I'm sure many of you will agree that the 360 has one of the best traditional controllers ever designed.  It's only real weakness is the d-pad which obviously needs an overhaul but what else could Microsoft do to take the controller to even new heights next generation?

One change I'd really like to see is the replacement of the thumbsticks with something much faster and more accurate.  A trackball immediately came to mind and Googling it I found that someone selling a modified 360 controller with a trackball:

Here's a like to a video of someone using it here:  http://www.trackballcontroller.com/

Of course I'd like to see the other thumbstick replaced as well since it would be awkward using a thumbstick with a trackball so I think replacing the other thumbstick with a ball as well (one that is self-centering - think of a thumbstick but much closer to the controller and a little more sensitive.

As for the d-pad why not replace it with a number pad? 

A small 9 digit number pad located where the d-pad is now would be far more intuitive for menu navigation, choosing weapons, and for making hotkeys than a d-pad ever could be.

Anyways so what do you guys think?  Would you rather see a traditional controller, a Wii-like controller, or something else?  Do you think the changes I've suggested would be good or can you see problems with them?  Lets design the perfect videogame controller.

just change the d-pad,,,,,and add a screen lolz.

Even with a new D-pad the controller would still have the same limitations it has now.  For example if I want to use the controller to play a strategy game it's far from ideal and the developers of such games have to design them around the limitations of a traditional console controller.  I don't ever expect a console controller to rival a keyboard+mouse combination but it would be nice if it was at least good enough where the majority of gamers wouldn't find much of a difference.

Instead of putting numbers, why not put a trackpad... a small one. There's so much you could do with a small trackpad.

What? No one likes the trackball? That shit looks sick as hell to me.

As far as upgrades to the controller, I have the Razer Onza and I REALLY like the hyperesponse buttons. They make the buttons on the original 360 controller feel like complete shit.

- Fix the D-Pad.
- Add R4 and L4 buttons along the rear curvature of the handles. They wouldn't be called R4 and L4 though.
- Make the face buttons more flat.
- Add in motion control. Add a sensor on the remote so that you could aim using the entire controller as opposed to just the right analog stick.

That's about it really. Trackpad sounds interesting, but I've never experienced it to form an opinion of it. If it works better than an analog stick, then add it in I guess.

I would like to see

- A pad that is the same shape but can split in two,down the middle, through some sort of twist-lock mechanism or something. This would make it much more versatile in conjunction with Kinect. This way it can be used easily for both 'traditional' games and motion games.
- To support the idea above give it such things are accelerometers or Gyroscopes to up precision... however this may not be necessary depending upon the speed at which the next iteration of Kinect operates, because whilst it can very much do all of the things that those meters/sensors are able to do now the speed at which the systems communicate is insufficient.
- Give me back my White and Black buttons, in the previous Controller 'S' configuration, ontop of the shoulder buttons introduced for the 360.

As for the D-pad do whatever it takes to imrpove it, that being said I have never really cared about it enough to notice any of its insufficiencies i.e. I haven't a clue what the problem with it is, perhaps make it more substantial because it feels a little flimsy?

I really like the idea to make it split apart. A magnetic locking system would be good.
2 nunchucks that can join together, each with a built in rechargeable battery.

I like the idea of a track ball

Split it down the middle and add Motion Plus/Move functionality.