10 Things That Gamers Today Will Never Experience

Blowing on game isn't going to fix anything anymore.

By Matthew Allen /

The video games industry is the single biggest money magnet of any branch of media, raking in $90 billion in 2020, one of the otherwise slowest years for entertainment on record. And to earn that amount of money in a tumultuous time is something to marvel at. A large reason as to why it has become so successful is how it has evolved so quickly in the 50-60 years it's been part of our daily lives.

Advertisement

We've come a long way since the days of Pong & Pac-Man. What once used to take a giant cabinet in your local arcade to run, you can now operate from the comfort of your living room.

The console market is catching up to the so-called PC Master Race too, able to run games far beyond what could only be imagined a few short years ago, with even mobile games fast on their tail.

Can it be said that the video game industry is in a better place than it ever has been? Generally, yes, but that doesn't mean there aren't things from the past we don't pine for and wish could return in some form to the mainstream.

Sadly, the following are likely never to return, so you young'uns won't know the times we once had.

10. "Crystal" Consoles

The look of a console is everything; something that's evolved just as much as the software on it. Atari 2600's wood effect made it stand out, Nintendo 64's wacky controller design was totally unique, and Xbox Series X consoles have the cool feature of turning into a bonfire.

Advertisement

One thing that certain systems may have done to increase sales was release a unit with see-through casing, otherwise known as "Crystal". Seeing the inner workings of your consoles without having to take it apart was seen as a bonus, and a really cool item to have under your TV.

At least five consoles had crystal varieties. The Gameboy Colour was the first which were not only opaque, but also came in different shades. Its successor, the Gameboy Advance also had crystal editions, while their sister console the Nintendo 64 had a collection of transparent designs. Sony's Pocket Station also had several limited releases.

The last official release of a crystal console came with the original Xbox which was clear crystal back in 2004, and nothing since then, other than the Switch's darkly tinted Pro Controller.

A funky little quirk abandoned to the annals of time.

Advertisement