Thread: CONTEST: Xbox Chatpad Driver Challenge

I don't know if anyone is a gamer here, but if anyone reading this owns Aquaria (a cheap game on Steam), I wanted to verify something. Can you use the XBCD driver for Windows (existing third-party 360 pad driver) on your system? If so, can you verify that the joysticks etc. show up under the Windows control panel, and you can see them moving, but the joysticks and buttons don't work in Aquaria itself?

I want to verify that since I am planning on using Aquaria as my XInput test game, and my current theory is that it only supports XInput, and thus the official drivers work but the XBCD ones don't. I think I tested it myself, or maybe the .jp ones or whatever, but I want to make sure.

Also, I should rate my progress in "number of times I have bluescreen'd Vista 64". Up to two so far! At least it lets me know when I'm doing something I shouldn't be...

*edit* Games from this list should work too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_XInput_games
I am just wanting to verify that a 360 controller will NOT work in one of those games with XBCD, but WILL work in the same game with the official driver.

Originally Posted by GAFBlizzard

Giving to charity is great, BUT...with that amount, if a community project is set up after a team releases a driver, a couple hundred of that might instead be used to get a kernel mode signing certificate (e.g. from GlobalSign). They have a per-year price, but as long as the kernel driver component becomes stable within a year, my understanding is that it can continue to be used. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Of course, that's only if a kernel mode component is used. Maybe some team has a magical user-space solution.

Are you saying that there are some fees associated? if so, we can make it accessible on the app mart - i cannot imagine anyone would be against throwing in a few $$ for this and mp3Car can take proceeds to pay the annual fee - we will do this in a transparent fashion as this is a community project and not a commercial venture. This means some forum members can have access to all info related to $$.

Originally Posted by Heather

Are you saying that there are some fees associated? if so, we can make it accessible on the app mart - i cannot imagine anyone would be against throwing in a few $$ for this and mp3Car can take proceeds to pay the annual fee - we will do this in a transparent fashion as this is a community project and not a commercial venture. This means some forum members can have access to all info related to $$.

I need to read up on it more or ask some experts, but my understanding is that the certificate costs like $200-500 depending on where you buy it. GlobalSign is the cheapest but doesn't support going through WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) etc...but it's not like this is a commercial driver, so we shouldn't NEED to go through WHQL stuff as far as I know.

A certificate needs renewed or replaced annually, as far as I understand. I don't know if there are discounts, or if renewing costs less than buying, or whatever. The most important question is whether the certificate will continue to be valid once the year is up. In that case, all it takes is getting the kernel part of the driver robust and stable within a year's time, and making sure it is powerful enough that usermode code can configure it. Then, everyone can simply continue to use the same kernel driver, but add new features etc. in usermode if desired.

Originally Posted by GAFBlizzard

Games from this list should work too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_XInput_games
I am just wanting to verify that a 360 controller will NOT work in one of those games with XBCD, but WILL work in the same game with the official driver.

The Microsoft DirectX SDK contains a SimpleController.exe that works with only XInput and might provide a good test case. Most commercial games will fall back to normal DirectInput if they can't find an XInput device, not sure how complete/correct that Wikipedia list is in that regard (i.e. there might be comes that require Xinput.dll, but still fall back to DirectInput).

Originally Posted by Grumbel

The Microsoft DirectX SDK contains a SimpleController.exe that works with only XInput and might provide a good test case. Most commercial games will fall back to normal DirectInput if they can't find an XInput device, not sure how complete/correct that Wikipedia list is in that regard (i.e. there might be comes that require Xinput.dll, but still fall back to DirectInput).

Thanks, good to know. I was using Aquaria since I had it installed and I -think- I might have verified that XBCD didn't work. If you or anyone else finds a game that doesn't work with XBCD (i.e. requiring the third-party, closed-source XBox 360 controller emulator), that'd be great to know.

*edit* Got word from SuperAngelo that Audiosurf works the same in both. Maybe it fell back to DirectInput as suggested.

*edit again* I feel dumb, looks like Aquaria has a special gamepad enable option in an configuration utility that I had to turn on before the controller would work. I will try to find the XInput test that Grumbel mentioned.

Ok, well just let me know what you find. thanks

Originally Posted by GAFBlizzard

I need to read up on it more or ask some experts, but my understanding is that the certificate costs like $200-500 depending on where you buy it. GlobalSign is the cheapest but doesn't support going through WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) etc...but it's not like this is a commercial driver, so we shouldn't NEED to go through WHQL stuff as far as I know.

A certificate needs renewed or replaced annually, as far as I understand. I don't know if there are discounts, or if renewing costs less than buying, or whatever. The most important question is whether the certificate will continue to be valid once the year is up. In that case, all it takes is getting the kernel part of the driver robust and stable within a year's time, and making sure it is powerful enough that usermode code can configure it. Then, everyone can simply continue to use the same kernel driver, but add new features etc. in usermode if desired.

Originally Posted by GAFBlizzard

Thanks, good to know. I was using Aquaria since I had it installed and I -think- I might have verified that XBCD didn't work. If you or anyone else finds a game that doesn't work with XBCD (i.e. requiring the third-party, closed-source XBox 360 controller emulator), that'd be great to know.

*edit* Got word from SuperAngelo that Audiosurf works the same in both. Maybe it fell back to DirectInput as suggested.

*edit again* I feel dumb, looks like Aquaria has a special gamepad enable option in an configuration utility that I had to turn on before the controller would work. I will try to find the XInput test that Grumbel mentioned.

Thanks for bringing up this dead device developement. as for me I dont care about the controller as i just want to use it as a mouse and the chatpad as a keyboard.

hope it get drivers soon.

cant wait for drivers for this so I can use my controler as a mouse and the chatpad a keyboard. thanks for all who are helping.

srry for the double post.

Just for everyone that's curious about the wireless vs. wired controllers - I know that, at least for the PC, Microsoft makes a USB wireless receiver that will let you use a wireless controller. It syncs just like a 360.

I can't speak for the "Made for Windows" part of this issue, but I was able to use my Xbox 360 wireless controller with my PC and use Joystick2Mouse to setup basic operation... minus the "keyboard" of course XD

Anyway, I'm excited for this, and I just Paypaled $15 more to the pot...