teiyu goto
Latest
PlayStation designer explains what the controller symbols mean, dishes a bit of history
Teiyu Goto, the man responsible for saving us from that kidney-shaped disaster above and delivering us the splendid original PlayStation's controller, has sat down for a little chat with Famitsu over in Japan. Involved in the PlayStation project almost from its inception, the designer played a pivotal role in shifting Sony away from its Nintendo copycat ways and into the world of handle-equipped button pads. Moreover, his brainbox is the one responsible for coming up with the now legendary geometric button icons adorning the PS controller's buttons. Here's how Goto explains their meaning: the circle and x represent yes and no, respectively, the triangle symbolizes a point of view, and the square is equated to a sheet of paper, there to be used to access menus. Frankly, given the backlog of memories we have built up with those keys, this explanation leaves us a little high and dry, couldn't he have made up some dragon-slaying stories? Hit the source below for the whole interview, it's well worth the read.
PS1 designer on the fight for controller handles, what the button icons really mean
[Image: Game Watch] Teiyu Goto is responsible for the design of the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 -- all very different-looking consoles, with one exception: the controller. This, too, was Goto's design, and in an interview with Famitsu (translated by 1UP) he shares some of its history, including the origin of its "handles" and the meaning behind the now-iconic symbols on its face buttons. According to Goto, Sony management was initially resistant to the idea of the PS1's gamepad being too far removed from the design of Nintendo's SNES controller. "We wanted SNES gamers to upgrade to our system," Goto said of the corporate mindset at the time, "[management] said it had to be a standard type of design, or gamers wouldn't accept it." Goto disagreed, as did Sony's then-president, Norio Ohga. A pilot, Ohga liked Goto's prototype, which featured the now-standard handles, and made his feelings clear in an executive meeting. "They showed Ohga the flat controller again later and said that this is what they wanted, but Ohga was about to throw the model right back at them," Goto recalled, saying that Ohga's outrage let him know that the boss had his back -- and the handles stayed. As for the button icons, Goto had an interesting explanation. While most people know -- or could guess -- that X and circle were meant to indicate "no" and "yes," respectively, Goto said that "the triangle refers to viewpoint; I had it represent one's head or direction," adding, "Square refers to a piece of paper; I had it represent menus or documents." These icons went on to represent the brand as a whole.
PS3 boomerang prototype defended
Remember that crazy boomerang-like controller that was supposedly going to be the default interface for the PS3? We're still having nightmares about it, and Teiyu Goto, PS3 design king, isn't helping. According to CVG, Goto explains the guaranteed hand-destroyer thusly: "Quite frankly, we had set aside the ergonomic aspect in favor of the image it conjured up. We wanted to present an avant-garde model for the show, running a risk of being criticized."Mission accomplished! When fans cried out in torment and fear, Sony reverted to the good ol' shape of the original Dual Shock controller. Which isn't all that ergonomic anyway, really. Is it us, or are the hand-nubs on the SixAxis too stubby for comfort?
