Consoles: What’s the deal with these “statuses”, anyway?

 

Author: Amy Pistone

                If you have an Xbox 360, many would consider you to be a hardcore gamer. A Wii, a casual fanboy/fangirl who cannot move with the times. A PlayStation 3, someone who is a mix of the two. What is the deal with these stereotypes, anyway? Why is one console considered to be better than the other? And most of all, why do some people think they are better because they have a specific console?

                Status is not uncommon among gamers, it is just rarely talked about. People will argue which console is better to the death, but few will reflect back on these arguments and question why they were so heated in the first place. We could blame insecurities, jealousy, egotism… but this would all be wrong. The reason so many fight about these consoles, and fight for the status of their console, is not because of themselves – it is because of others. Every gameplayer is different, everyone has their niche. In our class of 5 die-hard gamers, including Mischley, everyone has their own niche, their own quirky games they like for no particular reason. We all accept this and discuss the differences in our class, rather than arguing, but part of this is likely due to the classroom setting. Gameplayers, in general, want the approval of their “clique”, their friends who are in this same niche. Consoles are consortiums of these niches that allow people with their differences to find common ground – but still, each console is a different bigger clique. Not everyone, not even most of the members in each clique deliberately try to alienate the other consoles, it just comes down to preference. This status is something that develops over time, where each player notices how awesome their console is and how much they like that. This is all fine and dandy, but as I have said, this is all a matter of opinion. No console is truly the best out of them all, there is no clear winner. They are just different.

                I say we abolish these statuses. Accept that you are a player, not a creator, of the console – you do not have to justify why you play it. Every console is awesome. Every console brings something to the table that the others cannot. Awesomeness is subjective, but everyone has their own unique form of it in their niches. Abolish the status of each console and every gameplayer can perhaps understand these differences. No longer will friends fight about how awesome their system is – and maybe they will play a game or two on a different console. But that does not mean the console is any less awesome.

The Future of Wii: The Impending Doom of Nintendo

Author: Amy Pistone

            The Wii is looked at by many hardcore gamers as the black sheep in the family of consoles, and for good reason. It was marketed towards the casual gamer, the one who would not feel obligated to buy the new Mario title, but would be intrigued by carefree games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Neglected were the diehard Nintendo followers, the ones who yearned for a new controller with a satisfying weight in their hands as they played the next innovative Zelda title. Sure, most of these followers bought a Wii, this was expected. However, how sure is Nintendo that these gamers will stick with the company through another endless string of fluffy games where the player pets a pony? How is the Wii supposed to compete for gamers’ affections with subpar graphics and little power or online interaction, compared to the powerhouses, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3? The inevitable truth is that sooner or later, the Wii will get a successor – and this may be Nintendo’s last chance to save their remaining followers.

The 3DS: Nintendo Wants All Your Money

Author: Amy Pistone

            The March of 2011 release of the Nintendo 3DS is highly anticipated, as it is supposed to be revolutionary in terms of graphics with the three-dimensional technology utilized within. However, this is coming only 2 years after the release of the Nintendo DSi, which did not meet up to its hype. As consumers, how are we supposed to know that this handheld will actually be worth the money? Is Nintendo placing too much of an emphasis on their line of handhelds?

            The 3DS is supposed to burn a theoretical hole in your pocket – it is supposed to run around 200-250 dollars just for the console. In comparison, a new Wii today costs around 200 dollars, and that is including a bundle with a controller and two games. The high price for the 3DS seems ludicrous because it is, after all, only a handheld. A player has to charge a DS, they have to crane their necks to play, and they can easily lose parts or even the whole DS. A Wii has much higher capabilities than the DS which make the price seem more reasonable – it can have internet, the Virtual Console, and most of all – you can use it on your TV. Overall, it seems that Nintendo has gotten greedy with these consoles, as they know that all the young kids will want one no matter what the price is, and many will get their parents to buy them.