Valve has unveiled the final announcement and it's a controller and it's a very peculiar looking device.
Just look at that thing!
I cannot wait to try that ugly thing out to see how it really fares, who knows it could offer better precision than a mouse, but I do still somehow doubt that.
They say they will be tricking all older games into thinking it's using a Mouse & Keyboard when really it will be using the controller, will be interesting to see how that works exactly for titles that don't support the controller.
It features a touchscreen in the centre of it much like the Playstation 4 controller, unlike other consoles controllers it comes a lot more buttons, 16 buttons in fact, wow that's a lot. The screen in the middle won't divert your attention away from your game like the WiiU as any action you take on it will have an overlay on the big screen too for your action, that's awesome.
I am terribly glad they didn't go the WiiU way, trying to play that looking up and down making my neck like a yo-yo does get a little tiresome after a while.
The biggest thing yet again is how open the hardware will be, they want you to do stuff with it:
So who will be the first to mod it? That will be a fun claim to fame that's for sure.
They won't be getting rid of Mouse & Keyboard support either so worry not, they want you to use whatever device makes you happy for input.
I doubt anyone is really surprised by this news considering Gabe Newell of Valve did state before they were working on controllers, even the previous announcement stated they would have more info on controllers soon so I guess it was a given they were going to show us a controller as announcement #3.
What are your thoughts? The more I look at it, the more I'm starting to love it. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Just look at that thing!
I cannot wait to try that ugly thing out to see how it really fares, who knows it could offer better precision than a mouse, but I do still somehow doubt that.
They say they will be tricking all older games into thinking it's using a Mouse & Keyboard when really it will be using the controller, will be interesting to see how that works exactly for titles that don't support the controller.
It features a touchscreen in the centre of it much like the Playstation 4 controller, unlike other consoles controllers it comes a lot more buttons, 16 buttons in fact, wow that's a lot. The screen in the middle won't divert your attention away from your game like the WiiU as any action you take on it will have an overlay on the big screen too for your action, that's awesome.
I am terribly glad they didn't go the WiiU way, trying to play that looking up and down making my neck like a yo-yo does get a little tiresome after a while.
The biggest thing yet again is how open the hardware will be, they want you to do stuff with it:
QuoteThe Steam Controller was designed from the ground up to be hackable.
So who will be the first to mod it? That will be a fun claim to fame that's for sure.
They won't be getting rid of Mouse & Keyboard support either so worry not, they want you to use whatever device makes you happy for input.
I doubt anyone is really surprised by this news considering Gabe Newell of Valve did state before they were working on controllers, even the previous announcement stated they would have more info on controllers soon so I guess it was a given they were going to show us a controller as announcement #3.
What are your thoughts? The more I look at it, the more I'm starting to love it. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The controller looks very cool. I'm quite interested.
Btw, there are some news about cooperation of NVidia and Valve on SteamOS.
Btw, there are some news about cooperation of NVidia and Valve on SteamOS.
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If the controller generates the standard USB HID events for mouse and keyboard, it really will look like a keyboard and mouse to software so games won't need to do anything special to support it. There must be extra protocol defined for configuring it with the key mappings, but it looks like there is a separate configuration tool to avoid having to do that in every game.
Personally I like trackpads way better than trackballs (which was in a link somebody posted earlier this morning), might give this thing a try someday. Especially if there's an appealing package deal with a SteamBox later on. The main annoying thing to me is that it looks wireless, and I'd rather sit sorta close to the TV with power-over-USB than have to keep batteries charged up for when I want to play downstairs. On the other hand, this thing may take too much power for a couple USB ports with that feedback stuff, so it may not have been an option.
Personally I like trackpads way better than trackballs (which was in a link somebody posted earlier this morning), might give this thing a try someday. Especially if there's an appealing package deal with a SteamBox later on. The main annoying thing to me is that it looks wireless, and I'd rather sit sorta close to the TV with power-over-USB than have to keep batteries charged up for when I want to play downstairs. On the other hand, this thing may take too much power for a couple USB ports with that feedback stuff, so it may not have been an option.
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I like what I see. Of course I must give it a try before forming a complete opinion, but if the design proves to be as comfortable as it sounds to me, I hope they become the new PC controller "standard", since I never really liked those 360 controllers and the change would be welcome.
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It doesn't look ugly to me.. Not any uglier than any other input device, anyhow. Look at the eyesore of having a keyboard in your living room... Versus this.
I am really excited, more for this pad than the OS or Machine, in fact (and I'm pumped about those!). The capabilities and features are impressive. Kudos to Valve, as I really expected a Source 2 announcement and a game... That would be too obvious.
Also, the DualShock 4 doesn't have a touchscreen, it has a touchpad. It doesn't display anything. Just a minor point, but there it is.
I am really excited, more for this pad than the OS or Machine, in fact (and I'm pumped about those!). The capabilities and features are impressive. Kudos to Valve, as I really expected a Source 2 announcement and a game... That would be too obvious.
Also, the DualShock 4 doesn't have a touchscreen, it has a touchpad. It doesn't display anything. Just a minor point, but there it is.
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Wow, this is the ugliest and stupidest thing I've ever seen and heard.
And I'm even not that hostile to gamepads in general; I've got a Logitech Dual Action I like to use for certain games...
And I'm even not that hostile to gamepads in general; I've got a Logitech Dual Action I like to use for certain games...
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Wow, this is the ugliest and stupidest thing I've ever seen and heard.Anything new can look stupid and ugly. I won't know what to think until I feel it in my hands.
And I'm even not that hostile to gamepads in general; I've got a Logitech Dual Action I like to use for certain games...
You cant judge a book by its cover, eh?
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If the cover is stupid enough, sure I can judge a book by it.
See this crap for example: http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Doubt-Explosive-Origin-Intelligent/dp/0062071475/
See this crap for example: http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Doubt-Explosive-Origin-Intelligent/dp/0062071475/
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I wonder if there's anything to the Civilization V screen shot, perhaps we'll see a native port?
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Wow, this is the ugliest and stupidest thing I've ever seen and heard.
And I'm even not that hostile to gamepads in general; I've got a Logitech Dual Action I like to use for certain games...
I'm not so sure here. My initial reaction was kind of the same and then I thought about the way it is designed and I can see how it would put a person using a game pad on more of an even footing with someone using a mouse and keyboard (specifically with FPS's).
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Eh, I really don't think a gamepad, however it's shaped, will ever be non-awkward for FPS.
But okay, I'll hold my judgement there until I got a chance to try it, even though I for one don't want a gamepad for FPS.
Still, with that touchscreen there, I doubt I can get that thing for anywhere near the 20€ I paid for my Logitech gamepad, right?
But okay, I'll hold my judgement there until I got a chance to try it, even though I for one don't want a gamepad for FPS.
Still, with that touchscreen there, I doubt I can get that thing for anywhere near the 20€ I paid for my Logitech gamepad, right?
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Best response of the day:
Pretty bold move by Valve to turn Half-Life 3 into a controller.https://twitter.com/ForkParker/statuses/383638850171465728
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Eh, I really don't think a gamepad, however it's shaped, will ever be non-awkward for FPS.
But okay, I'll hold my judgement there until I got a chance to try it, even though I for one don't want a gamepad for FPS.
Still, with that touchscreen there, I doubt I can get that thing for anywhere near the 20€ I paid for my Logitech gamepad, right?
It won't be the same for sure, but my problem with game pads has always been how slow they feel when compared to using a mouse/keyboard and the lack of accuracy. The dual track pads seem like they might make using a game pad less enraging to me.
As for price, this is less of an issue for me. The game pad I am currently using was $70, although I assume the Steam boxes will work with any gamepad Linux will so might not be an issue either way.
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Projectile Vomit Sep 27, 2013
I will (begrudgingly) try a gamepad, however I am extremely happy to read that the option to use a keyboard and mouse is there. :) Valve, you know how to make a gamer happy.
Take my dollars!
Take my dollars!
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I'd quite like to be sitting 4 feet away from my big 40" TV playing driving games, so this is great. A decent gamepad on a dedicated SteamBox. Magic.
I'll likely be keeping my PC for proper FPS games though, although as I said in another thread here on GoL, I have no real problem playing FPS on a gamepad - but if you gave me a choice, I'd probably choose keyboard/mouse.
I'll likely be keeping my PC for proper FPS games though, although as I said in another thread here on GoL, I have no real problem playing FPS on a gamepad - but if you gave me a choice, I'd probably choose keyboard/mouse.
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I wonder if there's anything to the Civilization V screen shot, perhaps we'll see a native port?I already speculated for the Steam OS announcement if one of the AAA titles would be Civ V. Today they mentioned that you could even control games like Civ V with this new controller. This is getting my hopes up for a native port! :)
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It looks like an owl!
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It looks like an owl!
It does actually. =p
I don't really play consoles to be honest. I have a Logitech Wingman Cordless, but no idea if that works in Linux or not. I know I've said before that I don't own any Microsoft products, I do. It's very old and I only found it in some boxes recently and it works great if it wasn't for the fact that almost every game on Linux assumes you have a 360 controller -- I wish they would stop that. Anyway, it's an old Sidewinder USB I use to play Trine 2.
If you guys can tell me if my Logitech works with Linux, I'll gladly dump the Microsoft controller in the Goodwill donation box. =) If it doesn't work that's fine, I plan to buy a Corded Gamepad (Any good ones?), can't really stand battery operated devices.
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I wonder if there's anything to the Civilization V screen shot, perhaps we'll see a native port?I already speculated for the Steam OS announcement if one of the AAA titles would be Civ V. Today they mentioned that you could even control games like Civ V with this new controller. This is getting my hopes up for a native port! :)
I'd love if they port Civ V to Linux, but bear in mind that Steam Machines have the ability to stream from any other machine running steam to the TV, so that image means nothing.
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