This is Rob Kay. I work at Harmonix, and was the Lead Designer on Guitar Hero. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed our game, and that it got you thinking about game controllers. Here at Harmonix we've made games that use microphones, cameras, dance mats and now a plastic guitar as a controller. Working on EyeToy:AntiGrav and Guitar Hero, which both ditched the joypad for a bundled controller, I've given much thought to it too.
All game controllers are either game specific or generic. A controller designed for one game is intimately bound with that game. Be it steering wheel, light gun, fishing rod, bongo, maracas, dance pad, microphone, or guitar they're designed to mimic one activity really well. Want to sing? Sing! Want to dance? Dance! Want to shoot? Shoot! Instantly recognizable, inviting and accessible, they aim to fill out the game experience by making it feel great to interact with.
Generic controllers on the other hand have to compromise, their purpose being the control interface of any game type. The joypad model that rules this domain is proven and solid, and yet the increases in complexity have become a little ridiculous. As each new feature is added to the joypad, the old ones stick around to appease those that would complain if they disappeared. It started so simple, a joystick that let you move around and one or two buttons. Mark, my step dad, loved playing games years ago, but not so much now.
I just counted the buttons on my PS2 Dual Shock pad, and it has seventeen buttons including the forgettable L3 and R3 on the sticks. SEVENTEEN buttons! Add in two analogue joysticks, and it's no wonder Mark looks bewildered when he picks up a joypad these days.
Nintendo understands these controller issues better than anyone else in our industry. They invented the modern joypad, so it's only right that they say it's time for a change, and have the confidence to go for it with Revolution. The move away from the standard joypad configuration, and towards a true 3D controller, is both staggering and welcome.
What the future may hold...
Developers who are lucky enough to work on Revolution will have to confront new challenges unique to physical gaming. Here's an example…
The EyeToy is wonderful but has one inherent challenge as a control device, a total lack of physical feedback. You move around, but nothing pushes back at you. You wave your arm in the air, but there's no physical reaction to let you know something just happened. We're so used to getting this type of physical interaction with a controller that we take it for granted, but it's really quite a big deal once it's absent.
At Harmonix we chose hover-boarding for EyeToy:AntiGrav in part because of this issue. A lack of physical feedback isn't such a big deal when you're gliding through the air on a floating board. This struck me as a very clever decision when I joined the project early in 2004, and helped us create a fun physical game without any physical feedback.
A lack of physical feedback is something developers working with Revolution will encounter too. It will be much less severe thanks to a material controller to hold, buttons to press and a vibration feature to utilize, but it will still be there. For instance tennis games on Revolution could be awesome. Holding the racquet in one hand, swinging to attack the ball, and a vibration on contact could make it feel like I just struck the ball convincingly. On the other hand, I'm not confidant heavy impacts like smashing a mallet into a solid wall would work so well. Hopefully developers will experiment and find enjoyable new physical interactions to base their games around.
Ultimately the Revolution presents an incredibly exciting new space for the games industry to explore, and as such it's a breath of fresh air. I agree with Nintendo that we need to make games more inviting to non-gamers, and keep the current gamers engaged by offering new experiences they haven't encountered before.
Far too many gamers get bored and drift away to other media because there's not enough innovation. Too many would-be-gamers are scared away by unwieldy joypads overloaded with buttons. Games shouldn't feel like a chore, but instead bring a smile to your face in the first few seconds of play.
Thanks for taking the time to get in touch and thanks to IGN for letting me respond.
Viva le Revolution!
Rob