Elements of game technology, part three: interaction design

Over the years, looking at game technology itself, the general aesthetic hasn’t necessarily changed – cartridge or disc slot, eject button, an on button.. The only thing that really has changed is the obvious existence of a reset button on consoles. I would say this is due to technology improving issues with console issues but... red ring of death and so on.

As games have become more demanding on a system, fans and vents have been introduced, but fundamentally they all have the same core aesthetic practicality as always. And this is for good reason – change what is considered the norm, challenge generations’ knowledge of a console then the ability to market it to the majority falls through, unless they’re willing to learn an entire new way things work.
The same applies to controllers – the SNES had it sorted, laying the foundation as to what we consider a controller pad today. The d-pad and 4 action buttons, with ‘start’ and ‘select’ buttons became the default on all controllers, as well as the layout. Obviously they were doing it right. Joysticks, shoulder buttons and a new way of gripping a controller were added with the N64, and although slightly modified, these continued until the current and next gen consoles. The joysticks made game interaction a lot more smooth – adding in the ability to control the camera direction whilst still moving the playable character.

It is simply the “unnecessary” aesthetics that have changed over time – the sleekness of the design, materials, and additional features such as sensors to accommodate the introduction of new technology, such as motion control and alternative tracking technology. These all being done to attempt to increase the interaction with a game environment.
However, new technology which adds a new level of immersion to the gaming world would be the Oculus Rift – completely isolating the user’s sensors to focus entirely on the game in front of them. This combined with the stereoscopic 3D view allows the player to experience depth different to that of a 3D film of TV, allowing a different experience to simply playing a console game on a 3D screen. The ability for the headset to track the wearers head turning in real time allows a more intuitive interaction with the gaming level, giving the camera control a more natural feel.

In reality, the oculus rift takes a lot of 90’s kid sci fi dreams and creates a virtual reality headset, and no doubt the boxy aesthetic of it will change as time progresses as it has done with controller pads.

Before I finish this post, I want to share a video of someone using the Oculus Rift to play a game called “Alone”, it demonstrates how the technology can give a game an entirely different feel and disorientate the player due to the sensory focus and situation the game has them in.

Sources:
http://www.shamoozal.com/nerdlog/snes-controller-the-most-influential-game-pad-ever/
http://www.shamoozal.com/nerdlog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/controller_column.jpg
http://www.oculusvr.com/rift/