joysticks
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The Daily Grind: Do you use peripherals for MMOs?
I've got a few assorted input peripherals scattered about my PC gaming rig. There's a joystick and throttle setup, a G13, and some sort of G-something keyboard that has way more buttons than I actually use. Oh and there's one of those console-style PC controllers as well. While these gizmos come in handy for various single-player titles, few if any of them see much use when I play MMOs. I have used the keyboard's G-key macro functionality for those games where you simply never have enough hotbar space (looking at you Age of Conan and EverQuest 2), but that's about it. What about you, morning folk? Do you use peripherals for MMO gaming, and if so which ones and what for? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SRK contest produces a 26-button Starcraft II arcade controller, probably won't stop Zerg rushes (video)
Almost as a dare, Shoryuken (SRK) challenged its fans to produce a fighting game-style controller for Starcraft II. Mauricio Romano took them up on that contest and won with a surprisingly polished arcade stick of his own. Its cornerstone is a heavily modified Ultrastik joystick that's turned into an on-controller, two-button mouse. You didn't think a PC gamer would cling to a plain joystick, did you? In the process, the usual 101 keys of a typical keyboard have been pared down to a set of 26 buttons most relevant for Blizzard's real-time strategy epic. Packaged up in a single, polished USB peripheral, the one-off prototype's design is good enough to imagine a Major League Gaming pro taking it out on the road. We'd put that idea on ice for now, though: as Mauricio shows in the video below, the learning curve is steep enough that most players won't be fending off diamond-league marine and zergling blitzes anytime soon.
Mad Catz shows off MLG Pro controller at CES, for the discerning button pusher
A controller is a controller is a controller. The most innovative additions to console controllers these days usually involve an extra turbo switch, or maybe a fan in the handles. Mad Catz' new MLG Pro Circuit Controller stands out, and was first shown off at CES 2012 last week. Mad Catz worked with Major League Gaming players and other gamers to figure out just what it is they wanted a controller to do, and rather than just add some new lights (or those fans), they took a few good steps forward. The analogue sticks and D-pads are fully removable and customizable, and the controller comes with all sorts of possibilities. With this controller, you can implement the layout you want.
Love Hulten shows off R-Kaid-6 game console, resurrects Octorok from 'Zelda'
In a perfect world, you could have a cool, original retro gaming peripheral and impress the sort-of-snooty steampunk nerds at the same time. That day has arrived to do just that, as Love Hultén has created a new wooden video game console called the R-Kaid-6. Inspired by various retro game consoles, the R-Kaid-6 features a custom version of the Maximus Arcade front-end for emulators and runs on PC innards from 2001. The unit also sports customized cables and two arcade joysticks that can be stored in the top of the base unit when not in use. So far, there's no set price for the R-Kaid-6, though the website states that the creator can be contacted if you're interested in purchasing the works displayed. Take a look, and remember that even the most annoying Modern Warfare 3 opponent screaming epithets at you over Xbox Live has to respect retro gaming goodness in its purest form.
Joystickers provide a little tactile feedback on a touchscreen
Do you want little tactile-feedback joysticks on your iOS-device screen? And do you want to be a founding financier of the company that produces them? You're in luck. Head over to the Kickstarter funding project of Chicago-based Joystickers, who want to muss up your shiny screen with tiny, sticky joysticks in order to improve the feedback you get in shooter and platform games. The joysticks -- the inventors call them the Classic -- are held onto your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or Android device with micro suction cups that won't damage your screen. Joystickers founder and engineer Anthony Cerra says the special sucker for the Classic is imported from Japan. According to Cerra, "Every detail of this product was custom manufactured to our specification -- even the spring." The spring itself is manufactured in Chicago and is designed for long-lasting durability. Joystickers is looking for US$25,000 in funding by March 24, which will pay for injection molding production for the Classic and a stylus and paintbrush that they've designed. A $30 donation will get you a pair of Classics when production starts in May. [via MacStories]
Artist turns 100 classic controllers into alarm clocks
Artist Roger Ibars wired one hundred different game controllers -- from the familiar to the obscure -- to travel alarm clocks, creating a series of wonderfully impractical devices. While we can't buy our own (it used to be possible to buy a similar device, but they're hard to find now), we can all enjoy the beautiful photographs Ibars took. It's a collection not only of his art, but of the collected works of game and peripheral companies over 30 years. Ibars granted Joystiq (the natural home for art about joysticks) permission to share a selection of high-resolution images with you, which you can find in our gallery below. It's going to be really sad if Kinect makes controllers obsolete, because future galleries will just include blank spaces with tiny alarm clocks in the background. %Gallery-97561%
Video: ASUS Eee Stick demoed at CeBIT
We already gave you a sneak peek at ASUS' Eee Sticks yesterday, but we couldn't resist video taping a fellow giving these a go today. The not-at-all-familiar tennis title worked about like you'd expect it to (if you've ever played a Wii, that is), but judging by the pent up frustration we felt from over on the sidelines, the learning curve on these is a bit steeper than advertised. Just mash play to live vicariously through this dude.%Gallery-46719%
ASUS shows off Eee Stick at CeBIT
Just in case you missed the ASUS barrage from earlier this morning, we'll bring you back up to speed while also showing off another fun gizmo the company drug to Hannover. The motion sensing Eee Sticks were on hand at CeBIT, and in varying colors to boot. We were too bashful to get a video of ourselves playing in the demo rig the company had set up, but we're making it our mission to coerce other attendees to have a go and let us film them tomorrow. 'Til then, have a look at the stationary Sticks below.%Gallery-46440%
