[NullPointer]

Gaming heaven for me is comfy couch PC gaming. All of the benefits in resolution/performance/customization and mods, none of the drawbacks, except one. A lack of gamepad/controller support for games you'd assume would have it.

Of course I can understand why many PC games don't support a controller, but what I don't understand is why multiplatform titles don't. For example, a few recent head scratchers:

Torchlight 2
Battlefield 3
Modern Warfare 3

I assumed the PC versions would have full controller support to match their efforts on the consoles, but no dice. Why is that? Is there some hidden cost that makes it untenable?

And please, don't post either of these:

"Why would you want to use a controller for a PC game? lolz noob"
"Use Xpadder/X brand controller mapping software"
"Just get the xbox/ps3 version instead."

[joeygreco1985]

MW3 was especially disappointing since Black Ops had it.

I personally would rather use a 360 controller with my PC games, love being able to lay in my bed and get some quality PC gaming in

[GhostTrick]

Why would you use Xpadder on a PS3/360 game ? Lulz !


PS: But yes, it sucks ! I don't understand myself why some multiplateform games doesn't allow controllers.

[Ploid 3.0]

Torchlight 2 os pc exclusive, is it not?

[Toki767]

So glad The Witcher 2 had controller support.

That said, it probably just ends up taking extra resources that developers don't want to put time in. They probably figure most PC gamers prefer mouse and keyboard over controllers.

[stuminus3]

Battlefield 3 does have controller support.

The IW COD games are a mystery. Black Ops had a controller option.

[Detox]

PC users get exclusive keyboard and mouse support.

[NullPointer]

Torchlight 2 os pc exclusive, is it not?

Is it? Just another faulty assumption on my part then. And looks like I won't be picking it up at all now :(

Battlefield 3 does have controller support.

Limited. And to add salt to the wound the campaign can be played with the controller except for the insta-fail QTEs. It boggles my mind they haven't patched a fix.

That said, it probably just ends up taking extra resources that developers don't want to put time in. They probably figure most PC gamers prefer mouse and keyboard over controllers.

That's just it though, haven't they already done the work to support the consoles? Is the PC branch of the code/development pipeline that far removed?

[Derrick01]

There's really no good excuse not to put it in anymore unless your game is some kind of strategy or simulation game.

[Ploid 3.0]

They said there was no plans for a 360 version last I read. We know that might be pr stuff though.

[chickdigger802]

Big bummer that ME3 doesn't have it.

I do hate games that don't have controller support, yet still don't bother changing UI and what not for better mouse and keyboard usage.

[NullPointer]

Big bummer that ME3 doesn't have it. I do hate games that don't have controller support, yet still don't bother changing UI and what not for better mouse and keyboard usage.

My first thought was that the lack of controller support was a UI issue, since there would be work involved in changing a mouse/keyboard centric UI to be controller friendly, but then again we see a ton of PC ports that don't manage to do even that much.

Color me confused. Seems like a low hanging fruit that could lead to some more sales as well as a marketing bulletpoint.

Are there licensing fees involved or something?

[Dabanton]

Well i sure devs have the worry that their game will be accused of being 'Consolised' by a substantial set of very vocal gamers.

[SalsaShark]

yeah, you spend so much time on Mass Effect 3 that its a game i really wanted to play laying in my bed. Disappointing.

[RedSwirl]

So wait BF3 only has controller support for the campaign? Kinda makes sense since you'd probably get destroyed online with a controller.

With Mass Effect it probably has something to do with how BioWare completely re-organizes the UI around a mouse for the PC versions of all three games.

[NullPointer]

So wait BF3 only has controller support for the campaign? Kinda makes sense since you'd probably get destroyed online with a controller.

Try playing the BF3 campaign with just a controller. You'll die within the first minute from the QTE since there is no way to press the right button on a controller, no matter how you have it mapped.

[oktarb]

If Tera, an MMO, can pull off controller support anyone can. The question here is why aren't they?

[Haunted]

BF3, MW3 and ME3 are the big exceptions to the rule, yeah in the last two years, yeah. It's really strange that designers actually consciously made a decision to not They had the time, the budget, the infrastructure in place to easily support this but decided against it. Very strange.

I obviously played all of them with XPadder, but it's still puzzling.

As for smaller games, the recent PixelJunk Eden PC port scrapping controller controls was a bummer. I didn't buy it because of that. yay for Q games


We've made big strides and a large majority of PC games have controller support, but there are these notable ecxeptions that pop up from time to time and it's just really strange.

[Nabs]

BF3, MW3 and ME3 are the big exceptions to the rule, yeah in the last two years, yeah. It's really strange that designers actually consciously made a decision to not They had the time, the budget, the infrastructure in place to easily support this but decided against it. Very strange. I obviously played all of them with XPadder, but it's still puzzling. As for smaller games, the recent PixelJunk Eden PC port scrapping controller controls was a bummer. I didn't buy it because of that. We've made big strides and a large majority of PC games have controller support, but there are these notable ecxeptions that pop up from time to time and it's just really strange.

They updated it a week later.

[Haunted]

For Torchlight 2 (and other Diablo games), I assume you'd assume direct control over the character to move around in the world? That seems like a significant gameplay change, not sure I'd agree with a controller option being useful there. Maybe having the controller simply control a virtual cursor would make more sense there... but it's definitely one of the genres (along with RTS and sim games) that's not really asking for controller options.

There's really no good excuse not to put it in anymore unless your game is some kind of strategy or simulation game.

Correct. The Bioware guy going on about how they couldn't not remove it put it in for ME3 because of time/budget restraints just showed how much they actually think of their audience. Definitely leaves a bad aftertaste.

They updated it a week later.

That's great news, thanks :)

[Interfectum]

I hope Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3 add controller support asap.

[Nabs]

That's great news, thanks :)

np! I still need to grab it myself.

[Jarmel]

So wait BF3 only has controller support for the campaign? Kinda makes sense since you'd probably get destroyed online with a controller. With Mass Effect it probably has something to do with how BioWare completely re-organizes the UI around a mouse for the PC versions of all three games.

Even using the KB/M setup it's still pretty shitty. Case in point is with the fucking galaxy map.

[Joe Molotov]

I hope Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3 add controller support asap.

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

[Relaxed Muscle]

So wait BF3 only has controller support for the campaign? Kinda makes sense since you'd probably get destroyed online with a controller.

You can use the controller in multiplayer too. Useful if you can't handle vehicles with the KB/M.

[Interfectum]

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Blizzard devs seem to be having some decent luck...

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/di...ers-but-suppo/

[PsychoRaven]

Honestly who knows. I really think that in this day and age every game should support a controller. Even if they focus on the keyboard and mouse there are a lot of us who do prefer controllers.

Blizzard devs seem to be having some decent luck... http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/di...ers-but-suppo/

Doesn't surprise me. Diablo I've felt could always play damn good using a controller.

[Joe Molotov]

Blizzard devs seem to be having some decent luck... http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/di...ers-but-suppo/

It's working so great, they decided not to include it.

[FuKuy]

Why don't more PC versions of multiplatform games support gamepads/controllers?

Because two different control schemes with two different HUDs are more expensive to develop/integrate ingame.

Full gamepad support is a NICE and important feautre, but is an EXTRA feature. Everyone who plays on PC have keyboard and mouse, but not all PC gamers have a gamepad.
In fact most PC gamers prefer to have a decent keyboard&mouse control with a proper HUD/UI even if this means not gamepad support at all.

lack of gamepad/controller support for games you'd assume would have it.

Common mistake. Why you assume this? Keyboard and mouse are the default input controllers on PC gaming.

[Derrick01]

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Aren't they designing the game to play with just the mouse? It won't be that hard. You'll probably have to cut out a few of the number of skills you can use at once but that's by far not a deal breaker.

Besides, moving with a stick and mashing A or X is >>>> moving with a mouse and click mashing.

[Zeer0id]

It is quite irksome because I strongly dislike kb+m controls for any game that isn't an RTS or MMO. :(

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Wouldn't be hard at all actually. Obviously the gameplay wouldn't be point-and-click anymore, but as a melee-infused twin-stick shooter, the controls would work very well.

[Relax.MX]

FOR ME...playing a FPS, RTS, Diablo-Style on a PC with a gamepad is just crazy in many ways

[(._.)]

It's working so great, they decided not to include it.

erm, says it wont be ready at release.....

[Interfectum]

It's working so great, they decided not to include it.

Yeah, that's why it's not included at launch. You seem to have it all figured out.

[Haunted]

Because two different control schemes with two different HUDs are more expensive to develop/integrate ingame. Control pad support is a NICE and important feautre, but is an EXTRA feature. Everyone who plays on PC have keyboard and mouse, but not all PC gamers have a gamepad. In fact most PC gamers prefer to have a decent keyboard&mouse control with a proper HUD/UI even if this means not gamepad support at all.

The thing with multiplatform games is that they've already had to design and implement a controller scheme and appropriate HUD for the console version, so in many cases it's something they're actively removing from the PC version of the game.

[Zee-Row]

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Diablo 1 was easy to beat with a pad on PS1.

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

Diablo 1 was easy to beat with a pad on PS1.

It also was a very shitty version of the game.
Just saying...

Anyway, I'm all for optional gamepad for multiplatform games OR for games where the gamepad fits nicely.
I'm not a zealot. I generally prefer M&K when I think it's the best, but I'm all for a controller in games where it fits (Darksiders, Batman, Dead Rising 2 and so on).
On the other hand I couldn't care less to have pad support in first person shooters, Diablo-like, RTS, and so on.
I find baffling to read people asking for pad support on a multiplayer FPS. It's like asking to be brutalized.

[Zee-Row]

It also was a very shitty version of the game. Just saying...

Other than taking up almost all of your memory card to save it was a great port. I played the PC version at a friends house first back in the day.

[Serialxp]

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Wel torchlight 1 in the xbox works great, I find it way better to play than the pc version... Dungeon siege 3 works great also, in the end what you lose in precision you get in better movement it make easy you know avoid enemy attacks.

[dionysus]

I can see a reason to not include it for multiplayer FPS for balance reasons. That being said, if games would go back to the tried and true server lists for matchmaking (or have good automatchmaking customization) one could play in controller or kbm only games if it bothered you.

[theBishop]

It's really infuriating. The worst is a situation like BF3 where the gamepad is actually supported, but you need KB+M for menus.

I was hoping to get sucked into Tribes Ascend, but it has the same problem.

PC developers: Support the Gamepad. If I have to pick up a keyboard to play your game, your gamepad support has failed.

[Zee-Row]

Even with games like Team Fortress 2 on PC I have fun playing with the gamepad. This whole thing about getting destroyed is hogwash. I always have a decent outing with each match I play.

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

Even with games like Team Fortress 2 on PC I have fun playing with the gamepad. This whole thing about getting destroyed is hogwash.

No, it isn't.
I'm not sure where are you playing and who's playing with you, but getting few random kills when there is a massacre going on doesn't prove much.
Try to play a one-on-one or something similar and the difference will become pretty obvious to you.

People claiming "there isn't that much difference" are in denial.

[Black_Stride]

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 has controller support, MW3 i dont know i never played the PC version, but Black Ops had controller support, i can imagine why they would take support out for MW3.

BF3.... I obviously played all of them with XPadder, but it's still puzzling. We've made big strides and a large majority of PC games have controller support, but there are these notable ecxeptions that pop up from time to time and it's just really strange.

Again, BF3 has native controller support, i dont know why you would need to use Xpadder for it.

This topic is a strange one, because in the last maybe 2 years every PC game ive owned has had controller support.
Are you sure you guys arent making this shit up.....like saying BF3 doesnt support controllers when it clearly does.

ANd im sure somewhere in the options MW3 has a "gamepad" option, sometimes its just people being too lazy to read the options menus.
Like people complaining about Binary Domain having bad support when really you just need read the options menu.

Most if not all Multiplatform games in the last 2 years or so have had controller support....if not at launch then within 2 patches.

EDIT:
Actually one game i thought of without controller support(Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising) but i figured it would be weird with a controller.

[NullPointer]

Battlefield 3 has controller support

Did they patch this in the past few days? After the recent "big" patch I tried the campaign again and at the very first QTE on the train there was no button or trigger press that would get me past it.

Common mistake. Why you assume this? Keyboard and mouse are the default input controllers on PC gaming.

Read the OP again. I'm specifically talking about multiplatform games that already have gamepad support on the console versions. Games like Modern Warfare 3 and Mass Effect, etc.

[Black_Stride]

Did they patch this in the past few days? After the recent "big" patch I tried the campaign again and at the very first QTE on the train there was no button or trigger press that would get me past it.

Damn i dont know.
Last time i played campaign with a controller was at launch....i havent bothered going back since.

I do however use my controller to drive/pilot the vehicles in multiplayer and it works perfectly.

[Reallink]

Good luck playing Diablo 3 with a pad.

Can you elaborate on this? I only spent a few hours with the open beta, but from what I recall, there were only 7 skills mappable at any given time. Xbox pad obviously has 8 readily available buttons + many secondaries (dpad, clicks, start/back). Actually, I got a sense the game had been specifically designed around controller constraints, cause it seemed so obvious that you could easily map movement to the left stick and your various abilities to the buttons/triggers/bumpers. [conspiracytheory]I suspect they know their incredibly vocal PC nerd base would go batshit if they announced console versions or launched with controller support. We all know forums would blow up about how they've neutered and limited to the game for consoles and controllers. I think they're being very smart side step that negative press by not really committing to console releases (even though we know they're coming) and approaching controller support as an (maybe) after market bonus.[/conspiracytheory]

[NullPointer]

I do however use my controller to drive/pilot the vehicles in multiplayer and it works perfectly.

All the more reason that its lack of support in other areas is missing. I honestly don't get it.

[Kade]

Most of them barely support keyboard and mouse.

[Haunted]

Again, BF3 has native controller support, i dont know why you would need to use Xpadder for it. ANd im sure somewhere in the options MW3 has a "gamepad" option, sometimes its just people being too lazy to read the options menus.

BF3 didn't support the QTEs in the singleplayer campaign, rendering it effectively useless without XPadder. Very strange case, that.

MW3 PC does not support the 360 controller.

Like people complaining about Binary Domain having bad support when really you just need read the options menu. Most if not all Multiplatform games in the last 2 years or so have had controller support....if not at launch then within 2 patches. .

Agreed with the rest of your points, Binary Domain PC has excellent controller support right out of the box from what I've seen, and PC games (espcially multiplat) that don't are now the notable exception.