Our world is dominated by technology. That isn’t to say that we’ve become enslaved to it (although arguments have been made to say otherwise), but we do rely on technology now more than ever. This shift in cultures isn’t abnormal, it’s natural for humans to innovate to make difficult tasks easier. But we’ve gotten to a point where we are innovating to make easy tasks even easier. Technology was once humanity’s ability to match the capabilities of other species, now it is used to become godlike. We’ve gone from making tools to take lives, to creating medicine to save them, to creating new lives via cloning and now we’re trying to create artificial consciousness via computer programming. 

The point of this introduction isn’t to create existential dread, but rather to make apparent our issue with technology: our constant need to improve. Every new innovation and advancement is immediately followed by theories of how it can be improved. This culture of innovation can be suffocating at times, and it’s important to step back and understand other technologies we have that can perform the same tasks as our newer, more modern products.

For my project, I decided to choose an object that is slightly different from those listed as examples. These items included typewriters, film-based photographs and even newspapers, and they all have been replaced by new technologies that are more convenient. For my project I chose a video game controller, specifically a Nintendo GameCube controller. This controller was made back in 2001 by Nintendo alongside the GameCube. In terms of controllers for games today, that 20 year gap between then and now is a huge difference. Designs, button layout, quality of components and general versatility have been improved and innovated over this period of time. So using a GameCube controller seems like a waste of time, as there are many options that are more accessible and provide more advantages. 

This was my thought process as I started playing some games with my friends using this controller. It should be noted that I’m used to playing most videogames on a keyboard and mouse, as that is always accessible as long as I’m playing games on my laptop and there are far more buttons to use and thus more options available to me. But while using the controller, playing against my friends in games like Smash Bros and Mario Kart, I began to grow fond of certain aspects of the controller. The first noticeable one was the distinct sound it made, both when moving either joystick and when pressing most buttons. The controller made a sound that could best be described as “clacking” when almost any action was performed with it, and this sound was specific to this controller. You would think that this sound would be annoying for the controller’s user, but oddly enough it was actually quite satisfying. It acted as an extra layer of feedback towards my action, as if the controller itself was assuring me of what action I had performed.

After playing a few rounds with the controller, I began to feel more comfortable with the layout of the buttons and joysticks. It took a while, as I had to translate the large arm movements of using a mouse into the fine motor skills of using a joystick with my thumb. But eventually I had mostly mastered using the controller. This shift was very pleasant, as I’m used to having a dedicated space where I could play games but at that moment I could play in whatever position was comfortable for me. This sense of freedom over my position allowed me to be more relaxed while playing, and created an environment that was less competitive and more casual between me and my friends. It was interesting how the dynamic shifted so easily due to a change in analog input.

After using the GameCube controller with my friends that night, I decided to keep using it from time to time. It has a USB connector, so I can use it as long as the device has a USB port on it. This newfound mobility became a great convenience to me, as all of a sudden I found myself playing games with people in close proximity with them, which was a nice change of pace from our usual conversations taking place over the internet. This sense of social freedom, along with the mobility granted by the controller, add together to create an experience that is focused less on the game itself and more on the social interaction between players. 

All in all, this experience was much less drastic than I was expecting. I thought using a GameCube controller would be a hindrance, and that it would be uncomfortable to use for quite a while. The truth is quite the opposite, after learning the muscle memory required to use the controller I found it to be a satisfying experience. On top of that, I find myself being more social with my friends while using this controller. I still use my computer to play games from time to time, but I’m glad I found an alternative method of gaming which is more social and, in some cases, enjoyable. In most cases the use of old technologies gets overshadowed by the convenience of the new, but sometimes there are qualities of the old that can’t quite be replicated.