GFW and Gamepads (PC)

[Oskuro]

So, strolling through a retailer, I came about a copy of Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia and I though "Damn! It has the Games for Windows logo scarring its front cover" but then again, from what I had read about the game, it was the kind of mindless shooter I wanted to try, and more importantly, it had coop, so I bought it.

After installing it without problems, I fire it up, and head to the LAN setup screen. No coop in sight. This can't be! I check up the manual, and find that there is a LAN coop, but just in a single map (A sort of survival mode), and story mode is to be played with gamepads.

So, ok, no problem there, after all, if you set up a LAN, playing on the same computer shouldn't be a problem, and I have plenty of gamepads. So, I plug my pad in, start a game and... It doesn't work. Darn!

To cut it short, after much investigating, I came to the conclusion that the game requires an actual Xbox controller. But not only that, my google-fu revealed that, apparently, all Games for Windows games work exclusively with an Xbox controller.

What-the-fuck. No, seriously, what the FUCK is that about? Are they giving the middle finger to all the peripherial manufacturers who churn out good gamepads? No, wait, worse yet, are they saying that I can't use my 14€ six-axis controller, with exactly the same button configuration as a 50€ Xbox controller? Plus the 25€ for the special USB wireless receptor you have to plug into your computer, of course.

So I can proudly say that I still hate Games for Windows for being what it is, a scheme by Microsoft to force gamers into buying their products, and only their products.


I mean, the game is decent for what it is, and I can tolerate that the menus keep referencing the Xbox buttons, and that even the voiceover refers to them. I can tolerate having to configure controls outside of the game, or the controller-centric menu navigation system that keeps confusing my mouse-user ways.

But I can't tolerate an important part of the game experience I've payed for to require the additional payment of more money than the game itself is worth. As someone told the inventor of a faeces-fueled helicopter: THAT SHIT WON'T FLY!*


So now I'm exploring the possibilities of Xbox controller emulators, and wondering why do I have to do the game developers' work for them.

*Quote (c) Yatzhee

[Executor32]

Bidoof.

[Oskuro]

^Been there, not working with this particular game, even though their test program does recognize my pad. Apparently some tweaking is necessary with different titles.

Still doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't be resorting to this.

[Stark]

There are wired 360 controllers, and they're basically the best controller around.

That said, this is pretty funny. I actually like how decent GFW games work properly with the 360 controller (like Blands and OFP) but they're games you can comfortay play without a controller. Turns out the GFW program works at being annoying but doesn't work at replicating the console experience or whatever it's supposed to do?

[General Zod]

But not only that, my google-fu revealed that, apparently, all Games for Windows games work exclusively with an Xbox controller.

Except for World at War. Which I made the mistake of buying on the PC; turns out Treyarch has shit support for any kind of external controllers whatsoever except for the mouse and keyboard? I mean sure there's a GFW sticker, but does it bother offering a control pad option? Noooooooo.

[Oskuro]

There are wired 360 controllers, and they're basically the best controller around.

And they are still over twice the price of my controller, with exactly the same functionality, and still you need to install drivers for them. Heck, they are wired and still require the use of batteries! Classy.

[General Zod]

There are wired 360 controllers, and they're basically the best controller around.

And they are still over twice the price of my controller, with exactly the same functionality, and still you need to install drivers for them. Heck, they are wired and still require the use of batteries! Classy.

Twice the price? What? I got a 360 controller for my PC for just $30 new off Amazon. It costs $50 to buy a regular wireless one new at Gamestop. Also, wired controllers do not require batteries. I'm not sure where you're getting that from.

[Oskuro]

^Price info from my local retailers, oscillating between 40€ and 50€. Battery info from the link above, that's Microsoft's official quickstart guide for their wired controllers. In all fairness, the batteries might be for the vibration. But in all fairness too, my 14€ controller has vibration without batteries.

[General Zod]

^Price info from my local retailers, oscillating between 40€ and 50€. Battery info from the link above, that's Microsoft's official quickstart guide for their wired controllers. In all fairness, the batteries might be for the vibration. But in all fairness too, my 14€ controller has vibration without batteries.

It might be for a different type of controller, where you can unplug the wire. Because my wired 360 PC controller has no battery pack.

[Stark]

The very idea that a wired controller needs batteries is absurd. Trust me, your literal reading of some quickstart guide is wrong. You're probably reading the quickstart guide for the wireless (ie, standard) controller; my wired 360 controller doesn't even have a battery pack.

Why the hell would it? It boggles the mind.

What controller do you have, anyway? I never found a PC controller that wasn't complete shit; I used a PS2 controller until I got a 360 and used the controller from that.

[Executor32]

The only non-shit PC gamepad I ever used was a Nyko Airflo, and that was mainly because of the fan. After I realized my hands didn't sweat nearly enough to need it, I modified an Xbox Controller S and used that instead. I bought a wired 360 controller when the 360 came out, and when the wireless receiver was released I bought one along with a wireless controller.
I also picked up the racing wheel to use with GRID, since it's compatible with the receiver. Needless to say, this kicks ass.

Wireless controller + receiver = GOD

[Oskuro]

You're probably reading the quickstart guide for the wireless (ie, standard) controller

You're right. The quickstart guide is for a wireless controller, the product page offers that guide when asking for the guide to a wired controller.
I looked up the guide to verify that the wired controller required drivers (as I had read on some other site), so I might be wrong on that account too.

What controller do you have, anyway? I never found a PC controller that wasn't complete shit; I used a PS2 controller until I got a 360 and used the controller from that.

It's from some unknown label called 4dg (google just turns up a few spanish retailer sites), designed both for PC and the PS3. I bought it due to it's low price to try out using a controller on certain games, expecting it to be shit, and I'm surprised at how good it has worked so far. User reviews I've read on those sites I found complain only about the buttons being a bit hard, but otherwise say it's good.

[General Zod]

You're right. The quickstart guide is for a wireless controller, the product page offers that guide when asking for the guide to a wired controller.
I looked up the guide to verify that the wired controller required drivers (as I had read on some other site), so I might be wrong on that account too.

You'll still need to use drivers, but it's a painless installation and any wired PC controller should come with a driver disc. The controller works seamlessly once they're installed.

[Genii Lodus]

Not all GfW games only work with 360 controllers. GTA IV can use other ones and steering wheels now (though this support was added post-launch). So it's not an evil-Microsoft requirement as much as the developers being lazy. I think having 360 controller support is a technical requirement to be a GfW game (if you're in certain genres) but nothing saying other hardware can't be supported.

[Stark]

It's from some unknown label called 4dg (google just turns up a few spanish retailer sites), designed both for PC and the PS3. I bought it due to it's low price to try out using a controller on certain games, expecting it to be shit, and I'm surprised at how good it has worked so far. User reviews I've read on those sites I found complain only about the buttons being a bit hard, but otherwise say it's good.

Oh, a Playstation controller. Before I bought a USB-PS2 converter, I tried half a dozen PC gamepads and they all sucked. Fuck knows why it's so hard to do; PC gamepads can't even do fucking dpads right.

[Oskuro]

Yeah, it's modelled after the PS controller, but it's a driver-less USB controller. In fact, the box says it includes drivers, but there was no disc in it. I'm sincerely surprised at how good it works.

Now, I'm not questioning the quality of the Xbox controllers, I'm questioning the dev's lazyness (Yeah, I take a few swipes at GFW, but hey, let me have my grudge). I mean, if someone can come up with an emulator to allow use of the controller, shouldn't the devs be able to do it easily?

By the way, for Guitar Hero 3 I bought the PS3 Wireless Guitar instead of the bundled Xbox wired guitar. Guess what? XP recognized it automatically, with no need for drivers, and worked like a charm (except tilting didn't work). And now, surprise! GH World Tour for the PC is bundled with the PS3 guitar, has no GFW tag, and my old guitar works perfectly (Tilting included).

[Stark]

Yeah, the PS3 doesn't use Make It Work technology; they're just bluetooth devices or something. 360 stuff is all proprietary rubbish for no reason.

This is probably rude, but if these are the games you play, just buy a console. You don't miss much; I turn my PC on about once a week these days.

[General Zod]

Yeah, the PS3 doesn't use Make It Work technology; they're just bluetooth devices or something. 360 stuff is all proprietary rubbish for no reason.

This is probably rude, but if these are the games you play, just buy a console. You don't miss much; I turn my PC on about once a week these days.

Especially when most every game worth playing is going to come to the PC weeks if not months later than their console counterpart.

[Oskuro]

I tend to buy games a year (or longer) after they are released, so I can wait.

And it isn't rude, Stark, if I really played those games exclusively, I would agree that I needed a console, but I don't, this particular game was an experiment (since it was on sale) that lead me to discover the whole thing with gamepads.

[Stark]

I guess they figure people playing those kind of games on PC are moving console->PC, so they'd have a controller. The MS 'make it work' thing is mega-annoying, though.

[Oskuro]

I don't think they think that far. It probably is simpe developer lazyness when doing the port. Why bother doing a bit of work to add compatibility, when the Xbox controller works as-is?

What's this 'Make it Work' tech you mention, by the way?