NeGcon
Encyclopedia
The neGcon was a third-party controller
for the PlayStation manufactured by Namco
.
Also unusual for its time were the buttons. The regular PlayStation controller of the time featured all-digital controls with a D-Pad on the left; R1, R2, L1, and L2 shoulder buttons; triangle, circle, square, and X buttons on the right; plus select and start buttons in the center area of the controller. The neGcon removed the L2 and R2 buttons as well as the select button. The neGcon replaced the digital circle and triangle buttons with digital A and B buttons, and also replaced the R1 shoulder button with a digital R shoulder button. The neGcon featured the digital D-Pad as one area similar to competing console's controllers and unlike the plus-shaped configuration of the official PlayStation controller.
The remaining buttons received more elaborate treatment. The X and square buttons were replaced with analogue Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. These buttons were in a recessed well and had approximately 7mm of travel. The user's thumb could be rested on the edge of the well, with the tip reaching over the edge to press the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. This allowed the tip of the thumb to be accurately pivoted to depress the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons varying distances. This allowed very precise control with little learning. The L shoulder button was also analogue, with about 5mm of travel. The R shoulder button had a 5mm throw like the L shoulder button but activated only a digital sensor.
s. The analogue Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons were typically used as the accelerator and brake, and the swivel in the middle was used as steering input.
The neGcon could be gripped with the fists facing forward and the thumbs upwards, as if holding the edges of a bowtie steering wheel. Twisting the arms at the elbows would turn the hands around a circle, as well as twist the wrists relative to each other, producing steering input. Although this was the most natural way to use the controller, the twisting of the right wrist would move the thumbs a bit and inadvertently modulate the gas and/or brake inputs. Because of this, most users would migrate to a different grip over time, one where the right hand stayed stationary and modulated the gas and brake, while the left hand twisted the left half of the controller to modulate the steering.
(Ridge Racer Type 4 also supported the Namco Jogcon
), Gran Turismo
, Motor Toon Grand Prix 2
, Destruction Derby
, Colin McRae Rally
, TOCA Touring Cars
, Rally Cross
, V-Rally and the Pole Position games on Namco Museum
volumes 1 and 3, as well as Ridge Racer V
on the PlayStation 2
. The WipEout series (including Wipeout Fusion
on the PS2) also supported the neGcon. The number of non-racing games which supported the neGcon was limited, almost strictly confined to Namco's Ace Combat
series (which also carried over to PS2). Tempest X3
, based on the rotary-controlled Tempest arcade game, is also supported. Although the neGcon was not strictly protocol-compatible with the standard PS1 controller, Sony's libraries seemed to support the neGcon as a standard controller even at launch. Because of this, a neGcon could be used in most games that didn't require the use of R2, L2 or select buttons. It even worked in the built-in ROM memory card librarian and CD player programs. However, due to the long throw of the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons, the neGcon was not a top-quality substitute for a regular PS1 controller. In particular, games that required rapid button pressing of the square or X buttons were difficult to play well.
, GTR - FIA, and many more. While it lacks any force-feedback or rumble function, it allows precise control of throttle, brake, steering, and clutch or handbrake via the twist function and the three unique 'long throw' analog buttons.
, along with a renewed interest in PS1 racing games have made them a sought after item.
-produced wheel which was specifically produced for these games. The Logitech wheels were large and non-portable but were well matched to the Gran Turismo games.
Namco's volume controller (and the identical retro controller packaged with Puchi Carat
) was a paddle controller
for the PlayStation and it is partly compatible with the neGcon. Turning the dial outputs the same analog signal as twisting the neGcon, and its two buttons match the neGcon's A and B buttons. This means that a neGcon can be used in its place, for example in the game Puchi Carat.
>
The neGcon worked by means of gears turning the shafts of potentiometers. This system greatly reduced the logic required in the controller (important at the time) compared to a quadrature encoder-based system by removing the need for self-calibration and converting relative position to absolute position. The center pivot of the neGcon utilized a ring-gear driving a pinion on the shaft of the potentiometer, while the 3 analogue buttons each employed a rack
driving similar pinions. These systems were large, with two potentiometers in the left half of the controller for the L shoulder button and center pivot and two potentiometers in the right half of the controller for the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. Lack of space inside the unit precluded an analogue R shoulder button.
in the internal gearing systems, reducing the precision of control available.
Game controller
A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
for the PlayStation manufactured by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
.
Physical properties
The neGcon was an unusual design in that the left and right halves of the controller were connected by a swivel joint and thus the halves could be twisted relative to each other. The full extent of this twist was available to the console as an analogue measurement.Also unusual for its time were the buttons. The regular PlayStation controller of the time featured all-digital controls with a D-Pad on the left; R1, R2, L1, and L2 shoulder buttons; triangle, circle, square, and X buttons on the right; plus select and start buttons in the center area of the controller. The neGcon removed the L2 and R2 buttons as well as the select button. The neGcon replaced the digital circle and triangle buttons with digital A and B buttons, and also replaced the R1 shoulder button with a digital R shoulder button. The neGcon featured the digital D-Pad as one area similar to competing console's controllers and unlike the plus-shaped configuration of the official PlayStation controller.
The remaining buttons received more elaborate treatment. The X and square buttons were replaced with analogue Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. These buttons were in a recessed well and had approximately 7mm of travel. The user's thumb could be rested on the edge of the well, with the tip reaching over the edge to press the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. This allowed the tip of the thumb to be accurately pivoted to depress the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons varying distances. This allowed very precise control with little learning. The L shoulder button was also analogue, with about 5mm of travel. The R shoulder button had a 5mm throw like the L shoulder button but activated only a digital sensor.
Use
The design of the neGcon, while initially seeming very unwieldy, was in fact very good for racing gameRacing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
s. The analogue Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons were typically used as the accelerator and brake, and the swivel in the middle was used as steering input.
The neGcon could be gripped with the fists facing forward and the thumbs upwards, as if holding the edges of a bowtie steering wheel. Twisting the arms at the elbows would turn the hands around a circle, as well as twist the wrists relative to each other, producing steering input. Although this was the most natural way to use the controller, the twisting of the right wrist would move the thumbs a bit and inadvertently modulate the gas and/or brake inputs. Because of this, most users would migrate to a different grip over time, one where the right hand stayed stationary and modulated the gas and brake, while the left hand twisted the left half of the controller to modulate the steering.
Compatibility
Examples of racing games that took advantage of the neGcon are the original PlayStation iterations of the Ridge Racer seriesRidge Racer (series)
Ridge Racer is a series of arcade racing games developed and published by Namco for both the arcade and various gaming systems. In each of the games, players race on courses set in and around the fictional Ridge City while utilizing the concepts of drift racing to quickly traverse...
(Ridge Racer Type 4 also supported the Namco Jogcon
JogCon
The Jogcon is a controller developed and produced by Namco for the Sony PlayStation videogame console.Originally released in 1998 as part of a special edition package with Namco's R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 videogame, it was designed to combine the function of a steering wheel controller, while...
), Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo (video game)
is a racing simulator designed by Kazunori Yamauchi. Gran Turismo was developed by Polyphony Digital and first published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console...
, Motor Toon Grand Prix 2
Motor Toon Grand Prix 2
Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 is a racing game whose development is considered a lead-in to the Gran Turismo series. It was released in the west as Motor Toon Grand Prix since its predecessor never left Japan. In 2002, the game was re-released in Europe in a Twin Pack with Gran Turismo, Kazunori...
, Destruction Derby
Destruction Derby
Destruction Derby is a 1995 video game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis, the former of which would later develop the successful Driver series. It was released for PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and MS-DOS...
, Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...
, TOCA Touring Cars
TOCA Touring Car series
TOCA is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters, initially focusing specifically on Touring car racing but more recently expanding to cover a wide variety of motorsport...
, Rally Cross
Rally Cross
Rally Cross is a 1997 racing game for the Sony PlayStation. A sequel was released in 1998. The cover picture does not accurately portray the vehicles featured in the game as it does not show a rallycross car, but rather a rally raid racer in action....
, V-Rally and the Pole Position games on Namco Museum
Namco Museum
Namco Museum refers to the series of video game compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s and early 1990s...
volumes 1 and 3, as well as Ridge Racer V
Ridge Racer V
Ridge Racer V , the fifth game in the Ridge Racer series on the PlayStation, became one of the launch games for the PlayStation 2. It features 14 tracks and 18 vehicles, with 5 modes of play.-Game play:...
on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The WipEout series (including Wipeout Fusion
Wipeout Fusion
Wipeout Fusion is a 2002 racing video game that has been the only original release of the Wipeout series of racing games for PlayStation 2...
on the PS2) also supported the neGcon. The number of non-racing games which supported the neGcon was limited, almost strictly confined to Namco's Ace Combat
Ace Combat
Ace Combat is a hybrid arcade-simulation flight action video game series featuring 12 games, published by the Japanese company Namco Bandai Games...
series (which also carried over to PS2). Tempest X3
Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000 is a 1994 remake by Jeff Minter of the Dave Theurer 1981 arcade game classic, Tempest. Originally an exclusive to the Atari Jaguar, the game received critical praise for its 3D graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.-Gameplay:...
, based on the rotary-controlled Tempest arcade game, is also supported. Although the neGcon was not strictly protocol-compatible with the standard PS1 controller, Sony's libraries seemed to support the neGcon as a standard controller even at launch. Because of this, a neGcon could be used in most games that didn't require the use of R2, L2 or select buttons. It even worked in the built-in ROM memory card librarian and CD player programs. However, due to the long throw of the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons, the neGcon was not a top-quality substitute for a regular PS1 controller. In particular, games that required rapid button pressing of the square or X buttons were difficult to play well.
Current Use
The neGcon works extremely well on home PCs using most brands of PS1 to USB converters, and is compatible with virtually any racing simulator that allows remapping of axes, such as Live for SpeedLive for Speed
Live for Speed is a racing simulator developed by a three person team comprising Scawen Roberts, Eric Bailey, and Victor van Vlaardingen. The main focus is to provide a realistic racing experience for the online multiplayer game and to allow single player races against AI cars...
, GTR - FIA, and many more. While it lacks any force-feedback or rumble function, it allows precise control of throttle, brake, steering, and clutch or handbrake via the twist function and the three unique 'long throw' analog buttons.
Availability
The neGcon was not very popular in the USA, leading to large quantities of them being available at retail stores at prices as low as $5 each at some US retail outlets. RetrogamingRetrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
, along with a renewed interest in PS1 racing games have made them a sought after item.
Notable incompatible games
Gran Turismo 3 and 4 for the PS2 do not support the neGcon. This had the effect of breaking compatibility with neGcon-compatible steering wheel controllers. These games are compatible with the standard PS2 Dual Shock 2 which provides analog throttle and brake input. For finer control than the short-throw Dual Shock 2 buttons offered, a user could use a LogitechLogitech
Logitech International S.A. is a global provider of personal peripherals for computers and other digital platforms headquartered in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland. The company develops and markets products like peripheral devices for PCs, including keyboards, mice, microphones, game controllers...
-produced wheel which was specifically produced for these games. The Logitech wheels were large and non-portable but were well matched to the Gran Turismo games.
neGcon as an interface standard
Many 3rd-party steering wheel controllers were produced for the original PlayStation which pretended to be neGcons at a protocol level. This allowed these accessories to be used with the large number of neGcon-compatible racing games, the first of which shipped concurrently with the PS1 as a launch title. The popularity of these neGcon-compatible steering wheel controllers greatly exceeded that of the neGcon itself.Namco's volume controller (and the identical retro controller packaged with Puchi Carat
Puchi Carat
Puchi Carat is a 1997 arcade game by Taito.- Gameplay :The general objective of Puchi Carat is to destroy gem-like blocks using a ball and paddle. Gems "fall in" from the top of the play area one line at a time and are connected to each other either horizontally or vertically...
) was a paddle controller
Paddle (game controller)
A paddle is a game controller with a round wheel and one or more fire buttons, where the wheel is typically used to control movement of the player object along one axis of the video screen...
for the PlayStation and it is partly compatible with the neGcon. Turning the dial outputs the same analog signal as twisting the neGcon, and its two buttons match the neGcon's A and B buttons. This means that a neGcon can be used in its place, for example in the game Puchi Carat.
How it works
The neGcon worked by means of gears turning the shafts of potentiometers. This system greatly reduced the logic required in the controller (important at the time) compared to a quadrature encoder-based system by removing the need for self-calibration and converting relative position to absolute position. The center pivot of the neGcon utilized a ring-gear driving a pinion on the shaft of the potentiometer, while the 3 analogue buttons each employed a rack
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
driving similar pinions. These systems were large, with two potentiometers in the left half of the controller for the L shoulder button and center pivot and two potentiometers in the right half of the controller for the Ⅰ and Ⅱ buttons. Lack of space inside the unit precluded an analogue R shoulder button.
Long-term reliability
The complexity of these systems and especially the use of soft plastic in the center pivot mechanism meant that neGcons would wear significantly with use. A new one would be quite stiff, while an older one would be very loose. Over time, this produced significant lashBacklash (engineering)
In mechanical engineering, backlash, sometimes called lash or play, is clearance between mating components, sometimes described as the amount of lost motion due to clearance or slackness when movement is reversed and contact is re-established...
in the internal gearing systems, reducing the precision of control available.
Variants
There is also a black version of the neGcon. This is much rarer than the standard white version.See also
- PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- Game controllerGame controllerA game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
s- DualShock 2DualShockThe DualShock is a line of vibration-feedback gamepads by Sony for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in the North American market in May 1998...
- JogconJogConThe Jogcon is a controller developed and produced by Namco for the Sony PlayStation videogame console.Originally released in 1998 as part of a special edition package with Namco's R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 videogame, it was designed to combine the function of a steering wheel controller, while...
- DualShock 2