22 replies to this topic

[ORIGINAL SteelWolf]

http://www.destructo...oo-229070.phtml


I might go for this one instead.


[color=#000000]

I bet every original Steel Battalion fan just got goosebumps upon seeing these images of the MEK-FU controller, huh? I know I did when I saw it in person last week at the Hawken party during E3. Of course, there's a sense of dread that comes along with thinking of the original Steel Battalion controller, as that giant overpriced thing became instantly useless.
Let's make something clear right from the start: The MEK-FU controller is a USB-based, fully programmable controller. You'll be able to use it beyond just Hawken.
The controller is designed by RIPLEIGH, a new accessory company that's giving the accessory market a spin. Chen Yisheng, CEO of RIPLEIGH, was at the party and told me the team did a lot of research in order to design the MEK-FU. They even have someone on the team that drove tanks for the military.
The controller features two joysticks, numerous buttons, flip switches, and everything else you'd think would be necessary to control a giant beast of a mech. How many buttons, exactly? The funny thing is that Chen Yisheng wasn't even sure, but there's a lot. Hell, there's even a full keyboard on the controller!
Another amazing feature of the MEK-FU is that you can attach your mobile or tabletdevice straight onto the controller. This is to serve as a secondary screen, or even as the main screen, which will work with Hawkenthanks to the Gaiki streaming partnership.

Everything you're seeing here is in prototype form, but it's pretty close to what they imagine the final design will be like. RIPLEIGH is still playing around with some ideas, one in particular that Chen told me was that they're thinking about making one of the joysticks useable as a standalone device. I strongly encouraged Chen that would be a great idea.
The MEK-FU will be out early next year, hopefully very soon after the release of Hawken this December 12. Before leaving the Hawken event, Chen asked me how much I would want to pay for the controller. I told him if they were to include the standalone joystick idea, I'd pay in the $150 range. How much would you be willing to pay?[/color]
LAUNCH GALLERY (8 IMAGES)

[Shatter Shot]

Wow.

[New Breed]

yeah..hawken is more twitch then call of duty.

I'll let you use your imagination on how well you'd do with 2 joysticks like that.

(sense..it makes none)

[Yuba Frank]

Yeah, looks cool . Two joysticks doesn't make sense to me though unless you configure the arm mounted weapons to them. I think I'll be running mouse and keyboard to start with and see where that takes me.

[fatcat01]

I like how Hawken already has a prototype for their controller, while for MWO we're stuck with just a concept image.

[Frostiken]

fatcat01, on 17 June 2012 - 07:54 AM, said:

I like how Hawken already has a prototype for their controller, while for MWO we're stuck with just a concept image.

MWO has a mockup too.

RE: The Hawken controller: I couldn't imagine a more useless controller for a game that is fundamentally just Quake.

[Rather Dashing]

Regardless of how well it would work in Hawken I'd like to give it a spin on MWO.

[Dataman]

uuh that game won't have tons of armament attached to a mech.

left hand weapon, right hand weapon. and if nothing changes, you can't shoot both weapon at the same time.

so, is hawken openly challenge MWO?

[FlakAttack]

Frostiken, on 17 June 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

RE: The Hawken controller: I couldn't imagine a more useless controller for a game that is fundamentally just Quake.

Wow, you guys really are not giving Hawken any credit at all. Comparing it to Quake and Call of Duty? Look, I like MWO's style more too, but I wouldn't dare dismiss and bash Hawken without knowing more about it.

Besides, I'd more loosely compare it to Tribes, and that game was awesome.

Dataman, on 17 June 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

uuh that game won't have tons of armament attached to a mech.

left hand weapon, right hand weapon. and if nothing changes, you can't shoot both weapon at the same time.

so, is hawken openly challenge MWO?

I wouldn't really say Hawken can be compared to MWO, they're pretty different. That said, how are you guys missing this? One joystick for movement, one for aiming. It's like you guys don't see a throttle and suddenly you have no idea what's going on.

Edited by FlakAttack, 17 June 2012 - 08:11 AM.

[Aaron DeChavilier]

FlakAttack, on 17 June 2012 - 08:08 AM, said:

Wow, you guys really are not giving Hawken any credit at all. Comparing it to Quake and Call of Duty? Look, I like MWO's style more too, but I wouldn't dare dismiss and bash Hawken without knowing more about it.

Besides, I'd more loosely compare it to Tribes, and that game was awesome.

I have a game idea, lets take the gameplay of Tribes, the speed of CoD and then slap a mech paint job on it. Tribes was awesome, CoD is awesome, but vehicle shooters are a bit different. When you see a robot doing the same stuff a person does, well then I ask whats the point. I saw the gameplay trailers, I didn't feel like I was in a fighting robot, I felt like I was in a flying gunpod. Also, if it really is just tribes with mechs, then how would that really be any different?

[Victor Morson]

A terrible controller for Hawken: An interesting one for MWO.

[Tebbo]

Apparently none of you have played Virtual On.

One stick is for moving yourself around, the other is for aiming.


Hawken moves nothing like Tribes, just completely remove that idea from your mind.

Edited by Tebbo, 17 June 2012 - 08:18 AM.

[Dataman]

FlakAttack, on 17 June 2012 - 08:08 AM, said:

Wow, you guys really are not giving Hawken any credit at all. Comparing it to Quake and Call of Duty? Look, I like MWO's style more too, but I wouldn't dare dismiss and bash Hawken without knowing more about it.

Besides, I'd more loosely compare it to Tribes, and that game was awesome.

I wouldn't really say Hawken can be compared to MWO, they're pretty different. That said, how are you guys missing this? One joystick for movement, one for aiming. It's like you guys don't see a throttle and suddenly you have no idea what's going on.

granted. it loosely feels like tribe. but I've seen the gameplay and it feels like I'm playing MW2 in a mech. that thing's can even side dash.

And compared to BT mechs, Hawken's mechs doesn't that big. maybe a bit larger than a protomech, but no larger than a light class mech, even Flea is bigger than them.

and the devs said you can't adjust your mech to your liking. so, it's like bring the biggest stick and you'll win.

oh and no locational damage.

Edited by Dataman, 17 June 2012 - 08:26 AM.

[Honorabili]

Agreed. That controller would be great for MW but not for Hawken

[Vite Ramen]

Tebbo, on 17 June 2012 - 08:17 AM, said:

Apparently none of you have played Virtual On.

One stick is for moving yourself around, the other is for aiming.

Er, that's not how Virtual On works.

I love the game, and its control scheme is perfect with the proper twin-stick setup (I bought the 360 one for the XBLA version of Oratorio Tangram).


Aiming is automatic. You are always centered towards your opponent (it is 1v1 only). You can rotate to aim a little towards the right or left by pushing one stick forward and one backward. Pushing the sticks away from each other = jumpjet. Pushing inward = crouch, or jump-cancel. One stick in one direction = move. Two sticks in same direction = move faster. The advantage of having two sticks for movement is that you only need to use one when boosting around, and use the second one if you want to alter your boost mid-way. The controls just feel so right for a mecha fighting game.

Edited by Llyranor, 17 June 2012 - 08:42 AM.

[OlegBeloV]

It looks cool enough. Would like to test how solid the thing is (how cheap and clunky the plastic is). 150$ is about what i would pay for it.

[Risky]

Oh look a cheap Chinese plastic toy. Totally going to blow 100+ bucks on that (Not).

[Frostiken]

Llyranor, on 17 June 2012 - 08:39 AM, said:

Er, that's not how Virtual On works.

I love the game, and its control scheme is perfect with the proper twin-stick setup (I bought the 360 one for the XBLA version of Oratorio Tangram).


Aiming is automatic. You are always centered towards your opponent (it is 1v1 only). You can rotate to aim a little towards the right or left by pushing one stick forward and one backward. Pushing the sticks away from each other = jumpjet. Pushing inward = crouch, or jump-cancel. One stick in one direction = move. Two sticks in same direction = move faster. The advantage of having two sticks for movement is that you only need to use one when boosting around, and use the second one if you want to alter your boost mid-way. The controls just feel so right for a mecha fighting game.

The arcade version of that om nom'ed many of my quarters.

[Urban UK]

Whats wrong with 2 joysticks? When you think about it, console controllers are basically 2 joysticks, 2 throttles a hat switch and quite a few buttons, and I can get pretty good controll on consoles IMO

I personally think I am going to get this controller over the razer one, I like that I can plug my iPad into the hawken controller aswell
Can't wait to see how that functions

Edited by Urban UK, 18 June 2012 - 09:42 AM.

[SquareSphere]

Man i love two stick mech controls but that sliver looking trigger on the left stick looks like a crap way to control throttle.