[In this article, Full Sail University students Alexandra Stanfill and Byron Rivers propose a new controller design for the Nintendo 64 that aims to fix the original controller's shortcomings, improving both comfort and usability.]
The goal of this article is to provide the design and examine the usability of the Powerball 64, a revolutionary new controller for the Nintendo 64 focusing on maintaining flow and perfect controller feel. Various information will be provided to support this new device's case including a review of existing products related to the Powerball 64 design, a design description, the controller's specific application to three existing video games, a prototype sketch, the desired testing method, and playtesting results.
After the in-depth research on the usability of the device was completed it was concluded that the Powerball 64 would be an excellent adaptation to combat the somewhat awkward, counter-intuitive design of the original Nintendo 64 controller. The round design allows players to rest their hands and focus on the immersive gameplay instead of staring awkwardly at the buttons of the interface, trying to figure out where to move their fingers.
Introduction And Design Purpose
Ever find your hands sweaty or tense from gripping a video game controller tightly in an attempt to get your favorite game to respond the way you want it to? Those days are over! The modern design of input devices for game consoles has tended towards a shape that requires a grip, which utilizes only two or three out of ten fingers and quickly becomes uncomfortable. R. Diemicke has named specifically the Nintendo 64's controller in the top ten worst controllers as "a beast of buttons and plastic."
The Powerball 64 combats this issue with a spherical shape the same size as the hand's natural resting position. Every button is conveniently placed at a fingertip so there are no more worries about controlling multiple buttons with one poor appendage. And because there is one Powerball 64 for the left hand and another for the right, the "primary" controller can be switched depending on the player's dominant hand. Prepare to play video games in an immersive experience like never before, capitalized on by the comfortable usability of the Powerball 64!
Literature Review
The design of the Powerball 64 is a unique concept whose spherical shape has not really been presented to gamers yet. The basis for the round shape revolves around a simple toy in the workplace attributed as a creation of the Chinese: a stress ball. Little did they know that their small squeezable toy would be the foundation for such a successful controller mapping.
And consider the common shape of the highly popular computer mouse--it's almost spherical, with multiple buttons at your fingertips just like this innovative appliance! Despite the obviously intuitive design, the Powerball 64 is the first console controller to be ball shaped--the closest comparison is Blobo, an independent ball-shaped game console which is only available for a handful of simplistic sports games.
Design Assumption
To briefly examine the success of the design three out of the Four Principles of Gamenics will be examined throughout this section. The Powerball 64 is designed to only rest naturally in one position--the palm of the hand. Small grooves allow the device to naturally sit in only one position, avoiding confusion for newcomers and playing well into the "intuitive user interface" factor of the Gamenics Principles.
Instead of using thumbs to provide the majority of input (like older controllers), a set of digital action buttons are built-in to the Powerball 64 in the order of the player's fingers. The main buttons are intentionally positioned at the player's fingertips to allow maximum usability and to be relaxing for the player.
Since the fingers naturally fall on top of their relevant controls, there is no need for a manual (another one of our principles). The two primary buttons under the pointer and middle fingers are larger while the pinky and ring finger controls are slightly smaller. All of the buttons allow sufficient resistance to create a crisp click with each press but at the same time the rigid spring allows rapid successive presses to accurately perform secondary actions.
The surface of the buttons is slightly curved in a concave way to fit the convex shape of the finger to appeal to the user's sense of touch (in a way, engaging choreography). The analog sticks (utilized by the thumbs) allow for 360 degrees of fluid rotation, a must for maneuvering with precision.
The Powerball 64 will also rely on conversions of light transmission and photo detectors similar to the regular 64 controller. The sensor wheels produce a shutter effect allowing for an accurate and more direct read of the player's preferred position. Inside the sensor wheel there is a plastic hub, which also helps create an accurate read and give direct correlation to the sticks position.
