Glockstar
10-19-2005, 09:54 PM
First off...
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/651/651988/tgs-2005-our-love-affair-with-the-xbox-360-controller-20050918005748647-000.jpg
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/651/651988/tgs-2005-our-love-affair-with-the-xbox-360-controller-20050918005821490-001.jpg
And here's what a couple of IGN reviewers had to say about the controller, after getting their hands on it at the Tokyo Game Show last month:
[David] "The beauty of the 360 controller is that it is small and lightweight without feeling cheap. It also posses an excellent layout that puts every button within easy reach of your thumbs. ... The bumpers and face buttons are more substantial than those found on a dual shock and the placement above the triggers conforms to the natural placement of your forefinger. More important than the layout, the 360 controller was never a factor when getting used to a new game. There was no looking down at our hands to figure out what we should be hitting. This is perhaps the controller's biggest asset considering that experiencing the software is ultimately what's important."
[Tal] "The Xbox 360 controller is the best gaming device I've ever touched. ... The hand grips are at the perfect angle for extended play sessions that won't tire out your wrists, and the smooth, white surface fits my hands even better than the S-controller. ... The button placement is perfect, and I can easily reach everything on the controller. You literally have 17 possible buttons within your grasp (A, B, X, Y, RT, LT, RB, LB, R3, L3, start, select, guide, plus the D-pad). That's a whole lot of potential at your fingertips in such a small area. ... The analog triggers that we've all come to love on the S-controller feel just as nice on the 360 controller, and the bumpers directly above the triggers are in the perfect position and don't get in the way in the slightest."
-
Now for the kicker...
By Tim Surette -- GameSpot
Posted Oct 19, 2005 1:02 pm PT
Reports on the Web yesterday shocked gamers when it was revealed that some common folk already had their hands on an Xbox 360 controller. What's more, these controllers were purchased from regular retailers--no sneaking into media events and no nepotism necessary.
A controller for a system that pretty much doesn't exist yet--as the Xbox 360 will be available on November 22 in North America--would seem to be nothing more than a pretty package of buttons and wires. Turns out this "stick" is a cross-platform peripheral, which works on both the console and the PC.
"For the first time, gamers can simply unplug their controller from their Xbox 360 system and plug it in to their Windows XP-based PC," said Chris Donahue, director of the Windows gaming and graphics team at Microsoft. "This is a great breakthrough for the gaming industry, as we make it easier for developers to create multiplatform titles."
The Xbox 360 Controller for Windows from Microsoft is now available in stores for $39.99. To use the controller with a PC, users need only install a driver, which comes included in the box or can be downloaded from the Windows Update and Microsoft Hardware sites. However, it will be able to plug directly in to the 360 with no installation.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6136117.html?
IGN got one, and already put it thru the ringer; here's some excerpts from their experience:
October 19, 2005 - Oh joyous day. The Xbox 360 controller is unleashed by Microsoft, catching many consumers off their guard. Is this the same controller that players can use for their Xbox 360's? According to Microsoft's press release this morning, it is. In a fevered rush we here at IGN managed to grab an X360 controller from a Best Buy near our office for $44.99. Initially overjoyed, we rushed outside with the red and clear plastic packaging held high over our heads while bellowing various obscenities at the elderly and a few small children. Several minutes, purse thrashings, and flying pacifiers later, we came to the sobering realization that even though we had the X360 controller, we still couldn't play the games. Damn.
What we did do upon arriving back at the office was take tons of out-of-focus digital pictures. Yes, I suck with a digital camera. The evidence is obvious. Still, the following pictures give a fuzzy impression of what the outside packaging and contents look like, and how we tested the controller in a few different ways.
First photographed was the outer packaging. This was perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the controller, since it wasn't covered in Xbox 360 labels and slick next generation graphics. Instead, it was packaged to resemble something you might buy at an office supply store. Picture in your head the packaging for a new stapler or electric pencil sharpener and you might get a good idea of what to expect.
...
We then tested the controller for it's compatibility with our PC and we're happy to report no problems. ... After initially plugging in the controller and installing the drivers we went through the process of calibrating the right joystick, the trigger buttons, and the D-Pad (there didn't seem to be a calibration for the left stick). Initially this made the left stick seem to control improperly, making menu navigation in Worms 4 difficult. However, upon uninstalling and reinstalling the controller and setting everything to default, the controller worked perfectly, so it was most likely us that screwed something up the first time.
Click here to read the whole shtick... and see the blurry pics...
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/659/659804p1.html
Wow.
It has begun. :D
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/651/651988/tgs-2005-our-love-affair-with-the-xbox-360-controller-20050918005748647-000.jpg
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/651/651988/tgs-2005-our-love-affair-with-the-xbox-360-controller-20050918005821490-001.jpg
And here's what a couple of IGN reviewers had to say about the controller, after getting their hands on it at the Tokyo Game Show last month:
[David] "The beauty of the 360 controller is that it is small and lightweight without feeling cheap. It also posses an excellent layout that puts every button within easy reach of your thumbs. ... The bumpers and face buttons are more substantial than those found on a dual shock and the placement above the triggers conforms to the natural placement of your forefinger. More important than the layout, the 360 controller was never a factor when getting used to a new game. There was no looking down at our hands to figure out what we should be hitting. This is perhaps the controller's biggest asset considering that experiencing the software is ultimately what's important."
[Tal] "The Xbox 360 controller is the best gaming device I've ever touched. ... The hand grips are at the perfect angle for extended play sessions that won't tire out your wrists, and the smooth, white surface fits my hands even better than the S-controller. ... The button placement is perfect, and I can easily reach everything on the controller. You literally have 17 possible buttons within your grasp (A, B, X, Y, RT, LT, RB, LB, R3, L3, start, select, guide, plus the D-pad). That's a whole lot of potential at your fingertips in such a small area. ... The analog triggers that we've all come to love on the S-controller feel just as nice on the 360 controller, and the bumpers directly above the triggers are in the perfect position and don't get in the way in the slightest."
-
Now for the kicker...
By Tim Surette -- GameSpot
Posted Oct 19, 2005 1:02 pm PT
Reports on the Web yesterday shocked gamers when it was revealed that some common folk already had their hands on an Xbox 360 controller. What's more, these controllers were purchased from regular retailers--no sneaking into media events and no nepotism necessary.
A controller for a system that pretty much doesn't exist yet--as the Xbox 360 will be available on November 22 in North America--would seem to be nothing more than a pretty package of buttons and wires. Turns out this "stick" is a cross-platform peripheral, which works on both the console and the PC.
"For the first time, gamers can simply unplug their controller from their Xbox 360 system and plug it in to their Windows XP-based PC," said Chris Donahue, director of the Windows gaming and graphics team at Microsoft. "This is a great breakthrough for the gaming industry, as we make it easier for developers to create multiplatform titles."
The Xbox 360 Controller for Windows from Microsoft is now available in stores for $39.99. To use the controller with a PC, users need only install a driver, which comes included in the box or can be downloaded from the Windows Update and Microsoft Hardware sites. However, it will be able to plug directly in to the 360 with no installation.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6136117.html?
IGN got one, and already put it thru the ringer; here's some excerpts from their experience:
October 19, 2005 - Oh joyous day. The Xbox 360 controller is unleashed by Microsoft, catching many consumers off their guard. Is this the same controller that players can use for their Xbox 360's? According to Microsoft's press release this morning, it is. In a fevered rush we here at IGN managed to grab an X360 controller from a Best Buy near our office for $44.99. Initially overjoyed, we rushed outside with the red and clear plastic packaging held high over our heads while bellowing various obscenities at the elderly and a few small children. Several minutes, purse thrashings, and flying pacifiers later, we came to the sobering realization that even though we had the X360 controller, we still couldn't play the games. Damn.
What we did do upon arriving back at the office was take tons of out-of-focus digital pictures. Yes, I suck with a digital camera. The evidence is obvious. Still, the following pictures give a fuzzy impression of what the outside packaging and contents look like, and how we tested the controller in a few different ways.
First photographed was the outer packaging. This was perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the controller, since it wasn't covered in Xbox 360 labels and slick next generation graphics. Instead, it was packaged to resemble something you might buy at an office supply store. Picture in your head the packaging for a new stapler or electric pencil sharpener and you might get a good idea of what to expect.
...
We then tested the controller for it's compatibility with our PC and we're happy to report no problems. ... After initially plugging in the controller and installing the drivers we went through the process of calibrating the right joystick, the trigger buttons, and the D-Pad (there didn't seem to be a calibration for the left stick). Initially this made the left stick seem to control improperly, making menu navigation in Worms 4 difficult. However, upon uninstalling and reinstalling the controller and setting everything to default, the controller worked perfectly, so it was most likely us that screwed something up the first time.
Click here to read the whole shtick... and see the blurry pics...
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/659/659804p1.html
Wow.
It has begun. :D