"The search for industrial inheritance" by nick foster is a super insightful talk presented at Interesting North 2010. It deals with the evolution of artifacts and the continuity of industrial innovation:

[slideshare id=5790491&doc=industrialinheritance-101115193829-phpapp01]

Why do I blog this? This material is very close to what we are addressing in the game controller project (as well as in my course series about interface evolution). The examples given (digital cameras in particular) are quite intriguing and it's pertinent to see the conclusion reached by the presenter (1. Be willing to launch a risky mutant, it may just succeed, 2. Make sure you make it genetically agile, 3. Have a think what its kids might be like).