if you think about it all have had a huge impact on gaming. but what invention gets your nod as most important. Im going with R.O.B

D-Pad

How is the D-pad, and even ROB, related to modern gaming? Do you know when these came out? Over 2 decades ago.

D-Pad, no contest.

D-pad.
Especially any D-pad on a genesis/saturn

d-pad is "modern"?... :/

i vote analog stick

In my opinion DS and iPhone - though not the first gaming devices to use a touchscreen - have proved that the touchscreen is the most important recent addition (not invention) to videogaming.

Sorry have been away so could only just reply. Yes the d-pad and rob are over twenty years old but it can be argued that the nes is the birth of modern gaming. After the grate console crash of the 70’s no respectable toy store in America would stock video games they were seen as a dead fad. So Nintendo in it wisdom invented rob as an education tool. With this they had their Trojan horse to get there products into toy stores. The rest is history as they say and in my opinion without rob the nes would not have taken of and who knows we may have never had the video game renaissance of the 80’s and with it modern gaming.

Erm...you included ROB in that poll?

I voted Analog Stick because the D-Pad isn't really modern at all, and to be honest, not many games really need it like they do the analog stick.

Whats rob?

I would vote 3-D.