why they can keep their mice

so, i have read on a number of gaming sites (typically in the form of a somewhat offhand comment) that the keyboard and mouse is universally accepted as the preffered control method for first person shooters. this is usually brought up in the context of a game developer trying to port or otherwise convert a pc shooter to a console, which then inevitably raises the concern that it won't control well because of the inherent shortcomings of all console controllers. well, if it's true that everyone else loves the keyboard mouse combo so much, then good riddance. that just means more console controllers for me.

now, its not that i dont enjoy the aiming precision afforded by the use of mouse.... actually, thats exactly what i don't enjoy. other than preferring to pull a trigger rather than click a button (which provides a kind of interactivity that makes the experience more visceral), and enjoying the ability to pass the controls to a friend without vacating my seat, i simply enjoy the ease of mouse aiming less than the more difficult aiming of analog sticks. i have always found that pc gamers who try to use console controllers get frustrated very quickly with the apparent lack of precision. but let the record show that this is by no means a fault of the controller (though it may have something to do with the particular game), but that more often the fault lies with the gamer. the controller only seems imprecise because you are unskilled at using it.

learning to be good with console controllers is a skill that must be developed. it takes practice. it is not as intuitive or as pick up and play as mouse aiming because it requires greater delicacy and a more developed feel for how the game will react to your inputs. chances are, mouse aiming is so much easier and more intuitive not just because of the actual instruments, but because people are in general more accustomed to using a mouse than a thumbstick. but just because it requires more developed skill and more practice to become good with a controller, does not mean a mouse and keyboard are better. after all, if the world ever needs someone to perform an important activity requiring rapid, deft, and sensitive thumb movements, you can bet they won't be looking up the names of pc gamers.

the reality of aiming and firing a gun at a target is this: it isn't easy. becoming accurate requires practice and i tend to believe that this is more accurately reflected by the analog sticks of a controller precisely because it is more difficult to get them to do what you want. in my mind, this difficulty only increases the importance of skill and rewards those willing to put in the time. i consider myself a pretty fast and accurate manipulator of fps's, but there are some people out there who are ungodly good, and i have alot of respect for them. i think alot of this is lost when you transition to a mouse. there is a sort of elitist charm about being able to consistently get headshots using a controller whereas accomplishing the same thing with a mouse is virtually commonplace.

let me provide and example to illustrate my point. i used to play unreal tournament on the pc. i didnt play it very much, but when i did i loved to load the opposing towers map (you know which one i'm talking about). on this map, i would just get to the top of one of the towers where there was conveniently located a sniper rifle. from this point on i would just get headshot after headshot, racking up monster kills... in a game i barely played. granted this wasn't against humans as i didn't have the means to play online at the time, but the point remains. this was my first mouse controlled fps, and it was almost absurdly easy to get headshots. by comparison, headshot sniping in a game like halo 2 (even with the autoaim) is a great deal more challenging despite the fact that i have played that game for countless hours. getting a headshot snipe in halo 2 feels like an accomplishment every time, and i think it should. realistically, it is not easy to shoot a moving target in the head with a sniper rife (actual snipers are taught not to aim for headshots), and it shouldnt be in videogames either.

now, the point of this is not to deride pc shooters/gamers for making use of the easiest means of being accurate. if everyone is using the same controls, then the playing field is level and skills such as map knowledge, tactical ability, and reflexes (all of which i have the deepest respect for) determine the winner. i mean only to suggest that controllers are not inferior to mice. instead, i would like to suggest that they simply appeal to a different kind of gamer personality. i personally prefer the rewarding feeling i get when my aim is spot on, despite my more challenging controls. becoming a good shot using analog sticks is something you can always improve at, something you can always practice more and something that will reward you in a way mouse aiming cannot precisely because it is more of a challenge. there is nothing like being able to witness your own progress as you go from stuggling to hit the opponent, to having the reticule obey your every whim without hesitation. for those of us who really consider ourselves gamers, lets take a moment to appreciate the glorious difficulty of analog stick aiming, as well as how far each of use has come through our own individual efforts, to overcoming that difficulty. and finally let us recognize that there is no end to how much better we can become through practice and the continual pursuit of perfection.

also, you dont have to worry about running out of room on the mouse pad or table when repeatedly spinning in circles.

-Asano