Valve Reveals the Steam Controller

[DrOswald]

An overlay is useless if my eyes are on the TV.

The overlay is on the TV, where your eyes are.

Read the fucking announcement next time.

The overlay tells you what button was pressed. After you press it. That really doesn't help things at all. You need to know what button you are going to press before you press it. That is the problem.

I mean, I don't even really agree with jeffers and I can see the terrible problem with that one.

 

[Shadowstar38]

They made a controller with no sticks...

This completely misses the point of it being a controller.

 

[Grimh]

AAAHHH!!
Something different! Take it away! Take it awaaay!!

Looks interesting for sure.
Gonna need more than fancy pictures and words before I start getting actually excited though.
But yeah it's definitely interesting.

8 buttons are right beneath your fingers at all times (4 shoulder + 2 back + 2 trackpad clicks) with another four (ABXY) just by the trackpads. In a typical controller, you'll get less immediately available, and you'll have to let go of the sticks if you want to access more. Thank Christ somebody finally realized I shouldn't have to use my thumbs for every action if I have 8 more fingers gripping the controller.

I'm really liking this idea, and I agree.
Having to stop moving to perform various actions is always an (admittedly minor) annoyance I've had with standard controllers.
If they can make it work without killing my hands it's definitely a huge plus.

 

[RandV80]

I know its a way to play steam games on your tv. BUT. I really dont think it will be better than a mouse and keyboard. An i also doubt pc gamers will use a controller if they have a choice of a mouse/keyboard as well.

Exactly, but that's it isn't it, all Valve are doing with this stuff is giving more choices, no one will be forced to use the gamepad with a Steam Machine and PC gamers, a good chunk of them will prob just stick with things as they always have. So no harm done.

As long as this doesn't impose on what people already use, then it's all good. Valve know what they;'re doing, I'd be willing to at least try one.

Will PC mouse & keyboard users scorn it? Definitely there will be some, but from my perspective the problem comes when some developers try to shove a console controller down your throat on games that could use keyboard & mouse just as well. Now keep in mind these are games that you are intending on playing at your computer not on your couch.

But a controller that's designed to replicate the keyboard+mouse (though I'd actually say it leans way heavier on the mouse here) that they intend you use on your couch? Like I said there will always be some but I don't think there will be that much complaining. So far the raging seems to be coming more from people who like the Xbox controller design.

 

[Psychobabble]

Gott in Himmel! That thing is hideous!

I was really hoping for something more like this thing in the picture below, but seems like we're stuck with something that looks like it was stolen from the props department from the film Prometheus.

I give this thing a week in the hands of "snack while we play" gamers before the track pads look like Chester Cheetah used them to wipe his ass.

 

[clippen05]

And for once, I don't like Valve. I fucking hate trackpads. Maybe this will be good, maybe this will be great, but I don't think it'll be for me, but I still hope it does well.

 

[Cpu46]

The Steam Controller was designed from the ground up to be hackable. Just as the Steam Community and Workshop contributors currently deliver tremendous value via additions to software products on Steam, we believe that they will meaningfully contribute to the design of the Steam Controller. We plan to make tools available that will enable users to participate in all aspects of the experience, from industrial design to electrical engineering. We can?t wait to see what you come up with.

Considering one of my final college projects was making a full size model of a PS3 game controller altered to be more comfortable in the hands and printing it out in a 3D printer (making a note here, huge success!) and my current plans to make my own rapid prototyping lab in my garage, I can not wait for this. Custom cases, triggers and buttons. Oooooooh YES!

 

[Denamic]

Not sure about forgoing the ye olde analogue stick. I like me some tactile feedback. But, I do like what it can do, or rather what the say it can do. I'm going to have to wait and see before I start throwing shit or roses.

 

[klaynexas3]

We waited all week for this. This is all they had to give us. Seriously, this should have been the first announcement, it's like having a major band touring with a garage band, and the major band is headlining. Yeah, it's cool to see them, but they make you think the final guys will be amazing, when they're just meh at best. That was this week, a build up of pretty cool things in such an order that it leaves you feeling meh.

They already said all announcements were about the living room. Were you really expecting Half Life 3?
I was hoping for it but what does it have to do with a living room?

I never said that, just that the order was bad. They started with two really cool things, then ended with a controller that most people are skeptical at best about. Couldn't that have been the first announcement? Especially since the steam box thing was what most people were anticipating, that should have been the final announcement.

 

[Psychobabble]

Gott in Himmel! That thing is hideous!

I was really hoping for something more like this thing in the picture below, but seems like we're stuck with something that looks like it was stolen from the props department from the film Prometheus.

I give this thing a week in the hands of "snack while we play" gamers before the track pads look like Chester Cheetah used them to wipe his ass.


[/QUOTE]

Valve is the master of usability engineering, they have probably tested against that scenario and several others and if all else fails, the controller is modifiable and you can still use you old controller or mouse and keyboard.
The entire theme of the three announcements was "openness" and "flexibility".[/quote]

I'm not trying to pick a fight here, [i]for once[/i], but what exactly have these guys done like this before? Because I can't think of anything. Feel free to take it on faith that they have thought of every contingency if you like. Me I'll keep my skepticism intact until I actually see proof.

Personally I think this controller desgin is a bad idea considering the biggest Steam fanatics are computer keyboard and mouse users. This just smacks of them trying to be "just another console". Which I don't feel is what the market needs.

 

[lacktheknack]

I wondered what would happen when a hardcore Valve fanboy and a hardcore Nintendo fanboy got into a war. It's amusing, since neither side is listening to the other in the slightest.

He hasn't come back. D:

I'm not even a die-hard Valve fanboy as much as I'm an increasingly aggressive innovation-shover.

OT: The controller seems terribly cluttered, and if it works at all, it will take people quite some time to get used to. Doesn't seem worth it as this junction.

Well, that's a different sentiment. Most are complaining that there isn't enough to see on the controller.

That said, try learning to use a trackball mouse. With no experience, it takes less than half an hour to use it without errors, and a couple hours or so to start playing games with it (although your thumb will get sore). I doubt the learning curve on trackpads (which we have experience using, even if laptop trackpads are pretty low quality) will be much more painful than that.

 

[loa]

Gott in Himmel! That thing is hideous!

I was really hoping for something more like this thing in the picture below, but seems like we're stuck with something that looks like it was stolen from the props department from the film Prometheus.

I give this thing a week in the hands of "snack while we play" gamers before the track pads look like Chester Cheetah used them to wipe his ass.


[/QUOTE]
You obviously have no idea how disgusting trackballs get even in washed hands.

 

[Psychobabble]

I wondered what would happen when a hardcore Valve fanboy and a hardcore Nintendo fanboy got into a war. It's amusing, since neither side is listening to the other in the slightest.

He hasn't come back. D:

I'm not even a die-hard Valve fanboy as much as I'm an increasingly aggressive innovation-shover.

OT: The controller seems terribly cluttered, and if it works at all, it will take people quite some time to get used to. Doesn't seem worth it as this junction.

Well, that's a different sentiment. Most are complaining that there isn't enough to see on the controller.

That said, try learning to use a trackball mouse. With no experience, it takes less than half an hour to use it without errors, and a couple hours or so to start playing games with it (although your thumb will get sore). I doubt the learning curve on trackpads (which we have experience using, even if laptop trackpads are pretty low quality) will be much more painful than that.

I've used a thumb-trackball mouse for over a decade, love the blasted things, especially for gaming. And yes there is a learning curve with both them and trackpads. If the ones on the steam controller are anything like the ones I've used on laptops, I'm thinking getting used to using two of them is going to be like trying to masturbate using chopsticks.

 

[Psychobabble]

Gott in Himmel! That thing is hideous!

I was really hoping for something more like this thing in the picture below, but seems like we're stuck with something that looks like it was stolen from the props department from the film Prometheus.

I give this thing a week in the hands of "snack while we play" gamers before the track pads look like Chester Cheetah used them to wipe his ass.


[/QUOTE]
You obviously have no idea how disgusting trackballs get even in washed hands.[/quote]

Uh yes I do as I stated above that I've used a trackball for years. It takes less than 20 seconds to pop the ball out, wipe it clean and put it back. It's hard smooth plastic, easily cleanable, nothing like ribbed rubber pads that are hardwired into the game pad.

 

[Vie]

I have my doubts about it, though I am glad to see somebody has finally worked out you can put buttons on the underside of a controller.

I still think I'd prefer thumbsticks, or better still a thumbstick on the left and a trackball on the right, but I'll need to try one of these controllers out before I dismiss it.

And hey, at least it's not got it's thumbstick equivalents located at different bloody heights like the Xbox controller insists upon having.

 

[rednose1]

Really like the fact that they came up with something entirely new. The button layout looks like it'd be hard to cover more than 1 at a time, unless the trackpad will convert different moves into combinations (which would be pretty cool).

Hoping this takes off, as it looks like Steam is going about the console deal the right way....so far....

 

[Evil Smurf]

I assume one will come with the steam box, so I'll make my judgement then, If I don't like it, I can buy a $20 keyboard and mouse bundle and use that.

 

[-Dragmire-]

Looks odd but I'd like to try it before going full judge.