Steam Controller announced

Today, Valve revealed the final piece of their plans to take over the living room. It's a controller.

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Today, Valve revealed the final piece of their plans to take over the living room. The SteamOS-powered Steam Machine will be compatible with a new Valve-developed controller. "We also think that a controller that has higher precision and lower latency is another interesting thing to have," Valve head Gabe Newell said earlier this year. According to Valve, their controller offers a "vastly superior control scheme" due to their focus on low-latency performance. The controller will be designed to work every game on Steam. Unlike most standard controllers, dual analog sticks have been replaced with dual trackpads that are also clickable. "Steam gamers, who are used to the input associated with PCs, will appreciate that the Steam Controller's resolution approaches that of a desktop mouse," Valve notes in their announcement. Of course, trackpads aren't traditionally the most comfortable tech to use, and Valve addresses those problems by adding haptic feedback to the device. "They are capable of delivering a wide range of force and vibration, allowing precise control over frequency, amplitude, and direction of movement," Valve says. The haptic feedback is also capable of playing audio waveforms.

An example of how the controller can be mapped

The center of the controller also features a touch screen. However, unlike the DualShock 4 from PlayStation, it is actually a high-resolution screen, not just a trackpad. Like the DS4, the screen is also clickable. Additionally, because Valve doesn't want to distract players with the screen, a display will be overlayed on the TV whenever the player touches the screen. Obviously, the controller will work on any PC, not just "Steam Machines." However, prototype controllers will ship with the 300 beta units Valve plans on shipping later this year. Early versions of the controller won't be wireless and they won't include the touch screen. Surprisingly, the controller does not feature support for biometric data, in spite of Valve's keen interest in it. "Biometrics on the other hand is essentially adding more communication bandwidth between the game and the person playing it, especially in ways the player isn't necessarily conscious of. Biometrics gives us more visibility," Newell said earlier this year. The Steam Controller has not been priced.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 27, 2013 10:00 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Steam Controller announced.

    Today, Valve revealed the final piece of their plans to take over the living room. It's a controller.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:08 AM

      Meh.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:13 AM

      Dude, that's like the best controller I've ever seen. Steam! Steam! Steam!

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:13 AM

      Yeah...no.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:17 AM

      Guess we'll have to wait until some people get to play with these in the real world.

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      September 27, 2013 10:17 AM

      Hmmm, I don't know how that trackpad will stack up against a D-pad for fighters and the like. I also don't see how it will have a resolution similar to a mouse when your big ol' thumb is on it.

      But hey, kudos for trying something new.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 10:24 AM

        Yeah. I'm not really too sure what to think but that's mainly because with these things you've got to hold it in your hands and give it a go.

        Looking forward to that.

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      September 27, 2013 10:20 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:25 AM

      Only having access to half the buttons with each thumb seems to be a really bad idea. Will have to try it out though.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 10:35 AM

        With each of the pads being buttons as well I think that's less of a concern. I think it's about time for something revolutionary in the controller space. We'll see how it works out but I'm super excited.

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        September 27, 2013 10:37 AM

        Extra buttons on backside actually gives the same if you don't include the extra options/buttons the center touchscreen provides

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 10:45 AM

        Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you only have like four buttons (the shoulders) on the Xbox controller that you can access without lifting either thumb, right? And the Xbox only has 11 buttons so that's about half. Not that bad at all imo!

        I think a bigger issue is that you have access to MORE buttons at any given time. Might take a lot of getting used to. Either way, I'm super excited!

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:34 AM

      It's a little odd that it's dual trackpad, if the purpose of the trackpad is to replicate a mouse. No one plays with a second mouse attached to their computer. D-pad + trackpad seems like the logical way to go -- d-pad replicates keyboard keys better than a trackpad.

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        September 27, 2013 10:36 AM

        Because it is designed to go beyond a mouse and keyboard, and beyond traditional game pads. Read the full page on it, it is fairly ambitious.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 10:39 AM

          I did read the full page on it, I just can't imagine pulling off rapid key combos. Sure, there are other buttons and I can see how it would work well enough for, say Binding of Isaac but I don't see it being as precise for, say, fighting games.

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            September 27, 2013 10:44 AM

            Seriously? Fuck your fighting games, keep it on your traditional USB pad or on your SNES. The one in the closet.

            • reply
              September 27, 2013 10:53 AM

              That is the other thing I don't like about people's reactions, they are acting like Valve is forcing this controller on people and there will be no other options for playing their favorite games on. Steam Machine, when that couldn't be any further from the truth.

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              September 27, 2013 11:14 AM

              ^^^ roid rage

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 10:46 AM

            Or action games like DmC or platformers just to name a couple of other possible problematic genres. You need to be able to use two buttons with one thumb motion and it looks impossible to do on this controller. This is the major reason every other controller out there has a diamond button layout.

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              September 27, 2013 11:04 AM

              With your thumbs on the trackpads, you have 6 buttons under your fingers, not counting the buttons under the trackpads (R3,L3 from a PS3 point of view).

              You have the RT,LT, RB,LB, and there is a button on each side under the controller that your middle finger rests on. You can see those buttons on the image just above the title 'Touch Screen' in a blueprint form, you can see the edge of one in the picture just above 'Dual Trackpads' and you can see actions assigned to them pointing under the handles in the example Portal 2 bindings.

              Additionally, the ABXY buttons won't be any harder to press than they are in games that use dual sticks on the 360 or PS3 now.

              Any that isn't even mentioning any of the software buttons possible on the touch screen. although not as immediate, they can be used for lesser used actions without the need of pausing the game or going into a menu.

              • reply
                September 27, 2013 11:21 AM

                You don't have the dexterity in your fingers to accomplish what you seem to think you can with the buttons under the controller. This type of scheme is already present with the Vita and I have a lot of experience trying to use it like you describe and it just can't work as a functional replacement to having two buttons under your thumb at once.

            • reply
              September 27, 2013 12:12 PM

              Valve isn't making you throw your 360 controllers and fightsticks away if you buy this.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 10:53 AM

            The thing is, if you care about fighting games, you're just plugging in a fight stick into a USB port. My bet is that this for games like Dota, L4D, TF2, Civ -- games that require something more than an analog stick.

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              September 27, 2013 10:56 AM

              Well, that was just an example. I can't think of a good button layout on this controller for Dark Souls, for example. Time will tell, of course.

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                September 27, 2013 11:44 AM

                If it's me, I want a traditional 360 controller for something like Dark Souls, and this new one for more PC-centric games.

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            September 27, 2013 11:02 AM

            Wouldn't you be using an arcade stick for fighting games (or at least a Saturn or SNES pad or something)?

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 10:37 AM

        Agreed. The trackpad takes up a lot of real estate and the button placement could be very different with a D-pad. Maybe like the gamecube controller.

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        September 27, 2013 10:38 AM

        One advantage a stick or pad has over movement keys is variable speed: ranging from a light step or sneaking silently all the way to a full run. Key are either you're moving or you're not. Yeah, you get a run button, but that's still only 3 stages (stop, walk, run) vs being able to have more variance in a stick or pad.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 10:39 AM

          sure, but a regular analog stick could do the same and still take less room.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 10:52 AM

          Can you imagine playing Dark Souls with this controller?

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            September 27, 2013 11:05 AM

            Can you imagine playing QW or Q3 with a 360 pad against other people...or with a flight stick or arcade stick? Different games work best with different controllers.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:35 AM

      people are very divided on this so far and I have mixed feelings about it too. I'm glad there is finally a first party controller with buttons on the back side, but I also don't like the X Y placement. I'll have to try the trackpads to believe it. The overall look is pretty terrible imho, but if it works I'll be happy to add a steam machine to my PS4

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        September 27, 2013 11:20 AM

        Honestly, I don't like the placement of A and B either. I'm incredibly biased, as I started out on the NES. Being able to press two face buttons at once is important in a lot of games I play. Like Rayman Legends, you run with R1, jump with X and punch with [ ].

        But I guess this is more aimed at FPS's and other games that benefit from the KB+M setup, which don't play very well on modern consoles. In that sense this thing could be pretty awesome for a lot of people. Actually, if it is nearly as accurate as mouse, then I may use it instead of a keyboard and mouse for FPS's.

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          September 27, 2013 11:47 AM

          Hopefully you can map buttons the way you want in every game because there are six buttons you can depress without your thumbs and then the two in each touch pad. probably good enough for most games, but just slap two more on the back and you're set.

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            September 27, 2013 11:58 AM

            From what I read each trackpad can only act as one button. I guess buttons on the back can work, but I don't see myself wanting to use my ring finger for anything important in a game.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:36 AM

      This looks interesting. Wonder how it works in practise.

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        September 27, 2013 10:40 AM

        Yeah, I normally hate using trackpad like controls, but I'm open to trying it.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:36 AM

      This controller is interesting but I'll only know if I like it after I've used it.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:40 AM

      Valve knows what we demand in a control, and they've earned enough cred for me fully take a wait and see attitude. They certainly aren't noobs to gaming, so I'm willing to cut them enough slack to see how the beta actually goes before trying to make up my mind.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:41 AM

      Goodbye, thumbs.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:44 AM

      I've had it with Valve.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 11:16 AM

        Yeah how dare they only have hardware and living room related announcements during a week when they said they would only have hardware and living room related announcements.

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          September 27, 2013 11:26 AM

          The problem was their presentation strongly implied it. You have 3 announcements, each one taking two days to reveal, and a large sun that is clearly getting hotter and looks like its going to burst. You have some big news with an OS, some big news with dedicated consoles, then...a new controller. Something Logitech could have pulled off. I'm excited by the controller, but as a climax it's a failure.

          A company like Valve needs to be conscious of the fact that a game that everybody has been waiting for, that only they can make, has taken far too long to come out - especially when they last left the game on a cliffhanger. If you are going to have something with a large buildup - you better have something that can match the fervor to it. Otherwise just announce the three things at once and be done with it.

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            September 27, 2013 11:48 AM

            They implied nothing. They have never implied anything about HL2:EP3 or HL3. Ever. You got your little hopes worked up over... an image of a sun? All they said were that they would be making hardware and living room announcements and that's all they did.

            You're saying that a company which has the ability to make the entire gaming world pay attention three times in one week shouldn't use that power unless they're unveiling a game which only so far exists for sure in your mind?

            Valve has a spotless track record with developing and releasing quality games, and still you're going to shit on them for not delivering another game quickly enough.

            If I were Valve I wouldn't go out of my way to cater to people like you either.

            • reply
              September 27, 2013 12:10 PM

              [deleted]

              • reply
                September 27, 2013 12:14 PM

                [deleted]

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                September 27, 2013 5:18 PM

                Whether Valve owe fans an explanation or not, that has zero to do with them making an announcement about their plans for the living room. They were explicitly clear as to what this announcement was about, and they've never taken advantage of that fan interest to promote other aspect of their business.

                They're a huge company who work on a great deal of different things, they shouldn't have to qualify everything they do as "THIS IS NOT A HALF LIFE RELATED PIECE OF NEWS" even when they do go that far, people get pissed.

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              September 27, 2013 2:27 PM

              You are over-reacting. I am not nearly as offended as you think I am. That being said, they certainly implied something to me and to what looks like the vast majority of people paying attention to the announcements. I was pointing out that their presentation was poorly executed - that is all. They make great games and I'm sure HL3 will be great whenever it comes out.

              It's simple communication and advertising skills. Valve succeeding in getting people to watch but they didn't succeed in leaving people excited. Perhaps they could have re-arranged the order of the announcements, or done two instead of three. Or maybe not have a changing picture of a sun going supernova - that's a pretty striking image that implies something epic is going to happen. Or maybe not have a hidden image in the supernova that never really gets made clear.

              They really need to be thinking about these things if they have reveals.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 11:58 AM

            [deleted]

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 4:12 PM

            If Logitech could have pulled this off, they would have.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 11:43 AM

          No. Valve haven't really come up with anything truly worthwhile since 2007. Portal 1/2 were nice but not particularly great. Valve is now pretty much comparable to Crytek, Epic and id. Old greats putting out tired, lackluster stuff.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 11:50 AM

            Did you read the page about it? It's pretty ambitious really. Valve have been researching control schemes for a while now, and I would be very surprised if it sucks.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 11:51 AM

            what? you are wrong. Portal 2 is fantastic. plus the co-op is amazingly awesome

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 11:51 AM

            Yeah, you're insane. The 416,824 people currently online playing DOTA 2 right now would probably take issue with your statement about nothing "truly worthwhile"

            • gmd legacy 10 years legacy 20 years mercury mega
              reply
              September 27, 2013 11:52 AM

              416,824 IDIOTS who like shitty games

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                September 27, 2013 1:49 PM

                gmd is just too old for this shit.

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                September 27, 2013 5:20 PM

                I've got zero interest in DOTA 2, but you've got to love Valve ability to spot something totally outside their normal menu of games, move in to that field and fucking kill it.

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              September 27, 2013 11:54 AM

              I was talking about my perspective, of course.

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                September 27, 2013 11:55 AM

                about from

              • reply
                September 27, 2013 1:16 PM

                That means you think portal 1/2 weren't particularly great, which also makes you insane.

                • reply
                  September 28, 2013 12:57 AM

                  They were good but not particularly great. Let's be completely honest here.

              • reply
                September 27, 2013 8:26 PM

                You could have just come out and said that your perspective is woefully out of date instead of going on this roundabout trip.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 2:41 PM

            [deleted]

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 4:15 PM

            You're nuts.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 5:19 PM

            You're full of poopy sir.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 6:33 PM

            Hahahahaha

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:45 AM

      Really interested to see what exactly these haptic marketing points feel like.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:47 AM

      I can't help but think of the Turbo Touch 360 pads that came out for SNES and Genesis.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:48 AM

      Visually my first thought was, WTF! Definitely interesting though. I want to touch it!

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:49 AM

      Interesting. Controller looks really interesting, almost too wild but I'd love to get some feedback from people once they release a working version.

      Overall Valve's announcements don't feel like very "huge." For me, I feel like these announcements should be more impactful - I must be missing something because I don't see it.

      - Don't show me the hardware or really confirm anything about it
      - Don't show me any games (HL3 or something would have been great - we know if it is a PC it probably won't have any triple A exclusives to speak of, this isn't 1999)
      - It seems like this is more geared towards people that don't have PCs who are thinking about PC gaming
      - It also seems like this is geared towards people who love or are at least intrigued by the thought of PC gaming beyond Microsoft Windows.

      The consolification of a PC (putting it under the TV instead of in the backroom) is what Microsoft should have done with the Xbox - but they seem to be going the Apple route to make it a walled garden instead of embracing the huge ecosystem of Windows based PC games already out there.

      What concerns me about Valve going to Linux or at least pushing for the support of Linux is that it seems like it is just another game box now starting its library from scratch. I would love to ditch the Windows PC but then I'd also ditch my entire games library and all the classic (and not classic) games I've accumulated over the years and old games I want to go back and play that I've missed. As the owner of a Windows gaming PC, I am searching for a reason why I should get this Steam Box - based on what I know right now, there isn't one.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 4:17 PM

        You can stream all your Windows games to the steam box. So you can have your PC in your office and your steam box in the living room, and play all your games on the couch with a really great controller. It makes PC gaming on the couch more convenient and more fun.

        That's the sales pitch.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 5:25 PM

        Simple answer, you don't need to get it.

        I think hardcore pc gamers are getting a bit confused by all of this. Valve aren't trying to convince you to buy a steam machine right now. The whole point of the the SM is to start the long process of edging away from depending of microsoft and windows. Sure its going to take a lot of effort and time before their SteamOS represents a decent platform but they have to start somewhere. They have to do that, or otherwise their entire business model is at the mercy of a potentially hostile company.

        Maybe 5 years from now when SteamOS has propagated itself, and gets the Triple A support they are talking about, and their controller proves to be as awesome as they say it is, and you need to replace your pc with a new rig, maybe just then you'll consider a steam machine.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 5:40 PM

          Yes. SteamOS will advance, but in the meantime, streaming provides 100% instant backwards compatibility. With the proper dev and consumer support, it could become "the gaming OS" to use just by being preferable going forwards, and still maintaining that compatibility for pre-2014 titles.

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            September 27, 2013 6:14 PM

            I agree, but i think the whole premise has a degree of complexity that it excludes it from the wide mainstream. I can't really imagine explaining Steam OS / Steam machines to my brother in law right now. He gets the paradigm of the home console, but the steam machine is, right now anyway, a fairly confusing prospect. Thats partly due to the open (and highly commendable) approach valve is taking.

            Having said that, given time to settle, and once people like ourselves to essential work as advocates for their friends and family, I think your right, they have real potential here to totally disrupt the console business.

        • reply
          September 28, 2013 2:13 PM

          It is getting to be that time for a new rig, as it stands I am a step above current gen consoles - barely so I need to get in parity with the next gens.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:52 AM

      Everyone has made up their minds and on one has tried it yet.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 10:54 AM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 11:26 AM

        I think it has potential. I'm sick of my wired 360 controller.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 1:11 PM

        Do you even internet, bro?

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 1:21 PM

        Oh, I'm jazzed to try it. It's clearly trying something new, and I'll definitely give it a fair shake.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 4:29 PM

        Have you seen the NEXTGEN console threads?!?!? It's how shit works around here.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 10:53 AM

      I've got a few reservations, but the fact that they can promise a controller that will easily do the job for every game in my library is way too tempting to pass up.

      I don't foresee this replacing a keyboard/mouse setup for an MMOs for example, but most of the games I have aren't drowning in buttons and macros. So bring it on!

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:03 AM

      Dropping tactile feedback? Part of the value of having the sticks is to not have to look at your hands to know where you are on the controller. I predict massive RSI for anyone who tries to use this.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:09 AM

      And the crowd goes mild

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:09 AM

      The fuck is that

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:16 AM

      so, for people complaining about button position as compared to Sony/MS controllers, somebody somewhere posted this:

      http://i.imgur.com/bK9XYJ1.png

      still hardly seems optimal, though.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 11:26 AM

        I think that's going about it all wrong. The buttons on the back/bottom are going to be the primary buttons. The buttons on the front are for secondary functions. Look at the Portal 2 layout that they show.

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          September 27, 2013 11:33 AM

          I'm a little confused about the screen in the middle. Are they showing that it can be split in to 4 buttons? So you press on the top left corner of the screen and it would quick save?

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 11:59 AM

            In the beta it will just be 4 buttons and no screen. The final controller will have a touch screen that is also click-able, So you can touch or click it in different areas to do different things.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 12:10 PM

            Yes, the touch-pad is clickable and depending on where you click it will perform a different function. The layout of the touch-pad buttons is programmable and it's possible for one game to use mutliple touch-pad layouts that you can swap through.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 11:40 AM

          problem with the back/bottom buttons is that the MS/Sony controllers already have those buttons, and adding two more isn't enough. Plus, pressing buttons on the face is just different from pressing buttons on the back of the controller.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 11:30 AM

        I think it's more like:

        ABXY on console = the two back buttons and the two pad clicks on the Steam controller (pad clicks are much less awkward than stick clicks on console)

        Four triggers on console = the four triggers on Steam controller

        And then stick clicking on console (which is awkward on a stick and generally only used for aux functions) can move to ABXY on Steam controller (which are sort of awkward and will be used for aux functions)

        Then Steam controller still has start select, it still has extra buttons overall, it still has the touchpad, etc.

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        September 27, 2013 11:34 AM

        Great so now I don't have mouse look / right stick look. That's fine for sidescrollers and certain other games, not so great for fps games.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:17 AM

      Unsure why people are making assumptions already without trying this yet? But it's a little disheartening to see.

      I think it looks pretty intriguing but for me the real test will be how it works with FPS or RTS games. If it passes that test, I'll be both shocked and stoked. :)

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:19 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2013 11:22 AM

      I can't see this thing succeeding long-term but I thought Skylanders was going to be a flop so what do I know?

      MS, Sony, Apple, and Google are also battling for the living room and they have MUCH more money, research, data, and talent than Valve.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:23 AM

      looks weird - and its not HL3 :[

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 11:26 AM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2013 11:40 AM

      I will happily give it a try in the hopes that it's better than 2 thumbsticks.

      Also, lol:
      Q: I’m a happy Steam customer happily using my happy mouse and keyboard. I don’t want a controller?
      A: You can’t make a sentence into a question by just putting a question-mark at the end.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 12:15 PM

        I was glad they added some humor into the announcement. Loved the specific callout to Euro Truck Simulator 2

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      September 27, 2013 11:47 AM

      What are the chances that there could be some accesories that clip over the touchpads with dpad or a+b+x+y buttons that push through and use the trackpad as their sensor?

      Valve had some patent a while back with pads and tackballs that could be swapped out. MAybe thy went a different direction with the same intent of a modular device. Granted I think if they had something like that they would have mentioned it today.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 12:16 PM

      Remo has used it/likes it, also sounds like the haptics work http://abload.de/img/gabepadx7jsn.png

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 12:29 PM

        LORD REMO HATH SPOKEN

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 1:50 PM

        His second reply sounds immensely promising

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          September 27, 2013 1:56 PM

          [deleted]

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            September 27, 2013 1:58 PM

            I'm really curious to feel dem haptics :D

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              September 27, 2013 2:52 PM

              It is time for good haptics to start coming back. I have the last iteration of MS FF joysticks and it made such a difference for games that supported it, but then it went out of style about as fast as Aureal3D audio. And psychoacoustics are coming back too! This might be an interesting time to be a gamer with Oculus and all this other stuff.

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                September 27, 2013 3:31 PM

                There's a reason I have a Logitech G940 (still though the MS FF sticks had better FFB...but the G940 is ok).

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            September 27, 2013 5:07 PM

            Everything i know about how Valve works, and all the products i've enjoyed from them in past has left me with absolute faith in them. They have their own methods, and their own timescales and all the rest of it, but they don't release shitty products.

            I think it will be game (lol) changer.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 5:05 PM

        REMO REMO REMOE REMO RMOE MREOM OEREM OMEO ME MOM OMO M

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 12:33 PM

      Just want to walk into Games or Best Buy and try it out. I haven't been to those stores in like 10 years so I wouldn't mind entering one to realize what this controller feels like. Its to radical not to at least try one.

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      September 27, 2013 1:10 PM

      UGH

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      September 27, 2013 1:21 PM

      It pisses me off that no company has even tried to bring to market the mobile keyboard design made famous in Typing of the Dead for the Dreamcast.

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      September 27, 2013 2:43 PM

      Lol wut

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      September 27, 2013 2:49 PM

      looks like ass.

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      September 27, 2013 2:50 PM

      I am not sure about the the trackpads but I have to see it in action to know how well this will work. I have played fps on a laptop before using a trackpad and it wasn't a fun experience. I don't know if the inclusion of another one will fix that for me. The button placement is interesting. I can't imagine this controller being cheap specially if it has a touch screen in it. Most controllers without that run about $40 to 50.

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      September 27, 2013 3:42 PM

      So how do I play Mortal Kombat with this?

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      September 27, 2013 3:54 PM

      enough with the steam circlejerk this thing is ass and we all know it.

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      September 27, 2013 4:02 PM

      I'm a mouse+keyboard diehard, but this actually looks like a game-changer! Did you guys actually read the full descriptive article--some of the stuff they're talking about on this thing sounds amazing. Fully programmable haptic feedback with high-precision controller motors? That's unheard of for gaming, and opens up all kinds of awesome possibilities. I think it sounds fantastic, and can't wait to get my hands on it. It's the one thing that will truly differentiate a Steambox from every other console.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 4:08 PM

        Of course no one read it. Look at the replies.

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        September 27, 2013 5:44 PM

        All the negativity really makes me laugh, and I really don't think any of them have read the description. I'm certainly intrigued. I won't deny that the thing does look a little awkward, but I can't imagine them not having done some usability tests on the thing. That, and they're beta testing it with the public which will give them time to refine it.

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      September 27, 2013 4:10 PM

      Hideous. I'll pass.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 4:23 PM

        Prudent and tactful as always, TEXIT. Keep up the good work.

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      September 27, 2013 4:12 PM

      [deleted]

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      September 27, 2013 4:18 PM

      Tommy from Team Meat is apparently getting a demo right now.

      https://twitter.com/TommyRefenes/status/383692791051612160

      I'd love to hear feedback from devs of different genres. Especially FPS, RTS and fighting games. I mean, can this thing truly handle divekick???.

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      September 27, 2013 4:37 PM

      You guys already hating on this are silly. Anyone trying to bridge the input gap between k+m and analog controller is tops in my book. I think it looks super interesting and can't wait to get my hands on it.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 5:02 PM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 5:04 PM

          But this does have tactile feedback because of the haptics, it's not the same as a tablet at all

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 5:44 PM

          Amazing job being informed before commenting.

    • ArB legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      September 27, 2013 4:41 PM

      it sounds ambitious. I hope I get a chance to try it!

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 4:44 PM

      Gamasutra piece on developers who have actually used it: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/201195/Select_game_developers_used_the_Steam_Controller_Heres_what_they_said.php

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 4:45 PM

      I'd rather not be a complete faggot and instead wait until there's some concrete information out there about how well it works before complaining.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 4:51 PM

      Awesome stuff from valve this week. Great to have another console in the market now. One question. It looks wired, surely it will be wireless?

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 5:15 PM

        It will. The prototype is wired.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 5:27 PM

      so the steam console just streams games and only plays a select few? meaning i still need a pc? wtf is the point then.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 5:44 PM

        There will be multiple tiers of Steam Machines. The cheapest models will run for as little as $100. Those will just stream games from your PC to your TV, making gaming in the family room more convenient. There will also be full consoles somewhere between $300 and $500 that run games natively on SteamOS. The highest tier will be self-made Steam Machines or anything sold by third party vendors.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 6:15 PM

        There are currently over 200 games on steam that will run natively in steamOS so I wouldn't say a select few. That number is only going to rise.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 5:28 PM

      One thing we can be sure of, if this thing is as awesome as Valve says it is, Sony will have an identical controller for ps4 two months later.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 6:11 PM

      You know what would take over the living room? MOTHER FUCKING HALF LIFE 3!!!!!!!!!!!1111111one

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 6:20 PM

      It's as though I subliminally sent them this "question" weeks ago:

      Q: I’m a happy Steam customer happily using my happy mouse and keyboard. I don’t want a controller?
      A: You can’t make a sentence into a question by just putting a question-mark at the end. But we’re happy you’re happy, and by all means keep using whatever input method makes sense for you. Rest assured, we won’t abandon you. We love mice and keyboards, too.


      I like this approach better than Microsoft's "Games for Windows Technical Requirements", which mandated controller support, AND strongly, ham-fistedly pressured games into going controller-exclusive and/or XBox 360 centric in the process. There are probably going to be some Steam-Controller-focused games, but it will be on a platform guaranteed to support a keyboard and mouse at the base level, by a platform developer who isn't trying to actively kill off keyboard and mouse support.

      As for the controller itself, I like the idea of trackdiscs, because I have a hard time with reactions on analog sticks (the staggering of the 360 controller's stick layouts confuses my inherent orientation, and the PS3 controllers sticks have a turning radius that's too tight, and the convex surface is uncomfortable). Third-person character action games are going to be awkward with no face button quad (will the right disc be divided into click quadrants?). I can't play FPS games with twin-stick because I get disoriented, and I need an absolute turning angle positioning (mouse) to be comfortable, as opposed to turning velocity control (right analog stick), which frustrates me. But I could easily see myself using this to play a driving game or platformer.

      Let's be frank: this is probably the ultimate big-screen no-desk DOTA controller.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 6:26 PM

      every game better have full customization for button layouts.... and i hope a d-pad version is planned, just in case.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 7:42 PM

      Gut reaction to the first picture I saw of it was that it was some sort of iPod/iPhone docking station to play music on. Didn't expect it to be a controller.

      I'll reserve judgement on its functionality for now.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 8:05 PM

        thanks I was waiting for something like this, though I already caught some of it on Remo's twitter feed.

        This sounds really promising. It's worth remembering though that even devs (even reputable ones) can get over-excited about tech. I'm going to remain skeptical though until I play it, especially on more traditional console games that really demand things like analog sticks and face buttons.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 8:18 PM

        "We just plugged it in, and it worked," he said. "We didn't have special support for it or anything. It worked really, really well. I was really impressed with the mouse imitation. It doesn't feel like a trackpad."

        :o

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 8:35 PM

      Another hands-on impression write-up, from Super Meat Boy dev Tommy Refenes: http://tommyrefenes.tumblr.com/post/62476523677/my-time-with-the-steam-controller

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 8:45 PM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 8:50 PM

          This one was interesting to me because I think just emulating a normal controller is the worst-case scenario for this thing, and it sounds like it's pretty capable (though may need some tweaking, which is to be expected)

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 9:01 PM

            [deleted]

            • reply
              September 27, 2013 9:05 PM

              Well a PC RTS already doesn't work on a standard controller, so my assumption is this thing will definitely beat a standard controller/be playable there or why even spend time/money making it

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          September 27, 2013 9:15 PM

          honestly I don't care about shooters so much because for me, the more traditional console stuff is make or break. If it's not real great great with PC-style shooters, fine, I'll just play that stuff on the PC, no big deal. As neat as it would be to play TF2 or something on the TV, I'm not gonna cry over it. But if the controller can't even function like a normal-ass controller, it's useless.

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 9:10 PM

        TLDR: I can play games with it.

        Great!

      • reply
        September 27, 2013 9:15 PM

        This is almost exactly the kind of review I was looking for. In fact I was wondering precisely of how this controller would play with Spelunky. Here's hoping they put in those nubs.

        • reply
          September 27, 2013 9:15 PM

          I think I'm hyped, now.

          • reply
            September 27, 2013 10:56 PM

            I was not just hyped - but psyched when they said they could reconfig the pads and divvy them up into multiple configurations.

      • reply
        September 28, 2013 12:43 AM

        Pretty honest write-up. It sounds like the Steam controller is viable, but I also wouldn't prefer it to a 360 pad.

    • reply
      September 27, 2013 8:56 PM

      It's kinda ugly imho. I'm intrigued to see how it feels, though.

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      September 28, 2013 2:59 AM

      The trackpad things are just stupid.
      I say it because people are going to burn their fingertips with that, games require a lot of movements and some of those movements need fast reactions, so its going to feel really uncomftable after a little play.

    • reply
      October 2, 2013 10:15 PM

      Lol all the negative replies. Its moddable and customizable and people are bitching. There will be different designs and controllers b4 its over. I cant wait to see what they come up with

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