From Bin to Playin’: Give Vintage Objects a New Purpose as Game Controllers

Alternative game controllers offer opportunities to explore player interactions and enhance game enjoyment. This paper presents an approach to creating playful game controllers using everyday objects that have outlived their usefulness. By incorporating an Arduino microcontroller, we aimed to upcycle them and create unique controllers that can enhance the gaming experience while reducing waste and promoting sustainability. To demonstrate our approach, we created three alternative game controllers from an alarm clock, a transistor radio, and a rotary phone. We also conducted an initial user study to get feedback on the gameplay compared to traditional controllers (keyboards or mice). The results showed that our custom controllers were more enjoyable, even when participants scored lower, and that the utility, usability, and user experience were comparable to standard controllers. Further user studies are needed to ensure that the controllers are as intuitive and comfortable as possible.