Topic: We have all heard of joytokey app

[Belmont Stakes]

I am wondering is there an app out there where you can plug your iphone or Droid or whatever you youngin's are using nowadays to a computer via a micro usb to usb cable and use the text device as a controller. Think of all those buttons and all of the possible applications and animations for different game moves you could do with that type of freedom. I know there are games on cellular networks that you can download with or without a fee. I just think the idea would allow for great creativity for game designers. Take a fighting game for example. You could have a number of different moves with different button combinations.

[Inccubus]

Not to burst your bubble, but why would I want to use a cellphone as a controller when I have a keyboard.

[Belmont Stakes]

Well with that I say I guess there is no reason for Joytokey to exist then either. I play a lot of games whether they are on an emulator or flash game or a home brew made with Game Maker and I use Gravis Pro Pad. To me the keyboard is too cumbersome and certain types of text devices I have found to be similar to a gamepad or analog controller that most major consoles employ. Ones that use physical buttons are better for gaming I would imagine. I just believe that there is something here that could be used to make gaming more intersting. Maybe I am wrong I don't know, I am just saying the idea should be delved into further.

[Inccubus]

I've never played a game on a mobile device that I didn't curse. I'd rather use a keyboard than an iPhone or any other mobile device. I generally use joytokey along with my Dualshock pad for games that don't support gamepads.
However, I do know of an app, that allows you use the PSP as a game pad for PC. Of course your PSP has to be hacked with a cfw, though.

[TheouAegis]

There are numerous reasons for using a gamepad over a keyboard, which defeats the "then there's no point in using joy2key" statement. First off, keyboards suffer numerous I/O errors not present in a gamepad. Pressing Z, X, the up arrow key, and the right arrow key at the same time will cause an I/O error, for example. I think ZXCV or ASZX (my typical NeoGeo and SNES layouts) will cause an I/O error if pressed all at the same time. Whereas with a gamepad, you can press all the circle buttons at the same time without any errors. Also, joy2key is meant to override not just the keyboard but the mouse as well, so people who are used to console gaming can play mouse-and-keyboard games (or even straight keyboard games like Doom or Quake 1) with an input device they're more comfortable with.

That and you can program macros (in the Jap version of Joy2Key, and also in Logitech's own driver).

[Belmont Stakes]

Naturally I believe that whatever the game is comfortable with that is the controller or input device they should use to play their game. I am speaking in part from an ergonomic point of view as well as that of a fan of fighting games. If a person who plays video games is adept with a texting device or whatever they should be able to apply that to playing games with that very device.
Whatever works for the player is understandable, I am just saying for me to use a keyboard (alone or not) feels cumbersome and inefficient. Do any of you text? I do not but I use something similar in my work and as a result I see how it could potentially work.
For me the only problem I see with a texting device as a controller is using specific alphabetic keys as the direction keys. Simply due to the fact that most people who own a gaming console have a controller where only one thumb can be used to operate the cross pad. Someone who is well adapted could probably work around this but most of us would have to designate either the left or right thumb for the four directions making many of the keys more difficult to press. All the same I am sure there are people out there that would be well suited for a text controller setup.