Product Facelift: Difference between revisions
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Thus the company gets those late adopters who want to dive into a huge established library without paying the sometimes-exorbitant prices of a brand new console. On the other hand, they run the risk of alienating those fans who bought the old version six months before the spiffy new model came out. |
Thus the company gets those late adopters who want to dive into a huge established library without paying the sometimes-exorbitant prices of a brand new console. On the other hand, they run the risk of alienating those fans who bought the old version six months before the spiffy new model came out. |
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Not just limited to consoles, '''Product Facelifts''' can happen to many other kinds of goods like cars and toys, often for similar reasons. |
Not just limited to consoles, '''Product Facelifts''' can happen to many other kinds of goods like cars and toys, often for similar reasons. |
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{{examples}} |
{{examples}} |
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* [[Nintendo]] is well known for their console redesigns. It possibly invented the practice in its modern form with its late-life redesign of the [[SNES]], and raised it to an art form with the [[Game Boy]] ([[Game Boy Pocket]], Game Boy Light [Japan], [[Game Boy Color]]), the [[Game Boy Advance]] (GBA SP, GBA Micro), and the [[Nintendo DS]] (DS Lite, DSi) -- not to mention the conversion of the NES from a toaster to a console with dog bone controllers. |
* [[Nintendo]] is well known for their console redesigns. It possibly invented the practice in its modern form with its late-life redesign of the [[SNES]], and raised it to an art form with the [[Game Boy]] ([[Game Boy Pocket]], Game Boy Light [Japan], [[Game Boy Color]]), the [[Game Boy Advance]] (GBA SP, GBA Micro), and the [[Nintendo DS]] (DS Lite, DSi) -- not to mention the conversion of the NES from a toaster to a console with dog bone controllers. |
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** The DS systems are a rather bizarre form of this- first, the DS was released, then it was updated to the DS Lite, which was a smaller version of the same thing. Then came the DSi, which was about the same size as the DS Lite but with different features- and finally the DSi XL, which is a ''larger'' version of the DSi. So, is bigger better or not? |
** The DS systems are a rather bizarre form of this- first, the DS was released, then it was updated to the DS Lite, which was a smaller version of the same thing. Then came the DSi, which was about the same size as the DS Lite but with different features- and finally the DSi XL, which is a ''larger'' version of the DSi. So, is bigger better or not? |
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*** The [[D Si]] XL was made predominately for use by [[Cool Old Guy|seniors who could benefit from a bigger screen, and different lighting]]. It's an interesting sign of the change in Nintendo's target demographic from the time of the DS Lite release to the XL's. |
*** The [[D Si]] XL was made predominately for use by [[Cool Old Guy|seniors who could benefit from a bigger screen, and different lighting]]. It's an interesting sign of the change in Nintendo's target demographic from the time of the DS Lite release to the XL's. |
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* [[Sony]] released slim versions of the [[PlayStation|PlayStation 1]] & [[PlayStation 2|2]], with the new version of the Playstation (rechristened PSone) being so small that, with a portable LCD screen add-on, it makes for a decent portable system. |
* [[Sony]] released slim versions of the [[PlayStation|PlayStation 1]] & [[PlayStation 2|2]], with the new version of the Playstation (rechristened PSone) being so small that, with a portable LCD screen add-on, it makes for a decent portable system. |
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** In Japan, the [[PlayStation 2]] also got a 'media hub' makeover as the PSX. |
** In Japan, the [[PlayStation 2]] also got a 'media hub' makeover as the PSX. |
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** After 2 months as the industry's worst-kept secret, the slimmer, cheaper [[ |
** After 2 months as the industry's worst-kept secret, the slimmer, cheaper [[Play Station 3]] has been officially announced. |
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* The [[PSP]] was redesigned as the ''PSP Slim & Lite'', gaining a better screen and TV-Out capability along with losing some weight. A second revision has been announced, the main changes apparently being a better analog stick and a microphone for Skype. |
* The [[PSP]] was redesigned as the ''PSP Slim & Lite'', gaining a better screen and TV-Out capability along with losing some weight. A second revision has been announced, the main changes apparently being a better analog stick and a microphone for Skype. |
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** And now, PSP Go, which removed the UMD slot, making it the first portable console that does not use physical games. |
** And now, PSP Go, which removed the UMD slot, making it the first portable console that does not use physical games. |
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** Consoles were often more upgradable and PC-like in the '80s. An example of this was Sega's earlier Master System, which was really just the latest iteration of their first multi-game console, the SG-1000. |
** Consoles were often more upgradable and PC-like in the '80s. An example of this was Sega's earlier Master System, which was really just the latest iteration of their first multi-game console, the SG-1000. |
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*** And the [[Sega Master System|Master System]] itself had three versions, similar to the NES. The first two were ordinary consoles; the third was portable, retitled Game Gear, and it coexisted with the Genesis as a [[Daddy System]]. |
*** And the [[Sega Master System|Master System]] itself had three versions, similar to the NES. The first two were ordinary consoles; the third was portable, retitled Game Gear, and it coexisted with the Genesis as a [[Daddy System]]. |
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*** Cartridge ports were in most cases a direct connection to the console's main bus, not unlike various PCs expansion slots, and were widely used as such. Aforementioned Master System was in fact a major inspiration for the [[ |
*** Cartridge ports were in most cases a direct connection to the console's main bus, not unlike various PCs expansion slots, and were widely used as such. Aforementioned Master System was in fact a major inspiration for the [[ColecoVision|Coleco Adam]] and [[MSX]] home-PCs, the latter of which used its cartridge ports as expansion slots ''by design''. |
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* Although their aesthetics remain mostly the same, both the [[ |
* Although their aesthetics remain mostly the same, both the [[Play Station 3]] and [[Xbox 360]] have been released with numerous different configurations, mostly revolving around hard drive size. The [[Play Station 3]] models also have varying levels of backwards compatibility, memory card slots and USB ports. |
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** The newer versions of the XB360 are also desired by some simply because their revised design supposedly means less of that console's infamous overheating failures. |
** The newer versions of the XB360 are also desired by some simply because their revised design supposedly means less of that console's infamous overheating failures. |
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** To clarify: The new [[Xbox]] 360 (commonly referred to as the "[[Xbox]] 360 Slim", although it's official name is "Xbox 360 Elite"... [[Name's the Same|just like the version it replaced]]) is a bit slimmer, much quieter, has a huge vent on one side of it for cooling, and also includes built-in wifi and an internal hard drive. [[Most Wonderful Sound|And it beeps when you use the buttons on the console to open and close it.]] |
** To clarify: The new [[Xbox]] 360 (commonly referred to as the "[[Xbox]] 360 Slim", although it's official name is "Xbox 360 Elite"... [[Name's the Same|just like the version it replaced]]) is a bit slimmer, much quieter, has a huge vent on one side of it for cooling, and also includes built-in wifi and an internal hard drive. [[Most Wonderful Sound|And it beeps when you use the buttons on the console to open and close it.]] |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Videogame Culture]] |
[[Category:Videogame Culture]] |
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