Mar 20
The innovation being displayed this week at GDC 2014 is not limited to software. Devices like “A Dozen Sliders” are lighting up the halls of the Moscone Center with odd … Continue reading
Jan 15
As we reported, Titanfall will be arriving in March for the Xbox One, as well as its older sibling and the PC. To coincide with this, Microsoft will be releasing … Continue reading
Jan 12
The time has come: the video game industry must finally come together to pick a single standard for game controllers that will work across platforms and easily handle gameplay on … Continue reading
Dec 16
Samsung has released “GamePad”, a gaming controller that attaches to a smartphone or tablet for a console-like mobile gaming experience. The GamePad has a telescoping cradle that accommodates mobile devices turned sideways for devices ranging in width from 4 inches to 6.3 inches. The GamePad connects wirelessly to the mobile device via Bluetooth, so physical […]
Nov 23
Microsoft has been going a bit contest-crazy lately with the run-up to and launch of its next-gen gaming console Xbox One. Aside from all the promotional contests for the system itself, last weekend it announced the “Made By You” Gamerpic design contest, which is still going on (deadline is Dec. 9.) Later in the week–two […]
Nov 09
From now until Nov. 22, Microsoft is letting the public test drive the new Xbox One in all 75 of Microsoft’s own branded retail stores in the United States and Canada. This is not the first time Xbox One has been officially available for public gameplay previous to the next-gen console’s official launch date, but […]
Oct 26
The iterative, annualized OUYA video game console has fixed the longstanding latency problem with its native controller and made a few subtle but important physical changes to it, reports Polygon. The controller, which was released with OUYA 1.0 in April, had been slow to respond and didn’t feel quite right, as reported by the new […]
Sep 18
DualShock 4 controller crafted with input from developers, offers Share button and more
Posted in: Today's ChiliSony just dropped some specs for the PlayStation 4, and has followed that up with some details and a look at the DualShock 4 controller, with features including a Share button and some subtle design changes that gives it an entirely new feel over the DualShock 3, as well as a capacitive touchpad. We’ve got […]
Jan 25
OUYA tweaks pre-launch hardware
Posted in: Today's ChiliA big gaming company like Microsoft couldn’t be bested for controller polish by a tiny, Kickstart-funded startup, right? Wrong, says OUYA, which has been detailing the tweaks made to its wireless control pads after developer feedback on the palm-sized Android console. Several changes have been made, all intended to refine the experience for gamers and help OUYA play up in the big leagues.
So, gone is the disc D-pad, replaced by a more traditional cross-style that’s easier to thumb accurately, while the sticks get a rubberized hat since developers were complaining of undue slipperiness. The triggers are more streamlined into the housing, as well as being mechanically altered for improved feel, while the battery bay has also been reworked to ensure the power pack fits securely without shifting around during more frantic play.
Unlike most controllers, OUYA’s has a touchpad for menu navigation, and that’s in line for a new finish and more responsiveness. For the moment, OUYA recommends developers set the cursor speed to its maximum for the most immediacy in use.
Controller finessing might sound like an odd thing for OUYA to be spending a disproportionate amount of its time on, but there’s good reason for it. Android gaming isn’t new, but a common complaint is that the experience of actually playing on an Android games system – whether it be a phone, a tablet, or something else – is distinctly subpar compared to what players are used to from their Xbox, PS3, or something else.
If OUYA wants to be taken seriously, it needs to tick all the right boxes with the one part of the system that players’ will come into contact with most often, and that’s the controller. If it doesn’t feel right, or doesn’t work as it should, then gamers simply won’t bother picking it up and playing, and that could mean death to the platform.
OUYA tweaks pre-launch hardware is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 18
Sony has been rocking its DualShock controller design ever since the original PlayStation was out in full force, but while the console launched in the US in 1995, the DualShock technology didn’t make its way to the market until 1998. Now, it looks like the company will be waving farewell to the classic design for something a little more modern and high tech with the rumored PlayStation 4.
According to Computer and Video Games, an anonymous source that works at a “senior game studio” that’s working on an upcoming Sony game has said that Sony will be introducing a new controller design with its next console, and will introduce some new features to the controller, like a touchscreen and biometric sensors.
It’s said that experimentation and testing of potential controller designs has been extensive in Sony’s research and development department. A second source connected to Sony said that engineers are “trying to emulate the same user interface philosophies as the PlayStation Vita,” which points to possible touchscreen capabilities with the new PS4 controller.
While the DualShock design may be on its way out the door, it’s possible that Sony will still support the PS3 controllers when they release their new console, similar to how the Nintendo Wii U still supports older Wiimotes, so there’s a possibility that older DualShock controllers could be used as secondary controllers on the PS4, but of course, Sony has declined to comment on the rumors.
[via Computer and Video Games]
PlayStation 4 rumored to ditch DualShock controller design is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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