Dreamcast influence evident in these early Xbox controller prototypes

Video game history buffs, take note: Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley took to Twitter over the weekend to share some neat prototype designs for what would become the original Xbox controller.

They're interesting to study because most bear a striking resemblance to Sega's Dreamcast controller, and look radically different from the Xbox controller that was eventually revealed to the world in 2001 -- the same year the Dreamcast died.

Blackley acknowledged the resemblance and suggested it was due to the influence of Sega's console design in the late '90s, "because at the time Dreamcast was king." He went on to note that "Xbox was its own beast."

Given the resemblance, it's worth taking a minute to look at these Xbox controller prototypes and then look back even farther at these early Dreamcast controller prototypes -- one of which looks much akin to the official Xbox gamepad.