Do you think a game console is a toy?

[BMaker11]

Mnementh said:

BMaker11 said:

They are literally computers. Specialized for gaming. Is a gaming PC a toy?

"But, a gaming PC is still a PC. You can web browse, photoshop, write word documents, etc"

And on gaming consoles, you can develop games (with an SDK), launch apps, and cure cancer (PS3 Folding@Home).

I'm not trying to get up in arms, per se, about it being called a "toy". But if gaming consoles are toys then my iPhone is a toy.

You can use Lego to prototype important things. So Lego isn't a toy?

From a "primary function" argument, yes, it is a toy. And I would argue in favor of it. Just because you repurpose what the object does doesn't change what the object is. I can tie a free weight to my chest. Doesn't make it a bulletproof vest.

Gaming machines are multimedia devices. Just because you can be entertained by them doesn't make them toys. Just like how you could literally build a functional house out of Legos, but that doesn't make them not toys.