you've probably seen this before it's a
playstation 4 controller
this layout is almost identical to the
original dualshock controller
released in 1997. sony has kept the
playstation controller the same
while competitors like nintendo and
microsoft have dramatically changed
their designs
and ultimately competitors ended up on a
similar design to sony's
so what did sony get right that others
didn't
when video games first entered the home
in the 70s
they were based on arcade games game
design was simple and so were the
controls
a joystick and a button were plenty for
most consoles
but the nintendo entertainment system
changed all of that
incredible nintendo entertainment system
two controllers
zapper gun and two game cards now you're
playing with power
fast forward to 1983 the nes brought us
classics like super mario bros
and the legend of zelda these games were
more complex
and required a controller to match but
unlike complicated controllers with
bulky keypads
the nes separated inputs into two
clearly defined groups
movement and action turns out it's not
just for gamers who love
nes i love the nes controller
it's really lightweight and it's really
simple
you can pick it up and you know what to
do you don't need to read a manual to
understand it
it can mean you can have very clean
clear gaming
without having to get all of these these
fancy features
nintendo followed up the nes with a
super nes in 1990
adding shoulder and x and y buttons
fit increased complexity enable games
like super metroid to add new abilities
to the characters
thanks to the shoulder buttons samus
could aim up and down
instead of just shooting straight sony
owes a lot to nintendo
but it was the dual shot controller
unveiled in 1997
that took sony and gaming in general to
the next level
taiyu goto worked on the first three
playstations
and his design was revolutionary but
what made this controller so special
compared to the super nes the dualshock
controller
offered players a relaxed and
comfortable gaming experience
it was wider but not thick and the
handle design allowed players to grip
the controller easily
it's still got that familiarity so
people were able to engage with it
immediately
but it had those extra buttons in it
it's a beautiful piece of design there's
a lot of subtlety to it
and there's it isn't trivial to position
those
controllers in that position the angle
of how you hold it how it falls into the
palm of your hand
on either side the angle of that control
it is in a natural position
and it's key to get that correct just
like the nes
you still had well-defined zones of
movement and action
and the decision to put two analog
sticks on a controller
opened up new possibilities for game
designers other companies
rushed to mimic sony's design and the
dual shock controller
helped usher in a uniform layout you
will still
see a playstation xbox type of
controller in 20 years time
it was the recognition that you need to
design
for the user that was actually i think
what revolutionized
controllers there's a reason why sony's
controllers look almost
identical 21 years later good design
lasts
and this is what gamers and non-gamers
have come to recognize
as a controller
you