There is a shame that many gamers like myself harbor, fearful that gaming sessions among friends will reveal our terrible secret: that of being incapable of accurately aiming with the thumbsticks without sending our reticles flying all over the screen. In spite of spending hours upon hours glued to a rig, for some reason there are people that just can't master the art of precision aim regardless of how hard they try.
Thankfully, KontrolFreek, makers of the similarly styled gaming crutch the SpeedFreek, is releasing an add-on for Xbox 360 controllers that seeks to deliver we ham-fisted flailers from the gaping maw of horrific humiliation. KontrolFreek's latest work increases the height of Xbox 360 thumbsticks which, according to an IGN review, allows for greater accuracy within the first 20% range of motion, supposedly the most difficult to master due to spring tension.
It will still be immediately obvious that you're the gaming equivalent of a crate full of epileptic children mid-seizure, but if accuracy is your issue then at least the indignity of respawn after respawn after respawn can be a thing of the past. FPS Freeks are currently available for a 20% pre-order discount down from its $9.99 per pair and $17.99 (for four) price and are supposedly legal in competition, though that has yet to be officially confirmed.
[Via Gizmodo -- Thanks, Adam]
Contest:
2:17 PM on 03.12.2008
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You can't fix suck.
"Some shooters I can't quickly aim accurately to save my life, whereas with others it's nearly as good as using a mouse"
Aimbots. Making up for the unwieldy nature of dual analog.
@Tkyy
Some 3rd party comapany WAS working on one years ago for use with PS2 and Xbox I think. I don't think they ever released it though. I can't remember what it was called but if you Google it, they did release some prototype photos of it.
"No thanks, that's what SENSITIVITY SETTINGS are for."
Not really. Sensitivity settings exist to modify the entire range of movement, not the quick aim/movement adjustment that these are targeted for.
Yeah, that's exactly how it feels to me now. I don't remember having that problem on the PS2 DualShock (which I still use). That's the weird thing. It's like it's not sensitive enough towards the center and way too sensitive towards the edges.
anyway yah if your into that stuff I guess but not for me nope.
So I won't be wasting my money on them... as should nobody!
But.. I might buy a pair. Haxz for my fingorzthumz. I dun care how dumb I look I already wear that multi-colored pinwheel hat to class everyday.
Studies show that KontrolFreek's joystick extensions add an extra half inch but do not effect thickness.
But in all seriousness, this product is yet another excuse for the underperformers online to use in their arsenal. Now these gamers will blame their terrible skills on the extensions they bought that supposedly improved their accuracy.
Good game KontrolFreek, good game.
Anyway those things are pretty ugly. Adding bright colours really does make them look like training wheels for a console.
Does anyone remember an interview with microsoft(can't remember the person) where they said they didn't release mice and keyboards for the xbox because of it's image but with the 360 now they have solidified their image they were going to do it. Yeh, look how that turned out.