STEAM!

[Keyrock]

It does sound rather functional.  Of course, I'd have to hold one in my hands and use it to know for sure.  I'm not sure those trackpads are big enough to do precision aiming in FPS games.  You'd either have a degree of turning or it would have to be overly sensitive and twitchy to allow you to turn far.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Keyrock

[Morgoth]

Day 1 purchase because Valve is God.

[Fighter]

Not enough buttons, no d-pad. But I'm interested to see how those touch-pads work.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Fighter

[Gfted1]

I dig the controller. It appeals to my minimalist aesthetics.

[Keyrock]

The ideal solution for FPS would be an accelerometer like the 3DS, Vita, and phones have, only if it was more sensitive and precise.  The accelerometer aiming scheme in Resident Evil: Revelations on 3DS is by far the most natural and intuitive aiming scheme I have used on any device ever for FPS.  It's essentially like pointing a camera and taking a picture, but it only works well if you don't have to turn very far, which is great for a corridor type game like Revelations, but sucks when you're out in a big open battlefield.

 

Edit:  Now that I think about it, that might not work so well if the screen is separate from the controller.  

Edited September 27, 2013 by Keyrock

[Tale]

Not enough buttons

It has 16 buttons.

[Keyrock]

 

Not enough buttons

It has 16 buttons.

 

Plus however many buttons you can cram on the touchscreen.

[Fighter]

Clickable pads and touchscreen aren't buttons to me. The former especially seem prone to accident.

 

But I'm really glad someone is trying to innovate. I haven't owned a console since ps1, any time I try playing a shooter with a controller it's just... no idea how people do it. So I'll be glad if someone makes a controller I can get into at ground level.

[Undecaf]

I've probably missed something down the line because I haven't really followed the topic all that intensely, but what's really the point with all this? A machine to stream games to a TV from your computer through Steam, and a controller. People can already hook their rigs on their TV's and use controllers. What's the real catch here? What did I miss?

Edited September 27, 2013 by Undecaf

[mkreku]

I don't need or want a controller. If someone eventually comes up with a better input device than the mouse (and keyboard), then I'll relearn everything. But not until then.

[Tale]

I've probably missed something down the line because I haven't really followed the topic all that intensely, but what's really the point with all this? A machine to stream games from your computer through Steam, and a controller. People can already hook their rigs on their TV's and use controllers. What's the real catch here?

I don't think you have to do something totally new and never done before to have value.

 

It'll hopefully encourage the expansion of Linux gaming, which I think can be important to the future of PC gaming. That's what it means for me. But Valve seems to have an interest in bridging PC gaming with the living room. At the very least, getting people to realize they can hook up their PCs to televisions.

 

The controller design seems to be an attempt to advance controllers. We'll have to see if it works out or not, it's too beyond the norm for me to judge without testing.

[Oerwinde]

I don't need or want a controller. If someone eventually comes up with a better input device than the mouse (and keyboard), then I'll relearn everything. But not until then.

I use M&K for some games, and a gamepad for others, what I'd rather see valve do is a mouse and keyboard optimized for using on the couch.

[Malcador]

Not understanding this burning desire to play PC games on a couch. I guess KB&M schemes on ports will be crappier in the future.

[Oerwinde]

Not understanding this burning desire to play PC games on a couch. I guess KB&M schemes on ports will be crappier in the future.

I think it has more to do with playig them on a 55" tv, which most people put in the living room, where couches are often the primary seating.

 

Also, Valve is doig all this to compete with consoles. As has been stated, console preference is "all about the games" if Valve can launch a console with thousands of games and almost infinite backwards compatibility, all for half or less the price of regular console games, they win.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Oerwinde

[Undecaf]

 

I've probably missed something down the line because I haven't really followed the topic all that intensely, but what's really the point with all this? A machine to stream games from your computer through Steam, and a controller. People can already hook their rigs on their TV's and use controllers. What's the real catch here?

I don't think you have to do something totally new and never done before to have value.

 

It'll hopefully encourage the expansion of Linux gaming, which I think can be important to the future of PC gaming. That's what it means for me. But Valve seems to have an interest in bridging PC gaming with the living room. At the very least, getting people to realize they can hook up their PCs to televisions.

 

The controller design seems to be an attempt to advance controllers. We'll have to see if it works out or not, it's too beyond the norm for me to judge without testing.

 

 

True, not everything needs to be something never before seen. The question just came up after seeing arguments how this is just a blatant middlehand cash grab.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Undecaf

[Keyrock]

I've probably missed something down the line because I haven't really followed the topic all that intensely, but what's really the point with all this? A machine to stream games to a TV from your computer through Steam, and a controller. People can already hook their rigs on their TV's and use controllers. What's the real catch here? What did I miss?

It's made so any simpleton can just plug it in and go, like a console.  You can already do everything a Steam Machine does with your current PC, Valve even stated so implicitly.  Steam Machines makes it simple so mom can buy it for little Timmy and plug it in and boom it just works.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Keyrock

[Majek]

I want to hold this thing in my hands one day,  only after testing it i can form an opinion.

[Tale]

Looks like Dejobaan Games has had hands on with the controller.

https://twitter.com/dejobaan

[Zoraptor]

In news that will surprise basically no one I am somewhat underwhelmed. A console everyone knew was coming running on an OS everyone knew was coming with a controller everyone strongly suspected was coming, and not a whole heap of new information about any of them, except the controller.

 

I'd have two immediate concerns about that controller. For legacy games, which they admit are the majority and will remain so for some time having to look at a touchscreen for extra keys will not be a good solution. It works well for phones and the like because they're implicitly designed to be used while being looked at, a control scheme on the other hand should be looked at as little as possible. On a KB/M there's a bunch of muscle memory and built in tactile knowledge about where exactly the keys are so you don't actually have to think about what you are doing, and you cannot get the same tactile response from a touchscreen.

 

And I'd question both the need for and practicality of those stick replacements. They may be OK for someone who works in a computer software office in Seattle and has velvety soft thumbs thanks to their biweekly trips to the manicurist but for someone like me who does manly outdoors pursuits like building fences and shearing sheep and chopping down trees I'm less than convinced some slight indentation and a pair of insignificant ridges will give enough info. The good thing about the dual analogue sticks is that they give you very good immediate and instinctive feedback on position with excellent precision. Looks like a solution for a problem which does not exist, though at least it makes it look different even if it's rather, for lack of a better or less lazy word, 'hipsterish'.

 

Yeah, they really aren't aimed at me though since I have "KB/M for lyfe*! *Except for certain games like SSX where controllers are certainly better" tattooed across my back and I'm hardly Valve's biggest fan. I'd like to give the controller a try though, mainly to see if my concerns are warranted.

[Keyrock]

Hopefully they set up kiosks in some stores so people can try the controller, and a Steam Machine, for that matter.

[Tale]

Other developers had a hands on back on labor day.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/201195/Select_game_developers_used_the_Steam_Controller_Heres_what_they_said.php

Sounds optimistic.

 

The guy behind Super Meat Boy is supposedly heading to check it out right now. Would like to also hear from him.

[ManifestedISO]

No one is forcing anyone to buy it, yet everyone seems compelled to comment as if they were. I say it's about damn time we got a new input device, christ, keyboards and mice are like fifty years old. I just hope my spatial awareness is fast enough to keep up with 19 frickin buttons plus double tracking and touch. I'll take on the challenge of playing Project Eternity from deep within a recliner.  

Edited September 28, 2013 by ManifestedISO

[Tale]

http://tommyrefenes.tumblr.com/post/62476523677/my-time-with-the-steam-controller

 

And Refenes (Super Meat Boy developer) is back.

 

His summary.

 

TL;DR; Great Start, needs some improvements, but I could play any game I wanted with it just fine.

However, he seemed to focus on game's intended for a controller. Good news that it might be just as good for controller designed games. But I want to know more about games designed for M+K.

[Oerwinde]

http://kotaku.com/since-the-pads-are-clickable-i-would-think-the-buttons-1415846921?rev=1380352418

 

Seems most people are digging it.

[Malcador]

Meh, not seeing the whole excitement. I am interested in SteamOS in at least to see how much they let you do with it.