How The Conduit Made Alien Controls Intuitive through Control Customization

Chris G. DanielHigh Voltage Software Inc.

How The Conduit…

…Made Alien Controls Intuitive…

…Made Alien Controls Intuitive…

…throughControl Customization

High Voltage Wii Releases (pre-Conduit)1. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy2. Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law3. Ben 10: Protector of Earth4. Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue5. Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow

Princess6. Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue7. V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack8. Gyrostarr9. High Voltage Hot Rod Show10. Evasive Space

Critical Response

The controls options are deep and everyone will be able to find a setting they are comfortable with and find perfect for battle. More FPS titles need this kind of customization setup in place.

~ Matt Furtado (Kombo)

You’re bound to find a control scheme that suits you no matter how meaty and unsightly that thing you call a hand may be.

~Chris Antista (GamesRadar)

In a nutshell, the only way to rag on the control in The Conduit is by looking in a mirror.

~Dave Halverson (Play)

[The Conduit] features the most… precise, enjoyable controls of any

console shooter created.~ Matt Casamassina (IGN)

The Wii, Made for FPSs

Intuitive Interface

The Wii, Made for FPSs

Gun peripherals

The Wii was out2.5 Years before

The Conduit came out!

Tons of Wii Shooters

We understand this

???

[The Conduit] features the most… precise, enjoyable controls of any

console shooter created.~ Matt Casamassina (IGN)

[The Conduit] features the most customizable, precise and

enjoyable controls of any console shooter created.~ Matt Casamassina (IGN)

The Conduit is Ultra Customizable Nearly 30 different controls to change.

Completely interchangeable button/motion layout

Different controls/styles completely change play

Customization ImprovedThe Conduit’s Controls

The Conduit’s Customizationcan make other games

control better.

EmpoweringControl Customization

(ECC for short)

EmpoweringControl Customization

When dealing with new interfaceslet players make their own controls

What Games can Benefit from Empowering Control Customization?

Potential Interfaces for ECC

Motion Controllers

Potential Interfaces for ECC

Touch Controls

Potential Interfaces for ECC

New Tech

High Voltage Wii Releases (pre-Conduit)1. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy2. Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law3. Ben 10: Protector of Earth4. Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue5. Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow

Princess6. Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue7. V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack8. Gyrostarr9. High Voltage Hot Rod Show10. Evasive Space

None of HVS’sWii releases before

The Conduit had complex control customization

Why did The Conduit need it?

Why The Conduit Demanded ECC

1. Requires a Unique Input Interface2. Requires Precision Control3. Hardcore Demographic4. Genre with a Tradition of

Customization5. Complex Controls6. Mostly Intuitive Controls

1. Requires aUnique Input Interface

1. RequiresPrecision Control

3. HardcoreDemographic

4. Genre with a Tradition of Customization

5. Complex Controls

6. MostlyIntuitive Controls

Intuitive Controls

Pointing to aim your gun

Pulling the trigger button to shoot

Thrusting your hand forward to do a melee attack

Abstract Controls

Moving the Pointer to the screen edge moves your field of view

Analog Stick to strafe

Every button has an action

Intuitive/Abstract disconnect makes control customization

important

IntuitivePlayer wants to

intuit the controls

AbstractPrevents automatic

understanding

Incentives for Empowering Control Customization1. Requires a Unique Input Interface2. Requires Precision Control3. Hardcore Demographic4. Genre with a Tradition of

Customization5. Complex Controls6. Mostly Intuitive Controls

What is Empowering Control Customization?

EmpoweringControl Customization

When dealing with new interfaceslet players make their own controls

4 Rules

4 Rules of ECC

1. Implement Customization Early

2. Include Lots of Options

3. Give Immediate Feedback

4. Make Customization Easy

IncludeCustomization Early

First Playable Debug Control Customization Player Control Customization

- More time to test - Dev team is encouraged to try their

own styles

First Playable Debug Control Customization

First Public Playable Player Control Customization

- The earlier this can happen the more you will benefit from ECC

Most Playerswill never use

Control Customization

You need good controlsout of the box

GoodOut of the Box Controls

Play testers can improve your controls

Community can give you direction

Take Control ofThe Conduit

Button Layout Contest

The Conduit’sControls were Good

BUTThe Conduit’s controls

were too sensitivefor new players

Changes Based on Player Feedback

Lower default sensitivity

Slower default player movement speed

The addition of a 180° turn button

Early Customization Benefits More time to test Makes your controls more friendly out

of the box

Makes your fans more involved/happy - The hardcore love customization - Asking players for feedback during

production gives them a feeling of ownership

IncludeLots of Options

The Conduit’s Customizable Controls Dead Zone X Dead Zone Y Turn speed Run speed Auto Center Cursor

(when off screen) Wii Remote Thrust

Sensitivity Nunchuk Shake

Sensitivity Vertical View Horizontal View

Turn while cursor off-screen

Full button layout customization

Camera Style X Look Y Look

Cannot Invert Y-Axis

What Optionsto Include

1. Start with the debug menu - Everyone had their own preference - Preferences change with

experience2. Open up debug to players

3. Remove Obsolete Options3. Remove/Add Options

Lots of OptionsLeads to Emergence

EmergenceLeads to Bugs Being able to remap paused caused an

unexpected error where you couldn’t use the pause menu

Turning thrust sensitivity too low made it impossible to trigger

Being able to change the run speed made things unbalanced in multiplayer

Full customization requires more testing, implement early

GiveImmediate Feedback

MoreControls

More Confused Players

More Controls+

New Type of Interface

+Menu SystemIn the Middle

ReallyConfusing

!?

In The Conduit you can customize your controls during

gameplay

Changes are felt immediately

(no one expects players to change the sound settings without a sound cue, controls are no different)

Minimum menu learning curve

(Don’t know what an option does, change its value and you’ll see results immediately)

Only need to navigate menus once

(When players make their controls worse they are right there to fix them)

Skeptics are forced to spend time feeling the controls

In The Conduitplayers can…

shoot while customizing controls get shot while customizing controls unlock an achievement while customizing

controls die while customizing controls beat a level while customizing controls beat the game while customizing controls

Implement early to ensure your system has the required flexibility

MakeCustomization Easy

MakeCustomization Easy

Help Text

MakeCustomization Easy

Hierarchy

MakeCustomization Easy

Easy Revert

MakeCustomization Easy

Numbers

MakeCustomization Easy

Visual Feedback

MakeCustomization Easy

Presets

4 Rules of ECC

1. Implement Customization Early

2. Include Lots of Options

3. Give Immediate Feedback

4. Make Customization Easy

Lesson Learned from Implementation in The Conduit

Lessons Learned

Don’t forget Genre Basics

Lessons Learned

Experiment Early

Lessons Learned

Include more control duringImmediate Feedback

Critics Respond to Customization

The controls options are deep and everyone will be able to find a setting they are comfortable with and find perfect for battle. More FPS titles need this kind of customization setup in place.

~ Matt Furtado (Kombo)

You’re bound to find a control scheme that suits you no matter how meaty and unsightly that thing you call a hand may be.

~Chris Antista (GamesRadar)

In a nutshell, the only way to rag on the control in The Conduit is by looking in a mirror.

~Dave Halverson (Play)

Customization Leaves an Impression

It’s nearly as varied in selection as The Conduit was.

~Dustin Chadwell (Gaming Age)

Control is fluid and customizable but not to the same level as The Conduit.

~Jonathan Wahlgren (Nintendo Life)

When it comes to overall options given to Wii users, Reflex is… Trumped by only The Conduit…

~Mark Bozon (IGN)

The Conduit benefited greatly from Empowering Control Customization

HVS’s future games will benefit from ECC

Your games can benefit too

Questions?

Feedback Please fill out the evaluation forms