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Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

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Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#601
post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Relevance isnt anti competitive. Comparing them to Microsoft who not only monopolized but enforced it via product bundling is not the same at all. They simply have the best product and won the market.

Could say the same thing about AT&T, Bell Labs, etc. There’s a lot of precedent here, but most saliently, how you become a monopoly is not really relevant. They absolutely are one. But I’m being already aggressively downvoted with no counter arguments so the Gaben fanboys are here. (Defending a deca-billionaire is hard work, after all.)

You're being downvoted because you're pushing punishing a company for having a better product. They do not engage in anticompetitive practices, there is no enforced barrier to entry in the market nor do they gate entry like the companies you have listed. They are only a monopoly because they have the best product.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#602

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe hot take in this age, but loot boxes for cosmetics aren't a problem when you can get cosmetics by just playing.

Almost every game that has lootboxes, even only for cosmetics, is super stingy with cosmetics you can earn in-game through normal gameplay.

And I see no problem with that. I have never bought a single skin for Counter Strike nor Team Fortress 2 and I have bunch. Well, I used to, but then CS2 came out and all of a sudden my skins and unopened boxes were valued at hundreds of euros and I sold them on steam.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#603
post #503

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can do an Apple/Sony/Google/Nintendo/Xbox move, "Want your game on Steam Deck? Support Linux". They certainly have a better card deck than Loki Entertainment used to have.

This is the chicken-and-egg problem though. If you don't get the Linux/Steam Deck audience large enough first, then that tradeoff won't be worth it to developers.

Valve have the money to pay developers to make a Linux port or ensure it works with Proton (maybe they already do in some cases?), if they really wanted to put the heat on Microsoft. Well, any not owned or being published by Microsoft i suppose.

Valve seem happy to let things happen more organically however.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#604

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows supports Generic HID game controllers with 8 axis and 128 buttons already. And a few hat switches. And if your devices needs more than that, you can enumerate as multiple devices if needed. Not sure if there is a HID type for rumble support though. So, there's no reason a Steam Controller couldn't operate without a special driver. Some functionality may require custom software to support though. I have severa…

2 thumbsticks is already 4 axes. Add 2 triggers and it's 6 axes. Add gyroscope and it's 9 axes. That's more than 8. And I haven't mentioned the touchpads.

> you can enumerate as multiple devices if needed

A single physical USB device can enumerate as multiple virtual devices. This lets you easily side-step the limits *if* the game supports input from multiple controllers at the same time. The games I use controllers for allow you to map to multiple controllers, mouse, and keyboard, all at once. The touchpad could simply enumerate as a HID Touchpad. Apparently Windows already has a Touchpad Haptic HID Profile even.

Honestly, if Valve is making you require Steam to fully use the Steam Controller, that's disappointing because, as far as I can tell, nothing it's doing can't be accessed via HID usage.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#605

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows supports Generic HID game controllers with 8 axis and 128 buttons already. And a few hat switches. And if your devices needs more than that, you can enumerate as multiple devices if needed. Not sure if there is a HID type for rumble support though. So, there's no reason a Steam Controller couldn't operate without a special driver. Some functionality may require custom software to support though. I have severa…

It's a bit more tricky, a Generic HID just gives you a DirectInput device, while reasonably modern games use Xinput. Microsoft never provided a way to map DirectInput devices to Xinput. For Xinput to work a Microsoft specific USB protocol is needed, not a Generic HID device. Many third party controllers have a switch or button combination to switch between XInput and DirectInput modes for this reason. Microsoft has a…

Just out of curiosity, what modern game won't function with a generic HID game controller?

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#606

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost every game that has lootboxes, even only for cosmetics, is super stingy with cosmetics you can earn in-game through normal gameplay.

And I see no problem with that. I have never bought a single skin for Counter Strike nor Team Fortress 2 and I have bunch. Well, I used to, but then CS2 came out and all of a sudden my skins and unopened boxes were valued at hundreds of euros and I sold them on steam.

If you think enabling childhood gambling addictions and unregulated gambling systems aren't a problem then I don't know what else to say to you. Lootboxes are gambling, plain and simple.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#607

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always been a M+KB player and especially for FPS games I've always found it impossible to aim with the sticks, so the trackpads really helped in this regard. Especially for older games that may not natively support joysticks it was a game changer (I recently played Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay)

It's hard to imagine quickly centering onto a headshot pixel (or group of maybe 12 pixels) with a trackpad. Especially if the target is moving. I'd like to see a video of someone demonstrating real in-game use of these trackpads on different types of games. None of the reviews I've seen so far go into any detail on it. EDIT: I found the trackpad usage detail I was looking for. But it's not using the new controller, j…

I can play FPS games decently on controller using the Original Steam Controller's pads.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#608

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...in the US. Other countries have stock.

Yeah I'm pretty sure there's no stock around in every single region, at least according to this: https://www.steamhardwarestock.com/history Note that they don't check every second so they might miss some smaller restocks (or really orders which got closed and resulted in a few more units being re-added, since the actual stock is fully gone). I've been trying really hard to get this new Steam Controller, I've been dre…

It stayed in stock in other countries for longer than the US. I ordered mine late on Tuesday, many hours after it launched. Was quoted "6-10 business days" for delivery, and it arrived this morning, approx 3 days after ordering.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So first off, you start out by lying about my words, so we immediately know you're not operating in good faith. What I said: > Steam is not rent-seeking - the value that they provide is tremendous, and you are not forced to use them, which makes them non-rent-seeking by definition. That's a compound statement that you cut off to change the substance of. What you quoted: > you are not forced to use them, which makes t…

You are not assuming good faith, nor are you interpreting what I wrote in the most plausible manner. I did not misrepresent you. You made two claims and I objected to the second. My objection stands regardless of the presence or absence of the claim about Steam providing value. Notice that I took no position on whether or not Steam is rent seeking, instead merely disputing the reasoning that you expressed. However ev…

> I did not misrepresent you. You made two claims and I objected to the second.

I made a single claim with two parts:

1. the value that they provide is tremendous

2. you are not forced to use them

And then my conclusion was: these make them non-rent-seeking by definition.

You intentionally rewrote my argument to change its meaning, you know that you are, and you're continuing to lie about it.

I don't need to argue with you further - I've pointed out that you're fundamentally dishonest to other readers, and that's all I need to do from here on.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license

#610
post #516
post #448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It sold out in less than an hour. Scalpers are at it again. "Underpriced good at it again" would be more accurate.

God forbid a company want to sell something for a smaller profit than they can make by selling it only to the people with that most money

They could easily do both.

They could sell the first few for more and settle down to their normal price after a time.

There isn't sustainable demand for a $300 steam controller, that's why they didn't price it there, not because they didn't want to sell for a huge profit. Ther is, however, a much smaller market of people who will pay a premium to be first, hence the resellers.

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