XIM 2 Xbox 360 mod ready for pre-order, you aren't ready to pony up
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 3rd 2009 1:27PM
posted Jan 3rd 2009 1:27PM
[Thanks, K.Green]
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FIRST..of all. there is no way i'm paying nearly 180 for this when I can just buy the games with far less effort.
and second of all? ....
Oh, HaHa I missed it by a few seconds
Nice try, but you totally pulled a double fail there. Ouch.
As much as I'd like to see keyboard/mouse working on the 360, some controller-based hack doesn't seem like it's going to be completely smooth sailing.
Actually, you missed it by almost an hour.
Hmm I had to play an fps game that wasn't on PC, I hate using the controller for fps games, there's already a product like this released for x360..
And won't Xbox Live be able to detect your 360 is moddd and then ban it? Or does this only work for mod chips / alterations to the hard drive.
Moreover than that Flashpoint, what's the point if the games themselves don't support it? The PS3 added keyboard/mouse support ages ago but most of the game developers never bothered to add support for them hence rendering useless. It's not a console limitation, rather more of a development one...
Hmm, I think the following diagram is supposed to answer my earlier question although has now confused me more....
http://xim360.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/diagram2.jpg
This is what I was talking about..
http://www.renchi.com/renchi/Xbox_360_Accessories_XFPS_3_0_Sniper_Plus_XCM.htm
is works with any game since it fakes itself as a controller stick..
Google: XFPS 3.0 Sniper Plus video site:youtube.com
:P
Hmm, so these don't actually enable keyboard/mouse support, they just map specific keys to the controller and that way it's all compatible in-game?
I recorded this video myself with a XIM2, tell me how the hell you would do this with a normal controller - triple flag stop and the sickest sniper shot you'll see outside of MLG
http://www.gamevee.com/public/gameveeplayer.swf?video_id=1032946
And look at the videos in this thread to gain impressions in general of 1) how awesome XIM2 is, and 2) how much it is NOT like the crappiness that is XFPS or other kb/m mods.
http://xim360.com/community/index.php?topic=1342.0
No amount of controller mastering lessons can match a mouse and keyboard when it comes to FPS games.
Yep! Nothing compares to a QWERTY/Mouse combo when it comes to FPS's!
True, but controllers are MUCH more comfortable. Also, I find that they tend to even out the playing field because you can only be so accurate. Don't believe me, hop onto an fps that you have never played before and see how long you live. do the same with a console. I have tried this and have been killed in a matter of seconds on pc, while I managed to stay alive for about a minute on the console.
Lag kills mouse accuracy. I've done head shots in 1942 that just wouldn't kill the guy.
@gonintendo
Nobody said you'll be godlike from birth but you can reach that level through intensive training. But my advice is spending more time hanging out with friends instead.
try using an aeron chair, a microsoft comfort curve 2000 keyboard and a nice mouse.. :P.
Shinigami, that's exactly what I mean, I can still have a good time without giving up my liveliness.
I love how different the comments look in the link I get from the email notification compared to just the article page:
From the article: http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/8128/engcomartvh2.jpg
From the email notification link: http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5445/engcomspecbu9.jpg
Eggothewaffle: I don't see a difference between those two pix, other than they have different rankings on them.
It's a conthpirathee Eggo!! I love mouse and keyboard for FPS, ohhhhhh the old days.
@Prey521
Personal I use WASD keys. :P
Getting used to a FPS game using an xbox 360 controller isn't all as hard as you make it seem. Not to mention it's a lot more comfortable to chill on your couch with just a controller instead of a keyboard AND mouse. Sure it's easier to aim with a mouse, but get some skills, do it with a joystick.
you're very right. i use to be VERY anti-console fps games. keyboard/mouse or death and all that. but then recently i decided i might as well check out one of the largest segments of current console gaming (as i really hadn't this current gen. last time was on ps2 or something iirc).
in any case, a little news flash - they've been making fps titles for consoles for a while now - and you know something? they made the controls not suck too much. it's a little different, but still it's not as bad as it use to be.
at the end of the day the current draw to console fps games is a. my nice sized hdtv. much larger than my 19in wide screen lcd monitor b. the lack of having to worry about system requirements. my pc is a little old for modern games honestly, but still plenty powerful for my work needs and c. my nice comfy couch. sorry, but no desk/office chair can beat my couch.
I learned to use an Xbox 360 controler on FPSes on the earliest game possible I learned on the PC with: Doom. Sure, I probably won't survive a minute of Halo 3, but I can still navigate just fine in Fallout 3.
>skills
>joystick
:/
I can't stand the mouse/keyboard combination for an fps game, it's too hard(for me) to use it efficiently without having to spend more money for those fancy gaming keyboards and mice. Fps's are better on consoles.
Just because you can't master the concept doesn't make it a bad one. They each have their advantages. Mouse/keyboard for the ultimate in accuracy and control, controller for more relaxing game play and not being tied to a desk.
It takes more skill to play with a controller than a mouse/keyboard setup; so getting a head shop with mouse... child plays... getting with a controller, priceless.
Although that sounds plausible, it's really just an excuse for the controls being inferior.
ALL console FPS games use 'aim-assist' because of the lousiness of controlling with a controller, I hope you realise that.
lol are you sure about that? I have you ever plaid fps?
Get yourself the Phantom Keyboard! It's sure to be a mega-hit!!
(instead of the vaporware its been for years....and perhaps my stock will go up a bit too!)
Huh, I always thought you could plug a USB Keyboard/Mouse into the 360 for some reason. I've been meaning to try for a while, but I won't bother now.
It's not about being able to use a keyboard/mouse natively on a 360. Because, then the game would have to have keyboard/mouse support.
It's about being able to use a keyboard/mouse in games that don't support them - i.e. the keyboard/mouse is emulating a controller (as it were).
This has been done already.
See: http://www.divineo.com/cgi-bin/div-us/zz-360-max2
Saves on having to mod a controller, especially at that cost!!
I know people that have tried devices like these. None particularly liked the experience. Which is why these aren't more common place.
There have been 2 -horrible- attempts at bringing m/kb support to the 360. It looks like the craptasticity of xfps/maxshooter was what started the xim development in the first place.
I have to admit -It would be hard for me to pull this off with a controller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEkyQensIp4&eurl=&feature=player_embedded
Precise little movements like this drive me crazy with the 360 controller...
You also have to have a computer in the same room. WTF.
The PC runs the software that translates mouse/keyboard/joystick/whatever in to controller input. Of course PC could be a cheap laptop, or whatever really. An old Pentium can probably handle the task without flaw. The XIM seems to be largely popular amongst PC gamers, anyway, and an Xbox 360 does equally well hooked up to a 26" S-IPS panel as it does to a 50" PVA. Better, really, if you want to take monitor performance in to account. The 26" IPS is almost always going to be faster than the *VA, and a TN panel or CRT is going to run circles around either.
Hi all...I've been following the xim2 development since last May and have in fact ordered one....I have no connection with the development team at all I am purely a customer and forum member.
I became interested in xim as I was initially a PC gamer (and still am) but purchased a 360 when they were first released as it is quite obvious that the gaming world is moving towards the consoles.
Most PC games today are ported from the consoles with very few being PC exclusive and to be honest makes you question the sense of maintaining the cost of a high end PC for that hand full of exclusives....and particularly that xbox live has really nailed the online experience.
Aside from that I have adapted to the game pad quite well but I think that once you've used mouse and keyboard for FPS games you really can't help but feel hampered by the relatively slow and inaccurate game pad.
The other thing I missed going from PC to console and to be honest the major factor for me is the ability to customize your control set up and use in fact whatever input device you wish. I like to experiment with different input devices and configurations and that of course is very limited on the consoles.
Xim gives you that ability on the console. I'm really looking forward to getting mine...regardless of the price ( in fact if were to follow the development of the unit and what the price included then it becomes more understandable). As regards comparisons with other devices like the XFPS series...well I am not a technical expert but I understand that the main problem with these is firstly they have a considerable lag....which is almost completely absent with xim2...also the XFPS series respond very poorly to small mouse movements..again a problem solved with xim.
The xim team really have been selflessly committed to providing the best possible mouse keyboard experience on the 360 and from reports on their prototypes which were released/trialed last summer they have done a damn good job of it. For them this has been a labor of love and pursuit of excellence and not just a product churned out simply to relieve people of their cash.
So nice to hear an impartial view. [/sarcasm]
@CubeGuy....I've no axe to grind and am not given to fanboyism of any description....It is simply an opinion...my opinion...based on what I have observed since I have been following xim over the last 8 months....you may glibly dismiss it as you have or you may accept it as someones genuine and considered opinion based on more than a 5 line article in "engadget"
Okay. Fine. Sorry.
I took my bad day out on you.
Hey CubeGuy, it is not an impartial view. The XIM2 is truely awesome, nothing can compare to it when it comes to FPS in consoles. I am 1 of 150 owners of the original XIM2 that was just a small black chip that required you to solder in yourself. It has basically turned by xbox 360 into a second pc / noob owning machine. Headshots are almost just as easy to pull of on a PC.
Engadget is wrong with their view of saying that this costs too much. Think about it, the chip itself costs $60, the controller is $40, solder, soldering iron, and other relative tools about $30, shipping costs and running to and from stores for materials will definitely add up, phone calls and making the plans to send into fabrication for manufacturing the chip, and then there is all the extreme hard work they have put into this. The XIM Team makes little to no money on their "product" and their efforts are almost entirely for the community. Hell, I am very grateful they have decided to release it to others. They could have kept this awesome technology to themselves!
P.S. No other keyboard/mouse adapter is as good as this (XFPS is garbage!).
P.P.S. Thank you DerekTM, Obsiv, OMGsus, nickstudy, and all others invovled.
If you wanna use a keyboard and mouse, then why not get a PC?? Most 360 games are also on PC and you can use a 360 controller with it if you are that way inclined.
What will it do for online gaming?? Its well known that for speed and accuracy the keyboard/mouse is far better, so now we'll have a mix of the 2 making it even more difficult for the controller peeps than it already is. And I'm not sure about having to balance myself on the couch with a keyboard and mouse, to get the advantage.
Defeats the purpose of having a console.
There are many reasons people may prefer to game on consoles rather than on pc's...I need to say no more than look at the number of units microsoft, sony and nintendo have sold in order to evidence that.
A proportion of those people will wish also to use mouse keyboard with them....some people swear that game pad is better than mouse keyboard and others swear visa versa.
It's just a matter of personal choice that until now wasn't available.
Some may wish to game on their couch others (like me) prefer to game seated at their desk...It's just personal choice
Like Aurora says... at this point, it's just a matter of preference. I may go so far as to say the game type plays a lot into it as well. Take a driving game; ultimately the wheel may be best, but for arguments sake, on a PC, a controller (especially one with analog controls) will best a keyboard mouse. MMORPG's like DarkFall will never play properly on a controller.
Best thing to do... get them all.
http://www.xfire.com/blog/agent25i/394192/
The only FPS game I ever enjoyed playing using controllers rather than keyboard/mouse, iwas the set up for GoldenEye and PerfectDark for the 64.
Anyone ever play using both controllers simultaneously?
I tried it a bit back in the day, but the only control scheme that ever worked for me was 1.1 Honey.
Hello there. I have been following the XIM360 or sometimes referred to as XIM2 since December of 2007. I've had time get to know the community and the developers. For the developers and volunteers, this is just a hobby they do in their spare time. After waiting about 8 months for XIM360 development to be completed, I finally received "Gods Gift" in October! I even missed a day of classes and stayed home waiting for the delivery man. I won't forget peeking out the window every 10 minutes hoping to see that white mail truck drive-by. Now the facts. The XIM360 is lag free and has no input delay at all (XFPS as I recall has about 35 ms delay)! In addition, you are given the option to completely customize the function of each key on the keyboard. The developers are so brilliant that they even made software to tweak the movement of the mouse to similarly match the movement of a computer cursor. The list can go on and on. I want to thank the developers and volunteers Obsiv, Derektm, OMGsus, and Nickstudy for all their hard work!
As agent.25i said...there are many different games out there and many different controllers which are best for them...that's simply what xim allows you to do....have freedom of choice.
XIM 360 is the most important development in the history of man kind since the Watchamacallit candy bar. 179 bux? Controller lessons? Please. Why would I do that when I can just play on the PC and be happy as a pig in shit? Microsoft should be paying and at least thanking the developers of XIM for opening up the console market to long time PC gamers. 179 bux? I know people who have spent at least 500 bux on games they would otherwise have not purchased.
You do realize that microsoft quite deliberately does not support keyboard/mouse setups for xbox games. It completely fucks up the live ecosystem when shit like this gets introduced.
Like some of the people who posted here I've been following the XIM project for a while. Initially caught my eye as some users discovered brilliantly that the original model, now called XIM1, works on a PS3 and doesn't need an XFPS to do so. Instantly upon receiving mine I went from my PS3 mainly being used as a Blu-ray player to being able to game again with some of the hits. Resistance 1, Uncharted, and COD4. It didn't give me some god like skills, but allowed me to enjoy games with a controller I felt comfortable with.
As the XIM2 initial batch started to trickle out, I finally bought a 360, and a few months later was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the early batch. It has single handedly gotten me back into gaming.
So to the people that say why not just game on a PC if I can't play with a controller? Here's 2 reasons.
1. Please take 1 minute to go on over to a game site or amazon and find me the order links for Gears 2 PC, Resistance 2 PC, Halo 3 PC. Go ahead, I'll wait............
2. Price out a top notch gaming rig, price out a 360. Pretty steep difference. Even if you pay $180 to adapt your controller into a keyboard emulator, you're still way ahead.
Now to the people that say it takes more skill to use a controller, well I'll give you that it is inferior and harder to use, so yes you do overall need to do more to ultimately achieve the same level as a KB/M. Although most younger gamers (I'm 30) grow up with controllers so it feels natural, older gamers who have used both will realize the problems converting. I could probably cut the grass and make it look immaculate with a pair of scissors, but that doesn't change the fact that a lawnmower is a much more appropriate built device for the task.
It seems most people complain about it as if it's some form of cheating. Yet don't complain about players using racing wheels to play racing games. At the end of the day the XIM is not a cheat. All it does is take keyboard and mouse impulses and convert them into controller signals, you can't do anything on a XIM that you can't do on a controller. You're still limited by the game's programming, the auto-aim assists, the sensitivity settings
Hell, while using the XIM it displays an image of the controller on the screen. Move your mouse diagonal up/right and the onscreen controller basically shows you that it's the equivalent (and sending the impulse) of the analog stick moving up/right. Press whatever button on the keyboard you map to Y, and the Y button on the controller gets pressed.
Honestly it's a lot of hoops to jump through to get KB/M controls, but some of us this is the only way we can enjoy the games.
And if you think it makes you some kind of gaming god, find me on COD:W@W, my meager KD ratio of around 0.5 will attest that XIM =/= gaming skill.
And to Engadget, how about getting your hands on one and trying it out before putting it down?
Why would anyone want to use a keyboard and mouse with an XBox. The reason I dont play vids on my PC is 'cause i'd never want to use a keyboard and mouse to play a shooter. I guess maybe for rts though it might be ok.
What kind of self-righteous retard wouldn't use a mouse and keyboard for a shooter? That's what they're designed for. A controller is not and never will be an adequate substitution for a mouse and keyboard for shooters, plain and simple.
Your comment shows ignorance.
"What kind of self-righteous retard wouldn't use a mouse and keyboard for a shooter?"
What an inflammatory, unthinking remark. Ya'know, if we console gamers aren't allowed to comfortably play FPSs with our controllers in bed... if we instead must prop a keyboard awkwardly on our laps and ineffectively use a pillow as a mouse pad... then the terrorists have already won. So tweak, why do you HATE FREEDOM?!! You're a freedom-hater, tweak! You're un-American and probably a terrorist!
Some people prefer the control scheme for whatever reason. I grew up with a mouse instead of a gamepad, so the mouse and keyboard always feel more natural. I'm also lazy and don't want to relearn how to play with another control scheme. Buying an XFPS, building my own XIM, and then building a XIM2 were just my preferences in the path that allowed me to ignore the controller. Anyway, the player is not limited to just a keyboard and mouse if they are using a XIM or XIM2. Any PC input device should work. $180 is a bit steep in my opinion (without the option of buying the XIM2 board itself separately), but I drop about as much on every peripheral I buy for my PC. Putting that much ($85, actually, because of my XIM2 being one of the Do-It-Yourself pre-orders) on an adapter that let me use all of my flight sim equipment with my Xbox was worthwhile.
Bawls. Awesome.
Bill Gates retired early because he was too stubborn to follow the inevitable path. How can one company make people believe that the best ways of experiencing their products is through kb/m, and then later tries to convince otherwise........ *plays Kate Perry - Hot N Cold
Time to get accused hax on 360 lol!
Only by children or idiots who don't understand how the device works.
I'm pretty sure this has been out for a while now... This one looks much prettier too.
http://www.xcm.cc/xcm_xfps_360.htm
not quite. xfps is polling based and has an inherent input lag in the way it's designed, this is not adequate for FPS'
the xim method routes logic through a PC to map buttons, configure deadzones and senstivity, and has almost no input-lag.
For more than two years now. The XFPS or Max Shooter are good if you do not have a PC to translate input through and absolutely need a mouse (i.e. you are much worse with a controller than a mouse), but it is flawed in that it does not allow controls to attuned toward a specific game. Instead every game must rely on presets that will only work well with a handful of select titles. The XIM itself was actually borne out of the need for a more accurate translation device, and the XIM2 was designed to completely eliminate the XFPS from the list of hardware required to use the better translation of the XIM, as well as to remove the input lag injected in to the process by XCM's XFPS.
The PS3 supports this out of the box.
That is true but it's up to the game developer to support it, which most don't. The only one that comes to mind is Unreal 3.
This method would work on all games.
I understand the desire for a mouse, but why a keyboard? Sure, it has more buttons, but we are talking about a console here. The range of directional motion is limited (run or walk, no inbetween), and moving diagonally requires two fingers that could be on other buttons. Overall it seems like extra work to move around with the keyboard as opposed to a controller. Aiming seems to be the only reason to not like a controller, although that's obviously the important part.
I think split-fish had the right idea with the mouse/nunchuck combo...too bad it didn't function a tad better on the conversion. If I still played my PS2, I'd still stick with it over the regular controller. Diss the Wii-remote for a mouse and we'd have a winner, right? LOL
Because the XIM2 translates input from the PC to the console, the player is able to use almost any input available for PC. I have already gone about playing Halo 3 with a Saitek X52, Pro Flight pedals, and my TrackIR for laughs. If seeking something more practical, players can use something like the Saitek CCU or Logitech G13 instead of a keyboard, as both have an analog input that can be mapped to that of the left thumbstick on the Xbox 360's controller. That Wii Nunchuck/Mouse combo is entirely possible, though you would need to buy an IR sensor for your PC to take advantage of motion controls. OBsIV, the creator of the XIM, already demonstrated that it was possible to play on the Xbox 360 with a Wiimote/Nunchuck using the first XIM. This simply opens the door for user preference.
http://obsiv.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!948789BF56FAF394!177.entry
Gee, thanks for completely destroying my interest in online FPS gaming on the 360! Now I'll always be wondering if I got my ass handed to me by a legitimately good player or some douche bag with a keyboard & mouse. Fuck you XIM!
Every input device working through the XIM is not capable of performing anything not already possible with the controller. Enjoy your illegitimate complaint, because the only person you are fooling is yourself. This item is preference-based first and foremost. The only side-effect that could lead to the joke that is your fear for the destruction of equality (hint: any equality you held was gone before our species came in to being) in online gaming on the Xbox 360 is that a mouse is easier to become accustomed to for gaming, and takes much less fine motor skill to master than does a controller.
If only M$ just came out with there own, making all the $$$ on it while providing a superior product then some 3rd party. This way, the consumer picks what is best for them and no one can complain since the choice is there's. This solves the "unfair" aspect at it's root, as of now you can't even customize the controller without "set customization configurations" which makes absolutely no sense at all. But untill M$ does that, there WILL be a unfair aspect because it's not being flaunted to the public in all the major stores nor is it in the right price range for the average consumer.
I have a 360 for one reason and that's not because it's superior to a PC but because it packs what I need all in one package without having to constantly upgrade and waste money(the pay to play online without dedicated servers(lag fest) is a joke). For FPS that are on both consoles then you damn straight PC will be choosen but for games that are only on one or the other, you have to compromise. A controller has it's purpose and a KB/M has it's purpose, but it's not as easy as "You want KB/M, then use a PC" but it is as easy as making the option available to the consumer but M$ fails to do this so someone else has to do the job for them.