ashecitism
Member
First off, in an attempt no to let this thread turn out like the previous Steam Controller threads I suggest you guys check these out:
maybe it'll help reach a better understanding or something like that...
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Gaffers:
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Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/5...ntroller-feels-less-traditional-than-it-looks
Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/19/valves-new-steam-controller-feels-familiar-but-strange/
Joystiq: http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/19/h...ted&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
via Wired liveblog: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2014/03/gdc-day-2/#refresh
Tested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fei1Fh4owDA
cnet: http://reviews.cnet.com/game-accessories/valve-steam-controller/4505-10110_7-35873291.html
some redditor:http://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/20vc9w/gdc_2014_steam_controller_gallery_impressions/
IGN: http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/20/gdc-hands-on-with-valves-newest-steam-controller-prototype
vg247: http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/21/hands-on-with-valves-latest-steam-controller/
Techradar: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/ga...rollers/valve-steam-controller-1212868/review
Google dev: https://plus.google.com/+BrandonJonesToji/posts/7HLoXa19QiH
PCGamer: http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/steam-controller-hands-on-at-gdc-2014/
Ars Technica: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/03/steam-controller-prototype-version-2-impressions-buttoned-up/
GameRevolution: http://www.gamerevolution.com/featu...ler?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
From the Black Mesa forum: http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=574824&postcount=276
T3: http://www.t3.com/reviews/valve-steam-controller-review#null
Rev3Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU8mqpIUxb8
If anyone else finds something, please post it here and I'll put it in the OP. Doesn't have to be only press/media of course.
maybe it'll help reach a better understanding or something like that...
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Gaffers:
I tried it today with a few different games. Honestly, it's the worst controller I've ever used.
First game I tried playing was Strider, which didn't let you use the d-pad. The touchpad is not suited to this sort of game at all. The game registers an input every time you do much as graze the touchpad, so if your thumb isn't completely precise, you'll end up running and jumping all over the place. I couldn't get a feel for how far I needed to drag my thumb on the pad to get Strider to run, either, which only made things feel more clumsy. I eventually got to a place where I needed to do some slightly precise platforming, and I found it nearly impossible. I have genuinely never used a controller less suited to precision 2D gameplay than this.
The d-pad is pretty bad, too, but it's a little more usable than it looks in some of the pictures. The buttons are close together and don't take much pressure to activate, so it's almost kinda okay-ish... But still not good enough. Hitting diagonals is iffy, and that's really the biggest problem.
I also tried Dirt 3 and Portal, and while those performed a little better than Strider, I still could never do anything with precision. There's just no tactile feedback for anything you do, so it's really tough to get a sense of how far you need to move your thumbs back and forth to get the input you want. I eventually just started using the left thumbpad like a d-pad, and just pressed it on on the edges... But that's not how analog controls work.
The only positive thing I can say is that the build quality was very good. It felt like a solid piece of equipment, and I'm sure it'd stand up to even my redoubtable controller-throwing antics. But based on my time using the thing to actually play games... The solution Valve came up with appears to be a controller that could work with just about every game under the sun, but it's the least ideal way to play any of them.
I tried it out too and my feelings mirror yours. It was very underwhelming. That's even after a Valve employee showing and explaining it.
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Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/19/5...ntroller-feels-less-traditional-than-it-looks
Unsurprisingly, the controller is still very much a prototype — a Valve representative told us that they were literally hand-building them five days ago for the show. As such, they are rather light and don’t feel solidly built — that said, the touchpads and buttons were all responsive despite the lack of polish. As for when we might see a more final version, all we know is that they’ll be ready alongside the first Steam Machines.
Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/19/valves-new-steam-controller-feels-familiar-but-strange/
On their own the buttons feel good, but we couldn't help but wonder what we lost in their implementation. Valve told us it envisioned the touchscreen as displaying non critical information -- like Steam community notifications -- but notes that its gameplay functionality may yet live on. The software developed to utilize the abandoned screen's "Ghost mode" can be applied to the controller's touchpads, allowing a player to assign multiple actions to the surface of either pad, but only activating them when a secondary button is depressed. Valve couldn't say if this kind of implementation would appear in the final hardware, but told us it's still experimenting with the software designed for the touchpad.
Joystiq: http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/19/h...ted&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
It's impressive that the Steam Controller can bounce between styles as disparate as 2D adventure and first-person puzzling, and its touch pads could become second nature over time, but it's definitely not going to provide a seamless transition from traditional controllers.
via Wired liveblog: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2014/03/gdc-day-2/#refresh
Just tried out the new version of the Steam Controller, many of which are at Valve’s booth on the show floor.
It’s still a prototype model that is mostly 3-D printed. But the basic functions are in place - the touchscreen has been swapped out for two diamond shaped arrays of buttons. I played Strider - streaming via a wired connection from a Windows PC to a Steam Machine - and it felt fine.
The buttons are a little on the small side and not quite as good as the larger, more conveniently placed buttons on an Xbox pad (e.g.), but they get the job done.
Don’t worry that the Steam Controller doesn’t have a D-pad. The main touch pad does a fine job of that. If you dislike the sensitivity you can always turn that off because the touchpads also have a “click” at each of the directions, and that works fine for directional control (a Valve rep told me that is how the Super Meat Boy team plays their game).
Tested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fei1Fh4owDA
cnet: http://reviews.cnet.com/game-accessories/valve-steam-controller/4505-10110_7-35873291.html
Overall, the controller fit into my hands comfortably and struck a very balanced weight. I'm not at all sold on the trackpads and the button layout can use some definite tweaking, but it may be more appropriate for the types of games you'd more likely see on the PC: frist-person-shooters and real-time strategy games. I plan on returning to Valve's booth later this week and spending more time with different types of games.
some redditor:http://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/20vc9w/gdc_2014_steam_controller_gallery_impressions/
Overall I came away more impressed than I thought I would be. If no more significant changes were made I would probably buy one the way it is, but I know Valve will make refinements before production.
IGN: http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/20/gdc-hands-on-with-valves-newest-steam-controller-prototype
Although the Steam Controller’s design is evolving and improving, its challenges are still the same — undoing years of traditional gamepad experience and committing the time to adapt. As we have discussed in previous posts, there are potential precision and versatility advantages to the Steam Controller’s unconventional design, but until the retail model arrives, we won’t know if it’s worth the trade-off.
vg247: http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/21/hands-on-with-valves-latest-steam-controller/
So while the old controller may have been more difficult to deal with – that’s still hard to tell without using them in the wild one after the other – that it looked like a totally insane thing meant you had some idea of what you were getting into when you picked it up. And so when it’s immediately awkward to use most people probably will be more forgiving of the learning curve for a bit. But when you pick up this controller with familiar elements like face buttons that are a struggle to use for the first time in your life, I wouldn’t expect much forgiveness at all.
Techradar: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/ga...rollers/valve-steam-controller-1212868/review
Our early verdict
"A solid, inventive controller, but not what you want for competitive gaming"
For
Precise
Highly customizable
Find the best control schemes on Steam
Against
For some genres, not on par with mouse and keyboard
Google dev: https://plus.google.com/+BrandonJonesToji/posts/7HLoXa19QiH
I see a lot of potential here, though I don't think this will replace the standard console pad anytime soon. I actually feel like if I could replace the left pad with a joystick, though, it would be the perfect FPS controller. It will be very interesting to see what kind of bindings the gaming community standardizes for this controller.
PCGamer: http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/steam-controller-hands-on-at-gdc-2014/
It’s evident that the Steam Controller is still at an early stage. At this prototype stage, Valve is actually still 3D printing the body of the controller itself, and the rigid, low-quality plastic doesn’t quite feel comfortable. From a gameplay perspective, though, I’m completely unsold on the Steam Controller as a viable way of playing PC games at this time. The games Valve had on display weren’t flattering uses of the controller, and it’s disappointing to know that I would’ve played better with an Xbox 360 pad in every case.
Ars Technica: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/03/steam-controller-prototype-version-2-impressions-buttoned-up/
As always, it will take much more than ten minutes of show floor testing to measure the full worth of a controller. As it stands, though, we're glad that Valve has decided to move toward the basic button layout that has served handheld controllers well for years.
GameRevolution: http://www.gamerevolution.com/featu...ler?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
My main concern with the touchpads, though, is that they might be too cumbersome for any game that requires precision like fighting games. Now, most hardcore fighter fans own a joystick anyway so that's not much of a problem, but any high-action title that requires complex and immediate directional movement may not perform well with the Steam Controller. However, it just may take longer than the ten minutes I had with the controller to get accustomed to its original design.
From the Black Mesa forum: http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=574824&postcount=276
I got to go to GDC and check out Valve's booth and got my hands on the latest controller. IT felt pretty good to hold.
The face buttons and d-pad aren't hard to reach, but they press way too softly for my liking. I asked one of the Valve devs if they were thinking of using mechanical switches for the face buttons, and he said the last version did, and people thought the buttons felt cheap, so they put in silicon membrane switches instead. Makes me sad.
The triggers are analog, but with mechanical switches too, so it can act as analog input or digital input , or both simultaneously, on the software end. The accentuation force was at the very end of the trigger's depression so it doesn't move very far after the click. I would have liked to see the accentuation force a little further out.
Seen a lot of articles on the internet saying the touchpads felt way too twitchy and sensitivite. They definitely weren't as nice to use as a mouse, but I would say it's still a lot better than using two analog sticks.
Asked a couple other questions of the devs there:
So far no games are implementing the haptic of the touchpads to pass through information such as explosions in the way a standard controller's rumble does. I asked him about implementing that in first party games, he made it sound like they really weren't interested in doing so, but that if they decided they wanted to they would and could. It's a little dissapointing, I'm not sure why he seemed completely disinterested in implementing a feature that is considered standard in all other controllers. Perhaps they aren't using it because it'd mess with the haptic feedback used to emulate physicality, but the tone I got from him seemed to be that they just really didn't consider it a worthwhile feature.
Portal 2 has native support now as opposed to legacy support, so the left touchpad is actually implementing analog movement as opposed to emulating WASD key presses. Didn't seem very noticeable or practical in game when I tested it out. The final wireless version will be using a proprietary wireless stack and a USB dongle. The current wired version is using mini USB as opposed to Micro (bizarrely enough the dev I asked this one didn't even seem certain of she answer, so maybe it isn't mini US. All this is also very disappointing. I asked why they weren't using bluetooth, but she didn't seem to know very much and couldn't answer.
You will be able to change whether or not the controller is emulating an analog stick or a trackball from the steam overlay. This also works in legacy mode, so you could say, set the right touchpad to register as a trackball to the computer, and the left toucpad to register as a standard controller's analog stick. This way, if a game without native support steam controller supports analog input via a standard controller, you can still get analog movement out of the steam controller in legacy mode. Pretty cool.
T3: http://www.t3.com/reviews/valve-steam-controller-review#null
Control will always evolve, and it's exciting that Valve is trying to prompt another sea change, bringing mouse subtleties to a gamepad in an all new way, even if we're not sure we're quite ready for it yet. We look forward to trying it in the comfort of our own office, not in the harsh open lights of a trade-show floor.
Rev3Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU8mqpIUxb8
If anyone else finds something, please post it here and I'll put it in the OP. Doesn't have to be only press/media of course.