Consoles
Within this page, i will be looking at the various different consoles throughout history, and how they have adapted to create on of the most popular gaming formats in the world. I will also be covering the features of said consoles and why this platform is important to gaming. Once again i will be starting off with a brief timeline of the console genre, including the major development points in history which has made console gaming what it is today.
Timeline:
1967
As mentioned within the Arcade timeline, the first console created was named the Brown Box, and was exactly what it says. Created in 1967 by Ralph H. Baer, the brown box was designed specifically so it could be hooked up to a TV set. This proved an important break through in gaming for both Arcade and Console platforms, as it showed how accessible gaming could be. This console was able to play six different games, albeit simple games, it was still a huge leap in what is now known as the biggest game platform out. These games were Ping-pong, four different sports games, checkers, golf, and a target shooting game featuring the light gun. These games were played by adjusting switches on the Brown Box to fit specific combinations. The Brown Box featured what will become conventional for a console, two controls and a multigame program system.
1972
After the creation of The Brown box, a licencing opportunity was seen, and in 1972, the first official home video game console was released name Magnavox Odyssey. This was the licensed technology of the Brown Box, and the games were completely silent due to the lack of technological capabilities of the time.
1975
The invention of Atari's PONG in 1973 led to the popularity of video games to sky rocket. And because of its success, Atari decided to create a home console featuring the game tow years after its initial release. So in 1975 Atari's first console the Atari Sears Tele-Games Pong System. Also in 1975, Magnavox decided to release two more consoles, the Magnavox 100 and 200. These slightly different and more improved consoles were the first of many Magnavox release in the following years. All of which were only slightly improved each time, featuring the same games within the console, only with alterations to graphics, controllers and scoring.
1976/ 1977
To compete with Magnavox's many releases, Atari released a new console in 1977 named the Atari 2600. This console became incredibly popular and helped in creating a multi-billion pound industry. This was around the time more games developers started to appear, and in the previous year, the company Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F system. which was the first cartridge based home video game system. Realizing the potential of cartridge gaming, Atari implemented it into their Atari 2600. This is when games such as Spacewar, Outlaw and Breakout became popular. Through the following couple of years, Atari was able to remain at the top with ts Atari 2600 and the many games being created for it. Many companies tried to dethrone Atari from the top, including the company Coleco which came close with its line of consoles, however still fell short and Atari remained at the top. This was until a new rival appeared and jumped its way to the top...
1983
With the olden age of video games now in full swing with the creation of games like Pac-man and the popularity of arcade machines now at its height. This popularity allowed for more companies to reach success and for a greater variation of games and genre to be made aside from just PONG clones. 1983 was year of the first Nintendo Console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES single handeldy made Nintendo a main competitor in this platform and industry with its iconic games like Mario Bros released the same year. Along with Sega's new popularity in the market as well, these two companies became the top competitors, leaving Atari in the dust. They dominated the home gaming market, even after the video game crash.
1988
Sega released its most popular console the Sega Mega Drive in 1988, and to compete with this, Nintendo released its Super Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. This constant battle is what is know as the console wars era of video gaming.
1990's
The 90's was the decade which saw games beginning to transition form cartridges to compact disks thanks to the evolution in technology. With the capabilities of compact disc far surpassing that of cartridges, it allowed for gaming to become even more popular with its now 3D based games. The first CD console was released in 1991 by Philips. The CD-1. However this was an enormous failure, with too much focus on the gimmick of graphics, the games themselves were low quality produced, and featured many frustrating aspects such as controls. However this did not stop the creation of m any other game consoles which also used CD drives, such as the Atari Jaguar in 1993. It was in 1994 that Sony finally made its entrance to the gaming industry with its PlayStation. Unlike the rest of the console platform however, Nintendo still stuck with cartridges, releasing its Nintendo 64 in 1996. Yearbefor this release, Nintendo tried its hand at virtual reality with the Virtual Boy. This headset was met with no success as it caused many issues such as neck ache due to its weight, and headaches due to the technology itself. Clearly with the technology of the time, the world wasn't ready for virtual reality... yet. Due to the recent lesser success of Sega, they released the Sega Dreamcast in 1998, which featured internet support via its built in modem.
2000's
The early 2000's had a big impact on the console market. 2000 had the release of Sony's PlayStation 2, 2001 had the release of Nintendo's first CD console the GameCube, and Microsoft finally joined the console completion with its Xbox. From this point on, the console gaming industry finally stabilized, settling on the three gaming giants Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to lead the market. Since then there has been little, if any, fresh blood in the console industry to compete with them.
2005 had the release of the Xbox 360, 2006 had the release of the PS3, and the Wii. This is what is considered generation 7. within this generation, many new advances were made in console improvements, such as the Kinect in 2010, which allows the tracking movement of a player without requiring a remote like the Wii or Sony's PlayStation Move. I Will be covering this further below.
The eighth and most current generation of consoles includes the Wii U released 2012, and PS4 and Xbox One released in 2013.
Timeline:
1967
As mentioned within the Arcade timeline, the first console created was named the Brown Box, and was exactly what it says. Created in 1967 by Ralph H. Baer, the brown box was designed specifically so it could be hooked up to a TV set. This proved an important break through in gaming for both Arcade and Console platforms, as it showed how accessible gaming could be. This console was able to play six different games, albeit simple games, it was still a huge leap in what is now known as the biggest game platform out. These games were Ping-pong, four different sports games, checkers, golf, and a target shooting game featuring the light gun. These games were played by adjusting switches on the Brown Box to fit specific combinations. The Brown Box featured what will become conventional for a console, two controls and a multigame program system.
1972
After the creation of The Brown box, a licencing opportunity was seen, and in 1972, the first official home video game console was released name Magnavox Odyssey. This was the licensed technology of the Brown Box, and the games were completely silent due to the lack of technological capabilities of the time.
1975
The invention of Atari's PONG in 1973 led to the popularity of video games to sky rocket. And because of its success, Atari decided to create a home console featuring the game tow years after its initial release. So in 1975 Atari's first console the Atari Sears Tele-Games Pong System. Also in 1975, Magnavox decided to release two more consoles, the Magnavox 100 and 200. These slightly different and more improved consoles were the first of many Magnavox release in the following years. All of which were only slightly improved each time, featuring the same games within the console, only with alterations to graphics, controllers and scoring.
1976/ 1977
To compete with Magnavox's many releases, Atari released a new console in 1977 named the Atari 2600. This console became incredibly popular and helped in creating a multi-billion pound industry. This was around the time more games developers started to appear, and in the previous year, the company Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F system. which was the first cartridge based home video game system. Realizing the potential of cartridge gaming, Atari implemented it into their Atari 2600. This is when games such as Spacewar, Outlaw and Breakout became popular. Through the following couple of years, Atari was able to remain at the top with ts Atari 2600 and the many games being created for it. Many companies tried to dethrone Atari from the top, including the company Coleco which came close with its line of consoles, however still fell short and Atari remained at the top. This was until a new rival appeared and jumped its way to the top...
1983
With the olden age of video games now in full swing with the creation of games like Pac-man and the popularity of arcade machines now at its height. This popularity allowed for more companies to reach success and for a greater variation of games and genre to be made aside from just PONG clones. 1983 was year of the first Nintendo Console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES single handeldy made Nintendo a main competitor in this platform and industry with its iconic games like Mario Bros released the same year. Along with Sega's new popularity in the market as well, these two companies became the top competitors, leaving Atari in the dust. They dominated the home gaming market, even after the video game crash.
1988
Sega released its most popular console the Sega Mega Drive in 1988, and to compete with this, Nintendo released its Super Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. This constant battle is what is know as the console wars era of video gaming.
1990's
The 90's was the decade which saw games beginning to transition form cartridges to compact disks thanks to the evolution in technology. With the capabilities of compact disc far surpassing that of cartridges, it allowed for gaming to become even more popular with its now 3D based games. The first CD console was released in 1991 by Philips. The CD-1. However this was an enormous failure, with too much focus on the gimmick of graphics, the games themselves were low quality produced, and featured many frustrating aspects such as controls. However this did not stop the creation of m any other game consoles which also used CD drives, such as the Atari Jaguar in 1993. It was in 1994 that Sony finally made its entrance to the gaming industry with its PlayStation. Unlike the rest of the console platform however, Nintendo still stuck with cartridges, releasing its Nintendo 64 in 1996. Yearbefor this release, Nintendo tried its hand at virtual reality with the Virtual Boy. This headset was met with no success as it caused many issues such as neck ache due to its weight, and headaches due to the technology itself. Clearly with the technology of the time, the world wasn't ready for virtual reality... yet. Due to the recent lesser success of Sega, they released the Sega Dreamcast in 1998, which featured internet support via its built in modem.
2000's
The early 2000's had a big impact on the console market. 2000 had the release of Sony's PlayStation 2, 2001 had the release of Nintendo's first CD console the GameCube, and Microsoft finally joined the console completion with its Xbox. From this point on, the console gaming industry finally stabilized, settling on the three gaming giants Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to lead the market. Since then there has been little, if any, fresh blood in the console industry to compete with them.
2005 had the release of the Xbox 360, 2006 had the release of the PS3, and the Wii. This is what is considered generation 7. within this generation, many new advances were made in console improvements, such as the Kinect in 2010, which allows the tracking movement of a player without requiring a remote like the Wii or Sony's PlayStation Move. I Will be covering this further below.
The eighth and most current generation of consoles includes the Wii U released 2012, and PS4 and Xbox One released in 2013.
Features:
So as you can see, the evolution of the console genre has occurred through the many years of cut through competition on who should be at the top. This is very different from Arcade, as that had a focus on which game is the best, wheres due to the ability to play multiple games on one system with consoles, the focus is more on the technical aspects, which has the better processing or best price. However the games playable on them do play an important role too, something which i will be covering below.
Every console has been known to feature specific conventions. And its these conventional features that not only help us identify a console, but also helps define them too. For starters the general convention, especially today, is for a console to have a place to put a game, in this case a disk drive. As the main aspect which set consoles apart from everything else originally was its ability to swap games. Another aspect is that it has a handheld controller, and a capability to have at least 2, or nowadays 4, plugged in at the same time. This allows for more social play, and since they are considered household consoles, its important to that they at least have the ability for the family to play with each other at the same time. With online play now the norm, games have become more dependent on online multiplying as opposed to local two player. All three of the main consoles have these factors however, and its uncommon for a game to not have split-screen two player, or the equivalent.
PlayStation:
Its the individual aspects to a console which gives them their flare however. And the higher the generation, the more apparent these gimmicks become, as time has passed for them to adapt and transform. For example, looking at the PlayStation, the PS3 was the first console to allow Blu-ray disks to be played on it, and this has followed through to the PS4 and even the Xbox One adapted this to compete. Having the capability to do more than just game is becoming more popular as technology progresses, as it saves space and money if there is a single device to do everything on. This is a good example of why consoles are the most popular gaming format, as they can adapt easily to the new technology, and serve multiple purposes, unlike Arcades. Another example of consoles adapting features to keep in the mainstream can be seen when looking at the evolution of PlayStation's controller. Back when consoles were still "new", and the games were still relatively simple due to the limitation of technological capabilities, the PS1 had a simple controller of 10 buttons, and a directional pad. However as the games frontier began moving into the 3D graphic platform, more addition was needed. This is why the PS2 controllers featured two analogue sticks as default. These sticks allowed for 3 dimensional movement which conformed with the games of the time. Moving onto the PS3, the R2 and L2 buttons on the top were changed to becoming more like triggers. This is due to the evolving popularity of first person shooters, and this made the game more comfortable to play. As you can see, due to the generations of consoles being released in stages, it allows time in between to tailor the new consoles to meet the need of the current gamer. Finally, we come to the PS4. The PS4 controller features a touch screen on it, as in the recent years, touch screen gaming has become popular and common, and by including this within the controller, and subsequently their games, it not only adds an attraction to their console, but it also makes the games feel more modern to play, and fits better with this generations preferences. By adapting their consoles to having such features, it helps set the PlayStation above the competition, and incites gamers to use their console. Being able to adapt, this is why consoles are still popular, as they can change along with everything else.
So as you can see, the evolution of the console genre has occurred through the many years of cut through competition on who should be at the top. This is very different from Arcade, as that had a focus on which game is the best, wheres due to the ability to play multiple games on one system with consoles, the focus is more on the technical aspects, which has the better processing or best price. However the games playable on them do play an important role too, something which i will be covering below.
Every console has been known to feature specific conventions. And its these conventional features that not only help us identify a console, but also helps define them too. For starters the general convention, especially today, is for a console to have a place to put a game, in this case a disk drive. As the main aspect which set consoles apart from everything else originally was its ability to swap games. Another aspect is that it has a handheld controller, and a capability to have at least 2, or nowadays 4, plugged in at the same time. This allows for more social play, and since they are considered household consoles, its important to that they at least have the ability for the family to play with each other at the same time. With online play now the norm, games have become more dependent on online multiplying as opposed to local two player. All three of the main consoles have these factors however, and its uncommon for a game to not have split-screen two player, or the equivalent.
PlayStation:
Its the individual aspects to a console which gives them their flare however. And the higher the generation, the more apparent these gimmicks become, as time has passed for them to adapt and transform. For example, looking at the PlayStation, the PS3 was the first console to allow Blu-ray disks to be played on it, and this has followed through to the PS4 and even the Xbox One adapted this to compete. Having the capability to do more than just game is becoming more popular as technology progresses, as it saves space and money if there is a single device to do everything on. This is a good example of why consoles are the most popular gaming format, as they can adapt easily to the new technology, and serve multiple purposes, unlike Arcades. Another example of consoles adapting features to keep in the mainstream can be seen when looking at the evolution of PlayStation's controller. Back when consoles were still "new", and the games were still relatively simple due to the limitation of technological capabilities, the PS1 had a simple controller of 10 buttons, and a directional pad. However as the games frontier began moving into the 3D graphic platform, more addition was needed. This is why the PS2 controllers featured two analogue sticks as default. These sticks allowed for 3 dimensional movement which conformed with the games of the time. Moving onto the PS3, the R2 and L2 buttons on the top were changed to becoming more like triggers. This is due to the evolving popularity of first person shooters, and this made the game more comfortable to play. As you can see, due to the generations of consoles being released in stages, it allows time in between to tailor the new consoles to meet the need of the current gamer. Finally, we come to the PS4. The PS4 controller features a touch screen on it, as in the recent years, touch screen gaming has become popular and common, and by including this within the controller, and subsequently their games, it not only adds an attraction to their console, but it also makes the games feel more modern to play, and fits better with this generations preferences. By adapting their consoles to having such features, it helps set the PlayStation above the competition, and incites gamers to use their console. Being able to adapt, this is why consoles are still popular, as they can change along with everything else.
Xbox:
Microsoft came into the video game market a generation behind Sony, and as such has one less console to offer. However like Sony, Microsoft's Xbox also featured many upgrades through its models. While Sony is better known for its graphic capabilities, the Xbox 360 is better known for having an excellent online experience with its Xbox Live, and the ability to join "Parties" to talk to people over headsets. This is another example of the evolution of consoles, as well as the uniqueness of them, as consoles were the first real gaming platform to incorporate online chat well due to the location it is played on, inside a house, and the type of games which are played on them. Online features to console gaming has become a necessary aspect to success these days, especially competitive games. And competitive games such as first person shooters are popular on consoles. Online play on the Xbox is called Xbox Live, a paid service which without it, the player cannot play games online or join parties. The fact that you must pay to get certain features shows that Microsoft has ways of getting people to pay constantly, as apposed to the main concept of consoles that you only have to pay once and you own it for ever. However it does provide Microsoft with a more steady income, and they have made it possible for players to purchase month or year long passes to save money.
Wii:
The console Nintendo Wii is considered less of main competitor when put against the Xbox and PlayStation, as it has the weaker processing power and graphics capabilities. However what keeps the Wii high on the charts was its unique motion control settings. This aspect, giving the player more control over movements of the characters through tracking the movement of the player, was so successful that both Sony and Microsoft adapted it for themselves. It also led to the use of the Wii game pad for the Wii U, its successor, which implemented the combination of the Wii remote and nunchuck, as well as the inclusion of a touchscreen and stylus much like Nintendo's extremely popular hand held system the DS. Nintendo, the creator of the Wii, also has tremendous reputation in the gaming world thanks to its long lasting rein at the top of sales for many years as seen in the timeline, and for its many exclusive game titles. They are also one of the only competitors for Handheld devices. I will be covering Handheld devices in more detail on the Mobile page, however it is known that Nintendo's DS system is one of the only handheld gaming systems available, aside from the PlayStation Portable. Both of these systems are able to link to he consoles to transfer data from games and account details. These features allow for a more unique experience as you can for example, use the handheld device as an extra controller for the console.
As previously mentioned, Nintendo is well known for its exclusive titles. Having exclusive games is unique to the console genre alone, as the interchangeable games makes it possible to have them. And the multiple competitors makes them necessary for companies to rope in players to their console. Exclusive game titles often make for a console mascot, for example Halo is mainly an Xbox exclusive, and is a very popular one too. Its because of this that Xbox marketing often focuses around this aspect, using The Master Chief (the games protagonist) in marketing to show off why you should purchase the Xbox. This aspect is like an adaption of arcade machines painting their cases to attract players.IN the context of Nintendo, Nintendo is home to the most exclusive games, as the strong majority of titles released for their systems are that of Nintendo's design. Games like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Game Freak's Pokemon, and the most popular of them all, Mario. Nintendo's first major hit was Donkey Kong, which featured Mario as the main character, and has bee an icon for Nintendo since the get go to now. This is another reason why the Wii is so popular, as players have to buy one to play any of these games.
Limitations:
While consoles have numerous advantages such as the thousands on playable games, online play, and updatable software, they also have many limitations. The first limitation i will be covering is that of the dependence on the internet. It is true that over the years consoles have become more and more reliant on internet connection to get the full experience of the game. While this improves the gaming experience, i am also classing it as a limitation. When living in a household with poor internet, it can make it difficult for players to get the most out of a game such as online game play, downloading DLC, saving online progress, playing with friends, and publishing scores. These aspects can make a game, and hen taken away, or impeded with slow internet, it can become frustrating or just content less. It is because of this that the dependence on the internet is a limitation for consoles. Some consoled depend on it more than others, Nintendo games usually require no internet to play game as they are single player oriented. But Xbox games like Titanfall consist of nothing but online play, and without the internet, it is simply unplayable.
The next limitation i will cover is counter fitting. Because the games are external, be it cartridge or disc, it leaves them open to fake copies. This is an issue that both consoles and handheld games have encountered, as people copy the games and sell them themselves. These copies are often poor quality, corrupt game data, and can even corrupt the systems themselves. This issue does not arise in the arcade sector as the games are internal, nor does it happen on mobile games, as they are downloaded straight from the source. There are often tell tale signs on spotting out a fake cartridge to a real one, and this is a good example of how limitations can also occur with the evolution of technology, as newer games using discs become a lot more harder to spot a real from a fake. Below you can see the tell tale signs of a fake cartridge, which are usually seen on the packaging. However there are other more obvious signs such as the cartage itself looking different, not fitting in the device properly, and having a completely different look, as can be seen on the image to the far right.
Microsoft came into the video game market a generation behind Sony, and as such has one less console to offer. However like Sony, Microsoft's Xbox also featured many upgrades through its models. While Sony is better known for its graphic capabilities, the Xbox 360 is better known for having an excellent online experience with its Xbox Live, and the ability to join "Parties" to talk to people over headsets. This is another example of the evolution of consoles, as well as the uniqueness of them, as consoles were the first real gaming platform to incorporate online chat well due to the location it is played on, inside a house, and the type of games which are played on them. Online features to console gaming has become a necessary aspect to success these days, especially competitive games. And competitive games such as first person shooters are popular on consoles. Online play on the Xbox is called Xbox Live, a paid service which without it, the player cannot play games online or join parties. The fact that you must pay to get certain features shows that Microsoft has ways of getting people to pay constantly, as apposed to the main concept of consoles that you only have to pay once and you own it for ever. However it does provide Microsoft with a more steady income, and they have made it possible for players to purchase month or year long passes to save money.
Wii:
The console Nintendo Wii is considered less of main competitor when put against the Xbox and PlayStation, as it has the weaker processing power and graphics capabilities. However what keeps the Wii high on the charts was its unique motion control settings. This aspect, giving the player more control over movements of the characters through tracking the movement of the player, was so successful that both Sony and Microsoft adapted it for themselves. It also led to the use of the Wii game pad for the Wii U, its successor, which implemented the combination of the Wii remote and nunchuck, as well as the inclusion of a touchscreen and stylus much like Nintendo's extremely popular hand held system the DS. Nintendo, the creator of the Wii, also has tremendous reputation in the gaming world thanks to its long lasting rein at the top of sales for many years as seen in the timeline, and for its many exclusive game titles. They are also one of the only competitors for Handheld devices. I will be covering Handheld devices in more detail on the Mobile page, however it is known that Nintendo's DS system is one of the only handheld gaming systems available, aside from the PlayStation Portable. Both of these systems are able to link to he consoles to transfer data from games and account details. These features allow for a more unique experience as you can for example, use the handheld device as an extra controller for the console.
As previously mentioned, Nintendo is well known for its exclusive titles. Having exclusive games is unique to the console genre alone, as the interchangeable games makes it possible to have them. And the multiple competitors makes them necessary for companies to rope in players to their console. Exclusive game titles often make for a console mascot, for example Halo is mainly an Xbox exclusive, and is a very popular one too. Its because of this that Xbox marketing often focuses around this aspect, using The Master Chief (the games protagonist) in marketing to show off why you should purchase the Xbox. This aspect is like an adaption of arcade machines painting their cases to attract players.IN the context of Nintendo, Nintendo is home to the most exclusive games, as the strong majority of titles released for their systems are that of Nintendo's design. Games like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Game Freak's Pokemon, and the most popular of them all, Mario. Nintendo's first major hit was Donkey Kong, which featured Mario as the main character, and has bee an icon for Nintendo since the get go to now. This is another reason why the Wii is so popular, as players have to buy one to play any of these games.
Limitations:
While consoles have numerous advantages such as the thousands on playable games, online play, and updatable software, they also have many limitations. The first limitation i will be covering is that of the dependence on the internet. It is true that over the years consoles have become more and more reliant on internet connection to get the full experience of the game. While this improves the gaming experience, i am also classing it as a limitation. When living in a household with poor internet, it can make it difficult for players to get the most out of a game such as online game play, downloading DLC, saving online progress, playing with friends, and publishing scores. These aspects can make a game, and hen taken away, or impeded with slow internet, it can become frustrating or just content less. It is because of this that the dependence on the internet is a limitation for consoles. Some consoled depend on it more than others, Nintendo games usually require no internet to play game as they are single player oriented. But Xbox games like Titanfall consist of nothing but online play, and without the internet, it is simply unplayable.
The next limitation i will cover is counter fitting. Because the games are external, be it cartridge or disc, it leaves them open to fake copies. This is an issue that both consoles and handheld games have encountered, as people copy the games and sell them themselves. These copies are often poor quality, corrupt game data, and can even corrupt the systems themselves. This issue does not arise in the arcade sector as the games are internal, nor does it happen on mobile games, as they are downloaded straight from the source. There are often tell tale signs on spotting out a fake cartridge to a real one, and this is a good example of how limitations can also occur with the evolution of technology, as newer games using discs become a lot more harder to spot a real from a fake. Below you can see the tell tale signs of a fake cartridge, which are usually seen on the packaging. However there are other more obvious signs such as the cartage itself looking different, not fitting in the device properly, and having a completely different look, as can be seen on the image to the far right.
Whereas if you take a look at Discs, you will see that there is little difference in apearence, and becausde they are not longer cartages, all discs tend to look the same, and blank discs are easiliy available from most shops. This therefore creates a limitation as technoligy has advanced, as copies are becoming more andf more common and easy to make. As you can see from the image below, the only real way to tell a fake disc from appearence is the colour of the shiny side, but even this can be difficult if a good replica is used.
This brings me onto the next limitation, lifespan. As consoles are constantly being release after every couple of years, the lifespan for any console is getting shorter. In the past consoles were sturdy and could last for years and still be on top, Atari 2600 for example, whereas now the completion has gown and the evolution of them have become faster and faster,. consoles are releasing more frequently, and the games being made are migrating to these new systems just as fast. Its because of this that people find themselves having to pay a lot of money regularly to keep up with the trends. It also means that the consoles aren't built to last as long, and this makes them weaker. I you torched a GameCube odds are it'll survive and play perfectly, but if you so much as knock an Xbox it'll probably burst into flames. While this may be an exaggeration, the lifespan for consoles has decreased, and the probability of data corrupting and parts failing has become more frequent. An example of this is the Xbox 360's red ring of death. This was where when the 360 had a power supply or hardware problem, and would light up red around the power button. It usually ended up destroying the system, requiring it to be fixed, or scrapped completely. It became such a frequent issue with many Xbox's that it was dubbed the red ring of death. While the other consoles didn't have such a tell ,there were still hardware issues which could occur, or freezing issues with the games themselves which caused players to buy new consoles or games.
The final main limitation i will be covering for consoles is the size. Consoles are specifically designed to be home friendly and accessible. This means that in order to entice people to have them within their homes, the system cant take up space, allowing it to fit into almost anyone's room. This is why consoles have tried to remain as compact as possible. However sticking to a small size can cause more limitations within its self. For starters, a more compact console means a more hardworking console. What this means is that they will be more prone to overheating. This is why a fan is built into all modern consoles, in order to keep the console cool, even after long play periods. This is to reduce damage to the console, or overheating which can turn the console of on its own. However this also means that the noise pollution when using the console is increased. This is why console designers have to take into consideration and balance out the compact and the noise. If yo look at the main consoles of the recent generations, you will also see that the design allows them to be placed both on upright and down. This is a fairly recent addition which further adapt the console into fitting well with the home. This simple yet useful feature helps define a home console.
The final main limitation i will be covering for consoles is the size. Consoles are specifically designed to be home friendly and accessible. This means that in order to entice people to have them within their homes, the system cant take up space, allowing it to fit into almost anyone's room. This is why consoles have tried to remain as compact as possible. However sticking to a small size can cause more limitations within its self. For starters, a more compact console means a more hardworking console. What this means is that they will be more prone to overheating. This is why a fan is built into all modern consoles, in order to keep the console cool, even after long play periods. This is to reduce damage to the console, or overheating which can turn the console of on its own. However this also means that the noise pollution when using the console is increased. This is why console designers have to take into consideration and balance out the compact and the noise. If yo look at the main consoles of the recent generations, you will also see that the design allows them to be placed both on upright and down. This is a fairly recent addition which further adapt the console into fitting well with the home. This simple yet useful feature helps define a home console.
Definition:
The main aspect to a console which makes it a console is its small design allowing for it to be placed within the home. Unlike arcades, a console does not feature all the necessary components required to play. By this i mean that a TV is not provided. Another feature of consoles is that they have external games, which means games are interchangeable. Unlike arcade machines, this means that hundreds of games can be played, without having to purchase a new console or swap between them. The most recent generations of consoled have featured discs as the gaming format, as seen above. Consoles tend to take a less in your face appearance unlike the painted arcade machines. This is so that the console will fit into peoples rooms well. This is to entice people to buying the console, as people may not want to buy something which does not look good within their homes, even if the specs are amazing. This is why consoles retain a simplistic design, usually sticking to one specific color scheme such as white or black.
The main aspect to a console which makes it a console is its small design allowing for it to be placed within the home. Unlike arcades, a console does not feature all the necessary components required to play. By this i mean that a TV is not provided. Another feature of consoles is that they have external games, which means games are interchangeable. Unlike arcade machines, this means that hundreds of games can be played, without having to purchase a new console or swap between them. The most recent generations of consoled have featured discs as the gaming format, as seen above. Consoles tend to take a less in your face appearance unlike the painted arcade machines. This is so that the console will fit into peoples rooms well. This is to entice people to buying the console, as people may not want to buy something which does not look good within their homes, even if the specs are amazing. This is why consoles retain a simplistic design, usually sticking to one specific color scheme such as white or black.