How come console FPS games don't include Mouse and Keyboard support?

[Allthingsspectacular]

Ever since reading up on the fact that the upcoming CCP shooter Dust 514 (Which, I might add, is PS3 exclusive) will include full support for Mouse and Keyboard controls, it really begs the question: Why not offer a mouse and keyboard control scheme for console shooters?

Are we really going to dismiss preferences? Almost everyone I know has a mouse and keyboard. No reason not to offer one really.

 

[Allthingsspectacular]

I know it isn't the first PS3 game to use it, (Unreal Tournament 3 comes to mind) that's just the game that got me thinking about it.

But given my experience with MGO and how, with the addition of keyboard support for chatting, I think most people have USB mouse and keyboard. Since everyone I knew could talk in that game.

Which also begs the question of, given the success of using text chat as an alternative in MGO since most PS3 players don't own a mic, why keyboard chatting isn't supported in most games.

In Dust 514's case, it's basically necessary to have a USB keyboard since you need to co-ordinate with EVE Online players.

Yes. We're going to have a game where the console FPS crowd and the PC careful thinking and spreadsheet managing crowd are going to have to talk to each other. This won't end in disaster, not at all.

 

[Smooth Operator]

How come they offer near no options at all... because it's cheaper to make games that way and you all still buy them regardless.

 

[him over there]

Well, because in most cases they don't want to include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it.

Thank you kind sir. This is also the reason the complaint that " I like a controller compared to a mouse and keyboard" holds water despite you being able to hook one up. If you do use one you will lose 90% of the time when playing against mouse and keyboard players. So a mouse and keyboard becomes necessary regardless.

 

[nu1mlock]

Well, because in most cases they don't want to include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it.

You might be right about "dominating with mouse and keyboard", I personally would never use a controller when playing FPS.

However, your argument itself does not hold as most developers which release multiplatform games on PC (obviously) include mouse and keyboard support but ALSO support a controller. I know a lot of people that use an Xbox 360 controller on PC.

So they DO include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it. Just not on consoles for some reason. Perhaps there's another reason?

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

Well, because in most cases they don't want to include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it.

You might be right about "dominating with mouse and keyboard", I personally would never use a controller when playing FPS.

However, your argument itself does not hold as most developers which release multiplatform games on PC (obviously) include mouse and keyboard support but ALSO support a controller. I know a lot of people that use an Xbox 360 controller on PC.

So they DO include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it. Just not on consoles for some reason. Perhaps there's another reason?

Well, on a PC, they generally expect people to be using... you know PC controls.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Mouse and keyboard players would have to play with a large handicap or play on separate servers to controller players. Developers would also have to tweak and test their gameplay code so it felt reasonable with mouse and kb and add lots of new configuration menus. Then there are probably platform holder development guides that describe how input devices have to be used to be certified.

It's more work than you might first think for a feature that it seems like people will actually hate and resist.

 

[Dryk]

You might be right about "dominating with mouse and keyboard", I personally would never use a controller when playing FPS.

However, your argument itself does not hold as most developers which release multiplatform games on PC (obviously) include mouse and keyboard support but ALSO support a controller. I know a lot of people that use an Xbox 360 controller on PC.

So they DO include a control option that would allow some people to dominate others who don't use it. Just not on consoles for some reason. Perhaps there's another reason?

I think FPS developers are fine with people going out of their way to gimp themselves, but would rather they didn't go out of their way to give themselves a god-like advantage.

 

[GoaThief]

Well, on a PC, they generally expect people to be using... you know PC controls.

PC gamers have always used joysticks and control pads, they are just as much "PC controls" as a mouse and keyboard. Thankfully PC developers are starting to remember this again and allow different input methods. Games I've recently played with a 360 controller;

Tribes: Ascend
Metro 2033
The Walking Dead
Dead Island
Serious Sam HD
Red Faction: Guerilla
Racettear
Rage
Deux Ex: Human Revolution

All offer native support too. Sure, I'm not going to use one in Quake Live or Nexuiz unless I want a pasting but this stupid PC snobbishness that's risen to the fore in recent years needs to end.

PC is different to consoles because no one goes into PC gaming with the mindset that he gets a closed platform where he never has to buy additional stuff.

I agree with the sentiment but listening to a lot of PC gamers you'd think that a mouse and keyboard is the best and only solution for everything.

On consoles there is the opposite: A lot of people don't have the mindset that they might have to buy other control devices. And this is the crowd that developers don't want to alienate.

Very much this. Although this could be remedied somewhat by official "console" mouse and keyboard products and promotion pushes.

 

[Woodsey]

Because the people on pads would be slaughtered, like little piglets in the face of a nuclear bomb. Or something.

 

[paislyabmj]

The mouse and keyboard guys would have a MASSIVE advantage over the console guys.

 

[HavoK 09]

unreal tournament had mouse+kb support and so will CSGO. Many devs avoid it because the controller players would be outmached very easly

What was that one multiplayer game again, the FPS that ran cross platform?

Can't remember, point is: actual pros (and by that I mean people who play Halo and such for a living, not xXSolidSnakeSnipezzzXxMLGPRO420XXX) got destroyed by casual PC gamers. Mouse and keyboard is very accurate.

wasnt it shadowrun?

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Even tho you can connect a mouse and keyboard to the PS360 they won't really let you. Its not supported enough and they worry about skill gaps between M/KB and game pad...and they want people to buy more game pads.