I was going to post something on the Atari 2600, figuring that it would of had at least a 10 year shelf-life, and found out it didn't really do that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600
Look like it went from 1977-1984. It was supplanted by the NES post-bust actually. And you still can buy systems that play NES and SNES games. Some independent 3rd parties make consoles that play them. Does that mean the NES and SNES are still around.
Anyhow, if a console is expected to last 10 years, doesn't that mean it is the lead console for a company, the way the 2600 ended up being for Atari? The 2600 actually outlasted the 5200, its successor.
The PS2 is said to be around 10 years, for example. But can one say that it actually has been Sony's main offering for 10 years? Isn't Sony pushing the PS3 now? When I hear Sony discuss 10 year plan, it sounds like they are now saying the PS3 will end up being their main offering for 10 years.
Has any company ever been able to have a system be their main offering for 10 years? Is Sony going to keep doing a tech refresh, and put more RAM in the PS3, to handle more games in the future?
EDIT: Updated information on the Atari 2600 in a post below (Atari 2600 went beyond 10 years).
