To be fair all the system needs is access to the center of the disc (to spin it) and any line from the center out to the edge (for the laser). So it really does only need half of it.
The main reason to fully enclose the system is to keep the user from damaging the disc and to protect the user in case the disc shatters.
Mh... I remember, that when that game load a new stage/town/map/whatever, I was able to open the gamecube and take the disc - the game, Zelda Windwaker, don't need permanently the disc. But when I go to an other area, I must put the disc in, because it need the data to load it. (Sorry for my bad english).
LilacTempest said: There was a Playstation that looked like this. Unless that was an April Fool's joke.
The handheld Playstation? Thats real. Thats just a PSOne (the mini system) attached to the back of a Playstation mini-monitor (does anyone remember those?) with the control board of a Dualshock 1 attached in front.
