It's easy to stick to the safe side of graphics discussions and talk about how many shaded pixels get pushed around the screen without going out on a limb to say whether the resulting imagery makes it worthwhile. Without a similar shared vocabulary for controls I think we at times don't know where to begin the conversations. For instance, one thing about good controls is that the first time you use them they just feel right. Writers tend to describe this as "intuitive" (I'm not jumping into the semantics of the use of that word here but be my guest if you want to). That leaves so much open to interpretation, though, that it doesn't really say very much.

Besides better discussions amongst ourselves, improving how we talk about controls would also pay off in helping developers better improve their designs. While the overused intuitive won't give them much to go on, saying that the nervous behavior of the steering not being able to keep on a line at speed translates to some combination of sensitivities and other variables the person who designed the controls will understand.

Here are the values for the string 'Shacknews Today'

• More new Mass Effect 2 media as the release draws close
• Brink character customization video
• Bioshock 2 DLC plans 'Pretty Aggressive'
• Hellgate: London coming back to North America
• Reports of Rockstar workplace woes widenas source suggests another Max Payne 3 delay
• New God of War 3 screens in seriously super-size
• Activision CEO commits to DJ Hero 2