[QUOTE=Alienblue]With the possible exception of the Wii, I tend to agree with you. Today's gaming consoles remind me of diecast model "car kits".. they are NOT really "building" models, just toys you snap and screw together...but by calling them a "model" they grab a piece of another market... the PS3 and X360 are pretty much PCs sans the keyboard. Hell, they even have HARD DRIVES and OS's now!
I think consoles WERE and SHOULD be simple. Plug in a cart or Disc and turn it on and PLAY!...no downloads, no patches, and I don't see the point of offering Internet Connect either... because most people HAVE a PC! I doubt there are ANY console gamers that don't also have a PC so why MAKE these things so much like a PC!? Do we all really need five or six Multimedia platforms in our home? If the console world doesn't take Nintendo's cue of SIMPLER=BETTERwe could be in for another crash![/QUOTE]
LOL Alien, I have to chuckle at posts like this, because of industry people, Nintendo included, had the views you have, what a different world we gamers would be in.
Look. It is easy to avoid patches while using the 360 (can't speak to the PS3, don't own one). Just don't take the thing online. It isn't hard to sign in to the console and ignore connecting to Xbox live, and hence no more patches.
Gamers do want internet connectivity. But that doesn't mean that it is limited to competitive gaming. I think the Wii has a largely positive "online" experience despite only one online competitive game available for it.
I do think you can have your cake and eat it too: The Wii can do/will do most things the other consoles do, but with a simpler, frendlier interface in general.
-Rob
