So I’ve been playing A.E. PC version for a few days now on just straight-up keyboard (SteelSeries 7G).
The transition has been a little odd, I’m dropping more of my links than I feel like I should be. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with the monitor setup, the PC itself, lag on GFWL or it might just be the fact that Cherry Black “buttons” have a good bit more throw to them than Seimitsu buttons.
We’ll see what happens when I get my KBC Pokers (Ordered two, 1 Cherry Blues, 1 Cherry Browns) in.
You can ask people not to, but would that really stop them? Seeing as how you guys can’t keep up with the demand, what would stop someone else from swooping in and selling their own version. I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone doing that in the near future as the demand is obviously there and it seems it is cheaper/easier to build one of these than a traditional stick (more profit in said companies pocket).
Can you copyright a layout? Even then, what’s to stop another company from saying you are using their layout?
Just saying, I wouldnt be shocked if someone started selling mdf made boxes with this layout, and they would make a killing if they could push out the product faster and cheaper.
I want a hitbox, and I am eager to give hitbox my money but I’m not able to at this time - not only that I have no idea WHEN i’ll be able to since all the site says is “soon”.
This being the case, if someone else/another company offered a similar product and I could get it NOW or at least have a time frame of when I could get it, they would get my business. There is no customer loyalty yet since…I haven’t been given the chance to be their customer.
I say this because I know I’m not the only one who this is true for, it’s probably the case with most of us on the hitbox waiting list.
The reason that no one else can make a cases or replacement panels with this layout is because the HitBox guys have patented the layout. There was a guy who was offering a plexi panel replacement with the hitbox layout but he had to stop because the layout is now officially the intellectual property of HitBox. And honestly my customer loyalty is there because they come up with this layout. If you are using this layout, they should be getting paid for it. I mean yea people can make their own for personal use and the Hitbox guys have said they are understanding and don’t mind people making their own and are glad that people are liking their creation enough to make their own. But it would be illegal for someone else to swoop in and start making these for people, and it it’s a dick move to sweep the leg out from under a started from scratch business that is offering some innovation. I’m completely against someone doing this even though I want a HitBox because it would give the business that Hitbox deserves to someone that doesn’t deserve it. That person would be leeching business off of someone else’s work. I don’t think it’s fair to punish a little business because they got more demand than they were expecting and were unable to keep up. And honestly they aren’t that far behind in orders. The biggest reason people are waiting on them to make more HitBox controllers is because they are waiting on Akihabarashop to get the PS360+ pcbs out so that they can offer hitboxes for xbox 360 users or people who want a HitBox that works on both systems. So they can’t give people a solid date when they will be able to have them in because Per from Akihabarashop hasn’t given them anything concrete yet. Another big problem is people like XxJosxX here who doesn’t want to wait for one, and would give away their intellectual property rights to someone else who could provide him with a product because he is impatient. He cares not for the right people getting the credit they deserve. He cares for getting what he wants when he wants it. But consumers have always been fickle as hell and there have always been low-life businesses willing to swoop in and make money of someone else’s work. That’s is why there are things like patents, to legally insure that the people who deserve the credit and business for what they created, get it.
How exactly do you patent this? I honestly can’t see much recourse a person would have selling something similar.
It’s just a panel with buttons on it any person with any electrical skill can replicate. I’m not saying this is something I would do ( sell it for profit, but I will be building my own).
I also find it very hard to believe this is a concept solely created by hitbox and patented by that company.
And the whole “scum bag businesses” come in and duplicate the idea is being wrong. I surely hope you don’t any TEs or HRAP joysticks as essentially they are just ripping off stock joysticks no?
It is not the consumers job to ensure a business gets its fair dues. Business is supply and demand. HitBox has created a demand, but have not supplied - or set a timeline for when they will supply.
If you can’t meet the supply, someone else will. The demand is to high to just let this die out. If hitbox had these available and madcatz offered an alternative that had the quality of the TE’s right now, I’d purchase a hitbox - even if the hitbox was priced higher.
But if madcatz had this said stickless stick available right now and hitbox did not, I’d purchase one and I’d enjoy it.
I went into the lab on 360 version. It’s got to be either online lag, difference between seimitsu and cherry switches, or possibly what you mentioned. I practiced my link combos in the lab, and landed 20 in a row without even thinking about it.
<shrug> I haven’t done testing for AE yet, but SSFIV on Xbox with composite out has slightly different timing that SSFIV on Xbox with VGA out, so it would be surprising if the different platforms didn’t also have some variation. Also, be aware that less input lag means that the game seems slower.
I have a problem with some of these posts about people not respecting hotbox and making their own for personal use or for profit…they made a product and it has an obvious demand…they are full on orders and they haven’t met the demand with what they can push out in production…they have a budget and seems like they are at capacity for orders I would call that a win…it was not the consumers that made the business decision to use certin components that is delaying more production it was the company…why should anyone wait for a product that someone else can produce? We make sticks with vewlix designs…astro city…mk button layouts… This is the same…the case isn’t identical…some players such as myself prefer 30mm over the 24mm they use… There are similarities but hit box is in the same boat as madcatz and hori… You will get other people that will offer similar products…
I was there to see the product in person when they debut it at SCR. I tried it again at revlations… Great product but I wanted something a little different to fit my comfort level… I even went a more respectful route and shot them a pm about making one of my own.what I am getting at is with this community we are all about customization and getting what in your eyes is a perfect controller for play… don’t hate on people with different variation of the hitbox…its what we do…it helps keep a demand for that style…it helps keep a company see what their consumers would want in a product…okay…off my soapbox…i apologize I usually don’t rant…i think I need coffee haha…
If that was the case every custom stick on this forum would be bad form… Who gets upset about vewlix patterns…astro city patterns… Marketing something and getting a positive response is great… I just see some posts crying about how its not fair that it was used by other builders and it should only be a monopoly… if they don’t buy the brand name it should be looked down upon…people forget that regardless of who designed it…they weren’t able to keep up with the demand some one else always picks up that slack…competition is good…no one is saying something is better because its still new… Why frown upon people that get things done their way…
I just wanted to post that I’m in the process of working with a blank PCB like the ones you get from radio shack. I managed to get it to work a few times to prevent SOCD. I’ll update once I reach 100% reliability. Basically a cheap board that goes between 360 board and buttons. I just haven’t had the time to sit down with it like I want to.
I think we know from years of watching electronics companies copy each other that you need only make minor variations on an established design. Mad Catz surely isn’t paying Taito to use the Vewlix layout. It isn’t the Vewlix layout, it’s just very similar.
There’s lots of prior art on “keyboard sticks” or “button boxes”, even ones that used the thumb for up (T as opposed to inverted T layouts). Where they might have something is in a layout designed specifically to put ‘jump’ in a place accessible to both thumbs during play. This is really the crux of the hitbox layout and what makes it interesting and sets it apart IMO. I don’t know of any prior art on that, and they might be granted a patent based around that feature.
