Hey guys! Valve sent me a Steam controller a week or two back, which is pretty cool! As a lowly indie dev, I didn’t know if they would send me one, but I guess they like me enough.

I haven’t played around with it that much yet, but so far I’m having a hard time figuring out in what situations it would actually be useful.

As a normal controller it’s not very comfortable. The buttons are small and too close to the center, and the whole shape doesn’t really support them. A regular 360 style controller is much better.

As a mouse replacement it’s kind of different. I tried playing EBF4 with it for a while, and it works okay. It’s much better than using a mouse on your lap, or using a trackpad. But EBF4 is a game that doesn’t require any accurate or quick clicking. I really wouldn’t want to play anything action oriented with this thing, nor any games with really small user interface elements.

So far the only thing I’ve actually enjoyed using it for is as a remote control for videos and website browsing. It’s quite good at that – it’s got all the mouse features and a few keys on it, so you can control stuff like playback, volume, new tabs, scrolling, full screen mode, etc. easily.

Maybe if you don’t have a wireless mouse or any gaming controllers, this thing might be quite useful as an okay replacement for everything.

I’m interested to see if other people actually end up liking it, or if Valve improve the design later, because so far I’m not too impressed, but it is definitely an interesting and unique device. I’ll keep playing around with it and see if anything works out. It’s got a bit of a learning curve, and maybe I’ll get used to it if I use it some more.

I recently read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, and I totally recommend it to anyone who has to deal with people for a living. (so just about everyone)

The short version of the book is: Be polite and empathetic towards everyone you meet, and show a genuine interest in them. Avoid arguments and be very sensitive and understanding when trying to change someone’s mind. Admit it when you’re wrong. Remember that people are emotional creatures, and that they’re motivated by their own pride and desires more than anything else. Make people feel appreciated and important.

Although the book is mainly set in the context of business transactions, I think it’s quite useful in just about any type of relationship, and I’ve been figuring out a lot of the lessons on my own over the years while dealing with people online.

Here’s some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Remember that the people you are talking to are a hundred times more interested in their wants and problems than they are in yours.”

“Don’t criticize people; for they are just what you would be under similar circumstances.”

“Remember that we are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride.”

“Be hearty in your appreciation and lavish in your praise, and people will cherish your words even long after you have forgotten them.”

“Nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give.”

“Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.”

“It takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving. A great man shows his greatness by how he treats little men.”