[RadioRant] No 360 Pad Support for PC Version of Mass Effect 3. Razer releases ME3 360 Controller. What?

So according to an article on Eurogamer, Mass Effect 3 will not support Xbox 360 controllers on the PC. Even though it’s because the developers cannot spend extra development time implementing this feature, this is fine with me. I really enjoy playing PC games with a mouse and keyboard and I wasn’t planning on playing Mass Effect 3 on PC with an xbox controller. With that being said, Razer has announced a line of Mass Effect 3 themed products, including an Xbox 360 controller. What the hell?

This really confuses me. On one hand, you have one of the most anticipated games of the year: Mass Effect 3. It’s going to be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Having a gaming PC, I’m clearly going to pick it up for the PC. One of the reasons I enjoy PC gaming is because of all of the options it has. You can mod games to your liking, adding new features and tweaks that weren’t originally included. Personally, I find keyboard and mouse to be a superior input method than a controller in many applications. However I appreciate the PC’s ability to use an Xbox 360 controller. Some games are better suited to using a pad over a keyboard and mouse.

So if you know you’re developing one of the biggest games of the year, why would you not put the extra resources towards allowing PC gamers to customize their game even further? 3rd person shooting is actually one situation where I feel comfortable using a controller over mouse and keyboard. Yet Bioware doesn’t care enough to implement Xbox 360 controller support for one of the biggest PC titles to be released this year. While I think it is a silly decision, it’s their money so I assume they know what they’re doing. The part that blows my mind is the line of Razer products that are Mass Effect 3 themed. This includes a sexy Black Widow Ultimate keyboard with the LED lit keys, a customized Imperator mouse, mousepad, iPhone case and messenger bag. That seems like an odd one. The product I’m focusing on at the moment though is the Xbox 360 controller.

It’s basically just an ME3 branded Razer Onza controller. I know it’s a business move. I know its just about making money, and that’s fair enough I guess. It just doesn’t make sense to dangle this really sexy controller in PC gamer’s faces, knowing that they won’t be able to utilize the controller to play the game it’s based on. Not to mention, purchasing the controller gives you a code to unlock the Collector Assault Rifle, so if you want that you’ll need to buy this controller. Fortunately the DLC can be unlocked by purchasing the Razer Mass Effect 3 keyboard or mouse. This is a much pricier option though, as the keyboard costs about $140 and the mouse is around $80 before shipping. PC gamers are forced to go that route to collect the DLC instead of going the cheaper route with the $60 ME3 Xbox 360 controller.

At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter that much. I just find things like this so incredibly absurd that I need to share it. Honestly, with how awesome PC gaming is and how awesome the modding community is, Xbox 360 controller support will probably be modded into the game within a week. While that part alone could render my point moot, it’s about the principle of the thing. Why would you not add 360 pad support in the first place? With the increasing amount of support on PC for the 360 controller, this seems like a no brainer. Why would you rob your customers of a more comfortable gaming experience if they prefer the superior visuals/framerates of PC but the input method of a controller. Its just such a simple feature to leave out, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t implement it to at least give gamers an option. That’s what PC gaming is all about: options. PC isn’t locked down like a console. I could play games with a wired 360 controller, a wireless PS3 controller or kb/m if I wanted. Restricting your customers like this, especially with a branded product meant to draw in fans of the series makes no sense to me.