iControlPad gamepad frags demons on camera

While the iControlPad still isn't available for mass consumption, homebrew developer ZodTTD has released a video of him using it to play quake4iphone. Hard to tell just how well the gamepad works, but it's gotta be a helluva lot easier than blocking the screen with your greasy digits. Last we heard it had gone into production, but still no word on price or release date. Video embedded after the break.

[Temmy @ Jan 19th 2009 5:16AM]

DO want.

[maty @ Jan 19th 2009 6:13AM]

The concept is good, durable, on-and-off gamepad; but I'd personally rather have some weighty plastic snap-on with analogue joysticks and more buttons than I have fingers.

Beggars can't be choosers though, definately a marked improvement over using you fingers to hap-hazardly control a player whilst simultaneously blocking the screen. Good stuff!

[Flashpoint @ Jan 19th 2009 10:55AM]

iPhone's APP store games such as "ishoot" show that there is a lot of potential in the ipodtouch/iphone for portable gaming...especially since its so easy to download new games on the fly.

WHY DIDN'T APPLE MAKE A CONTROL PAD LIKE THIS?

If I was apple, I'd make a control pad with built in battery life extender and sell it for $50 and easily pull in a profit.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 19th 2009 11:24AM]

...and did i mention i own a s550 mercedes benz and have a small penis?

[bob @ Jan 19th 2009 7:56PM]

such crap and i hope something like this never gets approval, imagine buying a game and then having to buy this, inovation is much better

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 19th 2009 8:37PM]

This is nice (in a better than nothing way) but I bet you'll look less foolish with a psp... you can play all PSX games on a psp no?

What about a nice little Final Fantasy Tactics session..!

I dont own both...

[dodo @ Jan 19th 2009 5:28AM]

you're a sad person...whats wrong with you...

[Matt @ Jan 19th 2009 5:42AM]

Looks incredibly difficult to control. Will have to wait and see the reviews. I agree, a joystick would be much nicer but you can't have everything.

[Gad Get @ Jan 19th 2009 5:47AM]

Yeah but... can't we have a joystick?

[neodorian @ Jan 19th 2009 5:51AM]

This is why I prefer a device with actual buttons. As nice as an all-screen device looks, there are certain things that don't lend themselves to touch-only. This seems like a decent way around that limitation that lets you add buttons for gameplay and remove them when you just need a phone/browser.

[astrodemoniac @ Jan 19th 2009 5:51AM]

Yeah but... can it play crysis?

[lanosian @ Jan 19th 2009 9:07AM]

wow, your comment still exist?

[Frogboy @ Jan 19th 2009 9:11AM]

The Official Guide to Avoiding Low Rankings on Engadget

1. Use correct grammar and spelling so that people can understand your posts.
2. Do not post "First!"
3. Do not post "but will it play Crysis?" or "but will it blend?"
4. Call out any and all overtly Apple favoritism engaged in by Engadget.
5. If you get a low ranking on a particular article, just walk away. Any attempts to justify your previous posts will automatically and irrevocably end up being voted down.
6. If you know that you are going to get ranked low because what you are saying is contrary to popular opinion, state something like "I feel a low rank coming on" or something of that nature. Not sure why, but it works...or at least, it used to...sorry.
7. Do not post something completely meaningless and off-topic under the first reply just so it'll be displayed on the first page of comments.
8. No Spamming.


I thought this Crysis joke had run its course by now.

[Levi @ Jan 19th 2009 10:30AM]

I tried to arnk him down, but the laser in my mouse caught a groove in the wood of my old desk, and it jumped over to the [+] XD

[astrodemoniac @ Jan 19th 2009 11:15AM]

Right...but will it blend?

...oh noes I am not conforming to the self proclaimed forum gatkeepers rules :-o

[/sarcasm] -_-

[Frogboy @ Jan 19th 2009 1:18PM]

@astrodemoniac

Believe it or not, I voted you up for that post. Good one. :)

[Decoy @ Jan 19th 2009 4:08PM]

Frogboy wins Engadget.

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 19th 2009 8:45PM]

Frogboy wins Busty Alli..!

[Aaron @ Jan 19th 2009 6:21AM]

While it's still no match for my PSP (no matter how many times the Apple fanboys tell themselves it is), It's at least a start to a better control method on the iPhone. Tapping and tilting is really not the best way to achieve precise controls in a game.

Overall an interesting product. If I had an iPhone I'd consider buying this thing because it would make things so much easier.

[Aiyo @ Jan 19th 2009 11:33AM]

but the iphone has more memory and processing power. Which in hardware specs, makes it way better than the psp.

[required @ Jan 19th 2009 1:15PM]

Aiyo, the iphone does not have hot swappable user expandable memory. Also, in real world use the iphone is a much slower system as its guts are not made for gaming the way the (4+ year old) psp is. the iphone isn't capable of doing many if not most of things the psp does.

[Extinction @ Jan 19th 2009 9:42PM]

"but the iphone has more memory and processing power. Which in hardware specs, makes it way better than the psp"

iphone has weaker processing power.
iphone run at 433 mhz and shares it with every running program and the OS, PSP has dual 333 mhz processors, 2 166 MHz GPUs and another 166 MHz sound chip

Sorry, anyone telling you iphone has superior hardware is lying to you

[Arran @ Jan 19th 2009 7:04AM]

What about the Ipod Touch?

[zodttd @ Jan 19th 2009 12:11PM]

It's compatible with the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch. :)

[Alex @ Jan 19th 2009 7:35AM]

he uses windows?

[Hamidxa @ Jan 19th 2009 8:56AM]

Alex,

If he uses Windows, then he clearly knows about gaming.
It is Apple users who wouldnt be able to tell the difference between Zork and Super Breakout.

This contraption does have fail written all over it since it defeats the purpose of carrying an iPhone around (those who have it care more about its looks and compact design than anything else), and secondly, it has no analog control whatsoever and looks terribly awkward/uncomfortable to use.

[Frogboy @ Jan 19th 2009 8:57AM]

People will likely use this more for emulation and homebrew as opposed to commercial games since, unless it really takes off, functionality for it probably won't be built in for those titles. This being said, I'd say that the dpad is a better choice than an analog stick.

[Levi @ Jan 19th 2009 10:29AM]

anybody who says "fail" at this point fails in my book.

[Charles @ Jan 19th 2009 11:26AM]

I'm pretty sure this guy's not going to win any dm4 duels with that control mechanism. The only thing sadder than the controller is the fact that id haven't managed to make a deathmatch game that's anywhere near as good as Quakeworld.

[zodttd @ Jan 19th 2009 12:07PM]

Thanks for the article! :)

Remember the iControlPad will also be used for quite a lot of emulators (SNES, GBA, GENESIS/SEGACD, TG16, ...) that I have released. Quake with touch controls is nearly impossible to play, so this video shows a drastic improvement.
Plus the API for the controller will be open to all to use and implement in their software.

To answer the question of iPod Touch compatibility...The iControlPad is now compatible with the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch. :)

I can hardly wait to get this product in everyone's hands. Maybe a bit sooner for some lucky Engadget writers. ;)

[NoAndThen @ Jan 19th 2009 12:12PM]

@toaogatortfc: You're a douche.

@Hamidxa: I think the iphone is sexy, to be sure, but my least favorite part about it is the aesthetics. I would definitely buy this; really I'm just looking for a defacto way to turn my iphone into a DS/Gameboy/SNES/whatever... and thereby reducing things i'd need to carry with me.

PLEASE move along icontrol... I want.

[required @ Jan 19th 2009 1:19PM]

I wonder if the same camp of dualanaloguers will run a campaign against this.

[Drew H @ Jan 19th 2009 8:48PM]

Jailbroken iPhone users will be able to appreciate this more because of the emulators, but we'll see what the app store comes up with.

[yrag @ Jan 19th 2009 8:59PM]

The thing that most amazes me about this whole topic is not that there's an iControlPad (and that it's taking forever to come out) as much as why aren't the myriad of 3rd party developers for the iPod juggernaut climbing over each other to come out with game enhancement add-ons given the enormous popularity of the iPhone/ipod Touch?

BTW, I declare Frogboy, The Moses of Endgadget. Some decry him as self proclaimed, well, I say if people heeded his wise precepts it would class up the joint.

(BTW Frogboy, if you can come up with two more guides, we can fulfill the whole 10 Commandments thang) ; )

[Nadool @ Jan 19th 2009 11:06PM]

Don't own an iPhone but this does seem like a great thing for people who want to play games. I saw the videos of Quake running on the iPhone without this and while I saw the awesomeness of having Quake right there on your phone...the fact that all you could see was the gun because your thumbs were all over the rest of the screen really lamed it up. But this frees up your screen so I think it's cool. Just because you have a touchscreen doesn't mean it's always the best way. This wins for iPhone gamers!

Oh and for those crying about a joystick...if they made it with a joystick now, then they wouldn't be able to take your money for a second version now would they?