Gaming keypad

A gaming keypad is a small, auxiliary keyboard deisigned only for gaming. It has a limited number of the original keys from a standard keyboard, and they are arranged in a more ergonomic fashion to facilitate quick and efficient gaming key presses. The commonly used keys for gaming on a computer are the 'W', 'A', 'S', 'D', and the keys close and adjescent to these keys. These keys and style of using a keyboard is referred to as WASD. A gaming keypad will not only optimize the WASD layout, but will often contain extra funcitonality, such as volume control, the Esc. key, and the F1-F12 keys.

Overview

The two primary, and most commonly used, devices for players to use when gaming on a computer are the mouse and the keyboard. While both are integral in the interaction of the game, their evolutionary track has not been equal.

The mouse, over the years, has had better adaptation and incorporation into gaming than the keyboard has. This could easily be attributed to the fact that the mouse is a much more simplified device. The mouse has had many advances to make it a much more adapted device for gaming. It has been upgraded from a rolling ball to an optical sensor, and the optical sensor has been upgraded to a laser. The results of these progressions have allowed players increased sensitivity and accuracy while in a game environment. The mouse has also been equipped with increasingly more buttons. Starting with two buttons, the mouse can now be found with up to nine buttons. Buttons have also become programmable, such that the player can get exactly what they want from their mouse. An excellent example is the Logitech G5 mouse.

The keyboard has not seen as much advancement in terms of making it a formidable gaming device. The keyboard is mostly viewed as simply a conglomeration of over a hundred keys that are placed and configured for typing efficiently, not for navigating a character through a virtual world. There have been some modifications made to keyboards to entice a gamer, such as adding macro buttons on the perimeter of the keyboard, or having keys that glow in the dark. But in the end, it is still a long rectangular surfboard that is not ergonomically designed to facilitate gaming.

Recently, certain companies have started to introduce mini-keyboards, or sub-keyboards, that are specifically designed to maximize the gaming experience. These are commonly referred to as gaming keypads.

Evolution

The evolution of the gaming keypad came from the traditional keyboard being modified with an extra buttons around the perimeter, specifically designed for gaming purposes.

The first of these types of additional buttons were in the form of macro buttons. These buttons allow the player to customize extra fucntions that were condensed into a single keystroke. One of the early successes of using these macro buttons was the Logitech G11.

Keyboards were soon retrofitted with an entirely new area on the keyboard that rearranged the existing keys to fit the shape of the palm and fingertips. This new area was still attached to the keyboard, so the overall keyboard length was quite long. One of the first and main keyboards to execute this is the TimberWolf keyboard. Many other companies also added entirely new sections to the keyboard off to the left to accommodate the gaming style of using a keyboard.

[http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/7a67/ External article on the TimberWolf]

The final stage in the keypad's evolution was when it was finally detached from the keyboard, making it an entirely separate keyboard useful only for gaming. The Wolf King Warrior would be an excellent example of moving from being part of a regular keyboard to becoming detached. It's parent keyboard was the TimberWolf.

[http://www.wolfkingusa.com/ Wolf King Warrior Official Site]

Benefits of Gaming Keypads

The benefits of having a gaming keypad over a traditional keyboard are many.

• Reduced size - Whether the player is looking to free up desktop space while they are gaming, or are looking for a keyboard that is more conducive to resting in their lap while they sit back and indulge their gaming desires, a keypad can give them the option of something much more manageable.

• Ergonomic design – Many of the new keypads have been designed such that they are as comfortable to use as possible while gaming. This reduces the amount of fatigue that the player's hand experiences while playing. It also reduces the possibility of hand injury that could occur from prolonged use of a keyboard.

• More Available Keys – While the most of the keypads do not invent new buttons, they do make more of the already existing buttons more accessible to the fingertips without having to relocate or move the entire hand. Some of them can almost double the amount of buttons that could be normally reached by the hand and fingers.

• Extras – Many of the keypads also add extra perks to the player by bringing extra functionality to them. This could be in the form of volume control, macro buttons, quick keys, USB ports, or headset ports.

Game Genres

The genres of PC games that have been influence and affected by the development of gaming keypads are First Person Shooters (FPS), Third Person Action-Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO). In each of these styles of games, there is control over the movement of one character, and this traditionalling is done by the WASD keys.

Available Keypads