Atari's 1977-1978 controller screwup

[Rob Mitchell]

In 1977 -1978, the pack-in controllers were a pair of paddles and a pair of joysticks.   The release games included Math and Indy 500 with driving controllers.

 

Imagine instead of releasing Math in 1977, they had delayed Math until 1978 when the keyboard controller was released.

 

Also instead of making the driving controllers look virtually identical to the paddles with the exception of stickers and cable, they had made the driving knob look more like a steering wheel.  Also allowed the programmers to come up with other driving games.  That would have required the driving controllers be available as a separate purchase. 

[BassGuitari]

I never had any complaints about the driving controller, but I found it strange that Atari never made any other games for it after Indy 500. Even the keyboard controller had a small gaggle of titles for it. I kind of question whether the driving controller was really necessary in the first place. I think Indy 500 would still be, or could have been made playable with paddle controllers; the steering may have been a little more realistic (though not necessarily, depending on how paddle input was coded), and the door would be open for 4-player games, ROM size permitting.

 

There were a few paddle and joystick games that were screaming for the keyboards. Joysticks and paddles for Basic Math and Blackjack make sense since the keyboard controller didn't exist at the time of their release, and--at least as it was thought at the time--they needed to be in the lineup in 1977 to broaden the new VCS's appeal. But Casino? Hangman? Human Cannonball? Stellar Track? Backgammon? IMO keyboard controller input makes more sense for these.

 

 

[Rob Mitchell]

On 1/12/2024 at 10:53 AM, BassGuitari said:

... the driving controller, but I found it strange that Atari never made any other games for it after Indy 500...

 

David Crane said that the programmers were forbidden to make more games for the driving controllers.  In 1977, top down driving games were all the rage in the arcades so Indy 500 with DC makes sense.  The later Super Sprint should have been made for these controllers.  (Yeah I know that Thomas made a hack which is barely steerable / playable compared to Indy 500.)

 

What irks me is that every few months, people start another thread and call the driving controller a "paddle" followed by multiple posts about the difference between the DC and paddles.  In 1977, Atari should have put a little more thought into the DC design.

 

Yeah Basic Math had to be part of the 1977 launch so Atari could justify the "education" element of the VCS to parents.

 

I agree with you about the use of the keyboards with the other games .. but Human Cannonball should have used a paddle controller to "dial" in the angle and strength. 

Edited January 16 by Rob Mitchell