Input devices
There are four standard input devices you will encounter in your travels through the Windows game development journey. They are as follows:
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- GamePad
- Touch screen
The keyboard and mouse have traditionally been the staple of PC gaming, and continue to remain in that position for anyone with a desktop or laptop. The sheer number of options available on a keyboard combined with the precise analog input from a mouse allow for a large variety of games. Most gamers will stick to using a small selection of the available keys on the keyboard, depending on the type of game, so ensure that you consider the usability of any control scheme you create, and don't get carried away adding buttons just because the keyboard has plenty!
The mouse gives you two axes of movement information (x and y), and usually a minimum of two to three buttons. You can, of course, find mice with more than four buttons; thus, supporting a configurable control scheme is often a good idea to let the...