For this week’s written analysis, I decided to apply the concepts of
popular beliefs, myths, and icons to the November 2013 launches of Microsoft’s
Xbox One & Sony’s Playstation 4.
Based on my reading, I believe the only theory that can be applied to
the systems themselves is the concept of icons.
Icons are meant to represent something and are predominantly good;
however, there are a select few that are bad – taboos. Icons are also known to be an item that a
person has a strong emotional attachment to.
The Xbox One and Playstation 4 represent the latest entertainment product
released by both companies, that being the future of home console gaming. Over the years, the Xbox and Playstation
brands themselves have become icons as well.
Both are staples of the video game industry and home to many well-known
series such as Halo, Gears of War, LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, and many
more. Furthermore, they represent a
successful product that has made both Microsoft and Sony a household name. Thus the concept of an icon can be applied to
many different aspects of my chosen topic ranging from the systems themselves,
to the companies behind them, and even the games.
The insight I gain from applying the concept of icons to my topic is that
the Xbox One I purchased a few months ago can be considered an icon. As previously mentioned, it is a
representation of Microsoft as a video game console manufacturer. Additionally, the Xbox brand itself is
popular amongst a lot of gamers due to its robust Xbox Live multiplayer
service.
The Xbox One fits a lot of the criteria for the “sacred” status of icons.
First, it is a status item that people could be impressed I own due to its $500
price tag. Second, nobody really touches
my system aside from myself. Lastly, it
was something I saved up for so I could enjoy what the future of the video game
industry has to offer (my emotional attachment to it).
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