As the Lines Blur: Controller vs. Keyboard/Mouse
Article Written by: Andy "Casework" Newman

As we continue barrelling through the generations in gaming, more and more possibilities become realities. One thing that always has, and - in my opinion - hopefully always will set console gaming apart from PC gaming is the standard use of a controller. The genre most affected by the controller vs. keyboard/mouse debate is first-person shooters. Using a keyboard/mouse has many obvious advantages, as any skilled PC player will tell you. Keyboard/mouse allows for much more precision when aiming and allows for more customization of buttons. To a serious gamer, the keyboard/mouse combination would probably be much more comfortable and easy to use, but old-school and new-school die-hard console gamers will live and die by the controller. Well, the SmartJoy FRAG keyboard/mouse adapter for the XBOX is out to change that.

The SmartJoy FRAG will allow any user to hook up their PS/2 keyboard and mouse to their console and use them in-game. What does this mean? The XBOX developers have stated they did not want a keyboard/mouse adapter because they wanted to distinguish the XBOX as a console and not a low-grade PC. What is the big deal? There is no doubt that the keyboard/mouse is much more effective and precise than a controller with joysticks. XBOX and the XBOX Live crew have done everything they can against cheating and modding to create a level playing field throughout all Live compatible games. Well, this now creates a legal way to get an advantage on the competition.

Is this device really an advantage? That is where the main issue lies. Normally, when it comes to consoles, any third-party device will be anything but durable or trustworthy. Whether or not that is the case with the SmartJoy FRAG, it still comes down to the argument of precision versus tradition. If the SmartJoy FRAG cannot truly replicate a PC, should it be allowed? As long as it does not allow for faster reflex times and more precise aiming, then it is really nothing more than a way for die-hard PC gamers to feel comfortable when switching to console gaming.

At the low price of around $30 US, the SmartJoy FRAG is easily accessible to those who want it, or to a PC gamer looking to pick up console gaming. Is it really that bad? Well, yes and no. It is wonderful that such a device is available, and it helps crossover PC and console gamers even in what may sometimes be a bitter rivalry. But with more and more organizations like the CyberAthlete Amateur League (CAL) and Major League Gaming (MLG) holding online leagues and tournaments, it poses a problem. MLG, for example, has strongly stated they will not allow the keyboard/mouse adapter to be used in their tournaments held across the country. But what is to stop someone from using it in their online tournament and quite possibly getting an advantage over even the best Halo player in the world, because he is confined to a controller?

Part of the fun of console gaming has always been getting friends together and playing multiplayer. But if console gaming turns into PC gaming, are the casual gamers going to want to lug around all of the accessories that someone attending a LAN would? The die-hard gamers would still be there, but the casual gamers are more likely to be turned off by something that is not sleek and simple. One thing that has always given consoles a bit of an edge, especially in online play, when compared to PCs is that one standard unit is being used by everyone, giving the developers more flexibility when they know exactly what they have to work with. This is why we need to keep the line between console and PC gaming distinct, yet hopefully for the best of the community, still easy to crossover. If the Next-Gen consoles turn into low-grade PCs packaged with a keyboard and mouse, it could truly be the end of an era. Console gaming is not only more affordable, but more accessible by the general public. If we are to eliminate certain aspects of console gaming, such as the controller, it could quite possibly be the downfall of mainstream gaming.