Show the Waveform Graphs!

This is one of those ideas that's so brain-dead simple, I'm astonished that it hasn't yet happened: All music reviews shall feature a waveform graph.

We've been complaining for years about the Loudness War, the music industry's mad pursuit to crush and destroy popular music in the quest to make everything "louder."  But it can be difficult to educate and inform the public without visual aids, or direct comparisons.  Since I cannot wheel my stereo equipment with me everywhere I go, the waveform graph is the best illustrative tool at our disposal.

I don't believe most people are consciously aware of the Loudness War, but they do intuit that something is terribly wrong with the music, and they have turned away in great numbers.  For me, this process was gradual, beginning at the end of the 1990s and during the turn of the century.  I had assumed that I was simply growing older, and losing interest with new music was a natural extension of that.  All I knew is that nothing sounded good anymore, and music that I had previously loved - now played on "remastered" CDs and MP3s - was being ignored.  When you stop listening to Jimi Hendrix, something is dangerously wrong.

It was only after I re-discovered vinyl records that I came to realize what had happened to the music, and how the music business came to destroy their own product.  Once the story of the Loudness War was told, it made perfect sense, and everything fell into place.

Music reviewers and publications are doing no favors by ignoring the Loudness War and how it affects modern music.  This single gesture - Show the Waveform Graphs - will change hearts and minds among the public, and shame the music industry, more quickly than any other action.  What else can we do?  Knock on the doors of every recording artist and harass them over their brickwalled CDs?

That waveform at the top comes from the 20th Anniversary remaster of Rage Against the Machine's classic debut album. It is a crushed and brickwalled wreck, a lo-fi mess of clipped static that should embarrass everyone involved.  "This is what the kids today want," they say.  Wrong.  "This is what the market wants," they respond.  Wrong.  "Louder music sells," they insist.  Prove it.

Here's my evidence - the music industry sales through 2011, adjusted for inflation.  The CD market has been in decline since the year 2000, and if you're really careful, you'll discover this decline really began in the mid-90s, right when excessive compression and limiting took off.  There are also other factors during this period that are seldom mentioned, like the end of CD singles (forcing you to buy a $15-$20 CD), corporate consolidation of radio and end of music videos, the rise of manufactured starlets and boy bands, the decline of innovative music, or anyone with any real talent.

Internet file-sharing is an issue, this I will not deny.  But I feel this is a red herring, an easy excuse offered by the music industry.  When I was growing up, we all copied and traded cassette tapes, and popular music didn't disintegrate.  Home Taping did not Kill Music, after all.  It was how we discovered new and interesting music, turning us into homebrew sampling and remix artists.  I strongly suspect today's file-sharing fulfills much of the same need.

People love music.  It's the oldest form of human communication, older than spoken language.  We can't get enough of it.  The music business is failing to provide that need, end of story.  I submit that the crushing and sonic destruction of popular music is the primary reason for this collapse.  We need better talented musicians and better sounding songs.  And we, the writers, need to play our part by educating the public, and shaming the industry hacks and clueless artists.

Show the Waveform Graphs.  It's the easiest thing you can do to bring back high fidelity music.

"Project Phoenix" Video Game Controller

Here are my latest notes and sketches for a "Project Phoenix" video game controller that I've been scribbling out lately.  How do you design a better video game controller?  That's a puzzle that I'm interested in solving.

The Playstation/Xbox controller remains the sole standard today, as it has since the turn of the century.  It hails back to an era when video game controllers were adding features, adding buttons, and becoming ever more complicated.  This arms race has resulted in bulky, complex controllers that may appeal to today's "hardcore" gamers, but confuses and frightens the general public.  One of Nintendo's key goals with DS and Wii was to simplify the control scheme, bring video games back to their roots, when players used paddle controllers, joysticks, and NES gamepads.

The "Project Phoenix" controller really isn't meant for modern PS360 titles, like Halo, Call of Duty, or Madden.  It's intended for older, classic video games from previous generations.  Between PC emulation, PC indie games, PSN, Xbox Live, and Wii Virtual Console, there's a great market for a simpler, more accessible joypad.  This is critically important - bulky game controllers scare people away.  You don't need over a dozen buttons to play most video games.

My controller idea sprang, of course, from the "Project Phoenix" system idea, which is essentially a Sega Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast under one roof (and maybe other 8/16-bit systems).  The "Phoenix Controller"

Digital/Analog Control

Here's a short overview of my controller concept.  On the left side, there is one d-pad and one analog thumb stick.  Each of these are interchangeable - you can swap out the d-pad for the analog stick, and vice versa.  You can still reach both pads with your left thumb, so games that require both (e.g. Phantasy Star Online on Dreamcast) are easily playable.  But now you can adapt your controller to your tastes.

Beyond the ABXY Diamond

On the right side, I wanted to shake up the button layout.  We've been using the same ABXY diamond design since the Super Nintendo era, and it's failed to keep pace with ergonomics.  In my experience, it works well for more modern systems, but for Atari, NES and Genesis games, the diamond layout is less than ideal.

Here's my new idea:  Keep the four face buttons, but arrange them in a new way.  On the top, we have a Sega Genesis ABC layout, black buttons, and slightly curved for thumb movement.  On the bottom, we have a single red fire button, just like Atari - perfect for those one-button games.  It may be slightly larger than the other three, like the Genesis six-button controller...we'll see how that goes.

The exact angles of the three-button curve will have to be worked out, but we'll be using the Genesis Arcade Joystick and the Neo-Geo as references.  It shouldn't feel too different from the traditional diamond layout, and when I think of games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, which was built around ABXY, it should work nicely; when playing, I'm holding down the bottom (A) button most of the time.

Home Select Start

Right now, the biggest puzzle for me is what to do with the "utility" buttons on the controller - Home, Select, and Start.  I'm really not a fan of the Home button, and if it were up to me, I'd just throw it into the wood-chipper, along with that second analog thumb stick and second pair of shoulder buttons.  Ugh.  Start and Select buttons are iconic, so they're easy to put together somewhere in the middle of the controller, someplace that's easy to reach, but not crowding everything else.  In my current sketches, I have Start and Select near the top, as smaller, flat buttons that blend in with the frame.

Back Buttons

Shoulder buttons have been a video game standard since the Super NES, and the Playstation really made a mess by introducing a second pair.  Sega had a novel idea with analog triggers on Saturn and Dreamcast, but aside from racing games and first-person shooters, it's not a good idea.  Nowadays, it's just too confusing and too many damn buttons.

The Playstation design is closer to a remote control unit, where hands are flat and parallel, aiming outward.  I think that approach works for a dozen buttons, especially with dual-analog sticks.  Classic video game controllers emphasized a folded-hands posture, where you hold at the sides and bottom corners.  That's the design approach I'm aiming for, and that's why I'm putting the shoulder buttons on the back.  It feels more comfortable when you're folding your hands.  Imagine a pair of buttons on the back side of a Genesis controller.  I'd also like an ergonomic shape, so the "back" buttons fit within the mold, almost invisible.

Also, I'd like these "back" buttons to be long enough to press with two fingers.  It should be easy to use, and I remember the joy of holding the shoulder buttons on F-Zero, trying to tilt the futuristic vehicles on hairpin curves.

Accelerometer

My final idea for my Phoenix Controller is something that should have been standard on Nintendo's Wii Classic Controller - an accelerometer.  It's perfect for those "shake" motions in games like New Super Mario Bros Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns.  In fact, I think adding shaking to a standard joypad would save Donkey Kong's hide.  The controls in that game are atrocious.

It's obvious that no one in the video game industry wants anything to do with motion controls (can't get their fat asses off the couch).  But we could at least have this.  Why aren't there any third-party Wii/Wii U joypads?  That seems like fertile territory to invade.  Who wants a standard joypad to play Super Mario?

Anyway, that's the Phoenix Controller idea for now.  One of these days, I'll need to find a modeling artist, and an engineer with access to 3D printers.  Then we would figure out the circuitry and crunch the numbers, and then start begging rich people for money.  But let's not start dreaming of winning the lottery just yet.

Realistic LAB-420 - A Few More Photos

Since I'm in a turntable mood this weekend (I'm obsessed with getting a new one), I thought I would share a few more photos of the Realistic LAB-420 I purchased four years ago as a family Christmas present.  At the time, I owned a Pro-Ject Debut III, fully decked out.  This was my first introduction to a quality direct drive turntable, and it just swallowed the Pro-Ject up.

Looking back from the year 2012, I've learned a few things about turntables and 1970s direct drives.  I can easily spot the weaknesses in the 420's design: the plastic rear and base of the tonearm, the lack of quartz lock, the mediocre rumble stats (-65dB, ouch), the mostly empty frame, the overuse of switches.  No matter.  This was a really good sounding table, especially with its Audio Technica 440mla.  Santana's Abraxis sounded awesome, as did The White Stripes' Icky Thump.

And, of course, the wood frame looks terrific.  If I had another one today, I'd definitely give it a coat of varnish.  Add some metal polish for the tonearm and you're ready to rock.

I only had this turntable in my possession for a week (before packaging it and a stack of LPs for dear ol' Dad), but it left a deep impression upon me.  It set me in pursuit of Japanese direct drive turntables, and opened up a world of music that was actually affordable.  I really wish Radio Shack was still selling these things, to be honest.  Pair one with an AT 440mla and a '70s stereo receiver, and you'll be one happy camper.

JVC QL-A2 Direct Drive Turntable

This is the JVC QL-A2, which sat at the low-end of their successful (and excellent) line of direct drive turntables.  These guys were one of the major players of the day, and their high-end decks rivaled the best.  Heck, even this model is a good turntable.  The cheap plastic frame benefits greatly from 7-10lbs of modeling clay, which adds weight and solidity to that hollow frame.  And look how cool that platter looks with gold spray paint.  I spray painted the sub-platter and feet on my old Pro-Ject Debut III, and enjoyed putting my unique stamp on my toys.

The QL-A2 features a quartz lock motor, easily the table's best quality (-73dB rumble).  The automatic function is also very nice to have, although the buttons are a bit cheap (the MCS 6700 had the best buttons).  The tonearm is standard '70s fare, not too impressive but it gets the job done.  And despite the fact it's a cheap chunk of plastic, the frame does look stylish and cool.  This is a really good looking turntable.

As I've said, the modeling clay mod boosts the QL-A2 up a notch, and there were times where I enjoyed it more than my Sony PS-X5.  I think this table handled internal resonances better, thanks to that box frame and a ton of Gumby clay.  With some quality feet or cones, it would really be impressive.

Sadly, my table suffered problems with the speed control, and started playing at slower speed.  Perhaps some Deoxit over the speed pots might have helped.  In retrospect, I would have taken this table into the shop for a tuneup.  It would have been worth saving.  Then again, perhaps this model was prone to breakdowns and endless hassles, which would mean throwing good money after bad.  Ah, say la vee.

I would recommend any of the QL-A series, and you can find one fairly cheap.  If you can rewire the tonerm, pack the inside frame, and replace the feet, you'll have something really nice.  If you can score one for $50 and everything works, consider yourself very lucky, score a quality budget phono cart, and enjoy your records..

MCS 6603 Direct Drive Turntable

Back in the day, department store chains would re-brand popular electronics goods, offering their own versions of more expensive, name-brand products.  MCS (Modular Component Systems) was JC Penny's house brand for hi-fi audio products, mostly Technics, but occasionally other brands as well.  I've recently shown photos of the MCS 6700, an excellent turntable based on Technics' SL-1900, and it was one of the better models.  Here is one of the lesser models.

The MCS 6603 is a re-badged Technics SL-D2, one of the cheap, low-entry models from the early 1980s.  I picked up this table for $70 or $80, I can't remember exactly how much.  It was nice to play for a while, and it played a mean Led Zeppelin, but it shortly developed a serious problem with the power cutting out.  Unfortunately, my repair skills were sorely lacking at the time, so after numerous attempts to keep the thing running, it was sent to the closets, and then the garbage bin.  Can't win 'em all.

I'm not a fan of Technics' SL-D2, and while the MCS model has a more stylish frame (retaining the motor, electronics, and tonearm), it's still a cheap plastic turntable.  Packing the insides with 8lbs of modeling clay made a great difference, and if you find yourself with a cheap Japanese direct drive with box frame, I highly recommend the mod.  However, nothing could salvage the needlessly thick and heavy sound, or the crummy feet, or the cheap-o tonearm.

One more note: looking at these photos, I remember that I was using a heavy Sumiko headshell, which threw the tonearm resonance way off.  These low-to-medium mass tonearms require light headshells, especially with the Ortofon 2M phono cartridges.  I really don't know what I was thinking when I bought that thing; "heavier" equaled "better" in my mind at the time.  Ah, well, we all learn.

Prices on vintage turntables are rising across the board, and while the MCS 6603 was once a decent $50 buy, now you'll probably be spending a hundred at least.  That puts this table in the same league as much better machines, ones that look and sound much better, and there's really no point in wasting your time on a cheap record player.

Steely Dan "Black Cow" - Analog/Digital Showdown

We haven't had an analog/digital music showdown here on the blog for a while (okay, we've never done it), and I've found a perfect candidate in Steely Dan's "Black Cow," the opening track to their 1977 classic Aja.  This is a terrific album, a rich, warm and jazzy pop sound that perfectly defines the late 1970s for me.  Let's see how it compares on digital (CD/mp3) and analog (vinyl LP).

The analog setup features a Thorens TD-160 belt-drive turntable, one of the true classics of analog audio.  The phono cartridge is the Audio Technica 150MLX, one of the finest moving magnet cartridges ever built.  That object of my desire, the Bellari VP-130 tube phono preamp, in fire engine red, drives the music with a wonderful warm and buttery smooth sound.  Ooh, I really love this stereo system.

The digital version was the best version I could find on YouTube.  I'm not sure if it was ripped from CD or 128bps mp3 file.  It probably wouldn't make too much difference, given YT's heavy video compressions.  But I made sure this version would sound clean and clear.

Which version do you prefer, and why?  Which version pulls you into the music, moves you more deeply?  For me, it's no contest: the analog version wins easily.  The difference is small but noticeable; percussion and bass pumps deeper, there's more groove and swing.  The vocals are more natural, warmer.  The 150MLX and Bellari make an excellent team.  Everything is more musical, and I find myself getting lost in my imagination.

The digital version is certainly very good, as it demonstrates the clarity that CDs are known for.  But doesn't it feel a little reserved, a little cold?  It's not a question of volume or bass levels; I'm just not feeling the music.  While listening, my mind tends to wander and daydream, and the song soon becomes background noise.  I'm sure that if I had the actual CD on my stereo, the experience would be better.  But I can also say the same for the vinyl LP, and that one already has a clear advantage in the YouTube arena.

I think it's too easy to dismiss LPs as old-fashioned, or dismiss CDs as inferior to analog audio.  Most everything is dependent on your stereo equipment, the quality of the LP, the quality of the turntable and phono cartridge, the quality of your CD player.  I still believe that you have to spend $500 before analog defeats digital.  On a cheap USB turntable, the digital version would easily triumph.

So we'll offer this showdown as an example of the analog/digital divide, and where they stand.  As for me, I'm getting desperate to finally rebuild my stereo system.  I want that Bellari and those vacuum tubes!!

Dave Brubeck Has Died

Sigh, a very sad day as we lose our greatest living jazz musician, and a wonderfully kind and generous human being.  School and work is hereby cancelled for the rest of the day.  I'll be grief-stricken for the rest of the week; Dave Brubeck has always been one of my favorites, right next to Miles and Coltrane.  Now he's gone forever and we'll never hear his wonderful music or see his spirited smiles again.

Here's one of my YouTube recordings from a few years back, of The Dave Brubeck's most popular song, "Take Five," from the 1959 jazz masterpiece, Time Out.  The turntable is a Sony PS-X5, and the Ortofon 2M Blue is the phono cartridge (mounted on a headshell that's slightly too heavy, oops).  That's a great combination, and while the 2M lacks the musical groove and swing of, say, the Denon Dl-110/160, it provides excellent dynamics.  I hope you enjoy it.

Angry Birds Did Not Kill Nintendo

This recent New York Times article on Nintendo's Wii U raises a number of questions, not only for Nintendo, but the video game industry as a whole.  But it also reminds me that the traditional media has always been sort of clueless when it comes to video games.

We all the game industry has a host of problems - rising hardware and software prices, staggering production costs, shrinking "hardcore" gamer demographic, recycled "franchise" sequels from 20 years ago, bankruptcies right and left.  Does that mean smartphones and tablets are really going to conquer the world?  I'm not so sure about that.  If anything, I'm wondering just when the iOS backlash begins.

I don't see tablets and smartphones killing the traditional video games console.  I can see the portable systems - Sony PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS - being disrupted and possibly worse.  And goodness knows that Nintendo could make a wreck of the Wii U if they're not careful.  But I think we're getting way ahead of ourselves, and listening to the wrong analysts for advice.

Let's not panic, people.  Angry Birds is not the center of the universe, Nintendo is not going to die.  The video game business will adapt and evolve, one way or another.

Living in a Post-Angry Birds World

I saw this little gem at the downtown Minneapolis Target after work today.  It's Angry Birds Trilogy, a compilation of three titles from the immensely popular iOS/Android Angry Birds series.  Can you see the crisis for Nintendo?  Any company executive who does not see it deserves to be fired immediately.

A paradigm shift in the video game world is rare, but the arrival of Apple's Apps store is one of them.  Five years ago, Angry Birds would have easily found a home as a $20 Nintendo DS cartridge.  Today, it's a 99-cent download for smartphones.  For Angry Birds Trilogy, that means $20-$30 on Nintendo 3DS, $40 on PS360...or $3 on the iPhone.  That's a paradigm shift, kids.

Nintendo gambled hard on stereoscopic 3D, hoping the Avatar phenom would usher in a new era of entertainment.  They're gambling and, outside of Japan, they're losing the bet.  Every week that goes by, store shelves of $40 3DS games look increasingly bloated and out-of-touch, while Apple and Google capture the "casual" market that was once in the palm of Nintendo's hands.

How can you sell a $40 video game in an age of $1-$5 apps?  You can't.  Sorry, Charlie, them's the brakes.

To Nintendo's credit, their situation isn't hopeless, at least, not yet.  Nobody can touch their quality when it comes to classic arcade games like Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart.  And iOS developers are struggling even to make a dime, as the smartphone market is over-saturated with free and Free-to-Play apps.  If the Big N was smart, they could navigate their way out of this minefield.  But they're going to have to make some radical decisions about their pricing, their online strategy, and their hardware/software.

MCS 6700 Direct Drive Turntable

MCS was JC Penny's house brand for consumer electronics, including stereo components and turntables.  Their products were re-branded from Japanese manufacturers, including Hitachi, JVC and Technics.  Here's one of their very best turntables - the MCS 6700 Direct Drive Turntable.

The MCS 6700 is actually a Technics SL-1900...specifically, the 1950 model which allowed you to stack up to six LPs.  The motor, electronics and tonearm all hail from the Technics model...but the frame and buttons hail from Hitachi's tables.  It's a terrific combination, and to my eyes, it looks much better than the original.  I especially like how the platter is partially submerged within the large black frame.  The rubber-coated buttons and knobs are also quite stylish.

I bought one of these bad boys on Craigslist for $85, which was an absolute steal.  It was a Christmas present for my mother, and she loves playing her Miles Davis and Dean Martin LPs on the stereo.  Expect to pay $80-$150 for this turntable if it's in excellent condition.  I paired it with a Denon DL-110, the younger brother of the late, great DL-160.  It may be the better of the two carts, which really surprised me.  The standard 47K loading sounds fine with the DL-110, whereas its elder brother required more specialized loading (MC setting on my Pro-Ject Tube Box II, or 1K-8K loading) to sound its best.

My most popular YouTube videos feature this stereo system (MCS 6700, Denon DL-110, Rega Fono Mini), and it's a wonderful sound, warm and dynamic and very musical.  Oil the motor bearings and pack the inside frame with 7lbs of modeling clay, and you'll be amazed at the performance of this turntable.

I only have one complaint, and it's probably a minor one - no Quartz lock.  I just don't like having to adjust the speed on the dials.  I know, I know, I'm just being a big baby.  Don't let that hold you back.  The MCS 6700 will compete against any turntable in its class.  I'd also recommend stuffing some Vibrapods underneath the feet, which also worked nicely for me.

Here's the MCS 6700 and Denon DL-110 in action.  Give this a spin and see what it does for ya.

Free Fighter - Nyko Reads My Mind

One of life's more amusing (and humbling) truths is that no matter what ideas you conjure, no matter how original your ideas, somebody will beat you to the punch.  I've been sketching out ideas for a modular-based video game controller system for the past two months, a clever idea that I'm quite proud of.  And now I've discovered that Nyko has the exact same idea.  D'oh!

Nyko unveiled their Free Fighter arcade joystick at this year's E3 show, and it offers a modular design, where you can detach the joystick and connect it to either side of the button-box-thing (ahem).  This allows for left- and right-handed play, a very clever idea.  This joystick system also features rapid-fire, and programmable "macro" functions, which will prove highly controversial to the fighting game scene.  The buttons are high-end parts from Asia, everything is given a professional polish, and Nyko

So what does this mean for my own modular controller system?  I'm impressed to see that someone else had the same idea as me (I swear I completely missed Nyko's E3 showing).  My approach is from the retro game side, the Atari era where single-button joysticks were popular.  I completely agree with Nintendo that today's over-built and over-complicated joypads are scaring people away.  The Wii Remote was an attempt to return to a simpler, more iconic design, and believe that's the correct approach.  The rise of touch-display smartphones only reinforce this belief.

Appealing solely to hardcore gamers creates a negative feedback loop.  You build an expensive joystick with a bazillion buttons, and it will only sell to a select few.  Because it sells few copies, hardly any games will be created to take advantage of the controller.  Because of low software support, the controller sells fewer copies.  And on and on.

From my vantage point, the Free Fighter makes three critical errors: 1) a horrifying $189 retail price; 2) far too many (and never-to-be-used) buttons; and 3) (censored).  Sorry about that last one.  I can't give my secrets away.  I can tell you that my design has a couple amazingly cool ideas that set it apart from Nyko's design.  But, hey, it's nothing that you couldn't figure out and design on your own.  There's a great opportunity here, if only the game industry would break away from its "hardcore" obsession.

Building a Better Controller - XBox 360 and Sega Saturn

Designing a quality video game controller is a difficult art.  That much is certain if you spend a little time looking at the many controllers over the years, and even more so when you want to design one of your own.  What makes a particular design work?  What are the strengths and weaknesses?  And how can you create something that isn't merely a cheap ripoff?

Right now, Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller is probably the king of game controllers.  Its ergonomic design is very stylish, it's very comfortable to hold, my hands never get tired, and the symmetry allows for a clean look, which is very important for a gamepad with 16 buttons.  This is an excellent controller and I like using it very much.

When you look at recent attempts to create a gamepad, like Ouya, or Apple's recently-leaked patent design, or any number of PC controllers, the goal is to copy Microsoft.  Just make it look like Xbox.  The only current alternative is - surprise - to steal from Sony's Playstation design.  Sigh.  We can do better than this.

Let's say, for example, that I'm designing the main controller for Project Phoenix.  The first pass is to simply use the Xbox 360, maybe with a better d-pad, but nothing more.  Most publishers would take this route, just to save costs and get the thing out the door.  However, there's one major problem, and it's one I highlighted in my previous post - your controller is your identity.  It's a symbol for your hardware system.  And when you offer a copycat controller, no matter how solidly built, it says to the world, "This is a copycat system.  Don't take us seriously."  This is unacceptable.

The second pass would be to simplify the number of buttons to Dreamcast's design, but keep the 360's look; that would mean removing the second analog thumb stick, the two digital triggers, and the Back button.  This is a good improvement, as I feel simpler, more iconic game controllers are critical.  Most people are intimidated by gamepads with 15 (or more) buttons.  It alienates and scares potential customers away, and that's the last thing we need now.  We need to expand the video game market and attract new customers.

So this second pass is better.  But it's still essentially a copy of an established brand (Xbox 360), which sends the wrong message.  So we need to address that problem.

Let's next take a look at the Sega Saturn controller.  Many people consider this to be the definitive 2D gamepad, thanks to its compact size, it's perfectly curved design, and Sega's legendary d-pad (which has never been bettered).  It's especially popular among fighting game fans, thanks to the six-button layout.  This controller is the result of many years of design improvements, and it is now refined to perfection.  If you enjoy 2D video games, the Saturn joypad is the best ever built.

However, it has one critical weakness, one that Sega was never able to successfully overcome - Analog Control.  When the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 dropped, it was obvious that 3D graphics and analog control was the wave of the future.  2D and digital were out-of-fashion, and Sega responded, not by revising or refining the existing Saturn design, but scrapping it completely.  Sega's 3D controller was a monster, round and fat and bloated and not very much fun to hold.  The thing is just a damn tank.

I will give Sega credit for making a good analog thumb stick, which was unique in that it employed magnets.  They also introduced analog triggers, which is that controller's legacy achievement (I can't imagine a racing game without these).  But the controller lacks the intuitive comfort of Saturn's 2D pad, and it never really feels right.  If we ever feel generous towards this design, it's only because the Dreamcast gamepad is even worse.

So now we come back full circle, to our proposed Project Phoenix and the quest for a better controller.

I don't think the Xbox 360 controller is perfect.  First, the d-pad is universally derided, and deservedly so.  I never use it for emulation and indie games on my PC; I prefer to use the analog stick instead, which isn't ideal, either, but at least it's better.  Second, the four face buttons could also use improvement.  When you press these buttons, they fall completely within the controller shell.  These buttons should still rest slightly above the frame when pressed.  There should be a firmness when pressed, a sense of durability.  Third, and I hate to keep harping on this point - there are too many damn buttons!  The upper (digital) triggers are fairly uncomfortable to press, and my fingers naturally rest on the analog triggers, anyway.  Like the d-pad, you have to tilt your hands slightly, and takes your grip out of balance.

If I could find a way to add an analog thumb stick to a Saturn controller, maybe add some curves for comfort, maybe swap out the digital triggers for analog ones, we could have something good.  We'll have to decide on the number of face buttons - four or six? - and decide whether or not to use a "Home" button (which is fairly standard today).  The analog stick is the biggest challenge.  The controller has to be comfortable and attractive, and symmetry is always important.  Are the Saturn's buttons too large?  Should the d-pad be smaller, shrunk down to 360's size?  Should the casing be larger, at the size of the Genesis 3-button pad?

This is where access to a 3D printer becomes essential.  We need to build some prototypes and test them out.

Building a Better Game Controller

Remember when Reggie Fils-Aime traveled the country in 2005, giving lectures on the state of the video game industry and why it was in decline?  One of the key lessons was that game controllers had become too bloated, too complicated, and too intimidating for the general public.  Nintendo's answer to this problem was the Wii Remote, which became a spectacular success.  The game industry, however, has done everything in its power to ignore these lessons, burying themselves ever deeper into their "hardcore" cocoon.

In this business, 15 buttons isn't enough for a video game joypad.  We must add even more.  And so the Ouya controller is unveiled, which is essentially an Xbox 360 controller with a touch screen in the middle.  I really don't understand what the point is, and I suspect Ouya's designers don't, either.

The Ouya is an Android-based console, one that promises to bring smartphone games to the television.  That means simple, easily accessible titles like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja.  There's no need for more buttons than you have fingers.  What, exactly, would all 15+ buttons and knobs be used for?  This will only serve to scare away the Expanded Audience, who will prefer to stay with their phones.  It's aimed instead at the "hardcore" PS360 crowd, the ones who are lining up for Call of Duty 9 and Halo 8 and Grand Theft Auto 11 and Madden 22.  In other words, it's a completely different scene.

The Ouya controller tries to thread the needle, to attract both audiences equally, but it's a confusing strategy.  It lacks focus.  Your controller defines your video game system.  If its design is confused, unfocused and lost, chances are the system itself will follow suit.  Think of all the failed consoles over the years, and how they compare to the successful ones, the Nintendo's and Sega's.  A solid, focused, and inventive controller is a key reason for that success.

I don't think Ouya quite knows what it wants to be, other than another platform for indie game developers to sell their wares.  It seems to follow the same PC paradigm as the bulk of the industry (Playstation and Xbox are really PCs for the living room), and yet it also wants to be a home for mobile and indie developers and gamers.  It doesn't seem to acknowledge Nintendo at all, or the lessons of the Wii, which is just dumb.  I do like the $99 price point - that, and the push towards indie developers is where I strongly agree.  Beyond that...eh, not much.

I'm spending a lot of time thinking about game controllers lately.  Today's joypads are far too complicated and have too many buttons.  With Project Phoenix, my goal is to simplify the controls as much as possible.  The gamepad would be based on the Sega Dreamcast (sans VMU) - one analog and digital thumbpad, four face buttons, one pair of analog triggers in the back.  Even here, I'd like to simplify more if that were possible.  For example, we could have a single space for the analog/digital thumb pad, and you could pop one out and replace with the other when needed.  However, some DC games use both analog and digital (like the 2K sports titles), so we're stuck.  Too bad.  I think a Saturn joypad with swap-able thumb pads would be really cool.

In fact, I'd like to simplify even further, and introduce "one-button" controllers, like a joystick and trackball.  We can promote select games with a special "1 Button" badge, so people who are afraid of the alien pod controllers can use a simpler device.  Remember that Sonic the Hedgehog is such a game.  So are many iOS games.  Maybe this could work as an iOS controller?  We'll see.

Offering multiple control options is a valuable thing.  Atari had the joystick, the paddle controller, and the keypad.  The NES had the joypads and the NES Advantage stick.  The Wii offered with Wiimote, Nunchuck and Classic Controller.  The lesson is simple: Don't build an all-purpose game controller.  Offer choices.  Ouya should split the buton/touchscreen design.  Why couldn't you use your Android phone as a controller?  Apple is planning just that for their Apple TV (of course, they're also designing another horribly bloated PS360 clone, ugh).

Seriously, Ouya, fix that controller.  Simplify, simplify!

Ouya's First Challenge

I'd like to write a bunch of posts regarding the newly-announced Ouya video game system, which is a $99 open-source Android machine that is scheduled for a March, 2013 release.  My interest is piqued, but so is my skepticism, and I'm curious to see how it plays out.

That said, I have many questions, first and foremost illustrated by the above photo.  A console that plays Android games is interesting, but it's something that any tablet and smartphone can achieve right now.  I can play Fruit Ninja on my TV today.  So why invest in the Ouya?  That's going to be the new company's biggest question, and one they must successfully answer if they are to have any chance at success.

I am sympathetic to Ouya's aims, as it runs parallel to my own Project Phoenix idea.  There must be a low-cost alternative to the PC/PS360 monopoly, for consumers and developers alike.  What is that alternative, what does it look like, and how do we get there?  More questions, more challenges.

White Japanese Sega Saturn

Look what finally arrived in the mail yesterday...nice!

The white Sega Saturn is a later model from Japan, and never seen in the West.  It's something for the diehard gamers who love their classic video games and wish to score a few bonus style points.  The inner hardware is identical to the US Saturn, aside from the region coding (which thankfully can be defeated with the 4M Pro Action Replay cart).  All I now need is a special chip sold by Racketboy, which allows me to play backup discs without the "swap trick."

A word to the wise: the Sega Saturn "swap trick" will burn out your disc drive fairly quickly.  The effect is like learning to drive a stick-shift...CLUNK...CA-CLUNK.  If you're playing backup Saturn discs (and until you see a Project Phoenix at your local store, that's exactly what you should be doing), you're going to need Racketboy's override chip.  Now for some Metal Slug action...