A new twist on controllers, courtesy of Intec and Lucas Arts

by Ben Striegel { Feb 23rd 2005 at 8:47PM }

Star Wars Jedi Hunter Xbox Controller In what they are reporting to be the first ever controllers designed in tandem with a game developer, Intec will soon be releasing a set of 8 controllers to coincide with Lucas Arts' upcoming Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The forthcoming game is set to be released on both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and Intec has designed a set of 4 controllers for each system. Each controller will feature a turbo button, rubberized grips, dual vibration motors sporting an on/off switch, a 3-position rumble switch, and an auto-sensing, auto-connect technology that will allow up to 16 players to connect without needless interference. The sets for each console feature one black wireless controller, one black controller that glows red, and a double-pack of red and blue controllers that glow (what else) red and blue.

Now here's the part where that whole "designed in tandem with a game developer" schtick becomes important. During the in-game lightsaber battles, there will be instances in which your lightsaber will become locked with your enemy's. Once this occurs, quickly press the dedicated lightsaber button on the controller to allow your character to swiftly gain the upper hand on your opponent. Cheating? Yes. But it could signal the start of a few interesting trends.

Imagine, a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas controller complete with an analog tuning knob for tweaking your car's radio. Or a custom Halo 2 controller that let you easily dodge those cheaters with the energy swords (bastards). Perhaps a Katamari Damacy controller with built-in tilt sensors? Taking this to the next level, imagine a totally customizable modular controller that let you map your own buttons, akin to most PC game controllers. If this held true, could it also herald the era where every game came complete with its own controller? What do you think? Shameless marketing ploy, or innovation at its best? Just a trick to sell more controllers, or an actual tool to enhance the in-game experience? Make your voice heard!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

George Hotelling @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

... or what about a $150 controller just to play Steel Battalion?

Eion Murdock @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

Hey, you can use the Steel Battalion controller to play the expansion pack, too ;�)

ill trooper @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

Yeah, I love the custom controllers. I am one of the goofs that has the Steel Battalion controller.

I always feel the most interesting games in the arcade are the ones that feature special controller interfaces, ones that can't be emulated on a joypad controller - Dance Dance Revolution, the numerous drumming/rhythm games, a game from few years back called 'Prop Cycle' - the one with the BMX bike you sat on to peddle your glider after ballons in the sky. I even like the fishing controllers. A favorite was an arcade game I played in Tokyo that used a Minolta SLR camera body for a 'photo journalist' game - essentially a non-violent version of a 'House of the Dead' with animals and sporting events instead of lurking zombies. Which brings up the full ASCII keyboard of 'Typing of the Dead...'

But back on track: It really shows how popular a game gets when you start seeing multiple companies making cheap knock-offs of the official company release - like the DDR floor controllers or the maracas for Samba De Amigo.

But yeah, the grand daddy of 'em all is the Steel Battalion beast. I keep thinking I will use it again, as it just sits on top of an old TV - everyone who sees it asks what it is and how much it cost, and when I tell them, they look at me like a sad puppy, too old to be adopted.

Ahh well. Bring on the 'Next Gen' of specialized controllers!

Ignite++ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

or what about a drumming controller for games like taiko?
or a dance pad controller for dancing games?
WDF are these guys talking about, FIRST?

Ignite++ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

yeah sorry, i didnt read the comments above me fully
yeah like we're all saying. a controller specifically for a game is nothing new

Jones Kingsu @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

Still recall the old Bio-Hazard (Resident Evil) controller? That one was fine too. Intec isn't really the first to do such a thing.

Bud @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

I would pay extra to have a 'Tron' controller and a rerelease of that on a console.

Dan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

No, no, no, no! Sure, the occasional special controller is fun, and yeah, sometimes a new genre requires a new controller (like DDR).
But for god's sake, the whole point of consoles is standard equipment! That's why we buy them for gaming, instead of PCs---no need for weird upgrades, video cards, whatever. And no need to buy a new peripheral every time a new game comes out!

Raoul Teeuwen @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

I've got a better idea for the manufacturers: in the next generation of consoles, only give the standard controller 1 button, or even better: no buttons at all! For every game you'll need a special controller! You'll sell even more controllers!!!

Come on: we don't need/want this! Games are expensive enough already without added special controllers...

striegs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

Whoa, all good arguments. But while I admit that I totally forgot about games such as Steel Battalion and Samba de Amigo, I feel that I miscommunicated the point that I was trying to get across.

See, the games that I'm talking about differ slightly from those that many of you make mention of. For example, in order to play Steel Battalion you were REQUIRED to own the corresponding $150 controller.

Now we come back to the article. The main argument here between a game such as Revenge of the Sith and Steel Battalion boils down to the user interface. In Revenge of the Sith, unlike Steel Battalion, you are NOT required to own any special expensive controller. HOWEVER, if you do feel the need to pony up some dough, Lucas Arts will reward you with a trick to make the game easier. Not only that, but, unlike the mandatory Steel Battalion controller, you can actually use these controllers to play other games as well (but you may not find much use for that Darth Vader button).

In so many words, this is the primary argument that I was attempting to clarify. Namely, will console manufacturers feel the need to issue a "Special Edition" controller for every major game release that allowed the purchaser some unfair advantage? And would this be a good thing or a bad thing for gaming in general?

Pornboy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

Unfortunately, having no faith in large corporations' motives, I see this sort of thing happening on and off in the near future. I agree that for unusual games like DDR or Samba De Amigo, special controllers are frickin' sweet. Dan had a very good point, but it's not the one he mentioned that pisses me off... even on PC games, say Quake 3 for example, getting 60fps on a pro rig is an advantage over 20fps on a budget machine, but the 20fps guy can still fill the 60fps guy full of depleted uranium if he's more skilled.

Controller choice (ie, keyboard & mouse vs. joystick or gamepad) and machine speed only make a real difference among similarly skilled players. Having a better rig with controls you grok is nice, but if you can't aim for beans it'll only give you a few extra frags. This is different. This specialized controller gives you an unduplicatible advantage over those who don't want to pay an extra $20 for 'game enhancing peripherals' on top of their $50 games.

When games stop being about skill and start being about how much you're willing to shell out for the dongles and special buttons, it's not gaming any more - it's auctioning off the gold medal.

Sean Choate @ Dec 18th 2005 10:05PM

The problem with the specialized controllers is that they are all third party. My DDR controllers (yeah even the Red Octane nice ones) went kaput after an unreasonably short amout of time. I'm just looking at that picture and all sorts of crap-alarms are going off in my head. So, yeah, custom controller *designs* are usually sweet. For *construction*? Leave it to the first parties. That is one reason I love the X-box. I get to pick which controller I use (I usually grab the 800 pound grizzlies, but for retro-style gaming, I go for an S-controller). That and the fighting-game controller made by Horii for the GCN (liscensed product) looks great. I haven't tried it yet though.
I'd like to see 2 or 3 _standard_ controllers for a system with different specializations. Sure a good dual-shock 2 will get you through most games just fine, but some stuff just begs for a special layout that that can't offer.