Putting Aces High on Next-Gen Xbox/PS4

[Krusty]

Noir, I've long maintained that when console makers figure out that having a keyboard and mouse is far superior for gaming, as well as everything else, they will steal a lot of PC gamers away.  If you can plug in controllers, a keyboard, and mouse and have complex controls, it would make console gaming almost tolerable.

It's called a PC. The reasons most folks that CHOOSE consoles tend to go for them is because they don't have such controls. You don't want your living room cluttered with a keyboard and mouse, and you don't want to be tied to one flat surface location to place both. My PS3 now currently supports a USB keyboard, but it sucks to use for anything other than typing names, takes up too much room, and I don't want to sit that close to the TV anyways. Even if it was wireless, it's not fun typing on one's lap, and you have to sit upright to do it well. When I'm on a PS3 I want to be upside down or lounging on my side or hanging off the back of furniture at the rear of the room.... Well, you get the idea.

That (and restrictive OS coding) is why PCs will never fear consoles in the long run. PCs will always have more uses and better capabilities.

[Bizman]

Good point, Krusty. One thing yet: We all know that wireless devices don't respond as quickly as wired do. I doubt the wife ack would be hard to avoid if we had all our current pilot gear wiring slithering on the living room floor.

[Ack-Ack]

I'm sure Ack Ack being in the business he is could give us a could perspective of how PC gaming companies consider this issue.

PC games are more often than not being optimized for use of game controllers over mouse/keyboard controls as the shift is swinging in the direction of game controllers.  The shift started when Microsoft made the Xbox 360 controller available to PCs, making it a lot easier for developers to add game pad support in games that were traditionally mouse/keyboard only.  Even games like hardcore FPS games (eSport level FPS games) and MMOs, whch are traditional bastions of mouse/keyboard controls are seeing more and more players using game pads.  A lot of the MMO's coming out now are being coded with game pad support, especially the "action" MMOs like DCUO, which are optimized to use game pads instead of the traditional mouse/keyboard.  The company I work for, when we re-launch FFXIV, it will be optimized to use game pads as well as traditional mouse/keyboard control.

I'm an old time gamer, which means I prefer the more traditional mouse/keyboard but there are games where I prefer to use a game pad (like Sleeping Dogs, Hitman Absolution) than a using the mouse/keyboard for control.

ack-ack

[Ack-Ack]

IIRC I read an article a couple years back where developers were complaining about Steams ability to push huge discounts on the titles they wanted to the order of 'my way or the highway'. They have the developers consent because they signed the contract when they wanted Steam to distribute their products.

Maybe when Steam first started out they did that but so far every sale they've had on our products, we've always had input on what products and guarantees on not breaking price protection on some products without our consent.  Of course, it could be that we're also a major game publisher/developer so we have more input and control over Steam sales than a smaller or indie studio. 

ack-ack

[Ack-Ack]

It's called a PC. The reasons most folks that CHOOSE consoles tend to go for them is because they don't have such controls. You don't want your living room cluttered with a keyboard and mouse, and you don't want to be tied to one flat surface location to place both. My PS3 now currently supports a USB keyboard, but it sucks to use for anything other than typing names, takes up too much room, and I don't want to sit that close to the TV anyways. Even if it was wireless, it's not fun typing on one's lap, and you have to sit upright to do it well. When I'm on a PS3 I want to be upside down or lounging on my side or hanging off the back of furniture at the rear of the room.... Well, you get the idea.

That (and restrictive OS coding) is why PCs will never fear consoles in the long run. PCs will always have more uses and better capabilities.

If you want to use a KB with a PS3, I would highly recommend using one of the KB plug-ins for the PS3 controller instead of using a standard USB keyboard.  I would also recommend a laptop style USB keyboard which can come in rather small sizes but the best choice would be the KB plug-in for the contoller, though it's really not useful for games just chatting and surfing the web.

ack-ack

[BUG_EAF322]

We have an xbox got a few games on it . But never play it sinds i have my new W8 pc. My kids love to play on it dough.
Further its an ideal streaming box to my tv.  I don't bother Linux based systems they don't support flight hard and software. Just like Apple . For now consoles are also unsuitable for flightsims . Windows will hold that place for a still long time to come.

[BoilerDown]

If XBox 720 or PS4 support USB joysticks, pedals, throttles, mouse and keyboard, then its a great idea.  How many warning pop up boxes do you make an end user go through to make sure they don't buy Aces High without a joystick, mouse and keyboard, and just the game controller?  Because with just the game controller, either HTC has to make too many compromises, or the end user is going to have a terrible experience.

But in theory, this could both sell a lot of joysticks and a lot of copies of Aces High and other flight sims.  Why joystick manufacturers haven't pushed it harder is beyond me, I kind of understand the HTC not pushing it side.

The number of USB ports is a non-factor.  If they are buying $100+ of HOTAS, they'll buy a $10 USB hub.

[Torquila]

The question you guys should be asking is wether or not console players are willing to pay the extra monthly ontop of the obvious propriortairy system they will already be paying for.

You all pretty much know the answer to that.

PS: You know, HTC should probably be selling joysticks/hotas setups with yearly subscription packages for us pc folk.

[Ack-Ack]

The question you guys should be asking is wether or not console players are willing to pay the extra monthly ontop of the obvious propriortairy system they will already be paying for.

You all pretty much know the answer to that.

PS: You know, HTC should probably be selling joysticks/hotas setups with yearly subscription packages for us pc folk.

Yes, and the answer is that people will pay extra on top of already paying for a premium service.

ack-ack

[Torquila]

... You can't be serious.

[Skuzzy]

He is serious and quite correct.

[Krusty]

      

[Vinkman]

The number of USB ports is a non-factor.  If they are buying $100+ of HOTAS, they'll buy a $10 USB hub.

I'm daft. Can a USB hub support multiple USB devices into one USB port on the XBOX? Would one port be fast enought to support those devices in real time? How many USBs are on an XBOX? 

Also XBOX does sell seperate periferals per game. See steering wheel and Pedals for Driving Sims.

[Torquila]

I guess I am still under the delusion that this game could be anything other than a niche product for those with more then the ordinary amount of money...


Guess the whole "Wanting to be able to run on basically any computer" has me confused.

[Wiley]

I guess I am still under the delusion that this game could be anything other than a niche product for those with more then the ordinary amount of money...


Guess the whole "Wanting to be able to run on basically any computer" has me confused.

It's pretty simple, really.  I think the first line in your post is simply incorrect.

The gameplay AH provides is what makes it a niche product moreso than the technical requirements/lack thereof.  There's a significant amount of the playerbase that doesn't have 'more than the ordinary amount of money', but they have $15 a month for an account, and $30-40 for a joystick, and that gets them into the game.

Keeping the other requirements for the PC as low as possible just makes sense, as a good portion of us just aren't 'gamers' willing to invest in high end or even what some of us would call 'decent' hardware.

Wiley.