POLL: Consumer Accessory Purchasing

[Dangerboy]

Hey All,

I've been presented with a unique opportunity, and needed some honest input.

I need to know what you look for when shopping for a New Controller. Specifically, what part of the PACKAGING - not the actual controller - attracts your attention to look at the item in the first place?

Please understand this is strictly about the box / packaging. I have no control (haha, pun...) over the product, but I do have control over the cardboard around it.

All I ask is to choose a poll choice and leave feedback below. Thanks!

Jason

[Porksta]

I only buy Microsoft wireless controllers, so color is all that matters to me. I have black, white, dragon, and am looking for a new one.

[Misto]

Hmm, well since I'm big into product packaging/logo design, I'd have to pick the first choice. If the packaging looks bad or has a poor/confusing design I usually don't buy that product unless I know its reliable.

If I'm thinking about buying a controller that I've never used before, the packaging is the first thing I see, so it better leave a good first impression.

[BHvrd]

Bells and Whistles. If it don't have the features i'm looking for it's game over. Even if it looks cool, i'll take an ugly controller with the features I need.

[BetaWolf47]

It's gotta do something that first-party controllers don't (i.e. be cheaper, have extra features, print money, etc.)

[Leo_A]

None of the above, I buy first party controllers. Packaging doesn't enter the equation.

[Gameguy]

I need to know what you look for when shopping for a New Controller. Specifically, what part of the PACKAGING - not the actual controller - attracts your attention to look at the item in the first place?

Please understand this is strictly about the box / packaging. I have no control (haha, pun...) over the product, but I do have control over the cardboard around it.
So you just want to know what gets me to look at the packaging, not buy the product?

That's simple then, make the packaging bright with a ton of spastic colours/bright big text and I'll look at it/read what it says. Big pictures would help too(I look at bad packaging because it's interesting). It won't make me buy it, I'll only buy something after doing research beforehand and specifically looking for it regardless of packaging. Especially with controllers since most 3rd party ones are terrible, usually I avoid 3rd party controllers unless they're dirt cheap.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I do not like blister packaging!!! FUUUUUUUuUuUuUUuuuuuuu....
3 hours of meatball surgery, and you're left with a loose accessory, possibly a sliced digit or two. You can never really save a blister pack. And even if you could, what would be the point? They're unattractive by nature.

Prefer a box that is reusable for storage and looks good for display. A normal rectangular/square box so it stacks with other boxes without playing Life-Sized Topple... Some outstanding existing examples I can point out;
-360/PS3 Marvel vs Capcom Arcade Stick box
-PS2/Xbox Street Fighter Anniversary Control Pad boxes
On the simple side;
-Hori GBA Player Control Pad box

[Mr Mort]

For me, being able to see the entire (or most of) controller through the packaging is a must.
Aside from that, a list of features clearly displayed on the front is the next thing that catches my attention.

[portnoyd]

I do not like blister packaging!!! FUUUUUUUuUuUuUUuuuuuuu....
3 hours of meatball surgery, and you're left with a loose accessory, possibly a sliced digit or two. You can never really save a blister pack. And even if you could, what would be the point? They're unattractive by nature.

Bolded for empenisis.

[Oobgarm]

I do not like blister packaging!!! FUUUUUUUuUuUuUUuuuuuuu....
3 hours of meatball surgery, and you're left with a loose accessory, possibly a sliced digit or two. You can never really save a blister pack. And even if you could, what would be the point? They're unattractive by nature.

Underlined for emphasis.

[monkeychemist]

very interesting, while it may be too early to tell, it seems like no one category stands out...

[maxlords]

I pretty much ONLY buy first party peripherals without exception, so the packaging is irrelevant.

That being said....I'd think that the package design would be the most important to the AVERAGE consumer. To me....probably a list of specific functions (preferrably unique ones).

[Berserker]

Your poll allows for multiple choices, so I checked the following:

-The biggest feature! Is it turbo, is it dancey?
-What's it best used for? (Specific Game Names on box, etc)
-Bells and Whistles! (Is it corded, wireless, bluetooth...)
-What works with it? (First party accessory compatibility, etc)

Really, what I look for is a clear, large visual depiction of the item (if it's in a box), and a clear, concise description of what it does.

Everything else gets filtered out.

For a third-party controller, I'm also looking for what added features it has that first-party controllers don't. In looking at a third-party option, I'm effectively entertaining the notion of leaving the relative stability and predictability of first-party offerings behind for something a little different. Why should I be doing this? Give me some convincing reasons.

Aside from that, the rest is just a matter of providing information - visual and textual. It's probably a tough balance you'll have to strike, because if you overload it with information then peoples' eyes will simply glaze over and they'll filter it out, and if it's too short and vague then people will feel like they're being BS'd and filter it out.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck.

[Mayhem]

Generally I only buy first party controllers too, unless it's something specific such as the MadCatz stick for SF4 that came out. So, to me, on the packaging, I'd like to see what the product looks like and a rundown of what it offers.


I do not like blister packaging!!! FUUUUUUUuUuUuUUuuuuuuu....
3 hours of meatball surgery, and you're left with a loose accessory, possibly a sliced digit or two. You can never really save a blister pack. And even if you could, what would be the point? They're unattractive by nature.

Added what-nots for emphasis... I hate blister packaging!

[duffmanth]

Like others here, I only buy first party controllers. So packaging doesn't really come into the equation. What I don't like is paying almost $60 for a controller after taxes that probably costs 20 cents to manufacture. Controllers don't hold up like they use to either, I can remember throwing my old NES controller at the wall and nothing would break. These cheapass Sony controllers, one launching at the wall and they explode everywhere. And opening the packaging, geez!!!!

[Robocop2]

I don't really buy many accessories outside of what I need to play a game and prefer like many; first party accessories if possible. The AM controllers all seem to be more cheaply made than first party items. I did consider buying that SFIV pad but only for my Genesis collection since it so closely resembled the 6 button pad (to me) and I thought it would be nice for a retro feel. I havent done it yet though since I just don't want to spend 50 bucks on a controller for one game.

[boatofcar]

Hmm, well since I'm big into product packaging/logo design, I'd have to pick the first choice. If the packaging looks bad or has a poor/confusing design I usually don't buy that product unless I know its reliable.

If I'm thinking about buying a controller that I've never used before, the packaging is the first thing I see, so it better leave a good first impression.

This.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Hey All,

I've been presented with a unique opportunity, and needed some honest input.

I need to know what you look for when shopping for a New Controller. Specifically, what part of the PACKAGING - not the actual controller - attracts your attention to look at the item in the first place?

Please understand this is strictly about the box / packaging. I have no control (haha, pun...) over the product, but I do have control over the cardboard around it.

All I ask is to choose a poll choice and leave feedback below. Thanks!

Jason

I look for packaging that does not scream "knock-off." It needs to look like an official controller for that system; like maybe the same color scheme as the first party equipment that is sold for that system. If it says Made in China then I tend to stay away from it. Related to that, the language on the packaging should not have any errors in it, because that screams "knock-off" as well.

Pictures of the controller being used on the system are better than just showing the controller by itself. I need to associate the product with the system.

[buzz_n64]

Make it look official even if it isn't. People need convincing when choosing a 3rd party controller rather than a 1st party because they're usualy on the fence about it, trying to save some money. On the front of the box, give the best features in a semi-flashy form.

[DefaultGen]

Clean design on the front (Just showing the thing itself and name/function) will draw me to it, then all the details on the back. So long as I look at it, I don't need things like the bells and whistles right on the front, I can read the fine print!

[BetaWolf47]

Make it look official even if it isn't. People need convincing when choosing a 3rd party controller rather than a 1st party because they're usualy on the fence about it, trying to save some money. On the front of the box, give the best features in a semi-flashy form.

Ugh, I personally hate it when they do that. There's controllers going around that look exactly like the Gamecube, NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers they're based off, except there's no system logo on them. That, and they have bad build quality, dpad, buttons, and a ridiculously short cord. It makes it that much harder to sort through the garbage to find the treasure.

[Dangerboy]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I've started the process with the company now.