GAMES
The Evolution of the Video Game Controller
Video game controllers have been evolving over the years as dramatically as the consoles. From the blocky, simplistic nature of controllers from the early ‘70s to the revitalized, futuristic look of the PlayStation 5’s upcoming DualSense controller, these peripherals are no stranger to change.
1972: Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey was the first commercial gaming system, and its controllers were rudimentary, but effective. Each tan box included a plastic knob on the top, which allowed for both vertical and horizontal movement. While simplistic, these “boxes” were perfect for games like Table Tennis, and were known as the first “joysticks” that could be used for gaming at home.
1974: Pong
Atari’s arcade game Pong (essentially Table Tennis) was popular enough to spawn several at-home controllers, including Sears’ imitator and several others. Both controllers were simply built into the machine and sold as “Pong systems” that people could purchase and enjoy at home, like bringing the arcade to them. This spurred on a lawsuit from Magnavox in an attempt to quell companies looking to capitalize on the tech.
1977: Atari 2600
Though companies like Sega and Taito had long incorporated the standard “joystick” form factor as we know it (handed down through aviation technology), Atari introduced the first home one-button joystick for its multi-game console, the Atari 2600, in 1977. For many years, this simple design became the standard for home consoles and arcade cabinets, with variations constantly hitting the market.
1983: Family Computer
Nintendo’s introduction of the Japanese Family Computer brought with it a drastically different controller. It featured a red and gold rectangular brick-like design with a cross-shaped directional pad, two round buttons labeled “A” and “B”, and “Start” and “Select” buttons.
The Family Computer, or “Famicom” as it was nicknamed, had two controllers hardwired to the back of the system. The second controller featured a microphone in addition to the face buttons, which only a handful of games used.
1985: Nintendo Entertainment System
The Famicom’s controllers became the blueprint for the North American version of the console that debuted in 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES’s controller was less rounded and more angular, with a black, gray, and red color scheme. The NES’s controllers could be detached and reattached from the system at will, and retained the same buttons but ditched the second controller’s microphone. This simple-yet-effective design caught on as a global phenomenon and totally transformed the way companies began designing similar peripherals.
Later, when the Super Famicom and Super Nintendo controllers would debut in the early ‘90s, their gamepads would abandon the blocky, rectangular nature seen in the Famicom and NES versions and add more face and shoulder buttons.
1988: Sega Mega Drive
With the debut of the Sega Mega Drive in Japan, Sega introduced another iteration on the rectangular controller, even adopting a similar format for its previous console, the Sega Master System. The Mega Drive debuted in 1988 and later made its way to North America as the Sega Genesis in 1989. Its controller was rounded with a directional pad, three main buttons, and a “start” button.
It was a hit, especially with the extra button’s functionality. Later on in 1993, Sega debuted a smaller pad with three additional face buttons as a new six-button controller for even more options in games like Street Fighter II.
1994: PlayStation
Sony Computer Entertainment debuted the PlayStation, alongside a drastically different gamepad. The original form factor included a directional pad, a “start” and “select” button, and four face buttons with a green triangle, blue cross, red circle, and pink square. It also included shoulder buttons on top of the controller, which were used for additional functionality. The face button shapes would become synonymous with the system throughout the PlayStation’s future iterations.
1996: Nintendo 64
Nintendo’s next console following the Super Nintendo in the early ’90s introduced a revolutionary new controller. The Nintendo 64 came packing a very odd, three-pronged gamepad that was different than anything that came before it. The M-shaped controller featured a a directional pad, a center “Start” button, both “A” and “B” buttons, and four yellow directional buttons labeled “C”.
In addition to shoulder buttons and a back trigger, it featured an analog stick on the middle prong. Users could reposition their grip on the controller as games required, but the analog stick was the biggest game changer of the entire experience.
1998: PlayStation (DualShock)
The original PlayStation was still on the market in 1998, but Sony did something to revitalize the system and the way users played games. It introduced the DualShock PlayStation controller. It added two analog sticks at the bottom of the controller as well as a rumble functionality that would shake when players performed certain actions in-game. This was similar to the Nintendo 64’s optional Rumble Pak accessory, instead built into the controller itself.
The introduction of the DualShock was an important turning point for PlayStation as a whole, as the controller design has remained largely the same over the years save for small improvements throughout iterations, with the DualShock 2 DualShock 3 releases adding Bluetooth support and other tweaks, but remaining mostly similar to this original revolutionary debut.
2001: GameCube
The GameCube controller was a refreshing change for players who could have felt a bit confused by the Nintendo 64’s design. Instead of using a three-pronged approach, Nintendo went a bit more utilitarian, doubling the number of analog sticks, keeping the “Start” button, and keeping the directional pad and triggers.
It included a large “A” button, a smaller red “B” button, and two kidney-shaped buttons marked “X” and “Y”. The left gray analog stick was for controlling characters, while the yellow stick was, like the Nintendo 64’s earlier “C” buttons, more for camera control.
2001: Xbox
The Xbox’s debut not only introduced a powerful system, but a completely different controller as well, though it mimicked the Japanese GameCube reveal’s lead in many ways. The original “Duke” Xbox controller wasn’t initially well-received, but ended up going down in history as the prototype for the controller style that’s now become mainstream.
It included two analog sticks, one at the bottom right and one at the top left of the controller, two analog triggers, a “Back” button and a “Start” button, two accessory slots for a memory card or what-have-you, and six analog buttons: A/Green, B/Red, X/Blue, and Y/Yellow. While it was bulky and heavy, it was eventually redesigned as the “Controller S” later on in 2002 and replaced the original Duke.
2005: Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 was a total refinement of the Xbox “Duke” controller, so much so that it became one of gamers’ preferred options for use with PC games and other gamepad solutions. It was lightweight, came in multiple colors, and revamped everything people hated about the Xbox controller, including ditching the cord and going wireless.
It featured two asymmetrical analog sticks with rubberized grips, a directional pad, four face buttons that mirrored the original Xbox design, “Start” and “Back” buttons, and a middle Xbox-shaped button that was used to turn the controller on and sync with the system. It also featured singular triggers on the back as well as a reset button. The Xbox One barely changed the design for its refinement later on, save for making it a much lighter, more svelte design, and adding different “menu” options.
2006: Wii
Ever the innovator, Nintendo once again introduced a completely new form factor for its controller and system, revolutionizing the way we play games. With the introduction of the Wii remote and Nunchuk accessory, Nintendo popularized motion control by way of offering a “remote” instead of a controller.
The Wii Remote’s motion-sensing capability was brought to life via optical sensor bar that tracked player movements. Players could move the remote around and point at things onscreen, then press buttons on the remote to execute actions. The included Nunchuk was typically used for exploration or navigation.
The Wii Remote was meant to be held like a traditional remote, with a small power button, directional pad, a large A button, “plus”, “Home”, and “minus” buttons, a speaker, and “1” and “2” buttons. On the back a trigger was available. For some games, the Wii Remote could be turned horizontally to play. Most games relied on the Nunchuk to be plugged into the bottom of the remote.
2012: Wii U
The Wii U was another of Nintendo’s most ambitious projects, and its controller was massively important for one huge reason: it was integral to the system. You couldn’t use the Wii U without its massive Gamepad, which doubled as a second screen with touch capabilities.
The Gamepad featured two analog sticks on either side of a large screen as well as a directional pad, front-facing camera, four face buttons (X, A, Y, and B), “Start” and “Select” buttons, as well as a full suite of navigational buttons. These included “Home”, “TV”, “Power”, and also a mic. There was a button to switch from gaming on your TV screen to the Wii U Gamepad as well. If you preferred, you could use a stylus with the touch screen or just use your fingers. The back of the Gamepad included triggers.
You could also pair up a Pro Controller with the Gamepad or use a Wii remote, but the Gamepad was an absolute requirement. Poor sales cut the Wii U’s life short, but it was an advancement ahead of its time that’s still lauded today.
2017: Nintendo Switch
Nintendo is a risk-taker, and it took one of the biggest risks of its time within the industry with the Switch. The successor to the Wii U was a handheld-console hybrid with integrated, detachable controllers that fit on either side of the screen called Joy-Con.
This meant every system came with two Joy-Con, each with versions for the left and right sides. The left Joy-Con includes an analog stick on the top of the controller, four directional buttons, and a button that can snap screenshots. If detached and turned on its side, like the other side, it has two shoulder buttons. On the top right when held vertically, it has a “minus” button.
The right Joy-Con has a “plus” button on the top left, with four face buttons beside it: “X, Y, A, and B”. Beneath that is an analog stick, and below that is the “Home” button to go back to the main menu.
Both Joy-Con controllers include the HD rumble feature which makes for some impressive effects. They can also be used as Wii remote-like controllers instead of acting as a part of the Switch’s makeup. These aren’t required for the Switch, but are needed for some games. You can alternatively use wired or wireless first and third-party controller options like the Pro Controller, which is a more traditional form factor.
2020: PlayStation DualSense
The PlayStation 5 is here, and with it Sony introduced the newest iteration of its DualShock lineage, now being called DualSense. The base model is white and black, with many of the same functions of a PlayStation 4 controller, but a brand new look to go with it all.
There’s a directional pad, two rubberized analog sticks, a large central touchpad with lighting surrounding it that’s meant to change with the games that you play, and two buttons flanking it. Those are the “Create” and “Options” selections.
There will continue to be L1, L2, R1, and R2 triggers on the top of the controller, with the same triangle, circle, cross, and square face buttons as well as a speaker and microphone on the front. But one of its most interesting additions is its new haptic feedback, which is said to completely change up how we interact with rumbling controllers.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
-
WORDPRESS6 days ago
The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit for Pros (59+ Must-Have Tools)
-
WORDPRESS6 days ago
Hostinger Review: Website Creation Made Easy
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days ago
Google Ranking Movement, Sitelinks Search Box Going Away, Gen-AI In Bing & Google, Ad News & More
-
SEARCHENGINES6 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 25, 2024
-
AI1 day ago
How AI is Transforming SEO and What Website Owners Need to Know
-
WORDPRESS7 days ago
11 Best eCommerce Solutions Growing in Popularity in 2024
-
SEO6 days ago
All the best things about Ahrefs Evolve 2024
-
WORDPRESS5 days ago
5 Most Profitable Online Businesses You Can Start Today for Free!