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Why not? Many games can be played with controllers instead of mouse and keyboard. If you're using your computer as a media center hooked up to your TV, then b

by jcl 17y ago

Why not? Many games can be played with controllers instead of mouse and keyboard. If you're using your computer as a media center hooked up to your TV, then being able to select the game via remote could be quite convenient.

stcredzero 17y ago
Exactly. Hide the "computer" aspect and just make it part of the entertainment center. Release an Apple controller with pre-configured button/key mappings for all of the Steam games. Have a "Widget" style window display these. Make the Mac Mini into even more of a multi-use device. The thing could soon have enough horsepower to support a lot of the Nintendo Wii portfolio.
- jrockway 17y ago
  Most of the Steam games are wasd-based, which you really don't want to replicate with a controller. I played Portal on my XBox, which was OK, but TF2 sucks with a controller. The keyboard and mouse is a great control combination for serious games. Even Peggle would be hard to play with a controller.
  - jcl 17y ago
    Most of the games are wasd-based by default, but many can be configured to use a controller, if desired -- especially the games that are also released on the PS3/360. Whether a game is particularly suited to a controller is another matter, but this is in part a function of popularity; if more people played using controllers (as they might with a media center setup), companies will make more games that cater to them. Valve in particular is especially aware of the hardware hooked up to a player's machine, through their regular Steam hardware surveys and fanatical in-game tracking. And while I agree that I can't see the appeal of playing a competitive multiplayer FPS with a controller against opponents with keyboards/mice, that doesn't stop a lot of people from trying: http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+counterstrike+controller&btnG=Google+Search http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+counterstrike+controller&#...
- whimsy 17y ago
  I play on a computer because I prefer a keyboard and mouse.

by jcl 17y ago

stcredzero 17y ago

Exactly. Hide the "computer" aspect and just make it part of the entertainment center. Release an Apple controller with pre-configured button/key mappings for all of the Steam games. Have a "Widget" style window display these. Make the Mac Mini into even more of a multi-use device. The thing could soon have enough horsepower to support a lot of the Nintendo Wii portfolio.

jrockway 17y ago
Most of the Steam games are wasd-based, which you really don't want to replicate with a controller. I played Portal on my XBox, which was OK, but TF2 sucks with a controller. The keyboard and mouse is a great control combination for serious games. Even Peggle would be hard to play with a controller.
- jcl 17y ago
  Most of the games are wasd-based by default, but many can be configured to use a controller, if desired -- especially the games that are also released on the PS3/360. Whether a game is particularly suited to a controller is another matter, but this is in part a function of popularity; if more people played using controllers (as they might with a media center setup), companies will make more games that cater to them. Valve in particular is especially aware of the hardware hooked up to a player's machine, through their regular Steam hardware surveys and fanatical in-game tracking. And while I agree that I can't see the appeal of playing a competitive multiplayer FPS with a controller against opponents with keyboards/mice, that doesn't stop a lot of people from trying: http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+counterstrike+controller&btnG=Google+Search http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+counterstrike+controller&#...
whimsy 17y ago
I play on a computer because I prefer a keyboard and mouse.