Has anyone else noticed that the type of game usually decides the controller layout? Like, in games that are combat oriented, they have the combat button on the Right Trigger. In mainly movement- oriented games(Assassin's Creed for example), the movement button is the Right Trigger. Also, when the game is 3rd Person, the attack button is usually the X button (Square on PS3) in games like Fable, AC, SW Force Unleashed, etc... In CoD, you use ADS a lot, so it's on the Left Trigger. Just Cause 2 -- shooting is big in the game, so again the RT. The Grappling Hook is also important, so that is Right Bumper or Left Bumper(button above trigger for PS3 players, right or left -- can't remember right now)? And the parachute is A(X), because it is also used a lot. Racing Games - The drive button is always on the Right Trigger.

Priority buttons:
1) Right Trigger
2) Either A or B (X or Square) because your right thumb is always close by.


This is Saber Spartan 8's Law of Video Game Console Controls

Thanks for reading!

Never really noticed that before. Thanks for pointing this out.
The only conventions I really noticed involving controls was that the buttons labelled X, A (On Nintendo/Microsoft consoles), [] or x (On Sony consoles) are usually the action buttons and the left and right anologue sticks almost always are for movement of the player/camera.

You can thank pioneering systems like Nintendo 64 and playstation for embedding these control schemes into game developers minds. When people develop games, I think the idea is to get them playing and into it as soon as possible. Even though it is fun to learn how to control what you're doing on screen, it can really break the flow of the game if its too difficult.

A good example of this would be EA's Skate series...or even a simulation racer like Forza 3.

Games these days seamlessly adapt to each others play styles, providing different control schemes if a certain game has had you playing a certain way. A good example of this in first person shooters is the melee button. Some people push the right stick in while others prefer to use the B button (360).

Meleeing in FPS shooters was classically set to B, but the advantages of not lifting your thumb off the right stick have made it ideal for the right stick.

I personally stick to my old values and use B.

The Italian Job == worst, most unorthodox control scheme ever. (circle is your main button)

It's because over time, developers have realised that some control schemes are just better than others for any given genre of game, hence the increasing shift towards more standardized layouts, for example in FPS's. I have noticed that control schemes are much more homogenous now than several years ago, because we've had time to figure out what works and what doesn't (X to fire anyone?).

This also comes with the advantage of not having to learn a new set of controls for every game.

Similar control schemes among games = more accessibility.

I think it's really as simple as that. No need to re-invent the wheel so to speak.

Maybe it's just me, but in shooters where you don't aim down the sights, I prefer using the left trigger to jump. I'm surprised more developers haven't implemented that. It allows you to jump while keeping your thumb on the anolog stick.

Indeed, it makes it much easier to learn how to control a new game if there is reletive consistency in how different games are controlled. And why wouldn't one do that? Needlessly changing the control scheme doesn't accomplish anything, really, we can see a similar set up in PC games, I think, where regardless of the game, the WASD keys are usually the default movement keys, the mouse bottons are used for attacking, either E or F for the use key, and so on. There's also a clear advantage to keeping the buttons, or at least the ones players are likely to be using most often, close together, I think, as it's easier to press the botton you want quickly.