I was just thinking about this, back during the late 90s to early 2000s, each console/platform felt markedly different from one another. Whether it was the hardware>graphical disparity between the two, exclusive games and features, controller, etc. they were all actually something interesting enough.
With the Dreamcast, you had the obvious differences which was graphics, the controller(VMUs) and it just having some titles that weren't available elsewhere. That one year before the PS2 dropped was crazy.
That was my favorite console during that era.
Then we get the OG Xbox, PS2 and GC.
GC was the obvious one, it being a purple lunchbox with mini DVDs, an odd controller and graphics between the PS2 and Xbox, it felt distinct enough from the others and still to this day Nintendo has that. It was dubbed the kiddie console of the three.
PS2 was the sort of "defacto" main console at the time that had all the games with lots of exclusives from third party and some first party.
Xbox felt like the more "premium" console with the best graphics, online features and the few games that stood out from the rest e.g. Halo, JSRF, Fable, Ninja Gaiden etc. Also the og Duke controller was BIG. This was imo the time Xbox was the STRONGEST and actual fandom felt like there was something solid behind it.
Seems like as time goes on, consoles start to become less and less different and end up being the same thing minus a few small things such as UI and maybe controller.
Nowadays, a PS5 and gaming PC can almost cover all bases and there's no real "graphical disparity" between the two main consoles.
I started to notice this around 2010 when I ditched the 360 in favor the PS3 and then going forward never felt the urge/need to get another Xbox again and today, 14 years later I've yet to buy another piece of Xbox hardware. I'd LIKE to, but they don't stand out as much.
Nintendo is like the only one that still gives you the joy of getting another piece of hardware that feels "different." Call them what you want but innovation at least still rings true there in their designs.
Almost everything is so homogenous nowadays.
Dreamcast:
PS2:
Xbox:
GC:
Nowadays 90% of the games you see are all on the same devices, and the devices themselves aren't that different from each other to the point where it stands out.
Only Nintendo and to an extent Sony keeps the distinction around (Nintendo with their eccentric console choices and Sony with the exclusives they have either 3rd/1st party.)
With the Dreamcast, you had the obvious differences which was graphics, the controller(VMUs) and it just having some titles that weren't available elsewhere. That one year before the PS2 dropped was crazy.
That was my favorite console during that era.
Then we get the OG Xbox, PS2 and GC.
GC was the obvious one, it being a purple lunchbox with mini DVDs, an odd controller and graphics between the PS2 and Xbox, it felt distinct enough from the others and still to this day Nintendo has that. It was dubbed the kiddie console of the three.
PS2 was the sort of "defacto" main console at the time that had all the games with lots of exclusives from third party and some first party.
Xbox felt like the more "premium" console with the best graphics, online features and the few games that stood out from the rest e.g. Halo, JSRF, Fable, Ninja Gaiden etc. Also the og Duke controller was BIG. This was imo the time Xbox was the STRONGEST and actual fandom felt like there was something solid behind it.
Seems like as time goes on, consoles start to become less and less different and end up being the same thing minus a few small things such as UI and maybe controller.
Nowadays, a PS5 and gaming PC can almost cover all bases and there's no real "graphical disparity" between the two main consoles.
I started to notice this around 2010 when I ditched the 360 in favor the PS3 and then going forward never felt the urge/need to get another Xbox again and today, 14 years later I've yet to buy another piece of Xbox hardware. I'd LIKE to, but they don't stand out as much.
Nintendo is like the only one that still gives you the joy of getting another piece of hardware that feels "different." Call them what you want but innovation at least still rings true there in their designs.
Almost everything is so homogenous nowadays.
Dreamcast:
PS2:
Xbox:
GC:
Nowadays 90% of the games you see are all on the same devices, and the devices themselves aren't that different from each other to the point where it stands out.
Only Nintendo and to an extent Sony keeps the distinction around (Nintendo with their eccentric console choices and Sony with the exclusives they have either 3rd/1st party.)
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