Topic: Valve wants to make....a game controller?

[idolminds]

What?

With more and more quirky games coming out along with the high-profile franchises (Epic's Unreal Tournament games were a recent addition) and its extensive community and development tools, Steam is becoming more and more of a unique platform. Yet some of the new titles coming out don't necessarily play all that well with a mouse and keyboard; Everyday Shooter in particular.

Though there are certainly gamepads out there for PC players to use (the Xbox 360 controller, for example), Lombardi states that Valve is very much interested in producing its own. "It's actually something that, I mean there's nothing to announce yet, but it's something we're definitely looking at. You hit the nail right on the head; there's a lot of games coming out right now on Steam that might be better [with a controller]. Everyday Shooter is a perfect example, right? It's something that we're looking at. It's something that these games are showing us there's a need there. They're proving to us that, oh wow, this is pretty cool. If there was a controller set for these things, they'd be even better. It's something we're looking at and something we're going to start talking to those people who specialize in those areas about."

If Valve were to work with a hardware manufacturer to produce Steam controllers, who knows how much further forward it would be willing to go in terms of other physical products. Some kind of unified system from Valve might help to finally put down the notion that PC gaming is dying, a meme that continues to blaze its way across blog headlines on a regular basis.

[gpw11]

Fuck off.  As far as I'm concerned the 360 controller should be the standardized PC game pad.

On that note: Beyond Good and Evil is now on STEAM...for $9.  I'm veeeeery close to buying it.

[Quemaqua]

At this point I probably don't even need to type my usual response to any Valve announcement, do I?  I'm trying to at least move from "fuck Valve" to making Gabe Newell fat jokes, but it's slow going.  So in the interest of expedience...

FUCK.  VALVE.

[gpw11]

I agree, but Beyond Good and Evil is on steam for like $10.

Wait...where the fuck is HL2 Ep.3?

[Quemaqua]

I thought you already owned BG&E?

[gpw11]

I bought it like 6 months after it came out on PC.  That was like 5 years and 3 moves ago.  I haven't seen it in years and I don't think I ever will again.  I may have given it to someone after trying to finish it twice and not getting past the halfway mark.

I like the game, but something always came up.

[Quemaqua]

It was cool, but in the end it was kind of a letdown.  It had a lot going for it but I really had to force myself through the last quarter.

That strikes me as a game that will have aged pretty well visually, though.  It was a damned pretty game.

[scottws]

Why would Valve want to make a Steam controller?  I don't get it.

[MysterD]

Why would Valve want to make a Steam controller?  I don't get it.

To try and punch Microsoft in the face?

[idolminds]

Even then, why? The 360 controller becoming the standard controller design was probably the best thing to come out of the whole "Games for Windows" fiasco. So whatever Valve decides to do its going to have to support this standard, triggers and all.

If Valve was smart, this is what they would need to do:
-Stick to the typical 360 pad design. There isn't much reason to deviate. They could offer it in a DualShock configuration (swap the dpad and left stick) to differentiate from the 360 design. No need to have an exact mirror product.
-Make the dpad not suck. The 360 dpad is kinda crappy. Improve it.
-Drivers that support Xinput and DirectInput. That way you're compatible with new and old games.

If they can offer those things (and lets hope cost less than MS's controller...damn those aren't cheap), then they might have something.

[MysterD]

Even then, why? The 360 controller becoming the standard controller design was probably the best thing to come out of the whole "Games for Windows" fiasco.

I agree w/ that statement -- b/c now people that own a X360, they are covered for the PC for their controller.

If a PC gamer wants a 360 and has a X360 Gamepad For Windows, that user can just use that Gamepad on the 360.

Or, if the PC gamer doesn't have the X360 For Windows Gamepad, if he goes and buys a 360, he now has the 360 controller, which works for the 360 and the PC.

So whatever Valve decides to do its going to have to support this standard, triggers and all.

If Valve was smart, this is what they would need to do:
-Stick to the typical 360 pad design. There isn't much reason to deviate. They could offer it in a DualShock configuration (swap the dpad and left stick) to differentiate from the 360 design. No need to have an exact mirror product.
-Make the dpad not suck. The 360 dpad is kinda crappy. Improve it.

I never had a problem w/ the 360 DPad, myself...

-Drivers that support Xinput and DirectInput. That way you're compatible with new and old games.

Agreed. Now that is a good idea.
Microsoft should officially support that themselves w/ the 360 GamePad.
That'd be a great move.

[gpw11]

Yeah, apparently the Dpad has a massive design flaw. I saw an article on it a few weeks ago, but I've never really noticed it myself.  I should clarify that I don't own one and I've probably never actually played a game without the analog stick, so I wouldn't really know.

But my whole thing is it seems like Valve is trying to fill a vacuum that a.) doesn't exist or b.) has already been filled. There are more than enough options for PC game pads, and there's even somewhat of a standard for the first time since I've been playing PC games.  Why bother?  It's almost like Valve thinks they need to hold our fucking hands or we won't be able to get anything done.

[Ghandi]

Knowing Valve, I'm sure that the controller will only work for games on Steam.

[Cobra951]

Yeah, apparently the Dpad has a massive design flaw. I saw an article on it a few weeks ago, but I've never really noticed it myself.

Massive it is.  The behavior is unpredictable and unreliable.  I never use it if I have a choice, even in something like PacMan.  I'd like to see that article.

[gpw11]

http://www.destructoid.com/undeniable-failure-an-open-letter-to-microsoft-on-the-xbox-360-dpad-76299.phtml

It's destructiod so it's kind of shitty but they do break the controller apart and check it out.

[scottws]

http://www.destructoid.com/undeniable-failure-an-open-letter-to-microsoft-on-the-xbox-360-dpad-76299.phtml

It's destructiod so it's kind of shitty but they do break the controller apart and check it out.

Jesus.  Don't these guys know there are CSS items called margins and padding?  Use them!

[Cobra951]

OK, now we need someone more literate and more illustrative to rewrite that.  The rant is passionate, and made me laugh sympathetically, but what I saw there doesn't really explain shit to anybody that doesn't already understand the problem.  I'm not at all surprised that there's some extraneous crap under the D pad.  It feels like the top of a joystick rather than a D pad.  Its action becomes more reliable if you think of it that way.  Pushing toward the directional point works better than pressing down on it.  (I can press down lightly and repeatedly on one directional point, even hearing mechanical tapping, with no input registering on the dashboard or whatever I'm playing.)  The problem with the article is that it does nothing beyond showing me the parts list to illustrate the problem.  It's a rant and a set of pictures.

He does allude to 3rd-party alternatives.  Maybe that's the workaround.  Let's see what I can find there about that.