Michal Ždanský The introduction of a standard for game controllers, which will unite hardware and software on the iOS platform, was received with applause by the players, moreover, the production of controllers should have been undertaken from the beginning by the matadors in this segment - Logitech, one of the leading manufacturers of gaming accessories, and MOGA, which has in turn, rich experience in the production of drivers for mobile phones.
It's been more than half a year since the announcement, and so far we've only seen three models that are currently available for purchase, plus three more announcements that should turn into a real product in the coming months. However, there is no glory with the controllers at the moment. Despite the high purchase price, they feel very cheap and certainly do not represent what the hardcore gamers, for whom these products should be intended, would imagine. The game controller program is a huge disappointment at the moment, and it doesn't look like it's headed for better gaming times yet.
Not at any cost
At first glance, the concept that Logitech and MOGA have chosen is an ideal solution for turning an iPhone or iPod touch into a kind of Playstation Vita. However, it has several shortcomings. First of all, the controller takes up the Lightning port, which means that you can't, for example, use an HDMI reducer to transfer the game to the TV. Of course, there's still AirPlay if you have an Apple TV, but given the lag caused by wireless transmission, that solution is out of the question for now.
The second problem is compatibility. In three quarters of a year, Apple will release a new iPhone (6), which will probably have a different shape than the iPhone 5/5s, regardless of whether it will have a larger screen. At that point, if you buy a new phone, your driver becomes unusable. What's more, it can only be used with your one device, you can't play with it on the iPad.
A classic wireless game controller with Bluetooth seems much more universal, which can be connected to any device with iOS 7, Mac with OS X 10.9, and if the new Apple TV will also support third-party applications, then you can use the controller with it as well. The only controller currently available in this form is the Stratus from SteelSeries, another renowned manufacturer of gaming accessories. The Stratus is pleasantly compact and doesn't feel as cheap as the drivers from the aforementioned companies.
Unfortunately, there is one major drawback here too - it is difficult to play this way, for example, on a bus or in the subway, to comfortably play with a wireless controller you need to have the iOS device placed on some surface, the significance of the handheld is quickly lost.
[do action=”citation”]It almost seems that Apple dictates the sales amount to the manufacturers.[/do]
Probably the biggest current problem is not quite the quality of the drivers themselves, but rather the price at which the drivers are sold. Because they all came with a uniform price of $99, it almost seems that Apple is dictating the sales price to the manufacturers. With regard to the price, everyone is equally stingy, and it is impossible for an ordinary mortal to find out the specific conditions of this MFi program and thus confirm this statement.
However, users and journalists agree that the price is ridiculously overpriced, and the device would still be expensive even for half as much. When we realize that high-quality controllers for Playstation or Xbox are sold for 59 dollars, and the said controllers for iOS 7 next to them look like cheap Chinese goods, one has to shake one's head at the price.
Another theory is that the manufacturers are skeptical of the interest and have set the price higher to compensate for the cost of development, but the result is that these first controllers will only be purchased by true enthusiasts who want to play titles like GTA San Andreas fully on their iPhone or iPad today.
A solution to a non-existent problem?
The question remains whether we need physical game controllers at all. If we look at successful mobile gaming titles, they all did without it. Instead of physical buttons, the developers took advantage of the touch screen and gyroscope. Just look at games like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, plants vs. Zombiess, Fruit Ninja, B or Anomaly.
Of course, not all games are sufficient with just gestures and tilting the display. But that doesn't mean you can't come up with an innovative way to control it, as virtual buttons and directional controls are the laziest possible approach. As he notes Polygon, good developers don't complain about the absence of buttons. A great example is a game Limbo, which, thanks to the excellently designed touch controls, can be played even without buttons, both virtual and physical (although the game supports game controllers).
[do action=”citation”]Isn’t it better to buy a dedicated handheld that does one thing, but does it well?[/do]
Hardcore gamers will undoubtedly want to play more sophisticated games like GTA, FPS titles or racing games that require precise controls, but isn't it better to buy a dedicated handheld that does one thing, but does it well? After all, isn't it a better solution than buying an additional device in conversion for more than 2 CZK? There will certainly be those who would rather spend the money on a decent iPhone and iPad gamepad anyway, but at $000 there will only be a handful.
Despite all that, the controllers have great potential, but not in their current form. And certainly not at the price offered. We hoped that we would see a minor game revolution last year, but for now it looks like we will have to wait for another Friday, ideally for the second generation of game controllers, which will not be developed in a hurry, will be of better quality and perhaps even cheaper.
Here the road does not lead... :) I still think that iphone/ios is more of a work tool than something for fun. And the biggest revenue comes from business. We have consoles for games ;)
Well, if you look at it through the lens of the Czech market, then definitely... Otherwise, it's a mass phone that every second teenager in the US has... So it's really not primarily a work tool... And even here in the Czech Republic, I see it much more often as a personal phone of younger people people, rather than as a work tool in the corporate sphere... In our company (approx. 1200 people) there are few, only Galaxy S4, although people can choose...
Here in the Czech Republic, everyone buys a bigger phone because it's cheaper and more convenient than a small, compact, powerful phone and a tablet.
Look at the 100 best-selling things in the App Store :-).
So at least 80 games, 5 programs for playing movies.
So a working tool?
I know, of course, that many children have an iPhone ;), they just can't use the real potential of the device. After all, an Android phone is enough for me for games.
On Android, everything is slow, it freezes and it's quite often also unstable. In addition, there are games that are only for iOS and this is not a coincidence.
Personally, I think that when I want to browse the web, write emails and make calls, Android will be enough for me (that is, at least if I don't mind the leakage of private data).
On the contrary, iOS is better for games due to stability and higher performance. A full-fledged game like XCOM®: Enemy Unknown probably won't work on 95% of Android devices, that is, if it will ever be on Android ;-).
Sure, if someone wants to steal games, it's much easier on Android, but certainly not better.
You're right. But let's compare androids at the same or similar price :). There you have slightly more sophisticated graphics cards than on iOS devices, you can emulate various other game consoles and most games are on Androids. I recently bought an iPad and decided to play games only on it. It's a completely different experience and not only in terms of control :).
With the one from the game on the iPad, that's the only thing I agree with.
I haven't seen any super graphics cards on Android.
And the main problem is that even if the card itself can have a huge rough performance, the non-specific support of such a device will reduce the performance tremendously. So even if it is not optimized, it will be worse.
Why should I buy several devices (eg handheld, console) when I already have an iPhone/iPad at home, on which I can play very decent game titles? A gamepad is the ideal solution. Personally, I'm just waiting for one to get a little cheaper. So far I'm only interested in the Stratus because I want a separate controller to stream games via Apple TV...
First, try to play via appletv... Even though I have an AirPort extreme, the response is stronger. And I still have an Apple TV connected via ethernet so that it doesn't pick up any Wi-Fi signal... The only thing that interested me was the Stratus and the lighting -> HDMI reduction. Then men regard iPad or iPhone as a substitute for a game console. For example, modern combat 3 looks amazing but is unplayable on TV due to the slow response
I also have Apple TV via cable, because it's faster than via "N" Wifi. Are you saying that it's just as slow with the iPad Air and Apple TV on cable? That's the last thing I used to say that I have a slow iPad ;-).
So, if "n" doesn't solve it with MIMO, then maybe you can solve it with "AC" Wifi.
I could try streaming with a MacBook Air, but I don't have AC Wifi or an Ethernet cable yet ;-).
So it's a big disappointment, because otherwise it would definitely be interesting to watch XCOM and the like on TV in the future :-).
The only option is an HDMI cable with lighting reduction. And a wireless controller. It's not possible via any other way :-) not even via faster WiFi
HDMI with lighting reduction? How do I connect it from Apple TV to a monitor that has a lighting input?
He dropped the Apple TV and just connected the iPad to the TV
And have you tried it on any specific devices? On an iPad 2 connected directly to the TV, everything is just as slow :-/.
I didn't try it, but I thought that if the air tightens the retina resolution, it won't be a problem with another FULLHD on the TV :-) But I didn't try it... if it's slow, it's all good
I'll have to look into it, it was fine with the iPad 2 and the iPad Air connected via USB to the computer also had amplified responses, so I wouldn't buy the overpriced cable until I check it out ;-).
Totally disappointed that this doesn't work. The question is if it is not some kind of intention that it will also come with Apple TV ;-). Or that there is a lot of SW also for streaming the movie, because the stream of the entire image containing the movie is also worth a fart on Apple TV. 1. the colors are terrible and 2. it still sucks (at least for me, I don't have AC wifi yet, but apple TV is already on network cable).
What's so expensive about development? The controls have been around for almost a million years, so there's not much new to come up with (unless the concept is completely new, which it certainly isn't). So it is enough to give only SW, which I assume is at least out of the box solved by Apple.
Otherwise, to what is current: In my opinion, it must be at least a little cheaper, MUCH better, or a little from each. Last but not least, game support must be recommended. Then it would still be ideal if it were possible to connect all the devices via the controller. That is iPhone, iPad, MAC.
Dale agrees that many games that are on the iPad today do not need a rear controller. Needless to say, even Limbo with jumping bothered me, or currently The Cave (unplayable for me). On the contrary, I praised the excellent brand new controls on Another World all the time.
In the finals, with the iPad 3, many people would certainly prefer to steam and have a light controller in their hands, rather than a heavy iPad. What can I say, even the iPad 2 simply misses you after 2 hours in your hands. And when the iPad will be 13″, it won't work at all without an external controller.