Why the left hand on Arcades?

[Jose]

Why is/was the left hand used in all arcades? Was it cause most people use the right hand, and like that it would be more difficult and they would lose more and spend more money? Or was there any justification for that? Well not that one couldn't cross hands, but this stupid question just poped in my head... One thing I allways liked about some games was the fact that they developed reflexes and precision... Or maybe just forget it!... I think I'm gonna press submit anyway..8-)

[GadgetMaster]

Aargh! :pissed:

You shouldn't have hit submit!  :-P  ;-)  

BTW, which hand are you using for the mouse? Was it a right handed left click or a left handed left click when you pressed submit  :lol:

[Jose]

Right handed left click 8-)

[whabang]

I'm left-handed.

[Vincent]

Jose wrote:
Right handed left click 8-)

So it wasn't a left-handed right-click then? :-P

To answer your question though, it might be due to the fact that most people are right-handed and they use the right hand for precision timing, like pressing the fire button at the right time :-)

Just like a right-handed guitarist uses his left hand to move about on the frets and the right to play the notes.

Or maybe it's just me who thinks that way ;-)

[MAD]

Hoya!

Yes and maybe the fact that you need to press the fire button far more faster than moving the joystick... ;-)

Which leads to a topic I have had in mind since a couple of weeks...

Be funky

M A D

[weirdami]

I've seen people cross hands to play video games. I've also seen ambidextrous video games (buttons on both sides). You can answer your own question by trying either of those.

[FluffyMcDeath]

Left hand, joystick for gross movement.
Right hand, buttons for fine motor control.

Robotron ... Both hands joysticks.

[Waccoon]

Heh.  I'm a racing fan, myself.  Both hands on the wheel!

Just wondering, do racing arcade games in Europe have the shifters on the left?  I can't imagine shifting with my left hand.

[adolescent]

Always made more sense to me.  I would do the left handed mod on my Atari controllers back in the day because it felt better.

[Jope]

Waccoon wrote:
Heh.  I'm a racing fan, myself.  Both hands on the wheel!

Just wondering, do racing arcade games in Europe have the shifters on the left?  I can't imagine shifting with my left hand.

In the United Kingdom, they sometimes do, but the rest of Europe drives on the same side of the road as you guys. ;-)

[Methuselas]

FluffyMcDeath wrote:

Robotron ... Both hands joysticks.

'The human race is inefficient and therefore, must be destroyed.'

I wasted MANY a quarter on that game back when, no matter what you do, it would NEVER end.  I miss those games. Video games nowadays, suck. :lol:

[BlackIce]

I've been wondering this same thing, myself!  I recently have been playing the heck out of some of the older arcade games, like the ones found on Namco's 5 in 1 arcade, and there is no way I can play games like Galaga with my left hand on the joystick.  I have a gamecube and would love to get an arcade style joystick, but can't find one thats ambedextrous.