The time it took for my brother to get our new Super Nintendo out of the box and connected to our television couldn’t have been more than five minutes. I’m pretty sure we used the same coaxial cable connector that the NES before it used, though it’s possible he was bold enough to forge a new connection dedicated to the SNES. The time between when he arrived home with the console box and a copy of Super Mario World, and when we saw Mario’s astonishing level of detail, was extremely short. Open game console box, plug in game console, insert game, play game — pretty simple. I’ll never forget the yellow on Mario’s cape!
Today’s kids don’t have it so easy. The anticipation while waiting for holidays or birthdays or while saving enough allowance has turned into anticipation during firmware updates or software patches or mandatory installs, and all manner of nonsense. Even for those of us who grew up with PCs, the state of modern game consoles is a sad one when it comes to what’s inside the packaging representing what the outside says.
This is all the internet’s fault, as most things are. I’m joking! Partially, anyway. It’s really internet ubiquity that’s to blame for game publishers and console makers leaning on day one updates. With most buyers living in places with relatively strong connectivity, games can launch without, say, multiplayer, and consoles can launch without the ability to even play games. It might sound nuts, but it’s the story of the now-current generation of game consoles.
