PC Gamers, I need some information.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

My young cousin's birthday is coming up. He's recently gotten big into games on his PC, and Grandma wants to buy him a joystick for it, as he's mentioned several of his favorite games would do better with one. She however, knows less about this than I do. He plays all sorts of games, RPGs, action/adventure, sports, strategy, etc. He prefers RPGs, though he plays all kinds. And apparently he downloads a lot of free games off of the Gametap website. (The kid's being raised by a single mother on little money; she doesn't have the money to buy him consoles or games. In fact last year some of us pooled money together and bought him his first PC.)

So, I'd like some basic things explained to me, if you can, so I can help her pick out something he will like. I will admit right now that I know very little about gaming, so I'm sorry if these questions seem very elementary; I just want to make sure we know what we're doing when we pick one out.



1) Are PC joysticks universal to all games, or do they tend to be game/game company specific?

2) Do some PC games simply not work with joysticks? As in, they are written in such a way that you can only use keyboard/mouse on them?

3) Would a Best Buy/Circuit City carry them, or would we need to order them online or something?

4) any other info you think we should know, I'd be glad to hear it.

Thank you for any information you can give me.

[gunsage]

Okay, here's the dilly. I have a very standard wireless "joystick" that I use for a lot of PC games. Now...I have quotes around joystick because, well...it's not, technically. Actually, it's basically a wireless PS2 controller look-alike. Depending on the game, most of the time the keyboard will suffice. For example, if we're talking FPSs, then the old WSAD + mouse setup is just fine. Older games often CAN use a joystick, but are a little tricky.

I'm gathering you're gearing more toward modern games which should be just fine in terms of compatability. Seeing as you didn't mention FPSs, the controller I mentioned should work just fine. I don't recall the brand, etc., but it's a nice one and I'm sure there are plenty of joysticks just like it. Most modern games will support joysticks and those that don't probably don't need them anyway (adventure style games like Monkey Island, King's Quest, etc.). You should be able to purchase PC joysticks just about anywhere, probably even Wal-Mart.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

What does FPS mean?

Oh yeah. and the computer we bought him has Vista on it. (Die Vista die die die!) I've learned from experience lots of things aren't Vista compatible. Is that something we need to worry about with a joystick?

[gunsage]

FPS = first person shooter (Doom, Halo, Quake, etc.). To further clarify...

WSAD = W, S, A, and D keys that are used to move forward, back, and side-to-side. This means that you use the mouse to look, fire, turn, and often activate things. This sounds confusing, but trust me, it's one of the best control systems available which was later inducted with dual joysticks on console systems. That's another reason why a lot of FPSs don't really need a joystick, per se, but often have options for them.

I would clarify with the clerk whether the joystick will work with Vista, but it should be fine.

[lordlundar]

There's three types of control setups and Games they are usually best suited for:

Mouse+keyboard: This gives the most accurate response and the most control options, but it can get confusing and the only analog option comes from the mouse. Shooters, strategy and PC only RPGs are where this shines.

GamePad: Look at a PS2 controller or a 360 one. These are the definition of the current gamepad. They have a compact design and a fair amount of flexibility, but they lose out on response due to their upper limits on acceleration and for more complex games find the user going back to the keyboard. Anything that is multi-platform and team sports games are the best for it, and EA sports games actually require it. I've found anything by Logitech is a great choice along the PS2 button layout, while for the 360 button layout, the 360 controller is the best bet. The wired one you can just plug into the PC, and the wireless one requires an adapter, which is usually sold in the same place as the controller.

Full Game Controller: These include full size joysticks, throttle controls, steering wheels, etc. Basically anything that is a game controller but not a gamepad fits into this category. These give the best accuracy of any option, as you have a smooth response over more exaggerated movements. The main drawback is that they're usually made for a particular purpose, and though you can use them for other games, it usually doesn't work out as well. Simulation games, like flight, racing, mech, etc are the ideal games for this. Saitek and Logitech both make some exceptional products.

Hope this info helps.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I understood WSAD, I just didnt know what an FPS was. Learn something new every day.

Thank you gentlemen, for educating me. I think I know what to look for, what to ask, etc now. Awesome.

[Naaman]

For stuff like controllers (mice and keyboard as well), I've normally found it's better to give the person a budget and haul ass to a large store that sells this stuff.

Compatibility is rarely an issue but everyone has personal preferences when it comes to devices like this. Most big stores should have the different varieties on display.

[Crossbow]

For stuff like controllers (mice and keyboard as well), I've normally found it's better to give the person a budget and haul ass to a large store that sells this stuff.

Compatibility is rarely an issue but everyone has personal preferences when it comes to devices like this. Most big stores should have the different varieties on display.

I'll second this comment. Different joysticks have different sizes and button configurations. It is entirely possible (and very frustrating) to find one that looks like it will do everything you want, only to find out that the buttons are hard to reach. (My hands aren't too small; just the opposite, in fact. ) I've found a number of joysticks to be too small for my hands. Your cousin may very well have the opposite problem. Also, is he left handed? It makes a difference. Take him to a decent computer store and let him try them out and see which one is best for his hands.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Okay, I'm back from visiting family.

My cuz is only ten years old, and he doesn't live where I do, so I couldn't take him to a store to let him pick out something. So I did some investigating and a little shopping, and here's what we did.

We found out from his Mother that he has a free account on the gametap website. His mother is on public assistance and such, so he literally has no purchased games. He can only play what he can find online for free. After checking that site, I discovered a free account only gives you access to maybe 20% of the games they have. I explained this to Grandma, and she gave me her credit card and told me to buy him a year's subscription to gametap. He now can access hundreds more games for no cost, which is all good for him. So that was her gift.

I went out and bought him one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-P3000-W.../dp/B00008WFJ5

You should have seen the look on that boy's face when he unwrapped it. It gave me warm fuzzies inside.

Anyway, thank you all for your information and suggestions. Lordlunar, your post was especially helpful, that was exactly the information I was looking for.

If anybody knows about any other websites where he can get free games to play, let me know, and I will pass it on to him. Thanks!

[gunsage]

Nice! I have the Logitech next to it, but I had a model similar to that as my old controller. Why the trade up? I'm not sure if it's the same with this model, but with mine, there were only two shoulder buttons, not four. That's a problem when it comes down to wanting it to be authentic to a PS2 controller. Yes, there are two additional buttons to supplement, but they're in the wrong place, at least they were on mine. In any case, it doesn't matter. Both controllers are excellent.