it's one of my favorites as well but I don't think stick placement had much to do with it.  It had the BEST handles of any controller that I've ever played with by far.  They are the only ones that seem made for human hands actually looking at it.  Also I liked the face button layout and how it had different shapes instead of the standard diamond layout.

Symetrical seems be the more natural for me. I've grown used to it since the PS1.

Edit: Wouldn't a poll have been easier read? Not to mention update?

That's only true if the thumbsticks are both your primary imputs.

Which they aren't.  The right stick is usually used for dick all except for camera control.

Having the primary control stick (left) and buttons at the natural place to put your thumbs makes the most sense.

now that i think about it, you're right.

i've used both the 360 Controller and WiiU pro controller since they have the same ergonomics, and i honestly didn't prefer one layout over the other :P

Symmetrical.

People can argue about ergonomics all they like but it's a stupid argument, asymmetrical means that for FPS/Shooters it's out and is stupid. Symetrical means for non-FPS/shooters it's out and stupid (where you move with right stick and attack with the buttons). That arguement is done and it's stupid. The reason symmetrical is better is not only for FPS (aligned controller with firing from shoulder buttons) but because of Tekken (or whatever your preferred fighter is) and a less extent arcade racers. Basically games that don't require the analog sticks.

No one uses Analog sticks for fighters if they have a controller, if you are using the analog stick, you're not playing it right. Due to the correct placement of the d-pad games like Tekken, Street Fighter and Dead or Alive, can be played with minimal effort and precision movement commands while it being perfectly aligned with the attack commands. For arcade racers buttons should be buttons (because you can slide easier from X/A (go button) to Square/X (brake) than you can triggers, and steering should be done with the d-pad.

Of course having a d-pad that works helps. Nintendo have had it perfect on the SNES, Sony has had the same great d-pad since the PS1 (new one looks changed, I don't liek it).

I prefere symmetric, but only because of the d-pad. With asymmetric sticks the d-pad and the buttons have to be asymmetric too and I don't like to use the dpad on that position for fighting games. For games that use only the sticks (basically the rest of the game genres), it doens't matter to me. But my vote goes to symmetric because of The King of Fighters...

Yeah, we got the same point on fighting games. Now, talking about the new d-pad on DS4, I actually think it will be better. It's based on Vita's one, with closer buttons and that is more confortable to do quick left-right or down-up in fighting games. Vita's d-pad is softer too, but I don't know if it's because of the smaller size or the DS4 will be like that too.

Fighting games are the perfect basis. There is a reason why the official Street Fighter 4 controllers released by Capcom had d-pads and not analog sticks.

I haven't used the Vita one so can't comment, my main concern from just looking is that it seems more raised and the design isn't as simplified but this might be all just presumption. Looking I presumed they tried to make it more thumb friendly at least.