How often do you have to buy new controllers?

I ask because I usually have to buy around 1-2 controllers a year due to the ones I have always ceasing to function properly in some way (and for the record, I don't throw them around or abuse them, so I'm not sure why I always need to replace them). My brother, on the other hand, has had the same controller since 2007, which seems crazy.

What about you? Do you go through controllers a lot?

The controller that came with my 360 lasted 3 years. So I've only had to buy one other. Which has lasted me until now. Likewise my PS2 controller lasted like 5 years before it completely broke down. Needless to say I don't usually need to buy new controllers very often.

looking on wikipedia the limited edition controller I bought when it came out was released in october 2008, so that long i guess?

I can feel the d pad starting to go though, will need to get a replacement soon.

Every time a new Souls game comes out.

Still rocking all original 360/ps3/wii controllers. I bought a dual shock and second 360 controller, and that's about it.

Oh, now that I think about it, I had to buy a new Guitar Hero controller. Not that I tossed it in a fit of frustration or anything.

I replace my gaming mouse about once every year or two.

Usually at least once a year, if you use it every day then something will go eventually, the most common thing with 360 controllers for me has been one of the sticks leaning to one side which is a huge pain when playing shooters or driving games.

I had my original controller going strong since I got my first system (so around 2008?) I've bought others over time but not to replace previous ones.

My original PS3 controller I got with the system two years ago is still running strong. I've gone through three other controllers though thanks to my six year old forgetting how electronics and liquids interact with each other. The last one he killed was three days ago. :(

Gamecube controllers had to be relatively frequently, probably went through three of those during it's lifetime. Never had to get a new xbox, ps2, or N64 controller.

This gen though, my 360 controller's left stick went to shit, same with my six-axis. Replaced them when I replaced my 360 and PS3.

I have the two 360 controllers from when I bought it, however I did buy a new one so I'd have three and a nice new one. That one broke in less than a year.

i've never had to buy a new controller. they've always just showed up in one way or another, whether it's free or because it was on sale or something. with that said, i've had the same controller on both my PS3 and 360 since i got them. same with my PS2 and N64.

My original ps3 controller worked for like a year until a friend of mine sat on it, the controller I'm using now has been working ever since, so like 2 years.

I rarely buy new ones because of how expensive they are. But both my 360 and PS3 controller are now somewhat broke and it's making me sad. 360 left analog stick pulls to the left for no reason and clicking the left stick of my PS3 controller or hitting the home button will randomly activate the R1/L1 which is annoying. 
 
Oh I also totally had to replace my PS2 controller because of FFX-2 and Kingdom Hearts. KH ruined my x button and X-2 ruined my R1 because of the damn gunner class.

I had never really though about it until this thread, but I've never ever bought a replacement controller in my life. All the way from the SNES to now I've never broken a controller.
And I beat NG+ on both Souls games :D

Not that often, even if they're jacked up I still use them.....the padding on the left thumbstick for my Razor Onza controller ripped completely off but it still works fine.

Once a generation, thankfully

Im still using my orignal ps2 controler that i got with my slim

I'm using a PS2 controller from 2009 and a 360 controller from the same year; I did buy a second 360 controller, but only a wired one for my PC.

Come to think of it, I haven't had to buy a new controller in about three years. That's not counting controller accessories like Wii's MotionPlus. That's pretty damn cool, though I definitely need to buy new Play N Charge kits.

Never? Mine don't break and I treat them like crap.

Never.

I've gone through about five 360 controllers since 2006. My control sticks always end up getting lose or something so I slowly move in one direction while not touching them. It makes the Skate games unplayable.

The only controllers I've ever broken were Nintendo ones, and I probably went through one GameCube and 64 controller a year when I played them actively. My Microsoft and Sony controllers have never broken on me.

I've never had to purchased a new controller, but my rechargeable batteries are all useless so I now have four very decent wired controllers :)

Never. I do need to get a new battery for my rechargeable 360 controller, though, as it refuses to charge most of the time now.

Every time a new Souls game comes out.

Once every three years or so.

The fuck are some of you people doing with your controllers that you need to replace them so often?

...On second thought...keep it to yourself.

I had to replace my mouse recently after using the last one for four and a half years. I haven't had to replace a gamepad since I had an N64. That thing went through controllers like no one's business. My Xbox 360 controller is still going strong after five years, but I don't really use it all that often, so that's not surprising.

Basically never.

You mean how often do I replace a controller? In that case, never. I don't know how you guys use controllers, but it's not like you need to make particularly forceful movements to get the job done. I guess I did replace a Guitar Hero controller once, but that's because I played the shit out of Guitar Hero and actually wore out the whammy bar to the point that it didn't function properly and I was being robbed of star power.

As for how many controllers I own for each system and when I buy them, it is dependent on how many good local multiplayer games I own. This generation has definitely been the generation where owning 4 controllers is almost completely unnecessary, as so few games are focused on local multiplayer anymore. :(

Why wasn't this a poll?

@Brendan said:

I've never had to purchased a new controller, but my rechargeable batteries are all useless so I now have four very decent wired controllers :)

I still hate that wireless controllers are the new standard now. HONESTLY, HOW FAR ARE YOU FUCKERS FROM YOUR CONSOLE THAT YOU CAN'T USE WIRED CONTROLLERS? I use rechargeable batteries too, but they wear out eventually, then I have to buy more. I'm not made of money!

well i never buy a new controller i get one when i buy a new console. i have one from 2006 i think but i rarely use that one, the other one is from 2008 and the last one is from 2010 all 3 have no problems even though they often hit the floor either cuz i drop em or when im looking for them by shaking my duvet

@Gabriel said:

Every time a new Souls game comes out.

Super Meat Boy on XBLA was a serious offender too...

I've had to replace some PS2 and Genesis controllers (because they are unreliable pisswiffle), but aside from that I've never broken a controller.

My controllers last forever, pretty much, for some reason. So, never. I might buy new controllers when I need more, but never to replace any old ones.

I don't think I've ever had a controller break on me. Either you have shit luck or you're doing something wrong.

The Genesis controllers had problems when dust and crap got on the pads that registered your Dpad movements. Cleaning them is somewhat easy, just irritating when you have to do it. I've never replaced a Xbox or PS controller, but the Analog Stick on the N64 controller and the absolutely AWFUL triggers on the Gamecube controllers always needed replacing.

I've never had to replace a controller. I don't throw them, drop them, or make a habit of eating and touching them, or using them with dirty hands. I keep my electronics in excellent shape.

Wow, I actually thought long lasting controllers were rare. I never throw or thrash my controllers in any way so I'm not sure how they manage to break so often on me. Usually it's dumb stuff like the wire for a wired controller suddenly not working or the controller not registering left stick clicks.

Not very often. I think the only time in recent memory when I replaced a controller it was the swap from the duke to the controller s. I still have my launch day 360 controller.

@Voxel: Sounds like you have terrible luck with controllers. They should last for a long time.

I game daily and mostly FPS or platformers which involve a lot of movement and I rarely replace mine. I think after 2.5 years my controllers thumbstick had a noticeable indentation in the rubber coating on top. The only reason I really replaced it was because that 360 "Charging dock" fried my battery. Granted I left that battery in there for 2 days so I guess thats my fault, but it would just not hold any charge afterwards unless hooked up with the charge kit to the 360. So I just bought a whole new controller with new battery cause might as well.

I actually wonder at how people destroy their electronics so quickly - I've never broken a single phone, laptop, camera, controller or anything and I know people that replace their phones almost monthly cause they "break"

I did crack the screen on an iPod Nano once but that was when I used to skate and I fell on it.

Almost never.. I had to buy a new Wiimote just after getting my Wii because the charge stand I bought for it completely broke it.

And I've ended up with a fair amount of 360 pads. 2 Standard ones, a pink one, the special Halo ODST one, two special Halo Reach ones, and a wired pad I use on the PC. None of them have broke though. The play and charge kits are horrible though, just use USB cables next time please.

Bought a new 360 controller last week because my old controller(which I have had since the launch date) had a left stick in bad shape and the play & charge battery was no longer working.

@Voxel said:

I ask because I usually have to buy around 2 controllers a year due to the ones I have always ceasing to function properly in some way. My brother, on the other hand, has had the same controller since 2007, which seems crazy. What about you? Do you go through controllers a lot?

All my controllers for all my consoles are the deafult ones that came with it. This goes for every console I do own and have ever owned. Never once had to replace any.

I know why and so do you...

Hm, other than some NES controllers having become really sluggish and a Gamecube controller becoming a bit wonky I don't think I've ever had to get new controllers.

360 and PS3 pads seem pretty robust. never had to replace either.

worst controllers i EVER owned were N64 controllers. those seemed to break all the time and the analogue stick always seemed to end up feeling like shit. really stiff and dusty. don't miss them at all.

Xbox controllers I have had to go through 5. i did have to share with family and my father whatever he does just wrecks controllers. He causes the sticks to stick and cause a drift. Its overwear. However ever since he got his own xbox the same controller is in almost mint condition after two years of play with it. While all other got ruined. Even after I bought the halo odst fancy controller I loved dearly he got his hands on it for a week and was ruined. It is now his controller while i have a working but not as good looking white controller.

I still have the controllers I bought when I picked up my launch consoles 5 or 6 years ago. My keyboard is probably 6 years old, too. My current mouse...maybe 4? I did have to replace it twice since my PC was originally built (been upgraded a few times since then). I think I once had to replace an S-Controller from the previous gneration's Xbox, but other than that, barely ever. Now, if we go back a-ways to the 2600, then I had to replace my joysticks quite a few times. Those things were crap. Finally, I bought a pair of "Wing Commander Control Bats" and that worked for a good long time, although one of them did break as well eventually.

The last time I had to buy a new controller was last year when Mortal Kombat was released. A friend of mine broke my PS3 controller in a fit of rage, and bought me a replacement. Besides that my controllers usually last well beyond life-cycle of the console itself. I remember having to buy a replacement to one of my PS2 controllers, and one of my Dukes has a funny black button.