Talk:D-pad

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Gunpei's original term

I've been unable to find this information since I first read it. Originally, there was another name to Gunpei's d-pad... I think it was "cross (something)"... can anyone enlighten us on this? --anonymous

Well, anonymous, here's what I know about early Nintendo pads. On the early Game and Watches (the nonconnected style ones that most resemble Entex's design) like this one, Nintendo just called them the "+ Control".

Once they shifted to a connected-style Dpad like this one, they called it the "Controller". Note that they're not referring to the whole setup when they say "controller"; they've got a seperately labeled jump button. I don't think Nintendo has referred to their pads as "cross pads", although I'm open to correction if anyone knows differently. Daniel Davis 08:31, 23 January 2006 (UTC) (Doom127)

Thank you for your reply. I think we almost had it. I said cross, you said control... after searching, "Control Cross" seems to be the original term Gunpei used to describe it. It might've been something I read in David Sheff's Game Over. Without reading it over again, I don't think I could find a quote. But the "control-cross" term is used on Gunpei Yokoi's wikipedia article. Since it refers to the D-Pad, it's probably worth mentioning on here too (even if it doesn't state specifically that he penned the term). 24.165.203.79 04:04, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

I believe the term is "cross key." Source

To add some context, the patent says Multi-directional switch Source — Preceding unsigned comment added by 49.43.232.78 (talk) 03:30, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

Microvision

Shouldnt the Microvision handheld be removed from the list of systems with a D-Pad? While it did have directional buttons it didnt have a D-Pad.

That's wrong. The Microvision had several different types of control system, each of which was incorporated seperately into its cartrige designs. That basically meant that each cartridge itself contained the actual pad design, and underneath the cartridge was contained the underlying switches. Cosmic Hunter was a Microvision cartridge that had a D-pad specifically as defined here:

"A four-directional switch which can be turned on and off in four directions, which comprises a base plate having a plurality of electrodes formed thereon (Microvision has this), a key top having an indication showing predetermined four pressing directions in an identifiable manner (Microvision's Cosmic Hunter game adds this), a support member constituting a fulcrum between the base plate and the key top, a plurality of conductive rubbers disposed opposing to the plurality of electrodes so as to be in electrical contact with corresponding ones of the electrodes (the microvision has this too), and a sustaining member having the plurality of conductive rubbers fixed thereto and having elastic force for sustaining the conductive rubbers so as not to be in contact with the electrodes when the key top is not pressed. (and this too)"

In a nutshell, Nintendo defines a dpad as a single plastic keytop with directional indicators that fits over a series of rubber switches; when the keytop is pressed downward, it in turn depresses one or more of the hidden rubber switches underneath it, completing a conductive circuit and thus telling the game console to do whatever it should do whenever that conductivity is activated.

Basically, the only thing that seperates, hardware-wise, Nintendo's design from the Microvision's design is that, since the top of the keypad is built into the cartridge itself, it can be removed.

In otherwords, the Microvision DOES have a d-pad, and should remain on this list. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.5.191.119 (talk) 08:52, 5 January 2007 (UTC).

Sony

In the same vein as the above comment, shouldn't the PSX, PS2, PS3 and PSP be removed from the list?

From memory, they also have separate buttons for each direction. bjmurph _talk‽ 15:25, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

In any case, something should be mentioned about the difference... the WonderSwan has the same layout. Esn 07:27, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

I disagree. They operate identically (the Sony pads are actually connected as a single unit underneath the pad surface), not warranting extra space devoted to it. The differences in variation- whether it be pads that are circular, cross shaped or a segmented cross, all work in the exact same manner. A minor asthetic difference in the pad's appearance doesn't change its operational functionality. And, in regards to your edit comment before, Dpad DOES = Directional Pad, which is why there's a D in it. Which stands for Directional. 67.94.201.2 05:45, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Patently untrue. The difference in physical shape is far more than simply aesthetic, as the Sony fanboy would have one believe. Sony's button-style 'd-pad' controllers have a substantially different feel than standard plus-shaped d-pads (such as those found on Nintendo controllers, for example). The controllers for the SEGA Master System are another example of a questionable 'd-pad' designation--the pad is essentially a square dish, even if the underlying principle (or indeed even the circuitry underneath the 'pad') is largely identical. From a user-standpoint, the actual, physical shape of the input device (or part thereof) matters much more when it comes to "operational functionality" than the internal workings of the controller. At the end of the day, the fact remains that, in practice, a physically four-directional, plus-shaped d-pad feels (and perfoms) substantially different from either button- or dish-type directional pads. -Grammaticus Repairo (talk) 21:49, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

incorrectness and stuff

the [analog stick] article says "The analog stick has greatly overtaken the D-pad in both prominence and usage in console video games." whereas this article says "A D-pad (short for directional pad) is a tetradirectional (4-direction) control found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads and game controllers"

also It doesn't mention that most D-pads are 8-direction because you can pres 2 at the same time —Preceding unsigned comment added by Veggieburgerfish (talk • contribs) 22:46, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

They're both true. While the D-Pad is used on pretty much every modern controller, the analog stick is given more prominence and is used more in actual gameplay. 58.8.209.204 (talk) 11:59, 8 May 2012 (UTC)

direction controller for left-handed people?

Why are these things always put on the left hand side of the controller, given that most people are right-handed? They give left handed players an unfair advantage. 70.20.228.140 (talk) 05:33, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Quite simple really. The right hand can press buttons faster than the left. Left hand is far better for steady button presses. That makes the right hand better for action buttons and the left hand better for motion control as motion doesn't need such rapid or precise changes in a binary control scheme. Placing action buttons in the left hand would just be making everything but movement harder. 24.181.252.197 (talk) 04:57, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

Sega's coining of the term

The actual term "D-pad" was coined by Sega. The company used the term when describing the controllers for the Genesis system in instruction manuals and other literature.

I'm certain it was used in manuals for the Master System too. The console itself was released long before the Mega Drive/Genesis (but on the other hand it's possible that the term "D-pad" was only used in manuals for Master System made after the Mega Drive's launch). Can anyone confirm whether there are any manuals for pre-1988 Master System games that used the term? --Nick R^Talk 14:19, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

I believe Nintendo specifically uses the term "Control Pad" to reffer to the cross key. They have done so since the NES. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.77.232.145 (talk) 11:19, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

I had always assumed the term came from lettered annotations of controllers: A button, B button, C stick, D pad, etc. Especially the N64 controller. I know it's hard to prove a negative, but was that not the case? - RubyJester (talk) 14:27, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

The problem here is that Sega never used the term "D-pad"; rather, they used the term "D button". -- Random Guy —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.105.202.238 (talk) 02:57, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

Patenting

In 1982, Nintendo's Gunpei Yokoi updated this idea, shrinking it and altering the points into the familiar modern "cross" design for their Donkey Kong handheld game. The design proved to be popular for subsequent Game & Watch titles, although the previously introduced non-connected D-pad style was still utilized on various later Game & Watch titles, including the Super Mario Brothers handheld game. This particular design was patented.

Which design? I don't know the answer myself and this paragraph is unclear. I think it was the cross design that was patented? Lot49a (talk) 10:44, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Uh, why is it credited to Gunpei Yokoi when the patent linked in the article credited "Inventor: Ichiro Shirai".Suredeath (talk) 14:21, 4 June 2012 (UTC)

The story for that is mentioned in "Gunpei Yokoi's Game Museum" essentially when he made it he didn't think it was to spectacular of an idea, so when the patent department said they would file the patent he just told them to do it since he couldn't be bothered with the paperwork. TurtleRTA (talk) 11:58, 1 March 2026 (UTC)

"Digital pad"

D-pads are in fact often referred to as "digital pads," even in cases where calling it "digital" is technically incorrect. Since it is a commonly used term, it should probably be addressed in the article somehow. 98.93.99.26 (talk) 09:02, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

As per Wikipedia's policies- source it or else leave it out. 75.165.125.31 (talk) 09:09, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

I provided sources, and was reverted with a description reading:

"your sources say absolutely nothing to validate your claim (a review that talks about digital controls as in buttons does not a reference to a "d pad" make)."

The sourced pages were links to various reputable video game-related media outlets quite unambiguously using "digital pad" in place of "d-pad", which I imagine would validate the claim that "the term digital pad is commonly used." Could you please elaborate on why in particular you took issue with these sources? 98.93.120.31 (talk) 23:12, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

That is a lie. Your sources do NOT "unambiguously using "digital pad" in place of 'd-pad'", you linked to reviews that talk about digital BUTTONS, which include pads, as the reviewer clearly was comparing the analog movement of a stick to the digital movement of buttons. Furthermore, your insertion claims that "digital pad" is a common usage, not just something incorrectly singularly used, which none of your links even comes close to stating at all. I could just as very well insert into the cloud article that some people think clouds look like other things, and it would be just as irrelevant. 24.19.87.35 (talk) 00:46, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

Regarding your first point: I disagree. I can see how one would get "digital buttons/pads" from the IGN article, though it isn't something that would have occurred to me my first time reading. The other two sources don't strike me as ambiguous at all, though. In the Joystiq link, even if it was in order to draw a contrast between the feel of the d-pad and analog stick, the author still used "digital pad" in place of "d-pad." In the Classic Game Room link, the host points to the d-pad on a controller and says "We have a digital pad here, which is what I normally use for playing games on my Dreamcast."

Regarding your second point: You're correct that none of my sources explicitly state that "digital pad" is a common term. I'm no expert on this sort of thing, but perhaps this doesn't conform to the letter of Wikipedia's citation policies. If this is what you were getting at, then this is likely a fair point to make. In that case, there is a discussion to be had on what /would/ be sufficient for the inclusion of "digital pad" in the article, in addition to whether or not it should be included to begin with.

To be clear, while I maintain the position that "digital pad" is used in place of "d-pad" frequently enough that it warrants mentioning in the article, you're probably right that "digital pad" isn't the best choice of words to use when referring to a d-pad. One could look at this as all the more reason to include it in the article, in order to better educate those who use it incorrectly. In either case, I feel that completely striking any acknowledgement of the term from the article isn't the right idea.98.93.120.31 (talk) 05:39, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

If you feel that "digital pad" is used in place of "d-pad" frequently enough that it warrants mentioning in the article, the best way to do it is to find reputable sources (like IGN) that actually, explicitely spell that out in some way, shape or form (ie: a statement in an IGN article that says "D-pad is commonly known as digital pad" or something like that. That's what Wikipedia's citation policies are all about- making sure that statements aren't ambiguous, but have clearly defined sources. 75.165.125.31 (talk) 08:24, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

I didn't check the youtube link, but I understand why 98 used the sources and what 24 is saying about buttons. I think that the main question is whether or not "digital pad" is being used to mean a "digital directional pad" or a "digital gamepad". It is essentially WP:OR to assume either, so it is reasonable to exclude the term unless it's explicitly defined. —Ost (talk) 20:43, 2 September 2010 (UTC)

12½ years later...

I just did a pretty thorough overhaul of the lead (largely due to high levels of redundancy). One thing that took me a bit of researching was the inclusion of the synonym digital pad, which I had never heard used in this context. There was a citation,^[1] but it’s a style guide and merely states that the term has been used; it neither recommends the term nor provides an example of real-world vernacular use. It is self-published and provides no sources, so I don’t think it serves well as a sole reference.

It’s a big world and therefore it’s almost guaranteed that someone somewhere back-formed the term ‘digital pad’ from ‘D-pad’ and used it in this sense, but I sense from my research that it was so vanishingly rare that it probably wasn’t worth mentioning in 2010 and even less worth mentioning now when the term is so overwhelmingly associated with tablet computers. Cheers —jameslucas ^{▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄} 14:55, 19 April 2023 (UTC)

References

[1]
Orland, Kyle; Thomas, Dave; Steinberg, Scott (2007). The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual. ISBN 9781430313052.