Nicholas Nova has collected some references about the history and genesis of game controllers.
Link: Evolution of Game Controllers” (liftlab.com)
Posts Tagged: controller
10
Jan 08
Unusual game control schemes
“Some present their own standards in its place, due to their being well-suited to their style of game; the dual joystick (shooting) style has been used in a few games itself, from the old classic Robotron: 2084 to Geometry Wars. Others really have no chance of ever becoming a standardized control scheme, but are okay with it. After Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, why would anyone else even care to make a platformer controlled entirely with the pressings of two buttons? But then, why would someone have cared to make it to begin with?
“For some of these games, special hardware is needed to measure player performance in greater detail, so as to translate it into game terms. In the Golden Tee games, rolling the trackball further and faster makes for a stronger shot. Other games use special controllers to accentuate the game experience. Guitar Hero naturally does this to help the player feel like a rock star, and the bicycle-powered arcade game Propcycle is perhaps the closest we will ever come to experiencing human-powered flight.”
Link: Game Design Essentials: 20 Unusual Control Schemes (gamasutra.com)
16
Jun 06
Groundbreaking game controller designs
Summary of the 11 game controller that have taken gameplay to new levels. Along with the most annoying interstitial ads I’ve ever seen.
“The Zapper shipped with the original Nintendo Entertainment System, bundled with seminal light-gun game Duck Hunt as its early companion. But it was games such as Hogan’s Alley, Gumshoe, and Operation Wolf that helped to make it a success. Though the Zapper wasn’t the only light gun to hit console systems, it was without a doubt the most successful, both commercially and culturally. And besides, had Nintendo never released the Zapper, we may never have seen the greatest light gun game of all time—the classic arcade shooter Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”
(photograph from gamepro.com)
Link: The 11 Most Groundbreaking Controllers of All Time (gamepro.com)
19
May 06
Limited interaction possibilities
Nicolas Nova comments on a column by Erik Holmquist on mobile interactions.
“Those who still worry about the “limited” interaction possibilities of mobile devices should note that all the applications mentioned above could be used on a standard mobile phone today (with small modifications). Yet at the same time they drastically expand the interaction parameters of mobile devices by taking advantage of local interaction, observations of the user’s behavior, physical input, and so on.”
Link: Designing relevant mobile interactions (tecfa.unige.ch)
26
Mar 06
Design evolution of gaming controllers
John Siracusa takes an illustrative look at the (lack of) evolution of handheld game controllers.
“But let’s take a step back. These are handheld game machines. You hold them in your hand. How many years will it take before someone realizes that sharp-edged rectangular solids are not ideal for gripping? Again, I recognize the constraints here. All I ask is some sort of acknowledgment of the reality of “hands”—some sort of progress.”
Link: Waiting for the handheld revolution (arstechnica.com)
