Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Steam Controller

store.steampowered.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 370 posts

Re: Steam Controller

#191

Post by Pxtl »

romaniv wrote: post #154

While this might be a good replacement for console controllers, I seriously doubt that it will be successful in replacing keyboard and mouse for FPSes, RTSes, point-and-click adventures and other genres that currently make PC game market interesting . Which makes me sad. Valve is effectively turning its back on the games (and gamers) that allowed it succeed despite competition from consoles. Personally, I am keenly i…

wat?

That PC market is literally the entire point of this device. It's meant to get you mouse-like interactions on a handheld controller.

If you want to sit down on the sofa and play a PC-style game? It's this brand new gamepad concept or nothing else. There is nothing like this thing (well, except maybe that crazy alpha-grip thingy, but that's freaking weird).

Re: Steam Controller

#192

Post by nerfhammer »

kibwen wrote: post #116

Are those buttons on the back of the controller? I'd be ecstatic if that's the case. I've always suspected that having buttons on the back would allow for a more natural grip than shunting buttons onto the shoulders. It may have made sense for the SNES' flat bone controller, but not in the age of controllers with thick, ergonomic palm grips.

Doesn't look like it

http://cdn2.store.steampowered.com/public/images/promo/livin...

Re: Steam Controller

#193

Post by eric_cc »

icebraining wrote: post #44
ivarious wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the reason that using mouse is more precise is not because of its shape, but because we use at least all of our palm to use it while with controllers you only have one thumb to connect the stick with your body.

I disagree. I think the reason is more fundamental: with a mouse, you're doing a direct translation (distance in pad → distance on screen), while with a gamepad you're doing an indirect translation (distance in stick → velocity in screen). This is harder, because you're essentially forced to calculate (in a low conscious way, of course) distance/speed to know for how much time you should turn the stick.

This isn't true. With a mouse you have acceleration settings that greatly change how distance works. Flick your mouse up quick vs slowly move it and measure how much distance you've moved your mouse relative to where your mouse moved to on the screen.

Re: Steam Controller

#194

Post by Pxtl »

gosukiwi wrote: post #179

I highly doubt you can play dota without a keyboard and mouse, but it surely can work for other games :)

Dota 2 will likely be one of the flagships of this thing. I don't know how well it will work - likely you won't make it to the top of the league with this. But you can be damned well sure that Valve had Dota 2 in mind when they made this, and they will do everything possible to make Dota 2 play nicely on it.

Re: Steam Controller

#195

Post by dfrey »

rjtavares wrote: post #155
BrianEatWorld wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say I am optimistic as well because, having been a dedicated "Big Picture" user for the past few months, it is clear Valve has put a lot of thought into this transition. However, what bothered me about the controller is that it doesn't seem to actually be that different. I don't see how this markedly improves over current controllers and their integration. The key genres for which the current controllers don'…

The first game they show a sreenshot of is Civilization. I'm sure RTS was one of the main genres they tested the controller with. From the announcement: > Even the older titles in the catalog and the ones which were not built with controller support. (We’ve fooled those older games into thinking they’re being played with a keyboard and mouse, but we’ve designed a gamepad that’s nothing like either one of those device…

Civilization is a turn based strategy game. The "RT" (real-time) part is what really makes gamepads unsuitable for RTS. I play Starcraft 2 and I can't imagine how you could possibly select individual units and pull them back when they are taking damage. Show me someone doing blink stalker micro with a gamepad and I will eat my words.

Re: Steam Controller

#196

Post by alexeisadeski3 »

paulgerhardt wrote: post #170

I got to hold one of these a few months ago. It's solid. The ergonomics are there. The same designer[1] was previously at {one of the other three very large gaming console manufacturers} and knows a thing or two about controllers. My understanding is it will be significantly more accurate than traditional joysticks and competitive with a mouse (with a mouse you have a single 'large' plane of motion, with this, you ha…

>For Valve to bring PC gaming to your TV/Couch, they really needed to nail the interface.

I don't understand the problem with traditional mouse+kb for couch gaming. I've been using it for years and haven't encountered any drawbacks (using wireless mouse+kb combo). Am able to play online FPS and RTS, both of which require extreme precision and extreme low latency, at very high levels.

You use a solid mousemat, place that on the couch beside you. The keyboard goes in your lap. Kick your feet up and game away. It works great.

This controller looks like trying to reinvent the wheel, and I just don't think that it'll work. The problem which all of these schemes have is that they make you uncomptetive versus mouse+kb foes in multiplayer games. No one has ever been able to match the precision and control of mouse+kb, and even if this solution is far better than previously attempts, it will still likely not be anywhere near the traditional control.

For 'casual' single player games, it'll work great. I'm sure that's a large part of the market for SteamBox. But for the hardcore, it probably won't work at all. I think they'd be better off finding a solution which incorporates traditional mouse+kb than trying to work around it, but that's just my opinion from the outside looking in.

Re: Steam Controller

#197

Post by slantyyz »

christoph wrote: post #174
joenathan wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would one play something like Street Fighter with this controller, the button placement seems like it wouldn't allow for a good experience with fighters or even platformers.

I'm not entirely sure it's been designed with games like that in mind. I imagine the expectation is you use another pad (e.g Xbox controller) for a game like Street Fighter - or in that case, ideally an arcade stick.

Note that there are also six button fighting pads that should be compatible with the Steam Machines too.

The one in particular that I find most interesting is the one for the upcoming Hyperkin RetroN5 -- it's a six button bluetooth controller with a microswitch based thumbpad (much like the ones that came with Neo Geo home units from the 90s).

http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/03/retron-5-details-revealed-f...

Re: Steam Controller

#198

Post by chokolad »

mikelat wrote: post #185
Osiris wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking on innovation, the Xbox 360 came out with a brand new controller, but the Xbox One has practically the same controller? It's like they didn't take any time to re-evaluate the controller with the new console. For that matter, the PS4 controller is the same except with a small touchpad in the middle.

They were busy trying to shift to a closed digital distribution platform, which gamers hanged them for. Granted their intentions were for their own profit margins and not at all for the consumer in mind, but things like that probably make them less likely to take risks in the future.

They tried to shift to "Steam"-style distribution platform.

Re: Steam Controller

#199

Post by atburrow »

eric_cc wrote: post #193
icebraining wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I think the reason is more fundamental: with a mouse, you're doing a direct translation (distance in pad → distance on screen), while with a gamepad you're doing an indirect translation (distance in stick → velocity in screen). This is harder, because you're essentially forced to calculate (in a low conscious way, of course) distance/speed to know for how much time you should turn the stick.

This isn't true. With a mouse you have acceleration settings that greatly change how distance works. Flick your mouse up quick vs slowly move it and measure how much distance you've moved your mouse relative to where your mouse moved to on the screen.

A lot of games have acceleration turned off, so you don't see what you're describing in such games.

Re: Steam Controller

#200

Post by shmoogin »

christoph wrote: post #174
joenathan wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would one play something like Street Fighter with this controller, the button placement seems like it wouldn't allow for a good experience with fighters or even platformers.

I'm not entirely sure it's been designed with games like that in mind. I imagine the expectation is you use another pad (e.g Xbox controller) for a game like Street Fighter - or in that case, ideally an arcade stick.

That is not true, it's designed for you to be able to modify the controls.
Post reply on HN