Every now and again a video game console has a feature that is just downright smart. These innovations created a world of difference in game play or in terms of system technology because they added features as well as making gaming easier. Whether the innovation was meant to further add realism or even allow DVD movies to be played on the console: they have impacted the video game industry because they advanced technology.
5. Rumble Pack (Nintendo 64)
One giant leap was made by Nintendo with the creation of the rumble pack and the interaction it gave the gaming community. The rumble pack feature, which was first packaged with Star Fox 64, allowed gamers to feel every bump, every hit and every explosion that video games had to offer. The gap between games and life wasn’t completely bridged with the rumble pack, but it did make an interesting add-on so that gamers could really get a feel for the action that the game characters are feeling. Since then, rumble pack features have been added on to next gen systems as an industry standard, and as a staple of video games.
Gaming interaction cause sometimes mean a jolt from the rumble pack.
4. Xbox 360 guide button (Xbox 360)
The simplicity of the guide button on the Xbox 360 controller what makes it such a smart innovation, since it can do so much for all aspects of the Xbox 360. First off, the guide button can turn the 360 on and off, as well as take you to the 360 dashboard, look at your achievements and friends list, play music, take you to the system settings of the console itself and the light around the button blinks to show that battery life is low on the controller. And while this is the newest innovation on the list, it’s safe to say that the guide button has made controlling the Xbox 360 easy.
Oh guide button, you have made life and navigating the 360 dashboard so much easier.
3. DVD playback (PS2 and PS3)
Back in the late 90’s, it was seen as an extreme luxury to own a DVD player and they were extremely expensive. But then the Playstation 2 came out bundled with a built in DVD player, and it made owning a DVD player as common as the VHS player. Having a DVD player built into the PS2 was a smart move, since it allowed buyers to have both a good gaming system and a state of the art DVD player at a reasonable price. The addition of a DVD player to video game systems is now a standard feature (except on Nintendo consoles) and it has even lead Sony to incorporate a Blu-Ray player in the Playstation 3. The decision to incorporate a DVD player has really pushed the gaming industry into consider other types of media for more types of entertainment.
A DVD player and a game console in one box? That was a smart move Sony.
2. Z-targeting (Nintendo 64)
Z-targeting is so simple; it almost boggles the mind as to why it took so long to create. It could be pointed out that Z-targeting was not needed in 2D gaming and that was why it didn’t come about until the heyday of the Nintendo 64. Yes, games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time highly benefitted from the targeting system by allowing fluid combat in a 3D world where enemies can surround the main character. Z-targeting fixed problems of bad camera movement as well, since the targeting system allowed gamers to straighten their view in whatever direction they wanted. Z-targeting allowed for freedom and it gave Nintendo 64 owners a chance to really immerse themselves in 3D games as well as giving games a more cinematic approach.
Z-targeting, helps Link look around and it keeps kids in school. Ok, maybe not the second part.
1. Online play
Online play is hands down one of the smartest video game innovations since the invention of the joystick. If single player doesn’t tickle your fancy, online multiplayer is a great alternative. PC games had a smart idea to use the internet to allow gamers to play games with other people, from as close as next door; to another country. Consoles like the Sega Dreamcast featured online play (with limited titles however) and it was an obvious choice for consoles to branch into this form of media since it allowed for diversity of people to interact with. No longer did people have to go to the local arcade to show off their skills, they simply had to connect their console to the internet and face their opponents online.
This single cable can blur the line between anti-social, and online gaming master.
Remember to thank your lucky stars next time you play a game, because odds are one of these innovations is featured in it. Good gaming, folks!
