*nods sagely*FlatWiiCCFan wrote:You guys are probably going to think I'm outta my friggin' gourd
So I reviewed the NFG article. They are not patent geniuses, but they seem to have a marginal handle on things. The Nintendo patent in question appears to have been valid until August 18, 2004, 17 years from the original grant of the patent. Nintendo didn't simply patent a cross-shaped pad, but a cross-shaped pad with a particular fulcrum design. In order to infringe I a competitor would have to model both the cross design and an identical fulcrum mechanism. Nintendo couldn't really patent electrical contact controls, and the fact that that patent application was a continuation meant that an earlier patent it continues was deemed inadequate for protection, meaning they probably had to be more specific to meet the burden of originality.
I do, however, have to agree with NFG, that the PC Engine pad is a better all-around design. And I agree with most of the intarwebz that the JPN Saturn pad is the best in existence. And heck, the US Saturn pad is up there, too. It gets brought down by the flimsy triggers, but the pad and buttons are great.