MY opinion is virtual controls will never EVER be as responsive or effective as a real analogue stick the games I've enjoyed most on IOS have been using the tilt in some way like GOF2 or games with no dpad at all like Football Manager. I really think a lot of you are in denial but I will admit some virtual controls work better than others the best one I've tried I believe is the joystick in spiderman I remember wondering why other games couldn't pull it off as well while playing it. Now I've said that FPS games do work quite well as do a few other gametypes. I'm not saying touch controls are completely awful I am saying that they aren't as good for some types of games though.
There are also a lot of people that agree with Brad. Isn't it a good idea to have different reviewers that have opinions that span the entire spectrum? Reviews are ALWAYS subjective, and you've got to find reviewers that have opinions that match yours. That won't happen if Toucharcade made sure that all of its writers had to comply with what you feel is the majoritys likings. I know I would trust a reviews by Brad a lot more than from, say Jared, because I know that his opinions is pretty close to mine.
I have all the other current generation consoles/handhelds. Virtual controls when talking about virtual d-pads or sticks as opposed to proper touchscreen controls are horrible. No two ways about it, if someone tells me they'd rather play a dual-stick shooter on an iDevice than a device with dedicated controllers, I will consider them either somewhat stupid or very young. Whenever people implement virtual sticks, I feel they are trying to do something that's not optimal for the platform and have on many occasions been vehemently against our company meddling with that shit. Of course it might make sense from a company standpoint, there are many kids out there who only have an iPod and would like to play a dual-stick shooter or a mario clone, plus it costs a fortune to develop for PS3 as opposed to iPhones or Androids. However, "because someone will buy it" isn't exactly why I got into games.
Anyone who says they are completely against virtual controls is saying they are willing to forego entire gaming genres that we've grown up playing. Really, the alternative is waiting every other month for the one brand new gem, or accepting virtual controls that are shoehorned more often than not. I would much rather play Nova or any other FPS on the iPhone that on the DS or *shudder* the PSP, that's because I can actually comfortably play the game to the point where I forget about the controls. FPS and third person shooters are a freaking nightmare with the PSP's single analog nub and face buttons. And while playing Street Fighter on my old Nintendo SP feels better than on the iPhone, iOS Street Fighter 4 feels better than SF on the DS and PSP. So yeah, throw that ridiculous notion out the window. We're getting to the point where it's more important that whatever controls are done must fit the genre and pacing of the game. There's a reason why virtual controls work with Street Fighter but not with Mortal Kombat. There's a reason touch controls work with Infinity Blade but not with Chop Chop Ninja. There's nuance in the implementation of these things, which is why we should applaud developers who find ways to make both systems work, instead of stubbornly adhering to one paradigm for its own sake..
What you're not understanding is that TouchArcade largely is an opinion-based news and review site where we cover games that we like and games that we think are cool. That's the way it's always been. I'm not sure any of us are willing to start pandering to children by focusing on 3D games that we might not enjoy because you think that's what the "majority" of our readers are looking for when our own analytics we've done of what readers are in fact looking for don't coincide with that at all. Basically, we wouldn't be the #1 iPhone games site with constantly increasing traffic if people didn't like what we were putting out there.
Sorry dude, it's just that your taste sucks. Some are born that way. To play on the iPhone, yes. Here's the thing: I love RTS, but I don't want to play it on my console. I love racing games, but I don't want to play them with keyboard and mouse on my PC, etc etc. I love FPS, TPS etc, but I don't want to play them with a touchscreen. Every platform has its advantages and disadvantages. Shoehorned games is never something I'd consider, it's just not the best experience possible. It's like showering in orange juice...the only reason I would consider it is if I smell really badly. But either way I feel sticky afterwards.
for those missing physical controls, Kotaku just posted about the "Fling": http://kotaku.com/5724001/a-sucky-solution-to-the-problem-of-ipad-gaming I love my iDevice and I love touch controls but occasionally when I want to play an old ported game I just NEED a controller. Maybe this will do the trick. *jumps out of thread before the napalm drops*
A brilliant example, this. IMO DS and PSP are quite unfit for twin-stick games (fps being a prime example of these) since neither has even one proper stick. Besides, handheld Nintendo devices are so underpowered that making realistic 3D titles for them seems futile at best. So yes, those two cases are perfect examples of trying to cram a genre that's not really fit for the platform onto one. N.o.v.a on PSP might be even worse to control than its iPhone counterpart. I don't really mind people making twin-stick games or fighting games with badly adapted, naturally unresponsive virtual controls but I see no reason to partake in that. The thing I don't get is the notion that every kind of game should be adapted for every device. So yes, I am willing to forgo entire genres of games on devices not fit for them unless the controls and performance are adapted for the platform. Gems are the products that get these things right, the ones that take a bit longer to create exactly because they have been done right for the platform they are worth waiting a couple of months for, lackluster ports aren't.
The quality of front page writing has come a long way from when TA was new. But I suspect it's a bit of a stretch to assume it's #1 because of the front page content. This site would probably remain #1 for a long time even if the front page was abandoned completely, just from it's momentum and the volumne of chatter on the message boards. The other TA review sites are ghost towns in comparison. Actually, all things being equal, a bit of controversy on the front page is probably good for traffic! I really liked getting a chance to see more individual takes on the front page. All too often, TA reads like a "royal we" as if the TA staff all move in lockstep deciding what is "good" and "bad."
Really nice summary. I feel sorry for the folk that either lack the dexterity or patience to enjoy touch screen controls. Nothing's more frustrating than wrestling with a new form of controller. I too remember how awkward a joystick, and later a NES controller felt until I'd gotten used to them. There's no disputing that for many people, the lack of tactile feedback with touch controls is a non-issue. There are some crazy scores/performances out there on iOS games that use virtual dpads. What I liked about Brad's picks is that he focused on the positives of the touch screen. The touch screen has enabled completely new genres. There are many touchscreen friendly games that would fail miserably with a mouse or joystick as input.
Never. Funny. I tend to agree most with Jared. I agree, variety is a definitely a good thing. But maybe it would be best if Touch Arcade let a different pair of writers review the games that used virtual controls, a pair that didn't despise them as much? But what about all the people who complained about the buyer's guide, and the game of the year picks? Or are they just the very vocal minority? But really, you probably know games and gaming communities better than I do. I'm still kind of a noob to this whole scene. If you've found a formula or niche that works, you might as well stick with it.
Yes, very vocal minority is an understatement. The front page gets something like 35,000 unique visitors a day on average. We had 86 comments. Even assuming that 100% of those were negative (which they weren't, but I don't feel like counting) that's what, 0.2% of our total front page readership that happened to be offended enough to post something?
"Now you're just playing with context. C'mon. You like virtual controls! I don't!" -- You Not exactly "despise", but you certainly don't like them.
Just wondering, why did the best games of the month articles go? They were so helpful it was a shame to see them go.
And here is when the flame war breaks out... I believe that the iphone should stick with simple games that use Touch Controls, make the app store's native games better, not try and copy something that's already been done.
