Game controller evolution Part I

Over the years game consoles change and its inevitable that the controller will change with it. For some consoles its it's image and visual appearance, while others its whats inside that changes.

We will first start with the Nintendo guys, and how they have changed how we interact with the system. In the beginning it was a simple 4 button and 4 way controller which opened the minds of young children everywhere. In a 2d side scrolling universe X and Y axis are everything that you need and quarter circle combos just didn't exist. When looking at ergonomics a square is not too comfy to play on. I can remember of my thumbs and wrists hurting after playing any top down shooter, but regardless of ergonomics it worked. They also came out with a "light gun" called the Zapper (No, thats not a wireless zapper). They Later came out with some other contraptions like The Glove which was more a gimmick, because it didn't work too well and was very clunky and not too intuitive. But lets look at the next generation console, the SNES which sported a new controller with 6 face buttons 2 shoulder buttons and a 8 way d-pad. The newer SNES controller was more rounded and had convex and concave buttons, the shoulder buttons were also a new touch. The controller design was very reminiscent of the old NES system with a more curvy outline, it was clear that Nintendo was not going to use the "if its not broken don't fix it" mentality. The SNES had it's own light gun but this time it came as a bazooka form with a neat little sight.

But lets fast forward a few more years to the Nintendo 64, a console which I believe that was a real ground breaker even though it still used cartridges. It had near zero load times great graphics (at the time) and really fun games. But I won't wax on about the console; lets look at the controller. The controller boasted more buttons and a better feel (ergonomically speaking) of the controller lineage. It was also the first Nintendo controller to use a joystick and d-pad combination. For some this might have seemed redundant and stupid, but it actually opens gaming to a whole new level, more functionality and more game play options. The N64 controller got rid of the concave convex button pairing in favor of more buttons and more options. Although the N64 did not have many other controllers like the light gun, it was a first to add a rumble feature called the rumble pak. Personally I love the N64 controller very intuitive placement and comfortable to use and there was a good feel to it's movements.

Lets jump forward to the Gamecube which as far as numbers go was way more successful than the N64. The Nintendo 64 sold roughly 6 million consoles while the Game Cube surpasses it with neat 18 million consoles (www.vgchartz.com). Its controller takes the knowledge learned from the n64 and refines it a little. Some of the buttons where moved around such as the D-pad and C button location. The main buttons also received a face lift with new bean shaped X an Y buttons and various sized A and B buttons. The controller also sports increased functionality with pressure sensitive shoulder buttons and a joystick replacing the C buttons. The Game Cube controller was also the first in the lineup to sport internal rumble, no longer relying on 2 AAA batteries and bulky hookup to move you. The controller must have been gear toward children rather than the older gamers because it feels a bit small in adult hands. But the feel once again is dead on, all the buttons are easy to get to and placement feels very intuitive.

Now the current gen console the Wii. Nintendo is always looking for ways to change the look, feel and how the game is played. Proof that nintendo is full of movers and shakers is the Wii-mote. This controller is packed full of goodies, not just from a gaming perspective but also from a technical perspective. The Wii-mote contains a 3 axis accelerometer chip (adxl330) a pixart optical sensor and internal speaker and rumble feature. What really sets the controller apart from the crowd is the use of the pixart optical sensor to be used as a pointer and using its 3 axis accelerometer for tilt functions. It is also revolutionary in that it goes back to a very square look, which would help attract a more non-gamer genre. The tactic is working, the Wii commands the biggest console stake in the market with an estimated 20 million sold. The Wii-mote also changes the future of how we play games, instead of doing a combination of buttons we are now mimicking the motions.

That concludes the Nintendo controller wrap up, I know I have left out a few things of each console but I only wanted to focus on the main peripherals. Next time we'll look at the Sony controller lineage.

Also if you are too lazy or dumb to read, game trailers has a good video of this evolution.