In 1962, American computer scientist Steve Russell in collaboration with Martin Graetz, Wayne Wiitanen, Bob Saunders, and Steve Piner developed the first widely distributed video game, called Spacewar! This space combat video game was written for the newly installed DEC PDP-1 minicomputer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The game was initially controlled through front panel switches on the PDP-1 minicomputer, but this proved cumbersome and wore down quickly. To address this challenge, Bob Saunders developed an early gamepad, which is the first entry on this ultimate timeline of video game controllers. This gamepad had a switch for turning right or left, another for thrusting forward or hyperspace, and a torpedo launch button which was designed to be silent to avoid alerting the opposing player. As you explore the timeline of video game controllers, you can see how these functions have both evolved and stayed true to the original gamepad.