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New Cube controller
steveo777 writes: "I was surfing through IGN when I noticed this new controller. It made me fall off my chair laughing (people at work are wondering what could be so funny). But it's no joke. Aparently it's for Phantasy Star Online." If this isn't real, why not? Something like this looks like a great idea to me.
My big problem with this controller is, when I throw it at my television in frustration, it might break something.
I hope they work hard to keep the weight down. Maybe it's made of carbon fiber?
The page asks is the thing can be held. Of course it can... space your hands about 1 feet away from each other in the air, palms facing each other.
Ok... now start twindling your fingers as if you're playing a game!
Ok, got it? Seems comfortable enough doesn't it? Ok, now scream something you'd scream during game play. Like "COME ON! I HAD THAT!" while moving the imaginary controller around like a mad man.
There you go!
Congratulations!
You successfully look like an idiot.
On a slightly different note, I think that if (read: when) someone hacks the gamecube to run Linux/BSD/etc. and X, this would be a great keyboard/mouse combo.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
So would you type with your nose?
This just looks like some of the wireless keyboards I've used with integrated track ball and buttons on both sides.. Works fairly well for basic mouse manipulation, but I can imagine doing anything fast or precise with that controller- There's something strange about haveing your hands that far apart.. Is this just a slow plodding point-and-click game?
air and light and time and space
Now, the game is coming to GameCube, a system with more bits, which results in larger words filled with more characters who have more lines of dialogue.
Dialogue like:
w00t! My b0X0r h4Z m00r B1tZ +heN yuRz!!
Stellar.
You can tell this is for children friendly market! No one-handed typing :(
The inherint problem with any controller of this type is that you have to radically change hand position when going from chatting to movement, both of which should be common in an online rpg. It has to be rested upon something to type, but movement requires that you hands be wrapped around the sides and back. Even mice are manipulated from the top like a keyboard, and yet all online rpg'ers find the transition annoying. This new controller is the aesthetic and gameplay equivalent of gluing a controller and a keyboard together with Elmer's white. While that might have some post-modern artistic appeal, I doubt it will be anything but kludgy in practice. Why didn't ascii design something that could be controlled entirely from the top, designed specifically for pso?
The ______ Agenda
What about something similar, but it would "telescope", so that it would act as a regular controller if you wanted it, but you could pull it out for keyboard functionality? Just another stupid idea.
Last post!
I work as a sysadmin, and one of my guilty pleasures is tossing out old equiptment :) We have a raised loading dock, and adjacent to the loading dock is our (not raised) steel garbage bins ...
It was a particularaly (sp?) good day because I got to toss out some old macs (I don't really care for them) on the docket was an old quadra 990 (IIRC) and 2 of those *REALLY* old B/W 20+ inch monitors ... so ya gotta imagine Im close to 6' tall, and the trashcans are 3' below my feet, so I topple a monitor from my cart down into the empty trash bin and it makes a fantastic noise but dosen't break! So I pickup the second monitor, raise it above my head, and throw it down into the bin, it makes a terrible noise, still, tube is intact ... by this time im uber pissed so I grab the quadra (and its not a dinky one either, its one of those early 90's dealies with the thick aluminum cases) and I throw it as hard as I can at the two monitors! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! they still didn't break :)
By this time, everyone in the parking lot is staring at me :) People have come out of their upstairs offices all to see what the 3 loud bangs were ... defeated, so I pack up my cart and head inside :)
Free Techno/Jazz/DNB/MI Music by guys obsessed with monkeys!
From the press release:
The KeyMouse XP is the worlds first mouse to integrate a 120 key keyboard inside a mouse. This gives the user the advantage of not having to switch between keyboard and mouse - a repetitive movement which costs the user time and productivity.
The keyboard is located between the left and right mouse buttons.
When asked how difficult this new mouse would be to handle Logitech would only say that the user would need a really big-ass mousepad.
"They do not preach that their god will rouse them, a little before the Nuts work loose." Kipling, 'The Sons of Martha'
Mario is standing in front of a pipe.
> Jump inside pipe
You can't reach it!
> Walk east
You've reached a dead end.
> Walk south
Mario fell off the platform! Play again?
> q
Goodbye!
Uh, right.
"Okay! Alpha team approach the base from the west! Beta, provide sniper cover and be prepared to fall back on defense!"
<pause>
--
TeamLeader says: "Hooray! Alpo tea map roach debase Rama vest. Bay techno wide sighter cove randy pee pear two sell bacon desense!"
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(BTW - this is my 200th post! )
Cheers,
Jim in Tokyo
-- My Weblog.