DUST

[Ack]

Any EVE players in here have an opinion on the announcement that DUST will be a PS3 exclusive? Because I have to admit I've been interested in the idea since the first rumors that they planned on making an FPS component to EVE.

Also, how effective are the mouse and keyboard combo on the PS3? I don't think I'd want to do this with a controller, as I generally dislike them for FPS.

[Rocketman]

Should I be surprised that I'm the first to respond to this thread?

I didn't even know you could play PS3 games with a keyboard and mouse, is this a new development? There have been so many great titles announced for PS3 lately - I need one.

I'm intrigued by the idea of real time air (Orbital?) support from actual EVE Online players, I've wanted to play that game but didn't like the idea of getting sucked into an MMO that was so in depth. And it's awesome that as ground forces we can take offensive action against the space ships up above! The trailer pretty much has me sold.

So, can this game be played on PS3 with a keyboard and mouse? Because if it can...

[AppleQueso]

I didn't even know you could play PS3 games with a keyboard and mouse, is this a new development?

You've been able to use a keyboard+mouse on the ps3 forever to navigate the web browser and stuff. I'm not sure how many games support it though.

[wip3outguy7]

Also, how effective are the mouse and keyboard combo on the PS3? I don't think I'd want to do this with a controller, as I generally dislike them for FPS.

Unreal Tournament 3 is currently the only FPS on the PS3 that supports keyboard & mouse play. I had to go into the XMB's mouse settings menu to tweak things, but once you find a sweet spot it works pretty damned well.

Sony has been pretty open to the developers allowing USB keyboards and mice for gameplay as far back as the PS2 era. Sadly, with the popularity of the Halo franchise, kb&m support has not been as demanded by console players as it once was (Dreamcast FPS).

I have also heard from at least one industry insider that because the Xbox 360 is generally the main development platform and Microsoft has a very stern no kb&m during gameplay policy, most developers just don't bother putting support in when it comes to the PS3 versions of their first person shooters. Sony may not care, but Microsoft does and they probably wouldn't be too happy with a superior version of a game from such a popular genre appearing on their competitor's console. I'm not saying this is the way it is. But I've had this conversation with someone and got head nods.

As far as DUST is concerned? If it is a PS3 exclusive, there is a good possibility that it could contain keyboard & mouse support during gameplay. I would suggest emailing the developer to let them know you want it.

[AppleQueso]

Why does microsoft have this strict no kb&m policy exactly?

[wip3outguy7]

Why does microsoft have this strict no kb&m policy exactly?

I'm not really sure. I have a feeling it has to do with their attempt to keep online play balanced. I read somewhere that they allowed PC players and XBL players to play against each other in a specific game. PC players were pretty much dominating 360 players so they pulled the plug.

I have also heard that Microsoft has focus tested mouse & keyboard players mixed with controller players. This usually results in kb&m players dominating the game. Controller players will sometimes give up all-together and stop playing the game. Not good for business.

[AppleQueso]

make kb&m-only and controller-only rooms?

seems like a sensible compromise to me

[fastbilly1]

I'm not really sure. I have a feeling it has to do with their attempt to keep online play balanced. I read somewhere that they allowed PC players and XBL players to play against each other in a specific game. PC players were pretty much dominating 360 players so they pulled the plug.

That game was Shadowrun, and they did dominate

make kb&m-only and controller-only rooms?

They tried that on UT3 on the PS3, it lead to a fierce dichotomyin players and did it never really grew.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I'm not really sure. I have a feeling it has to do with their attempt to keep online play balanced. I read somewhere that they allowed PC players and XBL players to play against each other in a specific game. PC players were pretty much dominating 360 players so they pulled the plug.

That game was Shadowrun, and they did dominate

make kb&m-only and controller-only rooms?

They tried that on UT3 on the PS3, it lead to a fierce dichotomyin players and did it never really grew.

Yeah, I played Shadowrun on the PC, and, you could tell who was on a console, they got absolutely crushed. Always. Game was still fun though, but the majority of the playerbase left after a year.

[wip3outguy7]

make kb&m-only and controller-only rooms?

seems like a sensible compromise to me

I agree. This is how UT3 on PS3 handles the situation and it seems to work just fine.

I think Microsoft's anti kb&m mentality stems from the release of the original Xbox. They were in the middle of at least one lawsuit and were being pulled apart by the government because they had been deemed a monopoly. So here they are, about to release a gaming console with a hard drive built in. I think they were afraid to allow keyboard and mouse use on the system because it may have been viewed as their attempt to enter the PC market.

Halo was a success without the mouse and keyboard. Sure there was Goldeneye, but no console FPS had reached that level of popularity. Before Halo, people endlessly dogged console first person shooters... mostly because you had to use a controller to play them.

Yes, there were PS2 FPS that allowed usb keyboard and mouse play, and the Dreamcast was well known for its acceptance of kb&m play and dedicated peripherals. However, the genre never really clicked with those systems. Maybe it had something to do with Halo only being available on the Xbox for so long and that community's general acceptance of the genre on the system.

I believe that once legal smoke from the monopoly debacle cleared and the Xbox was finally viewed as a gaming console, Microsoft already had a large enough user base playing FPSs that they didn't need to allow keyboard & mouse play. Like it or not, the controller has become a widely accepted method to play the first person shooter. People use the "oh, I'm sitting on the couch" excuse for keeping kb&m play out of the picture entirely (what the fuck kind of logic is that?). But you're right, it could be easily resolved by allowing keyboard and mouse play in all first person shooters and giving users the ability to lock kb&m out of rooms.

The question now, though is "does it matter?" First person shooters are designed around controllers now. They are slower in pace than their PC grandfathers. I think a mouse player would probably mop the deck in a game like Halo, which still has roots in PC FPS of yore, but not so much in a slower military FPS like the Call of Duty games. I have also noticed that spacing matters a great deal. When playing UT3, I tend to dominate controller players in the more cramped levels where speed is king. In larger, wide opened areas the playing field is a bit more balanced.