10 Gaming Norms We Wouldn’t Have Believed Possible 10 Years Ago

By Shawn Jackson /

6. Second Screen Gaming

Videogames, leading up to 2004, saw a lot of changes to the gaming landscape. Whether it was button placement, the industry-wide inclusion of rumble in a controller or a physical handle on one of the finest consoles ever made (which was a tomfoolish moment), the face of gaming was changing at a rapid pace. Then came the Nintendo DS in late 2004 and showed us one of the futures of gaming. Becoming one of the top-selling video game systems of all time, the DS showed that an alternate control system with a viewable second screen was possible; even preferable to Sony's PSP. But nothing could have prepared us for the Wii U's GamePad, the PS Vita as PS3/PS4 controller nor Microsoft's smartglass controller app for tablets or other handheld devices. Viewing a map, options and the like on the second screen has been a a great addition to the console landscape, whether it's via dedicated controller, related handheld or tablet.