The bad news is no North American release.

Microsoft has confirmed through Eurogamer that there’s a new 360 controller on the way that finally fixes the horribly broken d-pad.  While specifically designed for Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and Street Fighter IV, it will work with pretty much anything that needs the d-pad, such as Pac-Man Championship Edition.  Not only does the pad move more easily, it’s calibrated for 32 directions instead of the traditional 8, making for smoother transitions between direction changes.  On paper this sounds like the perfect fix for the one glaring issue with the 360’s controller.

So it’s really too bad, then, that this isn’t hitting the US, or even being released outside North America as anything other than a limited edition in an amazingly ugly green.  It’s not like MIcrosoft has a gaming service providing dozens of smaller titles that would benefit from the enhanced accuracy this would provide, after all.  And with Raiden Fighters Aces stranded in Japan and the likelihood of DoDonPachi DaiOuJou and Ketsui staying there too what possible use could we have for an improved d-pad?

Microsoft probably has its reasons for not bothering with a North American release of this controller, even in limited quantities.  They might even be good reasons that make perfect sense, although that seems highly unlikely.  The problem is that the 360 controller’s d-pad sucks.  It’s inaccurate and unresponsive, making any game that plays better using digital controls instantly less fun, and in a few cases not worth playing.  It’s a problem that needs to be fixed for good, rather than in a limited edition, and definitely not in such an exclusionary fashion.  This isn’t the product for the decades-long game of International Keep-Away the gaming companies love to play, although for once it’s not Europe getting the shaft.  The 360 deserves a perfected controller, and this isn’t the way to go about it.