Withavarietyofoptionsavailable,purchasinganewvideogamesystemcanoftenbeadauntingtask.Readontomakeaneducatedchoice.Youveseentheadvertisements.Yousawthemondisplayinmajorretailoutlets,andfinallytheinevitablehashappened.Yourchildwantsoneofthenewnext-generationgamingconsoles.Thesearevideogameconsolesthatyoucanconnecttoyourtelevisions.Thequestionis—whichonewouldbeanidealinvestment,ifany?InthisarticleBeforeYourQuestBeginsAddedBenefitsTheContendersTheFinalChoiceBeforeYourQuestBeginsItisoftenhardforaparenttounderstandwhatthecharmisinbuyinganext-generationgamingconsoleliketheXboxorPlayStation.Onecannotunderstandthedifferencebetweenplayinggamesonacomputerandplayinggamesononeofthesenewconsoles.Evenmorebafflingisthejustificationofthesteeppricetagsonthesemachines.Thefirststepistogaugehowinterestedyourchildisincomputergames.Doesyourchildspendconsiderabletimeplayinggamesonanoldcomputer?Ifhewantstoupgradetoplaybettergames,perhapsaconsoleisabetterchoice.Ifyourchildhasnotbeenplayingcomputergamespreviouslyandyouarenotsureabouthowmuchhewouldusethenext-generationconsole,thenideally,youneedtotestthewaters.AnidealchoicewouldbetobuyyourchildaportablegamingsystemsuchasthePlayStationPortable(PSP).Thisisaconsiderablycheaperinvestment.Thiswillappeasehimforashortwhileandyouwillbeabletoascertainhistrueinterestingames.IfhediscardsthePSPafterafewdays,thenitishighlyprobablethatthenext-generationconsolewillmeetasimilarfate.AddedBenefitsAsaparentwithnointerestingames,whatisinitforyou?Someoftheaddedfeaturesthatnext-generationconsolesofferincludesupportforwatchinghigh-definitionvideos,connectingMP3Players,storingphotographsfromdigitalcameras,etc.Whileyourchildisnotusingittoplaygames,youcoulduseitasamediacentretoserveyourpurposes.Lookattheaccessoriesavailablewiththeconsoleandtheaddedbenefitsthattheycanbringtoyourconsole.Intermsofplacement,allmodernnext-generationconsolescanbeorientedeitherhorizontallyorverticallydependinguponspaceconstraints.TheContendersOnceyouhavefinallydecidedtobuy,itistimetoconsidertheplayers.ThethreeplayerstoconsiderareMicrosoftsXbox360,SonysPlayStation3,andNintendosWii.Xbox360TheXbox360wasthefirstnext-generationconsoletobelaunched.Duetothis,itcurrentlyhasthemostgamesdevelopedforitsofar.TheXbox360comesinthreevariants,theCoreforbudgetbuyers,thePremiumforthemidrange,andtheElite.AllthreemodelscanplayXboxgames,thedifferenceliesinthefinerdetails.Thecoresystemdoesnotcomewithanymediumtosavetheprogressofthegame.Thismeansthatinadditiontothepurchaseofthecoresystemapersonwillhavetoeitherinvestinamemorycardortheadd-onharddiskoption.TheXboxPremiumedition,ontheotherhand,comeswithanintegrated20GBharddisk.Theaddedbenefitisbundledaccessoriessuchasaheadset,anEthernetcableforonlinegaming,andaHDAVcablethatletsyouconnecttoahigh-definitionTV.ThePremiumversioncomeswithawirelesscontrollerinsteadofawiredone.TheadvantageoftheXbox360overthecompetitionistheeaseofavailabilityandthenumberofgamesavailable.TheXboxEliteisverysimilartothePremium.Itcomesbundledwithawirelesscontroller.Themajordifferenceisthesizeoftheharddrive.TheEliteboastsofa120GBintegratedharddrive.PlayStation3ThemajorcontendertoMicrosoftsXbox360isthePlayStation3.ThemaindifferencebetweenthetwoconsolesistheprocessingpowerofthePlayStation.Intermsofhardware,thePlayStation3willbemorecapableinproducingmorestunningvisualeffectsinfuturegamesthatarecurrentlyindevelopment.Thisdifference,however,isnotapparenttoday,asmostgamesbeingdevelopeddonottrulyutilisethepoweroftherespectiveconsole.ThePlayStation3ispoweredbyitsrevolutionaryCellbroadbandenginethatisattheheartoftheprocessingcapabilities.TheconsoleusesBlueRayDiscsinsteadofHDDVDdiscs.ThisisanewformatofvideodiscsthataimtoreplacetheDVDformat.Intermsofstoragespace,thePlayStation3hasanimpressivechoicebetweenan80GBharddiskanda60GBharddisk.Bothoptionswilleasilytakecareofallyourstoragerequirements.ThePlayStation3isdesignedtoworkwellwithotherSonyperipherals.AnexampleofthisistheprovisionofamemorystickreaderthatreadspopularformatsofmemorystickssuchasSDandCompactFlash,liketheonesoftenusedinSonydigitalcameras.ThePlayStation3comesbundledwithaSixaxiswirelesscontroller.Thiscontrollerhasamotion-sensingsystemthatisbuiltintoit.Thecontrollercaneasilybeswitchedfromawirelessmodetoawiredmodeifthechargegoesdownduringanintensivegamesession.AmajordifferencebetweentheXbox360controllerandthePlayStationisthattheformerhasvibrationenabled.Thismeansthatthecontrolwillliterallythrobinyourhanddependinguponanin-gameevent.WiiTheNintendoWiistandsoutfromthecrowdnotbecauseoftherealisticgraphicsbutthegameplaythatitoffers.TheWiitrulyharnessesthepowerofmotionsensitivityandintegratesitintogames.Thismeansthatplayerscanreallyinteractwiththegameuniverse.Thisisdonebytheuseoftwocontrollers,theWiiremoteandtheNunchuk.TheWiiremotelooksalotlikeanormalremotebutisequippedwithmotionsensitivitycapabilities.Dependinguponthegameyouareplaying,theWiiremotecanturnintoatennisracquet,agolfstick,aweapon,steeringwheel,oranythingthatagamedesignercanthinkof.TheNunchukconnectstotheWiiremoteandhasthesamemotionsensingtechnologybuiltintoit.TheNunchukalsohasananaloguejoystickandtwobuttons.MostgamesuseboththeNunchukandtheWiiforgameplay.Thejoystickallowsplayerstomovetheironscreencharacterswhiletheremoteisusuallyusedtoperformcertainactions.TheFinalChoiceItisoftenhardtodeterminewhichconsolecomesontop.Thescenariotodayandwhatitmaybeayeardownthelanecouldbecompletelydifferent.Intermsofingenuity,theNintendoWiirulestheroost,offeringanewstyleofgameplaythathasneverbeenseenbefore.Intermsofvariety,theXbox360currentlyoffersthelargestvarietyofgamesavailable.Intermsoffuturevalue,thePlayStation3isexpectedtohavesomeofthemostvisuallygratifyinggamesinthefuture.Thefinalchoicedependsuponyourbudgetandthedegreeofinterestthatyourchildhasforgaming.Atthelowerendoftheprice-friendlysegmentistheWii,followedbytheXbox360andthePlayStation3.Remembertofactorinthecostofaccessoriesandgames.Currently,PlayStationgamesaremoreexpensivethanXbox360games.MicrosofthasevenreleasedanumberofbudgetXboxgames,whicharecheaperthannewreleases.ThisisnotthecasewiththePlayStation.Soifyourchildislikelytoplayalotofgames,thenperhapstheXboxisabetterchoice.
With a variety of options available, purchasing a new videogame system can often be a daunting task. Read on to make an educated choice. You've seen the
advertisements. You saw them on display in major retail outlets, and finally the inevitable has happened. Your child wants one of the new 'next-generation gaming consoles'. These are video game consoles that you can connect to your televisions. The question is—which one would be an ideal investment, if any?
Before Your Quest Begins
It is often hard for a parent to understand what the charm is in buying a next-generation gaming console like the Xbox or PlayStation. One cannot understand the difference between playing games on a computer and playing games on one of these new consoles. Even more baffling is the justification of the steep price tags on these machines.
The first step is to gauge how interested
your child is in
computer games. Does your child spend considerable time playing games on an old computer? If he wants to upgrade to play better games, perhaps a console is a better choice.
If your child has not been playing computer games previously and you are not sure about how much he would use the next-generation console, then ideally, you need to test the waters. An ideal choice would be to buy your child a portable gaming system such as the PlayStation Portable (PSP). This is a considerably cheaper investment. This will appease him for a short while and you will be able to ascertain his true interest in games. If he discards the PSP after a few days, then it is highly probable that the next-generation console will meet a similar fate.
Added Benefits
As a
parent with no interest in games, what is in it for you? Some of the added features that next-generation consoles offer include support for watching high-definition videos, connecting MP3 Players, storing photographs from digital cameras, etc. While your child is not using it to
play games, you could use it as a media centre to serve your purposes. Look at the accessories available with the console and the added benefits that they can bring to your console.
In terms of placement, all modern next-generation consoles can be oriented either horizontally or vertically depending upon space constraints.
The Contenders
Once you have finally decided to buy, it is time to consider the players. The three players to consider are Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, and Nintendo's Wii.
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 was the first next-generation console to be launched. Due to this, it currently has the most games developed for it so far. The Xbox 360 comes in three variants, the Core for budget buyers, the Premium for the mid range, and the Elite. All three models can play Xbox games, the difference lies in the finer details.
The core system does not come with any medium to save the progress of the game. This means that in addition to the purchase of the core system a person will have to either invest in a memory card or the add-on hard disk option.
The Xbox Premium edition, on the other hand, comes with an integrated 20 GB hard disk. The added benefit is bundled accessories such as a headset, an Ethernet cable for online gaming, and a HD AV cable that lets you connect to a high-definition TV. The Premium version comes with a wireless controller instead of a wired one. The advantage of the Xbox 360 over the competition is the ease of availability and the number of games available.
The Xbox Elite is very similar to the Premium. It comes bundled with a wireless controller. The major difference is the size of the hard drive. The Elite boasts of a 120 GB integrated hard drive.
PlayStation 3 The major contender to Microsoft's Xbox 360 is the PlayStation 3. The main difference between the two consoles is the processing power of the PlayStation. In terms of hardware, the PlayStation 3 will be more capable in producing more stunning visual effects in future games that are currently in development. This difference, however, is not apparent today, as most games being developed do not truly utilise the power of the respective console.
The PlayStation 3 is powered by its revolutionary Cell broadband engine that is at the heart of the processing capabilities. The console uses Blue Ray Discs instead of HD DVD discs. This is a new format of video discs that aim to replace the DVD format. In terms of storage space, the PlayStation 3 has an impressive choice between an 80 GB hard disk and a 60 GB hard disk. Both options will easily take care of all your storage requirements.
The PlayStation 3 is designed to work well with other Sony peripherals. An example of this is the provision of a memory stick reader that reads popular formats of memory sticks such as SD and Compact Flash, like the ones often used in Sony digital cameras.
The PlayStation 3 comes bundled with a Sixaxis wireless controller. This controller has a motion-sensing system that is built into it. The controller can easily be switched from a wireless mode to a wired mode if the charge goes down during an intensive game session. A major difference between the Xbox 360 controller and the PlayStation is that the former has vibration enabled. This means that the control will literally throb in your hand depending upon an in-game event.
Wii The Nintendo Wii stands out from the crowd not because of the realistic graphics but the game play that it offers. The Wii truly harnesses the power of motion sensitivity and integrates it into games. This means that players can really interact with the game universe.
This is done by the use of two controllers, the Wii remote and the Nunchuk. The Wii remote looks a lot like a normal remote but is equipped with motion sensitivity capabilities. Depending upon the game you are playing, the Wii remote can turn into a tennis racquet, a golf stick, a weapon, steering wheel, or anything that a game designer can think of. The Nunchuk connects to the Wii remote and has the same motion sensing technology built into it. The Nunchuk also has an analogue joystick and two buttons. Most games use both the Nunchuk and the Wii for game play. The joystick allows players to move their onscreen characters while the remote is usually used to perform certain actions.
The Final Choice
It is often hard to determine which console comes on top. The scenario today and what it may be a year down the lane could be completely different. In terms of ingenuity, the Nintendo Wii rules the roost, offering a new style of game play that has never been seen before. In terms of variety, the Xbox 360 currently offers the largest variety of games available. In terms of future value, the PlayStation 3 is expected to have some of the most visually gratifying games in the future.
The final choice depends upon
your budget and the degree of interest that your child has for gaming. At the lower end of the price-friendly segment is the Wii, followed by the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
Remember to factor in the cost of accessories and games. Currently, PlayStation games are more expensive than Xbox 360 games. Microsoft has even released a number of budget Xbox games, which are cheaper than new releases. This is not the case with the PlayStation. So if your child is likely to play a lot of games, then perhaps the Xbox is a better choice.
