Revolution/PS3/Xenon: Should Wireless Controllers be standard?
 

Simple enough question.

Since the advent of the Wavebird, wired gaming has become tedious. It is such a brilliant piece of hardware I think wireless controllers should come standard in the next generation of systems. I detest Live for this reason. To use the headset I have to use a wired controller or put out $80 for a wireless headset. B'ah. With bluetooth and all the wireless technology out there wires are so passe. Bring on the cordless freedom!

Anyone else?

Edited to add: I think next gen wireless should come with a docking station and be rechargable, ala iPods, digital cameras, cell phones, GBA's and whatnot. Buying batteries, even rechargables blows.

The first option. Sure it'd bring the price up somewhat but would be a great addition.

I'd love them packed in. If I'm trying to decide between a GC game and a PS2/X-box game and everythings pretty equal, I buy the GC game just due to the Wavebird.

Cords are a pain the ass.

I rather have a controller with a decent button layout.

I don't have a Game Cube (and now that Revolution will be backwards compatible I'll just stockpile on price-dropped must have titles and wait for that console) but have played a few games on it. I don't get it. What do some people have against the button layout? I'm a PS2 man myself and have had no problems picking up NGC controller and just playing as if nothing had changed.

If a developer actually designs for the Gamecube controller, I think it is a brilliant layout and the best I've used. Nintendo's own efforts play perfectly and everything flows so smoothly. However, too many third party devs. do a quick adapt, which isn't always bad but for some games can make for less than perfect control.

As for the poll, wireless should be the industry standard from now on, assuming Sony and Microsoft can match Nintendo's design: light weight, long battery life and never any problems with the connection. While the Wavebird lacks rumble, I usually turn the feature off any how, so I don' t mind. Some may though, so the next gen will need to deal with that.

I have found wireless to be even more important in the last year. My son has been crawling, and now walking, and cords are a big temptation for him. Wireless means no in interruption for me from him or general traffic, and controllers are easier to store so he can not use them as toys ... yet.

Some people are just slow and can't handle a different layout then they are used to. Personally I find the GC controller very intuitive for most games. The only games I find that the design works against it is in some sports games, but generally the layout is quite intuitive.

I do think wireless should be standard, I don't know about rechargible though, I'd hate to have to throw away a controller because the built in battery is dead. I don't see any company using replacable lith-ions in their controllers that 5 year old kids could take out and put in the toliet...

Doesn't all new GC's ship with wavebird now? There is at least one bundle that does anyway, if thats any inclination Nintendo is serious about wireless play.

If wireless controllers are going to come stock when buying a new system then hopefully they can include a button on the controller to turn the system on so you do not have to get up and go turn the system on.

That is something that should have been incorporated years ago, I would say since the psx days at least. Even if it is corded, a way to turn the system off w/o getting up should be a must.

Yes as long as they are quality wireless controllers like the wavebird

I don't have wireless controllers for any of my consoles but I have extension cables for all my controllers because I find the standard cable length just doesn't cut it in my living room. Cable tangle sux, particularly with the extra couple of metres, so bring on wireless as standard, sooner the better.

Currently, I use the Logitech Wireless Precision Controller for XBOX. There's a clear disadvantage of these kind of controllers; You can NOT play online at all. They either fall behind or don't work at all. So unless they can perfect the technology, I'd rather play on XBLive than use a wireless controller.

I would only want wireless standard under 5 conditions:

1) Must have good battery life.
2) Must support rumble feature.
3) Must still allow Xbox Live (etc.) voice chat.
4) Must not interfere with 802.11b/g (i.e. can't be 2.4Ghz).
5) Must not exhibit any significant lag in response time.

I think that is probably a tall order at this point.

Well 2 is pretty much useless at this point in gaming, but the wavebird does all the above except 3 (obviously).

As an owner of 4 wavebirds, I can say that Nintendo has really hit the nail on the head with wireless controllers, it's flawless in terms of response time. I can't imagine playing a 4 player game any other way. Make them standard on all new systems. It makes everything easier and tidier.

Because we all know that controller layout has everything to do with whether nextgen controllers should be wireless -rolleyes-

My point is -rolleyes-....I rather not worry about damn wireless and focus on the button layout. The few sport games on GC sucked due to the controller. Xbox had a controller that was the size of a small baby....

I don't mind cable, but it would be a nice plus as long as it doesn't make anything more expensive. I'd rather seem them continue selling it for more to those who want it instead of forcing everyone to get it since it doesn't directly effect any games. I prefer sitting close to the TV so I don't see any use except it'd be a little less messy.

how about instead of wireless controllers standard, having built in retractable cords on the controllers themselves? Seems like a decent compromise.

That's cool! For me it's the mess with the cord that sucks. I don't seat across the room to play a game....I like to be in front of the TV.

How is rumble useless? Just because the GC+Wavebirds you have don't support it (probably for battery life), doesn't make it useless. As for voice support, broadband and online gaming is central to the Xbox, unlike the GC which hardly uses the network adapter accessory. Xbox Live is going to be an even bigger part of Xbox Next (or whatever its final name will be), so I don't think wireless standard controllers are a good idea for it unless they include voice capability (while maintaining the other requirements I listed, of course). Of course, the same won't necessarily hold true for Nintendo's offering, which will probably still be targeted at a different market than the Xbox.

I think they all should included packed in wireless controllers, but I doubt they actually will.

Just today I was booting up RE4 but decided not to play it because I didn't feel like messing around with the cords for the controller since I lack a Wavebird. So I turned my Xbox on and played it with my wireless Logitech controller.

I like the retractable cord idea! But wireless would be cool if it were rechargable. So that way I could not only lose all my tv and radio remotes in the sofa cushions, but my gamepads as well :lol:.

I don't mind cords,so i voted for option #3.Because i wouldn't want them packed in standard since it would raise the price of the console,but they should be available to those who prefer them.

I hope they become standard for all the upcoming systems. I also hope that we still have the option to use wired controllers. One: for backwards compatibility, and Two: because player 3 and 4 don't need expensive wireless controllers. :p

Eh, I wouldn't want them standard... although I'd probably buy wireless controllers anyway, I don't mind a wired controller being packed in. I do think that all first party companies should endorse or come out with their own wireless, though.

I love my Wavebirds, but the shoulder buttons are definitely much different than those on other controllers. and though I love my Logitechs, the shoulder buttons are definitely a problem (on Halo 2 they throw grenades too easily, and try making a freethrow in ESPN NBA with them compared to a wired controller)

If in the future you have a huge lan party, will there really be enough wireless channels available for all your controllers (not to mention your phones, wireless internet, etc.?) I think the limit for the Logitechs are two per system, though I could be wrong.

Xbox Live. Nobody has shown me that they can make a good, wireless headset that doesn't cost 500 bucks. If the Logitech one has vastly improved from the first one that many people complained about, please let me know. What about other peripherals, like a guncon?