biggest flaw in a console

[sethisjimmy]

I think the biggest flaw in general is Nintendo's complete inability to get a handheld right the first time around.

gameboy - game boy color. We forgot color. Here's another game boy for you to buy!
gameboy color - gameboy advance. We gave you some new buttons, now give us money! Also, we made smaller cartridges for you to lose.
gameboy advance - gameboy advance sp. OH SHI! We forgot the lights! Buy another gameboy from us and we'll throw in a hinge for it
gameboy advance sp - gameboy mini (I don't know what this one is called). We made gameboy smaller and crappier! Buy it again!

DS - DS lite. It weighs less. BUY!
DS lite - DSi. Now with a camera, totally unlike every other portable electronic device! Also we moved some buttons around. Spend full price again!

 

[Insomniac Gamer]

I think the biggest flaw in general is Nintendo's complete inability to get a handheld right the first time around.

gameboy - game boy color. We forgot color. Here's another game boy for you to buy!
gameboy color - gameboy advance. We gave you some new buttons, now give us money! Also, we made smaller cartridges for you to lose.
gameboy advance - gameboy advance sp. OH SHI! We forgot the lights! Buy another gameboy from us and we'll throw in a hinge for it
gameboy advance sp - gameboy mini (I don't know what this one is called). We made gameboy smaller and crappier! Buy it again!

DS - DS lite. It weighs less. BUY!
DS lite - DSi. Now with a camera, totally unlike every other portable electronic device! Also we moved some buttons around. Spend full price again!

While I agree wholeheartedly I might want to point out that the biggest flaw ever for a console is:

Trying to turn it into a PC *cough* ps3 *cough* It has internet, music playback, bluray dvd playback. Hell you can even install linux on it. Im not complaining mind the PS3 is great but its too much like a PC.

 

[James teh OG]

Depends on the console. Let's start with the 8-bit era.

Atari 2600: No quality control, so the vast majority of games were crap.

NES: Games were too hard and some were just plain unplayable, too many peripherals.

Sega: Tried to jump the gun too much to the 16-bit era, leaving it with lackluster graphics and sound when the Super Nintendo came along. Speaking of which...

SNES: Would be flawless, if it weren't for Nintendo's draconian censorship policy and trying to waste it's time with a CD-peripheral.

Sega CD: Jumping the gun too fast to CD based games, and having too few with actual gameplay elements.

Sega 32X: Nakedly trying to go back to cartridges when Nintendo announced the N64 would be cartridge based.

Nintendo 64: Sticking with cartridges. This is arguable because cartridges gave us great games like Mario 64, Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Goldeneye, which wouldn't have been possible on CD's at the time. Problem was, it couldn't do cinematics (which proved to be a huge draw), the cartridges were too expensive to produce, and Nintendo's censorship on the NES and SNES drove away a lot of third party developers.

Playstation: One word: shovelware.

Sega Saturn: Number of processors made it hard to produce games for. Also, Sega went from catridges to CD's back to cartridges and then back to CD's again. Make up your mind!

Sega Dreamcast: Again, trying to jump the gun (seeing a pattern here?). Graphics didn't hold up by the time the PS2, Gamecube, and XBox came out and the online play was new so it had nowhere to go.

Playstation 2: Same problems as the PS1. Too much shovelware, over-reliance on cinematics, and almost impossible to discern the good from bad.

Gamecube: It plays games...and that's it. Had some really good games, but didn't offer anything spectacular.

XBox: The controller.

XBox 360: Red Ring of Death. Need I say more?

Nintendo Wii: REALLY weak third party support, slow to upgrade hardware and deliver quality software, seems to be treating it more like a novelty than a gaming console.

Playstation 3: Forget over-emphasizing Blu-Ray, forget the constant firmware updates, forget having half a dozen versions with half a dozen features, my biggest problem?...Having to do installs to play the game! Seriously! How long did you have to sit through those installs on Devil May Cry 4, or Metal Gear Solid 4? On a console that should unacceptable.

 

[Jumplion]

I believe you also forgot another "minor nuisance" Don't you have to pay for online? while your xbox is shipped away and you are awaiting a new one, isn't the money you paid to play Halo online slowly getting wasted? Does Microsoft give you extra days for free while you wait for a new xbox or no? That feels like paying monthly for an MMO just so the severs can go down for 2 weeks and they don't compensate for it.

I think they give you a free month or so of LIVE Gold membership. My original point still stands, it is absolutely atrocious of Microsoft to even let this happen.

 

[Pendragon9]

Raw Power: PC > Consoles
Control: PC > Consoles
Customization: PC > Consoles
# of Games: PC > Consoles
# of Free Games: PC > Consoles
# of Mic Spamming 10 year olds and Fanboys: Consoles > PC

Oh boy. ANOTHER PC snob. Allow me to counter your senseless prattle with some actual facts.

Raw power is tech speak for how much of a nerd you can be by arguing over such trivial things. Does your console/PC play games? If you said yes, then it's good. So stop arguing. Besides, remember the price of such a device, not to mention how small a difference there is between Ps3/360/PC graphics. Since you can't provide evidence to the contrary, then I'll move on.

Controls differ among people. I hate using a keyboard for games. That doesn't make me an "ignorant fanboy", as you would woefully call me. I choose to use a controller. If you don't like it, oh well. Do something about it.

Customization. lol. I'm not even gonna go there. "LOOK! I PUT SPARKLES ON MY PC! JOO CAN'T DO THAT ON YUR 360! DUR HUR." Really, it doesn't make sense to make such a point like that.

My Ps3 alone can play more than 3000 games, counting Ps3,Ps2, PS1, PSN and PSP titles (it has compatibility for all of them). I can buy most of them on Amazon or even at my local Gamestop, and best of all, it wouldn't really cost me that much money out of my pocket. So unless the PC can play 3001 games without the need for emulators, roms or hacks, then I suggest you shut your noise hole and be thankful the PC can use emus.

As for the free games, I really think you're pulling our leg with that one. I'd like to see some links and titles as to what games are free.

Now, for mic spamming ten year olds, that can occur on any gaming device. I'd like to see you prove it wrong.

Again, I'm not flaming the PC. So don't reply all angry.

Tl;dr Stop being such a snob and learn to be friends with your fellow gamers.

Oh, and PS for any PC gamers;

Please don't think I'm trying to 1-up the PC with a console. I'm just saying you guys really should stop being so biased. It only reflects badly on you.

 

[iJosh]

Sure you can get a new one, but that one will get RRoD too.

I beg to differ. The later 360s have been updated. My Elite is approaching a year and a half now. I've beat the shit out of it. Its been at LAN parties with less-than-resposible gamers, it's been knocked off shelves (and no scratches on the disc), it's suffered power surges in unprotected outlets, I carry it around a lot, and it's been left running accidentally overnight at least half a dozen times. I don't know if I just got a good one or if the Elites are just better, or what, but the fucking thing is indestructible.

Now getting it right the second time around is no excuse for going a whole year with a 33% failure rate, but the problem is no longer as bad as it once was. Unless you buy used or refurbished. Especially from GameSlop. Then you're just asking for it.

It is actually the elites. They're usually really good at lasting long. I still have mine also from the first day it came out. My brother had 2 of the regular packaged xbox360's and they both died.

 

[lava_lamp]

the Philips C.D. all together

 

[thisguyfromthere]

Raw Power: PC > Consoles

How useless this raw power is, unless you're playing Crysis or trying to make the home version of Skynet: PC > Consoles

Control: PC > Consoles

If you call "Nth random unnecessary control mapped to key you never use" better control, then certainly PC > Consoles. Having fewer buttons and control surfaces forces designers to use controls more efficiently and add less pointless bullshit. Pointless bullshit is nonetheless added, but is usually kept to a minimum.

Customization: PC > Consoles

Not being able to run the game you sold your soul for because you don't have the NVIDIA GFE560098477544493999348577745949494030303234 Chipset or the appropriate drivers: PC > Consoles

# of Games: PC > Consoles

Number of games no one has heard about, or are too old to enjoy any more: PC > Consoles

# of Free Games: PC > Consoles

Number of shitty free "casual" games: PC > Consoles

# of Mic Spamming 10 year olds and Fanboys: Consoles > PC

Number of Mic Spamming 40 year olds who live in their basements and post about how the game sucks because it isn't the original and is poorly balanced: PC > Consoles

 

[The Political Gamer]

Raw Power: PC > Consoles
Control: PC > Consoles
Customization: PC > Consoles
# of Games: PC > Consoles
# of Free Games: PC > Consoles
# of Mic Spamming 10 year olds and Fanboys: Consoles > PC

Oh boy. ANOTHER PC snob. Allow me to counter your senseless prattle with some actual facts.
Raw power is tech speak for how much of a nerd you can be by arguing over such trivial things. Does your console/PC play games? If you said yes, then it's good. So stop arguing. Besides, remember the price of such a device, not to mention how small a difference there is between Ps3/360/PC graphics. Since you can't provide evidence to the contrary, then I'll move on.
Controls differ among people. I hate using a keyboard for games. That doesn't make me an "ignorant fanboy", as you would woefully call me. I choose to use a controller. If you don't like it, oh well. Do something about it.
Customization. lol. I'm not even gonna go there. "LOOK! I PUT SPARKLES ON MY PC! JOO CAN'T DO THAT ON YUR 360! DUR HUR." Really, it doesn't make sense to make such a point like that.
My Ps3 alone can play more than 3000 games, counting Ps3,Ps2, PS1, PSN and PSP titles (it has compatibility for all of them). I can buy most of them on Amazon or even at my local Gamestop, and best of all, it wouldn't really cost me that much money out of my pocket. So unless the PC can play 3001 games without the need for emulators, roms or hacks, then I suggest you shut your noise hole and be thankful the PC can use emus.
As for the free games, I really think you're pulling our leg with that one. I'd like to see some links and titles as to what games are free.
Now, for mic spamming ten year olds, that can occur on any gaming device. I'd like to see you prove it wrong.
Again, I'm not flaming the PC. So don't reply all angry.
Tl;dr Stop being such a snob and learn to be friends with your fellow gamers.
Oh, and PS for any PC gamers;
Please don't think I'm trying to 1-up the PC with a console. I'm just saying you guys really should stop being so biased. It only reflects badly on you.

1. I am not a PC snob, I have a Wii and a 360 (That keeps Red Ringing) and I use both offen.
2. On controls it really is personal preference, I use a keyboard on my 360 and it works fine for me.
3. If you count all the roms, flash games and regular PC games the number is quite big.
4. Mic spamming ten year olds, yes you are right they are everywhere, but I have run into many more on my 360 than my PC.

Raw Power: PC > Consoles

How useless this raw power is, unless you're playing Crysis or trying to make the home version of Skynet: PC > Consoles

Control: PC > Consoles

If you call "Nth random unnecessary control mapped to key you never use" better control, then certainly PC > Consoles. Having fewer buttons and control surfaces forces designers to use controls more efficiently and add less pointless bullshit. Pointless bullshit is nonetheless added, but is usually kept to a minimum.

Customization: PC > Consoles

Not being able to run the game you sold your soul for because you don't have the NVIDIA GFE560098477544493999348577745949494030303234 Chipset or the appropriate drivers: PC > Consoles

# of Games: PC > Consoles

Number of games no one has heard about, or are too old to enjoy any more: PC > Consoles

# of Free Games: PC > Consoles

Number of shitty free "casual" games: PC > Consoles

# of Mic Spamming 10 year olds and Fanboys: Consoles > PC

Number of Mic Spamming 40 year olds who live in their basements and post about how the game sucks because it isn't the original and is poorly balanced: PC > Consoles

1. I play Crysis.
2. It really is personal preference, I use a keyboard on my 360 and it works fine for me.
3. I am just saying that when a part goes bad I just change it out and I don't have to send the hole thing back. (I have had to send my 360 back 5 times)
4. I am still playing Sim City.
5. OK 90% of casual games suck, but the PC is not the only one that has them.
6. 40 year olds, yes you are right they are everywhere, but at least they don't yell C@nZ I H@s ThN H@x.

 

[I Max95]

not exactly the red ring of death at leat the three yaer warrenty covers that
mine broke without even showing the rings and after a month the towel trick doesnt even work
(if your wondering my problem was with the video as in there was none)

 

[JamminOz07]

well, we're only talking about consoles, so the RROD would easily be the biggest flaw, which has had the most impact on the most people.

I'm on my 2nd xbox 360, and my 3rd RROD and I am not a happy camper.

 

[Elivercury]

Two biggest flaws in my opinion are: Not getting sufficient developer support for your console. Essentially, your console can be a pile of crap, but if it has awesome games, people will still buy it, use it and love it. Even if they do whine about it constantly. E.g. PS2 was shockingly inferior to the GC and Xbox, it also broke consistantly (i honestly never had one break on me, but i have spoken to people who had several break on them). However, if you compare the number of games out on the PS2 to the GC and the Xbox, i wouldn't be shocked if the PS2 had triple both the other two consoles games added together.

And it looks to be a similar case again. The PS3 has few games coming out for it, mostly just ports/multi-console games, while the 360 appears to have managed to get a host of developers to make all sorts of games. Nintendo as usual appears to be doing it's own thing, but more successful than usual.

My second major flaw is trying to turn consoles into (and often ruining) multimedia players. I just don't get it. I buy a console to play GAMES, i really couldn't give half a shit if i can watch blu-ray or play music on it. I'll grant that i have been enjoying the ability to play videos on my widescreen through my 360, but quite frankly, i could do this just by plugging my laptop into the TV also, so it doesn't really help that much.

I've just never got the obsession with making them into multimedia players, i suppose it's Sony having a huge success by selling PS2's as cheap DVD players and then people buying them and deciding to buy a few games since they're using it anyway. Now looks to be the same again with blu-ray. Also attempted with UMD's but were a collosal failure (who wants to pay above DVD prices to watch a film on a tiny screen?). Perhaps that early success has made developers want to turn their consoles into video ipods, with gaming on the side, but i find it quite frustrating when more effort has clearly gone on letting me use a console to fufill the tasks i already own dedicated objects for, than has gone into actually making it fufill it's OWN task of playing some fecking games.

- End rant -

 

[jthm]

You either used the stick, or the d-pad in rare instances and always the buttons. How does that equal 3 hand use?

Three hands are necessary to be able to reach all the buttons, the stick and the d-pad simultaneosly.

Yes, but there aren't any games that require the use of all the buttons, stick and d-pad simultanously (because that would be poor game design), so it's a non-issue.

 

[Padefe]

Regional Lockout, enough said.

 

[zakwak01]

the wii is pretty retarded in that you have to pay.... look the wii is just fucked

360 has no web browser not that much of a floor but hey youtube on a big screen would be nice once in a while also it dousnt conect to wireless or so i have heard i meen whats up with that thats just another way microsoft can force you to buy the conecter cable

Psp tv output dousnt do video games on the big screen i gues its cus it dousnt have the hardware to support but still it would be awsome if it did also no hard drive wich forces you to buy those retarded cards

Ds is just a litle shit thingy that cant do much and the games cost to much and the only reason for getting on if for some reason there becomes this new fad were every one likes pokemon

Ps3 havnt seen much from what i have heard its pretty good glad some one finaly got somthing right

best stick to pc cus nothing beats a good old mouse and keyboard

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

You either used the stick, or the d-pad in rare instances and always the buttons. How does that equal 3 hand use?

Three hands are necessary to be able to reach all the buttons, the stick and the d-pad simultaneosly.

Yes, but there aren't any games that require the use of all the buttons, stick and d-pad simultanously (because that would be poor game design), so it's a non-issue.

No, poor game design is forcing the player to stand absolutely still if they want to do something crazy, like free-aim in an fps.

 

[RedVelvet]

I think they're all bad xD no backwards capability, red ring of death, bad PS3 online community, paying for content that should be on the disk, paying for an add-on to get your Wii-mote working like it should work from the first place, developpers trying their best to make VISUALLY STUNNING GAMES instead of ENTERTAINING games ... Yeah =D

 

[Cowabungaa]

You either used the stick, or the d-pad in rare instances and always the buttons. How does that equal 3 hand use?

Three hands are necessary to be able to reach all the buttons, the stick and the d-pad simultaneosly.

Yes, but there aren't any games that require the use of all the buttons, stick and d-pad simultanously (because that would be poor game design), so it's a non-issue.

No, poor game design is forcing the player to stand absolutely still if they want to do something crazy, like free-aim in an fps.

You can't run-and-gun on the console? Shame, I can.

 

[tarquin biscuitbarrel]

console is cheaper than a pc, but the games and accessories certainly are NOT.

defects (my 360 rrod bricked after only ~5 hours per week over 1.5 years)

reliance on controller, fps games on a controller are crap.