In today's HD, Blue-Ray, 3D, massive multiplayer, next-gen gaming universe, it's hard to imagine any influences from the classic Atari 2600. What you might not realize is that it isn't the 2600's successes that influenced modern gaming, but its utter failures; mainly those really weird experimental controllers floped as quickly as they were released. We're not talking about a joystick with a big red button, but the third-party oddities that never took off back in the 70s and 80s, but are now high demand features in today's next-gen consoles.
1. Gamemate II
Influence: The first Wireless Controller
Although wireless controllers are now all the rage and a standard for Next-Gen consoles (those wired ones are so "current gen"), the very first wireless controllers were developed for the Atari 2600. Although the joystick and button design remain the same as the standard joysticks, the based extends into a box with an antenna that sends signals to the receive unit. The receiver unit is a box about half the size of the Atari 2600 which connected to the console via the power cable plug, with the power supply cord connecting to the Gamemate II receiver.2. Le Stick
Influence: First motion sensitive controller.
26 years before the Nintendo Wiimote and PS3's Sixaxis Controller, the first ever motion controller was created by Datasoft Inc. for the Atari 2600. The Le Stick motioned its way onto the scene in 1981, but was seen more as a curiosity over a controller, mainly because no Atari 2600 games were designed with it in mind. The mercury infused core of the Le Stick is the secret to its motion sensitive wonders. Consisting of a grip stick handle with the fire button at the top, no base and a cord that connects to the 2600 controller port, angling the stick left, right, forward and backwards creates the same effect as using a typical Atari joystick, while squeezing the stick centers it.3. Joy-Sensor: The Joystick Simulator
Influence: Touch sensitive controls
Long before Nintendo won their Emmy for "developing" the D-Pad and then "introduced" the mass-market to touch sensitive controls, both features already existed for the Atari 2600 in the Joy-Sensor controller from Suncom. A flat rectangular unit, the Joypad consists of two touch sensitive surface areas, one circular directional controller at the base, and a rectangular fire pad at the top housing two spots for firing and another for rapid fire. The directional touch pad allowed movement in eight directions, including diagonally, but when you flip of the "control lock" switch located in the center of the unit, the controls are limited to four directions.4. The Joyboard
Influence: Wii Fit's Wii Balance Board
Released by Amiga in 1982, the Joyboard was the very first controller to use the player's feet instead of hands. Nearly identical to today's Wii Balance Board, players stand on the Joyboard's platform and use balance to control direction. A second, traditional, joystick can plug into the Joyboard for the fire button use. The only game Amiga released for the Joyboard was the skiing game Mogul Maniac, but the Joyboard can also be used with just about any game. With few titles designed for it, a high price tag and huge learning curve lead to the Joyboard's brief existence, regardless of how popular its Wii protégé would be 26 years later.5. Atari Mindlink
Influence: The Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset
Soon Emotiv Systems will be releasing the Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset, which they claim will allow players to control the game action using thoughts, expressions and emotions. The first attempt to create a controller that connects to the mind was the Atari Mindlink for the 2600. Instead of using actual brainwaves, the Mindlink straps to the player's head, then they move their eyebrows and head muscles to control the Mindlink's basic functions. Although prototypes were built, the system tested poorly and combined with the crash of the game market the year before, the Mindlink was never released, making it the rarest controller on the list.