Natural Selection by Gamers? The Influence of the 32-bit Era on subsequent Gamepad Design

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Communications - Media History, grade: C, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, course: Game Design & Production, language: English, abstract: This study examined the events which unfolded during the fifth generation of video game consoles, also known as 32-bit era, and how they influenced the similarities among interface design of modern gamepads.

The study also investigated the reasons behind the phenomenon of their interface design being mostly identical. Interviews were conducted to prove the hypothesis, that similarities among gamepad interface benefited the majority of gamer audience, as it allows player to preserve skills relating to physical inputs and eye-hand coordination, reducing the learning curve of new titles or new systems, thus making new game titles more enjoyable.