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Latest Steam Controller design spotted in client beta?

update:

new image from the beta client again

controller_config_controller.png

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1238036&p=46726073&viewfull=1#post46726073

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from facepunch

Looks like Valve is adding a actual joystick to the controller taken from the latest client beta:

alpha_controller_lines_d0g.png

Edit/update:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...ith-Analog-Stick-Confirmed-Explained-by-Valve

While I was furiously scanning each room the tour went through for any instance of the number "3", I noticed a Valve employee using what appeared to be a fully-functioning prototype of the analog stick Steam controller. I spoke with one of the machinists working on the project, and he offered me some insight onto how the analog stick came to be.

First up, he admitted that adjusting to the radical dual trackpads of the Steam controller is the biggest problem new users have. While he (and pretty much everyone else at Valve) swear that the dual trackpads are absolutely necessary, and that they really do make all the difference, it's not as easy to convince people who've never used them.

The machinist said that the new prototype's analog stick was tied to movement, in order to "ease new players in" to using the two trackpads, by starting them off using just one for aiming. While he said that the prototype had been successful, and that players were eventually able to transition to the dual trackpad layout, its big disadvantage that the controller's d-pad had to be cut to make room for the stick.

When I asked if an analog stick would make the final cut, he told me he wasn't sure, and said that the controller has been through a whole bunch of revisions already, and will probably have quite a few more before its release.

It's weird the employee would mention the "d-pad" when Valve has been pimping the trackpads for that function.

also this was found in the latest steam beta build

 

L~A

Member
Ah, pretty good news then. Will be nice for games designed for controllers, like console ports and whatnot.
 
This controller is looking less and less interesting. I want to original model with the screen and 4 buttons back.


Also, did they get rid of the buttons on the bottom of the controller?!? Why?
nvm
 

Silky

Banned
Where the hell is the D-Pad?

The touch pads defeat the purpose of a stick...what the fuck...

What benefit does a stick have
 

ttocs

Member
Those trackpads were always a big mistake. The should just bite the bullet and start fresh without them.
 

Bricky

Member
So... we're just ending up with a normal gamepad now? I mean, I already got my Dualshock 3 for that, and the Dualshock 4 an 360/One controllers work just fine too, I don't see the point in replacing buttons with joystick when you have trackpads and want to make a true PC-gaming controller (which needs many buttons more than anything else).
 
This controller is looking less and less interesting. I want to original model with the screen and 4 buttons back.


Also, did they get rid of the buttons on the bottom of the controller?!? Why?

They're still there. LP - RP

Left Paddle - Right Paddle

edit: my bad

LG - RG

not sure what the G stands for, they used to call them paddles
 

Oppo

Member
Now drop the touchpads from 2 to 1 and put it in the center... yessss

It's been fascinating watching Valve go through these contortions but I suspect they will land closer to the 'traditional' gamepad than they anticipated when they set out.

Sorry lefties
 

StuBurns

Banned
Now drop the touchpads from 2 to 1 and put it in the center... yessss

It's been fascinating watching Valve go through these contortions but I suspect they will land closer to the 'traditional' gamepad than they anticipated when they set out.

Sorry lefties

Drop the one touchpad for sure, but leave the other one on the right.

Just make a mirrored version for lefties.

#EverybodyWins
 
Where the hell is the D-Pad?

The touch pads defeat the purpose of a stick...what the fuck...

What benefit does a stick have

If you read impressions, not many people liked the pads as sticks. The pads in native mode can function as d-pads pretty well according to devs.
 

Sir TapTap

Member
They're willing to lose symmetry, but not to add a d pad.

Does Valve even know what a platformer is? Tetris? Fighting games? Shmups? Beat 'em Ups? These people work in games, right?
 

Orayn

Member
They're willing to lose symmetry, but not to add a d pad.

Does Valve even know what a platformer is? Tetris? Fighting games? Shmups? Beat 'em Ups? These people work in games, right?

Some people say the touch-pads make serviceable d-pads due to the haptic feedback.

Why would they drop it? They are iterating on a controller through crowd sourcing. Changing the design isn't an admission of a mistake.

If you ever change something with the intention of making it better, that means the whole thing was a bad idea and you should just give up. As an engineer, I find nothing wrong with this statement.
 
They're willing to lose symmetry, but not to add a d pad.

Does Valve even know what a platformer is? Tetris? Fighting games? Shmups? Beat 'em Ups? These people work in games, right?

I don't know how many times this has to be said. Google for impressions or videos and you can see people playing fighters and platformers with this. The maker of Super Meat Boy liked it enough etc
 
Wish they'd just drop it, seems like a moneysink at this point. Imagine all the dev costs that went into all these (re)designs.
 

Tobor

Member
I hate all you naysayers. Fuck.

Stop fucking with it and give me one already, Valve. I want to play Civ and old FPS's on the couch without a KB/M!
 

Denton

Member
I really want this hard.

Mass Effect trilogy couch PC gaming here I come.

Also, FUCK THE D-PAD.

I don't play fighting games, so I don't need it, the touchpad will be good enough replacement for it for every nonfighting game.
 

blamite

Member
Making a controller to go with living room PCs is totally a bad idea.

Why would they drop it? They are iterating on a controller through crowd sourcing. Changing the design isn't an admission of a mistake.

Making a proprietary controller with weird tech that nothing is being designed for and that also doesn't work with anything else doesn't seem like a path to success. Granted I haven't actually used one so maybe it actually works great but it seems like a hard sell when everyone already has Xbox and Playstation controllers that work just fine.
 

Orayn

Member
Making a proprietary controller with weird tech that nothing is being designed for and that also doesn't work with anything else doesn't seem like a path to success. Granted I haven't actually used one so maybe it actually works great but it seems like a hard sell when everyone already has Xbox and Playstation controllers that work just fine.

It's not proprietary. It works on PC, Mac, and Linux, you can remap every part of the controller to do whatever you want, and there's supposed to be an XInput mode at some point as well.
 
This seems like an even worse solution. I thought the 'touchwheels' were to replace thumbstick controls?? The symmetrical buttons seemed superior. Eh, now every control scheme is gonna default that thumbstick for movement and it will negate the supposed 'mouse-like' precision the touchy circles have?
 

Interfectum

Member
Making a proprietary controller with weird tech that nothing is being designed for and that also doesn't work with anything else doesn't seem like a path to success. Granted I haven't actually used one so maybe it actually works great but it seems like a hard sell when everyone already has Xbox and Playstation controllers that work just fine.

They aren't looking to replace the 360 controller within a year. This is a long-term (10+ years) plan.
 

MCN

Banned
Uh, okay. Why are we compromising with the luddites, again?

Because a certain subset of gamers won't accept anything other than a Dualshock or Xbox pad, and anything that has anything extra must be shot down, because their favourite console is perfect and nothing can ever possibly be better than it.
 

Randdalf

Member
Note that it still has the two trackpads, as fully featured as ever - they're not going away, which is great, in my opinion.
 

StuBurns

Banned
This seems like an even worse solution. I thought the 'touchwheels' were to replace thumbstick controls?? The symmetrical buttons seemed superior. Eh, now every control scheme is gonna default that thumbstick for movement and it will negate the supposed 'mouse-like' precision the touchy circles have?
But you don't control movement with a mouse, you do it with WASD.

That's what I've always thought was so stupid about this design. It's two mice, pointless.
 
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