The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[AngryEddy]

Meanwhile Dota 2 has gone like 6 months without real content updates.

 

[Metro]

Aren't there only like half a dozen heroes left to add?

 

[AngryEddy]

Aren't there only like half a dozen heroes left to add?

10 + new neutral creeps.

6 months without new heroes, with the staff that Valve has, is unforgivable mismanagement.

 

[Spectacle]

Unless of course the Steambox takes over the world and this becomes the new standard in gaming. In which case, get ready for low FOV, huge HUD and shooting balanced for this thing rather than a mouse, even in PC exclusives! Yahoo!

/pessimist

This is unfortunately far too likely. Consolized interfaces are enough of a problem already, now developers will have even more incentive to make PC controls identical to console with tacked-on mouse+kb support

 

[Metro]

UNFORGIVABLE!

 

[Thane Solus]

 

[Dexter]

http://tommyrefenes.tumblr.com/post/62476523677/my-time-with-the-steam-controller
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...the_Steam_Controller_Heres_what_they_said.php

 

[CSM]

Also completely useless for platformers and maybe a whole host of other shit.

The button configuration worked fine for SMB, I was able to get to the Salt factory no problem. I was able to sequence break C.H.A.D. by getting the keys before he could do his attacks. I was even able to do the bandaid the super fast way in the second level of the hospital shown here (though I didn’t wait on the platform above the bandaid, I always fall straight through): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JHJsnXRb_Es#t=1392

I was able to play Meat Boy the way Meat Boy can be played on an advanced level (and I’m rusty at it). The right circle button was the jump button and we had both Triggers mapped to the Run button just like a regular Xbox 360 controller. We also had the Run button mapped to the back trigger buttons I mentioned before that can be pressed with your fingers on the back of the pad. This worked great but did lead to a bit of hand cramping. I think this is due more to the way you use the run button in Meat Boy and not the design of the controller or the buttons.

But that’s Meat Boy, I wanted to see how it would do with a game where multiple inputs were required. Naturally, I requested Spelunky. Spelunky requires Whip, Jump, Bomb, and Rope buttons. We configured the controller to play like an Xbox controller. So the left circle pad was once again used for the directional buttons, and the right circle pad was used as A, B, X, Y buttons in the orientation that you find on an Xbox Controller.

I played through Spelunky and the controller worked great. As I was playing I was describing to the engineers the twitch movements that go into Spelunky. Anyone that’s played it knows what I’m talking about, but to explain further there are often times in Spelunky where you will find yourself in a situation where you will panic and need to compensate. For example, lets say you are jumping on a platform, below it are spikes, above you is a bat. If the bat hits you, you’ll die because you’ll fall into the spikes. If you try to jump on the bat, chances are you’ll hit the bat and fall and possibly die. So in situations like this you find yourself tap jumping with air compensation to whip a bat while still staying on this one tile platform. The Steam controller handled this just fine. The nubs I mentioned above would have solidified the platforming experience better, but again, those might get thrown in as they approach final hardware. I got to the Ice Caves and then a stupid Skeleton knocked me off a platform to my death…then I attempted a daily run and died immediately…pretty much the standard Spelunky play through.

If you were to ask me if I would play games with the Steam Controller…I would say yes. If you were to ask me to choose between Steam Controller and a 360 controller, I would choose 360. Don’t take that as slight to the controller though because it’s more about the comfort of familiarity over functionality. I would choose a 360 controller because I have several thousand hours experience using it, however if tomorrow all game controllers were wiped off the earth and the only option was the Steam Controller, I don’t think this would be a bad thing. In fact, I don’t think gaming would miss a beat. I’m excited to see what final hardware feels like because I think with the upcoming iterations of the controller we’ll see something that is different, but still feels good.

TL;DR; Great Start, needs some improvements, but I could play any game I wanted with it just fine.

http://tommyrefenes.tumblr.com/post/62476523677/my-time-with-the-steam-controller

 

[Thane Solus]

i am not the defender of a Status Quo like George said, but man why the hell should i change my mouse and keyboard to play with some half ass controller? Even platformers i play them with keyboard. Yes, they are somewhat more comfortable with a gamepad, but no thanks.

It might me something wrong with me, i guess, since i dont play popamole games that much Of course for indies games with simple mechanics i can see a purpose. I am still a little like, what?

 

[CSM]

i am not the defender of a Status Quo like George said, but man why the hell should i change my mouse and keyboard to play with some half ass controller? Even platformers i play them with keyboard. Yes, they are somewhat more comfortable with a gamepad, but no thanks.

It might me something wrong with me, i guess, since i dont play popamole games that much Of course for indies games with simple mechanics i can see a purpose. I am still a little like, what?

You're not the target audience.

 

[1451]

So this dude played some shitty platformers and decided that it is good for gaming. No fps, strategy or simulators?

 

[DalekFlay]

For how positive they are spinning that Meat Boy article at the end of the day he says current pads are better for those games.

This thing is probably a lot better than it looks, what the fuck do I know about this stuff? As a consumer though I have no interest in it, I prefer KBM and use a controller for like one out of a hundred games. As CSM says though, we are not the target audience for this whole Steam living-room venture. With console gamers getting new machines this Fall though I honestly am not sure who the target audience is. The huge swath of PC gamers Valve think are only PC gamers for graphics and open platforms, I guess. Not sure how big that percentage is.

 

[Infinitron]

For how positive they are spinning that Meat Boy article at the end of the day he says current pads are better for those games.

This thing is probably a lot better than it looks, what the fuck do I know about this stuff? As a consumer though I have no interest in it, I prefer KBM and use a controller for like one out of a hundred games. As CSM says though, we are not the target audience for this whole Steam living-room venture. With console gamers getting new machines this Fall though I honestly am not sure who the target audience is. The huge swath of PC gamers Valve think are only PC gamers for graphics and open platforms, I guess. Not sure how big that percentage is.

Like I said in the Shoutbox - console gamers who have watched people like Total Biscuit saying again and again over the past couple of years that PC gaming is better and cheaper, and want to try it out for themselves.

 

[felipepepe]

however if tomorrow all game controllers were wiped off the earth and the only option was the Steam Controller, I don’t think this would be a bad thing.

What a selling pitch! They should quote this on the front of the box.

 

[Kane]

"tolerable if anything else disappeared"

just like my ex!

"SteamBox - your electronical ex"

 

[Cowboy Moment]

It being able to play SMB well (something you definitely wouldn't expect from the design) is an argument in favor of Valve knowing what they're doing.

The real test is going to be Dota2, LoL, and multiplayer FPSes; games that one could conceivably want to play on a TV. Doubt anyone is particularly interested in EU4 or Civ5 while sitting on a couch 2m from the screen.

 

[Night Goat]

Though I despise Steam, I can kind of see the potential of the touchpads. It wouldn't be good for everything, but it could be fun to play an ARPG where the right pad is used to control the swinging of your weapon, or to make gestures for spellcasting. That button placement though...why? Why would they do that?

 

[Gurkog]

Though I despise Steam, I can kind of see the potential of the touchpads. It wouldn't be good for everything, but it could be fun to play an ARPG where the right pad is used to control the swinging of your weapon, or to make gestures for spellcasting. That button placement though...why? Why would they do that?

It is an ambidextrous controller. Lefties need lovin' too.

 

[DalekFlay]

It is an ambidextrous controller. Lefties need lovin' too.

I'll never understand this shit. Either way both thumbs are pretty much equally active... why does it matter?

 

[Night Goat]

Though I despise Steam, I can kind of see the potential of the touchpads. It wouldn't be good for everything, but it could be fun to play an ARPG where the right pad is used to control the swinging of your weapon, or to make gestures for spellcasting. That button placement though...why? Why would they do that?

It is an ambidextrous controller. Lefties need lovin' too.

Right privelege status: checked. Instead of favoring Rightey, Valve is being incloosive by making a controller that no one can enjoy.

 

[Caim]

It is an ambidextrous controller. Lefties need lovin' too.

I'll never understand this shit. Either way both thumbs are pretty much equally active... why does it matter?

The left thumb has less actions and more simple ones than the right thumb.

 

[DalekFlay]

The left thumb has less actions and more simple ones than the right thumb.

Not really. Not in a third-person game, anyway.

 

[Destroid]

Aren't there only like half a dozen heroes left to add?

10 + new neutral creeps.

6 months without new heroes, with the staff that Valve has, is unforgivable mismanagement.

How many new heroes did you get in quake?



Unfortunately that review of the controller was simply using it as a stand in for an xbox controller, which works perfectly fine on the couch. He might have had something of value to contribute if he tried playing a game you would normally play with mouse and keyboard.

 

[kazgar]

 

[Morgoth]