Keyboard and mouse are losing the FPS market

[cip_raziel]

As much as I would like to play a shooter with my controller, I just can't do it, targeting with just my thumb feels so awkward and I have almost no precision at all. The last shooter I tryed with a controller was Borderlands 2 and I started it with a the sniper dude Zero (very bad choice for the controller). After the first missions zone I had to get back to keyboard+mouse cause it just didn't work for me.
In the end I guess it comes down to preferences and game design.

 

[prophecy2514]

While i havent been on the PC long for my gaming, the KBM combination is so much more precise than the analogue sticks can ever be for games played in first person perspective (not just shooters), and like a few of you guys, I have been using gamepads/controllers and consoles my entire life.

I still love the controller though, and when playing from third person/over the shoulder perspective, its more preferable than the KBM combo simply due to habit.

 

[Tufty94]

I cannot play an FPS on a controller. If it wasn't for auto aim on consoles they'd be impossible to use. If you want to see what I mean, play BF3 PC with a controller.

 

[Elijin]

I use both, depending on what and where Im playing....

BUT

Two issues:

1) I actually like controllers conceptually, as it is a staple piece of equipment, not prone to variance in usability based on how much money the user can throw at peripheral add ons. Its nice to know the playing field is as level as possible. Same hardware all round.

2) A lot of PC people see the M&KB as in a world of its own. And yeah, they're pretty great. Lots of the same people who say these things rarely enter the realm of controllers, and find them clumsy and ungainly. But when it comes down to it, its about personal comfort and style. I have no doubt there are people who can wield their controllers just as well as you wield your M&KB. Its about what people are used to. But its always amusing to see how certain people just assume the gear is not capable of putting in a performance because they're personally awful with it.

 

[seditary]

I almost feel sorry for the Ars Technica guy, he really didn't think those numbers through at all.

In a perfect world, I'd be using a controller-esque analog stick and buttons in my left hand, while using a mouse in my right.

Personally I would still use a keyboard for movement because a controller stick requires a return to a neutral position before moving back in the opposite direction. While I know speedy thumbs and quality controllers can minimize this to negligible levels, it still never feels instant to me and it puts me off.

 

[Strazdas]

Keyboard and mouse is the ultimate setup till we invent holodeck. Controllers are a relic that people clings on for whatever reason.

That's funny because I can't play a FPS on a computer because I find the keyboard/mouse setup makes them damn near unplayable

Im sorry but in that case you are not human and obviously just blew your cover as an illegal alien. go back to your planet.


Oh, wait, this is Vault101 thread, those are designed to bring in the flames, so one may just as well.

I realized the other day why I MUST play with the Y axis inverted. To me every First or Third Person game is a sort of sim, and all sims need to have controls like a joystick. It is just the way I am I can't change anything.

and here i though the invented Y axis was soem stupid leftover deal from console market that should never be enabled, and there actually are people preferring it. each day this planet becomes more and more uninhabitable.

 

[Playful Pony]

Ah, more of this nonsense, lovely =3. I think the worst part is how the Ars Technica guy keeps shooting himself in the foot with his own arguments, it is kind of painful to read! I'm not going to feel sorry for him though, he needs to learn from his mistakes and I hope he does... Most people will just go all redfaced and defensive when someone calls them out on their mistakes though, especially on the internet. Counter Strike in its current form is what... 10 years old? And it's being compared to Gears of Wars release-day activity as proof mouse/keyboard gaming is dead, yet the numbers are only trippled? I know, 200k people, that's a whole bunch of players, but we're comparing it to games that must be going towards something like 5-10 years of age very soon now...

I quite like the xBox 360 controller. It's a good fit in my hand, and pretty much a required accessory for any poorly ported game. Take Lost Planet 2 as an example, a game that is practically unplayable without a controller because it has been ported so painfully poorly. I also enjoy using it for most 3rd person RPGs and FPSs that do not involve a lot of buttons... So ports basically, that's what I use it for. Games where I feel I need to be able to adjust my walking/running speed I will also use a controller in, an example being Skyrim. I absolutely hate having to follow an NPC that doesn't walk/run the same speed as me. Means I have to stop behind him at intervals, and it fustrates me so badly that I'd rather deal with worse accuracy in battle than the annoyance this brings...

The PS controller is the worst piece of plastic ever crafted. It doesn't fit in any human hands, at least not comfortably... Generally I chose mouse and keyboard. I don't own any consoles and I don't feel like I need one. My PC offers everything I want from a gaming system, and can still be used for video editing, digital drawing and photo editing, internet surfing and a whole lot of other things. It was quite a bit more expensive than a console, but well worth it in my opinon. Also get to enjoy some great games with amazing visuals on this thing!

 

[The White Hunter]

Just recently, I started playing the old Delta Force games and the first F.E.A.R. on PC and the controls are so much smoother than what I remember playing on my PS2 many years ago, such as Medal of Honour: Frontlines. Maybe it's just an individual thing, but analog sticks are the damn devil for me. Last weekend, my friend brought his PS3 down and we played Uncharted 3 and I couldn't hit shit due to the controller and those accursed sticks, and that's with the sensitivity all the way up.

Keyboard + mouse just seems and feel so much smoother, fluid and responsive to me. As I said, it could just be an individual thing though.

In Uncharted 3's case I don't know if I'd blame the controller. The aiming in that game is just plain shit in general.

OT: I pretty much prefer the controller for every fps except Counter Strike and Battlefield 3

The aiming in every Uncharted game is just plain shit, guns have zero accuracy and horrific recoil, it's as if they want you to believe Nathan Drake isn't genocidal.

OT: We can have both? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN HAVE BOTH?

I play FPS's on both PC and my PS3 and frankly aim assist is a huge pain in the ass on consoles, that's why I turn it off. No I don't need the game to point my gun 20 feet to the left that's not where the guy I want to shoot is....

Otherwise I have no difficulty using either input method. I'm loathe to use a keyboard for a platformer though. Much like I'd loathe using a controller for an RTS.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Honestly this thread seems entirely pointless and just serves to bring about the whole PC vs Console debate that always has the same end result with PC staying at their side and Console the other.

Almost makes me wish the Escapist staff would just flat out ban these type of threads because all they ever do is serve to piss people off/trolling people.

I play with a gamepad and don't feel conflicted or less precise with aiming and I play exactly the same when playing an RTS on keyboard and a gamepad.

However I'm not brilliant at FPS's with a K+M (practiced for years don't give a fuck) so I just stick to a gamepad and still have fun with it regardless of which is better than the other is entirely subjective so lets get fucking over it people.

 

[octafish]

I cannot play an FPS on a controller. If it wasn't for auto aim on consoles they'd be impossible to use. If you want to see what I mean, play BF3 PC with a controller.

I do all the time...for piloting the MAV and Heli, and I have a Saitek for planes. M/K for infantry and tanks though. My desk is crowded.

 

[VanQ]

I'll continue to use my M&K until the day a better, more precise control scheme becomes available. That is, when I can input my conciousness directly into an avatar via Virtual Reality.

Sure, the controller may be good enough for a shooter like CoD or Halo but I dare you to attempt to Rocket Jump or land trick stabs in TF2 reliably without a K&M.

 

[StriderShinryu]

It is a bit of an odd situation, but I think it really just depends on first experiences. The console market is generally considered the biggest gaming market, and many console oriented players first experienced the genre with games like Halo (or maybe GoldenEye if they're a little older). It doesn't mean that controllers are better for FPS games, it just means that controller users make up a large portion of the built in market.

Personally, I played FPS first on the PC but never really liked MKB. It may sound odd, but I've always found it too fast and precise. When I'm playing an FPS on the PC, I feel like my character and weaponry have no heft to them as if I'm just pointing and clicking stuff in a shooting gallery. I find the somewhat clunky nature of using a controller to be a more natural feeling experience.

 

[Zipa]

Maybe I am weird then because I use both. Especially in a game like battlefield 3. When I am on foot I aim and move with the mouse and KB as its so much easier (for me) . But when it comes to vehicles I have to plug in my 360 controller as I can't fly a jet/heli for shit with a mouse and KB.

Plus no shit sherlock to the guy that said that, most shooters nowadays are designed with consoles as the primary platform, I think BF3 is the only recent one that actually had PC as its primary platform. Maybe Crysis 3 as well, not sure about that one though.

 

[Cheesus Crust]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/02/sorry-to-say-it-but-keyboard-and-mouse-are-losing-the-fps-market/

and the rebutal

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/02/18/mouse-keyboard-still-a-major-player-in-fps-market/

so....yeah people say the darndest things somtimes

I dont know about anyone else but I find it...ironic that FPS has become the staple genre of the current gen...on consoles with gamepads...I mean thats just friggen hilarious in a way

personally it kind of irks me a bit because I find gamepads can make games some games damn near unplayable (ok thats hyperbole but still) I mean honestly if you need artifical asstance with aiming your systm is kind of broken.....

that uhh...wasnt too inflamatory was it? I'm just being honest

I was never really sure that they had artificial assistance but it was in my head. I too find this really weird. But, each to their own I guess.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

If you always played with a controller, obviously mouse and keyboard will be harder at first. I feel that mouse allows for more precision though.

It's not a feeling it is a fact. Mouse/keyboard have been proven to be far more accurate and powerful. It's the reason why games don't use cross system servers. Microsoft tried it with combined PC/Xbox servers but canned it in development because the PC players kept decimating all the console players. Even when they got the best console players they could find, and only used average PC players. Thus combining the two would have made games unfun for Xbox users and completely destroyed their sales.

 

[Kathinka]

the thing that REALLY annoys me though is that due to the limitations of console controllers the complexity and depth of the shooters suffers, even on pc where that limitations don't exist..

 

[Neyon]

I use both and have been using both for a very long time. Mouse & keyboard is way faster and much more accurate (presuming you are comfortable using them) but its not something you want in your living room. I much prefer using mouse & keyboard for fps games but only on a PC on a desk. If I'm in the living room I want a controller - there is just less clutter, and if playing split screen controllers are a must.

For other gametypes it varies. I would never use a controller for a RTS and would be unlikely to choose one for an RPG / MMORPG either. However if I were playing something like fifa which simply requires much less precision (and # of buttons) I would choose a controller. For driving games I would use a wheel and pedals (if I had a set).

In the end yes, mouse & keyboard is superior for fps games in terms of accuracy and speed - a pro with a controller wouldn't stand a chance against a pro with m&k. However you don't always need that many buttons or to be that accurate so for many genres the lack of clutter is the overriding factor.

 

[Benpasko]

I thought we were past the point where people wetting arguing that controllers art as precise as m/k.

And regarding the auto-aiming thing, can anyone tell me if vanquish had auto-aim? Because it certainly didn't feel like it but I also suck at console fps so I might not have noticed

No it didn't, because Vanquish was amazing. I wish more people were as hyped for that game as I am.