What's Wrong With Console Design?

In terms of hardware design, game consoles have lost their sense of identity, argues Eric-Jon Rossel-Waugh. Next-Gen takes a critical look at the history and current state of console design.

[Silent]

PS3 is one hell of a SEXY BEAST!!!

[Dukester101]

I remember when the older consoles had the colorful controllers or consoles.

It was always fun to use the "blue" controller, or the "red" controller instead of the dull gray.

N64 had it right with the different colored consoles too- it made ya feel special having a different one than all your buddies.

[jonathanmusto]

I must say, I agree with the comments on the XBox 360, looks like my old Dell PC at work. And the George Forman PS3.
But in fairness they are both packing some serious power, and doubling up as Entertainment Centers MP3/Movies/Photo's etc... All which the old consoles never had.
I think the Wii is nicest looking of the 3 by a long way and I love those drive bays! And the color options, I think my PS3 and 360 will be hidden away in my AV Cabinate while my Wii sits in pride of place next to the telly...

[Aramis001]

I don't know about the Forman grill, but I love the concave shape of the 360. It looks...cool to me. That along with a faceplate and I'm proud to show it off next to my HDTV.

[achira]

to me the ps3 has far the best design. like a nice car, or a nice woman.

[wakkiwakko]

a BBW :D Hahahahahaha. Bouncy Bouncy!

[mikeeno7]

No surprise there then Achira...

[TOM]

not since the jaguar as a system been a friggin' ugly as the ps3.

[jsuch2002]

I think the PS3 is extremely ugly. Did they even try to make this look good. I think they took the first idea and went with it. I know its all about the performance of the console but cmon...600 bucks for a look-a-like grill???

[THAMMER1]

I have seen consoles come and go that is just the way it is. Sony satisfied so many people that the are looked at as some kind of super system that can conquer all. See next gen when it is time for the next Xbox I will be paying close attention because if Microsoft because if they try to pull a PS3 on me I’m out on them faster than any of ACKIRAs imaginary girlfriends. LOL but anyway you people who are trying to justify Sony are just brainwashed non-gamers. What Sony is doing is leaching off of your brand loyalty if you do not see that you are blinder than a bat with its head cut off with nails in its eye sockets.

[96impala]

I am sooo satisfied with my xbox360. I love mine i really do. I was never caught up in any hype i knew what i wanted and why i wanted it. I have no complaints what so ever. I love it.

[THAMMER1]

The best console since the SNES hands down.

[neeharb]

I love my xbox 360 Guys !!! its amazing...bye gotta play now

[The Marte]

It may look like a George Forman Grill, but my overheating 360 can cook anything twice as fast a the PS3. Now that's performance!!

[Witewunder]

I agreed with how the article pointed out that Sony hasn't really come up with anything new and exciting to bring to the industry. All of their features are rip offs of other companies. I will admit that they take those ideas and make them stronger and sometimes better, but never really anything new. Evidentally there is nothing wrong with this strategy, or else the PS2 wouldn't have dominated. But then again, I believe that if either Nintendo or Microsoft had the third part support that Sony had with the PS2, they could easily have been just as strong, with even more to offer with their systems.

[slugg]

It isn't about what a system LOOKS LIKE but about what it can do. That said, just like in many other areas, it appears that Microsoft did focus-group testing, etc. and ASKED people what they thought a next-gen system should look like, and took the advice to heart. Sony, on the other hand, as usual, just decided arbitrarily what the PS3 would look like, because "it will sell just because it says Playstation." By the way, anyone notice that the PS3 has gotten a lot larger and full of holes? Any bets on whether it will still have an internal power supply? If so, larger size more holes and all, I think it will melt faster that a 360 IN a George Forman Grill!

[LuminousAphid]

"That nobody uses these added features, that most of them are implemented poorly..."

Completely wrong as far as I've seen. I constantly use the music and movie players in my 360, as well as the marketplace, arcade, and pretty much all the "extra features" that the 360 has. I wouldn't say that any of them are "implemented poorly," either.

This guy sounds like he just has a huge case of nostalgia and wants things to be 'like they were' just like the stories grandpa used to tell. Notice how he has almost nothing positive to say about these next (now-current)-generation consoles, despite the fact that their designs are far more esthetically pleasing than most have been in the past.

[Optimus Prime]

i dont really care, but my personal opinion i think the 360 has a slighter edge. i think they all look alright. november is the month of gaming

[Schmitty07]

You just get used to it eventually.

[ronin_oni]

It pained me further and further to read this article. According to the Author, every concole sucked minus the genisus and dreamcast. Yet he in no way gave an example as to how it ought to have looked like in those times. Oh, don't mention to him the fact that there are certine structural limitations as to what a console will look like, due to factors like overheating and ventilation. Also, I don't exactly think that pure design outweighs practical cost in the eyes of the companies crafting these gaming machines, (i.e. a ferrari looks great, but a BMW 300 series isn't exactly shabby, and it costs a lot less money in terms of exterior fabrication). In my own opinion, there is nothing wrong with how the next-gen consoles look like now. Each has it's own ergonomic style to it. The 360 looks as if it's just sitting there, ready when you are. The PS3 sitting horozontaly gives off the feeling of a sleeping giant breathing inward, waiting for the moment you decide to hit power to blow you out of your seat-cushion. The Wii standing on end with it's glossy side panel reflection the type of gamer it's been looking for, you. Anyways, weather you like the look or not is up to you, but what really matters is that iconic shape each console embeds in our memory after many years of play on it, and a simple design will always last longer than something that looks like it came from the 'modern' section of your city's Art Museum.

[DJ]

They adopt new media formats before anyone else, had the first console with backwards compatibility(and still stand by it even with the PS3), they invented controllers with dual analog sticks, they create custom CPUs that blow away anything else on the market. Come on.

Sony fans can argue that Microsoft blatantly copied the features of the PS2 for their console (DVD movie playback, though they charged an extra $30 for it to work) and basically merged the PS2 and Dreamcast controllers to make their own. A,B,X,Y -> Gamecube has these exact same buttons.

I could go on and on. Point is, if companies don't take each others ideas and try to improve on those ideas, we would get nowhere. So stop complaining about consoles copying each other! haha. Can you imagine if all we had today was a 4-way d-pad with an A and B button? Honestly, I'm glad these companies have to nerve to steal ideas from each other.