Microsoft "Fixed" Xbox One Controller at Behest of Titanfall Devs

Steven Bogos

The Taco Man
Jan 17, 2013
9,354
0
0
Microsoft "Fixed" Xbox One Controller at Behest of Titanfall Devs


Microsoft is willing to bend over backwards to ensure Titanfall's launch is as smooth as possible.

Titanfall is one of Microsoft's upcoming big hitters, being exclusive to the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC, and being developed by members of the legendary team behind the original Call of Duty. Suffice to say, the tech giant has a lot riding on Titanfall, and so when its devs say "jump", Microsoft asks "how high?" According to Titanfall design lead Justin Hendry, the team ran into a problem with the Xbox One's controller, which when bought to its attention, Microsoft was eager to remedy.

"It's just fixing the controller input, really," he tells The Verge [http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/12/5403598/microsoft-will-update-the-xbox-one-controller-for-less-twitchy-aim], adding that the team worked with Microsoft on the solution. "It wasn't really where we felt it should be; it was a little overly twitchy with the current controls. Now it's fixed. We're happy with it."

For those of you wondering when you can experience these controller tweaks yourself, according to a Microsoft spokesperson, the tweak will be part of the February update to the Xbox One, and will automatically take effect whenever an Xbox One controller syncs with the console. Specifically, it will "increase the sensitivity of the outer boundaries of the thumbsticks on the Xbox One controller."

Furthemore, Hendry also says Respawn is working with Microsoft on a new version of the console's upscaler - the protocol that converts games rendered at sub-1080p resolutions to work on full HDTVs.

It looks like Microsoft is betting quite a lot on Titanfall, to the point where it is willing to change the controller it reportedly spent $100m developing [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/423871/features/the-100m-story-behind-the-xbox-one-controller/], to better accomodate the games. Hendry assures gamers that it won't just be Titanfall that sees the benefits of this update, but all Xbox One games.

Source: The Verge [http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/12/5403598/microsoft-will-update-the-xbox-one-controller-for-less-twitchy-aim]

Permalink
 

Dark Knifer

New member
May 12, 2009
4,468
0
0
I really wonder if this titanfall game is going to be the big success of the call of duty franchise.

It would be funnier if it wasn't.
 

major_chaos

Ruining videogames
Feb 3, 2011
1,314
0
0
it's funny I have zero interest in the Xbone or Titanfall but I love these controllers. I would totally go out and buy one if MS would just make PC drivers for them (that aren't Win8 exclusive that is).
 

happy_turtle

New member
Apr 11, 2010
193
0
0
Yeah, to be fair Titanfall just strikes me as another muddy shooter, but with different shaped tanks. Couldn't be less interested if you tried. But then again as a 28 year old I'm not the demographic here, I suspect the teens are going to lap this shit up and make massive profits for EA and Microsoft
 

SecondPrize

New member
Mar 12, 2012
1,436
0
0
major_chaos said:
it's funny I have zero interest in the Xbone or Titanfall but I love these controllers. I would totally go out and buy one if MS would just make PC drivers for them (that aren't Win8 exclusive that is).
I know they're doing it with one of the new games which is supposedly multiplatform but coming only to Win8 for pc but are they really tying their controllers to one OS as well?
 

Chimpzy_v1legacy

Warning! Contains bananas!
Jun 21, 2009
4,789
1
0
I still think that controller looks like it would fit a lot better with something like WipeOut.
Something about it just screams anti-grav racing team colors.
 

Strazdas

Robots will replace your job
May 28, 2011
8,407
0
0
Ladies and gentleman. Welcome to generation where your control devices are locked to be playable in a single game and other games will have to adjust to that because OMG TITANFALL.
 

major_chaos

Ruining videogames
Feb 3, 2011
1,314
0
0
SecondPrize said:
I know they're doing it with one of the new games which is supposedly multiplatform but coming only to Win8 for pc but are they really tying their controllers to one OS as well?
I have no proof, but with how desperate MS seems gets trying to sell their shit OS-es (see Halo 2 PC port being vista exclusive for no reason) I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Strazdas said:
Ladies and gentleman. Welcome to generation where your control devices are locked to be playable in a single game and other games will have to adjust to that because OMG TITANFALL.
I have no love for MS or Titanfall, but I think you are getting worked up over nothing. This sounds like a sensitivity tweak and nothing more. Based on the description it actually sounds like a nice fix to an issue with the control sticks being either oversensitive or having a deadzone at the outer edges of its range of motion. I don't see what about this deserves negativity.
 

gorfias

Unrealistic but happy
Legacy
May 13, 2009
7,082
1,849
118
Country
USA
happy_turtle said:
Yeah, to be fair Titanfall just strikes me as another muddy shooter, but with different shaped tanks. Couldn't be less interested if you tried. But then again as a 28 year old I'm not the demographic here, I suspect the teens are going to lap this shit up and make massive profits for EA and Microsoft
I certainly hope so. Sony needs the competition just to play fair. Were it not for the Xbone, I'm sure they would have made it hard to sell, trade or loan game discs.

So far, MS is losing the console war. I read this is in large part as they aren't selling them in as many regions as Sony yet. Well, they better get to it.

ITMT, they need a killer IP. As it is, I'm a nut about this stuff, but at this time, I have not interest in the Xbone. I hope this Titanfall makes me want one.

Another thing that would help?

Before Halo 5 comes out, come up with a Gen 8 collection of Halo games, remastered for the Xbone, particularly Halo 4 as my 360 died before I ever got to play it. Something like that would get me to buy. Definitely.
 

ToastyMozart

New member
Mar 13, 2012
224
0
0
I've got to say, it takes a lot of balls to bet this much on what is technically a multiplatform release.

major_chaos said:
it's funny I have zero interest in the Xbone or Titanfall but I love these controllers. I would totally go out and buy one if MS would just make PC drivers for them (that aren't Win8 exclusive that is).
You want to know the really sad part? There is a guy (goes by Chris Gallizzi) who actually had a fully functional [footnote]Though it required it to be connected via USB[/footnote] driver made and ready to go for the controller, but Microsoft threatened him with a lawsuit if he released it, and he's currently trying to find a workaround. The reason you can't use an XB1 pad on your computer is because Microsoft doesn't want you to.
That's a double-flipoff meriting act of douchebaggery if I've ever seen one :(

Strazdas said:
Ladies and gentleman. Welcome to generation where your control devices are locked to be playable in a single game and other games will have to adjust to that because OMG TITANFALL.
I don't think it's really going to be a huge deal for other games. It seems to mostly just be a minor tweak to the control stick sensitivity, and telling MS to fix their upscaling protocol, because apparently they screwed it up the first time.
 

ToastyMozart

New member
Mar 13, 2012
224
0
0
SecondPrize said:
...but coming only to Win8 for pc...
Wait, what? WHAT?! *Googles it* Oh thank god, that was just a rumor. Don't worry, everyone, it'll still work on Windows 7 (and probably Vista).
Source: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/10/30/titanfall-pc-release-same-as-xbox-no-windows-8/
 

SecondPrize

New member
Mar 12, 2012
1,436
0
0
ToastyMozart said:
SecondPrize said:
...but coming only to Win8 for pc...
Wait, what? WHAT?! *Googles it* Oh thank god, that was just a rumor. Don't worry, everyone, it'll still work on Windows 7 (and probably Vista).
Source: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/10/30/titanfall-pc-release-same-as-xbox-no-windows-8/
What no? Not Titanfall. I forcefully shoved the name out of my memory when I learned the win8 requirement but it's the game where you build a lot of stuff. I'll go look for it.
edit. It's Project Spark I think.
that being said, I bought MW2 for the pc and there's no way in hell I'm buying a pc game from those guys again. It was just a giant step back in pc gaming compared to its predecessor on the pc.
 

Hairless Mammoth

New member
Jan 23, 2013
1,595
0
0
And here I though Titanfall's importance to them was gonna fix those trigger/shoulder button issues.
ToastyMozart said:
I've got to say, it takes a lot of balls to bet this much on what is technically a multiplatform release.

major_chaos said:
it's funny I have zero interest in the Xbone or Titanfall but I love these controllers. I would totally go out and buy one if MS would just make PC drivers for them (that aren't Win8 exclusive that is).
You want to know the really sad part? There is a guy (goes by Chris Gallizzi) who actually had a fully functional [footnote]Though it required it to be connected via USB[/footnote] driver made and ready to go for the controller, but Microsoft threatened him with a lawsuit if he released it, and he's currently trying to find a workaround. The reason you can't use an XB1 pad on your computer is because Microsoft doesn't want you to.
That's a double-flipoff meriting act of douchebaggery if I've ever seen one :(
I wouldn't buy the current xbone controller for PC even if it was just $30. My 360 controller works just fine and has fully functional shoulder buttons. And if I need a controller without analog triggers or with a decent dpad, I got a PS2x2 to USB adapter that is the shiznit for old school games.

It is a shame M$ is that petty, though. It's not gonna make people buy an xbone over just getting a different PC controller and would at least give them some revenue.[footnote]If controllers are being sold at a loss then maybe these companies should stop putting so much overpriced tech into them that doesn't add to the experience. That's my problem with the Vita and it's touch screen with back touch panel when all they had to add was the second analog stick.[/footnote] If someone were to release a decent PC driver for the new kinect M$ would be stupid to block it. That might get more people to buy an xbone and/or more games since they could sell the kinect off to tinkerers like that guy in South Korea. I might even be willing to buy one if someone could make a neat PC control interface, but the xbone is just not my cup of tea and won't be until I see something amazing that is exclusive to it. (That might not happen for years.)
 

J Tyran

New member
Dec 15, 2011
2,407
0
0
Hairless Mammoth said:
It is a shame M$ is that petty, though. It's not gonna make people buy an xbone over just getting a different PC controller and would at least give them some revenue.[footnote]If controllers are being sold at a loss then maybe these companies should stop putting so much overpriced tech into them that doesn't add to the experience. That's my problem with the Vita and it's touch screen with back touch panel when all they had to add was the second analog stick.[/footnote] If someone were to release a decent PC driver for the new kinect M$ would be stupid to block it. That might get more people to buy an xbone and/or more games since they could sell the kinect off to tinkerers like that guy in South Korea. I might even be willing to buy one if someone could make a neat PC control interface, but the xbone is just not my cup of tea and won't be until I see something amazing that is exclusive to it. (That might not happen for years.)
Controllers are typically profitable and the same holds true for the Xbones controller, it costs $15 USD [http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/171697-xbox-one-costs-more-to-make-than-the-ps4-thanks-to-esram-and-kinect] to manufacture and retails for $40. There will be some shipping and the retailers cut but Microsoft still make at least $10 or so on each one and maybe a little more, thats nearly as much as they make on a 3rd party game licences.
 

MonkeyPunch

New member
Feb 20, 2008
589
0
0
I really like the look of that controller. Is there also a themed Box or is it just the controllers?
 

Shoggoth2588

New member
Aug 31, 2009
10,250
0
0
Nothing against Titanfall but this feels like Gears of War did...What I mean for that is, back when the 360 was the hot new device (literally...you could burn yourself on the power box) Gears came out and while it was fun it just seemed to be there as a way to hold people over as they waited for the actual BIG releases like Halo 3 and...whatever was highly anticipated at the time...I think once Sunset Overdrive is closer to release people may turn away from Titanfall, especially if it is just another brown shooter. Mechs give it a bonus sure but what kills it for me is the lack of a single player option. Who knows though: maybe the game will release with bot matches and an offline mode. Perhaps also I'll discover a flock of flying pigs that poo jewel encrusted PS2s and, rare NES games.
 

Hairless Mammoth

New member
Jan 23, 2013
1,595
0
0
J Tyran said:
Controllers are typically profitable and the same holds true for the Xbones controller, it costs $15 USD [http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/171697-xbox-one-costs-more-to-make-than-the-ps4-thanks-to-esram-and-kinect] to manufacture and retails for $40. There will be some shipping and the retailers cut but Microsoft still make at least $10 or so on each one and maybe a little more, thats nearly as much as they make on a 3rd party game licences.
Well that is good to know. I would like a xbone controller for PC if they redesigned the shoulder buttons and the driver would differentiate the triggers as two different axes so I could use them in game that can't recognize simultaneous activation. At least M$ might release a driver on the grounds of a little extra profit. Now to just wait for a redesign. But, I still got that PS2 adapter to hold me over.
Shoggoth2588 said:
Nothing against Titanfall but this feels like Gears of War did...What I mean for that is, back when the 360 was the hot new device (literally...you could burn yourself on the power box) Gears came out and while it was fun it just seemed to be there as a way to hold people over as they waited for the actual BIG releases like Halo 3 and...whatever was highly anticipated at the time...I think once Sunset Overdrive is closer to release people may turn away from Titanfall, especially if it is just another brown shooter. Mechs give it a bonus sure but what kills it for me is the lack of a single player option. Who knows though: maybe the game will release with bot matches and an offline mode. Perhaps also I'll discover a flock of flying pigs that poo jewel encrusted PS2s and, rare NES games.
They sure pushed the Gears franchise as the greatest thing ever when a Halo game wasn't on the horizon, then Halo was the it thing, then back to Gears. I guess with GoW dive bombing after that last game was crud and Halo loosing its stride over the years to CoD, M$ is willing to try the next thing as the next big IP for them and settle for Titanfall being a decent hold over until Halo 5 if Titanfall fails to live up to its hype.

Also, could you spare me a jewel encrusted PS2 if you do find that mythic flock.
 

Riff Moonraker

New member
Mar 18, 2010
944
0
0
I am going to have to pick up one of these controllers. They look pretty sweet. I need a second one, anyway. Also, I find it hilarious how many people will read this news and try to find some fault with it, etc. Whereas I look at it, and think to myself how cool it is that they can improve my controller via an update through the console.
 

Shadow-Phoenix

New member
Mar 22, 2010
2,289
0
0
happy_turtle said:
Yeah, to be fair Titanfall just strikes me as another muddy shooter, but with different shaped tanks. Couldn't be less interested if you tried. But then again as a 28 year old I'm not the demographic here, I suspect the teens are going to lap this shit up and make massive profits for EA and Microsoft
uhhh not really, I'm 26 and haven't bought into a COD game since Blops and a Battlefield game since Bad Company 2, I avoided and didn't like Spec Ops the line, yet now Titanfall is offering something I do like, Parkour with jet packs and giant mechs I can control that can both fling bullets and bring pain to the pilots of other mechs.

It basically sounds more interesting to me than another terrorist plot of America saves the world or America is the hapless victim.