[casual_games] Res: Use of keyboard on casual games

[Hal Barwood]

I think it's worth thinking about keyboard vs. mouse for a moment to 
understand why people (developers and players alike) view UI as such an 
important issue.  Everyone uses a mouse to click on things and little 
else, so the input literacy is well-established.  Most people are 
comfortable clicking keys as well -- at least in a word processor, where 
literacy is also well-developed.  The ambiguity arises for casual gamers 
because the keyboard lacks a standard set of cursor keys available to 
right-hand mousers:  the arrow keys are on the right side of the 
keyboard.  So keys that usually do one thing (type an "A" or "S") are 
used for something else (go left, go down, whatever), and this is 
ever-so-slightly confusing.  I expect this ambiguity to slowly disappear 
as developers throw in keyboard commands without worrying overmuch about 
accepted practices.

My advice is the same as several others in this thread:  do what the OS 
people have learned to do:  multiple sets of controls -- the mouse will 
do it all, but keyboard commands will also work.

--Hal

Michael Kuzmin wrote:

> 2007/5/31, oscar oscar <oscar.oscar.oscar at gmail.com>:

>> I do not believe that Complexity and Keyboards are mutually inclusive.

> 

> No. But when you speak about input interface with one button to click

> (mouse) and device with a lot of buttons who will pass Ockham's razor?

> Let me guess...

> 

>> I agree that the mouse seems to be the lowest barrier to entry. Does 

>> using

>> WASD or the Cursors and a Space Bar automatically

>> elevate a Atari Defender clone from Casual Gaming Pastime to some OTHER

>> designation?

> 

> Atari's "Defender" is not a Casual - it's Retro Arcade Game :) If it

> was played on ATARI 5200 in an ancient times it doesn't make it

> "casual".

> 

> Yours,

> Michael

> Kranx

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