In the old days, video game consoles were just that, video game consoles. The SNES and the Sega Genesis never had any features other than what it was meant to do, which is play games. These days, consoles are no longer “just video game consoles.” They have evolved into high-end machines with multimedia and online capabilities and a multitude of other features that combines media outlets such as Netflix, Hulu, and many others. Today, the video game console is no longer the proper name. The current age of gaming is the age of the media consoles.
Genaration of Media consoles
The major current generation consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox360 and Sony PlayStation3 (PS3) all have capabilities and features that extend the previous notion of video game consoles just being video game consoles. Media consoles are a product of this generation that includes a console’s ability to play media such as videos, music, and others. They also have the ability to stream media through online servers. It started with the last generation with the PlayStation2 (PS2) and the first Microsoft Xbox. These were among the first media consoles that make use of media such as DVDs and CDs to play videos and music. Although there were other consoles that had similar features, the PS2 and Xbox popularized the notion of media access through consoles. They also featured the ability to connect to the internet, although the technology was less popular and a bit primitive compared to the current generation’s technology.
This generation took it to the next level by allowing the PS3 to play Blu-Ray Discs and having both consoles feature streaming capabilities. There are several streaming programs that use these consoles as a medium for their services. Netflix and Hulu are two very popular streaming websites that have been offering the ability to purchase and watch videos such as films and television shows directly to your computer. Many people do not like watching these videos on a computer screen, so when the Xbox360 and PS3 revealed its similar streaming features, people became very excited. There are also similar features from their very own networks and are available with very large hard drives to allow more media to be downloaded. Many other services have offered themselves on these consoles such as UFC, ESPN, iTunes, and many others. Previously, the Nintendo Wii did not have as extensive of multimedia ability, but it has currently updated with providing services such as Hulu.
New portable media consoles
Even new portable consoles are becoming portable media consoles such as the PlayStationVita (PSVita), and the 3DS. The PSVita is one of the newest most impressive products that have features similar to a smart phone but still having focus on video games. It is quickly becoming the new standard for multimedia consoles.
These media consoles are the way of the future. There are many retro fans that argue that it is actually ruining the industry, with the focus turning to media instead of what the focus should be: gaming. Despite their new reputation, they are still video game consoles at heart and these game developers have not forgotten what gaming is really about. These media consoles will never replace the video game console for being the true medium of the video game industry. It is however, a welcome addition.
