The Future Of Handhelds
One of the persistent problems affecting the longevity of handheld systems is the inability to change the control input design, since the “controller” is permanently bonded to the system. A year or two after launch the software has outgrown the original offerings in most areas, but the gameplay is the same because the controls can’t change, a situation invariably addressed by launching a new system with a revamped control input, often years before the hardware of the old system is actually obsolete.
Take the PSP for example - new software for the system shows that the Sony handheld’s hardware is capable of doing pretty much what a PS2 can do, but the limitations of the single ( pseudo ) analog stick make the many genres involving 3D play only possible with a significant degradation to control, seriously compromising the gameplay experience. A new PSP incorporating a dual analog scheme isn’t an option either, since this betrays the already existing install base of the platform - so what’s the answer?
In a radical, think-outside-the-box solution designed by Wishbane Labs, why not just make the control inputs separate from the main system - you could call it, oh, I don’t know, how about a “controller”? The main system incorporating all of the hardware would “snap in” to the controller, allowing you to swap out the outdated controller just like a real console, at a huge savings ( to you & the hardware manufacturer ) over committing to a new system prematurely. Not to mention that your handheld would no longer be rendered unplayable due to the inevitable wear & tear the buttons & directional pads always suffer.
The next time you’re struggling with the clumsy 3D controls on your PSP first person shooter, or fruitlessly hitting that shoulder button on your DS which used to execute crop gathering, just remember - it doesn’t have to be like this.
Happy Marios.
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Amen brother