When game console manufacturers started to design a new console, their main thought would be on the actual performance and power of the machine. However, recently, a lot of thought has gone into the looks of the machine too. Just take a look at some of the first consoles out there. Lets take the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it is practically a box with some buttons:
Most of the consoles from this era look like this such as the Atari 2600, the Brown Box and the Odyssey. Now on the other hand we now have consoles such as the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Comparing their designs to the ones above you can tell a lot more effort has been put in:
The PS3 looks very sleek and refined, with its reflective faces and chrome trim. I remember when I opened the box containing my PS3, I simply looked at it and went 'wow' and just sat there. The xbox 360 also has the sleek design with smooth edges, even though it is a box, it still looks good:
Now then, controllers are also an important part of a console. Looks are one thing, but how they handle is far more important. I have to say, I've only ever played on the PlayStation set and xbox's so I don't have any experience with the Nintendo set. I have been reading though that some buttons were difficult to reach on the Sega Megadrive and GameCube.
Both the PlayStation controllers and Xbox controller are very well design, for both comfort and usability.
Nintendo on the other hand, have created something new for this generation. The Wii consists of two controllers which are motion sensitive. Now i've played a few games on the Wii and i found it rather difficult with some games. For example, Farcry Vengeance was incredible difficult to handle, especially in close fire fights. As for Mario Kart, this was easier to control, but after a while, it started to make your hands hurt. The shape wasn't confortable and the buttons were too flat. This is Just my opinion though, others find it easy to use, others are unsure...
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