I thought up this control scheme for 1st/3rd person shooters. As many games use, there would be two onscreen joysticks, but, instead of an onscreen button for fire, it might be possible to remap the volume buttons to primary and secondary fire/action. I am not sure if there is an API for the volume buttons in the SDK, and I was hoping this might be one of the new ones in 3.0. Unfortunately, this leaves out support for 1st gen iPod touch users, who could have a 'jerk to fire' option where they slightly flick the device.
That would be really awkward to hold and frustrating to use considering the volume buttons are impossible to press...
I find them very easy to press when I am holding the device horizontal with the volume buttons on top (I use my index finger).
It is as bizzare as, someone long back suggested to use the home button as an actual button in the game.
Actually, that's not a bad idea at all, if the 3.0 SD allow peope to remap the volume buttons-- a big if.
I just want to say this but for those using a iPod 2gen might find this a bit awkward. For me I like to play with the volume controls on the bottom because if I play with them on the top, the earphone plug tends to get in my way when playing.
Here's the conversation from 5 months ago: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=3472 It first suggests the home button and then throughout the conversation shifts to talking about the volume buttons as buttons in the game.
There isn't an API for repurposing the volume buttons but it's don't on jailbroken apps a lot. QuickReply runs a text program within the springboard. Tap volume up and a window appears on top of whatever is running so you can text. Tapping volume down closes it. That hardly matters now though. The 3.0 firmware allows 3rd party peripherals to plug into the data port and actively control something on screen. What I want to see is a case that I put my iphone into and it has a dpad on the left 4 buttons on the right and a shoulder trigger on each side. Any company that also adds a battery pack into the case will win my money
I like having dedicated buttons. I mean, take the home button for example. Say the dev gets the programming screwed up for it and can't get it to revert back to its primary function. The only way we can exit the game is by shutting it off. As for volume buttons, they're designed to be difficult to press so that the sound doesn't bounce up and down while the iPod's in our pockets. Using it for gameplay, not that great an idea. And shouldn't this be in the lounge?
I don't like the idea of using the volume buttons in games, the ones on the 2gen touch are kind of hard to press and can actually hurt my fingers with their angular-ness. If I had to push them 9000 times during a FPS game I might just cry. I'd prefer that games just focus on using the touch screen, for the most part I think devs are doing a pretty good job with the schemes they've come up with so far. But I wouldn't be opposed to an add-on type thing with buttons for certain games that really need it. I think that's going to come eventually, too.