Level Up writer N’Gai Croal wrote an article describing the evolution of video game controllers from 5 inputs to 20. “Four times the complexity”, adding that analog controllers, N’Gai writes, “that’s additional complexity as well.”The article chronicles video game controller evolution and blames Street Fighter II and its 6 button configuration for starting the multi-button smashing frenzy, N’Gai goes to write that since then (Street Fighter II), the video game controller has significantly evolved into a complex controller, but with the introduction of Nintendo’s Wii controller and its motion-sensing capability which remind the writer of a mouse in 3-D space, Nintendo has not evolved, but rather revolutionized and become “a disruptive technology which causes problems… for developers and reviewers.”

The writer credits the Nintendo Wii controller for causing some reviewers to give such low scores to some of the most successful Nintendo Wii games of our time, games like the Nintendo Wii Sports and Mario Party 8 which received a combined average score of 62 yet sold over one million copies in the U.S. alone.

Reviewers seem to think these Wii games don’t fit, and are unable to score them correctly… possibly due to the way these games are played with the Nintendo Wii controller, some may argue that the reviewers themselves are the ones that are unable to “fit” and adapt to the new Nintendo Wii controller mechanics, and that lacking depth should no longer be a reviewing factor, instead more focus should be placed on playability and gameplay.

So is our modern controller too complex? and how much more complex will it get 25 years from now?

“*1977: the Atari 2600 controller. One joystick, one button. 2 inputs.
*1980: the Intellivision controller featured a 12-key keypad and two action buttons on each side, and included a “control disc” that essentially functioned as a joystick input. Function overlays were included for most of the games and fit over the keypad. All told, it was 17 inputs.
*1982: the Atari 5200 was the gold standard for the early complexity era. A joystick, a 12-key keypad, four action buttons, plus start, pause, and reset buttons. 20 inputs. Incredibly, this controller had as many inputs as the PS3 controller—twenty-five years sooner.
*1985: the Nintendo Entertainment System reduced the 20 inputs on the Atari 5200 controller to a d-pad, two action buttons, plus select and start buttons. 5 inputs. The NES did, um, pretty well, and the NES controller marked a permanent break from the complexity of only a few years earlier.
*1990: the Super Nintendo controller added a third and fourth button, as well as two shoulder buttons. Both would become standards. 9 inputs total.
*1995: the Sony Playstation controller added a third and fourth shoulder button. They also made each d-pad direction a separate button. 14 inputs total.
*1998: in response to the analog stick of the Nintendo 64 controller, Sony introduced the Dual Shock controller, which featured two analog sticks in addition to all the buttons of the original Playstation controller. The analog sticks were also clickable, thus potentially functioning as two additional buttons. We’re up to 18 inputs now, if you don’t count the “analog” button (which really couldn’t be used as in input in games).
*2006: the Sony PS3 controller, which we’ve already mentioned, had 20 inputs.”

If your attention span allows it read the full article.

Also this may be old news.