Why do metal pads have control boxes?

psisarah · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Toronto

I know this probably sounds like a stupid question, but why do metal pads have control boxes? Yes, I know that they're for the start/select buttons, but why don't manufactuers, IE CF and RedOctane just build the buttons into the pad like a soft pad?
_________________

j1ng · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:17 pm Post subject:

Id like to know that too...
_________________

My SM Machine|Thread of the year winnar.

Heffenfeffer · Trick Member Joined: 22 Apr 2002 Location: Las Cruces, NM

Well, probably because the manufacturers want them to be easily replaceable if one goes bad (which tends to happen more often than one thinks.) Thus, they can sell you a $15 control box if it goes awry instead of another $100+ pad, something you'd be a lot less bitter about having to pay for.
_________________

"If something should happen to me, all the world's women will grieve!" - Edgar Rene Figaro

"Your charisma exceeds that of mortal men. Many would lay down their lives for you." - Fall-From-Grace

Flazh · Trick Member Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Location: Leeds, England

Can you imagine shipping out a pad, then finding an electronic fault... okay, time to arrange the super expensive shipping back at the cost of the manufacturer! Control boxes definately..

mouseish · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:23 pm Post subject:

This is a good question, but alas...it has been tended to

This topic is now about the Ultimate Cheeseburger...

discuss..

Marq(uistadorous) · Trick Member Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Location: Arvada, CO

Wakka Lakka · Trick Member Joined: 12 Mar 2005

In addition to the (correct) reason about being less expensive to replace a control box instead of the whole pad, they sell the things in multiple markets. Most pads that use d-subs are just a set of simple switches with a common ground. Afterburner, Blueshark, and every TX pad work this way. This means that a control box can make a pad compatible with any game system, even one tht has yet to be invented.