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Most PC games are made to exist played with the keyboard and mouse, and that'due south a fleck of a problem, frankly. There are enough of great games that would polish on the PC, if simply the developers could rely on everyone having a game pad. Scarce though they are, many PC games back up, and are played best with, a decent game pad—sports games and the occasional platformer (Psychonauts, Rayman), for instance.

The trouble is, there's no standard for PC game controller. If you're a game programmer, yous don't know what you lot're working with. Does the pad accept ane pollex stick, or two? Is in that location a D-pad at all? Analog triggers, or simple shoulder buttons? Are in that location six buttons on the confront, or four? Practise the i and 2 buttons start on the top row of buttons, or the bottom row?

As a result, even if you become purchase a game pad for your PC, you'll probably find that you have to remap the controls in nigh of the games you buy. Couple this with the fact that most PC game pads simply aren't designed or congenital very well, and information technology's a much more frustrating experience than it should be.

Microsoft aims to change all that with the launch of the Xbox 360 panel. How is it related to the PC? Elementary: The Xbox 360's wired controller plugs right into a USB port and works with any Windows XP PC. The visitor is fifty-fifty selling the controller together with a driver deejay, branded the "Xbox 360 Controller for Windows." The aim is to consolidate the PC game pad, giving developers a standard to aim for. Connected…

Xbox 360 Controller for Windows

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