Helicopters:
The story I've heard is that the early side-by-side Sikorsky machine (R-4?) had separate cyclic sticks, but a single collective stick between the seats. The trouble arose when pilots who were trained on one side had great difficulty changing sides (conditioned reflexes being what they are). Most pilots preferred the right-hand seat (cyclic in the right hand, collective in the left).
And since many missions require looking straight down, the view is less obstructed if the collective is inboard.
But that's just one story. There are probably others.