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Paddle (game controller)
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<p>A paddle is a <a href="/facts/Game_controller/2PkNFsUX">game controller</a> with a round <i>wheel</i> and one or more <i>fire buttons</i>, where the wheel is typically used to control movement of the player object along one axis of the video screen. A paddle controller rotates through a fixed arc (usually about 330 <a href="/facts/Degree_(angle)/f48Ns8SX">degrees</a>); it has a stop at each end. </p><p>The name <i>paddle</i> is derived from the first game that used it, <i><a href="/facts/Pong/r2IxJtsq">Pong</a></i>,, being a video game simulation of <a href="/facts/Table_tennis/4dGt6tqM">table tennis</a>, whose racquets are commonly called paddles. Even though the simulated paddles appeared on-screen (as small line segments), it was the hand controllers used to move the line segments that actually came to bear the name. </p><p>Some famous video games using paddles are <i><a href="/facts/Pong/r2IxJtsq">Pong</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Breakout_(video_game)/4G7LJqCF">Breakout</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Night_Driver_(video_game)/TPXMxJ7Q">Night Driver</a></i>. </p>