Although console manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo would like gamers to believe they don't play favorites, the fact of the matter is some developers get a little better treatment than others. Since the success of a developer's game walks hand in hand with the appeal of a console, it behooves the manufacturer to make their device as accommodating as possible. Case in point: Titanfall.
We've already detailed how Microsoft plans to tweak multiplayer and party chat on the Xbox One ahead of Titanfall's release in March, and now comes word that said patch will also improve the console's controller input. The fix was specifically requested by the developers at Respawn in order to improve the experience in their forthcoming game.
According to Titanfall Design Lead Justin Hendry, the input on the Xbox One controller was a little less-than, specifically with regards to the sensitivity on the boundaries of both joysticks. It might not have been terribly noticeable on many of the Xbox One's launch titles, but with a game like Titanfall, where speed and precision are everything, it was seemingly an issue.
"It's just fixing the controller input, really. It wasn't really where we felt it should be; it was a little overly twitchy with the current controls. Now it's fixed. We're happy with it."
The controller tweak should be included with the latest Xbox One update, which is slated to hit sometime soon. Said update will also include improvements for Kinect, as well as the ability to manage the console's storage space (i.e. delete mandatory installation files).
There's no denying that Microsoft has just as much invested in Titanfall as Respawn Entertainment. If the title is a success, it will likely signal a new era of multiplayer dominance for the former Call of Duty devs, and for Microsoft it will mean more Xbox One consoles flying off store shelves. That isn't to say the Xbox One is selling poorly — it's actually doing quite well sales-wise — but this is the title that many gamers were waiting for before pulling the trigger on a next-gen purchase.
Since Hendry's comments, Microsoft has come out to explain how the controller update will work. It's fairly easy: as soon as the Xbox One controller syncs with the console it should have the improved sensitivity.
While Microsoft has said that the Xbox One patch should hit within the next day or so, it's unclear whether the update will go live before the Titanfall beta concludes on February 18th. If the controller patch is intended specifically for Titanfall, it only makes sense that it release in time for the beta so gamers' first experience with the game is under the most ideal circumstances.
Did you notice any problems with the Xbox One controller's input? Do you think Titanfall is as integral to the Xbox One's success as recent news suggests?
Titanfall releases March 11, 2014 for the PC, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
-
Source: The Verge