Here's an interesting bit of kit being shown off at Tokyo Game Show. This is the FragFX 2, designed by SplitFish. It's a PS3 controller designed for FPS games which provides the benefits of a mouse. Note the nunchuk-like apparatus on the left end, the plastic mousepad (which may or may not be attached to the nunchuk; it's unclear from the photo) and the four Playstation buttons along the thumb-side of the mouse.
Somewhat surprising to me is that there's some criticism of the device coming out. Ian Dean of Playstation World Magazine has been quoted saying, "It defeats the point of playing on console, really. If you want to use a mouse and keyboard play COD4 on a PC, the PS3 pad is perfectly set-up to play FPS." He goes on to suggest that, "it's a gimmick few PS3 owners really want."
I can understand the concern from console players that the introduction of this peripheral could unbalance play, as we all know the advantages of using a mouse in an FPS game. That said, I don't want to play Call of Duty 4 or any other FPS on my PC. That's why I own consoles. Just because I play my games on consoles does not mean that I would not prefer to play these titles with the control scheme best suited to doing so.
There are a few questions I have about it, though. If the device works as it is being touted, would you consider buying one to step up your game? Could this sort of thing create a bit of an arms race as people attempt to maintain equal footing? Or, alternately, could it hurt the FPS space by limiting the number of players interested in playing with people who might have an advantage simply because of their controller?
[Via TechRadar]
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Contest:
8:17 PM on 09.18.2008
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Besides, I like a controller in my hand when I'm playing on a console!
I'd consider buying it for the PS3 or 360.
it's not old news. You're probably thinking of the FragFX which this isn't. this is the FragFX 2.
also the original FragFX sucked. Unless they dramatically improved on it, it's a total waste of money.
it just uses the lam ass defualt analog sticks far less precise X,y postions that do not even come close to the numbers a REal. mouse can track. and just turns the thing into a lame hand held cheep huge ass analog stick, that already sucked balls and now it sucks even more.
and we are talking cheep ass mice not the expensive leser models with ultra tracking at the microscopic level either.
buy a PC not this snap on crap, so console people can pretend they have a real PC with the crappy console ports of games like orange box or call of duty 4 or bioshock ut3 whatever, it just makes you look sad.
http://www.razerzone.com/c-2-gaming-mice.aspx
I almost bought Civilization: Revolutions, and then I played Civ IV. Not even a contest -- and I wish I could play it as it is on a console.
Open up the hardware; design consoles that double as power-PCs. Everyone's happy.
*decides it's too easy*
In your opinion. I happen to prefer it. But you already knew that it's just a matter of personal preference, right?
the really odd thing is that it's totally busted with the web browser.
why didn't i think of this??? oops, perhaps its the price difference between a console and new pc to keep up w/ game requirements every few years...
Laser tracking mice are like going from the ball mice of the early 1990's to the now standard optical mice.
I mean if sombody was using a track ball mouse these days at like quake con or something I would give them one of the razor mice I do not use anymore or liked that much, like the razor dimondback that has been retried to the pathetic job of " the ps3 web browser mouse", and say just croc dundee lines, followed by what the hell are you doing?.
then i would be amzaed that such a relic of a ball mouse is still working after all this time the last time I saw a ball mouse starcraft was the hot new game.
thing is those games are designed to be played with a controller, not a mouse, so I doubt the controls will be as precise as you would expect from a mouse... Another issue I have is the size of the 'mousepad' it seems pretty small to me tbh...
The BRAND NEW ATi videocards only cost 75 bucks for crying out loud.
The mouse functions as the second Analog stick(as in the calls it sends to the PS3). Thus why it was created otherwise it would be useless for every game but UT3.
Bioshock and call of duty 4 orage box what ever, looks like low res blury crap, and are missing tons of crap and
online performace is always total junk and call of duty 4 only on consoles supports 18 players online while the PC version supports 32 or 64 and has far better online play.
Oh and don't evne get me started on UT3 on consoles, even with the ps3 mouse support it is at least $40 slower, runs at a low res, and has framerate issues.
and the xbox 360 version is even worse than the ps3 version since it don't even have a damn mouse.
So no I don't care if consoles ever get a mouse since they lack tons of crap in other areas, and do not have the power to provide a good port of the real PC games.
and there exclusive console fps play like 10 year old PC fps, and look like a 5 year old PC games.
On 360.
In a more comfy design.
...actually, just let us use a keyboard, a mouse, and USB support with button mapping in the dashboard.
We'd be happy then.