Remember the NES controller? It sort of resembled a flat brick with buttons on it... hardly comfortable to hold, and yet who would have guessed that all these years later Nintendo would revert to a rectangular controller after a series of more ergonomically-pleasing designs (SNES, N64, Gamecube)?
Of course, the main difference between the 1983 controller and the new Wii remote is that it's used in a completely different way.
Going - but not yet gone - are the days of sitting down in an armchair (one fairly close to the console, so that the controller cable reaches!). These days it's more common to be gaming on your feet with no wires and no thumb ache.
Nintendo has warmly embraced the wireless, interactive concept with its popular Wii and handheld DS. Sony and Microsoft have not sat back, controllers in hand, to wait and see how Nintendo fares, but have also leapt in to release fun - but perhaps tacky peripherals, such as plastic guitars, drums, microphones, dance mats etc... to help make gaming more fun.
But why has this all come about suddenly? I think it's partly because the technology now lets them do such things, and partly to promote a healthy lifestyle. You're now not necessarily a lazy slob if you play video games all day, especially if Wii Fit is your thing!
Another benefit of interactive gaming is the social aspect; call your mates and invite them round for a night in of fun and laughter! I've had many good times with friends when a dance mat, pair of microphones or the Buzz controllers have been attached to the PS3, and exhausting times after realising that I'm not a very good boxer with Wii Sports.
Do we need all these extra things to enjoy gaming though? Maybe they do bring the family closer together, or provide entertainment and stimulation in retirement homes, but they are also expensive, bulky and sometimes plain dangerous (even if you don't hurt yourself by falling off a snowboard simulator, your TV may at least get broken by a rogue Wii remote - it has happened!).
Interactive gaming addicts are simply people who try to bring the fun of the arcade into their home, and it can work brilliantly if you have the space and the company - it's a little boring (or just plain embarrassing) playing these games on your own.
Here are some of the extra peripherals you can get for your consoles to liven them up a bit:
- Gaming chairs: For those who still like to sit down whilst playing, you can now get seats which rock, have inbuilt speakers, vibrate when the controller does etc... to help you get that more arcade feeling for your games, particularly racing games!
- Steering wheels: ...talking of racing games, don't you think you need a steering wheel rather than a normal remote? Smaller than a real car's steering wheel, these things have been around quite a while. They are self-explanatory, but some have extra features such as gear levers and pedals.
- Dance mats: Another one which has been around quite a while already. Typically these are foldable versions of the stages you get in arcades and they take up a lot of floor space, especially if you've got two out for a dance-off! For the more serious dancing gamer, you can buy proper stages and for the lazy dancer you can get finger dance mats.
- Microphones: Some games like SingStar and Lips require you to actually sing, so microphones are compulsory. A good night of karaoke is often a laugh, especially if no one is particularly good! However it is this peripheral that is most likely to make your neighbours complain (or ask to join in).
- Buzzers: Some games like the Buzz series are based on a gameshow concept and require you to be contestants answering the questions with your buzzer. Another favourite for when you have all your friends round, and potentially educational too.
- Sports equipment: The Wii has a lot of sports games which can be played with its ordinary remote, or you can go that step further with things like golf clubs, baseball bats, fishing rods and tennis racquets!
- Light guns: A great shoot 'em up is even more fun with a gun shaped controller that can be fired in the direction of the screen.
- Musical instruments: Even if you are no virtuoso on the guitar, pick up a small plastic representation of one and try to strum and hold down the "strings" in time with the music for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The latter can also give you and your friends a chance to see if you're any good at the drums.
- Fitness products: Perhaps in an attempt to lose some pounds in our overweight nation, fitness games have taken off in a big way. The Wii Fit's balance board is a popular peripheral for health conscious gamers.
- Fighting equipment: Why stop at guns, when you can have nunchucks and lightsabres to help you fight for your cause too?
- Touch screen technology: This is particularly used in handheld devices. The Nintendo DS makes good use of its touch sensitive screen, as do a lot of mobile phones and MP3 players. Buttons may one day be a thing of the past.
- Headsets: These are most popular for online gameplay so that you can taunt or exhort your rival/team mate in an online game. A keyboard may also be standard equipment for the online gamer.
So, OK, how many of these do you own? Are they worth the money you spent on them? Is interactive gaming the only gaming of the future?
If so, what about the titles that are meant to be single-player games where you actually sit down and work your way through the levels in the traditional sense? I dread to think how you'd make Lemmings interactive...
(Photo credits: jamie_hladky, Jonathan_W, DavidDMuir, advertisingelyse, rmen)