The Evolution of Video Game Controllers

From the days of arcades, to the introduction of home consoles to the transfer to mobile platforms, video games as a medium have changed greatly over the years. Adapting alongside them is the controllers we use to play them. While generally unnoticed compared to the game itself, controllers are a massive aspect in video games - they are our only way to interact with the game itself. While games have influenced the controllers over the years, (extra buttons to adjust for improved technology allowing for more functions, ease of play etc...) controllers have also influenced the games that are played on a console (certain game mechanics i.e. 3D, how complicated a game can be etc...) and I think it's about time we pay our respects to the controllers and acknowledge how they have changed over the years..

Arcade Cabinets

 

Introduced in the 70's and peaking in the early 80's arcades are generally accepted as the mainstream introduction of gaming. Being an earlier incarnation of video games, arcade cabinets typically had pixelated or low poly graphics with few controls. Due to the way they were constructed each cabinet had it's own unique controller built in to it. Often consisting of a few buttons and a joystick, arcade cabinets had to keep their controls simplistic to match the games on them. This was a great starting point for designing game controllers since each controller was different, what worked stuck and what failed, well, failed.

For an example for this look at the two arcade controllers above. Which of the two looks easier to use? Which of the two closer resembles controller structure today? Both answers to this is clearly the one on the left and this is just goes to show how great of a play ground the arcade cabinets were for video game controllers. Just imagine if home consoles came first with great game lists but the most unwieldy controller design? It would of eliminated the popularity of gaming and the medium may not of lasted this long.

The Early Home Consoles

With the basics of controller design taken from arcades, the first home consoles featured rectangular or box-like controllers with a limited button interface. Most controllers featured 2-4 round buttons and the now signature D-Pad. Buttons usually controlled functions in a game while the D-Pad was generally form movement.

The Nintendo Entertainment System's controller (Pictured above) can be thought of as the premier controller of it's console generation. The D-Pad was located on the left side as movement felt more natural done this way with two buttons located on the right side for actions. Now compare the the NES controller to the Super NES controller (pictured below), the SNES was the next Nintendo console to be released and you can see the direction it goes in foreshadows future controllers. While still being primarily flat it is rounded to better fit in the user's hands and additional buttons are added on the right side (mind you, this is because with a better console games could be bigger and have a player utilize more controls), and finally, shoulder buttons are added. While these weren't as overused then as now it is still interesting to note how early they were implemented into controllers, especially when they are only thought of as the  "firing buttons" in shooter games.

The Dawn of 3D Gaming

Jump to 3D games and a joystick was required to have a better ease of control in the 3D environments. An increased button count was also seen to accommodate the extra controls that could now be programmed in. Shoulder buttons were made more important during game play and grips are added to the controller for more comfortable holding.

The two leading consoles at this time were the Nintendo 64 (controller pictured left) and playstation (controller pictured right). Now aesthetically for some reason this generation preferred an ugly dull gray, but i digress as this in no way affects the functionality. Although a lot of the same changes were implemented into the progression towards these controllers it again mirrors the days of arcade cabinets. The N64 controller is more awkward and cumbersome with it's 3 grips and one joystick. From a modern gamer perspective it leaves a lot of questions; I only have two hands, how do I hold it properly? How do I reach all the buttons during game play and why do I have to adjust grip during game play? Meanwhile the original Playstation had an abundance of brilliant design choices. Despite not having the joysticks it should have entering the 3D generation all the proper foundations are there. The D-Pad and button placement mimics that of the successful SNES controller and the shoulders are made more prominent and are clear in functionality, but the things that must be stressed the most is the way in which the grips are placed. It allows for the player to comfortably hold the controller and reach any button at any time. Perhaps because of this alone, the Playstation controller design became the basic design for all proceeding controllers. 

More Steps in the Right Direction

The Playstaion 2, XBox and Gamecube took the lessons earned from earlier 3D days and vastly improved on them. It's easy to see the further refined design based off the Playstation controller of the last generation. Nintendo somewhat learned their lesson from the N64 days, the third grip was removed, however the buttons various sizes is still a bit different.

There was also a large boom of off brand controllers made in this era which could be a grab bag. Occasionally the knock offs were fine but typically you wanted the controller the company originally made for the console. Overall, by this time the gaming companies knew they needed an effective controller for the games to sell. All the positive ideas from the past were integrated and we haven't seen too much of a change from then. 

Motion Controls, Gyroscopes and Wireless

Wireless controllers became a new standard. The look was generally the same as used previously other than the Wii controller which will be talked about more later. Gyroscopes were added to have primitive motion controls on each consoles controller. Gyroscopic features were dropped later and almost just an early gimmick.

The real change that took place over the course of this console generation was the major introduction of motion controls due to the Wii. The controller decreased the number of buttons on the interface and gave it a rectangular look. This fully dedicated it to motion controls and allowed for add-ons to augment certain games. Sony and Microsoft eventually mirrored this procedure with the Playstation move and Kinect but it was the Nintendo Wii's controller that contributed most to this advancement.

Current Generation

Again functionally we see little change in the way controllers are designed. They feature all the same buttons and generally function similarly to the  previous. Take the Xbox One's controller for example. It has the exact same placement of buttons as the previous generation with a slightly different shape overall.

There is one major addition though and that is of touch screens. The PS4(left) and Wii U(right) implemented touch screens into their controllers which is very cool aesthetically but realistically functions as just an easy way to navigate menus in reality. It is still a convenience though to have content displayed on the controller and with the Wii U's controller basically being a tablet allows games to be entirely played off it. (Surprisingly the Wii U tablet is comfortable to hold to, it feels like using an old SNES controller with analog sticks). 

Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming feels like a call back to arcade. Since each game uses a different interface generated on the phone each game has a slightly different controller. Some games function on taps, others tilts and some put buttons on-screen to try and emulate a controller (the later usually fails). Overall taps tend to be the preferred and best designed functionality.

Handhelds

All handhelds followed the simplistic control design of the NES era. They mirrored the growth of the home consoles as well but grew in different ares at different times. Handhelds earlier implemented touch control, and later added joysticks. Gyroscopes were also added for some tilt controls but like the functionality in the last console generation it was more of a gimmick. Since handhelds had the controller built into console they had to be designed well. One major issue for players with larger hands is getting cramps from having their hands bent awkwardly to hit buttons. This has been improved recently with a nice amount of spacing added to be comfortable to play with. Below you can see the line of Nintendo handhelds and their general progression over time.

   






 

Specialty Controllers (Zapper, Power Glove, Guitar Hero, Wii fit Pad etc...)

Many games have thought of some sort of gimmick to increase sales. Often these gimmicks revolve around making a game more immersive by making a peripheral controller to make a player feel like they are actually doing something other than sitting on their couch.
Overall specialty controllers received mixed praise. Some, like the zapper and guitar hero instruments, were considered necessities of their console generation, others like the power glove were universally panned. Adding on to this there was also a surplus of peripherals that were added to the previous console generation. Especially on the Wii. These peripherals were a necessity for a lot of games and as such were considered positive for their functionality but aggravating for their high cost.

Mini-Review 3 Batman Comic

Sadly I am unsure what issue this comic was, but I do know the plot centered around an average looking antagonist speaking of how he would outsmart and kill Batman. Comics in general are a medium I was always interested in reading however never really did. The visuals are interesting, the characters are dynamic and the stories are outlandish and this issue is no exception.

While this comic broke some molds of what is generally seen as an average comic I thought it was nice to read. I would of enjoyed to see more of the plot than the exert I was able to experience.

This was great to see as it was a different type of media then most of what was featured in the course and despite any protest it was worth while.

Mini-Review 2 - Memento

Memento is a masterful film noir with excellent directing by Christopher Nolan. The movie follows typical film noir protocol, there's a shady protagonist, tag-along side kick, missing girl and a guy to kill. The plot is mysterious, the viewers are unsure of what's happening the majority of the movie and only a couple of hints link everything together. It's a great concept and is very well done.

The inspiration to add this feature is the memory issues the protagonists faces in the movie. I can't stress how ingenious this is as it literally puts us in his shoes, being unable to tell what is happening between scenes.

Overall I believe Memento is a great movie and is very thought provoking. It's a movie that actually requires some effort to watch but grants the viewer a massive pay off in the end.

Mini-Review 1 - Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods, is a meta-humor, horror parody filled to the brim with homages to other popular films. The blend of references is done masterfully, never jumping out as a clear placement, while still being respectful to it's source material.

Overall the movie follows a typical horror plot. A group of stereotypical teens take a stereotypical trip when they are attacked by a stereotypical movie monster. However, the end result is anything but stereotypical. Under the events of the teens there is a group of workers trying to create the typical horror troupes (including but not limited to: Going somewhere you shouldn't, dropping your weapon, splitting up etc...).

This feature creates an interesting catch for the viewer and allows the audience to draw parallels to how similar the plots of horror movies are. Without spoilers the end of the movie takes an interesting point or view making the viewer rethink, "Should horror movies be made differently?"

While not a must watch, the movie is definitely worth if your a fan of horror movies!

Genre-Bending In Shaun of the Dead

Genre-Bending is the act of mixing of breaking usual tropes of a genre to make a hybrid product. Bearing this in mind a great example of a genre-bender would be Shaun of the Dead. Staring Simon Pegg the film expertly mixes horror with comedy and a slight amount of comedy to create a mold breaking and out of the box zombie movie.

Taking from the horror aspect, the movie parodies George Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead. The world has been infested with zombies, leading to the classic gore and jump scares expected of a horror movie. However the way the protagonists react to the situations is where the movie loses it's horror roots.

The characters themselves are irrational and humoursly survive any situation put there way. There is also an underlying drama aspect with a love interest.

Overall the Genre-Bending greatly enhances the movie by making it a more memorable experience.

Create your own Reality TV Show

TLC Present's My Animal is a Racist

Who is the intended audience?

       This is show is directed towards the  traditional viewers of TLC. It features a ridiculous plot with non-existent problems. It will end up making more of a statement on the pet owner's than the animals themselves.

Do you have a hook?

       The hook of the show  is the over the top measures that will be taken to stop people's pets from having a problem that is entirely fictional. To an intelligent viewer  the stupidity of the pet's owners will  also  be humorous. The typical TLC viewer may actually feel  deep interest in the problems at hand and wish for animal racism.

Who is the focus of the show?

       Each episode  will focus on a new pet owner who is worried  that their animal may be racist. The show can move to anywhere across the US but is  more likely to go to the crazier owner's houses.

What are they going to be  doing?
       In the course of an episode  a new racist will be found and undergo tolerance therapy. Throughout the  therapy sessions the owner's will be asked if they notice a  difference and their reactions  will be broadcast.

Where will this take place? 

       Every episode will take place in a new location across North America. The families who are a concerned about their pet will call in and the "My Animal is a Racist" team will head on location to their neighborhood.

Is there a goal?

      The goal of the is to solve the 'racism problem' among the animal kingdom.

What will make this show a successful format?

       The expectations on TLC are already low quality wise and we will monopolize on this. We'll take advantage of their gullible fan base in order to create the new "Honey Boo Boo". 

(This is entirely a fictional work)

By: Judah, Cory and Andy

Music Video Analysis

For my music video analysis I will be analyzing a bizarre video I found on Youtube. The song is SOURCE by Fever the Ghost with animation by Felix Colgrave and can be viewed below. I choose to analyze this video not because I enjoying the song, but as a creative/artistic person I found the animation style very unique. So let's get started shall we?



Construction of Reality

It is quite clear well watching this music video it was not meant to be an accurate representation of reality. The characters are all very stylized, and cartoony and give off a psychedelic vibe. The yellow cloaked man (if it's even meant to be a man) is the only human in the video, which displays, living hills, an Oriental dragon, Aliens, and a disco dancing Sun and Moon. It can be easily assumed drugs inspired some of what is seen.

The video in itself is very unique however, and I found myself perplexed to see what would happen next. The obscure video matches the alternative music that is playing and unifies into a strange experience to say the least.


 Codes and Conventions

SOURCE's music video, like many in the alternative genre, displays plenty of nonsensical imagery. The lyrics of the song itself are highly representational or metaphoric and lacks a serious tone. If anything in this video is meant to be overly symbolic or make a statement it is lost through all the interesting turns the video takes.

Creeds and Values

No values are directly displayed in this video, however if one were to look deeper a message resembling "Friendship is important" can be seen. The connection of the yellow robbed man and dragon is prevalent as the sit and enjoy a meal together, while a secondary connection between the dancing aliens can be seen.

This video treats all groups equally (all the monsters are welcome to do as they want) feeling free to dance their lives away.

Commercial

I believe that the music video was a perfect match for the song. While it does not appeal to everyone, the people who enjoy this genre will enjoy the quirks of this video. I myself found that I have a great appreciation of the song due to the strange and creative atmosphere created by the music video.
 

Introduction to Blogging

1.

I believe that media is very important in my life. In our modern culture it surrounds us so it'd be difficult to live a life with out it. Media has become embedded into my life and use of it is now as natural as breathing.

2.

The three most important forms of media to me are music, social media and video games.

Music - While never an activity I focus fully on, I normally have a headphone in my ear and listen to music while completing tasks. It can help time pass by faster and helps me concentrate one what I meed to do. My favorite artists and songs may I change constantly but music is a must have in my everyday life. 

Social Media - While personally I don't care much for the use of it, social media is a necessity to communicate. I usually use it at least two hours a day in order to speak with others.

Video Games - Video games can be a great way to pass time. As a creative/artistic person I find myself especially drawn to games with a unique or interesting art style. I also love anything I can play on my phone to pass time anywhere.

3.

I believe modern pop culture is some what flawed. This is extremely evident when you realize no one particularly likes it. Famous people are being hated more and more, and negative press is more popular than positive. This can be seen as a drawback on enhanced connectivity and that you can be caught doing anything at any given moment, and that the bad sticks out more than the good. Despite this most Pop-culture doesn't bug me because I don't feel over involved in it.

I think communication technology is impressive but maybe too advanced for what modern people are capable of handling. Again, think of all the stupid things people post daily or take pictures of as evidence of this. Social media to me is only useful as a form of IM.

I use media for a variety of activities, ranging from: entertainment, education and shopping. Although the most common is use for entertainment and least common is for shopping.



4.

I believe teenagers ( and along with that, everyone) is portrayed incorrectly in the media. The teens in the media can be generally categorized into three groups: the overly heroic ( such as Katniss Everdeen from the hunger game series), the overly stupid (Any group of teens from any generic horror movie) and the overly mature (While no specific example comes to mind the thought that every teen is usually played by 20 + year old can contribute to this).

Let the above picture speak for itself. It is unrealistic. No teen can be a hero the may media portrays. No teen can be the one hope for an entire nation or the savior of everyone. It is extremely unrealistic and for some may create an unobtainable desire to be that individual.

Next up are the overly stupid. While these characters are in plenty of movies or TV shows they are especially prominent in the Horror genre. The types of movies where someone in the audience yells "Don't go into the basement!" when everyone else knows the character is going to the basement regardless. The tens in these movies make unrealistic and possibly the worst decisions given their situation and are only meant as killer fodder to the antagonist. Not too pleasant of a way for teens to be presented.

Finally and probably the worse offender is how teens are showed to be overly mature. While the previous two points can be logically explained by "Oh, the screen writer's were trying to make her interesting" or " The movie wouldn't be scary if the characters weren't in a bad situation" the maturity of the actors can create real problems. With 20+ year olds playing teens it creates an unrealistic body image teens try to obtain. Girls feel insecure they can't have the body of every movie teenager and boys can't put on the muscle that any movie character has. It makes real teens feel poorly about themselves because they can't look like what media says teens should.

In conclusion the way in which teens are portrayed in the media is ludicrous. It gives teens a bad reputation and unrealistic standards and worse of all might be unchangeable. Stereotypes exist everywhere and are usually negative the only way to overcome them is to be smart enough to realize they aren't true.