With the recent news of the Wii getting Netflix streaming now alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360, it got me thinking about if all this extra functionality in our current gen consoles is a good thing. Up until this generation of gaming consoles, it was more focused on gaming versus renting the latest blockbuster movie release or watching Shakira shake her behind in her latest video. Though I am grateful for this generations innovations for us gamers, I feel like gaming on these consoles is starting to become an afterthought.

Before people would be sold on a console for the games it has to offer. Now, I hear things such as "it has Netflix streaming" or "you can use it as a Media Center device" to try and sell the console to consumers. The more functionality you add to these devices, the more wear and tear happens thus leading to early demise to your console. I am actually leery of playing anything in my Xbox 360 or PS3 but games.

I understand that people want more for less these days and it does help out with keeping the electronic clutter to a minimum but am I crazy to think if these consoles had less functionality and we left the "bonus features" to all the dedicated devices already on the market, would consoles last longer?