Interface Devices
Ok so in this one i'll be going over interface devices. This is game devices like joysticks, keyboards, wheels and pedals, ports and wires, things like that. I will be explaining about them and explaining why they are used etc.
Game devices:
Because the game genre has been going on for so long, and through a long period of evolving technology, it means there has been many game devices created throughout the years, some timeless classics still used today, others which have become more obsalite. I will begin with talking about Paddles.
Because the game genre has been going on for so long, and through a long period of evolving technology, it means there has been many game devices created throughout the years, some timeless classics still used today, others which have become more obsalite. I will begin with talking about Paddles.
Paddle
This input device is very retro to today's standards, as it was developed for the Atari 2600. As can be seen from the image above, the paddle consists of a very simple design, having a button on the side, as well as a twist able wheel on top. Within games this would be turned to steer whatever the player was controlling, and for games at that time, this simple control system worked well. ts most notable use was for the game Pong, a game in which the player moved a rectangle up and down the screen to bounce a "ball" to the opposite side, much like tennis. By rotating the wheel of the paddle either left or right, it would move the rectangle up or down. This made the paddle fit for purpose, as this is all it needed to function. As games have evolved, so have their controllers for the need to have extra buttons and controls increases. This is why the paddle is so simplistic, as it is one of the first game gaming interface devices. |
Joystick
The joystick was the next big improvement to the gaming interface. It was like a step up from the paddle, as it allowed a more dynamic variation in movement. This was due to the stick which could be moved in any direction from its starting position, so it did not require constant turning unlike the paddle. Additionally, unlike the paddle, joysticks had a lot more uses within many different games. Because of the generic design of having a button on the base, and a button on the top of the stick, as well as a trigger on the back of the joystick, this allowed more freedom within video games to use more controls, as the controller allowed for easy button pressing and combinations. The joystick was designed after flight control, making it perfect for flight simulations. But because of its design it fit well with many types of video games. The joystick is still popular even now, although they may have been adapted a little more to fit within today standard of controls, by adding things such as extra buttons. |
Keyboard
Another example of an interface device which is still popular even after decades of use is the keyboard. I have covered a lot about the keyboard on the HCI page, and all about why it so good for gaming. However i did not cover how it has evolved over time due to gaming. While this device wasn't originally designed for video gaming unlike the previous two i have mentioned, there have been many alterations to this base design to allow it to fit better for gaming. An example of this can be seen above. This picture shows a much less conventional keyboard, one which may take a lot of time to get used too. Despite this however, it is certainly better designed for video gaming. While this may be an extreme example, it shows how gaming has shaped the designs of some keyboards. The example given offers many aspects a usual keyboard cant, which greatly improves a player's experience. For starters the key configuration. There is an anti ghosting zone where the main keys which are used to play games are. This means there extra focus on ensuring the reaction speed from pressing he keys down are accurate. There is also a removable numeric pad, which makes it a lot more comfortable to use if it is not needed, making the keyboard smaller. finally there is a modular macro keypad, adding extra keys for the player to configure to game actions. Not only that but it is also movable, allowing the user to customize its layout to make it the most comfortable for them. Along with some other features, this keyboard is a well designed interface device for gaming, one which has taken many years to evolve into. It does to show the impact gaming as had on both platforms and tier designs to date. |
Joy-pad
Perhaps the most popular of devices to be used in video games. Once again info on this can be found in the HCI page, seeming redundant to repeat myself. What the joy-pad shows is how the evolution of interface devices for games can achieve. Joy-pads are after all like an upgraded version of a joystick. I say this because they both feature similar things, the joy-pad usually had 2 joysticks on them, as well as triggers, and buttons found on the "base". Its more like a redesign of the ergonomic appearance of a joystick, making it a more general appearance, allowing for it to be used in most video games. It also fits within the hands of the user a lot better, and provides a more portable feel to it. |
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Eye toy
This could be considered one of the beginnings for gaming devices such as the Kinect and PlayStation Move we know today. Eye Toy was an interactive piece of interface device which made use of a camera to track the movement of payers, in order to calculate how that would interact with whatever was on scree at the time. This was done by plugging it into a PlayStation 2, and having the game displayed on screen with the view of the camera displayed behind it. Quite a few games were developed for this, and required little if any aid from a joy-pad. Here is the description provided by the official PlayStation 2 website-:
"If you're still wondering whether to grab an EyeToy or not then you really should stop. The simple fact is that you really haven't seen anything like this before - it's a truly revolutionary product. EyeToy: Play is the perfect demonstration of the diverse range of applications that this seemingly limited (if technically amazing) peripheral can offer. The true beauty of all of Play's games is that literally anyone, no matter how young and old, will be able to have a good go at them regardless of their general video gaming skills. With no DualShock to get in the way, everyone's on equal footing, so there's every possibility that you could lose to your grandparents (or beat your grandchildren!). Don't say that we didn't warn you."- http://uk.playstation.com/ps2/games/detail/item35034/EyeToy-Play/
This could be considered one of the beginnings for gaming devices such as the Kinect and PlayStation Move we know today. Eye Toy was an interactive piece of interface device which made use of a camera to track the movement of payers, in order to calculate how that would interact with whatever was on scree at the time. This was done by plugging it into a PlayStation 2, and having the game displayed on screen with the view of the camera displayed behind it. Quite a few games were developed for this, and required little if any aid from a joy-pad. Here is the description provided by the official PlayStation 2 website-:
"If you're still wondering whether to grab an EyeToy or not then you really should stop. The simple fact is that you really haven't seen anything like this before - it's a truly revolutionary product. EyeToy: Play is the perfect demonstration of the diverse range of applications that this seemingly limited (if technically amazing) peripheral can offer. The true beauty of all of Play's games is that literally anyone, no matter how young and old, will be able to have a good go at them regardless of their general video gaming skills. With no DualShock to get in the way, everyone's on equal footing, so there's every possibility that you could lose to your grandparents (or beat your grandchildren!). Don't say that we didn't warn you."- http://uk.playstation.com/ps2/games/detail/item35034/EyeToy-Play/
Ports/ Controller Ports:
In order for all of these devices to work, there needs to be some viable way to connect them to whatever machine they belong too. The most common port nowadays would be the USB port. This is a general port which most devices, game consoles and computers alike, have. If an interface device has a cord or wireless adapter which plugs into a USB port, it makes them a whole lot more useful, as it most likely means they are usable across different platforms. For example, looking at the Xbox pad. There are two types available. A wireless pad, and a wired pad. Now a wireless pad is a lot more handy when it comes to just playing on the Xbox alone, as i have explained in HCI once again. However a wired pad has an advantage of having a USB cable. This cable can plug into both an Xbox console, as well as a PC. This means that if someone would prefer to play using a controller because they play better with it, or because genres such as racing games are more comfortable with a pad rather then a mouse, they could simply plug it in, wait for the computer to install the pad, and then its ready to go. The same situation can be applied to a joystick or wheel. In addition to this, it makes the most sense for controllers such as these to utilize the USB slot, as more often than not, there is more than one slot available on the device, and due to nature of them, they can have different things plugged in, making them very useful if you want two controllers one day, and one controller and a flash drive the next. This saves space, as well as maximizing the amount of things that can plug in at once. |
Wireless/ Cabled:
As mentioned above, there are two types of controller. One which is wireless, and one which is cabled. Each have thier own advantages against the other. Having a wireless controller means having less ports taken up on the console or machine you are using. For example you can play with 4 controllers on an Xbox 360, but there are only 2 front USB ports. This means you cannot have 4 wired controllers on at the same time, and you cant have 4 controllers and a flash drive working with it. Wheres a wireless connection via inferred connection means 4 controllers can be working at the same time, while also allowing 2 USB ports free, so if one needs extra space for memory, or the use of a USB headset, there is still plenty of room for that.
However having a wireless controller means having to set up the connection, which is more awkward then simply plugging one in. In addition to this, because it is wired, it can get power from the system, whereas wireless controllers must be rechargeable, or have the battery replaced. SO if you are someone who plays for extended periods of time, and only has one controller, you either need a rotation systems for rechargeable batteries, or just many batteries available to play for as long as you want.
As mentioned above, there are two types of controller. One which is wireless, and one which is cabled. Each have thier own advantages against the other. Having a wireless controller means having less ports taken up on the console or machine you are using. For example you can play with 4 controllers on an Xbox 360, but there are only 2 front USB ports. This means you cannot have 4 wired controllers on at the same time, and you cant have 4 controllers and a flash drive working with it. Wheres a wireless connection via inferred connection means 4 controllers can be working at the same time, while also allowing 2 USB ports free, so if one needs extra space for memory, or the use of a USB headset, there is still plenty of room for that.
However having a wireless controller means having to set up the connection, which is more awkward then simply plugging one in. In addition to this, because it is wired, it can get power from the system, whereas wireless controllers must be rechargeable, or have the battery replaced. SO if you are someone who plays for extended periods of time, and only has one controller, you either need a rotation systems for rechargeable batteries, or just many batteries available to play for as long as you want.
Analogue/ Digital:
There are two types of signals which are commonly used within out technology to transmit information. This is Analogue and Digital. The two are different based on their wavelengths, analogue being continuous waves, whereas digital consisting of their on, or off, resulting in a more binary like wavelength. Because they are so different, they are useful for different things. An example of something which uses an analogue signal could be an analogue TV, which transfers its data via varying frequencies f the broadcast signal. But as technology has evolved, many TV platforms have evolved to use digital instead, due to its flexibility, and other aspects such as less interference and better signal. Within computing, Digital is more suites, as Analogue is more suited around audio and video transmissions, not digital electronics. To the left you can see the wavelengths of analogue, and to the right you can see the wavelength of digital. This further shows how the data is transmitted, and why they act so differently. |