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Microsoft Fixing Xbox One Controller at Request of Respawn for TitanFall

JaggedSac

Member
This is probably a good demonstration of the benefits of having the different OS VMs on the Bone. The Game OS that ships with each game means that no other game will be adversely affected by controller changes made such as the one described here. Sure, it might be an improvement, but games that came before were built with the other in mind, and as such could be negatively affected. Same for the upscaler as well. There are performance implications for doing it this way of course though.
 

Reallink

Member
tumblr_mynhrkToGY1s5e6hno1_500.gif


I gotta have less Dead Zone.

Reread the quote: "it was a little overly twitchy with the current controls." Twitchy is generally used to describe hyper sensitive controls, responsiveness, and speed (e.g. Unreal Tournament is a twitch shooter). If the current controls are overly twitchy, this suggests the patch is increasing deadzone, thus making the controls more floaty and unresponsive. Hypothetically, if the current controls are too precise and only high level players can manage them, it would be accurate to say that increasing the deadzone (making them less precise) is actually "improving precision". Perhaps this is what they want for TF to make it more casual friendly, but it's not something that should applied across the board. Objectively speaking, if the deadzone values are locked by the SDK and not available to developers (as is apparently the case, or they wouldn't have to work with MS on it) this would ultimately be a downgrade to the One pad just to suit one game.
 
This is probably a good demonstration of the benefits of having the different OS VMs on the Bone. The Game OS that ships with each game means that no other game will be adversely affected by controller changes made such as the one described here. Sure, it might be an improvement, but games that came before were built with the other in mind, and as such could be negatively affected. Same for the upscaler as well. There are performance implications for doing it this way of course though.

I'm curious how it will affect Killer Instinct. The gamma level was brightened because of the scaler's black crush effect. If they don't readjust the gamma level, the game may look REALLY washed out.

Reread the quote: "it was a little overly twitchy with the current controls." Twitchy is generally used to describe hyper sensitive controls, responsiveness, and speed (e.g. Unreal Tournament is a twitch shooter). If the current controls are overly twitchy, this suggests the patch is increasing deadzone, thus making the controls more floaty and unresponsive. Perhaps this is what they want for TF to make it more casual friendly, but it's not something that should applied across the board. Objectively speaking, if the deadzone values are locked by the SDK and not available to developers (as is apparently the case, or they wouldn't have to work with MS on it) this will ultimately be a downgrade to the One pad just to suit one game.

Or maybe they are decreasing the dead zone size to offer more range of movement. Having to push farther to move at all could be causing the overly twitchy effect.
 
Reread the quote: "it was a little overly twitchy with the current controls." Twitchy is generally used to describe hyper sensitive controls, responsiveness, and speed (e.g. Unreal Tournament is a twitch shooter). If the current controls are overly twitchy, this suggests the patch is increasing deadzone, thus making the controls more floaty and unresponsive. Perhaps this is what they want for TF to make it more casual friendly, but it's not something that should applied across the board. Objectively speaking, if the deadzone values are locked by the SDK and not available to developers (as is apparently the case, or they wouldn't have to work with MS on it) this will ultimately be a downgrade to the One pad just to suit one game.

Perhaps the patch only allows devs to access the deadzone values and in turn each game is handled on individual basis by it's developer.
 
Awesome! That was one of my complaints about the new controller, so it's great to hear that they're fixing it. Now about those bumpers...
 

ViciousDS

Banned
I'm curious how it will affect Killer Instinct. The gamma level was brightened because of the scaler's black crush effect. If they don't readjust the gamma level, the game may look REALLY washed out.



Or maybe they are decreasing the dead zone size to offer more range of movement. Having to push farther to move at all could be causing the overly twitchy effect.

Bingo, it's a nightmare to play call of duty with a huge gap of me pushing the stick and when my guy actually reacts. That jerk nature to get your character to aim would be considered twitch movement instead of precise.
 
Seems Microsoft is pulling out all the stops to make sure Titanfall doesn't leave XBox One in the future.

It'll be interesting to see if they can lock this up - it'd be huge for them with the lack of titles across both new consoles right now.

Unless MS is going to buy the series or studio outright that's not going to happen
 
I don't think it's a Mass Effect situation. MS is going all in with Titanfall. They aren't going to help build that brand up only to hand the sequel over to competitors. If MS thinks they still need the series to boost Xbox One they will secure another exclusive.

Yeah, letting Mass Effect go was a huge mistake for Microsoft.
The series sold very well on PS3 and every PS3 copy that was sold could have been a potential console sale for Microsoft.

They won't make the same mistake twice.
 

RedAssedApe

Banned
all eggs in one basket. wonder what happens next if titanfall doesn't convince people to buy an xbox one and most people opt for 360 and PC versions.

with that being said...thought there were plenty of gaffers saying that the xbone controller was perfect :)
 

jedimike

Member
Congrats to a MS for working closely with developers. This has been one of their strengths since the early days of Xbox.
 

leobebes

Banned
Yeah, letting Mass Effect go was a huge mistake for Microsoft.
The series sold very well on PS3 and every PS3 copy that was sold could have been a potential console sale for Microsoft.

They won't make the same mistake twice.

It's really up to Respawn and EA to decide where their sequel is going to land. If the PS4 install base is 1.5-2x higher than the X1, and the attachment rate for Titanfall ends up being higher than 40% for a console that'll most likely reach 7-8 million by the time production on the sequel ramps up, I don't see the series staying exclusive unless Microsoft is willing to exhaust their exclusivity/marketing money next year on Titanfall 2.

I don't see how EA could ignore doubling, if not tripling sales for DLC and anything relating to Titanfall by not going to the PS4 as well.

Anyway, who knows. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Respawn is part of the EA partners program. If anyone knows any details behind such an agreement, whether the partnership extends toward a sequel, or if a certain amount of units are moved the agreement is extended...whatever, I'm just saying that knowing some of the details behind Respawn's agreement with EA could shed light whether or not MS even has a chance to schmooze, wine and dine Respawn for exclusivity while keeping EA's shareholders at bay.
 

Ishan

Junior Member
Microsoft, EA, and Titanfalls' current exclusivity doesn't involve heartfelt feelings and the varying scenarios, in regards to its sequel, don't merit being injected with drama or with emotive-worded conjecture. Business is business. Last time I checked the Xbox One wasn't falling off a precipice and is poised to maintain profitability. Of course anything can change and Sony's headquarters could suddenly be under 10 feet of radioactive water on Sunday, but as it stands today, it's business as usual for EA, Microsoft, Sony, and Respawn.

Microsoft went all in and has done and continues to do everything in it's power to make sure Titanfall is as successful for their brand, their console, and their catalog as they expect it to be. The suits over at Redmond chose wisely by making sure the first Titanfall was exclusive to the Xbox brand, and considering their close relationship with EA (historically/regionally speaking) and the fact that Respawn is an EA partner, not owned outright by EA, the deal for exclusivity wasn't as difficult, painstaking and desperate as some on these boards have insisted.

Now, will the sequel land on Sony's console? I wouldn't be surprised if it did since EA is in the business of making money and having the Xbox One as a launching pad for the start of the franchise wasn't a bad idea if you think about it. You get all the support of exclusivity from a company with unlimited resources in exchange to help spur the initial growth of a new console. When the dust settles come 2015, and both consoles are selling strong, but the PS4 is selling much better worldwide, not only will Titanfall 2 most likely come to the Playstation 4, but Microsoft won't shed a tear because they'll already have a substantial and loyal userbase who experienced Titanfall on their console, and Titanfall would already had helped the Xbox One get that boost it paid for through exclusivity.

So sit back, enjoy what Titanfall hopefully means (growth for the industry through what's expected to be some fun gameplay) and either wait for Titanfall 2 on your PS4, or buy it on PC, or buy that second console because you're itching to play and experience the hype. I think the whole "slap in the face" comments, and the passive-aggressive commenting on a the visuals of a game that still in alpha for the sake of being contrarian are not only transparent, but also grating to read at times--okay, they're entertaining too, which is why I can't stop reading GAF at times...infuriatingly entertaining

people are complaining about the graphics because it doesnt look that great etc. Speaking of which I don't think weve had our gears wow graphics moment this gen. I was hoping for infamous but even that is dying on me. Am thinking it will probably be some summer/fall release now. Plus EA was all pally pally with Sony too. A lot of people assumed MS was going to dominate this gen Sony really surprised a lot of people. But yeah seems like a fun game. May pick it up on pc when the price drops (steamsale etc).
 
MS bending over backwards for Respawn....


If EA brings the sequel to PS4 (they will) that would be a huge slap in the face for MS....
I don't think they are bending over backwards for respawn. They are bending over backwards to ensure the biggest exclusive title on their new console is a success. If a new game is released in 2-3 years (which is a reasonable timeline) I don't think that is a slap in the face of anyone. Respawn originally thought this game would make it to the PS4, EA and MS changed that, but it's not like they have this long standing relationship with them.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Literally all games on Xbox One are that much better because of Titanfall.

Titanfall is life.
 

Amir0x

Banned
I don't think they are bending over backwards for respawn. They are bending over backwards to ensure the biggest exclusive title on their new console is a success. If a new game is released in 2-3 years (which is a reasonable timeline) I don't think that is a slap in the face of anyone. Respawn originally thought this game would make it to the PS4, EA and MS changed that, but it's not like they have this long standing relationship with them.

I mean they really don't have a choice. Microsoft has to roll out the red carpet. The series is coming in hot to a platform that'll be lucky to be at 4 million worldwide by the time it launches, in a genre that has no historic precedence for success on consoles (multiplayer-only shooters), in a world where 60% attach ratio is basically as high as it gets. So they've gave up a lot for that exclusivity, and they got some security in exchange with upfront cash, but if their goal is long term franchise growth, then they do have some need to be concerned. So it make sense Microsoft would do everything possible to make them happy, because as we saw from Respawn's initial disappointment-laced tweets when the permanent exclusivity was announced, this was not the plan all along.
 

Eusis

Member
Seems Microsoft is pulling out all the stops to make sure Titanfall doesn't leave XBox One in the future.

It'll be interesting to see if they can lock this up - it'd be huge for them with the lack of titles across both new consoles right now.
I don't doubt it will leave it just as Bungie collaborated with Sony while Destiny was multiplat, but Microsoft undoubtedly wants the experience to be as good as it can be on XB1 so people don't want to leave.
 

Prine

Banned
Yeah, if Titan fall brings the sales i expect this series or another exclusive deal to be struck between MS/Ea or MS/Respawn. They want Titan Fall to be an Xbox franchise, they bent over backwards for both Bungie and Epic, then bought the franchises.
 
Patching a controller. That's an odd bit of news.

Yeah, letting Mass Effect go was a huge mistake for Microsoft.
The series sold very well on PS3 and every PS3 copy that was sold could have been a potential console sale for Microsoft.

They won't make the same mistake twice.
I don't think it sold that well on PS3. ME3 on 360 outsold PS3 4:1, but it's still a loss for MS.Microsoft definitely would have been a better fit for BioWare though. Unfortunately with Elevation (abd Riccotello) that probably wasnt possible.
 
Haha
I thought they where going to physically remodel the controller (sticks/buttons) just for TitanFall


I was shocked at the dedication for a sec



Still a patch for a controller's accuracy is new to me
 

Shin-Ra

Junior Member
Patching a controller. That's an odd bit of news.


I don't think it sold that well on PS3. ME3 on 360 outsold PS3 4:1, but it's still a loss for MS.Microsoft definitely would have been a better fit for BioWare though. Unfortunately with Elevation (abd Riccotello) that probably wasnt possible.
What's the source for worldwide sales figures?
 
US =/= world etc.

Still MS did likely benefit from having ME1 be exclusive console wise on 360 for so long.

But yeah that ratio is mainly because the 360 sold what 20 million more consoles in the US than Sony did?

Yeah, didn't realize it was just NPD when I first mentioned it. Should have checked before I posted. There's also the PAL charts topic.

Gonna be interesting to see how TitanFall does world wide.
 
MS bending over backwards for Respawn....


If EA brings the sequel to PS4 (they will) that would be a huge slap in the face for MS....

Not really. It is likely that TitanFall 2 will be on the PS4 but it's not slap in the face for MS. Bungie had a major influence in the PS4 controller and Destiny is multiplatform. Not really a big deal.
 
I guess the $100 million wasn't enough then?

Well that $100 million may have gone toward future proofing the controller by allowing firmware updates. That's pretty cool.

EDIT: The controller is also damn good. I've gone on and on in other threads about how much I love it, but you really need to give it 100+ hours and then go back to other controllers to understand how awesome it is. It's actually the first controller I've used that doesn't cramp up my hands or make my arms go somewhat numb after extended play sessions. DS4 is definitely a smoother transition from the 360 controller, though.
 
Well that $100 million may have gone toward future proofing the controller by allowing firmware updates. That's pretty cool.

EDIT: The controller is also damn good. I've gone on and on in other threads about how much I love it, but you really need to give it 100+ hours and then go back to other controllers to understand how awesome it is. DS4 is definitely a smoother transition from the 360 controller, though.

One controller is the same as 360,what you mean it isn't as smooth of a transition?
 
It's not at all. The thumbstick resistance and range on the DS4 feels closer to 360 for me. Also, the bumpers on XB1 are a drastic change from 360.

Honestly the little I've used of the XB1 controller my only complaints were the bumpers as they seem oddly designed. I think I could adjust to it fine but would take a little while. Great controller otherwise and happy to see there is a headphone adapter now for it. Love that on the DS4
 
It's not at all. The thumbstick resistance and range on the DS4 feels closer to 360 for me. Also, the bumpers on XB1 are a drastic change from 360.

Strange the sticks and range on ds4 don't feel like 360 to me. Also my thumbs slip easy on ds4 where they didn't on 360. Bumpers are the same just a tad harder to push.
 
Strange the sticks and range on ds4 don't feel like 360 to me. Also my thumbs slip easy on ds4 where they didn't on 360. Bumpers are the same just a tad harder to push.

My thumb still slips a lot on 360 as well as DS4. It stays perfectly in place on XB1 and I love it. At first the tire grips tore up my thumb (KI is to blame) but once I stopped manhandling the sticks, that went away and my grip is much looser and relaxed. It's weird... like the XB1 controller is teaching me how to safely hold a controller for extended periods of time.
 

Jinfash

needs 2 extra inches
This goes to show how far Microsoft is willing to go in order to satisfy a developer they are banking on. It also validates Respawn for wanting to go MS exclusive. it pleases me because Titan fall is shaping up into something worth the trouble.
 

nib95

Banned
So did the controller have a dead zone issue or something before? Surprised no one else has picked up on this.
 

EvB

Member
I'd really love to know what they actually doing. Maybe they've patched it so the IR lights on the top start to blare out visible light.
 

Reallink

Member
Or maybe they are decreasing the dead zone size to offer more range of movement. Having to push farther to move at all could be causing the overly twitchy effect.

Bingo, it's a nightmare to play call of duty with a huge gap of me pushing the stick and when my guy actually reacts. That jerk nature to get your character to aim would be considered twitch movement instead of precise.

Going to guess you guys have little if any actual experience with an Xbone. The current deadzone is virtually nonexistent, and what little is there is likely the best they can guarantee within manufacturing tolerances. Again, this was one of the big bullet points (for both Sony and MS) with the next-gen controllers--dramatically reduced deadzones. If you have a chance to try Ryse (particularly movement) you'll understand what I'm talking about. There is basically no room for improvement in this regard, and the idea that someone would complain about it being too large is almost unfathomable. I could however easily see complaints from the fat thumbed or less coordinated that it's too twitchy (meaning unwanted or overshot input), and increasing the deadzone would go a long way in solving those.
 

nib95

Banned
There was quite a few people saying the XB1 sticks were too loose I think

But that's because of the hardware (physical) design. Not sure how a patch could fix that unless there was a separate software issue too. Maybe they'll amend the acceleration grade or sensitivity range to make up for the looseness?
 

EvB

Member
I could however, easily see complaints from the fat thumbed or less coordinated, that it's too twitchy, and increasing the deadzone would go a long way in solving that.

The only thing I could see them doing is not to increase the deadzone, which would surely be counter productive with what they have done, but perhaps creating an undead zone, with reduced sensitivity.

Alternatively they may just be altering the data that is produced so the game can interpret the inputs however the developer wants, But I would have thought they could have done that anyway.
 
I'm glad Titanfall has served as a deadline to motivate Microsoft to address the console's firmware shortcomings. I might get an Xbox One this year after all if these updates do what they say.
 

Reallink

Member
The only thing I could see them doing is not to increase the deadzone, which would surely be counter productive with what they have done, but perhaps creating an undead zone, with reduced sensitivity.

Alternatively they may just be altering the data that is produced so the game can interpret the inputs however the developer wants, But I would have thought they could have done that anyway.

Well they don't call it the Xbox 180 for nothing. If they've got influential people like Respawn pushing an agenda for a return to the clumsy 360 sticks, I could definitely see them going back on one of their primary goals with the One pad.
 
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