The fact is, lots of people just don't like motion controls. Lair didn't even sell 300k copies, for a game that didn't really have much competition. With the summer drought approaching, I'm sure they must be adding analog support. Please? Maybe?

Brendar

The game looks really good, so if they patched I'll buy it!

jocaju

Too little, too late.

cybereality

The game had many problems beyond the controls. The controls weren't even that big of a deal to me. What was a big deal was the cut scenes that took you out of the action and the "fun" of discerning the difference between the slightly bluer brown dragons, the slightly browner brown dragons and annoying mission design.

I'm no MS fanboy. You want a good game that actually uses the sixaxis in a way that benefits the game? Go buy Folklore! *That* is a truly underrated game.

Gort23

@Viet0ne: I agree whole heatedly. The dragon is not a space ship or an airplane it is a living creature and how they made it control and animate is pretty damned impressive. I found the controls as I would expect them to be, AFTER I did the tutorials. I pity anyone who tried to take on the Taurus/bull missions or the other special combat sections without going through the tutorials.
They throw so much at you on screen at once in these enormous epic battles I can see people getting pissed fast. Also I found the lock on mechanism to be intuitive to me, but I can see others having problems knowing why and when a target would be locked on. The 180 turn while pesky at times was never for me a do or die thing that made me feel like I couldn't play the game.
I'm glad if they offer the option to others so that more can enjoy this game though. The production values are pretty incredible. The story and acting are not my cup of tea really, but for video games they are oscar calibre in comparison to many.
Having not played the rogue squadron series much it may be less impressive to those who have, and it was odd watching things blow up like they were spaceships, but I'm guessing this had to do with ratings and limiting gore.

Ehardergardens

People didnt like the game because everyone is so use to everything responding instantly.

The dragon in lair responds like riding a horse. If you pull to the right, the horse isnt immediately going to go right, its going to turn gradually.

The game controlled perfectly for the style it was setting. It made the game challenging and I guess people were just so poor at playing the game, they blamed it on the game instead of themselves.

After a week or so of playing the game, I could pull off all the gestures perfectly without fail. These reviewers are expected to rush through the game as fast as they can.

Viet0ne

This reminds me of the Penny Arcade comic...

crapsh00t

regardless of the controls being fixed or not, it's still a painfully cliche and all around mediocre game IMO.

and I think it may be too late to try to salvage it's already tarnished reputation

Sandbox_Emperor

Lair was *always* good, everyone just got on the hate train like I've never seen critics do before. The game wasn't amazing but the motion controls were nowhere near as bad as every reviewer on the planet made them out.

All they really needed to do was map the boost and 180 moves to face buttons and it would have been fine. Controlling the dragon with the Sixaxis was not the problem.

That said, it was completely moronic of Factor5 to not have this patch out for the game day one though. The game already had analog control because you could play it on the PSP through remote play just fine and certain USB game pads would be recognized by the game and could be used to play with analog control as well.

The analog control was always there, they just specifically locked it out on the Sixaxis.

skullivan

Not too little, not too late. I'll buy it if they do. I've always wanted to play a PS3 game on my PSP and this is the only one that does it.

mariospants

Im going to buy this game if this turns out to be true. Lair has a great storyline and graphics and all thats missing is a good control scheme.

LeLoi

@drywaller79: Wasn't only the controls. It was how when you actually on the dragon flying through what seemed to be an asteroid field the enemy dragon would pop out of no where cause they were camo'd so well with the background .

Jopan

@Kyle81:

You've played it with the new controls?

GamingNinja

I have it, and one time i played it, something glitched and I was flying the dragon with the analog. I'm sure it was a glitch cause i could no longer use the motion sensors to do the 180 turn and thrust movements.
I wouldn't mind trying the game with analog controls, I didn't mind the motion sensor movements though

RydrX

I'll get it if there really is a patch. But it shouldn't get a new score. It should have had the option for analog controls in there from the beginning.

rf switch

Thats cool, because the controlers were the worst I have ever, ever tried in my life. But if people think that by fixing those the game will be good will have to think twice, the graphics and story and gameplay etc still sux and is boring and this game will always be terrible no matter what control scheme it uses.

But go ahead, lets see how much you can take of the story etc before you throw it out again.

Irenicus-the one and only

*all say

theblade

Nice, with the analog controls back in, this is now on my "will get" list … whenever I get a PS3, that is.

icarusprime

? the game never sucked the controls did if you read any review it will ally the game had an epic story an driven one but it was impossible to get into while you were constantly struggling to move your dragon i own it i should know unfortunatly i didnt finish it kinda gave up on it tho i liked it for what it is maybe if the patch is true i can finally finish the epic war tale.

theblade

You can't just patch the suck out of a game, it doesn't work that way.

rebelphoenix

I think a lot of people saying it is shit or "has issues" must be fanboys or MS forum marketeers or something because the game I played was really good. Brilliant 1080p graphics, smooth frame rate, millions of things happening on screen, fantastic sound track, good story and characters, excellent animation. The only bit I didn't like was the f* battle with the spider-wasp thing.

Granted I loved the Rogue Squadron games and this is very much in the same style of gameplay just much, much more evolved and spectacular. Like Rogue Squadron the game is quite challenging but it really is one of the best looking games out.

I understand a lot of people had difficulty learning the motion controls so this will definitely give people an opportunity to enjoy the game for what it is instead of focusing on the controls.

Friendly advice? I wouldn't trust anyones opinion of Lair on kotaku (including mine), it's polluted with fanboys who say certain games are shit wthout ever having played them. Just wait for the review addendums to arrive to see what's what. I would wager they will come in =< 8.

bandstand124

It's 30.00 at Target I believe for those wondering

LittleBigPlaneteer

I went out on a limb after first hearing this rumor and ordered Lair from Play-Asia during a $29 special last week... sooo hoping this gets confirmed soon.

Coffee Ninja

Wow ok. Guess I'll put it on my "to buy" list. Srsly, should have done this from the start, then they would have gotten all that good publicity and full profits from the launch price.

Lesson learned, Factor 5?

Demaar

I will buy it,I want it from the first time,but the talks about the bas controls scare me from do it.
Perhaps this is related to the "greatest hits" line that Sony its about to lunch?

OT79

Lair was way more of a terrific game than people gave it credit for. The graphics were beautiful, the music was amazing, the storyline was totally engaging, and the gameplay was fun. I didn't even have a signficant problem with the controls, though a 2nd (analog) option would probably soothe the hordes of players screaming that the game is "broken" and "buggy", which it's not.

Hope they pull through with this one.

Spazgadget

quite simple. if its true ill buy it. the game is dirt cheap now anyways

zanzibarlegend

They should just make another Turrican. I'd sell my 360 for that in a whim, no decision making process necessary.

Asbestos_Underwear

Bought it when it came out ... controls ended me ... returned it for Heavenly Sword. Would buy again if they fixed, no prob.

cmcginn

@liquid_kore:

not really, many players never player this title thanks to the bad reviews caused by the sixaxis complain, the incourse of the analog control means a "relaunch" of this title

Gambare

this may just get me to get lair. i have been waiting for this for so long! (if true) thank goodness for allowing patch updates, yeah?

kw4k

Lair has bigger issues than just the (unnecessary) Six-Axis controls.

Hugoku

@liquid_kore: I don't agree...neither PS3 nor Xbox360 gamers are currently pre-occupied with new releases of games. A patch like this could well boost sales of Lair by 50% at least.

Candlejack

I've been waiting for an analog stick patch before I buy the game. Hopefully it'll become official.

vfxraven19

I think the choice should be there, but it's sad to see people had this much problem. I loved the controls of the game and they added so much to the experience, I can see why the developer would not have wanted to do this for that very reason.

I just don't think people followed the tutorials, and it was a huge mistake not making them mandatory (aside from the very basic ring flying one), as without them things get very confusing and frustrating real fast due to so much happening on screen and the newness of the controls.

Ehardergardens

While this is a cool development, I think the damage has been done. I don't see Lair all of a sudden hitting best-seller lists,.

Strangelove

I'm going to have to call bullshit on this rumor. Considering what a let-down the game ended up being after all the hype that was behind it, I think there would be a lineup to try out the new control scheme. So far, all we have is one blogger who has only put forward something as convincing as the "Yo, my PS- triple burned my house down, dawg" guy.

I know this has been previously reported as possible, but I would have figured that if it were playable at GDC, it would have been confirmed by someone more credible than Glee-Boy here.

TitillatedOcelot

The game does deserve a re review, I'm going to probably buy it now.. since its cheap. The graphics are breathe taking.

Thomaticus

Too little too late.

liquid_kore

@StevenRafael: Most magazines make a point of not re-reviewing a game based on patches. I can only assume the same will be said for Lair.

Doomstalk

The game is beautiful.. I liked the sixaxis controls as well. What I didn't like about the game is that Factor 5 didn't take the Lair Franchise very seriously, they made the missions duplicates of Rouge Sqadron missions, thus imo making a mockery of the lair franchise.. but the game is still good.

Thomaticus

So how is this going to work?? Will websites create new reviews to replace the old? Or will people just not bother?

I personally was about to buy this game up until rumors of a new control scheme first came out... Then I decided to wait until I knew more.

Either way, I'm gonna play through the game with the motion controls first, and consider the analog as a plus for my second playthrough. I feel like I'd be missing out otherwise.

StevenRafael

i like the sixaxis controls, but i'm sure the analog would be better.

dh4645

YES!!!!!!!!!! Ive been waiting for this patch forever. From what I hearr the story IS amazing and I know the graphics are amazing. Now that the controls are gonna be fixed I can stop depriving myself from playing it. I can play it and enjoy it :)

xxabadabaxx

A friend let me borrow his a month ago. I still can't bring myself to put it in my ps3.

Tarmus

wow!, that is great news... once they do, I'll give it another chance

adolfo-gomez

@def PD: Try Drakengard/Drag-On Dragoon 1 and 2 for the PS2.

I know a lot of critics bashed the game but I enjoyed it, especially for the really messed up, "I'll have what he's smoking/snorting" story.

RPGr

Nice! Time for a relaunch!

Garo

If they do change it, I'll pick it up if it's under 30 bucks. There are to many options this year to pay more than that though.

DocBacca

@ShaggyB: If nintendo keeps letting us use a solid controller like the wave bird my opinion of the Wii will change drastically

Gadgetron

if the game dropped to 20.00 then I'd try it.

Gadgetron

@sholmes: Id say nintendo took notice..... Smash brothers accepts 4 different controller styles. it takes the wiimote, the wiimote and nunchuk, the classic controller and it takes a Gamecube controller.

Didnt they just announce Mario Kart Wii will be the same as smash bros in the way for controller choice.

Seems they learned that if it aint a broken thing dont fix it. More over if you cant make it work perfectly dont make people suffer through it.

Perhaps Sony/Factor 5 should take note of what Nintendo has done (ignore 3rd party wii titles, those are hit or miss on controls)

ShaggyB

A great game IMO. This will make it more accessible to more people. That will make it even better! I hope this far out people give it another look.

-EDGE-

@Figcoinc:
Too little too late? This is great for all those who never bought it, because now it's in the discount bin and we can pick it up for cheaper.

Glad I didn't buy it, but if it's true, I might give it a shot.

madgunde

Ohh lord let it die F5 as people just come out of the woodworks to bash your game again for the same things they are forgiving to other games for.

Violater

I only rented it, thank goodness! It was barely an average game at best.

The controls weren't THAT bad, it had some issues like dashing/and the 180 degree turn doing the exact opposite of what you wanted it to do. I think I was mostly disappointed in the graphics department a bit, and the fact that the game was so short and the missions didn't vary much at all. I wanted more ground-based melee action.

def PD

Well I'm going to have to at least rent it now.

ShirtGuyDom

im really torn on this game. some say it is one of the most underrated games on the ps3... some say it straight up sucks. just sayin.

subterfunk

This is good to hear. I thoroughly enjoyed Lair. I ended up renting it due to the horrible scores it got, but after playing through it I definitely would've bought it. Especially if I'd heard anything regarding them releasing a patch to add analog controls sooner. After playing through it on that rental though, it was no longer worth the purchase.

@hexix:

Apparently this is just another game that some people will like and others won't. As I mentioned above I played through the game and I enjoyed it. Sure there were some blunders that hurt the experience, but overall the game was worth a purchase in my mind. Maybe not $60, but a good $40-$50 I would have paid.

Zhabin

Even with stick controls, the game is still bad. Most of the people who think Lair failed because of the motion controls are people who never played the game.

The game feels like a rushed project, filled with crappy transition screens and missions consisting of a narrator demanding you to, "Go shoot down [insert character/object that you've never seen before and wouldn't be able to pick out in the crowd of other characters/objects]."

Seriously, the controls and some of the graphics (draw distance & lighting mostly) were the only redeeming factors of the game for me. It was cool technology stuffed into an afterthought of a game.

hexix

I think this whole Lair debacle was a very good thing for the PS3 and the gaming industry in general. It was a very loud declaration that developers/publishers should think twice before forcing non-standard controls on gamers. Hopefully, Nintendo is taking notice also.

Warhawk is an excellent execution of how motion controls should be implemented. They should be optional.

sholmes

I really liked Lair even those most Critic's hated it. Alot of people I talked said they enjoyed it as well. I found the controls to be complicated, but after a few hours they came as second nature. I finished the game, so they couldn't have been that bad. It had flaws, but the game wasn't broken and it told a good tale.

If Factor 5 decided to make a sequel to the game I would probably purchase it. Also if this patch turns out to be true I will probably go back and play through the game one more time.

Bones_Jackson

Kind of sad that they are putting all this effort and they probably aren't going to get any money to show for it, considering all of the new customers will most likely buy Lair used =/.

Oh well, mostly their own fault for not including it in the original version.

P-Sheddy

id say that and a map feature are needed easier targeting system could be good too....

Someone needs to do some reporting and get over to the lair setup and find out for sure. Its not big big news but it is a big deal for year1 ps3 owners.

ShaggyB

@Bernard McGraw: Such a great game.
WTB next Factor-5 Star Wars/other sci-fi shooter!

Arttemis

Too little too late. I really hope they don't expect people to-re-review their game because of this. After all Factor 5 were the ones who said we were all stupid for not liking the controls. They didn't want ot change them (or hell, offer good controls from the beginning) back when it came out and only are making a patch when they want to boost sales. Sorry but no dice. I agree with those who say wait for Lair 2.

I would be totally ok with this patch if it hadn't been for Factor 5's arrogance up until this point, that killed it for me.

Mr.Waffleton

Crap, time to pick up Lair i guess. I know a place where it's hit bargain bin ($30 CAN)

RPGr

Should have been there day 1, could have gotten like an incredible score

SolidOni_ds

I never bought it originally, if the patch is this good, then I may. We'll see, can't say I'm against riding a dragon around anihilating the unsuspecting.

Morne

mornelithe

I'll give it another look for sure.

coktoe

Think I'll just play Rogue Leader instead.

Bernard McGraw

When it's Lair 2 I'll consider it. I think it's funny that they are going to patch it, but went as far in defending their control schemes as to release a "how to review this game" package to game reviewers.

[ps3.ign.com]

kyosuke9999

If this patch fixes the dodgey controls, I hope reviewers re-review it. This game had so much promise, and ended up flopping big time mostly because of the control from what I understand(never played it).
@Marasai: If thats the case, then I hope the patch fixes more than just the controls(i.e. addresses some of the bugs).

drywaller79

As soon as it gets a price drop I will, along with other PS3 games. Though before this I would have still avoided it.

Morberis

@Setzer IIDX: I can get it for £19 over here :) That's dirt cheap.

Candlejack

If this is true. I will buy the game. No doubt.

Candlejack

@sUKi: Lair's still 60 everywhere I look.

In comparison, Assassin's Creed, 40, everywhere I look.

lawlz.

Setzer IIDX

i will buy it if they fix it!

cooler_dood

Can you say metascore re-evaluation?

Too little too late, but if this game ever makes greatest hits in the bargain title bin, you could see a late resurgence.

huginn - No I will not give you a hug!

Patch or new edition? If it's a patch, I'll go buy the damn game today.

smitty1123

Has lair made it to the bargain bin yet? maybe i'll get it when the patch [if there is one] comes out.

sUKi

@Figcoinc: you are quite right. The damage has been done.

Dolgo

Sounds like something Factor 5 needed to do.

AceLosesKing

I played the game and its flaws were well beyond bad controls. Its a bad rogue squadron mimic. only no secondary weapons....or choice of ships. And the button based controls are horrid. And there are gigantic visual problems. And long ass laod times. And giagantic bugs.

The controls were just the cancerous tip of the iceberg of failure that is lair. Fixing them would upgrade the experience....but form abysmal to simply bad...not to good.

Marasai

He sounds a bit over enthusiastic considering the controls weren't the games only problem.

Maleficence

I would not say "must buy"

Even with fixed controls the game is still average.

Kyle81

This reminds me of the Penny-Arcade comic where the 1.92 patch was supposed to fix it.

[www.penny-arcade.com]

When this comes out I hope people would stop using it in an offensive way.

Vincent060

I hope so!
Maybe you can get some impressions for us Fahey?

TheCleaningGuy

Great. What's this game going for nowadays?

littletad

IT might improve the game, but at this point it is too little too late.

If they decide to make a sequel they will have a chance to make up for it. The word of mouth on this game is horrid. If the patch does make that big a difference they better treat it as a VERY big deal. So people might be interested in it again. It will be very hard to pull that off though, people have moved on to better games like Uncharted, and good old Ratchet & Clank.

Figcoinc

Release analog controls, and I'll rent it.

The game was great in concept, but that whole PS3 tilt control thing...nah...never really worked for me on any game.

Setzer IIDX

I'm sold if they do this.

Sollus

If this is truth, I may buy it.

Mr Fortitude

Why didn't they just have these controls in the first place????? PS3 was doing crappy at the time anyway they could have just delayed it a little while to fix the controls and then they could have had a A+ title then (i'm assuming the controls were the only crappy thing about the title). Just goes to show how desperate Sony was at the time (and greedy).!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

slappyMCslappy

Lair + Analog Control = PURCHASE

pABSO

@Figcoinc: I agree in a sense but they could release a Demo of LAIR with the analog controls for people to try out and then possibly more people will buy it, I am willing to buy this if the controls are fixed

rockmanjoey

I agree they should have had the option in the game. That said, I never had a problem with the title and I run is still. I can hit a gnats ass with a dragon at full speed in a dive.

My neighbor came over and saw me playing it and asked
to try. He had problems. It took me a second to realize why he had issues then it became simple. He made the same mistake as other people. He put his thumbs on the sticks. If you can force yourself to lay them down and not touch the sticks you will have beaten half the issue.

Hatchetforce

I'd kill for a Lair analog patch, might even buy it instead of renting it if that is the case!

Gaia99

Would sure help but seriously, took you long enough.

tehFluffz

Have the fixed framerate problems and occasional bugs?
If yes, GREAT, because game was just RUSHED, now it`s a POLISHED, and should get over 8-9 score. =)

CrazzyMan