Poll: Which is the most significant gaming device?

[Conza]

Which is "The most significant gaming device" (to the gaming industry), and why?
Remember, this isn't which one your favourite is, I'd like to know which one you think changed the industry the most significantly, so please do write a short post if you're voting.

In alphabetical order, why I added this device to the list:

Microsoft Xbox: Microsoft's first admittance to the gaming market, introducing a fourth, and eventual replacement third option (once Sega's Dreamcast left the market). It also out-sold Nintendo's GameCube worldwide.

Nintendo Entertainment System: Introduction of Nintendo to the gaming market. the most popular Nintendo Console until the Wii.

Nintendo Game Boy: It wasn't first, yet the 1989 classic set fire to the handheld gaming market, allowing Nintendo domination of the market, up to the present day (Nintendo DS outselling the Sony PSP internationally).

Nintendo Wii: Motion controllers are introduced to the market, as well as being the most popular console of the 7th Generation, it also expands the game console market's audience to families, ect.

Sega Mega Drive: Although the third Sega console, the Mega Drive was a very strong alternative to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System internationally, and introduced us to Sega's mascot - Sonic the Hedgehog

Sony PlayStation: Sony enters the gaming market, as well as, it was the second console to introduction a laser disc as a gaming media, which later became the standard.

Further information:
I'm using the term "gaming device" as something designed for the gaming market, basically all consoles and handhelds. I think most devices had 'some' effect on the gaming market, yet these are the ones I believe are the most significant. Also all my information here comes from Wikipedia, and I haven't looked at any other site's list of best/significant/important console/device/handheld list. I decided not to list exceptions, anything not a 'video game console' I have left out.

My favourite is the PlayStation, but I have to give this one to the Game Boy, my second choice would probably be the Xbox, then the PlayStation, who knows where we'd be without their later incarnations today? (On some super awesome, market monopoly, Nintendo system?).

 

[varulfic]

I'm gonna go with the NES, since it revitalized the gaming industry after the video game crash of 83 and brought gaming closer to the mainstream. Who knows what gaming would look like today without it? I don't.

 

[Conza]

Thanks varulfic.

As for you other three, I hope you're all writing posts to this thread, seeing as you voted.

EDIT: Nine people now, nine, voted without posting, thanks guys, this is great discussion happening right here.

 

[Trolldor]

The Dreamcast.

It was realms ahead of any console at the time.

Thanks varulfic.

As for you other three, I hope you're all writing posts to this thread, seeing as you voted.

EDIT: Nine people now, nine, voted without posting, thanks guys, this is great discussion happening right here.

Deal with it.

 

[Merkavar]

i think it would have to be the nintendo and super nintendo. they seemed to be the console that brought gaming into the most homes early on

 

[Meestor Pickle]

Well I'm going to say the Playstation as I havn't used much in the way of Nintendo's As you said the more modern disc format and also provided a more user-friendly form of controller.
Sorry; can't really add much :\

 

[Klitch]

I'm going to go with the Game Boy because it really spurred the movement towards making games more portable and accessible. I don't know if we'd have games on our iPods and Droids (which are huge growth markets for games) today without the Game Boy setting the groundwork.

 

[s0m3th1ng]

Nintendo, no contest AT ALL.

 

[kdread1]

Well I'm going to say the Playstation as I havn't used much in the way of Nintendo's As you said the more modern disc format and also provided a more user-friendly form of controller.
Sorry; can't really add much :\

Pretty much what I was going to say.

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

Of course is the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Its not very good by todays standards, yet in its time it revolutionized the home gaming platform.
Thats why no matter how good games or systems get people will always hail the old king...Mr.NES.

 

[Meestor Pickle]

I'd still say that PC has introduced the most revolutionary elements to gaming. Reasons I can't name enough off the top of my head; sorry again but most are pretty obvious :3 (yeah, im not big on consoles)

 

[Super Toast]

Thanks varulfic.

As for you other three, I hope you're all writing posts to this thread, seeing as you voted.

EDIT: Nine people now, nine, voted without posting, thanks guys, this is great discussion happening right here.

The people of the internet apologize for not satisfying your every whim. Please stop acting so entitled.

OT: The NES. It saved gaming as we know it, and without it, our favourite hobby could've been nonexistent right now.

 

[Wertbag]

I'd disagree with Nintendo. They were too early, it was back when games were quick arcade things that people had a laugh with. Its impossible to say that the industry wouldn't have existed without the NES or gameboy, sure they were great in their day but if it wasn't Nintendo someone else would have stepped into the gap (Sega, Atari etc).
I would say the Playstation series has done more for gaming than anything else. The jumps in technology from the PS1 to PS3 are huge, and unlike Nintendo who were very hit and miss with their consoles, all of the playstations have been massive hits. Playstation 1 was released in 1994, so now 16 years later to still be a house hold name shows great longevity. Add to that the fact that the PS2 is now the greatest selling console in history, the related series of handhelds (helping add choice and competition to a market lacking both), all of the other acessories that have pushed the market in new directions (eye toy, singstar, buzz, move etc) and really pushing to grow the console into a full entertainment system rather than just a game device (eg internet access, blu-ray/DVD movies, digital media centre, tv tuner etc) to my mind show a company pushing and growing the games industry more than anyone else.

 

[Thaliur]

I voted for the game boy. WIthout the success of this or a similar device, the portable gaming market as we know it today probably wouldn't exist.

Most of the other consoles are basically compact computers, and motion control was available for years (although quite unpopular and rarely used) in the orm of gloves, light rifles and stuff like that.

 

[Trolldor]

The jump from NES to SNES is huge, the jump from SNES to N64 was huge.

The jump from PS1 to PS2?
Not so huge.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

PC.

Most games are created on it, so I would count that as being pretty influential...

 

[DeeWiz]

None of those listed in the poll. The computer is far more significant than anything else. I know it's not specifically made for gaming, but it's used for it quite a lot too.

Why is it so much more important than anything else? Simple. You can't program/design new games on a console.

/thread

But seriously most all game archetypes where pioneered on the computer (not necessarily the Personal Computer). Everything was developed there, and they drive all the hardware/software advances that enable consoles to exist.

As far as what was the most signifigant console... meh NES may have saved gaming after the crash but that was more due to timing, the next console would have done it, and Nintendo locked down so many developers from developing anything but what NES told them who knows what games we missed out on? So thats a wash.
The Sony Playstation I guess because it introduced the rest of the world that it was okay for adults to play "games" again a stereotype established by nintendo and the NES(The Atari was mostly played by adults - think arcades)