How much longer will analog sticks be relevent in gaming?

[cringer8]

your mother said:

Desroko said:
I'd like to see touch pads icontinued; I like how the iPhone is used without a stylus, for example. There wouldn't be a need for d-pads anymore, which seem clunkier as time goes by.

I dunno. Touch pads can be nice, but there are two major inconveniences that I can think of off the top of my head:

• Ever used a touchscreen-only remote control? They look slick and all, but you need to look at the screen to see which button you are pressing. With hard buttons (traditional remotes) you can feel the unique shapes and sizes of buttons which means you don't have to keep an eye on the remote in order to switch channels (which implies you take your eyes off the TV). Now put that into a gaming context and the problem is rather apparent.
• Just imagine trying to pull off a "shoryuken" with a touchscreen!

You could have raised bumps (like braille) forming a + sign on the pad.  It could serve as a guide.  Also, any control mechanism can be learned and mastered