Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

The Types of Game Machines

Most game concepts should be fairly independent of the target platform. If you start thinking too early about the machine and its capabilities, you run the risk of designing a “technology-driven game,” a notion that is discussed a little later in the chapter. Still, some genres of game are better suited to one kind of machine than another. It's valuable to know the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of machines and, even more important, how they are used by their owners.

Home Game Consoles

A home game console is usually set up in the living room or a child's bedroom. The player sits on a couch holding a dedicated controller in both hands, 3 to 6 feet away from a relatively low-resolution display, the television. ...