We Talk Video Game Controls

Video games are input/output systems, but unlike other forms of software, video games aren’t coded for efficiency. Rather, they want players to interact in a variety of ways to create a variety of outputs to maintain a feedback loop that aims to entertain rather than aims to solve a single, rote need. So, inputs, both the physical mechanisms and the button actions, are an incredibly important aspect of video games. Join us as we spend some time discussing video game controls. The games we mentioned are: Typing of the Dead Bucking Bruno Mario Teaches Typing Overcooked 2 Animal Crossing: New Horizons The game-making lessons we learned are: Button combos don’t have to be complicated if the designers leverage “domains of knowledge” (also mentioned: Caleb’s video, “Button Combinations Should Be Complicated! Why Aren't They? (Video Game Controls)” “input recycling”... “input pairing”...? Almost every virtual action in the game shares a physical input with another virtual action (Overcooked 2) Introducing more complex controls over time (Animal Crossing New Horizons) The mentioners of the aforementioned mentionables are: Charlotte Trible (@ctrble)  - co-founder of Flyover Indies and game developer Gage Bradley (@DrumGadget_433) - member of Flyover Indies, musician, and game developer Caleb J Ross (@calebjross.com / https://calebjross.com) - member of Flyover Indies and game developer If you have any comments to make on this or any Flyover Indies Podcast episode, feel free to Tweet us @Flyoverindies or email us at [email protected]. We might just read your tweets or emails in a future episode. Play some of our games here: https://itch.io/games/tag-flyover-indies Credits Intro and outro music by Nash (https://www.nashhigh.com) Subscribe to the Flyover Indies Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/520Gv2fhNb5riQS0wlT0fR Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flyover-indies-podcast-game-making-in-kansas-city/id1597656689 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/flyover-indies-podcast-game-making-in-kansas-city Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy83MmY0ODAxOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw More places to subscribe: https://anchor.fm/flyover-indies