Question for Leftys ???

[dfmaverick]

Hello all you Left-handed folks.

I'm in the design stage of the Control panel for a mini Space invaders cab for my nephews.

I was getting close to figuring out the CP when an astute person mentioned playability for lefty's.

Original thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,31697.0.html


Then it hit me....one of my nephews is left-handed. I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

My question is how important is it to have a CP tailored for you leftys?

Since a majority of arcade games are designed for the right-handed folks as are controllers for console games, are you more comfortable playing with a CP designed for right-handed or your natural left-handedness?

TIA for your input

[NoOne=NBA=]

That depends on what you mean by "tailored" for the left-handed.
I've found that most left-handed people adapt readily to whatever is in front of them.

As far as a CP goes, you'll be best off with the stick on the left, buttons on the right.
That's how MOST controls are, and actually puts RIGHT-handed people at a disadvantage by requiring them to use their off-hand to control the character on screen.

If you can work in buttons to both sides, it will give people a choice; but, if not, I'd got sticks to the left.

I do prefer to use the trackball with my left hand, given a choice.
That is more a function of the button pushing than anything though.
I push buttons faster, and can push them for a longer period of time without getting worn out, by using my right hand.

As far as my overall control choices go, I WORK with the mouse in my right hand, so that I can push all the key combos with my left hand while using the mouse.
I PLAY with the mouse in my left hand, so that I can use the 10-key part of the keyboard for all the other controls because it is much more ergonomic than the key part of the keyboard.
(Buttons are in straight lines, the zero falls dead under your thumb naturally, etc....)

[cholin]

Im left handed and I can use a computer normally with my right hand on the mouse perfectly.  I guess we do adopt to what's in front of us.  I don't know about your nephew, but for me, it is EASIER to use a natural arcade style with the joystick on the left and buttons on the right.

[mahuti]

As a left handed person...

There is ZERO importance to even considering left-handedness when designing a control panel.

Stick left. Buttons right. Most lefties are effectively ambidextrous... we worry less about what "hand" something is and just use it. Because we have to, we have become easy adapters. If you forced me to throw, bat, and golf right handed I might have a problem, but basically everything else that has never presented me with a left-handed option I have no problem with.

I wouldn't even put buttons on the left hand side... waste of time, space and money.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I wouldn't even put buttons on the left hand side... waste of time, space and money.

For a stick only CP, I would agree with this.
But if you force a RIGHTY to play Centipede, Missle Command or Tempest with the buttons on the right, you're going to hear nothing but complaints.

[Paul Olson]

As a left handed person...

There is ZERO importance to even considering left-handedness when designing a control panel.

I agree completely.

Paul

[dfmaverick]

Thanks for the input. 

It's just as I figured.

I'll just go with a standard layout rather than adding extra buttons for a lefty.

Thanks again.

[TOK]

Just piling on to mention that it isn't important. Hahuti's comments nailed it for me. Because most people are right handed, I've become proficient with using a mouse on the right side of a keyboard, even though I prefer it on the left.
I'm also able to use a PC flight stick (stick right, throttle left) without any problem.
I did my layout traditional Street Fighter style, no complaints from southpaws. 

[Rocky]

I'm a lefty and I played a lot of arcade games when they put buttons on both sides of the stick to give the player a choice.

When I built my CP, I used a symetrical design:

[DYNAGOD]

im a lefty, and after a lifetime in your right handed world, you tend to learn how to get along.
i wouldnt make any special amendments.
it will work jkust fine for everyone.

[Stingray]

Fight the power! I'm right handed and have always hated having the stick on the left and the buttons on the right. It's always seemed backwards to me. On my MAME cab the sticks are on the right and the buttons are on the left. I'm seriously considering building a new control panel for my NEO GEO MVS to swap the sticks to the right & buttons to the left. Do your own thing.

-S

[mahuti]

Yeah, do your own thing. You're right handed, you use the sticks in a right handed manner and like it... so don't arbitrarily change it. Only do the lefty thing if you're a weirdo like stingray

[tommy]

wow stingray id have to give up gaming if the joys were on the right, id have to playupside down on my head at that point    

[cholin]

Insanity:  Put the joys and controls on a small metal plate under the wood part so that it looks flush, but you can rotate it   Either way though, this is answered.