Choosing your tier 3
Posted: May 10, 2008
Money does not grow in trees in the real world like it does in The Sims and Animal Crossing. Consequently, not everyone can afford multiple gaming systems; some have yet to purchase a single Wii, Playstation 3, or XBox 360 system. What can make one console superior to another? The available games, system developer reputation, online play, controller style, and of course cost. To make the decision easier on you and your wallet, let us take a look over the three current systems.
Which system will give you the most bang for your buck?
| Playstation 3 | Wii | XBox360 | |
| Produced By | Sony | Nintendo | Microsoft |
| Released | 11/11/2006 | 11/19/2006 | 11/22/2005 |
| Price (as of 05/06/08) | $400 to $500 | $250 | $280 to $450 |
| Game Prices | $50 to $60 | $30 to $50 | $50 to $60 |
| Includes | Blu-ray Disc, DVD, CD readers | DVD, CD readers | |
| Specs | 3.2 GHz Cell processor, SATA hard drive, HDMI connectivity | IBM PowerPC chip, 512MB internal memory, component connectivity | 3.2 GHz 3-core processor, hard drive (currently in 2 console variations), HDMI connectivity |
| Backwards compatible? | Playstation (all models), Playstation 2 (20GB, 60GB, 80GB) | Gamecube | Some XBox games with hard drive versions only |
What is most unique about each system?
Playstation 3- Doubles as a Blu-ray player, and is probably one of the cheaper ones available.
Wii- No other controller system resembles the play style of the Wiimote and Nunchuck combination.
XBox 360- XBox Live includes a multitude of features unavailable through the other systems’ online software.
What are the games like?
Like the Lego Star Wars trilogies, Lego Indiana Jones will Lego-ify the original three Indiana Jones movies.Each system will, of course, have many exclusive games from its own developer. The Wii has predominantly fallen into this category simply because its hardware components are sub-par in comparison to the other two systems. Multiple, especially preemptively popular games that are available on either the Playstation 3 or XBox 360 will be available on the other, and it is best to keep that in mind if game availability is a considerable part of your decision-making. For example: Grand Theft Auto 4, Assassin’s Creed, Eternal Sonata, Devil May Cry 4, Soul Calibur 4, Call of Duty 3, 4, and 5, Lego Indiana Jones/Batman/Star Wars (the Lego titles are also available on Wii.) The sports, music, and first person shooter genre titles are almost always available on both Playstation 2 and 3, XBox 360, and PC; including the NHL, NBA, NFL series, Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Army of Two.
The Japanese Sony developer background has always been heavily apparent
Snake from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4. with its consoles and accompanying games. Role playing games have always been among the most popular Playstation titles, and the Playstation 3 will be no exception. Final Fantasy, one of the longest-running series, will find itself again with the 13th installment of the main cycle on the Playstation 3, along with Disgaea 3 and Valkyria Chronicles. Another popular genre is action adventure; just enough shooting and killing to interest one half of the crowd, but with enough traversing and puzzle-solving to draw in players that might not enjoy action-driven games; titles such as Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid 4. First person shooters and hack-and-slash style action games have also made a presence on the system with games such as Resistance 1 and 2, Kill Zone 2, God of War 3, and Heavenly Sword. One of the most highly anticipated games for the Playstation 3 exclusively is Little Big Planet, which is a puzzle game built on heavy player interaction and world creation.
The Wii’s signature games include Wii Sports, Zelda: The Twilight 
WiiFit allows a player to practice Yoga, and there are several other games currently being developed to work with this special controller. Princess, Metroid Prime 3, and the definitive Mario series titles. Most games get the player up and moving around, and have simple, but still appealing graphics. Nintendo has always been known for the continuation of its epic video game series, and the Wii became the next extension of that. Outside of Nintendo’s publishing world, the potential Wii gamer will find SSX Blur, Nights: Journey of Dreams, and No More Heroes; each a unique title designed specifically for the Wii and its Wiimote controls. The majority of Wii games include some sort of an offline multiplayer mode and encourage friendly competition. Specific genres range primarily from puzzle games (Puzzle Quest), to platformers (Super Mario Galaxy), to quirky Wiimote-generated titles (Elebits.) WiiFit is one of the more notable titles for the Wii; it includes a new controller for the system: a balance board. This gets players up off the couch and onto their feet, something no other video game system has ever been successful in doing. Most games found on the Wii are not available on other console systems.
The most prominent issue with games on the XBox 360 is that they are also available on the computer. The age range that video games have typically been aiming for are the same people who these days also 
A demo for Ninja Gaiden 2 is set to be out this May, with the game to be available early June.own a decent PC, and by decent I mean equipped enough to handle computer games. Microsoft is splitting its audience in half and sacrificing console sales. Regardless, there are a few titles specific to the XBox 360 console, including Halo, Fable 2, and Ninja Gaiden 2. This system tailors mostly to the testosterone-driven and the less geek-like gamers of them all. Notable titles on both the XBox 360 and PC include Mass Effect, Bioshock, Gears of War, and Quake 4. On XBox Live Arcade there are lists of games available for download, both free and not. These are smaller games from a range of genres.
Downplay the systems
Playstation 3s and LinkSys routers have a burning hatred for one another, and to add that to the top of the wireless connectivity setup being a pain makes getting online with the Playstation 3 almost not worth it. Or, at least, you probably will not be concerned enough to set it up right out of the box until you want to jump into Call of Duty 4 with your comrades.
Unfortunately, several articles have popped up concerning Wii owners not purchasing games for their systems. It seems as if people buy a Wii because it is the cheapest system and they know that there will be fun titles like Mario and Zelda available, but they do not tend to risk purchasing anything else. The casual gamer phenomenon has hit console gaming, and it is latching onto the Wii.
Any Microsoft product, more so than any other in general, is going to have issues; those issues are going to appear frequently, and at the worst moments. Games freeze, often. It does not matter what game you are playing, it will freeze at one point or another.
Okay, so I have decided I want a Playstation 3/XBox 360, which version do I get?
There is a $100 price difference between the two Playstation 3 versions currently still in production; what those extra 100 dollars gets you is extra hard drive space and Playstation 2 backwards compatibility. Certainly well worth it for the compatibility alone, as that is not something you can buy at a later date without purchasing an entirely new system. The 60GB machine was considered the best out of all of the versions for its cost effectiveness, but is no longer in production.
N+ is a ninja platforming game available on XBox Live Arcade.
The XBox360s are a little more varied, as they are tailored towards different consumers entirely. The Arcade version comes with the least amount of storage, 256MB, no headset, no cables beyond a standard AV, and has no backwards compatibility. The system comes with 5 arcade games and a price tag of $280, still making it more expensive than the Wii. However, its severe lack of anything makes it out to be a rather poor purchase in general. The Elite version comes with composite, component, and HDMI cables, complete with headset, a 120GB hard drive, and a sleeker black console case. Backwards compatibility for XBox games is included, but does not work with all previous titles. This monster will set you back $450. Last, but not least, the normal XBox 360 is stuck in the middle; 20GB hard drive, same XBox game compatibility, component cables and headset included, priced at $350. Is the extra $100 worth the black casing, 100GB space, and HDMI cable? Maybe for an elitist or someone who does not use Cable Mart. I would stick with the normal box.
So, which system is right for me?
Mario's anti-gravity adventure is available only on the Wii in Super Mario Galaxy.The Playstation 3 and the XBox 360 gamers are generally of the same breed, whereas Wii players encompass a larger variety of individuals more so outside of the “hardcore” breed. If you are already a computer gamer, purchasing an XBox 360 is probably not the system to get, as most of the popular games will additionally be released on the PC. The Wii is cheap and fun, but will probably not keep a hardcore gamer’s attention for long as it is not made for any specific type of gamer but rather the masses. Its puzzle and party games will entertain families, friends, and children especially, and its movement-based controls make it a unique system to play. The Playstation 3 is an expensive piece of equipment to convince consumers to purchase when it appears that the XBox 360 can play similar games and is inexpensive comparatively. But the addition of the Blu-ray player and the Sony developer tag are well-worth the extra $50 to $150 over the XBox 360 if the money is available to you; worth it to wait if the money will be coming in some time soon as well.
As it stands, the Wii is outselling both of the competing systems. Which one will you support?
