An Introduction To Game Technology

The first home console that I owned was an N64- the first console to feature a joystick on its controllers. Due to my lack of experience with other controllers I had no problem adjusting to they way it felt, and it wasn't until I bought a GameCube years later that I realized how awful it actually was. Using an N64 controller now feels awkward and the positioning of the stiff-but-wobbly control stick on a separate handle i the middle of the controller is rediculous. The GameCube controller however is very comfortable to hold and the buttons, including the joystick, are very smooth.




I found the biggest problem with the XBox controller was its, well, too big. In fact I found holding the controller for long periods of time was actually very uncomfortable and made my hands ache.

Seeing as the design of the PlayStation controller has changed very little since the original PlayStation to the PS3, it is clear to see that Sony is happy with the design, aaaalllthough.... what happened to that "boomerang" style prototype from last years E3 eh? Guess Sony couldnt take a little criticism so decided to give us another dualshock, oh and wack on some tilt sensors cos that seemed to work for Nintendo.

Yep Nintendos Wii remote, seeing as it has yet to be released in the UK im afraid i couldn't comment on the feel of the controller but its pretty obvious by now that it's definatley going change how we interact with the games we are playing. I think its safe to say that the Wii's controller is going to be the best this generation of consoles has to offer.



And as far as it's overall appearance goes, I would also maintain that the Wii is probably the most attractive console of this generation and perhaps every other generation before it. It has the same simplicity as the GameCube- its just a little white box with a disc slot-but it looks far more elegant.

On the other hand there's the original XBox which may be one of the most unsightly consoles ever made. It's large size and awful black and green colour scheme may have actually been part of the reason why I never had the courage to buy one- i just couldnt imagine having that thing sat next to my TV. However the XBOX 360 is a much more sleek, modern looking console that is far more appealing than the original xbox, although I'm still not crazy about the use of green on gaming hardware.



It seemed that with the design of the PlayStation 2 Sony made no effort to make it look good at all, it's appearance is no more attractive than a standard dvd player. But with the PlayStation 3 on the other hand, Sony appears to have

The notable shift in design styles in all three of the new generation of consoles suggests that the companies are now recognising the growing importance of good aesthetics, a console will become a significant part of the users entertainment/television setup, and so their desire for compact, decent looking hardware should always be taken into account.