Modifier Key - Gaming Issue

Gaming Issue

In old, 1990s MS-DOS games, modifier keys such as Ctrl, Alt, Shift were often used extensively. For example, id Software's original DOOM series by default mapped the Ctrl key to fire a weapon, hold down Alt in conjunction with the arrow keys to strafe (move sideways), hold Shift and up or back arrow to run forwards and backwards. This kind of control scheme was copied by various game companies across multiple genres, including first-person shooters, fighting games, and others. With the introduction and standardization of the Windows key after Windows 95, this kind of control scheme became faulty because players could accidentally press the Windows key while trying to press Ctrl or Alt, and this in turn could interfere with DOS games run on top of Windows via the Dos prompt. The addition of the Windows Key to keyboards may have been part of the reason why most current games have evolved their control schemes, and most first person shooters generally use the mouse in conjunction with a "Half-Life" style of control (W,A,S,D, Space, Shift, Ctrl) named apparently because it may have been the first widespread game to popularize such an interface, and because usage of the Alt button would nowadays heighten the risk of accidentally pressing the Windows Key. To cope with this problem, some newer games (like Doom 3) disable the Windows Key while in the game.