“PRESS ANY BUTTON”

[DailyCalmSpirit]

This is, maybe the dumbest pet peeve I have in games, but, I need to know why this is a thing.

If the title screen of your game tells me to "PRESS ANY BUTTON" and then, per your instruction, I do *indeed* press any button, would logic not dictate that ANY button press, regardless of the one I chose, then prompt the next screen?

If you mean "press a face button" then say "press the A/X button." Why the bait and switch? Why do this to me, and the rest of your audience? We demand consistency.

I know this is dumb and means nothing but, I can't help it. Developers: please help me understand.

 

[Solid SOAP]

If I'm told to press "any" button, I will always opt for something like a trigger or select or something.

 

[nsilvias]

i played a game the other day that said press any button but only reacted once i pressed one of the face buttons. left me very confused

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

I always try the triggers, bumpers and L3/R3 on those lol

 

[Kadzork]

I press the power button.

I don't finish many of my games.

 

[Keyser S]

"Press Start"

*presses A / X*

 

[OneThirtyEight]

I always try R3, L3 or the touch pad when this promt shows up to see of it really is any button

 

[Cort]

 

[Mindfreak191]

Oh I was gonna make a similar topic because of Dying Light 2, it's just ridiculous how many times you have to "press a to confirm" to just get to the main menu.

 

[ThisThingIsUseful]

Click to shrink...

Damn right.

 

[Plinkerton]

"Where's the any key?"

 

[Nano-Nandy]

Better than the "Press L + R on Switch games...but you can press any button anyway...but sometimes you can't ".

 

[Kinthey]

 

[eso76]

I am more annoyed by games asking me to press a specific button but actually you can press any button anyway.

 

[Katmeister]

I miss the days of saying "press start" instead of this "any" button business.

 

[DailyCalmSpirit]

i played a game the other day that said press any button but only reacted once i pressed one of the face buttons. left me very confused

Click to shrink...

Elden Ring inspired this thread.

I am more annoyed by games asking me to press a specific button but actually you can press any button anyway.

Click to shrink...

Yep, same thing just in reverse.

 

[Tom Nook]

To start press any key. The Simpsons

If you're a fan of The Simpsons and looking for some awesome merchandise, check out this curated selection on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF...

youtu.be

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Devil's advocate: Triggers, bumpers, thumbsticks, and touchpads are called triggers, bumpers, thumbsticks, and touchpads, not "buttons."

Yes, they are all literally types of buttons. But linguistically, the "buttons" on a controller are commonly understood as the traditional flat faced inputs. This is why "press any button" usually only accommodates these inputs. Because these are what we refer to as buttons. This is what they are referring to too.

 

[Kasai]

I always click L3 or R3 just to see if its really "any button". Oddly enough, its not accepted most of thr time.

 

[mORTEN]

I press the power button.

I don't finish many of my games.

Click to shrink...

Ho hooo!
Just the right timing for me with that one.
Thanks for that :)

 

[Jonathan Lanza]

Back in my day, you knew you were playing a Japanese game when you pressed X and it exited the menu.

 

[Unknownlight]

Better than the "Press L + R on Switch games...but you can press any button anyway...but sometimes you can't ".

Click to shrink...

"Press L + R so we can check if you're playing with a solo Joy-Con, but if you're not feel free to press some other button, and we may-or-may-not accept that" is too long I guess.

 

[Why would you do that?]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who pushes in a thumb stick or a shoulder button when asked to press "any" button. It often works for me, though.

 

[DailyCalmSpirit]

Devil's advocate: Triggers, bumpers, thumbsticks, and touchpads are called triggers, bumpers, thumbsticks, and touchpads, not "buttons."

Yes, they are all literally types of buttons. But linguistically, the "buttons" on a controller are commonly understood as the traditional flat faced inputs. This is why "press any button" usually only accommodates these inputs. Because these are what we refer to as buttons. This is what they are referring to too.

Click to shrink...

Ah that's a fair point.

However, take Elden Ring, none of the dpad buttons work. It's just ABXY.

 

[Hero of Legend]

To start press any key. The Simpsons

If you're a fan of The Simpsons and looking for some awesome merchandise, check out this curated selection on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF...

youtu.be

Click to shrink...

See, it was the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie for me, which I have to assume got the joke from this. LOL

 

[mopinks]

Ah that's a fair point.

However, take Elden Ring, none of the dpad buttons work. It's just ABXY.

Click to shrink...

if I'm not counting the triggers as buttons I'm definitely not counting the dpad either

 

[The Albatross]

Lol I do R3 and L3 which rarely work.

Should submit these as a bug bounty

 

[SteveWinwood]

Click to shrink...

ive never seen the non edited version of this comic

 

[Spring-Loaded]

ive never seen the non edited version of this comic

Click to shrink...

Same

Glad to finally see it though.

 

[show me your skeleton]

i thought this stuff was codified by the platform holders and was one of the ways to fail certification.

 

[Ashhong]

I always try the triggers, bumpers and L3/R3 on those lol

Click to shrink...

Why would anybody willingly press L3/R3??? Unless it's just to test the prompt lol

 

[Edward850]

i thought this stuff was codified by the platform holders and was one of the ways to fail certification.

Click to shrink...

Nope. It just exists as a standard way to identify the dominate gamepad or device the game should be reading. Cert doesn't care if it's there or not.

 

[show me your skeleton]

Nope. It just exists as a standard way to identify the dominate gamepad or device the game should be reading. Cert doesn't care if it's there or not.

Click to shrink...

huh. interesting, i thought i read microsoft were real particular about what language/button to indicate on these things. thanks for clarifying!

 

[Edward850]

huh. interesting, i thought i read microsoft were real particular about what language/button to indicate on these things. thanks for clarifying!

Click to shrink...

It may have been at one point with the older generation of consoles, however by the time we started doing console ports no such rules seemed to exist anymore. There are rules about how you mark your prompts (any prompts) however, but that's usually involving language and clarity, using symbols, etc.

 

[Desma]

Nope. It just exists as a standard way to identify the dominate gamepad or device the game should be reading. Cert doesn't care if it's there or not.

Click to shrink...

Always like booting up an EDF game on PC and seeing a big 'ol "YOU WILL USE A GAME PAD" or "YOU WILL USE MOUSE AND KEYBOARD" after the Press Any Button prompt.

I don't even try changing methods halfway through, I'm too scared to try it

 

[KanameYuuki]

It makes me pretty angry to have that screen and then I proceed to press any non face button and it doesn't work, liars! the only one I remember worked touchpad / LR12, Sticks, etc is Nier Automata.

 

[Yossarian]

I usually press the ones on my shirt or trousers.

 

[Achtung]

If you want to see thousands of these in one place I run a youtube channel just for title screens.. PressStartOnce.com

Never earned a dime but I enjoy sharing when I get a chance.. been uploading for over 10 years.

 

[L Thammy]

Click to shrink...

wow, darksydephil looks a lot different nowadays

 

[The Argus]

Click to shrink...

As already posted, The Simpsons did this. 3 years before StarCraft.

 

[Deleted member 93841]

"Press Start"

*presses A / X*

Click to shrink...

Hey, if it works, it works.

 

[Pyro]

I just miss "Press Start". Why did we have to get rid of Start/Select?

 

[Man Called Aerodynamics]

"Press Start"

*presses A / X*

Click to shrink...

I don't really get title screens anyway.

"Press A to confirm that you want to play the game"

Uh, yeah, that's why I'm here. What else would I want to do.

 

[Fat4all]

im counting this as an elden ring thread

op, youre on the list now

 

[KtotheRoc]

 

[Efejota]

I just miss "Press Start". Why did we have to get rid of Start/Select?

Click to shrink...

It's still weird to think that the Switch doesn't have them. Specially because the + button looks like the dpad.

 

[AlgusUnderdunk]

On the Switch I just boop that touch screen three times. WAKE UP. Boop boop boop.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

However, take Elden Ring, none of the dpad buttons work. It's just ABXY.

Click to shrink...

Why would dpad directions count as buttons? Should pressing left or up on an analog stick count?

 

[Giga Man]

Just tell me to press the Start button like the good ol' days.

Oh wait, there is no Start button anymore...