Japan to get custom Xbox controller
Smaller, with longer lead
Japanese Xbox buyers will receive a slightly smaller controller than their European and American counterparts according to visitors to the Tokyo Game Show. After polling Japanese gamers, Microsoft decided that a slightly more compact design was called for - the actual controller just looks marginally shrunken. The Xbox controller for Japan also comes with a 9.5 foot lead as well. We don't quite get that. Historically Japanese game controllers have had shorter leads, which has always been attributed to the smaller properties in the big urban areas. 9.5 feet is a decent length. A little quick reconnaissance in the lounge just now indicates that the Dreamcast and N64 controller leads are about 6 foot ish in length, and the PlayStation about 6 or 7 foot. The classic Super Nintendo controller seems to be about 8 foot in length. There were musings recently about wireless RF peripherals from MadCatz, which would eliminate any argument about lead length, and instead relegate the controller to remote control status. Applying "where's the sodding remote?" to the Xbox, if you will. Wireless RF is superior to infra-red in that it doesn't require a line of sight. Companies like Sennheiser have been evangelising the technology for a while, with wireless headphones, and Lucent/Harris Semiconductors' IEEE 802.11b relies on RF, and is the standard in wireless networking for PC systems. You can read more about the Xbox controller on Microsoft's Xbox website. Related Feature - The Master Plan