Re: [w3c/gamepad] Consider changing API to match SDL2's (#24)

The handling of [controller](https://wiki.libsdl.org/CategoryGameController) [mappings](https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL_GameControllerMapping) (see [this crowdsourced listing [by 9 contributors]](https://github.com/gabomdq/SDL_GameControllerDB/blob/master/gamecontrollerdb.txt)) and [haptics](https://wiki.libsdl.org/CategoryForceFeedback) is mostly what I thought we could borrow from SDL.

There are Firefox bugs on file for Gamepad [mappings](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=855364) and [rumble haptic feedback](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=680289), which have good discussions. There are also spec issues on file in this repo for both of these as well: #7 and #19.

With that being said, we can probably close this. Although it breaks compatibility and arguably complicates the API surface area, I feel it could be worth a proper investigation of SDL's Gamepad API methods and capabilities to see what the Web-based API can keep the same. I'm not completely well versed in (w)asm, but the last time I was poking around, I noticed there's a lot of logic thrown away when games are exported to JS using emscripten and using the SDL Gamepad API: https://github.com/kripken/emscripten/blob/07b87426/src/library_sdl.js

I don't know if/where there are metrics for Gamepad usage in Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Opera. The only thing I was able to find were these two Gamepad metrics from the [Chrome Platform Status > JS Usage page](https://www.chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/popularity), both at <= 0.0001% usage:

* [`PrefixedGamepad`](https://www.chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/291
* [`DocumentCreateEventGamepadEvent`](https://www.chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/1199)

I'm cool with closing this, if everyone's in agreement here. I can understand the rationale. Let me know your thoughts.

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Received on Thursday, 4 August 2016 11:58:08 UTC