In the last two weeks, many of us have had to face a particular moment: after queueing for hours in the cold and/or rain to triumphantly snag a coveted console (or after sauntering in to pick up a preorder), we have to take it home to our non-gaming parents/significant others/flatmates and explain quite why we bothered.Much of the Xbox 360 hype helps -- the console practically sells itself, even to non-gamers -- but there are sceptics among us who don't view the unboxing with the same reverie we do, who jeer 'Stop poking around the Dashboard and show me some games!'
So far, reciting the technical specifications and showing others the Dashboard user interface have worked well in convincing non-gamers that this was a worthwhile purpose, although showing off the Live Arcade and launch titles is less effective. The selling point with the Arcade, after all, is its depth of possibility--not the technical details of each game. Also, non-gamers found it hard to spot the difference between games being played on the original Xbox and the 360.
How have you justified your purchase to your other half, friends, family or assorted hangers-on?
[Picture shows Scott from Ctrl-Alt-Del]
