Developers: Steam Controller "Doesn't Feel Like a Trackpad"

[Aardvaarkman]

if anything consoles were always way more noisier becuase the dvd/BR drive is the noisiest part of computer anyway, and with PC your running off installed thing and not the disc.

The Steam Box seems highly unlikely to include an optical drive, as the whole point of Steam is online distribution.

Also, fans. Some computers have much noisier fans than their optical drives. The Steam Box may not even have any fans. And the size is most likely to be much smaller than a conventional PC.

 

[Strazdas]

if anything consoles were always way more noisier becuase the dvd/BR drive is the noisiest part of computer anyway, and with PC your running off installed thing and not the disc.

The Steam Box seems highly unlikely to include an optical drive, as the whole point of Steam is online distribution.

Also, fans. Some computers have much noisier fans than their optical drives. The Steam Box may not even have any fans. And the size is most likely to be much smaller than a conventional PC.

the only fans that are noisier than optical drivers are either ones that are badly installed or have worn out their lives (and needs replacement, think 3-5 years after use).
And steambox will have fans. unless it wants to do liquid cooling and i doubt that. If it wants to privide any actual power simple heatsinks ownt be enough. especially if the box is small. the smaller the box the harder the cooling.
We dont know if stemabox will ahve optical, but yes i do think the same, that its going to be an online one. Still, though, "noisy PC" thing is silly talk.

 

[MHzBurglar]

I disagree; the nubs I can deal with, but making it too discrete physically might rob from the fact that it's trying to simulate mouse movement, which is a level of precision that four buttons or a thumbstick cannot match. Make the divisions clearer, put a nub, but don't make it actual face buttons to the detriment of an actual accurate aiming input system. I honestly don't understand how console players can live with themselves playing FPSes with 360 controllers; I've tried several times, and it always felt cumbersome even when compared to a shitty, poorly-maintained mouse.

I agree that analog sticks are not adequate for any 'mouse-oriented' genres. I myself prefer keyboard and mouse for such games. But a controller should have proper buttons for just about every other genre (you know, the ones that typically play BETTER with a controller.) I still don't see why they couldn't have designed the controller a little differently and accommodated the trackpad AND face buttons. This shouldn't be an either-or scenario. I'm a huge opponent of touch controls, but I could deal with the trackpad in lieu of analog control and maybe even enjoy it. It's just a terrible replacement for digital control.

The reviews already said that they feel nothing like trackpads, and feel more like track balls. You're worrying about something you don't have to.

I was not referring to the laptop trakpads in terms of their ability to track motion (which is what the review referred to), but rather the horrible feeling of the entire (flat) plane your finger is on moving around and rocking on press, like a plate on the end of a pencil. I worry the Valve one will be a similar experience in that respect.