JOYSTICKS TO HAPTICS HC (Release Date: 09/02/2026).

HarperCollins

JOYSTICKS TO HAPTICS HC (Release Date: 09/02/2026)

Please Note:
***This item is a preorder and will ship when it releases!***

Estimated Release Date: 09/02/2026

Sale price$40.00
Sold out
SKU: 0726HC0962

As video games are played, memories are left in the grooves of their controllers. Atari joysticks still remember being pushed to the limit from afternoons spent playing Frogger, GameCube controllers echo with the clatter of intense Super Smash Bros bouts, each gesture with a Wii Remote is a story to be shared, and every haptic rumble inside of the DualSense is a reminder of the bond between player, hardware, and game.From Joysticks to Haptics revisits all the key points in history that shaped video game controllers. Head back to the very early era of console gaming, when dials and keypads were king, then read stories of standardisation, as innovations like D-Pads and analogue sticks became the model that every hardware maker followed, and revel in the weird and wonderful. This comprehensive collection features insightful retrospectives and personal essays, facts and stats, plus stunning photography of rare and retro favourites in a journey through the most iconic and inventive corners of video game history.

UPC/ISBN: 9780008713577

SKU: 0726HC0962

FOC Date: 08/03/2026

Estimated Release Date: 09/02/2026

Product Information

Due to the nature of collectible items and ever changing market demand, we are unable to cancel pre-orders on ratio variants and select other items (1 per store variants, exclusive covers, ect) for a refund.For preorders on regular open order comics (the majority of which are normally cover price), we can cancel preorders and refund with a store credit that can be used in our brick and mortar stores or at thirdeyecomics.com

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Cover art for Comics on our website is provided to us at the time of solicit. While we do our best to keep these images up to date; some covers may be subject to change!

At Third Eye, we ship thousands of comics every week, and we know condition matters. Whether you're reading, collecting, or grading, we want you to feel confident when a Third Eye package arrives.

This policy outlines our standard for new release and shipped comics, and the industry-standard guidelines we follow.

OUR STANDARD

Books without a stated grade will be offered as Near Mint 9.4 or better. We do not guarantee 9.8 condition on any book unless specifically noted.

We use industry-standard grading guidelines from:

If you're new to comic grading, the resources above are a great place to start.

WHY WE DON'T GUARANTEE 9.8

Modern comic printing is an imperfect process. Books are printed in massive
runs, bound at high speed, and shipped in bulk to retailers. Even brand
new books off the truck will exhibit minor production characteristics,
and that's normal, and consistent with industry standards across every
retailer.

A 9.8 grade represents near-perfection, and the reality is that not every printed book qualifies for that grade no matter where you buy it from.

We can absolutely commit to NM 9.4 or better. We cannot commit to 9.8 on every book, because that's not how comics are made.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS NM 9.4

Per industry standards, a book may exhibit the following minor characteristics and still grade as Near Mint 9.4, as long as there's no accumulation of defects:

Bindery characteristics:

  • Minor to moderate corner tears
  • White edges along the spine (common on most modern printings)
  • Covers slightly offset from interior pages (common on cardstock covers)

Printing characteristics:

  • Slight color rub on back covers
  • Small paper wrinkles present from the paper roll prior to printing
  • Wavy paper texture from the printing process

Spine characteristics:

  • 2-3 small color-breaking spine ticks
  • Minor non-color-breaking spine dings

These are normal modern production characteristics, not damage from handling or shipping. They are present on books across the industry, regardless
of retailer.

OUR RETURN & EXCHANGE POLICY

We do not accept returns or exchanges on books that meet our NM 9.4 or better standard.

We will replace or refund:

  • Books damaged during shipping (clear shipping damage, not pre-existing print characteristics)
  • Books that fall below NM 9.4 standard (significant spine damage, major creasing, tears, etc.)
  • Wrong cover or wrong issue shipped

For premium variants (1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250, 1:500 incentive covers, signed editions, exclusive variants), we apply enhanced QC during pull and packing. If a premium variant arrives outside our standard, contact us within 7 days of delivery and we will work with you on a replacement.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about a specific book or want to learn more about comic grading, our team is happy to help. Reach out to service@thirdeyecomics.com.

We appreciate your trust in Third Eye Comics, and we're committed to delivering books that meet the standards both you and we expect.