I have to admit, I'm not much of a console gamer. I enjoy playing them, but I don't own an Xbox or PS2 or even a GameCube. Since graduating from college a few years ago, I haven't had much motivation to play any of the newer systems. There are many reasons, but I want to focus on one that may be addressed by the gaming industry soon. One of the main reasons I haven't played a lot of games is that the controls haven't changed much in the past few years. That may sound like an odd reason to not play, but hear me out.

When the first Nintendo system came out, I loved playing it. The Sega Genesis came out and there were 3 buttons on it instead of just 2. Then the Super Nintendo brought shoulder buttons onto the scene, utilizing fingers that were being ignored previously. The games got a little more complex, but not overwhelming. The extra complexity allowed for finer control, more moves, and overall a more fun gaming experience.

The Nintendo 64 (or N64) came out and wow, what a change! I had played some games on the computer that used a joystick, but this new console added a joystick right onto the controller. I still remember how awkward it was to try to move Mario around in a completely 3D environment. Well, it was awkward for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and then it became almost second nature. Now nearly every game uses a joystick for the main control, and players have no problem. The N64 also added a trigger button, which made the idea of a separate gun controller practically unnecessary.

But what has really changed since then? More buttons and another joystick? Oh wait, dual shoulder buttons. Or is it a rumble in the controller when you drive your car into a wall? All together these add very little to the experience. Maybe more moves, but there are diminishing returns on how many different types of punches you can make your character do. Would 6 types of punches make it a better fighting game than one having only 3?

And this brings me to my point. I'm excited about the new Nintendo controller, just because it will allow some new ideas in the way games are designed. When a joystick was added, and navigating a 3D enviroment became fairly simple, many more game types were available, causing the gaming experience to change almost overnight. I think we've gotten a peek into what the future might be like with the Nintendo DS, where drawing and touching have become as common as button pushing.

No one can really predict how it will change the games we play. I have a feeling that after a year or so of successful sales and lots of talk, Microsoft and Sony will be adding capabilities to their controllers to detect movement. After that happens, it may become as common place as using a joystick instead of a D-pad for character movement. Perhaps instead of using a button to reload a weapon, you just tilt the controller down quickly. The real uses would be left up to the game designer. So far I have yet to see a new interface used solely for a single purpose, so there is no reason to expect that trend to continue. Trigger buttons are used for more than shooting, shoulder buttons are used for more than leaning, joysticks are used for more than flying. Nintendo has already released several tech demos showing that their new controller will be used for more than just pointing, but the real innovation will come from game designers who think outside the typical control uses.

There will always be a need for lots of buttons in some types of games, and some people will love irst Person Shooters no matter what else is available, but I'm looking forward to see what happens with this new controller concept. It may just cause the gaming revolution I'm looking for.