Assignment 008: Politics of Design (Leisure Time + Consumerism)

On the morning of September 22, 2010 an email message from Sony Playstation's newsletter was waiting in my inbox. Keeping abreast of current releases in the world of gaming and entertainment has always been a peripheral interest of mine. These bi-weekly informational tidbits generally inject some marketing hype into the latest releases in the God of War, Bioshock or Medal of Honour franchises. Blood. Guns. Violence. The corporates machine always targets the dominant demographic for console video games; male, 18 to 45.

If the world of gaming entertainment is so overwhelmingly dominated by males why would Sony market a pink, I should reiterate, a "Candy Pink" controller for the Playstation system? Obvious solutions would be to state that the production of a pink controller will attract more girls to the Playstation 3 console. Diversification of a product's main audience can only lead to increased sales and increased profit. Both may be true but the seeds to germinate a full answer to this question would be planted later that afternoon during the lecture for DSDN171.

The answer is "choice". The original template of what we refer to as "Consumerism" was forged in the latter half of the 1940's and has continued to proliferate, arguably, as an unabated juggernaut pressing infinitely onward to present day. With the majority of the Europe's factories, seed inventories, infrastructure and governments lying in complete ruination the United States set upon itself the task of rebooting the world into a prosperous free market economy. A requisite of this new market was to not simply offer the consumer an product to serve a purpose but to offer then a product that will make them unique and unconditionally alter their life; for the better. A product such as this cannot be singular in its scope. It must be customisable in some way so to attach itself to the user emotionally.

Let us not forget that both the Depression and WWII were incredibly trying times for society. With the war resolved and the average worker now having a few dollars to rub together thanks to a newly buoyant economy; lifestyle, convenience, wholesome values and devotion to one's family were the most important aspects of existence. The majority of parent's did not want to see their children suffer through turmoil that they had endured. Therefore, every single item that saved time, offered  convenience,  improved your recreational experience was seen as a gateway to the perfect lifestyle. Happiness was a direct result of near infinite consumer choice.


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The "Candy Pink Dualshock3" controller isn't quite as ground breaking as the "Princess Phone" was in 1959 but I'm certain that Henry Dreyfuss would be proud.

The average "gamer" is 35 and male.