Buzzer Lock-Out Software

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'MyronMMeyer\' post=\'175045\' date=\'Jan 15 2008, 04:34 PM\']
So, does it work with Windows XP and the "Buzz! The Mega Quiz" for PS2 controllers and Joy2Key? Because I can be on eBay in about 3 seconds if it does.
[/quote]
Yes. That's the entire point of this project. Commence Ebaying.

[Sodboy13]

[quote name=\'MyronMMeyer\' post=\'175045\' date=\'Jan 15 2008, 06:34 PM\']
Very, very nice.

So, does it work with Windows XP and the "Buzz! The Mega Quiz" for PS2 controllers and Joy2Key? Because I can be on eBay in about 3 seconds if it does.

-Myron
[/quote]

Oh, it works.  It works magnificently.

Between this, the Weakest Link game control, and the PokerFace and 1 vs. 100 presentations I'm cobbling together in Powerpoint... er, OpenOffice Impress, it's shaping up to be quite the quiz show night at my place in a couple months' time.

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'174943\' date=\'Jan 15 2008, 01:36 AM\']
//The relatives got a taste of the Quizzard last year, and they're hooked.
///It's a gateway drug, you see
[/quote]

Does this mean my aunt and uncle were enablers when they gave me $OTC for Christmas in '87?

[Sodboy13]

Those of you interested in picking up Buzz! for its buzzers may want to hold off a little while.  According to ign.com, Buzz! is coming out for PS3, and this time the USB buzzers will be wireless - and completely backward-compatible.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'175115\' date=\'Jan 16 2008, 11:33 AM\']
Those of you interested in picking up Buzz! for its buzzers may want to hold off a little while.  According to ign.com, Buzz! is coming out for PS3, and this time the USB buzzers will be wireless - and completely backward-compatible.
[/quote]
Of course, if you don't have a PS3, (and <cheap plug> why would you </cheap plug>) the software is then worthless.

But wireless pads would make a big difference, although I still wasn't impressed by the flimsy nature of the buttons on the Buzz controller.

[Sodboy13]

For sake of comparison, did you ever give those XBox 360 "Scene It?" controllers a try?

(And since the PS2 controls are starting to show up stand-alone on eBay, I'd imagine the wireless ones would, too.)

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'175120\' date=\'Jan 16 2008, 12:01 PM\']
For sake of comparison, did you ever give those XBox 360 "Scene It?" controllers a try?
[/quote]Should work fine. They enumerate as an Xbox controller, and I just tried the Xbox controller I have sitting here (because I wasn't sure if an Xbox controller behaved as a regular gamepad) and Joy2Key worked like a champ. I know you can't address them directly in VB, though.

[Sodboy13]

Ah. I was just wondering as far as quality and durablity is concerned, in comparison to the Buzz! controllers.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'175136\' date=\'Jan 16 2008, 01:15 PM\']
Ah. I was just wondering as far as quality and durablity is concerned, in comparison to the Buzz! controllers.
[/quote]
Oh, in terms of that, they are FAR better made. I mean, by a LOT. The Big Button Pads feel nice and solid, and the infrared works way way better than I ever thought it would. Really, the lone disadvantage is the inability to address directly when developing for them, and even then I think I was told that you can do it with the proper API's in C++ (or maybe C#), but that addressing doesn't exist in VB, which is what I develop in (when I'm developing.)

[jmangin]

I use the handheld USB controllers from buzzers.com.  They work great and if you email the manufacturer they will tell you how to switch each handheld output to a specific character using the binary switches inside.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'jmangin\' post=\'175161\' date=\'Jan 16 2008, 02:23 PM\']
I use the handheld USB controllers from buzzers.com.  They work great and if you email the manufacturer they will tell you how to switch each handheld output to a specific character using the binary switches inside.
[/quote]
Those are _insanely_ expensive, though, considering you can get Scene It! for $60 (or Buzz! for less) and get four controllers with more than one single button. They appear to be very very well made, though. But still, I don't think most people want to drop $150 (minimum) on three controllers, when they can get 4 for $60 max.

[Speedy G]

I've experimented a bit with Wii Remotes talking to a PC with a Bluetooth dongle, and have a setup that seems to work fine, plus I can tinker with it as I please.

Obviously, if you don't own a Wii or only a couple of Wiimotes, it's just as expensive as buying buzzers off the shelf.  But if you already happen to own a set of Wiimotes, it's cheap to do.  Just have to buy a Bluetooth adapter for your computer if it's not already Bluetooth enabled (the one I bought from Kensington cost $30).

I've used the Wii Linux wiki as my main source of information in figuring out how do to this.  It's not too difficult, but it's by no means plug-n-play either.  It can be a PITA to sync up the Wiimotes with the PC, but the software I'm using (GlovePIE) is as easy as opening up a script file and clicking Run.  Assuming of course that you have a script file that does what you want it to, or are capable of coming up with one.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Speedy G\' post=\'175560\' date=\'Jan 19 2008, 06:18 PM\']
But if you already happen to own a set of Wiimotes, it's cheap to do.  Just have to buy a Bluetooth adapter for your computer if it's not already Bluetooth enabled (the one I bought from Kensington cost $30).
[/quote]
I regularly see them online for $15 or less, as well.

[kbnky]

[quote name=\'jmangin\' post=\'174778\' date=\'Jan 14 2008, 01:46 AM\']
$otC Control

Let me know what y'all think.
[/quote]

Can you please repost the software you created? It seems to have expired.

I would love to see what you have done.

Thanks.

[uncleplinko]

OK...Shoot me for bumping the topic, but I need more info.

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'175158\' date=\'Jan 16 2008, 06:15 PM\']
Oh, in terms of that, they are FAR better made. I mean, by a LOT. The Big Button Pads feel nice and solid, and the infrared works way way better than I ever thought it would. Really, the lone disadvantage is the inability to address directly when developing for them, and even then I think I was told that you can do it with the proper API's in C++ (or maybe C#), but that addressing doesn't exist in VB, which is what I develop in (when I'm developing.)
[/quote]

So, I just got the Scene It? Big Button pads, and they feel great.  Problem is...my Vista PC doesn't recognize the infrared receiver.  Any thoughts from anyone?

[clemon79]

So if you plug the infrared receiver into your PC, it doesn't show up as a standard game controller? It comes at you looking for a driver? That's odd...that's not what I was told.