IRON SIGHTS
You knew I was getting to this, didn't you? Today you get to find out why I value the good ol' iron sights.
In the same year that a certain little video game called Call of Duty was released, the Pterodon-developed title Vietcong featured a gameplay enhancement that improved player accuracy by simulating bearing the rifle to the shoulder and viewing targets down its length. More to the point - accuracy was actually diminished if this action was not taken. This feature was eventually called iron sights, and with a few exceptions this type of precision aiming control has made its way into most third- and first-person shooters.
Is it any wonder why I like it so much? In one pull of an otherwise useless trigger*, you have just combined all three of the previous methods of improving accuracy. Release the iron sights control, and you can speed away. It's a beautiful thing (and it feels more authentic, too).
*Look, I know that Halo uses the left trigger for chucking grenades, and that about 99% of Halo enthusiasts like the control scheme...but face it: any one of those buttons could function the same way. Left 4 Dead did a much better job of finding a non-iron-sights use for the left trigger, but then Left 4 Dead 2 added a spam timer and made it useless again. Phooey!
We hope you enjoyed this quick look at how the various methods used in video games to improve shooting accuracy. All questions must be asked in the form of a Jeopardy! question.
Just kidding - I don't take questions! Get back to your barracks.