LGR Oddware: SpaceOrb 360 RealLife 3D Game Controller

Spacetec IMC was responsible for a range of successful Spaceball 3D input devices. NASA even used one to control their Mars rovers! Then they came out with a PC gamepad in 1996, and eh.
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#LGR #Retro #Oddware

[@captmatteus3357]

I worked for Spacetec back when these things were coming out, in fact I was one of the guys that was laid off in October 1998, just days after my first daughter was born. Good times! They had a friggin' warehouse full of SpaceOrbs. The reason why they used the serial port is because the entire protocol stack for the Spaceball series of CAD/CAM controllers was written for the serial port. It was ridiculously complicated. Because some company in Germany had produced a clone, there were efforts made to obscure the command and control stream. If you think the ball is stiff for the SpaceOrb, get your hands on a Spaceball--they don't really move at all!

[@Gojiro7]

its always great hearing from someone who was there behind the curtain :3

[@icecookie2953]

Thanks for telling us! very interesting

[@Bellthorian]

So they were a lot like the stick in and F-16?

[@DomiToonami]

What happened after the lay off? Providing for a family after something like that must be horrifying.

[@mechamania]

Spaceballs: The PC Periperal

[@patavinity1262]

"No, you twisted up on the ball... Excellent, strafe-master."

[@AtticusGrim]

Came for an Oddware, got a Tech Tales. Rad.

[@oz_jones]

A Christmas in January!

[@gmcnewlook]

Osmosis Jones christmassssss........;)

[@suborbitalprocess]

As told by Clint "Strafemaster" Basinger

[@freakishuproar1168]

It brings up an important question. Is this video Oddtales or Techware? EDIT: This might of exaggerated the importance of this question.

[@sonixthatsme]

2 in 1!

[@Ahhbsbbbakajskdb7727]

Did any of you know that in the files of Half-Life's 1997 leaked alpha prototype you can find a configuration file for the spaceorb 360?

[@JefeInquisidorGOW]

Where's the proof?

[@matiasfpm]

Interesting

[@indoraptor6094]

Callan Antlej i read that as spongebob 360 🤦‍♂️

[@vappyenjoyer24]

@@indoraptor6094 Let's play HL1 with SpongeBob 360

[@aidancommenting]

@@vappyenjoyer24 I can only imagine manipulating a miniature Spongebob to control Half-Life

[@samaleks4390]

Year 2050: “This is the ‘IPhone 10’ cellphone developed by Apple. It originally cost $1,050 USD and was supposed to be basically like a pocket computer *chuckle* anyway, let’s go ahead and power it up and see what it can do”

[@dannyBtech]

the iphone can never compared to a computer lol ....its to restricted and locked down ... most the older pdas in lgr videos can do simple things latest iphone cant do ..... change themes and customize menus , access file manager, memory card....send files via bluetooth , sideload apps ,, use windows explorer and access the device as mass storage ..i ..in 2050 the iPhone 52 will possibly allow ui customization altho i wouldnt bank on it :D

[@Erythrox21]

Danny B Tech ok nerd, ruin the simple joke

[@WerrinLotsuvhats]

@@dannyBtech too* :p

[@YingHobbies]

@@dannyBtech Iphones can process videos and do work the same as a workstation pc is what he meant Such as editing 4k video.

[@lilcatfriend4575]

@@Erythrox21 Did you really just call a viewer of this channel a nerd? WHAT A NICE COMPLIMENT!

[@aidangettel112]

LGR IS THE STRAFE MASTER!!!

[@Dave_Rice]

I am the Gatekeeper!

[@NPC-nn4qe]

Totally naming my next ESO character Strafe Master.

[@thehoodedman4271]

@@Dave_Rice I am the Juggernaut.

[@neiloch]

Yep, I heard it. ALL OF YOU HEARD IT!

[@camotech1314]

Now LGR can go pro in CS2 😂

[@scotshabalam2432]

I GREATLY APPRECIATE the attempt at engineering something new because that's what was so cool about this back in the day was nobody tried a 6-DoF ball for gaming and this was the new strange cool controller for a while. The problem is they were trying to cram about $300 in engineering in a $60 device(Yes they cost $100 but they wanted $59.99 to compete with other controllers) and the corners that needed to be cut for sensor devices for a (perceived)market acceptable price is what killed this device.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

For real, it came to the world way before its time. If it had popped out around 2010, with cheaper and more efficient tech under the hood, I think it would have hit at least a stable niche in 3D software such as Blender.

[@KuraIthys]

​@@DinnerForkTongue The professional version of this still exists though. And it's niche is precisely that; CAD and 3d software: www.3dconnexion.eu/ Same company as mentioned in the video as having bought the technology. So in fact these are the direct descendants of that device, it's just they completely gave up on the consumer market and focused entirely on a professional audience.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I dunno, it seems like it's just stacking too many functions onto a single control surface. (At least for an action game controller; not doubting it's great for slow-paced business use.) And in particular, it's a control surface underneath 90% of people's off-hand. No wonder Clint's wrist was getting so tired. That thing was demanding he use his left hand with a ton of precision, while using his right hand almost entirely to grip. That's totally backwards. OTOH, I could see this being a godsend for lefties.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@KuraIthys Which was the right move, I'd say.

[@greenbanana311]

@@jasonblalock4429 Don't know if you know what you're trying to talk about with some sort of self-bestowed authority.

[@PictureProductStudio]

Adaptive adapter for adapting adaptations is a must.

[@WilliamShinal]

Adaptation-ception!

[@larrygall5831]

...So you can *adapt* to any situation..

[@Sakuya727]

😂😂😂😂

[@TheTrueDoomSlayer]

Apple's logic

[@blackbriar5590]

Son...you're adopted

[@jcrewkidd]

"It's got a ball that you fondle". That goes on the list of things I never thought I would ever hear while watching tech related stuff on youtube.

[@uwusempai2309]

lol you must be new here welcome to the internet XD

[@thomasjenkins7506]

had that been the official tagline, this thing would've sold.

[@s4rg380]

Hahahahaha, good one... 😅

[@em84c]

@@vlc-cosplayer no. I will google it

[@doubtful_seer]

Kizzabell you never came back. Was it that good?

[@fuzzydunlop1753]

Aww man that blue orb thingamajig sounded so disappointed when you didn't follow him "no, you cartwheeled right.." "no no you turned the ball left.." :( and he sounded so full of hope too with his hearty "follow me!" 😂😂

[@CodenameRockerika]

That promo video sounded like something out of South Park made to make fun of exactly this promo video.

[@Orlor]

To tell the truth, I thought it was LGR having fun with the video. :)

[@ezrapowell6309]

Sounds like Mr. Peanut Butter from BoJack Horseman

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

Dear companies, I demand more chicken demos. Signed, EVERYONE

[@tomyyoung2624]

OH YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@freakishuproar1168]

That's a petition I could get behind.

[@BradenAlbrecht]

I'd sign that petition.

[@Lichtx]

The 3DConnexion drivers and software package for their current devices ("3dxware") still have the chicken demo :D

[@andreas4137]

I want to live in the alternate dimension where Chicken Demos became the standard way to test one's devices...

[@Misha-dr9rh]

"SpaceOrb 360 RealLife 3D Game Controller" is the most 1990s name to give a controller ever.

[@wizofsaturn]

I played descent 2 with the spaceorb back in the day and actually it gave me an unfair advantage against other players of the day as you could turn faster than with other input methods. It took a long time to master but once you do it's a formidable input method

[@JonathanFont]

Descent is still one of my favorite games! i wanted one of these so bad to play Descent! But i never saw one in my small area in Ohio.

[@Sciborg9]

And without knowing this thing existed here I was thinking of hooking up a 3dconnexion spacemouce for decent 2

[@harrisonlichtenberg3162]

Space Ball? The Schwarz was within you all along, Lonestar!

[@kilopo3030]

Am i the only one who watches these at night before going to bed? It’s almost like a peaceful infomercial that you are oddly interested in.

[@Chuais]

You're not! I love watching it at night, it's so good.

[@ParanormalNewsToday]

I've actually put it on autoplay and fell asleep to them. Guy's voice is soothing.

[@literallyanythingelseother]

Me right now at 2am

[@pnkflyd66]

I watch on the toilet

[@maximillianlylat1589]

I could go to sleep just listening to clint's voice

[@fzysknr]

This strikes me as the kind of input that *needs* a wide base, like a flight stick. Something like the CAD versions of the Spaceball, but arranged horizontally instead of vertically.

[@NudeJawn]

Nah, that thing was fine, you just need to hold it horizontally. (not vertical) Then you would push the ball away from you to go forward, pull it towards you to back up. I rocked that controller back in the day.

[@Katzelle3]

@@NudeJawn How does it compare to a joystick with twist handle or a controller with motion sensors? Actually motion sensors allow for motions and rotations alongside all three axis so maybe a motion controller like an Oculus Touch or a Switch Joy-Con would be a very interesting peripheral for CAD applications in particular. What is your opinion on that?

[@NudeJawn]

@@Katzelle3 The controller was very robust feeling. with one ball you could what 2 analog sticks do. At the time, many people played FPS with out a mouse. You did not have to aim up or down in many games. . IT is far superior to a D pad, with 2 buttons. (for fps)

[@WingMaster562]

Reminds me of the dev 3d gun in the Boneworks

[@gcolombelli]

@@Katzelle3 Look out for the Razer Hydra, cool concept, some of that stuff ended up in VR sets, but probably with a very different implementation. IMUs are getting cheaper and more accurate each year and probably a lot of old tech used in things like the Wii Motion, PlayStation Move and Razer Hydra may have become obsolete by now... or competitors may just want to avoid whatever patents are still in force for those older iterations, either because the licensing cost is too high or the other company wants to force competition out of that segment, even if they essentially abandoned that segment since then. Also, look for GyroGaming and JoyShockMapper, people have been combining stick and gyro inputs for greater accuracy in FPS games, but AFAIK this is still restricted to PC games only.

[@Yashirow]

Perfect controller for Katamari Damacy.

[@bagelmaster8]

Yashiro Nanakase that's honestly a genius idea

[@datguy8805]

You cant do the up and down on both control sticks, theyd need a different input

[@thomasjenkins7506]

i want katamari damacy, but you actually have to somersault to control it. it would be a nightmare, but worth every penny.

[@michaelg2502]

@@thomasjenkins7506 People would die

[@thomasjenkins7506]

@@michaelg2502 only a few.

[@MattMcIrvin]

The poison-green barf printed all over the package is so 1990s-edgy.

[@SlavicCelery]

It's neon to let you know it's technology from the future! Or a mountain dew type product.

[@DesignByKirk]

lol yes. thankfully, we've moved past that. It'll probably come back around at some point, though. :-/

[@dredgewalker]

I can't stand green packaging and green colored things except plants and vegetables. There's something unnatural about a green colored artificial object

[@redpup112]

Reminds me of the advertising for Earthbound.... ugh.

[@mrljgibson]

Because blue barf on black will never age. 🤣

[@JonathanDeane]

I can't help but think this would be awesome for MAME emulation, for those 360 rotating joystick games. Like Ikari Warriors and Time Soldiers and Forgotten Worlds. (some of my favorite arcade games)

[@LGR]

Actually yeah, didn't think of that at all but that would be pretty excellent.

[@scottehm86]

Xybots

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

Man, going back further this would have been great for Centipede.

[@MrERLoner]

Heavy Barrell

[@thohangst]

Sinistar wasn't quite the same but this might be an ok controller for it.

[@corinthian129]

"Designed for Windows 95" the mark of quality!

[@benn454]

@Rick James5678 Now, if it says "Designed for Windows Me", RUN AWAY.

[@RsConqueror]

holy crap my neighbor had this growing up, I thought I'd hallucinated it!

[@bigdsmusicrepository4877]

Na you just hallucinated that neighbor.

[@paulgascoigne5343]

Or maybe you are just the hallucination of your neighbour? 🤔

[@bigdsmusicrepository4877]

@@paulgascoigne5343 maybe we are all hallucinations caused by someone's delusion! 😂

[@jaakkopontinen]

Maybe we are all rubber balls in extradimensional game controllers.

[@rogermuppet]

This is so rad! I've used comparable peripherals for CAD - they were set up on the table though and not handheld. For CAD this is an excellent peripheral, because you don't change your view so frantically as in gaming. It gives you smooth control over banking, rotating and zooming your models - and being able to do all these 3 things at once is actually pretty time-saving once you get the hang of it.

[@BigManko]

I use a 3DConnexion 6DOF-Thing each day for CAD work... The chicken Demo is still included.

[@FroggyMosh]

Really, that's awesome. That came all the way from the 90's!

[@notasnail8484]

Same here for Game Dev, it's rad!

[@Justplanecrazy25]

Working for the company right now. So glad LGR covered this. We have one in our historic devices collection but I've never had the chance to try it out. The chicken is great! Check out the jet too if you haven't.

[@rca168]

Same, but if the CAD software is well designed... it is actually quite useless. Good that SolidWorks is not!

[@andrewmurschel2608]

@@FroggyMosh The tech and concept may have, but 3dConnexion still makes these devices and they are fantastic. ( i also use this ) Definitely recommended for CAD or any 3d environment.

[@jaecenwhite2590]

When I was a teenager in the 90s these things were everywhere! I thought the world was full of them. Now 30 years later I find out they were just headquartered in my home town. Doh.

[@chuckleshelicopterwigwamjo7315]

Thank you, Clint, for your awesome videos! You've inspired me to build my own PC.

[@lukmanulhakim5529]

"Greetings and welcome to the LGR thing." I don't know why, but that introduction is a bit soothing to me.

[@thescorpionsy9011]

I bought a Spaceorb 360 when it was launched back in the day. It was promoted also by the DOOM world champion as the best controller ever designed for 3D FPS shooters that he personally gamed with....because it was a revolutionary controller with a revolutionary design. Clint, you need a steep learning curve to use it comfortably and accurately, because of the sensitivity factor...but once mastered you would not go back for other methods. I was blown away by this tech gear when it came out. I have it boxed in storage somewhere.

[@jiminverness]

It was amazingly good for instant 180 swivel-fire-jump combos.

[@TheOutLokk]

in 2019? no way lol

[@BigPuddin]

Along came analogs to render it obsolete. No way this thing is useful in the modern era.

[@thescorpionsy9011]

@@BigPuddin Of course, but back in the day this was almost like cheating...lol. Like thise Aimbots we have today. I always appreciate new pieces of tech that make gaming easier or smoother.

[@thescorpionsy9011]

@@jiminverness Indeed....that was one of the highlighted benefits if using it for FPS shooters...it gave you a big edge.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

I love how they used Doom, which doesn't have a user-controlled Z axis, to show how this is as realistic as real life, and maybe more.

[@spartanforce7]

Technically speaking, it doesn't have ANY Z-Axis.

[@Elenrai]

@@spartanforce7 Im still trying to comprehend how I never realized that as a child!

[@destubae3271]

@@spartanforce7 Or maybe more

[@Saver310]

@@spartanforce7 flying cacodemons, what about that or blocking ceilings some monsters cannot go under the lowered ceilings

[@spartanforce7]

@@Saver310 Not a coder here, but I assume it's the same as a game like Pokemon where there are just certain paths labeled as unpassable.

[@boardonthebayou6525]

I owned 2 of them. Had a learning curve, but once you got used to them, you could pull off some incredible moves that wasn't possible with just a keyboard and mouse. When my last one broke and I found out they were no longer being made, I was devastated. Would love to have a high quality modern version.

[@nthgth]

It's called an Xbox controller. (Or PlayStation or Stadia)

[@gcolombelli]

​@@nthgth Not really, the Space Orb offers 6 degrees of freedom, while dual stick controllers give you only 4 degrees of freedom, unless you're counting in the gyros built in some of them, but not many games take advantage of them and you have to install and configure third party software* if you really want to take advantage of them on a PC. This is more like the Spaceball, SpaceMouse, Logitech Cyberman, Razer Hydra and so on. The Razer Hydra looked really neat, but I guess it didn't become a huge hit due to the same chicken and egg issue that such awkward innovative tech face: users don't want to invest in a new, expensive input device that isn't really supported by many games and offer almost no tangible benefit for most games, or has a steep learning curve before you have an advantage with it. If there are no users, no studios will design their games to fully take advantage of such tech either. We've been seeing the same thing over again with VR. Sure, there are some VR games that look really fun, but the tech is still a bit cluncky and expensive. It will still take quite a while before it becomes mainstream. * search GyroGaming / JoyShockMapper if you're interested in that, it could totally eliminate or even flip the advantage keyboard&mouse players have over joystick players on FPS games and solve the cross-platform multiplayer issue for good, if only consoles implemented that kind of stuff...

[@Takato]

"Perform every move imaginable!" Try doing a SNK pretzel input with this lol

[@amartinez97]

@@swat37 Google is your (heavily neglected) friend.

[@davidficca8963]

z inputs in Street Fighter

[@NiGHTSnoob]

@@swat37 It's an input for Geese Howard's Raging Storm attack in some of the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters games. It requires you to (assuming you're facing right) input down left, right, down right, down, down left, left, and down right+punch very quickly and it's very easy to screw up by accidentally hitting up left or up right and end up jumping, or by not getting all the way to the left position before swinging to down right which simply causes the move to not come out. Many later games have simplified the input or added additional input options such as starting left and rolling the stick counter clockwise to right, then clockwise back to left, then down right+punch, and I believe one game even lets you do two hadoken inputs+punch. The original input is known as the pretzel because it looks a lot like a pretzel if you draw it out starting from the bottom left nub and looping all the way around in one continuous motion until you hit the bottom right nub.

[@omgazr0]

Z motion is the worst explanation I've ever seen Capcom give when it's actually just pushing forward and then quickly inputting a fireball

[@omgazr0]

@Harri Kirvesniemi flick forward then quarter circle forward, try it. Quarter Circle Forward is shorthanded by fireball or QCF

[@KuraIthys]

I remember these. Never used one, but the idea was intriguing. You know what I miss though? Force feedback joysticks. Nowadays they've been forgotten to the point that a slightly more advanced rumble feature is treated like some massive advance in 'haptic feedback', yet these devices from the early 2000's have just about every modern force feedback device beat. It'd be interesting to know why they died out. I'd love to see a modern iteration of the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback sticks, or the logitech ones... But why DID they stop making them? I guess the only 'recent' device with that kind of functionality (and even that could be considered ancient by now) would be the novint falcon. Perhaps the steering wheels with force feedback support would count, but I don't know if that's really comparable... Eh. A pity, really...

[@MagicAccent]

Oh force feedback.. That is a retro-futuristic tech I want making a comeback..

[@greysky1252]

Dude! I remember my brother and I holding a demo version of it at a Babbages and it was like swinging itself around like a lightsaber and rumbling like a helicopter and it blew our minds! We didn't have modern PC games at the time so I assumed everyone had one but apparently it never really took off?? Has LGR done a video on it yet?

[@Code7Unltd]

The closest thing we have to force feedback is console pads (vibration motors are the next logical step in force feedback, anyway).

[@csciacchitano]

@@greysky1252 Woah, I remember that exact helicopter demo. Blew my mind as a kid but definitely couldn't afford one, much less a computer good enough to play games that supported it.

[@MrClawt]

@@Code7Unltd You are forgetting about Force Feedback wheels. They provide real tangible motion, instead of just a 'buzz' like an Xbox/Playstation controller.

[@shutter-chan]

"you can twist it, fondle it. . ." Well played LGR 😏

[@2ankhs]

I was the QA person on this Controller also!! Me and Mike DeSalvo and Laura Reilly and Tony Lavoie were part of the QA team. You guys took over after we all got laid off!! They did have a warehouse on the second floor too in the hallways at the Boot Cotton Mills in Lowell Ma! Logitech eventually bought them after Labtec. So much history on this I can share! I still have my business cards from them!! I bawled my eyes out when I got laid off from my first tech job.

[@yueibm]

I have a 3DConnexion spaceball at my General Motors desk! Thanks for the Oddware, Clint!

[@Zizzily]

Man, nothing better than a history of balls in the morning.

[@serglian8558]

Muahaphh

[@psyko2666]

Account checks out.

[@KyosukeShigeru]

Or late at night after work! :D

[@mrmasterofdiabloplay]

I've actually used to have one of these controllers, at first I hated it but once I got used to it I thought it was awesome. I sold it in a yard sale cause I did n't have a computer that could actually use it anymore, I actually I wish I still had it. Yes t takes a little getting used to and it is a strange type of controller and I probably would prefer a duel analog stick config these days cause that is what I'm used to. One thing I might add, there were some 3rd party attachments that could make it easier to hold back then so it was easier to hold and operate the controller. If you found those it might make it easier for you. But it was an important part of my gaming childhood.

[@TheDemocrab]

I was just thinking that the main problem with it looks to be the shape of the back of the controller and that this style tech sounds like it'd be excellent for flying games and the like.

[@notreallydaedalus]

the Spaceorb and the Virtual IO I-Glasses are the two gadgets I miss most from the '90s. Both kinda awful, but damn I miss 'em.

[@nm515]

the quake gameplay was giving me flashbacks to trying to learn the steam controller. I struggled a lot with it at first, but it got better. I wonder if the orb thing would loosen up with use?

[@samsh0-q3a]

I freakin' love my steam controller, to me it's like the perfect AIO controller.

[@k4in5037]

I don't think so, since the ball controls movement and camera at the same time, I mean, you could probably get used to it but I doubt your proficiency in game would be worth the effort. Is nice to see steam controller users, such underrated device, I can literally play anything with it, from platformers to shooters.

[@EmperorAvalon]

Steam controller user here, represent!

[@J1428753]

Fun fact: you can plug the thing in without drivers nd it'll act like a mouse right out of the box--even on Linux!

[@genericfriend2568]

Clint, honestly, you are one of the few KZbinrs I trust to talk me to sleep. Your voice is so smooth and soothing and it's the best fit to knock me out without a jumpscare. I've been a fan since maybe 2014 and you're definitely one of my top 5 youtubers.

[@gassnake2004]

In bed that night: "No, you twisted RIGHT on the ball."

[@mangosaltnic]

awesome, smash master

[@rars0n]

I was SUPER into VR back in 1995. I had bought several really thick books about the available and upcoming products around that time (I was barely a teenager so I couldn't afford any of it, so I just read about it instead) and I vividly remember this controller. I don't think it was marketed specifically for VR or anything, more for just controlling 3D games in general, but I do remember it appearing in at least one of those VR books as a potential controller interface. It seemed pretty novel back then, and I don't recall hearing a lot of negativity about it but I also don't recall any glowing reviews or anything. In the end, it seemed to turn into just another one of those really forward-thinking devices that never caught on. It probably doesn't really work as well as it should for an input device that's so radically different. I mean I kind of can see some potential with the idea, but there's obviously some big flaws with the execution. Perhaps had they done a lot more testing of the ball mechanism and made the controller a lot more comfortable to grip, they might have made a product that was good enough to really challenge controller design. There's something to be said about coming up with something so radically different. In 2019 almost all game pads feel the same or have the same basic layout, it would be nice if someone could try something different (outside of motion controls, obviously).

[@Andy47357]

i remember the giant track ball mouses and had one for gaming

[@SamuliTuomola_stt]

Was anyone else here into AlphaWorld in 1995? It was pretty cool proto "Second Life" style virtual space. The experience got me to buy a used SGI Indy in year 2000, mainly because it came with a built in VRML editor. In comparison to what 3D modellers and level editors were back then, VRML editor was pretty reminiscent of environment building as we know it today from Unity or UE4. And you could just drop the .wrl file on the web to have people visit your 3D spaces. Thought for sure something like this would replace IRC, newsgroups and other arcane forms of online spaces, but nah, 20y later only real new online experiences that's come about were youtube and social media (SGI Indy even came with a webcam and online video conferencing already in 1993). Though, regarding world building, learned pretty quickly it requires a bit more than knowhow and will to build an appealing virtual environment (like imagination), only thing I ever really modelled and shared was my apartment. :)

[@evil-softgames6223]

No, he's just holding it wrong. You don't grip the ball. You hold the actual controller & move the ball with your fingertips. The manual clearly tells you exactly how to hold this. He obviously just didn't read it. I own one in excellent condition to this day that was purchased back in the 90s when they first came out. If he continues to use it the way he holds it here he'll both break it & require carpal tunnel surgery.

[@Jake1702]

Controllers having the same-ish layout is a good thing. It helps create standards.

[@Dee13i]

I have 3dconnexion Spacenavigator (same technology). For gaming it sucks. But for 3d modeling it superawesome. Also works great with Google Earth as if it was made specifically for this.

[@bmacri]

We use them all the time at work. Space Mouse Pro that is.

[@notreallydaedalus]

The SpaceMouse and SketchUp got me through architecture school :)

[@ZagatoZee]

I had one of these back in the day (still in storage somewhere) and use a spacenavigator still whenever possible. Star Citizen for eg, works great for. Hell of a learning curve using these devices for games, that most reviewers - even now it seems - use way too firm a touch on.

[@Icefumy]

Have bought one too to use as joystick many years back, as it was mentioned in a game. Indeed, it sucks, though if you tweak it to no end, it might work. But, I'll use it only for 3D model things now, to move the camera.

[@SirBlade666]

It also works great in virtual worlds such as Second Life.

[@AaronALAI]

I've had a 3dconnexions mouse for cad for several years (really great!), and have always wondered why they never tried making it compatible with PC games...now I know they sort of tried already.

[@pcummins]

I used one when it was originally released as well as more recently since the Orbotron 9001 came out. The number one thing I found in order to avoid hand fatigue is to remap one of the buttons to be your forward motion and then use the Orb to handle everything else with a light sensitivity to turn/strafe/roll (or go backwards).

[@ethzero]

"It's kinda pointless, but can be done" - Google on the Stadia 23:00

[@sh-bf7bv]

I don't think Stadia is pointless. Maybe little ahead of it's time and not done correctly. The system needs ~0 latency on controls and monthly subscription to play all the games like Netflix. Sadly Stadia has neither.

[@aidancommenting]

Why would anyone pay a monthly subscription for Stadia? My wifi isn't really that fast, and we've already dropped Netflix here because they kept jumping the price

[@ADeeSHUPA]

@@sh-bf7bv uP

[@Earthstar_Review]

*pointless for customers

[@hitkid2456]

@@aidancommenting Just have it as an option, similar to Viz and some other companies.

[@FlintTD]

You know, I would buy a flight stick made with this technology. The orb would have to be twice as large, mounted on a heavy stand, and probably smoother to move than Clint describes. Imagine a 6-axis joystick that you hold top-down like a big mouse. A controller like that would be really fun for games like Elite: Dangerous or Freespace!

[@rolaroli]

That almost sounds like the modern 3D Connexion devices. Except that they are not orbs anymore. And they are not meant for gaming. But you will almost certainly see one of these devices on a desk of someone that does 3D/CAD.

[@absalomdraconis]

Yeah, moving away from the orb honestly sounds like a massive improvement. For gaming, I think a stick instead of a ball, with a base to either leverage against or strap to your leg would work pretty well. And you could have the other hand on a keyboard too.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@absalomdraconis Preferably with a twist input.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@DinnerForkTongue : Well, yes, but this thing already does twist input, so that goes without saying.

[@ianweber9248]

Would one of those SGI, HP or IBM versions pictured toward the beginning of the video do what you’re describing?

[@naikrovek]

I have two of the 3Dconnexion space mouse devices and they are great for games that benefit from a 6DOF control setup. Once you get the feel for the disk-shaped ball that this orb evolved into, it is irreplaceable. It does require getting used to, though, and that'll turn a lot of people off. Also, of course, they're extremely useful for CAD work, since that's what they were originally designed to be used with.

[@orange-op4ob]

The series that brought me to your channel.

[@Bonno95]

Fun fact, chicken demo actually came with the CAD focused Space Mouse products as well! I found myself messing around with it at work once

[@BartoszBanachewicz]

When I saw this, I immediately thought about 3D Connexion; I have one of those, and it's an absolute blast working in 3D. Amazing that the traces of that old company still remain on the market today.

[@thedungeondelver]

When I worked for the Army there was a battlefield visualization/simulation tool (not an FPS, more of a whole-battlefield RTS kind of thing) that used a commercial grade space orb. We supported the workstations it ran on, so I fiddled with the controller some there. Later at NASA I saw one in use but didn't really do anything with it (wasn't my workstation).

[@MagMan4x4]

thedungeondelver when was that? I was in the Army 10 years and never saw anything close to this.

[@thedungeondelver]

@@MagMan4x4 I was a contractor in Florida working on OneSAF and other projects, this was not in the field. Also this was around 2001/early 2002.

[@tydyman2003]

You probably cant I wonder if people could find that RTS, that'd be neat

[@thedungeondelver]

@@tydyman2003 Understand though it wasn't a game with a win state, this was military simulation. It was about visualization, not play.

[@gavinalvesteffer9445]

Was it VBS? Virtual Battlespace, I think is what it stands for.

[@TheRoguesy2]

DUDE. I literally was just looking this thing up 2 days ago for like an hour and a half going down an nostalgia memory hole and could only find 1 video on YT that had a demo of the controller and 1 trailer from 96. I remember when this thing came out and I was like, "A 3D CONTROLLER?! NOW I CAN PLAY DOOM WITH POWEERRRR!". I thought it was more of a movable ball. I then some years later picked it up on a table at COMPUSA and saw it was this hard stiff rubber ball and was like, "WTF IS THIS?" and then lost all interest in it.

[@Markimark151]

It looks like a Sega Saturn 3D controller with a big trackball instead of a joystick and some buttons.

[@jnerdsblog]

Wasn't there a Saturn controller with this on it?

[@Markimark151]

jnerdsblog no, it was a joystick on the official 3D controller.

[@nthgth]

It's basically what consoles were doing at the time, analog sticks, but with a twist

[@Markimark151]

@@nthgth because they were a new concept, analog sticks for 3D games were being experimented on those consoles.

[@CrimFerret]

I had one of those and with some practice you could get far better control on certain games than if you were using any other means of control. There was some controversy using it to play Descent because there was a hook into the game that allowed one of the buttons to do an instant 180 flip of the ship so you could blast whatever had been chasing you. The problem was there was no way to do it if you didn't have the SpaceOrb. Drama ensued. It may have felt a little cheap, but mine held up very well. It was rather interesting that you mentioned 3dConnexion as I have one of their Space Navigator 6 axis controllers. It's far more responsive and pleasant to use as well as being built like a tank. I believe I paid the same $99 for it that I did for the original SpaceOrb.

[@LOLMAN9538]

"an adaptive adapter for adapting adaptations." I died laughing at that one-liner

[@isaacfortner]

I actually use a 3DConnexion SpaceMouse every day for CAD work. They can be tough to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's the best way to manipulate 3D models.

[@Icefumy]

Yes,true! I find it also funny that 3DConexxion is also the company behind these spaceballs controllers. You can see them on their history page in the back: www.3dconnexion.eu/company/history.html

[@ryanmac8829]

Love how you went right for the first secret in Duke3d 👌

[@alexkairis3927]

"an adaptive adapter for adapting adaptations" I'm going to need to file this statement to the department of redundancy department. Maybe I could make chief.

[@Fleetwood369]

SPACEORB INTERACTIVE TRAINER any% SPEEDRUN

[@hayleyscomet3447]

Aesthetic Supra surgeon kitty profile pic. I love it.

[@arthurdent8091]

Nice episode. Good to see that someone besides me remembers Descent. I would like to see more oodware reviews.

[@bigmrfnB]

Awesome strafe master!

[@TheBodgybrothers]

It was impressive how he mastered that strafe.

[@hylianlad]

You're straight up making me want to spend my stimulus money on 90s tech bro lol

[@michaelmartin684]

Man, I miss this guy. It took *forever* to get the hang of, but I have awesome memories of just crushing on Descent and Jedi Knight with this sucker. I had a friend who got a Logitech Cyberman 2 at the same time and it was a constant battle over whose 3d controller was better.

[@burnaby6260]

When you screw up in the interactive trainer, Orbis' voice sounds like a dad trying to teach his kid something and getting increasingly frustrated because he can't get it.

[@WyvernDotRed]

That is actually REALLY usefull for CAD design!!! If I had more money, and my software supported it, I would definitely get the modern equivalent of it.

[@christopherjones7191]

You can actually get a 6 axis mouse for relatively cheap (below 200 usd) they look like those lock dials on a safe.

[@Max_Marz]

Its worth it, I use the crap out of mine

[@bytraper]

This was one of the best controllers once you became adjusted to it. I used to be able to blow my flatmates away who were all using mouse/kb using one of these when we would lan play. It softens up after a bit of use and you become accustomed to it. It's good.

[@4Wilko]

23:30 - I liked the synchronized cut with quitting Jazz 2.

[@MetalSocks]

I wish to be as ecstatic as that intro video. A new level of INERACHTION!

[@mikelong689]

I love the jazz music you use on your intros 👍

[@shironhun]

The promo and the trainer program are gold 😂

[@rezandrarizkyirianto-1933]

I never knew how much I wanted to be called StrafeMaster

[@Eric_Fate]

This controller had a steep learning curve, but once you were used to it, you could do some amazing things with it. I just wish they had been a bit more durable. Even while handling it with care, the lifespan of any given sensor seemed to be roughly eight months. I was on my third replacement unit by the time the company stopped honoring the warranty and ceased production.

[@gcolombelli]

There has been a few attempts to replicate this kind of tech a bit cheaper for a while, but I don't recall ever seeing one of those projects reach a "production" stage where anyone with a 3D printer and basic electronics skills can build their own, sadly. Of course, professional CAD products are still out there, but they're quite expensive and the API seems to be proprietary.

[@tomlesniak1615]

A buddy of mine worked on this controller. I remember playing decent on a laptop in the parking lot of my college with an early version he was working on. Took a little bit to get used to but it was pretty intuitive.

[@AlyMar1994]

Huh. I actually really like that .MID that played during the trainer software. Wonder if that track was ever made available to the public, or extracted?

[@EGOS42]

The beginning of it reminds me of the music from Kingsfield.

[@HeathGoetsch]

Took about 4 of these extremely odd hardware profiles before I subscribed, but here I am. Thanks for the content I don’t see elsewhere!

[@MattMcIrvin]

The SpaceMouse, the descendant of the high-end Spaceball, is still a product line from 3DConnexion today, though the modern controllers seem to have a sort of cylindrical knob shape. The low-end compact models cost about $150 and, accounting for inflation, are actually cheaper than the SpaceOrb 360 was in the 1990s. They look higher-quality but they're not intended as game controllers--seems like they're more pitched as presentation/review controllers for CAD stuff, with the $300-$400 models with lots of buttons aimed at designers and engineers.

[@thekrautist]

"Inspired" by this I just dug up my old 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer, downloaded the drivers... and now it works for scrolling in Firefox. Heh. Also lets you fly around in Blender 3D scenes, which is REALLY useful at times, AND Kerbal Space Program has support for 6DOF devices. Rotation and translation on the same, well, knob for the best possible experience docking spacecraft. I should try to play Quake with this. Unlike the SpaceOrb, the SpaceExplorer is a pad that sits on your desk and you put your wrist on it and grab the knob by the knob. Much more ergonomic than that AND it leaves your other hand free to pursue its own interests.

[@reignick1133]

I use my old Spaceball 5000 for such, you'll want to look up an open source program called " SX2VJOY " it will allow you to use the SpaceExplorer and other 3d "mice" for gaming..overall they can be kinda handy.

[@thekrautist]

@@reignick1133 SV2JOY? Sweet, didn't know that existed. I spent over an hour today trying to get the XML rubbish configured for joystick input.

[@thekrautist]

@John Smith Right for the cock joke! I knew I could depend on the community. More realistically you'd be using this thing in tandem with mouse or keyboard, which is what I was ACTUALLY getting at.

[@reignick1133]

@@thekrautist mostly the elite dangerous community and strangely the star citizen community have been goofing around with such , I tried using Glove PIE but that was rather limited though SX2VJOY and Vjoy make it pretty easy to set up the controller for most games / applications.

[@KuraIthys]

@@reignick1133 That makes sense. Star Citizen was pushing the whole 6-DOF control scheme thing pretty hard. Plenty of people have dual joystick setups for that game alone, or joystick and mouse... But when thinking about dual joystick setups it became obvious pretty quickly that it's not really so natural to map translation control to rotational axes... One of these looks like a pretty good solution for that, so I'm not surprised people tried it. Really any game with support for 6-DOF control might benefit from this...

[@zachreddy]

Spaceballs: The Controller

[@TschimmiCash]

:))

[@RS250Squid]

Spaceballs!(tm) The Peripheral!

[@louistournas120]

The password is 1 2 3 4

[@theenglishman]

louis tournas Hey! That’s the password on my luggage!

[@aidancommenting]

Not to be confused with Spaceballs!(tm) The Flamethrower

[@papermouse_9]

This controller was part of the search for more money.

[@SlavicCelery]

I love the fact they included all that merch in the movie because they agreed to not release any. All an agreement with Lucas.

[@DrStrangeloveII]

First surprise was that it reminded me of 3Dconnexion space mice (which I use and love), second surprise was that this was actually kind of a preceding model to them. But screw that, what makes me want it is that glorious late 90s training program. Great Stuff!

[@Selexo]

I owned one of these back. I had a lot of fond memories trying to get used to this thing, and it did work really well with some games.

[@vtr_monsterextremo5145]

Finally LGR played my favorite game Monster Truck Madness

[@DeaconTaylor]

leeaaannn into it.

[@volvo09]

I forgot about the goofy horns in the game. My computer wasn't good enough to run it at high frame rates, but driving games were the only ones I could play without getting frustrated with and stopping.

[@jaakkopontinen]

Boogey Van is doing it in the air! Now for a ride of a different sort. Hard work pays off for Monster Patrol!

[@lashyndragon]

Ah yes, 90s controllers. All about reinventing the wheel.

[@Clay3613]

Which Sony mastered and provided the template for every other successful console moving forward.

[@InsidiousOne]

@@Clay3613 successful doesn't always mean optimal. The dual shock style gamepads are still handicapping the game design progress.

[@nthgth]

@@InsidiousOne examples?

[@Anikom15Live]

Dualshocks are bad for shooters and fighters.

[@kidthorazine]

Well I can definitely see the appeal of this in an era before dual analog sticks where a thing. But yeah wow... the 90s...

[@juvandy]

Thanks for posting this. I remember seeing ads for the SpaceOrb in PCGamer and Maximum PC in the late 90s, and I always wondered how the hell it actually worked. Now, thanks to you, I do!

[@enfieldjohn101]

Descent was and still is a groundbreaking FPS/flight sim game that is very fun to play, but controlling the ship in a game environment that actually did threaten you from all directions did make me try a whole bunch of PC controllers in an effort to play the game better. I didn't try this exact controller, but I did try lots of others, some were rather weird like a controller that looked a bit like a hand with keyboard keys mapped all over it and a trackball on it. I did find that an actual trackball controller like the Logitec Marble Mouse did make the ship easier to flip around in the game. I still use it for some games today, especially RTS games. Fun video! Thanks for posting this and educating us about unusual gaming hardware.

[@MeatVision]

Hey, I wanna be a strafe master too >:V

[@orangejoe204]

No. There can be only one... per purchase. Go buy your own.

[@gluteusmaximus8881]

"The ball feels quite nice tho!" - LGR 2019

[@djnekroman]

Mini Tech Tales hidden in an Oddware video. Nice.

[@EUPassionStorm]

Holy shit. I actually had forgotten ENITERELY about Jazz Jackrabbit games. Thank you so much, random process of me stumbling onto weird controllers on my meme site and then going through weird contollers and then spotting this behemoth and THEN finally watching this video. Also thank you, LGR. A blessed man.

[@CasperTheGhost64]

Wow... what a throwback. My uncle had this exact controller and I actually got really good with it. I played Wolfenstein with it. I loved it so much but never knew what it was called. I always just called it my game player. Can not believe this random video found me.

[@MordecaiWalfish]

I tried one of these before returning it in the 30-day grace period. I very much preferred my Logitech Trackman Marble, but wanted to give this a try with all the promotion it was getting in quake circles at the time. Interesting device, probably best used for Descent!

[@BloodyCactus]

ooh I remember this. We got to test the prototype at Oz96 Demo Party in Sydney Oz. Ball on the protos were orange from memory..

[@KuraIthys]

mmmh. Listening to your complaints about it, the 'professional' versions make a lot more sense, with the ball mounted to a plate that sits on a desk. That way you don't have to hold it up, and it's only the movement of the ball itself that could cause issues. oriented vertically, this could actually have very similar movement to an arcade stick in some of it's axes too, so that would make sense for 2d games...

[@3DJapan]

Yeah, the modern versions replaced the ball with a cylindrical "cap" and with it sitting on the desk you don't feel any strain at all. Except that my chair is far away from it so I have to stretch my arm out really far and my arm gets tired, but that's not the device's fault.

[@ojkolsrud1]

The idea and execution of the ball itself was splendid, if you ask me. It seems to be working really well! Had they designed the gamepad that goes around it better, this whole thing might've been a really good product.

[@wayneparris3439]

I was one of the 6 that bought one back in the day. I had pretty much the same results as you. LOL When I worked at Mc Donnell Douglas and later Boeing when we were purchased, I had a friend in the quality department who used the professional 3D controller when he was in CAD. It was a very different device and he loved it. It was designed to stay on the desk and you rested your palm on it and there was little stress on your hand/wrist. The ball moved very easily and took a while to get used to it. Ahhhh the memories :P

[@Eferor]

Omg, 25 min, yes!!!, gonna make me a coffee and enjoy this. Greets from Argentina!!!

[@Shotblur]

This is so wholesome. I hope you enjoyed your coffee and are having a nice day.

[@JoeChip]

Man, I remember these. There were so many strange controllers back then. I had a few of them (including this one). Sadly, I chucked them out some years back. And yeah, it was horrible.

[@samserios6428]

The technology just seems not to be made for gaming at all. This must a be great thing if you need a multi-dimension controller for scientific use. It looks suitable for applicatiosn where precision is much more important than speed.

[@jbinary82]

I did a driver which emulated devices like this as my computer degree final project. It was about 2003. Mine was for a professional CAD device, but it looks so close! It was emulating the 3dconnexion with many joysticks, mapping axis.

[@21willyx21]

I like you approach, you gave this thing so many chances to prove itself, instead of ditching it after first try.