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.