Jaliy wrote:
if not, how is this different from a modded controller?
From a technical point of view, when your stick wears out from use or you get a scratch on your controller - anything along those lines, you have a "modified" controller: it has been altered from its original factory production state.
But that does not answer your question. The answer to your question is that people misapply the connotation of words to things sometimes. Yes, technically, kontrol freak thumbsticks are a "modification" to the controller. In fact, they are a modification that changes the game experience. But the change affects ONLY the user of the controller. It does not affect other players in the game, it does not manipulate the code in the game, and kontrol freaks do not "help" everyone that uses them. In essence, they do not give an unfair advantage to the user.
More than anything, they alter the appearance of the controller and there is nothing unfair about that.
I do not use kontrol freaks or any other modifications to my factory, Xbox produced controllers. I've used aftermarket controllers that look different. I've even used someone's controller that had some sort of cooling apparatus meant to keep your hands cool. I did not like any of them and I felt they harmed my performance more than helping them. That's probably because I'm so accustomed to the factory version controllers. My point is to reinforce what I said earlier - some "mods" do not improve gamer performance on their own. A "modded" controller that automatically allows a player to shoot a semi-auto weapon in full auto, however, is a different ball game.
I hate to say this, but modded controllers that allow players to either Halo jump or go prone every time they pull their trigger, I don't think those violate the rules either. Even if they do, I think anyone that wastes money on such a feature is rather gullible. Such moves are quite easy to overcome.