Video and computer game controllers are devices that let gamers control the movements of an icon on the screen. Game controllers are input devices that relay the gamers’ choices and motions to the computer, which in turn commands the representative icon. Technically, keyboards and mouse devices are game controllers, and games can be played using only the arrows on the right-hand side of your keyboard or by directing the icon with your mouse, but there are also some really cool developments in computer and video game controllers.
The earliest video game controller to enjoy popular use was the Atari 2600. Compared to today’s technology, the Atari controller was massive. It was essentially a big joystick set out of a big box. The range of motion offered by the Atari 2600 was seriously limited, and it could only in move 8 directions. Atari followed up with a similar model, the 5200, which included a pause button and numeric keypad, and a joystick that could move in a complete 360-degree circle.
Nintendo got in the controller design game with the NES – Nintendo Entertainment System, which introduced a much smaller, rectangular controller that included a 4-directional D-pad, which is a more sophisticated take on the joystick. The NES controller also had a Start and Select button and A and B buttons. The D-pad controller was a huge hit, especially among players with small hands, and its introduction revitalized video game culture.
When Sega launched Genesis, controllers began to take on ergonomic form. Gone were the days of straight lines and cumbersome handsets. The Sega Genesis controller was curved so that it was more comfortable to hold between two hands. The Genesis also introduced two more buttons, which meant more game control. The D-pad technology of the NES controller was used in the Genesis controller, with only some minor adjustments to get around the Nintendo patent.
Developments to video game controllers have brought many new features, without drastically changing the essential elements of these designs. There have been analog sticks, which improve upon the capabilities of the joystick and D-pad technologies, the introduction of more buttons for better control, as well as menu functions, which allow the user remote access to their active, online friends. Some new video game controllers, like the Wii remote are wireless, which add to the versatility of the game, and improves the gamers’ range of motion for an enhanced gaming experience.
