The halves of the NeGcon are connected by a large swivel-joint, which allows the user to twist both halves relative of each other to allow for precise movements in games. This swivel-joint is operated by gears that turn the shafts of two potentiometers within the device, the central pivot utilizing a ring gear driving a pinion on the shaft of the potentiometer. The I and II buttons are both analogue and have approximately 7mm of travel, which can allow for sustained, responsive button presses. The buttons also detect how much the user pushes them. The L shoulder button is also analogue and has approximately 5mm of travel. All three analogue buttons have a rack driving pinions similar to the ones in the swivel-joint.
The neGcon's design was prompted by Namco's desire to accurately replicate the dual-lever controls of their arcade game Cyber Sled on the PlayStation.
Examples of racing games that took advantage of the neGcon are the original PlayStation iterations of the Ridge Racer series (Ridge Racer Type 4 also supported the Namco Jogcon), Gran Turismo, Motor Toon Grand Prix, Motor Toon Grand Prix 2, Destruction Derby, Colin McRae Rally, TOCA, 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 solely confined to Namco's Ace Combat series (which also carried over to PS2). 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, including the system's built-in memory card manager and CD player. Additionally, the neGcon library was also used to provide finer controls for third-party steering wheels, with long throw I and II buttons used for pedals in such controllers. However, said long throw of the I and II buttons makes the neGcon 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.
Yutaka Isokawa, a Namco engineer, was assigned to the NeGcon production team shortly after completing work on two Yu Yu Hakusho games for the Super Famicom. Originally a developer at Asmik that designed Catrap for the Game Boy, he was integrated into Namco's console game division to begin work on the new controller. Isokawa believes that part of the idea behind the NeGcon was based on Namco's desire to create hardware for the home console market, rather than be strictly a third-party publisher for companies such as Nintendo and Sony Computer Entertainment — this idea was further fueled by the fact that Namco's rival, Sega, was at the time one of the largest hardware manufacturers in the home video game market. Isokawa believes that the company intended to begin producing controllers and potentially consoles before the PlayStation was released.
While designing the NeGcon, the production team turned to racing games for inspiration; they specifically looked at steering wheels and how they moved to potentially create a controller that allowed for quick, responsive turns around corners in tracks. The controller itself was mainly designed by Kazumi Mizuno, the graphical planning manager in Namco's consumer game division. It was suggested by Isokawa and others that the controller could be twisted to recreate the feeling of a steering wheel, rather than having it be held at a specific angle. Multiple prototypes were proposed, including one with a longer controller prong at one hand and another with all four buttons being analogue. Many of the designers were nervous about the swivel that allowed the controller to be twisted as they thought it would be too fragile.
During production of the NeGcon, Isokawa began work on a video game that could show off the controller's capabilities. It was a golf game that had the player twist the NeGcon to simulate the action of swinging a golf club to hit the ball. Isokawa scrapped the game as Namco would have to compete with Sony's Everybody's Golf, which he felt was not possible due to the latter's widespread success. He also believed that golf players who tried out the game would dislike it for its controls and concept overall. Although the game itself was cancelled, the team used it to test the NeGcon prototype units as a way to help correct potential issues and finalize the design.
NeGcon has been built in three variants.
Retrospective coverage of the NeGcon has been similarly positive, and has noted its outlandish, unique design. Time, who ranked it as the 4th strangest gadget of all time, stated that the NeGcon "stands apart as one of the few simultaneously bizarre and functionally intrepid" of video game controllers, commending its responsive button input and general suitability for racing games. GameSpot agreed, saying that the controller helped redefine the overall design of the traditional PlayStation controller. They said its design was strange and bizarre, yet responsive, and that it was an excellent controller for racing games like Ridge Racer. IGN expressed disappointment towards the NeGcon's poor sales due to it being seen as strange by the general public, writing that it "just goes to show where genuine innovation will get you."
Japanese: ネジコン, Hepburn: Nejikon /wiki/Japanese_language
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Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
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Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. pp. 641–669. ISBN 978-0992926021. Retrieved 11 January 2020. 978-0992926021
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