7 crazy video game controllers we can't believe people once thought were a good idea

The video game controller, the main way we interact with games, hasn't changed much since the mid 1980's.

Analog sticks and triggers were added in the mid 1990's to accommodate the shift from 2D to 3D games, but that didn't replace the basic controller layout that came before, comprised of face buttons and a directional pad.

In a few cases, like with the popular "Dance Dance Revolution" or "Guitar Hero" franchises, peripheral controllers were created to better suit those games. 

History is littered with many more examples of companies conceiving of the next great way for us to play games - and then failing.

Here are eight examples: seven crazy designs trying to impact how we play, with an eighth controller attempting to give us a new place to play.