• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

It's official PlayStation button "X" is called "Cross"

What do you call that button?

  • X and Square

    Votes: 207 86.6%
  • X and box

    Votes: 4 1.7%
  • Cross and Square

    Votes: 23 9.6%
  • Cross and Box

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 4 1.7%

  • Total voters
    239
Wait? Do people not know that the symbols on the button correspond to mechanics in game??? And why it's called cross??

Square = Menu (Represents paper)
Triangle = Viewpoint (Represents head)
X = Back/cancel/wrong, etc
Circle = Affirmation/correct/select, etc

Cross and Circle being the way that Japanese use to denote right and wrong, because they don't use the Latin alphabet, so there is no "X" for them

I'll admit I just call it X on a playstation controller just because of the vernacular calling it "X"
IIRC even old PS1 manuals call it Cross



rWuERLl.gif
 

nikolino840

Member
I'm extremely confused by how many people don't know the difference between the letter X and the geometric shape.
A cross is not necesarilly the religion cross, I don't even get why this seems to be such a common confusion, I'm not from the US though, I'm from France, so maybe it's a cultural thing in the US to associate the word cross with the religious thing but...


SOIP66w.png


On a "cross", the space between all lines is identical, on the letter, the vertical space between lines is much larger than the horizontal one.
And just, if you think about it logically, why would 3 of the symbols be geometric shapes, and only one a letter?

It's a cross.

Could be two letters if O Is the letter O
 

Whitesnake

Banned
And just, if you think about it logically, why would 3 of the symbols be geometric shapes, and only one a letter?

It’s not only one letter.

The shoulder buttons and stick buttons have L and R, which are also letters.

Next question.
 

The Alien

Banned
You can argue about the X button being a 'cross' or an 'X'.....but dammit, if the other two are a circle and a triangle, the square sure as shit ain't a 'box'. 😠
 

DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
If they wanted it called cross then just use this

+

It would have worked perfectly.

But no they used this - X
 

lyan

Member
I'm extremely confused by how many people don't know the difference between the letter X and the geometric shape.
A cross is not necesarilly the religion cross, I don't even get why this seems to be such a common confusion, I'm not from the US though, I'm from France, so maybe it's a cultural thing in the US to associate the word cross with the religious thing but...


SOIP66w.png


On a "cross", the space between all lines is identical, on the letter, the vertical space between lines is much larger than the horizontal one.
And just, if you think about it logically, why would 3 of the symbols be geometric shapes, and only one a letter?

It's a cross.
whats even more baffling to me that IIT it seem the christian cross (t) is what people associate with when they hear cross, not even the "+" shaped one. I suppose it is time for the Red Cross to have a logo change.
 

Mistake

Member
I honestly don’t know what to say, because of the phrase “cross it out.” Which is another debate, do you X or scribble?
 

DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
But, but isn’t that the ‘plus’ tho?

*Multiply me by zero if old.


Yes I saw the post above mine after I posted. You are right it makes no sense.

X til I die. I never heard cross until recently actually on forums. Maybe I just didnt notice it.
 
Last edited:
I've been thinking about this recently funnily enough. The face buttons are shapes. It has to be "Cross". Even though I've called it "Ex" all my life.
 

Birdo

Banned
I know the title here says "Official" but it's worth noting that social media accounts for corperations are usually maintained by interns of third-party agencies, and sometimes they go a little off scrip.

So unless someone high up at Sony says it, it's not official.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Obviously its cross , the buttons have shapes on them not letters
But I imagine people just refer it as an X
 
Last edited:

GV82

Member
It’s Cross as in a shape as in criss-cross. + and x are both crosses

For the people who say they have never heard a X called a cross, especially from the UK.

The Blue Cross Sale, is called that because the put a X through the price.


Criss Cross The Movie
5JrlQsR.jpg


If you haven’t heard of the above examples


Fucking Noughts & Crosses, you can’t tell me you have never heard of this game.


B27bv5Y.jpg


Y’all are weird if you call it naughts & exes. (Tic tac toe doesn’t count)


Also, I still call it the ex button as i’m lazy, but it truly is a shape, my argument is people claiming they never heard of X being Cross.
 
Last edited:

Petrae

Member
Much like the foolish discussion over GIF being pronounced “jif”, I care not what the “official” designation for a button is. I’m using X/“ecks”, just like I use my hard “g” for GIF. I don’t give a shit how “wrong” either is perceived.
 

Caffeine

Member
Fucking Noughts & Crosses, you can’t tell me you have never heard of this game.


B27bv5Y.jpg


Y’all are weird if you call it naughts & exes. (Tic tac toe doesn’t count)


Also, I still call it the ex button as i’m lazy, but it truly is a shape, my argument is people claiming they never heard of X being Cross.
We call it X's and O's lol.
 

ethomaz

Banned
I know the title here says "Official" but it's worth noting that social media accounts for corperations are usually maintained by interns of third-party agencies, and sometimes they go a little off scrip.

So unless someone high up at Sony says it, it's not official.
But they already said dozen of times even official manuals lol
 
Last edited:

Geki-D

Banned
So it's 'School Christing'?

You see how ridiculous this is?
What? Do you speak Greek? Why would you apply Greek pronunciation to English words? It's school "crossing" because it's from an English speaking country. Xmas is based off Greek and is just an abbreviation for "Christ". Just like the word "cliché" uses an accent the english language doesn't have and is pronounced "klee-sheh" and not "click-hee" but that doesn't mean you pronounce every word ending with a e as "heh".

Also, are you telling me you'd read that sign as "School Ex-ing"?
 

Zog

Banned
What? Do you speak Greek? Why would you apply Greek pronunciation to English words? It's school "crossing" because it's from an English speaking country. Xmas is based off Greek and is just an abbreviation for "Christ". Just like the word "cliché" uses an accent the english language doesn't have and is pronounced "klee-sheh" and not "click-hee" but that doesn't mean you pronounce every word ending with a e as "heh".

Also, are you telling me you'd read that sign as "School Ex-ing"?

I am telling you that X doesn't only mean Cross.
 
Top Bottom