Undeniable Aesthetics: Are They Really Necessary for Video Game Consoles?

The video game world marveled at the leap of aesthetical value that came with the PlayStation 2, Gamecube and XBox. People were dazzled by the realism and some where even shocked that graphics. However, once everything settled, it was actually the weakest system in terms of power and graphics that proved to be the most successful. Moving over one hundred million units and selling over one billion games, the PlayStation 2 was the clear winner and it was not because of any graphical supremacy, rather it was the quality of the system's library.

Graphics, while never to be downplayed, are not the most essential part of any video. They never have been and they simply never will. A game will manageably good graphics and tremendous gameplay will always dwarf a game with astounding graphics and lackluster gameplay. The simple principle is that a fun game is simply a fun game, no amount of sleek curves and sharp angles will ever change that. Beyond the aesthetic value presented by the current generation of gaming consoles, everything that was added could have been attributed to their predecessors through remodeling or peripherals.

Sony, well aware that online gaming would be the future, provided gamers the ability to go online with a network adapter which could be linked to the PlayStation 2. Through the remodel of the PlayStation 2, errors were fixed and the need to purchase a network adapter was done away with. The highly customizable features found in the current crop of consoles could have been placed on the previous, albeit with some work.

The true fact of the matter is that with the growing video game market the generation of consoles after this current generation will improve graphics, but what else will come into mind? Wireless controllers are now default, but have been available to consoles for quite some time. Multiple Axis control has already been performed on handheld systems as has been online features. Nintendo does arguably have the largest advancement with the controller for the Wii system, yet Sony has not altered its controller much at all since the PlayStation (though with good reason).