The dual analog control method has been a prevalent component of game released in the past decade or so. With the advent of touch-capable devices like smartphones, some developers have tried replicating them on touchscreens. Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, however, thinks it's an idea that just doesn't fly.

"Dual-analog touch-screen controls do not work," he said in an interview with Play magazine. "They're fun for 15 seconds and then it’s just friction-burn."

Bleszinski points to Sony's Next Generation Portable as a much better touch-capable portable device compared to the iPhone and iPad simply because it has actual analog sticks.

"As much as I love iPad and iPhone gaming, I’m glad to see a portable that has actual buttons and dual analogue on it," he said. The NGP features a control layout similar to the one used on the PSP with the addition of an extra analog stick, a rear touchpad, and a capacitive touchscreen.

Bleszinski isn't the first Epic exec to sing the NGP's praises. Founder and vice president Mark Rein also said that the dual analogs are a major reason why playing on the NGP is such "a ridiculously compelling experience".

Epic has been ramping up support for the upcoming handheld, the first of which was the announcement that Unreal Engine 3 would support the PSP successor. Bleszinski also hinted that should the opportunity present itself, Epic games like Bulletsotrm could end up on the Sony handheld.

Via [Develop]

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