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The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies
Mark J. P. Wolf, Bernard Perron
Controllers
Publication details https://test.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 Sheila C. Murphy Published online on: 17 Dec 2013
How to cite :- Sheila C. Murphy. 17 Dec 2013, Controllers from: The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies Routledge Accessed on: 30 Sep 2021 https://test.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203114261.ch3
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Fromtheearliestkeypads,buttons,andjoysticksto the ler elementssuchasthelight gunholster,whichdeepenthegamer’sengagementwith contests” (1997,p.146). controller andontheway it wasplacedinahip-heightholsterreadyforquick-draw Mad DogMcCreearcadegamedependedheavily ontheheftandshapeoflasergun puts itinhergroundbreakingbookHamletontheHolodeck : “Myownimmersioninthe tion withacontrollerthatrealisticallymimicsanin-game oractualobject.AsMurray how agamer’simmersionandagencywithingameoften arisefromone’sidentifica- of thevideogamemediumitself.Indeed,newmediatheorist JanetMurraydescribes and aplayer,asbothofthesecomponentsarenecessary—that is,almostprimalaspects tent andliterally,intheactualconnectioncontroller forgesbetweenagamesystem game system,bothsymbolicallyinthewaycontrollers are usedtonavigategamecon- ingly humble,seeminglysecondary,pieceoftechnology is actualacrucialpartofvideo software program,activatingandengaginginreal-time withthesoftware.Thisseem- mechanical arcadegamecontrollersasancestors,agamer engageswithavideogame’s control toselectbetweenchoices.Withagamecontroller,whichalsohaspinballand screen leisurepresentfundamentallypassiveentertainments,evenifoneusesaremote control isatechnologicalpredecessortothegamecontroller).Theseotherformsof other screenicentertainmentssuchascinemaortelevision(althoughtheTVremote is alsothetechnologicaldegreezeroforvideogames:itdistinguishesmediumfrom links aplayerwithhisorherin-gamerepresentationandproxy,beitavatarblip.It troller istheyokebetweenplayerandgame.Itsiteofphysicalinteractivitythat damentally structurethegamer’sexperienceofgamehardwareandsoftware.Thecon- steering wheels,trackballs,keypads,lightguns,orotherobjects,gamecontrollersfun- of theindustrysinceitsearlydays.Whetherpaddles,joysticks,buttons,analogsticks, controllers custom-builtforspecificgenresandevengames,havebeenpart game interfacesthatareintendedtobeusedacrossarangeofgenres,third-party game. Whileindividualvideogamesystemscomewithstandardizedcontrollersand ital devicesthatserveasthepointofinput—theintersection—betweengamersanda Historically, videogamecontrollershaveencompassedawiderangeofanaloganddig- structured toproducewhatbothgamersanddesignersseekmost:compellinggameplay. and interaction,agameisaninertsetofcodes.Butinputinteractionmustbe for interactivity,aretheliteralenginethatdrivesallvideogaming.Withoutinputs and representationsdepictedon-screen,interactivityand,crucially,modesofinput While videogamestudieshas,quiterightfully,focusedmuchattentiononactions In thisexample,immersive game designextendstoseeminglynon-essentialcontrol- CONTROLLERS Sheila C.Murphy 3 Downloaded By: 10.2.98.160 At: 22:31 30 Sep 2021; For: 9780203114261, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 and thechangingtastesamongstvideogameplayers. game controllersindicatehowthismediumorganizesitselfaroundcontrol,space,time, disappointment, controllersaremorethanjustapunchingbagorpunchline.Video observers andgamersfortheirshortcomingsorasobjectstoabusefollowingin-game games. Whilegamecontrollerslikelyalwaysdrawthemostattentionfromindustry accompany wholesystemsandbeusedwithawiderangeofvideo,ratherthancomputer pit controlsorcustomjoysticks.Butthefocushereisongamecontrollersdesignedto cially ofthespecializedcontrollersdesignedforspecificgamesorgenres,suchascock- as controllers.Thereisadistincthistoryofcomputergamecontrollerstobetold,espe- of gamesystems,notoncomputercontrollersortheusekeyboards industry itself.Thisessayfocusesprimarilyuponvideogamecontrollersdesignedaspart they canrevealagreatdealabouttheculturalprioritiesandhistoryofvideogame Xbox Kinect),controllersdefinewhatandhowweinteractwithvideogames.Assuch, handheld touch-screensandsystemsthatscanreadbodilymovement(suchasthe questions ofhowidentification functionsinregardtonewmedia,creatingatelling computer gamesasexemplary newmediaobjects,butindoingsohemostlyabandons (body). LaterinTheLanguageofNewMedia , Manovichgoesontodiscuss videoand a specifichistoricalandcultural contextandastheoccupantofaspecificmateriality body, becausewhenthesubject viewsorinteractswithmedia,heshedoessofrom Cartesian trapofseparatingthemindfrombody.Manovich writes: thoughtful interaction.Indoingso,Manovich,likemany beforehim,fallsintotheold activity, proclaimingthatsuchworkmistakesphysical Lev Manovichderisivelycriticizestheexistingscholarshiponnewmediaandinter- engagement. game interactivitythatsegregatedbodilyengagementfrompsychologicalorintellectual is anentitythatactsandlearns.Thisgoesbeyondearliertheoriesofvideocomputer of theselfasphysicallyembodiedinworld—smartlyemphasizeshowbodyitself analysis ofhowvideogamesengagebothourbodyimageandschema,orsense of player’sintentions,perceptions,andactions”(2008,p.67).GregersenGrodal’s where oneexperiencesbothagencyandownershipofvirtualentities.Thisisafusion into: “anembodiedawarenessinthemomentofaction game, oftenviagamecontrollers.Astheyputit,whileplayingvideogamesoneenters moments inwhichgamersfusethemselvesbothpsychologicallyandphysicallywitha Torben Grodalhavedevelopedtheirtheoriesofvideogameinteractivityaroundthe Drawing uponphilosophiesofphenomenology,gamescholarsAndreasGregersenand Yet psychologicalinteraction beginsandendswiththephysicalinteractionof In akeypassageinhiscritically-acclaimedstudy chological interaction. (pressing abutton,choosinglink,movingthebody), attheexpenseofpsy- ally, equatingitwithphysicalinteractionbetweenauser andamediaobject puter-based media,thereisthedangerthatwewillinterpret “interaction”liter- When weusetheconceptof“interactivemedia”exclusively inrelationtocom- Interaction andControl SHEILA C.MURPHY 20 The LanguageofNewMedia(2001), , akindofbodyimageinaction— interactivity forintellectual, (2001, p.57) Downloaded By: 10.2.98.160 At: 22:31 30 Sep 2021; For: 9780203114261, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 or charactersinavideogameareallchanneledthroughsuchcontrols. into digitalsignalstobeinterpretedbysoftwareandhardware.Ouron-screenidentities Screen. Thesearetheobjectsthroughwhichgameragencypassesandistransformed or heron-screen,digitalproxy,evenifthatproxyisasmundanetheXboxLiveHome viewer/user, arecrucial,tactilepointsofcontactbetweenthemediaconsumerandhis ity tobecomeunremarkeduponandseeminglyautomatic“extensions”ofthegamer/ world orengagewithvirtualfoesinagame.Videogamecontrollers,despitetheircapac- ponent inthehandofexperienceduser,whooperatesitbyrotetonavigateagame one’s interactionwiththetelevisioncanbe.Acontrollerbecomesasecond-naturecom- games whenawayfromtheconsole. and canphysicallyrememberorberemindedofbuttonsequencesmovementsfrom is alsoevidentinthemoresubtlewaysthatgamersdevelopso-called“musclememory” of activegameplay.Butperhapsthewaycontrollersextendoutfromgamesthemselves sion havenowspilledoverandcollapsedupononeanother,atleastduringmoments nodal pointsforunderstandinghowpsychologicalandphysicalengagementimmer- as theliteralpointofcontactbetweenvirtualandphysical,areobviouslykey us toidentifywithsomeoneelse’smentalstructure”(2001,p.61).Gamecontrollers, absence inhistext,especiallysinceheprovocativelydeclares:“Interactivemediaask until the1977Atarirelease oftheVideoComputerSystemor2600,thatahomevideo that mimickedairplanecockpit controllersin1969and1973,respectively,itwas not to thesystem.WhilebothSEGA andTaitowouldreleasearcadegameswithjoysticks was alightgunthatwouldsell underthename“ShootingGallery”asaperipheral as aresetbutton.Oneofthe earlyelementsthatRalphBaerdesignedfortheOdyssey with knobsor“paddles”for bothhorizontalandverticalmovementon-screen,as well quite unique.These“playercontrolunits,”astheywere called,wererectangularboxes plastic overlaysthatgavetheillusionofbettergraphics, theOdyssey’scontrollerswere line betweengamecontrollersandelements,such asthetranslucent,colorscreen Magnavox Odyssey(1972).Whilesomecomponentsfor theoriginalOdysseyblur of theearlyAtariconsolesforSears,RalphBaerdesigned andproducedtheoriginal gies toconnectinteractiongamesoftwareandrepresentations. Priortotherelease unique movementsandinteractionsutilizingincreasingly sophisticatedtechnolo- a videogamesystem,differentiatingitfromcompetitors throughtheabilitytooffer games haveincludedcontrollers.Oftenthecontroller signifiesinnovationwithin (Atari, 1975) game systemswouldentailintheyearstocome. content viaahandhelddevice,pavingthewayforkindsofinteractivitythatvideo and cruciallyallowedtelevisionuserstoimagineawayofinteractingwithon-screen evision stylesthemselvesbecamemorefast-cutandfast-paced,remotesdidexistearlier While wemightassociateremotecontrolswithlatereras,suchasthe1980swhentel- sets becamereliablyavailableforpurchase(BellamyandWalker,1996,pp.18–21). World WarII,whentelevisionbroadcastspenetratedtheUnitedStatesand radio listeners,haveexistedontheconsumertelevisionmarketsinceshortlyafter Remote controldevices,whichhadfirstbeenattemptedasaconveniencedevicefor What bothremotecontrolsandgamecontrollersdemonstrateishowdeeplyphysical Beginning withtheearliesttelevisionvideogameconsoles,suchas variants solddirectlybyAtariandundertheSearsbrand name,video Controller History CONTROLLERS 21 Home PONG Downloaded By: 10.2.98.160 At: 22:31 30 Sep 2021; For: 9780203114261, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 changes incomputerandcommunications technologythatallowedforvideogamecon- that oftenactuallydemonstrate precisemicro-timingofactionsbythegamer. the designandplayofgames centeredaroundseeminglynonsensical“button-mashing” for agreatercomplexityofgameplay andcombinationbuttonsequences,aswell for nation ofanalogsticks,directional buttons,andadditionaldigitalbuttonsalsoallows for retro-gamingandplayingcertainseries,suchasHalo 2003). Ironically,theseonce-criticizedearlyXboxcontrollers arenowsoughtafterboth by gamersandquicklydownscaledMicrosofttoasmaller size(seeJake,2003;Caple, Indeed, theoriginal,largecontrollersforMicrosoft Xboxwerenicknamed“Fatty” non-gamer. Butforce-feedback-basedcontrollersareprecisely calibratedinstruments. ments combineforahandhelddevicethatcanappear intimidating andclunkytothe joystick andmultipledigitalbuttons,includingdirectional buttons.Alloftheseele- additionally includestwoanalogstickstobeoperatedby one’sthumbslikeaminiature the gamer,asincorporatedintogamesoftwarebydesigners. TheDualShockcontroller controller includestwomotorsinitshandlesthatprovide vibrationalforce-feedbackto same basicelementsoftheoriginalDualShock.Designedtobeheldbytwohands, lers, aswellthecontrollersthatMicrosoftdevelopedforitsXboxsystem,heldto Sony introduceditsfirstDualShockcontrollerforthePlayStation.Later,control- ple competingconsolesforthelimitedvideogamemarket. controller design,butthecompanyeventuallyoverextendeditselfbydevelopingmulti- major competitorinthelate1980s/early1990s,SEGA,wasknownforitsinnovative limited PowerGlove(1989)thatwasbasedonvirtualrealitytechnologies.Nintendo’s titles andforexperimentationincontrollerdesign,aswithNintendo’scool-lookingbut 1980s wereaneraofmanyspecializedgamecontrollerscustom-madeforoneorafew for asimplerinterfacethanhaddominatedthepreviouseraofgamecontrollers.The (also knownasadirectionalpad)andtwootherbuttons.Inthisway,thed-padallowed like thejoysticksofold.Instead,theyincorporatedacross-shaped“d-pad”ordigital-pad States gamemarkethadcrashedin1983.Nintendo’scontrollersdidn’tlookorwork tendo launcheditsNintendoEntertainmentSystem(NES)in1985aftertheUnited that thecompanyeventuallycanceledafternumerousproductiondelays. fully-functional homecomputerwiththeadditionofasoon-to-shipkeyboardperipheral was alsonotoriousatthetimeforpromisingthattheirIntellivisioncouldbecomea Again, bothcontrollersstronglyresembledtelevisionremotecontroldevices.Mattel as numerickeypads,knobs,paddlesor“circulardisks”(Mattel),andsmalljoysticks. tems hadsimilargamecontrollersthatfusedtogetherelementsofpreviousdevicessuch Both Mattel’sIntellivision(1979)andColeco’sColecoVision(1982)homegamingsys- membrane keyboards,theaviationandarcade-stylejoystickquicklybecamepopular. for theera.Whilesomecompetitorsin1970sintroducedtrackballsandkeypadsor or twisteddirectionallyineightdifferentways,offeringrelativelynuancedprecision lers werelong,slendertube-shapedunitswithatopthatcouldbepressedlikebutton ognized asbeingthefirstgamesystemtoincludeinterchangeablecartridges,itscontrol- notable exampleofearlygamecontrollerdesign.WhiletheChannelFismostoftenrec- arcade versionofPONG.FairchildCameraandInstrument’s1976 Computer System,Atarigamesystemshadincludedpaddlecontrollersbaseduponthe game systemwouldincludeadigitaldirectionaljoystick.BeforethelaunchofVideo The nextmajordevelopment incontrollerdesignwasn’taatallbutthe Perhaps thenextmajordesignoverhaulofvideogamecontrollerscamein1997when In the1980s,lookandfeelofcontrollersshiftedmostsignificantlywhenNin- SHEILA C.MURPHY 22 (Yoon, 2011).Thecombi- Channel Fisanother Downloaded By: 10.2.98.160 At: 22:31 30 Sep 2021; For: 9780203114261, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 as its competitors’gamecontrollers.YettheWiiRemote,alongwitharangeofgamessuch the WiiRemotelooksmuchmorelikeatypicaltelevisionremotecontroldevicethan player actionsarenowmappedusingone’swholebodyasthecontroller.Interestingly, (2008) discussionoftheplayer’sbodyimageinactionseemsallmorerelevantwhen in waysthatpreviousgamesystemssimplycouldnot.Indeed,GregersenandGrodal’s as welldigitalbuttonsandad-pad,allowingtheWiitosensegamer’sbodilyactions detection systembasedonaccelerometersinconjunctionwithaninfraredopticalsensor Debuting inthefallof2006,Nintendo’sWiiRemote,orWiimote,utilizedamotion and gamedesignduringthe2000s. motion detectionintogames,anelementthatwouldbecomecentraltobothcontroller a deeplyinteractivedevice,butitsignificantlyenableddesignerstostartincorporating ply asthePlayStationEye.Onitsown,originalEyeseemsmorelikeagimmickthan series. ThePlayStation3hasasimilarmotion-detectingcameraperipheralknownsim- don/Europe, 2003)orseveraltitlesinKonami’smid-2000shitDanceRevolution could be“enhanced”whenplayedwiththeEyeToy,suchasEyeToy:Play(SCELon- experience forgamersusinggameswrittenspecificallythecontrollerorthat EyeToy worksmuchlikeawebcambutwasmeanttocreateanimmersiveinterface manufactured bycomputerhardwaredeveloperLogitech,knownforitswebcams.The Station 3),theyallshippedwithwirelesscontrollersasstandardequipment. video gamesystemswaslaunched(theNintendoWii,MicrosoftXbox360,andPlay- Wavebird, forusewithitsexistingGameCubesystem.Whenthenextgenerationof introduced itsownwirelesscontrollerthattransmittedsignalsviaradiofrequency,the ers developedwirelesscontrollerswithvaryinglevelsofsuccess,butin2002,Nintendo game systemsthathadbecomeadvancedcomputers.Numerousthird-partymanufactur- transmitted wirelesscontrollersprovedtohavesignificantlimitationsinteractingwith gies. Butasgamesystemsgrewmoretechnologicallysophisticated,infraredorradio- with wirelesscontrollersthatrelieduponeitherinfraredorradiofrequencytechnolo- trollers togowireless.Videogamecompanies,includingAtari,hadlongexperimented provide motioncapture,facial recognition,andvoicerecognition.TheKinectdevice is an infrareddepthsensor/projector, acamera,microphone,andproprietarysoftware to would run,jump,andmaneuver throughtowin.TheKinectusesacombination of game KinectAdventures!,whichincludedfivemovement-based sportsgamesthatusers the MicrosoftKinect,which alsolaunchedinNovember2010alongwiththepack-in directional pad.Butbyfarthe mostsuccessfulmotion-basedvideogame“controller” is used inconjunctionwiththePlayStationEye,andatrigger, buttons,analogstick,and Move, liketheWii,alsousesmotionsensingtechnologies locationtrackingwhen ler compatiblewithboththePlayStation3andupcoming PlayStation4.ThePS industry withthelaunchofPlayStationMove,a motion-sensinggamecontrol- Kart Wii(Nintendo,2008). Zapper (2007)gunandtheWiiWheel(2008),whichcomes packedinaspartofMario that couldmoreeasilyoperatewithotherspecializedWii controllerssuchastheWii the WiiRemotebyintroducingPlus,a smaller, lesscumbersomedevice res rootedmoredecidedlyaroundmotionandmovement. In2010,Nintendoupdated based gameOkami The 2000shasseentheintroductionofmajorinnovationsinvideogamecontrollers. In 2003,SonylauncheditsEyeToy In 2010,Sonyenteredmoredecisivelyintothemotion-based playsectorofthe Wii Sports(Nintendo,2006)ortheversionofcultPlayStation2 (Clover Studio/Capcom,2008),shiftedattentiontowardgamegen- CONTROLLERS peripheral forthePlayStation2.Thedevicewas 23
drawing- Downloaded By: 10.2.98.160 At: 22:31 30 Sep 2021; For: 9780203114261, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203114261.ch3 feedback motioncontroller(www.tco.utah.edu/newsroom/william_provancher.php). Oculus Riftvideogameheadset(www.oculusvr.com)ortheReactiveGripwhole-hand and shakesofsleeker,all-encompassingvirtualreality-basedtechnologies,suchasthe as webecomethecontrolleritselfandtowardever-involving,spectacularrattles in (atleast)twodirectionsatonce:towardfully-embodied,physicalimmersiongames proxy. gamer’s interactionandfusionwiththetelevisionorcomputerterminalanin-game describes offersupinterestingparallelstovideogamesandhowtheydependupona screen orterminal.Theembodiedcomputer–human“terminalidentity”thatBukatman man theorizeshowcontemporarysubjectivityisoftenformedinfrontofthecomputer in PostmodernScienceFiction(1993)onsciencefictionandtechnology,ScottBukat- and theircharactersinordertoplay.InhisbookTerminalIdentity:TheVirtualSubject digital characters—andalsointhewaysthatgamerssurrender they motivatethroughtheirownbodilyactivity. physically and,upsettingManovich’spredictions,moredeeplywithvideogamesthat tools ofamorespecializedclassgamers,whilecasualgamerscontinuetoengage games thatusetheKinectindicatesthat,perhaps,gamecontrollersmightbecome success oftheKinectandsurgingpopularitymovement-baseddancefitness gamer essentiallybecomes 360 isutilizing.WhenplayingagamedesignedforusewiththeKinectequipment, designed tobearrayedhorizontallyaboveorjustbelowthevideodisplaythatXbox Bellamy, R.andJ.(1996).Televisiontheremotecontrol:grazinginvastwasteland games, identityismostsubstantiallymodifiedbythewaysthatgamerscan no one“true”identityisuncoveredor engages withdigitalmedia,thesekindofmodificationscertainlytakeplace—although identity butalsowithhisorherbodyanditsMcLuhanesque“extensions.”Whenone While oneisplayingagame,entersintocomplicatedplaywithnotonlyhisorher Yoon, A.(2011,June15).Original XboxcontrollermayberevivedforHalo Murray, J.(1997).Hamletontheholodeck:futureofnarrativeincyberspace Manovich, L.(2001).Thelanguageofnewmedia.Cambridge,MA:MITPress. Jake (2003,April30),Fivegamecontrollersweleftbehind.Gamesasylum.com . RetrievedApril15,2013, Gregersen, A.andT.Grodal(2008).Embodimentinterface.In BernardPerronandMarkJ.P.Wolf Caple, D.(2003,April30).Bombinyourhand.MelbourneHeraldSun , p.C09. Bukatman, B.(1993).Terminalidentity:thevirtualsubjectinpostmodernsciencefiction , Durham:DukeUni- Retrieved April15,2013,fromwww.shacknews.com/article/68932/original-xbox-controller-may-be. from http://www.gamesasylum.com/2013/04/12/five-controllers-we-left-behind/. (Eds.), TheVideoGameTheoryReader2(pp.65–83).NewYork:Routledge. versity Press. Press. Like videogamesthemselves,controllerswillcontinuetoparadoxicallypullgamers the gamecontrolleritself.Thewidespreadpopularityand The Controller-lessFuture? SHEILA C.MURPHY References left behindintheprocess.Incaseofvideo 24 . Cambridge,MA:MITPress. control overthemselves remake. Shacknews.com. . New York:Guilford control their