Dr Shaneman wrote...
I think I'd have to try it first.
okay, lets make this a class.
For the sake of argument I will use the terms "Action Side" "Movement Side" as well as primary, secondary and tertiary buttons.
Action side is the right half of the controller, containing the action related buttons and input devices - X O /\ and [].
Movement Side is the left half of the Controller, containing movement oriented input devices - Left Stick and the D-Pad.
Primary buttons are the devices the game is meant to be played 90% of the time. our thumbs are meant to be here, ths is your comfort zone for the Movement side its usually the Left Stich and for the Action Side its either the right Stick in First Person Games and the XO/[] for Action oriented games or platformers
Secondary buttons are used often but are slightly outside the comfort zone. Those are usually the D-Pad and the other thing on the action side.
Tertiary buttons are only utility and deal with things like pause an menu. those are usually a bit further from the comfort zone. those are the Start and select button.
now lets look at the touchpad. Its not really a touchpad since you dont see what you are pointng at. so you'd just randomly poke and swipe it for effect. nothing that cant be mapped onto an analogue stick. So lets call it Swipepad. the only function would be poking and swiping. even in a game there is not a lot of room for that. Using a fingerprint scanner, Slide to Unlock, flicking something away.
so the actual ingame use is fairly limited
Now take the Swipepad and its position. this thing is not only further away from the comfort zone than the tertiay buttons, its use is also fairly limited.
if the Swipepad is meant to be used with the thumb, its a bit lower than the tertiary button, but if its meant to be used with the index finger, it is worse. the game would force you to abandon any of the two sides for an action, leaving you out in the open