Topic: what's the deal with wireless stuff?

[Therlun]

hiho

I read the news on gamingsteve about the X-Box.
Although i dont have a console, nor ever had one, I am interested in the development.

Steve says that the missing controller-ports could indicate that the X-Box2 has wireless controllers.
Now I ask myself, why?

I always wondered why someone would want a wireless mouse.
A Tool that is -only- used in the direct proximity of the computer it is connected with.
Why would someone want the additional burden of caring about batteries, without anything of real value in return?

On a gaming console this seems even more odd to me.
I always saw a console as a pure "toy"(no offense! ). turn on and have some enterteinment of you like, and do not care about patches, drivers or insufficient Ram...

So, do you use wireless controllers for your console(s)? And if so, why?
What advantage do you see in it? And would you really like such a system as the only alternative on "your" console?
I am really curious...

[Lord Janos]

Ever found it so annoying when you've had 3 friends round your house, and you all want to play on the console?  Ok, so you have 4 controllers... excellent... but oh no!  The console is next to the TV, and the only power socket is at full stretch to have it there - it has to stay in that position, next to the TV.

Now this in itself isn't a problem, however, when the only chair which can be moved nearer the TV is one seated, and is the one you usually use for single player, then your friends need to sit very uncomfortably near the TV, on the floor, being at a distinct disadvantage in-game.  Game controller leads aren't that long, and if they can't reach the sofa where your friends want to sit then that's not great it is?  Cordless controllers fix this problem.

Oh yeah, and also think about how many times you've had to untangle them/tripped over them/knocked over drinks with them, etc.  These are just a few examples i can come up with.  Wireless mice are pretty pointless, i admit - and the ones i've come across break a lot, but wireless console controllers are very very useful, in my opinion.

[Cool AN]

Wireless mice are pretty pointless, i admit - and the ones i've come across break a lot,

You just have to find the right ones.

[Lord Janos]

Wireless mice are pretty pointless, i admit - and the ones i've come across break a lot,

You just have to find the right ones.

Even so, they are pointless.  What kind of pleb needs a wireless mouse anyway?

[Cool AN]

Wireless mice are pretty pointless, i admit - and the ones i've come across break a lot,

You just have to find the right ones.

Even so, they are pointless.  What kind of pleb needs a wireless mouse anyway?

In some ways they are lot better then normale mouses.

[bwl2]

I like my nintendo Wavebird controler  I fight over it with my brother

[Gaming Steve]

I have a wireless mouse, keyboard, and controllers. Oh yeah, and my headphones are wireless as well. I freaking love them.

Personally I have my console systems setup pretty far from my couch, so I either have to get an extender cord (and it still doesn't reach all the way to the couch) or I can use a wireless controller and play anywhere I want! And without wires you don't have to worry about pulling your console off the shelf (has happened to me one too many times).

Everything is going wireless, even monitors are going wireless soon (but you still need to plug them in for electricity).

[DevilMachine]

i have my xbox sitting about a metre in front of the tv, so i can sit on the couch and play games.

some cords just arent long enough, and i think that is the main reason for wireless

[bwl2]

Iv won a game and pulled the cord out of my consil dozens of times. Thats why I got the wavebird

[s0lidmetal]

I think it's especially useful for party games- I don't know about you but I jump up and down while playing my friends at Tekken/Super Smash Bros/etc.  I just go crazy, it was actually the cause of my original PS2 breaking (constantly falling off the shelf from short wires).

[LadyM]

I actually just got my first wireless control for the gamecube.  The nice part is there are no wires to trip over and you can sit anywhere and play.  The bad part is, the rumble feature doesn't work. So, I'm glad I have both.. now I can rumble when I want or go wireless.

[Therlun]

Hmm, seems like you all like wireless stuff.
I'm one eyed in a colony of blind...

How far away from the monitor/tv can you get, and still have fun with the "great" ( ) console graphics?
And how long is a normal controller cable?

[bwl2]

How long the controler is depends on the console.. And if the controler if biult by 3rd party or not.

[syphonbyte]

I've got wireless controllers for my PS2, I definitely like them more than wired ones, but I don't have any use for wireless keyboards and mice. If you had a media center PC that would be a definite plus, but it's unnecessary in my situation. I don't have people running in front of the monitor now and then like I do with my TV. At a party having wireless controllers is a godsend. People are always getting up for food and stuff, then stumbling back trying to pass through the land of tangle safely without unplugging a controller or tripping.

[zaphod]

I love wireless.  Controllers, Mice, Keyboards, Wifi.  I have so many wires its annoying, and probably a fire hazard.  The more wireless we become the better I think.  I love being able to sit in my living room with the Wifi router in my office and serf the web while watching TV on my 42" Sony Grand Wega.  Someday I hope to make one of my PCs into a Media Center and instead of having to run a new wire I will just get a Wifi card.  Now if only we could find a way to safely transmit electricity wireless. 

[syphonbyte]

Now if only we could find a way to safely transmit electricity wireless. 

Oh, just noticed the "safely" part of that... I was having visions of people turning on the TV and exploding in a shower of sparks...