Nothing ever lasts forever – and that applies to video game hardware. Sooner rather than later, the consoles that we love will fail and we'll be faced with the prospect of throwing them out or spending cash to fix them up again. Just like any other consumer product, games consoles have a finite lifespan – so it shouldn't really surprise or upset us when we see a classic system thrown in the trash or used as a doorstop.

But wait now! We're Nintendo fans, right? When we see a piece of gaming history getting abused or mistreated, we can't help but react emotionally. And that's precisely what has happened in the case of this photo, which shows a once-proud GameCube being used as (gasp!) an ashtray:

GameCube ashtray

The image – which is apparently four years old – has recently surfaced online and caused quite a lot of gnashing of teeth. "The one who used the GameCube as an ashtray is the abomination," said one Facebook user. "This is mutilation," said another.

While it's perhaps a good thing that the person who took the photo has found a purpose for their faulty GameCube – thereby saving it from the trash – perhaps they should have just taken the (slightly more dignified) doorstop option instead. Ahem.

[source gonintendo.com]