Gadgets are boring, but videogames are weirder than ever

PC games continue to thrive, and there are fascinating new upstarts such as Panic’s Playdate (pic). — AFP Relaxnews

For the past two decades, I’ve been clinging to my beloved Nintendo 64. What could ever match the videogame console’s audacity of design and nostalgic allure, from its spaceship-like controller to the timeless art of its games? (Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey is the most underrated sports title of all time. Fight me.) Yet, for whatever reason, in the last year alone, I have suddenly found myself overwhelmed with a variety of contemporary gaming platforms, which now clutter my apartment like a freshman dorm room.

The breadth of choices in gaming stands in stark contrast to other areas of technology. Android or iPhone? Facebook or Snapchat? Google or, um, Google? For many categories of consumer electronics, the titans of Silicon Valley churn out indistinguishable products, while the videogame industry represents the rare corner of the business not entirely hampered by hegemony.