Bibliography (Ba5: Platform and Distribution)

Good, O (2008) Surgeons 50 Percent Better After Wiimote Sim. Available from:http://kotaku.com/5032474/surgeons-50-percent-better-after-wiimote-sim>

Martin, M (2012) Sony expects full year losses to reach 220 Billion yen. Available from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-02-sony-expects-full-year-losses-to-reach-220-billion

Nathan, J (1999) Sony: The Private Life.

PlayStation Museum (2011) The Complete History of the Sony PlayStation, Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryi1QBA6XyI

TED (2008) Johnny Lee demos Wii Remote hacks. Available from:                                                 < http://www.ted.com/talks/johnny_lee_demos_wii_remote_hacks.htm >

Zollner, M. Huber, S.(2011) Navi – Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired. Available from: <http://hci.uni-konstanz.de/blog/2011/03/15/navi/?lang=en

Kish, H. Schertenleib, S (2009) ACGi Sony Computer Entertainment Research and Development Presentation.

Controller family tree. Available from:

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/

History of Controllers (2011) Available from:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/art-controller.htm#Early

History of the PlayStation 2. Available from: http://www.gameconsolesedu.info/PS2.php

‘stuffmagazine’ (2010) PlayStation Move technology demo. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8k6Irz00L4

Press Release - PlayStation Move. Available from:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/15/sony-playstation-move-launch-details-get-official/

Sony expects full year losses to reach 220 billion. Available from:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-02-sony-expects-full-year-losses-to-reach-220-billion

Sony Losses over the Sony Ericsson. Available from:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-01-20-247-million-loss-for-sony-ericsson


Editorial on Sony new CEO Kaz Hirai (formerly CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-03-hirai-ascendant?page=2

Sony Rebranding Sony Playstation Network as Sony Entertainment Accounts
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-06-psn-to-be-rebranded-as-sony-entertainment-network

Is the PlayStation Vita worth £230? Available from:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-20-is-the-playstation-vita-worth-230                       Accessed 07/02/12

In theory. The challenge of a ten year cycle. Available from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/digitalfoundry-in-theory-challenge-of-the-ten-year-lifecycle
Accessed 07/02/12

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redbeardmathpirate/5586189028/ (Bally Astrocade Controller)

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/ (Controller family tree)

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/art-controller.htm#Early (The History of the Controller) 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-pad (Directional Pad)

Atari 2600 Joystick image. Sourced from:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31D4l4Ut4LL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Bally Astrocade controller image. Sourced from:
http://videogamecritic.net/images/systems/astrocont.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Matel Intellivision Controller. Sourced from:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyUP7fHk2jEbhZZbO5OWRct8azemSMBeOQHWiRkXJVpXi0UMevD-6e7zfj6ddw7WU8wKSdW6d2BXdaQWz19Sjp2REbEUjksxXj7r7pylTcThMU3bwYV2bBsfPUGNZwm8k6KhJEuHBiVc/s1600/IntellivisionController.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Atari 5200 controller image. Sourced from:
http://www.atariage.com/5200/images/controllers/con_Atari5200.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Sega Saturn controllers. Sourced from:
http://videogamecritic.net/images/systems/satcontth.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

N64 Controller. Sourced from:
http://cdn-static.cnet.co.uk/i/c/blg/cat/gamesgear/controllers/n64.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation DualShock controller. Sourced from:
http://images.wikia.com/egamia/images/2/28/Playstation_dual_shock_controller.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation Dual-Analogue controller. Sourced from:
http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/psx_a.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

PlayStation controller. Sourced from:
http://www.geekosystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/playstation-controller.jpeg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Super Famicon (SNES) Controller. Sourced from:
http://www.supernintendoclassics.com/wp-content/uploads/SFCpad.jpg
Last accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation DualShock 2 controller. Sourced from:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/PS2_Dualshock2_Controller.jpg
Last Accessed: 07/02/2012

Dreamcast controller Image. Sourced from:
http://media.gdgt.com/img/product/23/i02/dreamcast-controller-1vcm-460.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Xbox controller Image. Sourced from:
http://www.blitterandtwisted.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/xbox-large-controller.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Gamecube Controller Image. Sourced from:
http://kyorune.com/modding/file.php?art=82&file=2
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

The Worlds largest Nesv Controller.Stuff Magazine. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNZb2gyuBFg&feature=relmfu
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Sources:

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps3_sale_e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Computer_Entertainment

http://www.mobygames.com/company/sony-computer-entertainment-europe-ltd/history

(01/01/2012)

http://www.sony.co.uk/article/id/1060176719725

 (06/01/2012)

http://www.webhostingreport.com/learn/sony.html

(06/01/2012)

http://www.gameconsolesedu.info/PS2.php

(19/01/2012)

http://news.sel.sony.com/en/corporate_information/sony_brand

(19/01/2012)

http://www.cyberiapc.com/vgg/sony_ps2.htm

(19/01/2012)

http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february04/PS2timeline/index.shtml

(19/01/2012)

Sony Report

Brief History

Sony, like any business has grown from humble beginnings, experiencing both successes and failures along the way but nevertheless being shaped by these to become the Sony Corporation that is known today.

Sony’s origin was as a small business formed by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita that would fix and upgrade radios from the telephone switchboard room of a war damaged department store, in the heart of Tokyo’s Business district. This company was known as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo and was officially formed in 1946. The road from Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to the entertainment giant Sony was long and not without any roadblocks. In fact, the first product of the company was an automatic rice cooker that, after having ordered a truck load of wooden tub components, it was discovered that it was not reliable enough to make a viable commercial product:

 “I remember sitting there on the third floor in Shirokiya day after day being fed rice that wasn’t fit to eat. We simply couldn’t make a product out of this and finally we gave up and now we are stuck with all these tubs” - Masaru Ibuka (Nathan, 1999. 13-14)

Nevertheless eventually with a solid basis of transistors, hand-rolled cassette recorders and radios generating a profit, the company branched out internationally. In the American market, Morita decided that Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was not a suitable name and eventually the company adopted the name Sony – a play on words that mixed the word Sonus (the Latin for sound) and Sonny boy, a term associated with a bright or creative child.

The growth of newly reborn ‘Sony’ did not halt at simply venturing into America – with Ibuka choosing to pursue the development of television sets in 1964 with the ill-fated Chromatron. These televisions almost sent the company into ruin. It took 4 years before the Trinitron; a hugely successful television had finally been developed – meaning that they could pay of the development loan of 650 million yen (roughly two million dollars) in three years.

Growth of Sony Computer Entertainment

Given the risks that Sony took to move into the home entertainment market from its solid foundation as an audio hardware provider, it shouldn’t have been surprising when Sony Computer Entertainment was formed and Sony officially moved into the video game industry. However it was -even within the company:

 “For some people within Sony, PlayStation represented the future and was very exciting, but for other people it was a threat – something they didn’t fully understand” - Phil Harrison, Former Executive Vice President Sony Computer Entertainment (PlayStation Museum, 2011)

Sony had not been entirely un-invested in the Video game console market prior to this, having developed the Audio Stereo chip for the NES console but the company was content remaining out of the market that had largely been monopolised by Sega and Nintendo up to that point. However, when Nintendo dropped a collaborative development between the two companies on a CD drive for the SNES, this drove Sony’s CEO Norio Ohga to allow engineer Ken Kutaragi to develop the PlayStation console. The initial investment into the machine was 50 million dollars after an Executive committee heard Kutaragi and Teruo Tokunaka’s presentation. This led to the purchase of 1.3 million processor chips and the formation of Sony Computer Entertainment as a joint venture between Sony Corp and Sony Music Japan as a sign of commitment to this new expansion in November 1993.

The PlayStation console itself was superior to the Nintendo and Sega systems currently on the market at that time but it wasn’t until Sony established a solid third party developer base and a reasonable retail price ($299 – a full $100 less than the Sega Saturn) that the product became a more attractive proposition for the gamer to rival the more established Nintendo and Sega brands.  Sony also spent a rumoured 4 million dollars on a stall at E3 to promote the console. The resulting interest, both in Japan and internationally, exceeded Sony’s expectations dramatically. In Japan the PlayStation sold 300,000 units in the first month – 3 times the number Sony had prepared for. In three months this figure had increased to being over one million units.

Because of the success of the PlayStation (today having sold over 90 million units worldwide), the development and subsequent release of the PlayStation 2 in 1999/ 2000 was not surprising. At the heart of the console was the Emotion Engine (developed by Sony and Toshiba), which added backwards compatibility to a list of unique selling points that included increased processing power/ graphics in addition to the ability to double up as a DVD player – at a point where DVD was beginning to draw the consumer away from VHS. The PlayStation 2 has since become one of the best-selling consoles of all time (selling over 120 million units worldwide) but has not been without problems, as the Class Action Lawsuit that was filed against Sony in July 2002 demonstrates. This was largely down to a ‘disk read error’ fault that would often plague the earlier models due to a misaligning laser disk lens.

Sony Computer Entertainment has since released a third home console, the PlayStation 3 in 2006, in addition to two handheld variations (PSP and VITA), no doubt to counterbalance Nintendo’s prior creation and subsequent domination of a handheld market with the Gameboy and DS brands. However one such emerging market, again largely uncovered by the Nintendo Wii’s success, is in using motion capturing technology to enhance the gaming experience.

The PlayStation Move and its Competitor’s

With the Nintendo first commercially releasing the Wii in 2006, both Sony and Microsoft realised the potential that motion technology had and began working on their own products. Sony released the PlayStation Move first out of the pair in 2010, working in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye (released in 2009). The Move controller looks similar to the Nintendo’s WiiMote in shape and functionality in that the player can wield one or two of these ‘remote like’ controllers, one in each hand. They are ergonomically designed with rounded and smooth surfaces, rather than flat/square and neither controller features any thumbstick. The largest difference between the Move controller and the WiiMote is the large LED orb that is positioned at the tip of the Move controller. The reason for this orb is that the PlayStation Eye peripherally tracks the movement of this orb in the X and Y axis – while the area of the sphere dictates its position on the Z axis.

While the two remotes undoubtedly share these similarities of both function and likeness, the process of controller evolution has seen competitor’s evolve using the other successful controllers on the market. One of the more relevant examples of this stems from the PlayStation, which was heavily influenced by the incredibly successful Super Famicon controller in terms of button layout, whilst adding handle-like grips. The N64 (which had also opted for grips for the players hands) added a small analogue stick in the centre of the controller which proved to be a revolution – and caused Sony and Sega to respond with updated models of each respective controller. This was the birth of the Sony ‘Dual Shock’ which has changed in subsequent console iterations very little since its conception.

Regardless, the Move has been outshone by its competitors since its release – with the Wii’s vast but established fan base taking a large slice of the motion control market, while Microsoft’s Kinect (released shortly after the Move) has gathered momentum commercially due to its unique selling points of mapping the entire player’s body (48 skeleton points) in addition to sophisticated voice recognition – playing to its marketing tagline “You are the Controller” in that the player does not need a remote like with Nintendo or Sony’s motion technology. This has likely factored into the release of Sony’s latest Move related software – the Move Me.

The Move Me

The Move Me is a simple piece of software that can allow the user to connect the Move to their computer and begin to program Applications and Games that make use of the Move technology – which in turn can be used with the PlayStation 3 console. However, in regards to the program and even the way it has been executed, it is hard to consider the Move Me a finished product.

This is because it doesn’t act as a conventional product should. The Move Me cannot simply be used with the console – nor can it be used with the PC should the user be unfamiliar with the process of coding. Immediately this has limited those who might want to use the content down to a niche group of academics or programmers with the necessary experience. However this does not have to be the case.

The Nintendo Wiimote and the Microsoft Kinect have been well documented as being ‘hacked’ by users to preform completely unexpected and sometimes inspirational tasks. The Wiimote for example has been transformed into a surgical training tool in Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix (Good, 2008) and has been used by researcher Johnny Chung Lee to create 3D head tracking and a cheap alternative interactive whiteboard (TED. 2008). Kinect on the other hand has been used to create a sophisticated method to help the blind using the room mapping feature of the camera known as the ‘Navi Project’ (Zollner, M. Huber, S. 2011).These examples demonstrate that there are also inventive and creative uses of the Move technology that, should the Move Me be successful, could easily place the software in the commercial spotlight.

To do this, the Move Me user base needs to grow into a community. Generating a creative community around the Move Me would not necessarily be difficult to accomplish – with Media Molecule’s Little Big Planet (a developer that is part of Sony Computer Entertainment) proving to be a perfect example of how it could look and operate. The Move Me could act as a hub in itself for accessing or even purchasing new applications for the player’s PlayStation 3. Or this function could be taken up by the already established PlayStation store. The PlayStation Network is available in 58 countries, with over 600 million items downloaded worldwide (Kish, H. Schertenleib, S. 2009) – credentials that more than highlight how distributing via this method would be more than viable.

Sony could even adopt the approach used by Apple and the App store, in allowing these small innovative games to be sold from the store, with the profits shared between the developer and Sony.  This tactic, coupled with a low price for the Move Me could even spark a rise in the presence of indie companies that choose to work with Move technology given the current rise in small but critically acclaimed indie games that are finding success through distribution networks such as Steam and even Xbox Live. 

When Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was formed, co- founder Masaru Ibuka created a 16 page document known as ‘The founding Prospectus’. This in itself may seem irrelevant to the current day Sony, as in the current market Sony could be seen as struggling, with reported full year losses forecasted at 2.9 billion dollars (Martin, 2012) – making a loss for the fourth straight year in a row. However with the Move Me at least, it feels like there might be something more than simple yet idealistic words to be found in that old document, from the times of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo and badly cooked rice, that could be used to shape the Move Me into the product that it can be.

“My first and primary objective was establishing a stable workplace where engineers could work to their hearts’ content in full consciousness of their joy in technology and their social obligation.”   Masaru Ibuka, Co-Founder of Sony/ Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, The Founding Prospectus, 1946  (Nathan,1999. 10)

Bibliography:

Good, O (2008) Surgeons 50 Percent Better After Wiimote Sim. Available from: ,http://kotaku.com/5032474/surgeons-50-percent-better-after-wiimote-sim>

Martin, M (2012) Sony expects full year losses to reach 220 Billion yen. Available from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-02-sony-expects-full-year-losses-to-reach-220-billion

Nathan, J (1999) Sony: The Private Life.

PlayStation Museum (2011)The Complete History of the Sony PlayStation, Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryi1QBA6XyI

TED (2008) Johnny Lee demos Wii Remote hacks. Available from:                                                 < http://www.ted.com/talks/johnny_lee_demos_wii_remote_hacks.htm >

Zollner, M. Huber, S.(2011) Navi – Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired. Available from: <http://hci.uni-konstanz.de/blog/2011/03/15/navi/?lang=en

Kish, H. Schertenleib, S (2009) ACGi Sony Computer Entertainment Research and Development Presentation.

Controller family tree. Available from:

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/

History of Controllers (2011) Available from:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/art-controller.htm#Early

History of the PlayStation 2. Available from: http://www.gameconsolesedu.info/PS2.php

Move technology demo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8k6Irz00L4

This was a short technical demo that had been released to demonstrate the possible innovative uses for the PlayStation Move in 2010. I found this demo rather interesting because it looks very similar to the basic package behind the Move Me (with the initial Sword/ Move controller animation looking suspiciously alike to the one that I had beta tested). Nevertheless despite this some of the motion ideas are really intriguing but it makes me curious as to why these ideas haven’t been implemented into any games in a dedicated way.

Still the video acts as another tool to show that if the Move Me is embraced by a large creative community then perhaps more creative applications can be applied.

Move Me Beta Testing

Today, together with a small group I beta tested the Move Me...

What is it?

The Move Me is a tool for which coders and programmers can work with the Move controller and PlayStation Eye to create different applications using software on their PC’s and Macintosh computers.

What was my experience of the Move. Me?

Well given that none of those in our group could code and we could not find a suitable lead that would connect the console to the PC, our experience was very limited. At its base form, the Move Me application that was available to us simply summoned a simple low polygon sword that could be swung depending on the movement of the Move remote. Furthermore with the presence of a second Move Controller, a 3D model of a Move Controller takes its place.

The Positives:

The Move remote is very responsive – more so than the Wii/Wii motion plus remotes and likely more than the Kinects arm movements (although my own personal experience with the Kinect is limited so I cannot verify this).  Because of this the speed that the Remote travels and its general coordinates within the space are very well mapped.

Having access to the Move could probably give birth to some very innovative games or ideas and it could easily be linked with other software, like Photoshop or even 3D sculpting tools to give the user a different experience. One such example of the room for innovation with the Move Me software lays in a code that Jess, a member of the group beta testing, had found online whereby someone had created a wire loop style game, something which I hadn’t even considered.

The Negatives:

The Move Me is a tool for programmers and because of this it can’t be considered a commercial product for a mass market – at least not at this point in time. Without Coding/ Programming Experience, the correct leads to connect the PlayStation to the PC (and a PC) the product has a very basic functionality that we found as not enjoyable.

If the user could connect the PlayStation to their PC unless there is a dedicated bank of other code available, it would take either prior knowledge or self-tutoring in order to even begin to create simple applications. This immediately alienates a vast majority of people who could use this software.

There isn’t another way to get code into the Move Me other than PC connection. We attempted using a memory stick to get the file in or tried to find some area within the software to input code with no luck.

The Move Me Sword application does not recognise where the users body is so if the player places the sword behind their back, it does not register this. Additionally the second Move remote model can move clean through the sword model and vice versa. Both of these make problems make the application itself seem unfinished and rushed.

The Move Me Sword application doesn’t have a very big appeal, with most of the Beta testing group not showing huge amounts of interest in what it has to offer.

The area for which the Move Me picks up the remote isn’t very far; at best 7- 8 feet from the camera. This could prove to be restrictive for some applications or if the software was being used in large venues.

Even though the Move could be connected with a drawing program or a sculpting program, there are two issues:

-It is hard to pinpoint exactly where you would be pressing due to the shape of the Move Remotes top LED ball

- Why would the user want to use the Move in place of the more functional Tablet option – or even touch screen tablets?

My thoughts on improvements that could be made/ solutions to above problems:

The ‘hacks’ and creative uses of the other motion software out from Nintendo and Kinect is distinct evidence that the Move Me has the potential to grow into something that breeds innovation. To do this though it needs to have a community of home developers that can have easy access to the software, and more support when it comes to actually making applications. This could be achieved in a number of ways:

-          Free Access to Move. Me. To build a community is willing to develop applications it needs to be simple and easy to do. Given the amount of ‘hacking’ that has occurred to the motion remotes it is clear that people want to experiment with the software. By giving people a free way to do that, for which Sony can control the level for which the user can work with the Move remote, then both parties would benefit.

-          A software development kit that makes developing easier for users who want to work with the Move Me, but don’t necessarily want to learn the coding or would prefer to be eased into it. Furthermore this could encourage an increased indie presence on the market.

-          “Move Me Store” – given the strong foundation that the PlayStation Network has, the inclusion of a shop whereby the applications that people create can be purchased/ shared would be another incentive for people to use the Move Me, and on a commercial level should successful games be made as a split could be set up between the developer of said game/application and Sony. This model has worked with numerous other platforms such as the Apple Store. Furthermore really talented utilisation of the software would act almost as a way for Sony to scout out and acquire new talent and ideas.

Other smaller changes that could be made just relate back to the ease of uploading and changing the code within the Move Me – be it a way that it can be accessed and applied within the Move Me software, or transferred by a memory stick.

Useful Research links and articles

These were just a few of the more interesting articles I found to flesh out my idea of the current state of the Sony corporation - in addition to more information about the PlayStation Move.

Press Release - Playstation Move
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/15/sony-playstation-move-launch-details-get-official/

Sony expects full year losses to reach 220 billion
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-02-sony-expects-full-year-losses-to-reach-220-billion

Sony Losses over the Sony Ericsson
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-01-20-247-million-loss-for-sony-ericsson


Editorial on Sony new CEO Kaz Hirai (formerly CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-03-hirai-ascendant?page=2


Sony Rebranding Sony Playstation Network as Sony Entertainment Accounts
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-06-psn-to-be-rebranded-as-sony-entertainment-network


Eurogamer breaking down the Playstation Vita's costs/ retail price.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-20-is-the-playstation-vita-worth-230

10 Year Cycle (Some good quotes from Kaz Hirai)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/digitalfoundry-in-theory-challenge-of-the-ten-year-lifecycle

All of the above accessed 07/02/12

Evolution of Controllers

Given the focus on the PlayStation Move - a form of controller, I looked at a number of different resources to get an idea of how home console controllers have evolved with the times:

(The sources I have used for the basis information are:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redbeardmathpirate/5586189028/ (Bally Astrocade Controller)

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/ (Controller family tree)

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/art-controller.htm#Early (The History of the Controller) 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-pad (Directional Pad)

Note: Purely as a resource, the Controller family tree is an excellent diagram which shows the influences on the
evolution of controllers by various competitors

The earliest controllers were Joysticks that allowed 8 directional digital movements (up/down/left/ right/ angles). The Atari 2600 was one of the first consoles that could be attributed to popularizing this form of controller. In particular, one of the unique selling points for the Atari 2600’s joystick was that it could be disconnected from the console. This basic feature served dual purposes – it could allow faulty Joysticks to be replaced and it could mean that different forms of controller could be plugged into the console. One of these additional controllers, for the Atari at least, was a paddle and ball. These paddles could be seen as one of the earliest developments for analogue controls, in that their build in potentiometers could detect not only the movements of a gamer, but the speed for which they were interacting with the controls – translating this into equivalent on screen movements. The paddles themselves were not unlike knobs and they could only register left and right or up and down movements. However the ball controllers could recognise four movements instead of two. They were seen as a suitable choice for video games such as pong. The Atari 2600 Joystick was released in 1977, continuing to sell until about 1991. While the pressure exerted by gamers on the joystick often lead to quick breakages and strain on the wrist, this form of controller had set a standard that other controllers would be compared to.

Because of the issues with the Atari’s joysticks, other consoles did attempt to address the issue – with the Bally Astrocade controller utilising a smaller joystick atop a pistol grip (complete with a trigger action button). This joystick was innovative in that it could be utilised also as a knob for use with paddle games. This redesign to joysticks, in making them small enough to be manipulated by a thumb or finger, was being implemented by a number of other controllers.

 

However, one controller in the period moved away from the conventional paddles and joysticks. This was the Mattel Intellivision Controller. Resembling a television remote more than a video game controller, the Intellivision had many unique features:

-          Two buttons on either side of the controller. These buttons would retain the same functions each side to tailor for both left and right handed gamers

-          A numeric number pad of 12 buttons that allowed advanced input from the player. These inputs could include pausing, resetting, selecting difficulty among other gameplay specific actions (in these cases an overlay sheet would come with the game). This was seen as useful as it meant that gamers would not have to get up and interact with the console itself to do those basic functions.

-          A ‘Circular direction disk’. This control disk would send digital signals for up to 16 different directions – 8 more than controllers at the time.

While the controller itself was seen as a ‘love it or hate it ‘peripheral, generally it sparked a change in the way that controllers evolved from that point.

Of course, due to these unique functions Atari responded in kind to outdo their competitor. The way they did this was to create an analogue joystick with 360 degree directional movement, in addition to a built-in key pad and action buttons. The one flaw to the 5200’s design was that the joystick could not self-center and return to a point of neutrality. This meant the player would always be moving in the last direction that they had moved the joystick. Furthermore the controller was prone to breaking and also would struggle in diagonal movements and because of this the controller was not well received. Other consoles like the GCE Vectrex created analogue joysticks that would solve the flaws of the 5200’s design – including self-centring.

(The worlds largest NES controller recreation - showing that a truely revolutionary controller can be timeless!)

During the 1980’s and 1990’s the controllers began to evolve further and began to resemble those which we use today. The start of this could be attributed to Japanese inventor Gunpei Yokoi’s ‘D-Pad’ (Digital- Pad) that was used in Nintendo’s Donkey Kong game (and for other Game and Watch titles). This D-Pad was designed like a cross that allowed for several direction movements that could be controlled by a players thumb. It could be said that the reason for this change from joysticks was largely due to the handheld nature of the Nintendo Game and Watch, which as it folded it would not allow for a joystick like device. The cross shaped control pad was so exceptionally simple and effective that it has had a place on every Nintendo game console – and is seen in most home console systems from other manufacturers also. The Nintendo Entertainment System’s (Famicom)  release in 1984/5 was an early example of the D-pads inclusion into a controller, with the Famicom’s controller also being small enough to fit into a child’s hands in addition to having 8 directional movements, two action buttons and two other buttons that allowed for easy option selection (i.e.: pause) . The success of this controller signalled a shift from the Joystick to the ‘Gamepad’.

During the 1990’s both Sega and Nintendo had begun refining and adding to the Gamepad template that the Famicon had set. The Super-Nintendo (SNES) controller was rounded off to become more ergonomic than the squared NES gamepad – whilst adding two additional face buttons and two ‘shoulder buttons’. Sega’s Genesis gamepad had three action buttons, an ergonomically designed shape for comfort and also a control pad that was very akin to the Nintendo cross shape.

The progression of gamepads soon shifted from a purely Nintendo v Sega battle to also include Sony as a rival.

Sony’s PlayStation controller borrowed many design elements from its predecessors – including the 4 action button layout of the Super Nintendo, a 4 way directional pad (that used four separate direction buttons assembled like a cross) and finally shoulder buttons. However instead of purely 2 shoulder buttons, the PlayStation had 2 on each shoulder. The design was also very ergonomic and gamer friendly – meaning that they could grip the controller in their hands with ease.

Nintendo improved the ergonomics of their controllers further than the SNES with the Nintendo 64, in that it too, like the PlayStation, had handles that could be gripped – but the controller also had a mini joystick, two additional action buttons and a trigger at the back of the controller. Additional Peripherals could be added to the N64 to enhance the gaming experience:

-A memory pack that could mean that saved games could move from system to system

-A rumble pack that would give the player some form of force feedback from gameplay.

Sega Saturn had two different control pad models for their console – a more ergonomic variant of their Saturn controller (retaining the 6 action buttons). However after the release of the Nintendo N64’S controller, Sega released a vastly changed gamepad. This Saturn controller featured analogue triggers that responded to the degree of pressure placed upon them, a circular design and an analogue thumb stick.

Of course Sega weren’t the only company that responded to the N64’s design as Sony also released a controller variant in the Dual Analogue controller. This new controller had two analogue sticks symmetrically positioned below the start and select buttons. In order for the controller to support previous games that did not have analogue controls, a new button was placed in between start and select (the analogue button). This could switch off and on the functionality of the analogue sticks (in doing so displaying a red LED light.

After the release of the N64’s rumble pack, Sony refined this design further to form the ‘Dual Shock’ controller – which had two additional buttons (L3/R3) which would be activated by pressing in the thumb sticks. Additionally the controller could vibrate, the thumb sticks were reshaped and coated with rubber and the analogue button was deeper into the controller to prevent accidently button pressing. Because of these changes, it meant that the Dual Analogue controller was swiftly discontinued.

The Sony PlayStation Dual Shock controller did not alter much in its transition to Dual Shock 2 (for the PlayStation 2) aside from making the buttons analogue to add a level of precision to a gamers button press.

The analogue inclusion of the PlayStation 2 could have been seen as retaliation to the Sega Dreamcast’s controller’s pressure sensitive shoulder buttons. This was not the Dreamcast’s only unique feature. Like the N64, the controller had a slot that could contain the Sega VMU (visual memory unit) – a small memory card that could also play games and display information during gameplay. In a way it was like a micro controller in itself due to the screen, D-pad and buttons.

Microsoft’s first venture into the console game market with the Xbox yielded another controller design. For the most part this controller utilised many features of other competitors – including the PlayStation’s rubber topped analogue Joystick/button, an upgrade slot like the N64/ Dreamcast and an internal rumble feature. One of the unique features to this controller was its ‘break away’ lead – which would prevent the console or the lead being damaged by sudden tugs on the lead as it would just separate, minimising damage. The initial Xbox controllers were seen as too large and bulky so Microsoft reduced the size in the S-Type controller to address this.

The Nintendo gamecube controller had a large focus on ergonomics – with the standard cross pattern of buttons used by the PlayStation and N64 being replaced by a an oversized a button, and others set around it in a manner that promotes ease of use. The shoulder buttons had twin functions also. Tapping them would execute an analogue function while pressing them in would likewise execute a digital function.

The next step in controller evolution is the current wireless and motion controlled brands - but for these I will continue in a seperate blog post.



Atari 2600 Joystick image. Sourced from:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31D4l4Ut4LL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Bally Astrocade controller image. Sourced from:
http://videogamecritic.net/images/systems/astrocont.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Matel Intellivision Controller. Sourced from:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyUP7fHk2jEbhZZbO5OWRct8azemSMBeOQHWiRkXJVpXi0UMevD-6e7zfj6ddw7WU8wKSdW6d2BXdaQWz19Sjp2REbEUjksxXj7r7pylTcThMU3bwYV2bBsfPUGNZwm8k6KhJEuHBiVc/s1600/IntellivisionController.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Atari 5200 controller image. Sourced from:
http://www.atariage.com/5200/images/controllers/con_Atari5200.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012
Sega Saturn controllers. Sourced from:
http://videogamecritic.net/images/systems/satcontth.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

N64 Controller. Sourced from:
http://cdn-static.cnet.co.uk/i/c/blg/cat/gamesgear/controllers/n64.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation DualShock controller. Sourced from:
http://images.wikia.com/egamia/images/2/28/Playstation_dual_shock_controller.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation Dual-Analogue controller. Sourced from:
http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/psx_a.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

PlayStation controller. Sourced from:
http://www.geekosystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/playstation-controller.jpeg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Super Famicon (SNES) Controller. Sourced from:
http://www.supernintendoclassics.com/wp-content/uploads/SFCpad.jpg
Last accessed 07/02/2012

Playstation DualShock 2 controller. Sourced from:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/PS2_Dualshock2_Controller.jpg
Last Accessed: 07/02/2012

Dreamcast controller Image. Sourced from:
http://media.gdgt.com/img/product/23/i02/dreamcast-controller-1vcm-460.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Xbox controller Image. Sourced from:
http://www.blitterandtwisted.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/xbox-large-controller.jpg
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

Gamecube Controller Image. Sourced from:
http://kyorune.com/modding/file.php?art=82&file=2
Last Accessed 07/02/2012

The Worlds largest Nesv Controller.Stuff Magazine. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNZb2gyuBFg&feature=relmfu
Last Accessed 07/02/2012