR YOUR SORRY MISTAKES, oh wait… I should expect it now after you trained me to pay for all your other crap! :^|

Its the MS way.. Force crap on you that you dont need or want with stuff you want to buy then up the price and say its because of the stuff you dont want… I am sure most of us own a play and charge kit already yet MS forces you to pay for a nother if you want the new controller.. FU MS…

Also, why are the ones complaining the most the shooter fanatics, aka the ones that need the improved d-pad the least? You really love to complain, don’t you?

It’s the Micro$uck way… Instead of including something useful as a rechargeable battery for you know a WIRE-LESS controller, they offer the charge cable that is useless without that rechargeable battery. Micro$uck wants you to then go out and buy another battery… Hell, those rechargeable Micro$uck batteries have a crappy lifespan & don’t keep a charge so you keep needing to buy more. Micro$uck, can you ever do anything right?

Looks nice, might pick one up when it’s not a bundle. I own 3 play and charge kits since launch and they never worked correctly. Always gotta keep them plugged in.

Oh, and this will be bundled with all new systems going forward after its launch…right? RIGHT?

Poor Major, taking all the flak

Mike is an idiot

Sony controllers are good if you have small girl hands like dlord

Bundled only with a play and charge kit? Unnecissary. And how could this possibly interest veterans of the 360? I have 4 controllers already, what reason do you possibly give me to “upgrade” when I could get a full priced game and then some?

Hey everyone and especially Major Nelson, here are my thoughts on this. They will have some things already said.
Wow… it’s hard to say if this if worth it.
I never needed the buttons to be color coded, but some people rely on it. That was a bad move that very easy to fix. For some reason, I don’t think Microsoft will. Every so often a game has been released that shows the button to push only by color. This removes these instructions and tutorials completely.
In addition, as others have said, there are new gamers and even young gamers that go by the color, not the letter designation of the buttons.
The overall case design of using multiple colors seems off to me. I just don’t see a point to it, but it’s only cosmetic.
The updated D-Pad unfortunately is long over due. Really, this has been the one thing bringing the controller down. And if it’s twisting the pad that either raises or lowers it, what to prevent accidental changes? As stated, there are fighting games where you need to get in constant range of motion inputs that might change the level.
Also how much more, if at all, accurate is the D-Pad? If when the circle is lowered it keeps the pad from being easily moved and pressing side buttons, then this could be a big win.
Unfortunately, I think most people will either want, or need to try it out before making an opinion. I for one won’t even consider getting one without testing the D-Pad out because of these possible issues.
Finally, why is it only available as a bundle? That just seems like a real rip-off to people who already have the solutions to using batteries. Weather they are using AA Rechargeables, a play-n-charge kit, the quick charge kit, or a 3rd party charger most people are already set.
This with no longer selling the battery’s alone simply tells consumers that you are going to raise the price of all wireless controllers, and sell them as a bundle ONLY. This is a real bad way to change marketing things for the XBox because a big part of the XBox was choice and options. It was never an overwhelming amount, but it was a decent amount that was there.
In terms of people who just gt new XBox’s, no company will simply put something like this into the new systems or announce it right away. I know the 360S was just released, but it’s a profit game, and there is profit loss by either releasing the controller at the same time or even announcing it at the same time.

Micro$uck says “Kinect will revolutionize gaming with controller-free play at $150!”

“Oh, by the way, here’s a new $65 controller to add to that great controller-free play.”

Btw, I mant to put in QUALITY rechargeable battery… It’s not really a wireless controller if you have to constantly have the charge cable plugged in… duh!

That button colors is another stupid idea by Micro$uck… You completely break the corresponding colors with the dash colored button images that most 360 games share as well. DUMB, DUMB, DUMB = You are dumb Micro$uck!!!

Poor Major, its been a tough week for announcements lol. I like this, I probably wont buy it, after buying so many 360′s ive got several controllers.

@ Venom Madness

Better than being ugly, and a fan boy. And having this controller made for your gorilla hands.

http://paranerds.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/original_controller.jpg

You raise monthly rates, then you wanna sell us more over priced crap???

i actually like that controller(and i do need one as my Halo controller RB button is knackered),but i would like the colours back for the buttons,they can help me when some fast button combos happen

It only costs Microsoft $5 to make the original 360 controller. I cant imagine this costs much more to make.

Well, I can’t say what I think about the new d-pad since I haven’t tried it yet, but the monochrome buttons are not good! When you’re going through a game and it usually tells you which button to press you are usually able to tell which button it is by color. Now, it’s going to be so is it gray or less gray? Or black? I can’t really tell!

Why did they decide to change the colours of the A,B,X,Y buttons. It does fit well in with the design of the controllers but it fades into. Though I”ve got to says it’s awesome what they have done!

You mean something that should have been working well from the get-go, we must pay 65 extra for?

Wow I just don’t see the justification for that price. First off the D-Pad hasn’t been raised, its simply been recessed. I mean don’t get me wrong its cool and all but just because you change the color of the controller and put a neat little swivel pad on it doesn’t justify the price. FAIL. Get a clue Microsoft were in a recession, and the only industry that’s making any kind of solid cash is the gaming industry. You can realy compare the gaming industry to the comics of Tue depression, they charged a nickel a pop, cheap? Not realy, by the standards of the time. Cmon Microsoft wise up.

1.they should have done this years ago.

2.Its not included with all future xbox 360′s.

3.Its wireless only, why not wired controllers?

4.A mechanical lowering, raising dpad means **** if the internals don’t work, the major problem with the 360 controller dpad wasn’t its dpad surface but the internals of said dpad, and how many electronic registers on the main board, as well as how the internals of the dpad didn’t touch the electronic registers correctly.

5.64.99? what? come on even with a play and charge kit thats just getting silly.

All together too little too late, we will have to see what they’ve done internally to the controller not what they’ve done to the perception that some how making a cross or a disc somehow makes it work better. Something tells me its gonna come out it uses the same old internals. If it does then to hell with that you have the exact same problems as you did before.

I don’t think the feel of the pad was the issue. It was that it bumped into the sides and didn’t register all that well. Mono-grey buttons looks nice, but suck from a UI stand point. All games have GBYR buttons on screen to push. Get rid of the color and it’ll take more than a quick glance at the buttons to figure out which one is which (if you are new to 360) This is not a controller for a newb.

I can’t believe they’re not putting this in the Halo Reach console. For those of us spending $50 on a console you should let us mail in the Reach controllers for these for the cost of shipping and handling. We’re spending $400 on a console and then you release a separate controller that matches the console and is an improvement a very short time later.

Are you guys kidding me?
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The ONLY reason Microsoft (or any “for profit” company) exists is to maximize shareholder value. They are here to make as much money as they can. Yes, Bill Gates is worth Billions, BECAUSE HE IS MUCH SMARTER THAN THE REST OF US.

But he gives away more each day to charity than anyone on this site makes in a year.
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If you don’t want to pay more for live, DON’T.
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If you don’t want to buy this new controller, DON’T
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If you ask me, the marketing guys at MS are geniuses; they know most will keep on paying because we enjoy the service.
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I am 40 with a degree and I play for a few hours at night after the kids are asleep because it helps me relax.
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Will I pay more for live? Yes.
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Will I buy this controller? No because I don’t need a new one.
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All of you need to answer these questions for yourselves and stop complaining because your empty threats about leaving are as likely to happen as my wife telling my boys they won’t be going to Disney this Christmas if they don’t keep their rooms clean.
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And lastly, your threats might seem better if there were not so many typos.

I can’t believe that we have waited over 5 freaking years to get a wireless controller with a D-pad that works and they pull this ignorance and force people to pay extra for batteries they don’t want or need. Thanks for continuing to screw with people with disabilities!!! You may not think carpel tunnel or arthritis is a disability, but it sure is when using the crappy d-pad of the current controller. If you can’t or WON’T sell a usable controller at a fair price, let Nyco or Mad Catz make wireless controllers!

Microsoft sure doesn’t know how to time their announcements… I get the distinct feeling they are try to bury the Xbox live price increase. It’s so upsetting, and worse yet, they really honestly do not care.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick! I can’t wait to pick one of these up. Those analog sticks will greatly assist in all kinds of games. Too bad they didn’t extend them just a hair.

There’s Xbox shoving more crap we don’t need for a higher price in are face. What the hell is rong with you people? I mean it looks cool and all… but do we realy need it to come with a charge and play. ($64.99) Here is my left arm. ($59.99 gold membership) Here is my right arm.
CRAP! out of arms. Cant play.

@WilliamRLBaker:
“4. A mechanical lowering, raising dpad means **** if the internals don’t work, the major problem with the 360 controller dpad wasn’t its dpad surface but the internals of said dpad, and how many electronic registers on the main board, as well as how the internals of the dpad didn’t touch the electronic registers correctly.”
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Bingo. Don’t forget the first year engineering lesson of “the more mechanical parts included in a device, the more points of potential failure that device has”. This tech is actually nothing new. As a kid in the ’80s, I had toys (M*A*S*K, I believe) that had similar functions. Push in and twist, a spring releases, lowers one plastic piece while leaving the original piece in the same, now seemingly elevated, position. The first, biggest, point of failure is the mechanical linkage which supports the twist and the lowering process. If either point fails, the entire d-pad will fail.
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@dive4ever:
Congrats on registering a 0-point silver account to troll. This isn’t JUST about price. This is about the fact that many of us have begged for a better d-pad since THE ORIGINAL XBOX S controller was introduced in 2003. It had the same shoddy d-pad with the same problems, yet they carried the same flawed design into the next generation. The finally “listened” and fixed the issue but it’s been almost a full 7 years since the complaints began. And instead of applying the fix across the board, it’s only going to be available in one controller, in one specific bundle.
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And, last I checked, not too many people were complaining about Microsoft stock. Except, of course, for the failures in the Windows and Office divisions dragging down the company. If Microsoft thinks they can bilk their gaming division userbase to cover up their inadequacies in their Windows and Office divisions, they’re in for a rude awakening.

Grey buttons look stupid, and improvements on the D-pad should have been done years ago.

A very nice idea for the d-pad, but I do not like that the A,B,X,Y buttons are not the standard colors. Could be confusing possibly? Maybe not, I guess we will see.

Before I even think about getting this I am gonna take a real serious look at the Onza and that other controller that lights up real pretty.

Boe2, the clunky d-pad can be annoying on shooters as well. I play mostly Gears of War and swapping weapons is sometimes messed up because of that. A more precise d-pad would be extremely convenient for this purpose.
I notice it says “only be available with the NEW Play & Charge Kit”. Does this mean it’s different from current Play & Charge kits? Anyway, I really hope these become standard and start being packed in with the new 360 S.

About time but I do not need another play and charge kit. I guess I’ll be waiting.

Oh and about the gray buttons, they don’t really bother me much. I’ve played enough so I never have to actually stop and look at the controller anymore. Like it’s been said though, it’s a very strange move considering the industry’s shift towards the casual market. Most core gamers wouldn’t be affected by the lack of colored buttons, but I can definitely see how it could frustrate newer players.

Most guys and gals who would buy such a controller are interested in only one thing, assuming they can afford it. That would be performance. What game can it help me develop a higher score on? If the Major had shown an example on youtube of an ordinary Joe using the old controller, and then the new one, and scoring more points or kills with the new one, that would have been the piece de resistance. Xim360 at least demos their controller, and its precision aiming feature. Maybe the contoured joystick on the new Microsoft controller really is an improvement. Not just the D-pad. As a typical sucker with a low gamerscore, I’ll try anything.

So, why is this upgrade so late? Does it really take 5 years to develop a new d pad?

I might pick it up, might not. Hopefully prices on controllers start dropping, it is seriously killing me to pick up more controllers.

Fantastic. Now the controller looks boring and grey as hell. Also, nobody uses a d-pad for fighting games, and if you do, you’re a scrub. Simple as that.

Looks prett slick!! but is it coming to Aus??

and i dont see the big issue with people complaining about the colour change… imo it looks better, more tame and ‘mature’ compared to the kiddie bright colours, but perhaps thats just a personal taste.

Lol at the price, there is a global recession on you know!

I’ve never had a problem with the dpad, then again I was gaming on nes and snes throughout my youth so its like 2nd nature. I’ll pass on this control not because of price but I can’t stand the look of it. I’m loving the new Tron controller just wish it would come out wireless.

Gray buttons? That’s a horrible idea, seriously you instantly make using this controller a whole heap more difficult for a huge chunk of your users. Dumb with a capital D.

COOL! I like the buttons as long as they are only for this limited edition. Anyone know what the price will be in the UK?

OK, I was thinking..one BIG question for the Microsoft experts! Why wasnt this packed with the new 360 you just launched?

Ugh.. Chrome. I hate Chrome. Wish it was more of a gunmetal colour. If they’re going for a metallic look then they really should have had the ABXY buttons in metallic blue/yellow/red/green.

Then again I don’t really have many games that use the D-Pad enough to justyify buying this controller. If I did (Looking at Mortal Kombat) and the reviews were favourable (i.e. the D-Pad actually works properly and feels like it should) I’d consider getting it if I needed to replace a broken controller.

I think this is a great idea and I can’t wait to give it a try. It’s obviously aimed at Street Fighter fans, so I wonder how the d-pad will compare to the one on the Mad Catz Fightpad. Still, the fact that this one is half Transformer gives it plenty of style points.

Don’t know what everyone is complaining about, I’m sure everyone knows where the buttons are and what each one is and how many times do you actually look down at your pad to see which colour your pressing? They are not holding a gun to your heads to buy this.

@TBizzle4Shizzle you said “if my sister, little cousins, friend’s little siblings, etc., are playing Xbox with us and see a button on the screen, they will occasionally look down at their hands to see what is going on. Color is integral here. Nothing will match up from the screen to the player’s hands. If a green button pops up on screen, you expect to have a green colored button on your controller. Now there is a green A on the screen, and a colorless A on the controller.”
Surely if they don’t know what the colours are in the first place and they see them on screen, they would HAVE to look at the controller anyway to see where it is, colour or not doesn’t make a difference because if someone who don’t know where each button should be then they WILL be looking down for the correct button whether it be a GREEN button or just an A button. If they know where each button is then there is no problem, so I don’t see a problem with this. You even said it yourself, they would be occasionally looking down.

It does sound like a neat idea but I’d prefer if they were wired controllers. I know the majority of gamers have huge TVs and can sit far back enough to make a wire redundant, but I think the Wired pads are much better. They’re more accurate nd relible imo and I’ve never had broblem with them, except the wire becoming damged but that was through careless cleaning up by another. I don’t think the idea of a patented trnsforming D-pad is a great one, it looks good cosmeticall but the main issue was it’s accuracy and if this was addressed in the new design and completly fixed. I’d be glad to atleast see it in action before even thinknig of another play and charge kit.

Alcohol helps me post better lol.

Until it comes out in all black like the Xbox 360 S controller I won’t bother.

Also guys, remember the $65 price tag is recommended. Its unlikely to sell for that in stores.

who ever would pay $65 for a controller has issues…

I like it. The D-Pad had to be fixed – so thank you. Not that concerned about the button color scheme. I am, however, concerned about the price and the bundle. Yikes. I will buy it but not until the price drops and/or it comes without the play and charge kit.

why does it take 3 months to get a 3 pin plug fitted to it? (Release it in the UK at the same time as the US please)

Any comment that Kinect is launching with 3 Languages supported for voice commands?
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http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-01-european-kinect-voice-recognition-disabled-until-spring-2011
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Mainland Europe shafted again

Really nice design, looks really stylish
Who knew that 360-controllers could be chic?
Way to go MS, I like these new designs.

@Elektro Piku on page 2:
They made it a twist mechanism because this way they probably get around Nintendo’s patent of a plus-shaped directional pad (which ran out in 2005 I think?).
And they patented it for probably the same reason.

I just hope, that the form of the pad-”underside” gets more flattened where they press on the board contacts.
With the current pad it seems like the Disc is “balanced” on a round peg, and each direction presses on the contact with a point too slim to keep the pad in this intended direction.

If I press to the right for example, it often happens, that with only slight unintentional movements, I also push the pad “up” slightly, so I get an unwanted up-right direction.

Let’s hope the cross now also has a wider contact point, that requires a bit more force to be “slipped” in diagonal directions.

I don’t play any fighting games or games that make use of the d-pad so I’ve don’t have a problem with the current one. If this improves it then that’s a good thing. Its just too bad that its not being sold by itself as some people might not want to get the play & charge kit or already have it.

bad week for 360

Does everyone else wanna know something else that’s rather frakked? I bet almost any amount of money, that as soon as the suckers that are gonna buy this at 65 dollar do so, MS will then release that OTHER new controller that can be used wired or wirelessly…you all forgot about that one didn’t ya.

And for those that don’t know about it, what makes that upcoming dual powered controller special is that when you attach the wire, your 360 controls are now going thru the wire. It’s not the same as a wireless controller with the play n charge kit, cause with the play n charge kit, when you plug in that cable, the controller is still communicating with the console wirelessly…that cord is simply for charging the battery pack.

So bascially to sum it up…MS is releasing this new d pad controller to dump all of their play n charge kits before they release that other new controller that doesn’t use a play n charge kit to recharge the battery, and can be used wired or wirelessly.

And why am I thinking that upcoming dual powered controller will also have the new d pad design?

Has Sony Marketing taken over business decisions at MS? Cause only Sony can make such stupid business decisions.

$65 dollars ? wow just wow.

this looks great i wish it came in a bundle or something too but cant wait.

Its good that you’re developing new controllers but not sure why you got rid of the coloured buttons. That would really put me off buying this.

Looks cool! I’d have to try one first before I bought one.

Man I can’t wait for this to come out. Definitely a must buy for me.

Knowing me, though, I’d be fiddling with the d-pad constantly.

D-pad goes up, d-pad goes down. D-pad goes up, d-pad goes down. D-pad goes up, d-pad goes down.

$65 is way overpriced, but that is the list price of the current controller+play and charge kit, but those can be found for ~$40 most of the time.
It was time that they fixed the d-pad. Not only for fighting games – it is frustrating to try to quick-switch weapons in Fallout 3 assigned to the diagonals.

For fighting games, I got a MadCatz FightPad, which works great. They are $23 in Amazon at the moment, which is a steal – mine was $40 when SFIV came out, and I think it was worth the price.
FWIW, I still think the Xbox 360 controller is the best controller out there for everything else BUT fighting games.

@FloorOgre: Major said that the new controller has other new features so it’s possible that the wired/wireless capability you’re talking about is one of them.

nice stuff Obviously I will Purchase

$65 US is a lot for just a controller and charge kit. I mean you can get the current controller and a 4-pack of rechargeable AAs for less than that.

I also don’t get changing the buttons from colored to grey. I’d say the vast majority of time I’m instructed to press any of the four buttons in a game I recognize it by color, not by the letter. Often the button icon on screen is too small anyway for the letter to be ideally legible, yet the color makes it instantly understood.

With four buttons of grey scale – including two seemingly identical shades – I imagine it will prove to be a practical error even if it’s more aesthetically pleasing.

People, the grey buttons are not that big of a deal. The in-game prompts will continue to be shown in color. Now how many regular players (the ones more likely to pick this up) have to actually look down to the controller whenever a button is displayed on screen? Not many. It will not interfere with the core gamer’s experience in the slightest.

It’s great that the D-pad has been improved, but I really would rather have the ABXY buttons use the traditional colors. Those quicktime events that a lot of games use will be a lot harder when the color of the buttons don’t match what is being displayed on the screen. Also, I would rather not have to buy it along with the Play and Charge kit. My standard rechargeable NiCad batteries work just fine.

I like the look of the controller, except for the buttons. Please replace them with the usual coloured buttons.

Yeah, I recongnize the buttons by colour, so I wont be buying this.

Wow, 210 comments and only 2 from MN. Useless.

What I don’t get (except money) is why MS is still shipping crappy d-pads with their new systems? There have been 3 launches since the original (Arcade/Fixed RRoD, Elite, Slim) and you’ve known since launch day 1 that the D-Pad wasn’t great. It’s been 5 years now, really? You still don’t include it in the new system? Two Thumbs Down!

Great stuff. Pretty sure I’ll buy one of those!

Hm,MS doesn’t get that no one likes spending nearly 3/4 of a hundred dollar bill every time they drop a new toy.
Stuff like this makes me want to go back to PC gaming.

@CptBrassBalls

You ARE dumb

Like they said, it is a controller for Gamers, hardcore people who do not need the happy colours to know what button they’re pressing.
I’m sure they’ll release a version with “normal colours” as well as a stand alone one in a matter of months…

why dont they release this shit in the beginning!?

Looks cool, Major. Very sleek. Black lining, bumpers, and triggers are a nice touch. Though I do admit, buttons are color coded in almost all games I’ve seen. Can definitely be confusing for beginning Xbox players. The D-pad redesign *is* very cool. I can see it being much easier on the thumb there. Thanks! Let’s see it integrated in the standard controller in the future!

Just seems like a really really bad idea to remove the colored buttons. I don’t really care how my controller looks.

One of the things I liked about the 360 was that the buttons were so much easier to remember because of the color than the stupid XO tic tac toe nonsense of the PS3.

And a LOT of games use the colors on screen (including the one I am playing right now).

I wonder if it is possible to take apart an old controller and swap the buttons…

expensive please make it cheaper
or add and extra headset with it or even a chatpad
but the headset if fine

Here’s the problems I have with this decision…

#1. Why did it take Microsoft so long to address this known problem with the horrible D-Pad control?

#2. Is it purely cosmetic (D-Pad change only) or are the internals different… Does it now respond correctly?

#3. If this controller does fix known problems, then why isn’t it included in all future 360 consoles sold?

#4. Why the change in button colors when the 360 dash & it’s games represent a certain color scheme?

#5. Major Nelson talks of a new Play & Charge Kit… Is the battery that it comes with far better than the junk old ones?

#6. Why the controller color change to SILVER… What system does that go with????

#7. Why add crap that many don’t need to increase the price… Does that make sense in a recession?

You kidding me? 65 bucks for a new d-pad? No Sale M$, Not even the Limited halo Reach Controllers cost that much. And this has nothing new except for the d-pad…First M$ hikes up the price for live, now they try to sell us a 65$ controller? Kind of a slap to the customers don’t you think?

I won’t be getting it. ( have no need for it and it’s to expensive ) It doesn’t seem like you guys have fixed the problem with the D-Pad at all though. I don’t mind the color change for the buttons. Everyone complaining about quick-time events and the button colors, do you people honestly look down at your control to see the colors? Haven’t you learned them by now? I can understand the new players having trouble but that’s why this isn’t bundled with the new Xbox-S.

Why do you idiots keep saying it’s too expensive? It’s cheaper than the stand alone controller, when you factor in the charge kit.

Pointless.

I actually like the bright coloured buttons, but if you wanted to make the buttons a more subtle colour then why not make the buttons a light grey or whatever, but still keep the coloured letter under the clear plastic top?

They’ll look more subtle but will still have colours associated with them… everybody wins.

Unlike many, I have no problem that the controller is initially offered with the Play & Charge kit because I know it’ll eventually be released seperately. However, making the buttons grayscale instead of color is just wrong. The games themselves tell you which button to push based on color.

MS, I would seriously love to chat to your marketing department, in the last month alone, your extreme loyal customers have been hit with…
New console:
new controller:
halo console:
call of duty console:
gold subs price increase:
and then the just to funny for words pricing on Kinect..

Answer me just one question, are you people living in the same place as the rest of us, there is a massive world economic problem, and yet you continuously seem to be just increasing or charging ridiculous prices for your products now, and worse still it shows no sign of stopping.

We are currently in a time when everyone is tightening belts, I worry this fall, someone somewhere who has invested a lot of money is going to be extremely disappointed, and I thought I would never say it was going to be Microsoft, but I feel for the first time now Kinect is going to be a massive Failure, not on technology, but on price-point alone.

You have to realize here, there are not just these things coming out as well, your competing with triple A titles across the board, and yet this fall all we see from MS is price increase….oh wait we see weekly arcade price reductions.

Come on MS, it’s time to give your customers something back for there constant loyalty, because for the first time for me…the PS3 is becoming a far more easier choice of console, and I mean that on pricing again.
And no I’m not a fan boy, i’m a UK podcast who for the very first time, is now playing My Ps3 far, more than the 360, and I may add, the move is pre ordered, the Kinect is way, way out of my budget.

It’s as if Microsoft wants us to hate the current revision of Xbox 360, so when then 720 comes in 1-2 years, we’ll look upon it like it’s a savior to our woes of:
* new console that doesn’t take faceplates, and still no user-replacable HDD
* higher Xbox Live costs, when everyone knows costs should be going DOWN as a result of optimization and experience. Did moving up to 64kbps voice really drive up costs?
* a gray controller with gray buttons, same crappy D-pad (only now it’s a “transformer”), and bundling a cheap USB’ish cable at the same price as if you bought controller & cable separately.
* no MGS games on the horizon, save for Halo, Fable, Alan Wake, and Kinect bundleware.
* no increased efforts or detection to get rid of cheating in the top 10 Live games.

This and higher gold memberships = microsoft FAIL

Wow thats an impressive Control, and i wish people would stop complaining about the price increase this means that live will increase in preformance and their should be far less lag

@ThinkDIGGITYDAN I’ll believe it when I experience it.