Aside from freelancer, which PC space sim games attempt to be mouse based? (and I agree with Eder, a trend toward outright replacing a joystick with a mouse in a space combat game is idiocy, IMO, because you just don't get the same playing experience)
On a second note, why bother with requiring a usb keyboard or mouse combo for a PS2 or Xbox game when a PC has those items already anyway? It strikes me that console games don't often need the extra controls, as they tend to be more run and gun (arcade-like) and less complex or simulator-like (requiring more controls and features).
Last, and kind of reiterating my concern from my above post- I would play a console WC game, but my big fear with a WC game released solely for console systems is that it would feature one of the following types of game play, instead of being a space combat simulator with a good story:
1. It would be some sort of Starfox like shooter- just fly through a linear level blasting hordes of mindless enemies- in other words, lots of graphical candy, but little substance.
2. It would be a space combat sim, but watered down- stripped down options in terms of wingman orders, one or no external camera views, no power management, etc.
3. A simplistic storyline (in other words, the deepest the story gets is kilrathi/communists/terrorists/rude parking attendants, etc. must be killed in the name of what is good and just) (see C&C Generals example below) and simplistic online play would be substituted to give the game more appeal to what developers perceive as a mass videogame market that is inattentive to well-written storylines and immersive single player experiences (the hallmarks of a WC game), so long as the graphics look nice.
It's not a console game, but does anyone remember what EA did with the C&C series when it released Generals? Generals is a fun multiplayer game, however, the single player campaigns bite and I swear EA wrote the storyline for it on the back of a cocktail napkin after watching a half hour of FOX News, which is a stark contrast from the relatively rich story lines of Westwood's earlier C&C games. I just don't want to see the same thing happen to WC.
Don't get me wrong- I love console games and I love multiplayer games, but I also love WC with it's deep storylines and engaging space simulator combat. My biggest fear with a console-only WC game is that EA would simply botch the hell out of it in an attempt to give it mass market appeal, effectively killing any future development of the WC franchise when the botched game winds up selling poorly.
