Week 9 assignment

In the past I've never really considered controllers as an important part of gameplay, as i would normally relate controller ergonomics as a topic more associated with users that play games consistently over a long duration. But now that i think about it i believe that some of the best designs for controllers originate back into the nineties when designs were a little less complicated in comparison to ones made today.

Thinking back to my first console the Sega mega drive i felt that the designs for this controller were very comfortable for various reasons. i felt that the mega drive controllers were lighter then those made in the present, also as one of the links provided noted that the controller was shaped more circular then others at the time, which provided a more comfortable experience.

In comparison to later models of controllers like the xbox and n64 i found these controllers to be rather bulky over the simplistic mega drive controller. especially when considering the n64 controller as there was the added feature of the rumble pack that could be attached making the controller heavier and more bulky.

However i do feel that only in the latest models of controllers has ergonomics even been considered, at least in the case of the xbox360. Compared to the earlier design of controller the xbox 360 controller i feel fits nicely into the hands, with the added wireless feature makes freedom of movement alot easier. I also think that the positioning of the triggers in the latest model to be more comfortable with no stretching of my digits. I also think that the design of the xbox 360 controller has had alot more thought put into it as i think it is one of the best visually pleasing controllers to date.

When considering the ps3 controller i think that not alot has changed from its predecessor. i think that the boomerang idea should have been released, but because of the concerns raised at its unveiling sony decided to play it safe with a model designed closely to its previous controller. I think this is a shame as sony could have gone for this more comfortable design, but unfortunately we shall never know.

As for the future of game controllers i think that nintendo revolutions idea of using movement to interface with games is steadily becoming more popular. I know that the Nintendo Wii already uses this type of interface and i think that the involvement of physical movement helps you to become more immersed in the game.