Interaction Design

Interaction Design

Last year Microsoft released the Xbox one. It’s ergonomic controller, motion tracking and voice recognition technology make it a very different beast to the earliest of it’s forefathers. I live in the age when the oculus rift is looking like it’s going to make virtual reality the next big thing, where technology is an ever present part of work, play and practically every other aspect of life besides; though the word Technology makes most people think of an entertainment product, technology is saving our lives and making everyday life so much easier for so many people.

Now that half the world interacts with a computer on a daily basis, some for many hours a day, the way people interact with technology and the ease they are able to do it is a huge part of development. Though there may be some stumbling points (I personally cannot stand how I’m supposed to interact with the windows 8) millions of pounds are spend developing accessible and innovative solutions to interaction.

In the beginning game consoles were blocky and simple and their controls were minimal – the very first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey had an analogue controller with dials used to position the cursor in the vertical and horizontal axis. And though it was a time until things like motion sensors and voice would be included even this earliest console had different interactable features – a golf club and ball attachment and the first ‘light gun’ style controller for a shooting gallery game.

Consoles like the Atari 2600 brought the joystick from the arcade into the home and though games consoles are mostly content to stay in their handheld controller comfort zone over the years the controllers have become more ergonomic; research and development have gone into making them easy to use and comfortable to hold. Consoles like the Nintendo 64 and gamecube began using the ‘handlebar’ style controllers that are still in use today.

Several notable exceptions have emerged mostly moving into motion sensor technology. The Nintendo Wii or Wii U and the Kinect on Xbox were preceded by the playstation move. At first slightly gimmicky they’ve become a firm area of video game with unique titles made with the technology in mind. Though there are some purists who prefer to exclude the Wii from the list of ‘proper’ gaming consoles but there’s no mistaking popular opinion and the Wii is the third most popular home console of all time.

Video games consoles not only interact with us, but also facilitate interaction between us; the Sega Net Work System for the Sega Mega Drive was the first console to include a network connection to download games (though the game had to be re-downloaded each time) and connect and play with other players by using a Megamodem (A modem with a speed of 1600 to 2400 bit/s) This was a service only available in Japan but the Sega Channel was released in North America and provided a similar service.

Online multiplayer is now a standard feature on most consoles and games and rather than requiring a monthly subscription cost usually only requires the owner to have an internet connection. People are connecting and competing against others all around the world.