Designer Camille Jean is bound to send gamers into a tizzy with her Xbox Mini concept. Jean has answered the dreams of millions of fanboys with her mock-up that turns the popular Xbox console into a pocket-sized handheld.
Microsoft is currently the only member of the gaming big three (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) to not have a portable gaming system. The Xbox Mini is designed to fill that void with its unique yet practical design.
The Xbox Mini is a slider console, sliding left and right to close and open. The Xbox Mini features two joysticks and a d-pad, putting it well ahead of the PSP, which was harped on for having only one analog stick, and the Nintendo DS, which was ruthlessly criticized for having none. Overall, the Xbox Mini looks good with my only complaint being the Xbox logo that obscures the right part of the screen. I hope Microsoft takes concepts like this seriously and eventually decides to create an Xbox-based handheld. On-the-go Halo would be way too cool.
What's Driving This Trend
- Handheld Console Gaming
- The Xbox Mini concept demonstrates a disruptive innovation opportunity in the handheld gaming market.
- Slider Console Design
- The Xbox Mini's unique slider design presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the console gaming industry.
- Dual Joystick Gaming
- The Xbox Mini's dual joystick and d-pad layout presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the handheld gaming industry.
Who This Affects Most
- Video Game Console Manufacturing
- Established gaming console manufacturers should consider producing handheld gaming devices with creative slider designs, dual joystick functionality and improved graphics, in response to the Xbox Mini concept.
- Mobile Device Manufacturing
- Mobile device manufacturers should consider merging their smartphones with handheld gaming devices and introduce slider and joystick functionality to enhance gaming experiences.
- Consumer Electronics Retailing
- Retailers and online sellers of consumer electronics should promote the Xbox Mini concept and similar handheld gaming devices with dual joystick and slider designs, in order to generate sales and meet consumer demand for on-the-go gaming.
