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Are questions regarding Sony's Play TV for PS3 considered on topic for gaming? I'm not sure if they meet the criteria for the FAQ point:

  • Game-specific hardware and utilities

2 Answers 2

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I am going to say Play TV is off-topic.

The fact that a device is used on a video game console should not automatically make it on topic. From what I can tell, Play TV is about watching TV, not playing games.

Defining a console as game specific hardware is starting to get tricky. Their primary reason for existence is pretty clearly to play video games, but that doesn't make everything they do about gaming.

Instead of saying "it's only used by a gaming console, so it must be on-topic", let's just start by asking "is it about playing video games in any way?" If the answer is no, it's off-topic. If there is a Play TV question about playing games, it's fine.

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    I would argue that consoles aren't meant exclusively to play video games any more. They are evolving into something more like a multimedia center and less of a pure gaming center.
    – Invader Skoodge
    Jan 2, 2013 at 19:39
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    @StrixVaria I agree, and that's why I see allowing a question simply because it involves a console as silly. Questions should be about gaming and not everything a console does is gaming anymore.
    – user9983
    Jan 2, 2013 at 19:43
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    While I agree, I'm a bit on the fence about defining a clear standard for what's considered game or not. Is the browser included with the Vita considered a game? If not, are questions about it on topic or not?
    – JohnoBoy
    Jan 3, 2013 at 13:22
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    A slightly more drastic example: would questions about Xbox 360 apps (Internet Explorer, Netflix, YouTube, CNET, MLB.TV) be considered on-topic? I'd contend that none of these topics are a particularly good fit for Arqade, including Play TV. The PS3/Vita web browsers are a more difficult gray area because, as far as I know, they're preinstalled by default and you can't remove them from the device.
    – CloudyMusic
    Jan 3, 2013 at 22:32
  • @JohnoBoy A browser is not in itself a game, but it can be used to play games. So if a question about a browser is about gaming, it should be allowed. AFAIK, Play TV cannot be used to play games.
    – user9983
    Jan 4, 2013 at 0:20
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    @OrigamiRobot The question I linked to in my answer is about accessing the browser in game, so by your rule, it's on topic. If a user asks "how can I add a bookamrk to the Vita browser?" or "how do I take a self portrait on my Vita?", are these considered off topic for you?
    – JohnoBoy
    Jan 7, 2013 at 9:18
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I would be inclined to allow it because the article you linked says it is an

add-on unit for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console

Since this device apparently only functions when attached to a PS3, which is video game specific hardware, I would consider it to be an accessory to video game hardware and therefore admissible.

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    I disagree. I think the existence of PlayTV shows the PS3 isn't video game specific hardware.
    – user9983
    Jan 2, 2013 at 18:08
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    By that logic, any device capable of doing anything besides playing video games would not be "game specific hardware". I know you do feel that way, but I'm pretty sure that's not how community consensus interprets the wording. If you disagree with that interpretation I think it would be better to discuss it in its own meta post about interpreting the FAQ wording. If you disagree with my answer here I suggest writing your own with the opposite position for the community to vote on.
    – murgatroid99
    Jan 2, 2013 at 18:13
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    I am saying the fact that a device is used on a video game console should not automatically make it on topic. Play TV is about watching TV, not playing games.
    – user9983
    Jan 2, 2013 at 18:16
  • OK, I may have overstated your position. In any case, I think you should post that as an answer so people can vote on it.
    – murgatroid99
    Jan 2, 2013 at 18:17
  • I would say the fact that software is run on a gaming platform very nearly should make it automatically on topic. Just because some Arqade gamers are not experts in such things doesn't mean others aren't. I think Arqade is a community of people that buy games and game consoles - which makes them a community well fit to answer these types of questions. Trying to fit these questions elsewhere in the Stack family of sites is much less likely for success - and they are good relevant questions.
    – EBongo
    Feb 19, 2013 at 12:33

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