Chapter 21. Game Controllers
A game
controller is a specialized input device optimized for use
with games. Unlike mice and trackballs, which are relatively
standardized in form and function, game controllers run the gamut in
shape, size, features, and purpose. Some game controllers sit on the
desktop. Others clamp to the desk, and still others are held in both
hands and manipulated directly. Game controllers may have a joystick,
a steering wheel, a flight yoke, foot pedals, or may be what we call
"grab, twist, and squeeze"
controllers.
A particular game controller may be well suited for one game and
entirely inappropriate for another. For example, a game controller
with a steering wheel may be perfect for playing NASCAR Winston Cup
Racing, but unusable for a first-person shooter (FPS) game like
Quake. Serious gamers who play diverse games often own several game
controllers and use the one most appropriate for the game they are
playing at the moment.
Game controllers attach either to a game port, which most sound
adapters provide as a combined game/MIDI port, or to a USB port.
Although you may have only one game/MIDI port on a PC, that port can
support two game controllers simultaneously by using a splitter,
which is supplied with many game controllers or can be purchased at
most computer stores. Also, some game controllers have ports on the
controller itself, which allow additional controllers to be
daisy-chained from the controller attached to the PC. As you might
expect, it's possible to connect multiple USB game
controllers, although not all combinations work properly and
conflicts are common.
|
