So, I was a bit bored and decided to fire up steam and check the latest releases. And that's where I saw this controller companion and my mind was blown. Because it's what we had all been looking forwards to, the day we can use a controler instead of mouse and keyboard to control the computer!

I honestly can't even.

Hey, it's good to have options I guess, and it's not like they're forcing anyone to use it. If someone wants to use a controller for the computer, more power to them. It's just, you know... really?

What's your problem with that? If you're sitting on the couch, playing a Steam game with the controller and e.g. just want top tab out real quick to check on your mails, it's kinda nice to have the option to do all of that without having to switch to your mouse first.

Especially if you don't have a cordless setup which you can put on your couch table (which might be annoying all on its own)...

This would have been awesome some 20 years ago, when mom decided to hide my mouse because she figured I sat too much at the computer. Sure, I learnt how to set up mouse keys so I could control the pointer with the numeric keys, but that was slow as fuck and quite annoying.

Actually, for my "Steam machine" connected to my TV, this would be exceedingly useful. Right now I have a controller I use to navigate Steam, but it only works with games that already have controller support and does not work at all outside of Steam. Since the PC is also a HTPC (XBMC/Kodi), I have to use a wireless mini-keyboard/trackpad to navigate the desktop to switch between Steam and Kodi, then I often switch to the Kodi controller app on my phone to navigate it. It would be very nice to just use one device to control all of it.

My problem? I have no problem with it. I just don't get it.

Maybe because I don't have a gamepad, and I'm always playing with keyboard/mouse anyway. Or maybe it's because I don't have a couch. Or a TV. Or a house. I just don't get it. The idea of controling a computer with a gamepad is just too alien for my poor head.

Programs like this do exist for ages by now.

http://www.joystick-to-mouse.com/joy2mse/j2m.htm
http://sourceforge.net/projects/joy2key/

Selling mods, selling standard freeware applications, what's next? Selling WindowsXP support for new 32bit games?

When I die I'm going to be buried with my mouse. You can take your controller companion and stick in where the sun don't shine! :P

Is that the mouse from your infamous mouse picture?

He lives in the middle of the boondocks, you think they have electronics there?

Don't laugh, I get asked that. :P

My other favorite question is, "What do you do for food?"

Neither of those provide on-screen keyboard functionality like this Greenlight project purports to, they just allow you to map specific key and mouse functions to a controller. That can be useful for making games that rely on keyboard/mouse work with a controller (strategy games, for example), but for general PC usage with a controller, not so much.

I'm not surprised in the least, given the many examples of stupidity the Internet shows me daily.

The answer to what you do for food should be that you chew your leg off for dinner, but that they shouldn't be worried because it's fully grown back again by morning. Sometimes you go for luxury and make a sauce of crushed roaches.

Not sure how familiar you are with all of Steam's features but Steam has a "Big Picture" mode that is primarily targetted towards people who want to connect their computer to a widescreen television in the living room and play games on the TV in a more console-style fashion. The Big Picture interface is controllable via game controllers, and people who have such a setup are more likely to have a controller for doing this console style gaming setup. Of course it doesn't preclude using a mouse, keyboard or other input device either but people who have a Big Picture setup are more likely to have and be using a controller already and the more things they can access with it the more useful it is for them. I'm a typical keyboard+mouse+monitor gamer myself although I have some other input devices as well including a couple of Logitech gamepad controllers. I don't use them for much except games where the controller is actually a superior input device, which most of the titles I normally play are not among. ;) I do find it nice to have controllers though for those games that are smoother with them.

Having said that, I know people who are more the console type of gamer and who would likely favour a Big Picture type of console-like setup for their PC gaming, and the app you're referencing is no doubt targeted towards that type of person and setup. It's always nice to have options to exploit all of our hardware to the fullest for the best reason of all: Because.

Personally, my favourite input device is a 20 button Logitech G600 mouse, and while many people are baffled at the idea of why someone would want a mouse with 20 buttons and what you could possibly do with 20 buttons that you can't do with a keyboard or blah blah blah, I've come to the realization that that's their preference and their narrow minded view on what all things are possible. I love the 20 button mouse and benefit from it in usability and productivity immensely and not just in video games either, in fact I use the added functionality more in day to day productivity applications, my web browser and other stuff probably 10 times more than I do with games and I couldn't live without it now. In fact if and when they make a 40 button mouse, I'll be the first to buy one no matter how many people are standing by scoffing at the idea and scratching their heads puzzled how such a thing is even useful. ;)

Admittedly, I am a total technical gearhead - there's no getting away from that. I have a Logitech G27 racing wheel with the pedals and gear shifter mechanisms and I have the brake and accelerator pedals configured to scroll up and down in Firefox, and the racing wheel configured to scroll left and right also. My reason: Because I can.

I also have my wireless Logitech gamepad programmed as a remote control for VLC player. Because I can.

Yep - because I can... Best reason of all. :)

So, as they say... to each their own. :)