Platfrom: Consoles

Consoles are the next logical step to look at when it comes to platform. Video game consoles were really the first attempt to bring games to a mass market. Consoles were originally designed as a dedicated gaming computer for the home, as apposed to the large gaming machines found in video game arcades. However With technological progression they are currently trending towards being a composite entertainment hub, as consumer demand and expectation grows for devices to be able to do more. 

We are currently in a transitional stage between console generations,The seventh generation of platforms ( the Wii, PlayStation 3, and XBox 360) are still being produced and sold, as are games for them. However on the 18th of November 2012 Nintendo released its successor to the Wii, the Wii U. 

(Sony PS3 and PS3 slim)

(Microsoft XBox 360 and 360 slim)

(Nintendo Wii)

(Nintendo Wii U)

This puts us in an interesting position in the game industry, waiting to see what Sony and Microsoft bring to the table in the "console wars". This brings me on t the topic that i intend to look at for my essay title, which i think i would like to write in a journalistic format, pending further research into the medium.

There is allot of Speculation and Rumor surrounding the next two of the three main console competitors, What hardware they will have, and what kind of software they will support. From an art design point of view as well as from a game design, this is an especially interesting time in that, what the eighth generation of consoles will consist of will have a large and defining impact on the games we can design and make, as much as it will impact on players.