> But much of the gaming public in the USA wants dark, aggressive-looking devices. People didn't want "dark and aggressive" so much as they wanted "understated

> But much of the gaming public in the USA wants dark, aggressive-looking devices. People didn't want "dark and aggressive" so much as they wanted "understated and blends in". When the PS2 launched, reviews frequently mentioned that it looked like just another piece of A/V equipment on your shelf, no different from your VCR or your cable box, while older game consoles (except the original NES, see below) unmistakably look like game consoles. Given the reputation of video games at the time, "looks like a game console" was synonymous with "looks like a children's toy". Also, remember that a lot of the PS2's sales were driven by people buying it for use as a DVD player. For that to happen, it was important that the PS2 look like any other DVD player on the market. This was the same reason why the original NES looks the way it did, by the way. The reputation of video games in the US was in the toilet after the crash of '83, so Nintendo was very careful to make the US version of the Famicom not look like a video game system. The front-loading apparatus, the dark gray color scheme, the box shape, and even the name "Nintendo Entertainment System" all came together to make the NES look like a fancy VCR and not an Atari competitor. In fact, Nintendo's marketing went out of their way to not use the phrase "video game" so as not to scare away people who were burned by the crash of '83.