Game Engine Architecture, Third Edition, 3rd Edition

9 Human Interface Devices

Games are interactive computer simulations, so the human player(s) need some way of providing inputs to the game. All sorts of human interface devices (HID) exist for gaming, including joysticks, joypads, keyboards and mice, track balls, the Wii remote and specialized input devices like steering wheels, fishing rods, dance pads and even electric guitars. In this chapter, we’ll investigate how game engines typically read, process and utilize the inputs from human interface devices. We’ll also have a look at how outputs from these devices provide feedback to the human player.

9.1 Types of Human Interface Devices

A wide range of human interface devices are available for gaming purposes. Consoles like the Xbox 360 ...