5th Cell on Scribblenauts' control scheme, and more insights
by JC Fletcher 
{ Nov 16th 2009 at 4:30PM } 
"We knew this was going to take a big hit from reviewers," Tringali said, "but we could only spend a limited amount of work on it. We discussed a secondary D-pad control option midway through development only to come to the conclusion it would take a single person 3-4 weeks to integrate it. On our self-funded schedule, that route was not an option."
Tringali said that to free up time to tweak the controls, another feature, like online connectivity, might have had to be lost. But when those decisions came up, it was already too late.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DarkNessBear @ Nov 16th 2009 2:40PM
Wish they went with, "take out the online connectivity" for some half decent controls. The controls basically ruin the game and caused me to sell it... too bad, I had so many high hopes for it. And typing in Good Controls did not seem to work either...
KaBob799 @ Nov 16th 2009 5:15PM
I still don't get the big deal with the controls, I barely ever had problems with them.
smcn @ Nov 16th 2009 5:26PM
A lot of people don't finish reading paragraphs apparently.
"But when those decisions came up, it was already too late."
Succulent @ Nov 16th 2009 5:28PM
It has online connectivity?
Guess that thought pretty much sums up what they shoulda tossed and what they shoulda put in.
waynski1457 @ Nov 16th 2009 4:35PM
While I still really love the game, the online connectivity is pretty mundane. Good controls would have fixed every single problem I have with the game.
copa @ Nov 16th 2009 4:36PM
I agree, I'd toss out online connectivity in a heartbeat to fix the controls. That is just a poor design decision by the developers.
JXCgunrunna @ Nov 16th 2009 4:52PM
Did not know this game even had online connectivity and I have played about 2 hours of it. Then I got Kingdom Hearts. I enjoy that a lot more.
Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Nov 16th 2009 4:36PM
I love the game. But the controls make me cry on some of the more frantic stages where precision is needed.
Ghen @ Nov 16th 2009 4:39PM
After a innovative gameplay idea, controls should be the absolute most necessary part of the development cycle. I don't care if it takes you an extra month and you can't make the mortgage payments. Heck, some games don't even bother to innovate but if you get the controls down the game will sell like hotcakes.
ComicShaman @ Nov 16th 2009 6:19PM
Short-term thinking in action. I see it all too often in my own line of work, as I suspect a lot of people do.
This game had a lot of positive buzz going for it. I get the feeling that reviewers were primed to love it from the exposure it had at game shows and such. For a new IP, getting positive reviews is especially important. It's a shame they couldn't find some way to make time to address a fundamental design issue.
Warlock @ Nov 16th 2009 4:40PM
This game *had* online connectivity? News to me... I would have rather had D-pad controls :P
WINterfang ( Now with the power to piss you off ) @ Nov 16th 2009 4:43PM
I though Gameplay is on of the first things you check on the game, so they had a lot of time to get that fixed, the fact that they choose to fix that later shows how much they care more about a having the cool idea instead of a game that works.
NForever @ Nov 16th 2009 6:23PM
Seriously, who cares about online conectivity if you can't even play the game due to the controls. I have it and definitely like it but have no use for the online bit cuz it uses friend codes, a server that just let you upload and download puzzles at will would have been a lot more amazing, but I would have really appreciated some d pad lovin.
Toasty Toaster Man @ Nov 16th 2009 4:43PM
The controls take getting used to, but the game is still awesome.
MLS @ Nov 16th 2009 4:46PM
I suppose if this was a game I'd hunch over and play for an hour, I'd rip my hair out. But I haven't really had much of a problem with the controls. When I do, I'm still at that level of "oh no ahh oh ho ho I died, lol" and not all that fussed about it.
I attribute all of that I only play this game for a few minutes at a time. Like during commercials of a football game. Still having lots of fun.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 16th 2009 4:48PM
I can't play DS games without d-pad support. The stylus just doesn't work for me.
Mogster @ Nov 16th 2009 6:05PM
You find it hard touching things?
NForever @ Nov 16th 2009 6:29PM
"Touching Feels Good"
coffee_elf @ Nov 16th 2009 4:59PM
Gotta agree with everyone else. I was really looking forward to this game, and I think it's really impressive technically, but the controls killed it for me.
And yeah, I didn't even know the game *had* an online component. They really made a bad decision here, imo.
Jack Tretton @ Nov 16th 2009 5:19PM
So 5th Cell opted for "Who-will-miss-it?" online connectivity in lieu of vastly better controls, something Mr. Tringali acknowledges the game needed. I can't wait to see how the company will undermine the quality of its next title.
Preston @ Nov 16th 2009 5:22PM
Go figure, I never knew they had online connectivity either. Then again I never bothered getting a wireless adapter for my DS so I couldn't make use of it if I wanted to.
PedoJokerBear [Planeteer | Power of Gall Bladder] @ Nov 16th 2009 5:23PM
i love 5th cell but common sense would say that the d-pad was a better control scheme in the first place...
GewurztraminerX @ Nov 16th 2009 5:54PM
Once you realize that you're in control of the environment, not necessarily Maxwell, it kinda falls into place. But no, it's not perfect.
CH3BURASHKA @ Nov 16th 2009 6:37PM
I ain't no computer d00d, but it would've taken three weeks to implement d-pad controls? Seriously?
Giroro @ Nov 16th 2009 6:48PM
When you release a game with broken controls, you are releasing a BROKEN GAME.
D-pad controlls have been standard for more than 20 years, there is a reason for that, THEY WORK. I mean, you have to go pretty far out of your way to mess up the controls for a basic 2-D game like this.
Controls are the most basic thing in a game. Period. D-pad YOU MAKE TIME TO FIX THEM, YOU FIND BUDGET!
Damn you 5th Cell, damn you Joseph Tringali, and DAMN YOU MAXWELL!
I want my money back.
Lurkero @ Nov 16th 2009 6:53PM
I didn't even know the game had online features. Well, that definitely wasn't worth it. Dpad would have made things a l lot better
Martin @ Nov 16th 2009 7:58PM
That all stinks of laziness to me. 3-4 weeks to implement standard d-pad controls? I can't imagine what kind of antiquated code-base they're operating under for it to take that long.
Meh @ Nov 17th 2009 9:06AM
Note that a week after the release there was an Action Replay cheat that added basic d-pad movement.
lnternetjesus @ Nov 16th 2009 8:04PM
3-4 weeks to do what the greats at Nintendo did over 20 years ago
shameful
SaintStryfe @ Nov 17th 2009 4:04AM
I still loved it. I love it even more that there'll be more ground to cover in a sequel.
Mr Mobius - the wandering artist @ Nov 17th 2009 1:54PM
So not a good idea to go ahead and buy this then? I've just finished Layton and was planning to get this after.