It felt like the right time to make a good ol' fashioned console-pr0n thread. We've spent enough time arguing over which console had the best game library, the best controllers, the best support for a particular genre, and the best overall legacy. Now let's take some time to give the hardware designers some due accolades and vote for which console simply looked the coolest.
For me, the answer is crystal clear:
The Playstation fuckin' 2.
The PS2 launch was, in my opinion, the most exciting in this industry's history. Sony had found huge success with its PlayStation brand after a dominating performance by their first console, and expectations were sky-high for the PSX's successor. The upgrade in audiovisual capabilities from the previous hardware was enormous, and the system's launch synced perfectly with gaming's increasing scope and mainstream influence. Not only was this new console able to play eye-popping PS2 games, but it also supported your entire PS1 game library and PLAYED FREAKIN' DVD movies as well! In the year 2000, DVD playback was a huge selling point for the console with regard to the growing mainstream market. The PS2 launch wasn't without its issues (not enough supply to meet demand and hardware malfunctions on the first run of PS2's), but this was Sony at its best when it comes to growing and marketing their brand.
But enough about all that. Just look at how fucking sleek and awesome that console is. If all of the features weren't enough to entice buyers, the sleek/modern design that was built to fit in with the rest of your home entertainment equipment sure as hell did. While few people actually used the console in its vertical position, it was marketed as such because it gave off a very powerful (almost monolithic) vibe and stood out from the rest of the competition. To me, the design of the PS2 is better than all of the current-gen consoles that have followed it, including its successor (PS3). The matte black/cold blue color combination is tasteful and elegant, and the PlayStation logo on the disc tray could be rotated to accommodate both the vertical and horizontal positions. Standing up, the PS2 reminds me of the Combine tower from just outside City 17 in Half-Life 2. That's a bonus as well.
Sony also did a great job packaging this beauty. The box kept the modern/sleek vibe, using a similarly contrasting color palette of blue and silver. I still have this bad boy in my closet:
But while I have to give the original design top honors, I can't leave out the most recent incarnation of the slim model.
Sony really knocked it out of the park with this update. This thing is so slim/sleek, it's just ridiculous, and it has tons of functionality crammed into it. It features a built-in IR sensor for the DVD remote, built-in Ethernet, and the ability to play arguably the two biggest and most diverse gaming libraries known to man. While my PS3 is capable of playing most PS2 games properly (80GB MGS4 bundle), I'm still considering picking up one of these slim models before they disappear completely. I still have my PS2 fat, but the aesthetics (and easier moddability) of the slim model make it very tempting.
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I look forward to hearing everyone else's favorites. I can think of a few that were close in the running, but I had to tip my hat to Sony's black/blue marvel.
For me, the answer is crystal clear:
The Playstation fuckin' 2.
The PS2 launch was, in my opinion, the most exciting in this industry's history. Sony had found huge success with its PlayStation brand after a dominating performance by their first console, and expectations were sky-high for the PSX's successor. The upgrade in audiovisual capabilities from the previous hardware was enormous, and the system's launch synced perfectly with gaming's increasing scope and mainstream influence. Not only was this new console able to play eye-popping PS2 games, but it also supported your entire PS1 game library and PLAYED FREAKIN' DVD movies as well! In the year 2000, DVD playback was a huge selling point for the console with regard to the growing mainstream market. The PS2 launch wasn't without its issues (not enough supply to meet demand and hardware malfunctions on the first run of PS2's), but this was Sony at its best when it comes to growing and marketing their brand.
But enough about all that. Just look at how fucking sleek and awesome that console is. If all of the features weren't enough to entice buyers, the sleek/modern design that was built to fit in with the rest of your home entertainment equipment sure as hell did. While few people actually used the console in its vertical position, it was marketed as such because it gave off a very powerful (almost monolithic) vibe and stood out from the rest of the competition. To me, the design of the PS2 is better than all of the current-gen consoles that have followed it, including its successor (PS3). The matte black/cold blue color combination is tasteful and elegant, and the PlayStation logo on the disc tray could be rotated to accommodate both the vertical and horizontal positions. Standing up, the PS2 reminds me of the Combine tower from just outside City 17 in Half-Life 2. That's a bonus as well.
Sony also did a great job packaging this beauty. The box kept the modern/sleek vibe, using a similarly contrasting color palette of blue and silver. I still have this bad boy in my closet:
But while I have to give the original design top honors, I can't leave out the most recent incarnation of the slim model.
Sony really knocked it out of the park with this update. This thing is so slim/sleek, it's just ridiculous, and it has tons of functionality crammed into it. It features a built-in IR sensor for the DVD remote, built-in Ethernet, and the ability to play arguably the two biggest and most diverse gaming libraries known to man. While my PS3 is capable of playing most PS2 games properly (80GB MGS4 bundle), I'm still considering picking up one of these slim models before they disappear completely. I still have my PS2 fat, but the aesthetics (and easier moddability) of the slim model make it very tempting.
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I look forward to hearing everyone else's favorites. I can think of a few that were close in the running, but I had to tip my hat to Sony's black/blue marvel.
