It doesn't seem like it really adds any useful functionality you don't already have in, say, a 360 controller.
position-based pointing controls?
the 360 controller is terrible for lots of PC games
Thus, the keyboard and mouse for those games that don't work with the 360 controller. It's cumbersome, but the Steam controller hardly seems like a valid substitute.
Seems like a really crappy way to control movement. Wonder why it wasn't trackpad button press + drag, or just button press in whichever direction to mimick a dpad.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.
So the haptic feedback didn't really do anything for you?I dunno. All I know is that I found it really unintuitive and that I don't see any benefit to this over a normal gamepad. It doesn't seem like it really adds any useful functionality you don't already have in, say, a 360 controller.
Edit: honestly, the best comparison is that it felt like using iPad controls, but without any sort of virtual d-pad in front of you. I don't bother with any iOS games, which may have contributed to my inability to figure this thing out.
Valve is gonna need an intervention regarding the whole trackpad nonsense.its like they just wont admit it a ridiculous idea. At some point in time during the wii u developement someone must of thought this is a stupid idea and just kept quiet.in my opinion the same thing has gotta be happening here.gabe had a wild but stupid idea and all of his yes men kept feeding his bloated ego to the point where he thinks its gonna revolutionize gaming.gabe its stupid.abort now.
Yep.its gabes bloated ego and his yes men.secretly they are laughing at that hippo behind his back.Sounds like there really needs to be a deadzone for d-pad style usage.
I see you've got it all figured out and Valve and just the big dummies.
Yep.its gabes bloated ego and his yes men.secretly they are laughing at that hippo behind his back.
I dunno. All I know is that I found it really unintuitive and that I don't see any benefit to this over a normal gamepad. It doesn't seem like it really adds any useful functionality you don't already have in, say, a 360 controller.
Edit: honestly, the best comparison is that it felt like using iPad controls, but without any sort of virtual d-pad in front of you. I don't bother with any iOS games, which may have contributed to my inability to figure this thing out.
Valve is gonna need an intervention regarding the whole trackpad nonsense.its like they just wont admit it a ridiculous idea. At some point in time during the wii u developement someone must of thought this is a stupid idea and just kept quiet.in my opinion the same thing has gotta be happening here.gabe had a wild but stupid idea and all of his yes men kept feeding his bloated ego to the point where he thinks its gonna revolutionize gaming.gabe its stupid.abort now.
Yeah I don't understand the move either. Unless valve is only doing the double 4 button sets to make the controller symmetrical. Why change the button labels then. Isn't this just unnecessary extra work for in game on screen UI prompts.If they're going to label the buttons over there with directions anyway I kind of don't know why Valve wouldn't just put a D-pad there. New prototype looks neat though.
If they're going to label the buttons over there with directions anyway I kind of don't know why Valve wouldn't just put a D-pad there. New prototype looks neat though.
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.
Its mainly for the thousands of PC games that are not compatible with existing controller schemes.
I already have a DS4 for playing Dark Souls, I need something for Civilization, Planescape Torment, System Shock 2, etc.
Its mainly for the thousands of PC games that are not compatible with existing controller schemes.
I already have a DS4 for playing Dark Souls, I need something for Civilization, Planescape Torment, System Shock 2, etc.
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.
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
Wow, so much concentrated stupid. I'm actually impressed.Valve is gonna need an intervention regarding the whole trackpad nonsense.its like they just wont admit it a ridiculous idea. At some point in time during the wii u developement someone must of thought this is a stupid idea and just kept quiet.in my opinion the same thing has gotta be happening here.gabe had a wild but stupid idea and all of his yes men kept feeding his bloated ego to the point where he thinks its gonna revolutionize gaming.gabe its stupid.abort now.
... So I'm seeing a few naysayers being outnumbered by the positive reception. Yeah, I think the controller looks like it's gonna be great. Besides, there's still a ways to go, it's still in beta, and legacy mode is likely going to be pants compared to native. The controller won't be for everyone, but that's the good thing about PC gaming, you have options!
Ah, TheSonicRetard, yes. Would be great to have him around. Ask him what email he used for registration. Seems to be a common problem with new potential users. Shalarn/Trial by Game also had that problem. Basically he needs to use school/workplace/ISP email.
from the ToS said:B. Registration must be performed with an Internet Service Provider, education, or workplace email address. No other types of email addresses will be accepted, including all free email addresses (@gmail), addresses tied to personal domains (@myrandomblog), addresses part of standalone paid accounts (@me), or any of a limited number of domains that have been blacklisted for abuse despite otherwise falling within the bounds of ISP/education/workplace (@aol). The approval process is manual and subject to a significant waiting period.
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.
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.
See that's great and all, but it's Valve's fault for setting up the controller with Strider and Dirt 3. It doesn't put the controller in a good light when it feels terrible on these games. Nobody forced Valve to put those up on display but they did and it gives a bad impression of the controller.
I honestly still can't wait to try it for myself.
Its 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 doesnt quite feel comfortable. From a gameplay perspective, though, Im completely unsold on the Steam Controller as a viable way of playing PC games at this time. The games Valve had on display werent flattering uses of the controller, and its disappointing to know that I wouldve played better with an Xbox 360 pad in every case.
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.
The reactions don't seem favorable so far. I understand that Valve is looking for feedback but maybe they should present the controller a bit later, when things like sensitivity and analog emulation have been fully implemented.
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.
Here's a quick look at some games being played with the prototype version of the Steam Controller -- the same version that we'll be shipping to 300 Steam users later this year. We'll post more demonstrations like this soon, including footage of some other game developers using the controller to play their own games.
It's really just there for backwards compatibility with games that use the D-pad as a menu. For games where you move with the D-Pad you'll be better off using the left touchpad.
Also as I said in the Steam thread, back then Valve said they're going to make a video series about the controller, with either them or other devs playing games with it, but didn't follow up the initial vid. They should re-think that.
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse#announcements/detail/2091086367898728503
I think its best if they did a solo event just to let people test the controllers for more than 10 minutes with more games and let people configurate and discuss what they dont like or liked about.
It's so strangely designed. There's a reason why a controller like it does not exist.
The PlayStation controller still exists, so...