Brendan Downey – DMS 448 – 03/08/20

In week 6, we discussed gaming platforms, particularly ones in which we associate and identify with. Personally, I am frequently on Steam, iPhone games and the Nintendo Switch platform almost everyday. I also play chess and shogi on occasion. Some class examples that I have used in the past include Arcade games, Tamagotchi and Analogue games (board and card games).
This week, we also discussed the concept of interface and began thinking about how you interact with these gaming platforms. This interaction is responsible for how you move around the space and interact with the environment. Generally, this is the thing you physically interact with, whether it be a controller, trackball or keyboard and mouse. Using a physical object, the player is able to interact with the game’s graphic and user interface, such as the game menu and game screen. By interacting with this object and physically manipulating it, the player is able to feel like they have achieved something. For example, when a player finishes the game ‘Mario,’ they proclaim “I did it!!!” They do not scream, “Mario, you little Italian plumber, you did it!!!” The reason the player feels a sense of accomplishment is because they have physically and mentally made the effort to beat the game. However, this sense of accomplishment is tied to the Nintendo controller used to interact with the game. If a player were to replay ‘Mario’ using a non-Nintendo controller, they would have a completely unique experience. The type of controller the player uses affects how smooth or awkward the playing experience us. For example, if you were to use a Nintendo64 controller to play ‘Mario,’ you would have a normal and fun play session. But if you were to use the same controller on a modern system, such as the Xbox One or Playstation 4, you would be quickly rage quitting your next Call of Duty match due to the awkwardness.
In the article, ‘Queering the Controller,’ Miguel Sicart argues that players need a fresh perspective on what a “controller” is. Through our many years of video game play, we have been programmed to view controllers one dimensionally, as hand shaped remotes with buttons and joy sticks. However, Sicart persuades the reader to ‘Queer’ the controller by looking at the success of sex toys. Although not arguing that controllers should be designed as sex toys, he rather argues that we draw inspiration from these pleasure devices. In ‘Queering the Controller’, Sicart states, “We should approach the design of game interactions as sex toy designers approach the design of their products: by critically questioning the role of bodies and pleasure in the experience of a game.” Similar to controllers, sex toys are feedback mechanisms. They are both toys that help us play. However, sex toys focus on the player while controllers focus on the game. This shift in focus to become one part of a larger experience is the first step in ‘Queering’ the controller.

WORKS CITED:
Sicart, Miguel. “Queering the Controller.” Analog Game Studies, 23 Dec. 2019, analoggamestudies.org/2017/07/queering-the-controller/.
Huntmann, Nina B. and Payne, Matthew Thomas. How to Play Video Games. New York, NY, New York University Press, 2019.