Weekend Discussion: Constructing a Console

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To quote  Tom from Toonami, “I’m back bi…”well, you know the rest.

I know I have been away a while, and some of you might miss me. So, before heading right into this weekend’s discussion question, I thought I would update you on what I have been up to.  For starters, I am not only spending time with my wife and kids, but I am also working full time, going to school full time, and writing as much as I can.  I am sure that some of you know that my writing has been focused on the Horror genre (Mikeisapoet has been a victim in one story that is awaiting publication), but I also dabble in other types of writing.  Currently, I have thirteen short stories published in twelve books (Click here if you would like to see where), I have about seven more awaiting publication with signed contracts, and on Tuesday I received a contract for my first book deal.  I am pretty excited to now be a part of J. Ellington Ashton Press, as their newest Fantasy/Young Adult author.  I still have a ways to go before the actual publication of FINAL REVERIE, which pays tribute to Final Fantasy in sorts, but I accept the challenge with open arms.

Now, enough about me!

I have been reading over many comments on the posts here, as well as on other gaming sites, and everyone seems to have an opinion on why a console is bad.  However, there is rarely comment on what is good, or what would make a good console.  So, let’s play a hypothetical game here.  Looking back at all consoles from the beginning of gaming until now, each console has had at least something that has made it innovative.  Those innovations did not always work (ie: Power Glove), but they paved the way for future technologies (ie: Wii Mote).  Looking back, we have all had opinions on what would make a console better.  Some would like to take features away, some want to add more.

So, let’s build Nintendo’s next console from the features the features we love from all consoles of the past, updating them to today’s technologies.

For me, I would like to keep it simple.  In form factor, I would like to see a call back to the NES era casing, upgraded with new materials and much shinier and in our face.  Internally, I would take the power from all current consoles, meld them together in the perfect conception of strength, speed, and intellect (The Usain Bolt of consoles, if you will).  I would see a robust online gameplay, that is free to use, and is profitable via non-gameplay impacting DLC, such as new outfits, weaponry that is not legendary in power, etc.   I would keep the gamepad (sorry Lou) because it is an amazing controller that deserves much more respect than it has, but allow dual Gamepad play.  Most importantly though, I would put the majority of focus on the games.  Let’s be real, buying a console for its power is like buying a taco for its shell.  Sure, the shell is nice and all, especially when we have the option for hard or soft, but the ingredients are really what makes it a taco.  The games are the ingredients to the console that we feast upon.

What does your Frankensteined next gen Nintendo console look like?  I think we will call it the Nintendo Bolt, after Usain.

 

 

 

Essel Pratt has spent his life exploring his imagination and dreams. As a Husband and a Father, he doesn't have as much time to write as he would like. However, his mind is always plotting out his next story. Someday he hopes to quit the 9-5 grind and focus on writing full time. Currently, Essel has three published short stories and is working on a handful of novels. Essel focuses his writings on mostly Horror/Sci-Fi, however is known to add a dash of other genres into his writings as well. In his spare time, he can be found playing one of the 40+ video game consoles in his collection, especially his Wii U (NNID: EsselPratt). Click the links below to follow Essel's exploits in the writing world, and be sure to follow his blog at http://esselpratt.blogspot.com/ as well as his articles on Nerdzy.com.