Cocktail control panel opinions wanted!!!

[AlanS17]

Which of these 2 looks like a better layout for cocktail control panels? The mini buttons are the start buttons. The stick is a t-stick plus.

My brother likes the first more, but I think I like the second more. His issue with the second layout is that nobody will ever use the 2 buttons on the left. My issue with the first one is that it's boring and looks like everyone else's. Plus I don't think I'll ever even need a third button, anyways. I just threw it on there because I had the room for it.

What do ya'll think? I'd like to place my order tonight, but that might not be reasonable. We shall see. Keep in mind this is for control panels for a vertically oriented cocktail table.

P.S. The 2 buttons on the left in the second pictures are redundant, mirrored buttons from the right side. They aren't unique buttons. It allows for right and left playing.

[Q*Bert_OP]

top one

[Apollo]

bottom one

[AlanS17]

So it's one and one. Ya'll aren't exactly making it any easier! 

[Kremmit]

I lean to the bottom, but prefer the start buttons on the left.

[Jabba]

I like the bottom one due to the fact that both a left handed and right handed person could play, but, I think it would limit the number of games you could play. Do you have people in mind who will be able to use both sides? If not, then I'd go with #1 simply because more games available.

[AlanS17]

Well I've already determined that there won't be any games I'll be playhing with more than 2 buttons. It's already going to be vertically oriented. That greatly reduces the number of available games. Second, it's going to be primarily for classics. That cuts out even more.

[AlanS17]

Maybe I should have made this a poll. Oh well. It's probably too late now.

Anybody else have any opinions? Anybody have any other ideas aside from the twi I have listed?

[dweebs0r]

Top.

[AlanS17]

Here's a third one. I know it's not straight but I'm late for work and I threw it together in paintbrush. it's a conceptual thing. The 4 buttons would likely be closer together and centered better.

[stevodevo]

Top...but remove the 3rd button and put in a spinner!

[MustardTent]

I'd have to agree with Kremmit.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I would go bottom, but I would at least WIRE the four buttons independently.

That will let you use them for movement keys for 2-way shooters.

[whammoed]

Well if you only need two buttons and thats all the controls you want I think its a no brainer, go with the ambidextrous layout.

[JoyMonkey]

As soon as I fired up my cocktail at a party for the first time I had people complain that the buttons should be on the other side (I have a layout like your Option #1 and I don't think there are any games on it that use the third button).

So I vote for Option #2 - because a lot of people like the buttons on the left side, apparently.

[AlanS17]

Yeah, it seems natural for a person that's played alot of arcade games to just grab a joystick with their left hand. But for someone without that experience, I can totally see them thinking, "I'm gonna grab that stick with my right hand since I'm right handed."

Plus having the joystick in the middle has the added bonus of not knocking your knuckles on the side while playing a right-handed game of Ms Pac Man (like my brother does).