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[Sentenza]

Fair enough. There is just much less room for error inputing a direction on a D-pad rather than analogic, and that is crucial in high level play.

I don't really think it's a particularly significant issue, considering how an analog controller' signal is actually converted to digital on-the-fly when used with games that take just digital inputs.
And dead zones take care of most of the the inaccuracy problems.

If analog got your preference, that's ok, but it's really not what high level players use when playing on controller, for this reason.

It's not like many of them play with a gamepad controller anyway, frankly.

 

[Mindwipe]

The controller is instrumental to this initiative, yet the impressions have been mixed. Less than favorable even, if we only factor in the press and people trying it at GDC. SteamOS still isn't viable as a main gaming platform. Yes more and more games are coming, but going to need more major players jumping on board and we have yet to hear about the promised media features, not to mention the driver situation needs to be sorted out. And the Steam Machines lineup so far hasn't been compelling.

As I've said before, I think the media features promised aren't even possible with the current architecture. So something is going to have to give there as well, and I suspect people will be very pissed no matter which direction Value choose.

 

[Sentenza]

The 'problem' with the steam controller from what I've seen is that it lacks native implementation with games and drivers. It's like a configurable device that doesn't work very well if you just leave it in vanilla mode. Devs have to get familiar with what it can do.

Actually if you watch their presentation at the Steam Devs Days, they explained in detail that they are addressing this "issue" quite brilliantly. Supposedly it won't even need tweaking as it will automatically pick the most popular setup as default for every game.

I'm still skeptic about their controller, but that's mostly because I need to try those trackpads before trusting them as reliable and comfortable.

 

[Neidii]

Not surprised at all, it's Valve. I'm sure that the end result will be good though.

 

[GoaThief]

It's something new. You don't even hold it like a traditional controller.

OK, I'm interested.

How do you hold it and what about this makes it so vastly different to traditional controllers?

 

[ashecitism]

OK, I'm interested.

How do you hold it and what about this makes it so vastly different to traditional controllers?

The only big difference I can think of is how you position you thumbs. For the most optimal experience with the trackpads you need to only put you tips on it instead of the whole thumb surface. That's what those two big bumps on the front are for. To help position your thumbs that way.

 

[HariKari]

OK, I'm interested.

How do you hold it and what about this makes it so vastly different to traditional controllers?

Not vastly different, but enough to be a little strange to a newcomer, especially with the new inputs.

Coomer talks about it here

Actually if you watch their presentation at the Steam Devs Days, they explained in detail that they are addressing this "issue" quite brilliantly. Supposedly it won't even need tweaking as it will automatically pick the most popular setup as default for every game.

If you are referring to community sourced configs, then that does nothing to teach devs how to best use the controller. And you'd need a healthy amount of controllers in the wild before the boxes launch in order to have a good config database.

 

[Hyun Sai]

It's not like many of them play with a gamepad controller anyway, frankly.

You'd be surprised, especially in Europe, where the best french players use it.

Anyway, it's just to point that the quality of D-Pad is important to many users, and for good reason.

 

[Tom_Cody]

Actually if you watch their presentation at the Steam Devs Days, they explained in detail that they are addressing this "issue" quite brilliantly. Supposedly it won't even need tweaking as it will automatically pick the most popular setup as default for every game.

I'm still skeptic about their controller, but that's mostly because I need to try those trackpads before trusting them as reliable and comfortable.

That's pretty brilliant.

 

[ashecitism]

Actually if you watch their presentation at the Steam Devs Days, they explained in detail that they are addressing this "issue" quite brilliantly. Supposedly it won't even need tweaking as it will automatically pick the most popular setup as default for every game.

That's still a stopgap though, as in legacy mode you can't use specific SC stuff. Like analog emulation. You can only configure kb&m and that's it. Lots of people definitely weren't impressed with the trackpad's WASD emulation.

 

[ChiliManiac]

It seemed like the hype for this thing just died...

 

[ashecitism]

I don't think there was any hype at all, but rather skepticism and confusion. But yeah, this whole initiative totally disappeared from any gaming related conversation months ago.

 

[jeffers]

It seemed like the hype for this thing just died...

think mostly reserved optimism. and scepticism.

Still wanna try controller for myself, I've not been blighted by years of ps360 experience.

 

[Dr. Kaos]

it's going to take another year for hardware to mature to levels that a $500 machine which laughs at console performance can be pressed into a small box and sold for profit. that's plenty of time for valve to go back to the drawing board.

It's going to take 2 years. Optimized console architecture + optimized software for one hardware config + razorblade profit model for console manufacturers means PS4 is not easily beaten.

Maybe it'll take one year for Xbox one

 

[MadJackChurchill]

Again? It's like their only blunder ever. Well, there's that single player Counter Strike game, but I don't think that counts.

Yeah, Half Life 3 is definitely not in development hell. This is magnified further by the obsolescence of hardware, so it's a huge mess-up.

 

[StuBurns]

Yeah, Half Life 3 is definitely not in development hell. This is magnified further by the obsolescence of hardware, so it's a huge mess-up.

What evidence do you have that it's in development hell? They said it would take eight to ten years, it's been seven so far.

 

[Azih]

Honestly community sourced configs sound like a worse idea than devs setting initial defaults. Might be just me though.

 

[charlequin]

Yeah, Half Life 3 is definitely not in development hell.

Half-Life 3 would have to be in development before it could be in development hell.

 

[Gustav]

I have forgotten this existed and my hype is completely deflated.

 

[ashecitism]

Half-Life 3 would have to be in development before it could be in development hell.

Yeah, for all we know it's still in pre-production. Sorta.

I have forgotten this existed and my hype is completely deflated.

You're not the only one. Valve have really dropped the ball on this one.