In what is either a stroke of marketing genius to get the internet to rant on even more about the PlayStation brand or an act of sheer, misplaced gaming blasphemy, PlayStation has come out and confidently announced that the 'X' button on its iconic DualShock controller is in fact called 'cross' and not 'X.'
The discussion appears to stem from an unassuming Twitter post dating back to Aug. 28, where user dripp133 questioned the Twittersphere as to the correct name for the X button.
do you say "x" or "cross" button pic.twitter.com/2RDkEn90Wn
— 133 (@drip133) August 28, 2019
The social media team at PlayStation picked up on it and using questionable logic to hammer home the point, published a tweet last week announcing the official title. Pointing to how people generally refer to the circle button by its geometric shape, the post suggested that going by that reasoning, X should be a 'cross.'
Triangle
Circle
Cross
Square
If Cross is called X (it's not), then what are you calling Circle??? https://t.co/dvQ19duemW
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 5, 2019
The Internet Responds To PlayStation's Silliness
To absolutely no one's surprise, the internet erupted in a general sigh of WTFery at PlayStation's antics. The usual deluge of memes that inevitably accompanies any silly assertion made the rounds as did some deep-seated consternation from confused gamers.
— maxnax (@maxnax484) September 5, 2019
Anyone who says cross is a cop. https://t.co/kjXp9NhRVE
— Arby ???? (@Arbiterwarpig) September 3, 2019
It’s X, How is it cross? It’s not about to ward off any vampires any time soon.
— Katt. (Jo) (@BatBat06) September 5, 2019
Others backed PlayStation;
Because this debate grinds my gears, I'll finish it once and for all:
- Crosses have the same distance between each stick.
- Crosses form a square.
- Exes don't have the same distance between each stick.
- Exes form a rectangle.
Basic geometry. pic.twitter.com/gz8jCJd3Bn
— nєr? ?gєnt crims?n (@SIECrimson) September 5, 2019
PlayStation played along, conjuring up gems such as these;
You can all call them whatever you want but we'll go down with this Shape?? pic.twitter.com/GrIRNRrtEL
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 5, 2019
OK the votes are in, these are now the new names of the buttons.
Press No Pizza to Start. https://t.co/EDIXV4p7VN
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 5, 2019
This is our Cross to bear
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 5, 2019
One astute observer compared the announcement to the contentious nomenclature for everyone's favorite moving image format;
This is like when the guy who invented the gif insisting on everyone saying it in a weird way against public consensus
Embarrassing
— Tim (@timbythesea) September 5, 2019
However, the winner has got to be this one:
Just for this tweet I’m switching to crossbox
— Chloe (@chlxewelsh) September 5, 2019
A Poll To End The Debate Once and For All
What do you call it?
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 7, 2019
To finally put the matter to bed, PlayStation set up a pole on Friday. Close to 170,000 people took part. X came out on top with a staggering 81% of voters, while cross trailed with a measly 8%, even trumped by the slightly more palatable but equally absurd '+ rotated 45 degrees' option.
The people have spoken. We can now all agree it is an X and definitely not a cross. End of discussion. Please stick to what you are good at Sony.
