Live data from Hacker News

Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

nme.com

51–60 of 371 posts

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#51

The Xbox is a computer. It natively supports keyboards and mice. Just give up on this idea of an anachronistic “console experience” already. It’s just holding players and games back.

This is a terrible experience for people who desire to sit on a couch with a controller. People specifically use devices that spoof their keyboard and mouse a controller so they can get in queues with controller players and retain auto aim. Some games allow native keyboard and mouse support, but then they’re queued with KB/mouse players.

How hard is it really to have two queues based on your input type?

Not to mention, there will always be a huge overlap between ok kb/mouse players and good controller players. This leads me to believe that normal skill based matching would be enough to keep the games interesting and challenging, regardless of which control scheme you decide to use.

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So become part of their cartel or die?

or join with the authorities to maintain law and order. You spin it as "cartel" but why can't it be spun as Law & Order? Or do you think that cheaters should have unrestricted control and the ability to destroy the economy of any given game? You think people will play on platforms that aren't working to keep things even? This is the same argument for P2W games where you can just pay to be the best. A few people will…

> why can't it be spun as Law & Order

Law & Order is neither profit making nor competition destroying.

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#53
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've gone into every xbox owner's house and destroyed their property with prejudice. 3rd party controllers, all of them, including all never used to cheat become non-functional and worthless. At that point I don't give a flying fig what excuse they are using. Neither should the law when it comes to wanton destruction of property. Property rights are a thing!

It is not all 3rd party controllers. It is "unauthorized accessory" controllers which excludes devices that are part of the "designed for Xbox” hardware partner program.

So they're willing to "authorize" all 3rd party controllers for no more than the cost of an engineer's time in examining each controller, regardless of who submitted it and paid?

Or can we acknowledge this for what it actually is, please.

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#54
post #34

Again, this should not be news. These "game platforms" (read: desktops whom are sold but never convey ownership), assume anti-enduder at every step of the way. It was surprising MS allowed 3rs party anything at all. This is why we need strong purchase-owner regulations. Cause this shit is a rental at best. Who controls it? The owner (read: Microsoft).

A lot of people locked down game platforms because they just want to have a seamless plug and play experience to play games without drivers, compatibility issues, or cheating. From the couch. On a 60” living room tv. I certainly do, and so my gaming buddies. Every like 5-7 years or so we need to buy a new $400-$500 console. Seems like a good deal to me. We started back in the day on Xbox 360, now are on Xbox One, and…

Making arbitrary peripherals not work is the opposite of "a seamless plug and play experience".

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So become part of their cartel or die?

or join with the authorities to maintain law and order. You spin it as "cartel" but why can't it be spun as Law & Order? Or do you think that cheaters should have unrestricted control and the ability to destroy the economy of any given game? You think people will play on platforms that aren't working to keep things even? This is the same argument for P2W games where you can just pay to be the best. A few people will…

I don’t play online games. Are you telling me what I can and cannot do in a single player game?

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they are not doing this to stop cheaters. It might be a nice side effect. They are doing it because money.

They are most definitely doing this to combat cheaters. I tried out Cronus + KBM on my friend's Xbox S and it was comical. I had aim assist, no recoil and a keyboard and mouse. I was running 100:3 K:D on COD:MW2. If you don't think cheating is a big part of the reason you've never played console games competitively.

>They are most definitely doing this to combat cheaters. I tried out Cronus + KBM on my friend's Xbox S and it was comical.

I have sold a half-dozen Cronus Zen adapters in person via Craigslist/OfferUp.

Every single buyer claimed that it was for a friend, brother, etc.

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of people locked down game platforms because they just want to have a seamless plug and play experience to play games without drivers, compatibility issues, or cheating. From the couch. On a 60” living room tv. I certainly do, and so my gaming buddies. Every like 5-7 years or so we need to buy a new $400-$500 console. Seems like a good deal to me. We started back in the day on Xbox 360, now are on Xbox One, and…

Making arbitrary peripherals not work is the opposite of "a seamless plug and play experience".

The masses are almost always willing to trade rights for 'ease'.

It's also how we get to IoT, cloud-tied software and hardware, and all sorts of anti-purchaser tech, to benefit the actual owner.

The longer I live, I realize that Stallman was right about tech. All of it.

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#58
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

or join with the authorities to maintain law and order. You spin it as "cartel" but why can't it be spun as Law & Order? Or do you think that cheaters should have unrestricted control and the ability to destroy the economy of any given game? You think people will play on platforms that aren't working to keep things even? This is the same argument for P2W games where you can just pay to be the best. A few people will…

> why can't it be spun as Law & Order Law & Order is neither profit making nor competition destroying.

and a cartel isn't made to have a level playing field fighting cheaters. Cartels are made to make money.

you want to cut the Law and Order angle then you need to also cut the "cartel" angle.

Fact is that if XBox doesn't take steps then their platform becomes less valuable meaning less people want to play there.

"it's only about money" is a short sighted and overly simplistic answer just like "M$ is a cartel".

Re: Xbox will block third-party controllers to "preserve the console experience"

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

or join with the authorities to maintain law and order. You spin it as "cartel" but why can't it be spun as Law & Order? Or do you think that cheaters should have unrestricted control and the ability to destroy the economy of any given game? You think people will play on platforms that aren't working to keep things even? This is the same argument for P2W games where you can just pay to be the best. A few people will…

I don’t play online games. Are you telling me what I can and cannot do in a single player game?

To be fair, I think the vast majority of this is about online. Keeping a clean and hack free experience isn't just about selling proprietary controllers - it's also bout blocking cheating and keeping things sane.

(and single player games have Trophies which is online so... depending on how much you value pixelated trophies? those would be affected by "cheating in single player")

Remember... this is Microsoft. The same company that had YEARS of bad press because bad third party drivers was one of the largest causes of windows crashes.

So even if you never play online (I don't either) and only play single player games (FF and similar games here)? There's nothing worse than a shitty controller to ruin an experience.

It's possible some otherwise perfect controllers might lose their spot if they get "banned" because they aren't "upgraded" with "security chips" (or whatever) and you might be affected but in aggregate its something a company the size of MS has to take into account.

We'll see how it plays out but I'm not surprised (after reading comments about cheating stuff used by others in stuff like controllers).

Post reply on HN