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March 21st, 2008, 15:24 GMT · By

Console RTS Games Are Lagging

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As consoles grow more popular and more and more people tend to say that the PC is dead as a games platform, there's still a small but noticeable minority of people that brings clarity to the discussion and contradicts some of the more spread assumptions about game consoles.

One of the major flaws of both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3
are their control peripherals, their game controllers. There are still many shooter fans that can't get the same mileage out of those controllers as they can get out of a mouse and keyboard setup.

And Chris Corry, one of the people behind the development of Electronic Arts' Red Alert 3, thinks that the controller issue will be much more important when it comes to taking the RTS on consoles. The producer declared that: "Console RTS design has come a long way, but I don't know if you will be able to lead design of a true RTS, which is so inherently reliant on the mouse and keyboard combination, on the console." Corry should know as the Command & Conquer series has a long history of console ports behind it, beginning with the original C&C being ported to the PSone and Saturn all the way back in 1996.

Different controller capabilities is one of the main reasons for which the upcoming Kane's Wrath expansion for Command & Conquer 3 won't allow cross platform play, even if it is due to launch for both PC and Xbox 360. Any player using the mouse and keyboard combination can get things done much quicker than his console wielding counterpart, which would result in very imbalanced multiplayer matches.

But Corry says radical improvements in the control setup for consoles are coming in Red Alert 3, which is due out next year and that the RTS genre in general is becoming more at home on consoles with each title that gets an Xbox or PlayStation release.

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Jonathan Harrison on 23 Mar 2008, 03:11 UTC reply to this comment

OK... this is completely STUPID... correct me if I am wrong, but both of these platforms...and even the venerable PS2 (of which I have an early unit as well as several PCs of various vintages) have at least 2 USB ports. Perfect ports for... what? Maybe a keyboard and a mouse! What exactly is stopping console gamers from springing for a USB mouse and keyboard? I believe I saw at least one model of each at Wal-Mart the other day, not sure if it was for Sony or Xbox, but it was for a console. How much extra would that cost, maybe $80? Less? I mean, c'mon, if people are going to spring for a guitar or drum kit just to play Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band, then why not a keyboard and mouse in order to properly play FPS and RTS games? "But that's extra stuff I gotta buy!," you may whine... YES, it is, so what else is new? I have been using consoles since 1981, switched to PCs of various types (C64, Amiga, PC) around 1986, and returned to consoles (but never left the PC) around 1998 or something... so I know all about buying extra stuff, thank you. The consoles typically only come with one gamepad (two in some cases), usually one software title, and typically NO memory card. You have to buy memory cards extra, more controllers are extra, software is extra... EVERYTHING is 'extra' with consoles, why should this be any different? This should not even BE an issue. RTS and FPS games should support mice and keyboards REGARDLESS of the platform, and if you're a serious RTS/FPS gamer, you will plunk down for a keyboard and a mouse. PC games support joysticks and gamepads as well as mice and keyboards... I guess I am just wondering what the difficulty is with implementing this on the consoles is... is it just a fault of the mentalities of the console gamer and/or developer? Or should I say, lack thereof?


Comment #2 by: bkhaveityourway on 30 Mar 2008, 03:29 UTC reply to this comment

I think rts games are becoming very popular on consoles. Im glad there coming to consoles too becouse i cant afford an highend gaming pc.


Comment #3 by: Klehma on 15 May 2008, 00:38 UTC reply to this comment

I also Agree that FPS and RTS 's are better with a mouse and Keyboard over a game pad .i have been playing FPS for a while (started with the original Unreal) and was hooked .. a Gamepad just does not give the same feeling of being in control as a Mouse and Keyboard. I 2 don't understand why there are alot if FPS and FTS games for Xbox and PS2 that don't have the option of being able to mouse and Keyboard .. I mean .. Sony could mass produce them for 5$ and sell them for what 50-100 and get it ?? , Though i also agree that they are more of a PC based gerne they should also be enjoyable to Console gamers aswell without having to fiddle is a gamepad that 15% of Console gamers wont be able to use on them.

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