PS4 Concept (ps3maven.com)
So have you guys seen the leaked “preview” / rumors of the new gaming systems coming out? They have some snazzy features, but seem to continue the tradition of being the most obnoxiously shaped objects in the known universe! See, from early on, the game system developers had a kind of right idea… make it boxy and front loading like a VCR. Something happened along the way and they all started making them odd shapes. Shapes that prevent you from putting anything on or next to them. And that would be totally fine if you only had one system, but I think that your average gamer has at least 2 systems now, if not more. That’s where the real problem starts.
Xbox720 concept (xboxfreedom.com)
See, here’s the thing… DVD players, VCRs, sound systems, etc all have one thing in common… BOXY! You can stack em up and save space. A lot has progressed since then, tvs are both bigger and take up less space (figure that one out) than ever before and there’s an empty spot left over from where that honkin VHS used to sit… But now that we have machines doing more and more and filling up even more roles, it seems like we have even less space to work with. For instance, a Playstation 3 and XBox 360 can both play dvds(or blueray for ps3)/cds/stream/internets/anything, but they’re so big and irregularly shaped that they can’t be stacked. Heck, you can argue the XBox can’t even be next to anything remotely flammable or else it’ll arson down your house while red ringing.
Gone are the days you could just have a tower of boxes with your game system on top. Maybe it’s a function of owning more than one system, but if you look at the preposterously shaped systems coming out, and probable lack of backwards compatibility, then we’re facing a new age where you’ll need a bookshelf next to your tv to store all your systems. Why can’t they be just simple boxes? They don’t have to look fancy! They don’t have to be all amazing works of art. Sometimes function over form is a good thing. Heck, maybe it’d even help with that whole heating issue all these systems seem to have. If you design your system to look like a corset, it’ll probably not have very good air flow…
Wii U Concept (engadget.com)
Anyways, that’s my rant for the day! Hope you all had a wonderful April Trolls day!
NOTE… These are all just rumored concept designs for now and the actual products will probably never look like any of this… but if history has taught any of us anything, it’s that we’re all doomed to have bizzaro looking gaming machines.
(ps… the xbox 720 was the goldfish bowl. >)
Wha?
Also just got forsaken world ITS AWSOME!
yup, forsaken world is one of my favorite f2p mmos! it’s a bit of a strange one, chinese made in fact, and they are slowly translating and bringing over content.
my biggest gripe with it is that the premise of the game is around daily quests… so if that sort of thing annoys you, then you’ll probably go on a killing spree. otherwise it’s one of the few truly free to play games out there. and you can run through steam, which is also a plus. I also like the player shops, something more mainstream mmos should port over…
While I never actively thought about it, this is certainly a good argument for why I prefer handheld games and computer games; so much more compact and easy to store. Games, meet box.
Pretty much though what you say. People with consoles want to play games, not stare at the machine reading the disc. Spend that development instead on making the system itself better and maybe one or two art guys to create some sort of design that the casing can be molded into or something etched on, maybe even colorful.
When your machine looks reminiscent of a weird alien aircraft, you’ve gone too far.
ah yes, I’m certainly much more into pc gaming than console really. idk, even with stuff like shooters I hate using controllers for.
I mean, there’s a lot you can do with a box to dress it up! just look at all these pc case modders. they come up with some really fun stuff. still boxes though… still can set my soda on top…
(warning, do not put sodas on top of electronics)
While I can definitely agree with this argument of stackability and function, the argument can also be made that having such systems ultimately serve little purpose because of the multifunctional capabilities of said systems and even the tv’s that they are connected to. With web based streaming capabilities, dvd/bluray, wifi and bluetooth I’ve found little need for this ability because my xbox and ps3 fit where my cable box and dvd players would go. The biggest argument should be for function, this is true, but society has proven they care more about form. If this wasn’t the case, the xbox 360 wouldn’t have sold! My point is this, there is less hardware needed for more entertainment. So there is less need for practical case design
very true! though I suppose this also is a function of the entertainment stand as well and for those of us with a little less open real estate, placement becomes a problem. I guess it wouldn’t be as much of an issue with folks that have one system or have lots of room, but I think they need to start merging gaming systems too, lol! that and the freakin cable box takes up as much space as an xbox, don’t understand that at all…
I think the current wii is a good example of both form and function. it’s a cute little gizmo and can easily snuggle itself next to a tv or on a shelf. while the ps3 and xbox demand a whole shelf to their own. I’m pretty sure that the ps3 is actually equipped with a shanking device in case it is placed on top of an xbox… don’t quote me on that though… >)
Ahh, the cable box. That explains the problem! I’m about to ditch mine in favor of hulu. Same shit, less mess, less cost. I love cable, but at this point, I’m thinking about ditching everything except the internet because of these fancy streaming services. Between netflix and hulu, I no longer see the need for these additional cable services
I hear ya brother!
ya know, the only thing I can see going for the old cable box is the randomness of stuff. there’s something about flipping through channels or landing on something random you probably wouldn’t have sought after in a listing. maybe it’s the whole previewing thing too, so when you get to a channel, you see it right there. kind of an instant gratification sort of thing. idk, I like the channel surfing stuff kinda… so if the netflix had a system set up for that, man, I’d switch in a heartbeat.
but other than that, there’s really no need anymore. I get something like 1000 channels, half in hd, and I watch all of 5 of them… seems like I’d save more money by just picking what I wanted when I wanted. >\
That’s how I’m seeing it! Cheaper with most of the same shows and less (if any) commercials. All unlimited viewing. Watch as much as you want. You still find things that you can try watching. You don’t like it? Hit stop and go back to the list. You find something you like, it suggests shows and movies with a similar style or story. It’s like channel surfing, but with more possibilities and none of that “oh no, it’s half over” experience. It starts when you want it to, pauses, stops, whatever you want. And the list updates regularly enough that you can’t get bored with it. I think you would find much enjoyment from these services.
I’m done ranting now, I promise