Check Out These 1999 Xbox Controller Concepts

[Steven Bogos]

Check Out These 1999 Xbox Controller Concepts

The original Xbox design borrowed heavily from Sega's Dreamcast - in particular, the controller's unique VMU (visual memory unit).

The original Xbox's controller was designed for people with gigantic bear hands. Not being particularly well-received by the gaming public, a slimmed down redesign allowed people with regular-sized hands use the console. Eventually, the 360 came out and had (and still has) one of the best-designed video game controllers ever (or the worst, if you are a Sony fan). But before we got to that original bear-sized controller, Microsoft went through a lot of iterations, seemingly inspired by the Sega Dreamcast.

Seamus Blackley, one of the key people involved in the creation of the original Xbox has shared with us some of these early designs, dating all the way back to 1999. Check them out below:

[gallery=6316]

Pretty interesting, right? I like the "X-wing" design in particular, but honestly, none of the concepts look like they would be particularly comfortable. I feel like all controllers from the N64/Dreamcast era had this big bulky uncomfortable feel about them for some reason.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/SeamusBlackley/status/747165550418157574]

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[Saelune]

My hands hurt just looking at these.

 

[Nooners]

All I'm seeing are the Power Stone characters in the artwork...and now I wanna dig up my Dreamcast again...

 

[RaikuFA]

The header one...

Can you show that on this site? Cab you get in trouble for posting that stuff?

 

[Igor-Rowan]

My hands hurt just looking at these.

I want to see what your hands and the rest of your body will think when they see this:

Spoiler

Meet the Alphagrip AG-5 Controller

Say what you want about this, the Dreamcast and the Wii U Gamepad, but at least those look like were made by humans.

 

[Saelune]

My hands hurt just looking at these.

I want to see what your hands and the rest of your body will think when they see this:

Spoiler

Meet the Alphagrip AG-5 Controller

Say what you want about this, the Dreamcast and the Wii U Gamepad, but at least those look like were made by humans.

The left one looks like I can atleast hold it and reach all the buttons. Not that Id control well. The right one not so much.

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

 

[-Dragmire-]

They all look like spaceships from some kind of top scrolling shoot-em-up.

 

[Souplex]

My hands hurt just looking at these.

I want to see what your hands and the rest of your body will think when they see this:

Spoiler

Meet the Alphagrip AG-5 Controller

Say what you want about this, the Dreamcast and the Wii U Gamepad, but at least those look like were made by humans.

The left one looks like I can atleast hold it and reach all the buttons. Not that Id control well. The right one not so much.

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

I'm pretty sure those are the same controller. The left is just the underside so you can use all of your fingers to press buttons.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I recently got a Nvidia Shield Portable, and I gotta say, I kinda like it the best. The Thumbsticks are sunken in so they don't tower over the buttons.

My hands hurt just looking at these.

I want to see what your hands and the rest of your body will think when they see this:

Spoiler

Meet the Alphagrip AG-5 Controller

Say what you want about this, the Dreamcast and the Wii U Gamepad, but at least those look like were made by humans.

The left one looks like I can atleast hold it and reach all the buttons. Not that Id control well. The right one not so much.

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

I just plain like that the WiiU Gamepad can work without it conecting to a TV. I wish more consoles would do this.

 

[weirdee]

I get that they were impressed by the Dreamcast, but that's no reason to attach an enema kit to the expansion slot.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I LOATHED the original xBox controller the first time I played on my friends. I never enjoyed it.

These?

These look like they'd be even worse. I have never been thankful for that controller before today.

 

[elvor0]

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

It's the same with the 2DS, neither look like they should be even remotely comfortable, but somehow they are. I don't own a wii u, so I can't say what it's like for really extended use, but the sessions I've had with it were all comfy, and by 2DS is far more comfortable to play in bed than the 3DS.

 

[Saelune]

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

It's the same with the 2DS, neither look like they should be even remotely comfortable, but somehow they are. I don't own a wii u, so I can't say what it's like for really extended use, but the sessions I've had with it were all comfy, and by 2DS is far more comfortable to play in bed than the 3DS.

Never held a 2DS, but my issues with it are aesthetic, and pocket based.

The Wii U gamepad is comfortably light, without feeling cheap, and fits in your hands pretty well. Id still prefer the pro-controller when I can, but games that use the screen, its fine. Played Hyrule Warriors with it no problem.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Maybe we will see these when Xbone 2.0 launches in a couple of years.

 

[elvor0]

Also I like the Wii U Gamepad. When you actually hold it, its surprisingly decent.

It's the same with the 2DS, neither look like they should be even remotely comfortable, but somehow they are. I don't own a wii u, so I can't say what it's like for really extended use, but the sessions I've had with it were all comfy, and by 2DS is far more comfortable to play in bed than the 3DS.

Never held a 2DS, but my issues with it are aesthetic, and pocket based.

The Wii U gamepad is comfortably light, without feeling cheap, and fits in your hands pretty well. Id still prefer the pro-controller when I can, but games that use the screen, its fine. Played Hyrule Warriors with it no problem.

Yeah it's definitely very ugly. I do miss being able to fit it in my pocket, though I've not really been one to take my DS everywhere I go in some time, if I am taking it with me, it's for long journeys, so I'll have a bag, though you do definitely need at least a soft case for it. I can understand why people wouldn't want one.

 

[Jute88]

Oh, God. It's N64 controller all over again.

 

[Naldan]

2 and 4 don't even have proper thumbsticks. This in 1999? Oh man.

Also, as mentioned, the SEGA is strong with these.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

The funny thing about these being similar to the Dreamcast controller is Sega worked with MS to make the Dreamcast, and some of these concepts are dated from back when the DC's future still looked promising. [small]Some peeps on the internets say MS pulled what Sony sort of did back in the early 90s when they tried partnering with Sega and later Nintendo to make console add-ons.[/small]

Even though I don't have huge hands, I did like the old Duke. It was actually very comfy for such a beast.

 

[Misterian]

Wow, and people thought the N64 controller was awkward and uncomfortable....

 

[flying_whimsy]

I want to see what your hands and the rest of your body will think when they see this:

Spoiler

Meet the Alphagrip AG-5 Controller

Say what you want about this, the Dreamcast and the Wii U Gamepad, but at least those look like were made by humans.

I actually like the look of that controller; it's a thumb stick away from basically being what I thought the steam controller would be: a keyboard in the shape of a controller.

OT: Man, microsoft sure liked that dreamcast controller. Now that I think about it, their production design had a lot in common with the dc controller, too. Maybe it's the way these drawings are framed, but I had a hard time telling which end was up at first for most of them. I'm not immediately down on those controllers, though; you never know until you have something in hand.

Then again, I actually liked the original xbox controller: it was the only gamepad that ever fit my giant hands.