Opinion: We don't know what PlayStation 4 looks like, but why should we care?
- Posted February 27th, 2013 at 00:23 EDT by Timothy Weaver
- 20 Comments
Sony revealed the PlayStation 4 last Wednesday at the PlayStation Meeting to ring in the next generation of gaming, but one thing took everyone by surprise--it didn't show off the physical console.
Ever since the meeting ended, the gaming media and community have been filled with a variety of opinions (mostly negative) over Sony not showing the PS4 console at the event. I feel with this being such a huge topic to some, I had to share my own opinion. Shall we start?
First off, we must understand that we are gamers and not technology fashion experts. Our goal as gamers is to play games. What plays games? The technological components inside, or the pretty little plastic box on the outside? My mind is boggled beyond human understanding over why this argument is even happening in the first place. Sony representatives showed us the controller and how it works, they showed us games with [some] gameplay footage, and they told us about many functions and the innards of the console itself.
Listen, if you want to stare at a box and base your opinion of it off of how it looks, great, but as a hardcore gamer I want a machine that plays my games well and won't screw up (keep telling me that your Xbox 360 with RROD or PS3 with YLOD are awesome and attractive). We recently covered an interview with a very unhappy SCE U.K. boss that clearly shows the frustration on Sony's side over everyone's illogical complaints. If I were in their shoes, I would be biting my tongue so hard until it came off.
It must be insane working for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo during a time when new consoles are revealed. It's not easy working to keep the press and gamers happy, but I admire them for at least doing their best to fight back the negativity and providing us quality gaming machines that we'll end up loving--regardless of how it looks--down the road. As gamers, it is our duty to help build the gaming market. If we are too focused on what a console looks like on the outside instead of being thankful for what is on the inside, then we lose who we really are: Gamers.
It's absolutely saddening to see such immaturity hit our community like this over something so small. If anything, this argument is just as childish as console wars. If anything, my mind is focused more on the future of gaming and not what a piece of plastic looks like. If I were to pick a fight with Sony, it would be the awful looking design of the PS3 Super Slim model, but I won't because I know that even though the system looks cheap, the power inside it shows beauty. As our mothers taught us, it's what's on the inside that truly counts. Viva Gaming!
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Comments
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William Harris
- 12:48am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 1
This is an insulting article to the people who do care. No one wants to drink soda out of a boring can or eat out of a lame bag of chex mix. Books must be judged by their cover, or else we would never pick them up. If the PS4 is going to sit on a throne above the other systems, then it must look good doing it. A cool looking console will linger in a gamer's mind until the day it's released. It's something people want to be proud of. Don't be so narrow minded to think it "doesn't matter". To some of us, it does.
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GunTeng
- 3:18am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 3
I completely agree with the article. This argument over the unknown aesthetics of a console is going a little overboard. Did I say little? Overboard is overboard...it still gets you wet lol.
There may be a valid question on the size & aesthetic of the box, but who are we kidding? Is that the most important thing you can bring away from the conference? IMO its the least important aspect of a cosole, & being the least, deserves to have the least though placed on its showing (not its design ofc).
Get over it. (and for the adults out there. Shame on you...great example to show to the kids ¬ ¬)
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Alpha2
- 3:25am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 4
You had me up until stating that it's "as childish as console wars". I totally agree the question of what it looks like is minimally important, if it has the games you like you'll play it, but the argument at the heart of console wars is based more in which one you want to succeed, because it furthers the cause of your enjoyment of games. If a console falls behind in a console war, then the gamer him/her self loses out due to developers handing bad garbage ports, or simply NOT developing anything at all. I'll say it again as I've said it hundreds of times before; Yeah, in a world where everyone has infinite money and time they could support all the consoles that come out and everyone would be happy and rainbows would paint the skies, but in the real world you have to make the best of your money so you side with one or the other and you defend that purchase by extolling the virtues against the system you didn't choose in the effort of building the supportbase that keeps your system alive, vibrant, and producing content. You have to back the horse that you invest in. If you have the money and time for them all, great, but not everyone does.
As to the look of the system issue. The only really valid questions at this point are A: how big is it? (because if it's huge it's going to be a pain to fit in my entertainment center) and B: Is it big enough to house a nice hefty heat sync? (to avoid melting down like the Japanese reactors after the Tsunami and causing more RROD/YLOD issues). Because, no, estetic design doesn't matter as long as it works and plays your games and besides history has it that most people will say it looks ugly regardless. Heck the only real shock would be if for once people DIDN'T complain about what it looks like after they show it.
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sithknight1
- 3:36am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 5
I just hope it is as shiny, glossy, classy and sexy as the first ps3 model was. That last model they introduced looks either like an air purifier, or a cheap Chinese knock off.
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princevegeta1980
- 4:07am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 6
I still have have may sexy 60gb shinny PS3 model and love the way PS3 is written on it, plus I have SD slot and 4 USB connections, so yes seing the actual console is important simply to see if we are going to get 2/4 USB connections etc. Sure hard ware is MORE important because what I hate in video games (especially in GTA) is cars coming out of thin air and running you over, cars dissapearing before your eyes and how the game lags when you got all the explosions going on. My dream is to play a game like GTA without all of these bugs, but that console has to be cool and sexy to the eye. Would you choose an ugly TV? so don't give us an ugly console, it's not essentiel but so much more plesent, plus that would make XBOX fanboys even more jelouse, lol!
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1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 8:09am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 9
there waiting for E3 to show the console i knew they wouldnt show it , just the controller and some games we're lucky we got to see that. stop complaing E3 is in june which isnt far off. im hoping to see some awesome games :)
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shadowjin |
shadowjin- 10:14am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 10
I hope the machine is not glossy. Nicer shape design and semi futuristic box. Im not asking for a transparent PS4 like a few concept boxes ive seen , but something nice yet high tech. One of the concept boxes that stood out was a regular wide box but still thin yet the top of the system had curves, almost looked like a diamond sized box. Hard to explain but it looked very possible because it was still a box and the curves were only on the top pf the unit, almost looked like a simple snap on lid without going overboard. I dont really care just throwing ina few personal ideas.
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Danel Kirch
- 11:24am EST - February 27th, 2013
- 12
#1 i actually agree with you. I personally do not care about the deisgn, cause PS4 will anyways be a piece of sweet machinery that i would proudly stand on my tv-bench. If it has a cool design it will of course be a big PLUS but if not, no harm done! Can put my PS3Phat infront of PS4 haha
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honomaru
- 12:47pm EST - February 27th, 2013
- 13
@1 and 4
I love how you guys try to make it seem as though fawning over the aesthetics of pieces of hardware, or being a hardcore fanboy of one over the other are justifiable and noble behaviors of gamers. lol
I agree with the article, though it would be nice to see what the ps4 would look like, people need to stop acting like its a make or break thing. If the physical appearance of a gaming console is a deciding factor for you then save yourself time and money and take up a new hobby. That is of course unless the console is rimmed with spikes and is some weird obtuse shape that doesnt fit into any known entertainment cabinets.
Sheesh when did gamers become a bunch of Joan Riverses? -
DrUmFrEaK
- 3:38pm EST - February 27th, 2013
- 14
I don't understand some people, the hardware IS important and everybody knows that, but what's really important is how it plays. For my part, I was curious for the fact they didn't show it, and I'm seriously excited to see what they are going to come up with!! doesn't it build hype? aren't you teased? the shape will come out eventually, it's cool that they leave us lingering, just be happy the performance is top notch, now it's just waiting to see what beauty will cover all that!
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GOKUnVEGETA |
lazytoca123- 6:16pm EST - February 27th, 2013
- 15
Anyone know what the count down's for? I'm new btw.
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sithknight1
- 6:52pm EST - February 27th, 2013
- 16
@princevegeta1980 agreed. I loved that font written across the console also know as the Spider-Man font. I also loved how when you turned on the console you could see the actual words PLAYSTATION 3 appear on the screen instead of just PS3 as it is now. I've gotten used to it thou, but the sensation of turning on that console for the first time and seeing PLAYSTATION on the screen, was awesome.
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Thai-Duong Nguyen
- 11:48am EST - February 28th, 2013
- 17
It's immature just to be curious what the PS4 looks like? Sorry but I can't agree. If you want hundreds of dollars for it, you have to show it to people.
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Barry Crates
- 6:27pm EST - February 28th, 2013
- 18
I don't disagree with the idea that the physical enclosure has nothing to do with game play, but it has everything to do with "where the heck am I going to put the box!!". Do I need to redesign my home entertainment layout to accommodate it or not? If it's on the same foot print, then I'm in with a chance of not having to change a thing. If it's too tall, too fat, odd shaped, then I'll still buy it, but I'll be thinking to myself "why couldn't they have made the PS4 a drop in replacement for a PS3?".
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