186: Console Lines

Console Lines

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Title text: If I get a Wii, it will be the first game console I've owned.

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Explanation

This comic relates to video game consoles. At the time this comic was published, there were three major competing products: the PlayStation 3 by Sony, the Xbox 360 by Microsoft, and the Wii by Nintendo. The Wii was released on November 19, 2006, the day before this comic was published. It was Nintendo's 5th generation home console, succeeding the GameCube.

When a game console gets released, fans are often seen queueing outside the stores or camping on the pavement in order to be among the first to get their hands on a console. The comic shows such a console camp and suggests that there are differences between the fan communities. While the fans waiting in line for a Sony or Microsoft product are very rude, the Nintendo fans are apologetic and try to comfort (that is to say, console) those who arrived too late to obtain a package. There is a cliché that Nintendo fans are nicer and more polite than fans of other consoles. This may be attributed to the fact that the Wii is targeted at children and families with children, while the PS3 and the Xbox are targeted at the more "serious gamer" market.

Nintendo's demographic seems to have changed more recently, with newer Nintendo consoles (Switch & Switch 2) being targeted at all audiences, not just the younger age groups. Despite the changes Nintendo has implemented, elitism among Playstation, Xbox, and PC remains rampant.

The comic may also contain a subtle pun on the fact that 'console' has two meanings. A game console (noun) is a device that allows you to play video games, taking control input from one or more users and displaying the progress of the game as video output. However, to console (verb) means to make someone feel better when they are upset, as those in the Wii queue are attempting to do for the latecomers.

The title text primarily expresses Randall's distance from the console wars (he has never owned a game console before), but also indicates an inclination towards the Wii, which was known for its (at the time) innovative motion controls. The fact that he indicated that alongside this comic suggests that he may have been influenced by how he perceives the Nintendo fan community. Then again, maybe Randall is just unable to get a PS3 or Xbox because of the line situation illustrated here.

Transcript

Fans turning away latecomers to all-night game console campouts:

[Two lines, presumably leading to video game stores, are shown, where the same two people just arrived, behind other people]

[In the line labeled Sony/Microsoft:]

[Cueball, Megan, and another Cueball are in line, while Cueball and Hairy are just outside of the line]

Cueball: The line is full, asshole! Fuck off!

[In the line labeled Nintendo:]

[Cueball, a chair, another Cueball, a third Cueball, and Ponytail are in line, while Cueball and Hairy are just outside of the line]

Cueball: I'm so sorry, all the consoles are spoken for.

Cueball: Do ... do you want a hug?

Trivia

In this comic, Randall says he has never owned a console. However, in 83: Katamari, Cueball plays Katamari Damacy and he must be using a console, as PC version wouldn't be available until 2018! He may have borrowed it from a friend who had the console and game, and who allowed him to play it.

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Discussion

The explanation for comic 186: Console Lines was selected by the Explanation Improvement Project as This Week's Explanation for Improvement after being nominated in October 2026 by No. During that week, editors focused on expanding and polishing this explanation as part of an ongoing effort to keep older or under-developed explanations fresh and complete. (compare before and after)

What if the Sony/Microsoft line is rude but honest while the Nintendo line is polite but lying? -MD 173.245.50.174 (talk) 13:39, 8 April 2015 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

"If I were to approach the other line, what would they tell me?" 199.27.129.155 07:20, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Which 'other line'? --JayRulesXKCD (talk) 12:42, 29 September 2016 (UTC)

They're referencing the two guards riddle. --Lackadaisical (talk) 20:08, 29 September 2016 (UTC)

Oh. Okay. Got it. (also, just for future clarification's sake, remember to put a '--' in front of your name ;) --JayRulesXKCD (talk) 11:20, 30 September 2016 (UTC)

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on just a moment. How did Randall play Katamari Damacy if he didn't own a console!? A PC version wouldn't be available 'til 2018! 7amiþ = moi.__init__(t, c) 01:01, 2 October 2026 (UTC)

He probably had a friend who had the console and game, and who allowed him to play it. --Sophira (talk) 18:08, 6 October 2026 (UTC)

I think the title text is about Wii being less popular. It was the first console he could buy because there were no long lines and the stores never ran out. Does that make sense? Barmar (talk) 17:15, 7 October 2026 (UTC)

Not really, because the Wii line depicted has more people in it than the other one. 86.22.132.121 08:36, 8 October 2026 (UTC)

b-but there's around the same count, one's just in a tent 47.218.100.209 15:26, 8 October 2026 (UTC)
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