99% Invisible Hidden Levels #2: Stick It to 'Em
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Oct 10, 2025 Amory Sievertson, a producer and reporter known for his insightful stories, dives into the fascinating world of joysticks. He traces their evolution from early flight controls to modern gaming, revealing how they revolutionized our interaction with machines. Amory explores the intuitive feel of joysticks, the innovative Nintendo 64 design, and the military's surprising adoption of gaming technology. The conversation also highlights joysticks' cultural significance, their physical appeal, and even their medical applications.
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From Hip Cradles To A Single Stick
- Wilbur Wright flew prone and used hip cradles and a hand lever to control the first flights, making piloting a full-body effort.
- Robert Esnault-Pelterie's 1907 patent proposed a single stick to simplify control, foreshadowing the joystick.
Perceived Affordance Makes Joysticks Intuitive
- Joysticks offer strong perceived affordance: their movement maps directly to on-screen motion.
- This direct manipulation lets interfaces 'disappear' and feel like extensions of the body.
Hands-On With The Atari 2600
- Jeff Bujak's Prodigy game room holds thousands of retro games including an Atari 2600 and its classic joystick.
- Amory tries the Atari stick and finds it stiff and tiring despite its historical importance.