The proposal, part of Microsoft’s LIVE push, popped up “many many months ago”, and would have allowed people playing games available on both PC and 360 – like Gears of War – to take each other on. Kind of like 2007 shooter Shadowrun, only people would actually play it.
Problems quickly arose in testing, however, when Microsoft found that even the best console gamers simply couldn’t compete with the accuracy a mouse and keyboard afforded a PC player. “The console players got destroyed every time”, Sood says. “So much so that it would be embarrassing to the XBOX team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative.”
I know it sounds silly, and in light of Microsoft’s recent abandonment (Fable III excepted) of the PC like a thing of the past, but I’d have liked to see this succeed. Sure, it would have had teething problems, but that’s what science is for: to test, repair and improve things. I’m sure eventually a nice compromise could have been worked out, if not for competitive play, then at least for the casual user.
Console Gamers Get Killed against PC Gamers [Rahulsood, via Gizmodo]
Ross Moir
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:11 PMYeah, the picture is a perfect representation.
Mouse beats stick in gaming everytime.
Still, it would be fun to prove to make all those abusive players on halo where the game should have always been.
Sam
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 7:55 AMDefinitely needs to be implemented with the restriction of requiring a controller when the two play together.
Bish
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:12 PMYou know, I was going to come in here and joke that “kb+m >> crappy controller aim” in a implied PC-better-than-console argument, but, uh, well, yeah.
Okay then.
Job done.
Eddy
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:20 PMAlso saw this at Gizmodo. -Ofcourse controllers cant match the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard, if they wanted too they should release an update for the 360 allowing some FPS games to be played with a mouse and keyboard, but I dont know. -Heck I’m still deciding if I should get Black Ops and Medal of Honor on 360 or PC.
Adam Ruch
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:21 PMNever understood why its against the rules to plug a keyboard and mouse into a console… it CAN be done. Why not let it, for the hardcore folks? We have the ‘casual’ vs ‘hardcore’ aiming modes in multiplayer games like Red Dead now… would be easy to do a similar division based on input device.
SemiConscious
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 4:30 PMUT3 for the PS3 has this option, but IIRC there is another option when hosting matches to make it controller only matches….
fragfx ftw ;)
SneakyPete
Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 9:42 AMIf you plug a keyboard into the Xbox 360 you can use the Windows button to access the in game dashboard, use the arrows to navigate, and you can type messages that way.
MrBS
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:30 PMCompetitive multiplayer would be out but surely there would be a bonus to put this into cooperative multiplayer like Resident Evil 5 and the like.
DC
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:33 PMNot all games are shooters – shame about lack of cross play on SF4 PC and Xbox :/
SemiConscious
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 4:01 PMthat would require sony and microsoft working together… its not going to happen.
also PSN is free and live isnt.
Korwin
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 4:42 PMHow would cross platform support between the Xbox and PC versions of Street Fighter 4 require Sony’s support?
Zac F.
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:55 PMMaybe this would be more successful with racing games, where accuracy is less important.
Jason Padgett
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:58 PMThey should still let it be an option. You could choose to play on a console only server or a cross platform one if you are feeling like a challenge.
Microsoft, let us choose how we play, don’t be an over bearing parent figure and dictate to us how to play our games.
alinos
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 8:15 PMbut what motivation is there for PC players to play with the console guys
youd end up with a bunch of guys looking for a challenge thinking there playing PC players or w8ing for them to show up
who wants to play TDM with 3 guys playing on consoles on there team its just not gonna end well
Jo
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 3:32 PMYou can get an adapter that lets you plug a kb/m into a 360 controller and map the buttons to whatever keys you want. My mate got one off ebay and played halo with it, apparently it works fairly well.
Rupert
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 3:58 PMI reckon it depends on the game.
Some genres, mostly shooters, obviously the mouse + keyboard combo would win.
Other genres, like racing, I reckon the analogue sticks would win, unless the PC counterpart had a wheel.
I’d definitely like to see more of it.
The Gremlin
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 4:11 PMRepeat after me: This is on FPS only.
Nicolai Parsons
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 5:40 PMAlso at RTS games, which time has proven will never work as well on a console. Also any game where text entry is a viable communication option.
Dunnowhathuh
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 5:16 PMStill, it would’ve been nice to see it implemented. There are situations where players don’t have to shoot at each other you know. Coop games, non FPS games, they all would’ve been great with cross platform play.
MrTaco
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 7:01 PMI remember back during the time of the original Xbox there was a thing about an experiment a bunch of guys ran where they got Xbox players to take on PC players to test out cross-platform gaming like this, while sitting on the sidelines being able to tweak options as they go to balance it. And then they were all surprised to find the console players were kicking the PC players’ arses from the start.
porkythunder
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 7:26 PMAnd for those who find controller better than keymouse? These tested conditions probably involved a bunch of PCfans handling a console. I’ve no doubt there exist competent console players out there who could hold their own. Seems like a cover excuse.
Pinstripe819
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 7:54 PMThe sticks, whilst obviously not as accurate or as responsive as kb+m, are kind of like the regulations that ban turbochargers and active suspension in Formula One.
It levels the playing field around a common point. Instead of a select few buying ridiculously expensive peripherals to gain a slight advantage in competition everyone competes with the same, albeit slightly mediocre, standard of control.
Porkchops
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 10:40 PMI played shadowrun =D
Josh
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 10:40 PMI really love that picture. I wonder if it’d be possible to get a blown up poster of it.
James Farrugia
Friday, July 23, 2010 at 3:52 PMYou see this is why console sucks.
AZIAN
Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 11:07 PMHey, it would be good if it were PC controller gamers could vs xbox gamers, i mean like, not all games are compatible with controllers and it may seem unfair but its probably the only good thing to do.
I.E. Steam/PC gamers with controllers are only compatible with versing xbox players.
Only would work if the game knows that you have a controller plugged in.
Zac p
Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 11:35 PMI hate it wen console gags say sticks have better movement than kb Nd m because Wasd doesn’t have diagonal mivements WTF do u think the mouse us for
harvey
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 7:47 PMWARNING! Deathadder eats all controllers!