How to Buy Video Game Consoles

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Contents

1 Brand
2 Design
3 Low-Cost Consoles
4 Controller
5 Speed and Power
6 Memory/Media
7 Backward Compatibility
8 Game Console vs. PC Gaming
9 Xbox 360
10 Playstation 3
11 Wii
12 Related Guides
13 External Links
14 International Resources

Video Game Consoles

Video gaming has become one of the most lucrative industries in the modern world. It has expanded well beyond children and teenagers to encompass people of all ages. The selection of games is more varied than ever: no longer are only the hardcore gamers satisfied with guns and ammunition, but people of all backgrounds can enjoy sports titles, titles based on movies and books, and games that transport you to whole different worlds and allow you to interact with others like never before. Gaming systems can also be used to access the internet with web browsers or stream music, movies, and photos from computers on a home network. They can become full home theater hubs and their variety of features and applications, as well as their relatively low prices, allow people all over the world to experience entertainment like never before. The three newest home video game consoles have combined to sell well over 100 million units, and the two handheld gaming systems have sold another 150 million. Together these systems comprise the seventh generation of video gaming.

Brand

The console wars between Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are fought with aggressive branding, competitive price points, varying feature sets, and exclusive video game franchises. Nintendo exclusively developed and owns the rights to popular gaming series such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda for its Wii and DS systems, while fans of Metal Gear Solid or baseball simulation MLB: The Show can only find new versions of these games on a PlayStation 3 (PS3) or PlayStation Portable (PSP). Microsoft, a relative newcomer to the gaming market, has franchises like Halo and Project Gotham Racing under its control, and you won't see games in these series being produced for any system but the Xbox 360. Exclusive titles are a large part of what set the systems apart. Nintendo has been around the longest and owns the most classic franchises, while Sony is a close second after the successful runs of its first and second PlayStation consoles. Microsoft only entered the market with the first Xbox in November 2001 and hasn't had much time to build up a line of exclusive franchises, but it does have Halo, and many multi-platform (non-exclusive) games can be played on the Xbox 360.

Design

The three consoles can be laid on their sides or positioned to stand vertically. They can all stand on their own, but for extra stability the Wii comes with a special stand that elevates the system and allows the cooling vents to get more airflow. The Wii is by far the smallest of the new consoles, at a svelte 8.5" x 6.2" x 1.7"--think of it as roughly the size of three DVD cases stacked on top of each other. The Xbox 360 is more than four and a half times the size of the Wii, at 12.2" x 10.2" x 3.3." The PS3 Slim is a scant 11.4" x 11.4" x 2.6" while the classic PS3 (no longer being produced) is slightly larger still, 12.8" x 10.8" x 3.9." The Wii comes in just one color, glossy white, and the PS3 Slim comes in a charcoal black, while old PS3s had a glossy finish available in black, white, and silver. The Xbox 360's two lower-end models, the Arcade and Pro, come in matte white with plastic and chrome disc trays, respectively. The Elite, the high-end model, comes in matte black with a chrome disc tray. The Xbox 360 is customizable with faceplates, available in a wide number of colors and designs, which are sold separately.

Low-Cost Consoles

Give these deals a look if you want to get into this generation of gaming without shelling out too much cash.

If you're committed to getting the most out of your new Xbox 360, go for the Elite system. It comes in a special black finish with a matching black wireless controller and headset, a huge 120GB hard drive, all the cables you'll need to set up your system, and a pair of games.

The Wii customer choice bundle includes the system and Wii Sports game plus an extra Wii remote and nunchuk for multiplayer action. You'll also get a Wii Points card with 2000 points, a Wii remote recharging kit for two controllers, and two additional games of your choosing.

You can get a steal on a new Xbox 360 with the Xbox Value Bundle. It'll net you the system, one Xbox 360 game and a controller charging solution, and all for not a whole lot more than if you were to buy the system alone. Take the next-gen plunge and get some cool extras too.

For a short time, Sony is producing a limited edition 160GB PS3, and with this deal you might want to grab one before it's gone. In addition to its huge amount of storage you'll get a copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and a voucher for the game PAIN, which you can download off the PlayStation Network.

There's no better way to get your feet wet in motion-based gaming than with the Wii starter bundle. This inexpensive package comes with some cool bonuses. In addition to the system and Wii Sports you'll get a second remote and nunchuk and another Wii game.

Want an Xbox 360 but worried about the hefty price tag for taking your game online? Worry no more: with the 360 Live Bundle you'll get the system and a subscription card to Xbox Live Gold that will give you one free year of online gaming, plus two games to get your online experience started.

Some bundles don't give you the best choice of titles to go with your system, but you can sleep easy with the PS3 Greatest Hits Bundle. It has extra controllers and bonus Blu-Ray movies, but the games are the big draw here. They have sold at least half a million copies, making them certified Greatest Hits.

The Nintendo Wii can bring a family together through gaming like no other entertainment device. The Wii family bundle gets everyone involved, packing in the console and Wii Sports game, an additional remote and nunchuk, three more Wii games and 2000 Wii Points for your downloads.

It's hard to believe, but the Xbox 360 has been around almost four years, and in that time some great games have been made for the system. An easy way to save is by purchasing a pair of games together in a two-game package. You can nab two titles for one small cost.

The ultra-popular Wii is home to some ultra-popular games. You might not have enough money for all of them, but you can definitely economize with a Nintendo Wii game bundle. A handful of different Wii games will give you a sample of all the clever uses of the Wii remote, and for an affordable price.

Controller

The Xbox 360's controllers are now wireless standard on all Xbox 360 models, though older models were sold with wired controllers, which are still available to purchase separately for a lower price than the wired controllers. The wireless version operates at a 2.5 GHz frequency and lasts up to 25 hours on the rechargeable batteries. Both versions allow for headset connectivity and expansion for other accessories, like the Xbox 360 keyboard. The PS3's controller, the DualShock 3, resembles the PS2 -style DualShock 2 but wireless using bluetooth and enhanced with the PlayStation button in the center. Up to seven controllers can be connected to the PS3 at once, and they are recharged using a mini-USB connection on the top of the controller. If plugged into the USB ports on the front of the PS3, the controllers can also be used as wired controllers while the batteries recharge and then unplugged to use wirelessly again once they finish charging. The Wii's controller is by far the most unusual. It is wireless with two types of three-dimensional motion sensing technology, an accelerometer and an an infrared sensor that works with the Wii sensor bar, a tiny plastic rod that emits an invisible wavelength of light and must be placed above or below the screen. It is named the Wii Remote because its long, thin design resembles a small TV remote control. The Wii Remote can work horizontally or vertically, depending on the game, and the button arrangement contains a D-pad, a trigger button on the back, and 6 buttons on the front, including the Wii Home button. The Wii remote also features aural immersion with a speaker built into the controller. If you're using the Wii Remote in a shooting game, for instance, you'll hear the gun sounds coming from your hand to make you feel like you're holding the weapon.

Speed and Power

The Wii manages to surpass the original Xbox in graphical power, but it can't play games in high definition, supporting only standard definition 480i and 480p (progressive scan). Games on the system do still look good, but rather than focus on graphical power, Nintendo opted for a more affordable system with more inventive gameplay. The Xbox 360's games are designed to run in 720p high definition, and the system can run non-gaming content all the way up to full HD 1080p using its tri-core processor. The PS3 is by far the most powerful system, with its seven-core supercomputing processor. Games for the PS3 already look better than their Xbox 360 counterparts even though the Xbox 360 was released a year earlier, which gave developers more time to get to know its hardware. The PS3's games are stunningly photorealistic already, and game programmers claim that they are just scratching the surface of what the PS3 will eventually be able to do.

The Wii and PS3 have generally short load times. This is because Wii games, which are not high definition, have relatively small file sizes and run off of optical discs with enough speed to prevent long load screens. The PS3's optical drive and Blu-Ray discs have a blazing fast transfer rate considering the huge amount of data packed into a PS3 game. The slow load times on the Xbox 360 are one of the major knocks on the system. Microsoft has recently provided a partial solution to this problem by allowing games to install to the hard drive, meaning that they can load from the system's internal storage rather than from the slow disc drive. This does not apply to every game, however, and installing the games is a double-edged sword: while it speeds up load times, it also uses more of the system's limited hard drive space, which might force you to go out and buy a bigger 360 hard drive.

Memory/Media

The Wii uses proprietary Wii Optical Discs and has an SD flash card slot. It does not support CDs or DVDs. The 360 supports both discs in a range of formats including WMA and MP3. The PS3 will be unique in that it not only supports CDs and DVDs like the PS2, but it uses Blu-Ray discs for high definition movies and as its main game media, which allows for large amounts of data to be transferred extremely quickly. As far as memory, the PS3 supports SD cards, both type 1 and 2 CompactFlash, and Memory Sticks. There is also an MMC slot and a swappable hard drive.

Backward Compatibility

Backward compatibility is the ability of a system to play games from previous-generation systems. The Xbox 360 is partially backward compatible, while the PS3 and Wii are fully backward compatible.

The Wii boasts a full range of backward compatibility for games, cables, controllers, and memory cards. The Wii's slot-loading drive accepts both Wii optical discs as well as Nintendo Gamecube game discs, and the Wii can play all Gamecube games by using the Wii Classic Controller or by plugging a Gamecube controller into one of the four ports located underneath the top system flap. Gamecube saved games can be stored either on the Wii's internal memory or can be loaded onto a Gamecube memory card, which will work with one of the system's two memory card slots, located next to the controller ports under the system cover. The Wii also features the Virtutal Console online downloadable game service in the Wii Shop, which will allow you to download games from a whopping nine systems: the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis, NEC TurboGrafx-16 and TurboGrafx-CD, SNK NeoGeo, and Commodore 64. These games can be played either using the Wii remote turned on its side (ever notice that on its side the Wii Remote looks kind of like the old NES controller?) or using one of the system's other controller options.

The PlayStation 3 can play nearly all discs for the original PlayStation and PS2 via the same slot-loading drive that it uses for its own Blu-Ray games and movies. If you don't own the disc for a game that you'd like to play for one of those old systems, don't worry: Sony allows you to download PSOne games from its PlayStation Network Store and plans to make PS2 games available for download in the very near future.

The Xbox 360 is backward compatible with some, but not all, games for the original Xbox. Additionally, a hard drive is required to use backwards compatibility, so any Xbox 360 model without a hard drive will be unable to use this feature. Microsoft does not offer downloadable Xbox games the way that the the Wii and PS3 can download games from previous systems.

Game Console vs. PC Gaming

What's nice about owning a video game console instead of simply playing PC games is that the new consoles can be fully integrated into your home entertainment system. Not only are they more aesthetically sleek than previous systems but they come complete with features like media streaming and movie playback, and they can be hooked into High Definition TVs and surround sound systems to enhance your overall multimedia experience in addition to your gaming exploits. Games are also easier to set up since all you have to do is plug in the console, pop in a disc, and get to playing. There is also no need to worry with consoles, as there is with PC games, about whether your graphics card or other PC specs are going to have the necessary power to run the game correctly, as all consoles are manufactured with the same hardware to run the same games. For local multiplayer gaming, a console hooked up to a TV is far better than cramming many people in front of a tiny computer screen, and many games produced for the consoles are exclusive to consoles and are no longer produced for the PC. Furthermore, though controllers are available for PCs, console controllers usually offer a different--and superior--experience to PC game controllers or a keyboard and mouse.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 has its upside, as it is technically the less expensive of the two high definition consoles, but also its downside, with a myriad of hidden costs, a lack of exclusive games, and some major issues with the system. It is currently offered in three packages: a $199 Arcade Model which lacks a hard drive and cables, a $299 Pro Model which adds a few more features, and a $399 Elite Model which comes in a cool black color and has most of what you need to get the most out of your system.
Most models of the Xbox 360 will require extra purchases of hard drives, headsets, cables or other accessories in order to use the system, so don't be taken in by a low price without considering additional costs first.

The hard drive is the only way to get backward compatibility, which allows it to plays some but not all old Xbox games. It also serves as a place for storing movies, music and photos.

Xbox Live allows gamers to interact online with other players and download small games, photos, music, and videos individually for a price. A monthly or yearly subscription to Xbox Live Gold will cost you but allow you to play games online, a service offered for free by Nintendo and Sony.

The Xbox 360's two interfaces, the New Xbox Experience (NXE) and Dashboard, are clean and intuitive, allowing you access to home networking on Windows PCs, interfacing with some portable media players, saved music and movies, and game data on the system's hard drive, as well as the Xbox Live Marketplace, Live Arcade, and system configuration options.

For an additional price you can add customizable faceplates to the system which allow you to really make it your own.

Playstation 3

Sony's PlayStation 3 follows up the enormous success the company had with its first two PlayStation consoles, and it looks like Sony has another great system on its hands. Serving as a Blu-Ray player and full-featured home media device, the PS3 also uses Blu-Ray and the most powerful components ever seen in a game console to deliver already-unmatched graphics that game makers promise will continue to improve as they tap into more and more of the system's power. The PlayStation 3 is sold in three models: Sony is phasing out the old-style (pictured) $299 80GB PS3 and the limited edition $399 160GB PS3 in favor of the smaller, more energy-efficient new 120GB PS3 Slim which will retail for $299. Unlike with the Xbox 360, the PS3 models are sold with everything needed to use the system.
The PS3 has an enormous amount of content available on its PlayStation Network for users to explore. This includes movies, original games and game demos, downloadble expansion content for games you own, and much, much more.

Sony provides free access to the PlayStation Network, both to the catalogs of free and paid online content and free no-strings-attached online gaming for all PS3 games that feature internet play.

Sony's free PlayStation Home service allows you to create a virtual version of yourself and customize your appearance and a virtual house as you interact in real time with an online world filled with other PlayStation users.

The PS3's Blu-Ray discs boast a huge amount of storage space and fast transfer rates for the best-looking movies and most expansive games. Even as just a Blu-Ray movie player, the PS3 is one of the best and least expensive out there, and it offers numerous additional features for your home media setup as well, such as streaming from portable media devices like cell phones and MP3 players via USB or bluetooth. You can also easily stream content from computers on a home network or download it to the system's hard drive--all wirelessly.

With a full internet browser and many other cool applications running on the system's slick XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface, the PS3 will become the center of your living room in addition to a powerful supercomputing device.

Wii

Nintendo's fifth home console, the Nintendo Wii, has become the best-selling console of the new generation thanks to its low price point, unique control methods, small design, and appeal to both hardcore gamers and non-gamers alike. Unlike the other systems, the Wii is offered in only one package, a $249 bundle that includes the system, a Wii Remote and nunchuk controller, a system stand, the Wii sensor bar, standard definition cables, and Wii Sports, a 5-in-1 game featuring five different motion-controlled sports. The game supports up to 4 players simultaneously.
The most unusual thing about the Wii is obviously the motion control system, the likes of which have never been seen before in video gaming. The Wii Remote and sensor bar allow the games you're in to perceive your movements in three dimensions, giving you more precision and more immersion than ever before.

Connecting to the internet wirelessly is easy and free with the Wii. It uses an expanded version of the Wi-Fi Connection service that started on the Nintendo DS to provide online content and completely free online gaming for the Wii's online titles.

The system is always connected to the internet with WiiConnect24, even when turned off, to check for updates and new messages. If an update is available or someone has sent an email, text message, or note to your Wii system, the disc drive will flash blue to let you know.

The Wii has access to tons of downloadable content, including free applications for its Channel Menu system (the Wii controller is called a remote, so applications are TV-like "channels"), an internet browser, videos, updates, expansion content for games, and brand new games, called WiiWare, that are created specifically for download on the Wii. The Wii's Virtual Console service lets you download a massive catalog of games for nine classic systems, including those from non-Nintendo consoles like those made by Sega.

The Nintendo DS and DSi can connect to the Wii wirelessly to play games and software. The DSi can upload photos to the Wii's Photo Channel and download new games from Nintendo's online shop of DSiWare.

External Links

Xbox.com: Microsoft's site for all things Xbox, including the 360.
PlayStation.com: Sony's home page for its PlayStations.
Nintendo.com : Nintendo central.
IGN.com : Reviews, news and video game cheats.
GameInformer.com: The latest news on gaming developments. Also includes first looks at new games and hands-on impressions.

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
FR: Jeux Vidéos
DE: Spielkonsolen

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Xbox 360 Games	Wii Games	Handheld Gaming	PS3 Games	DS vs. PSP


If you're committed to getting the most out of your new Xbox 360, go for the Elite system. It comes in a special black finish with a matching black wireless controller and headset, a huge 120GB hard drive, all the cables you'll need to set up your system, and a pair of games.	The Wii customer choice bundle includes the system and Wii Sports game plus an extra Wii remote and nunchuk for multiplayer action. You'll also get a Wii Points card with 2000 points, a Wii remote recharging kit for two controllers, and two additional games of your choosing.	You can get a steal on a new Xbox 360 with the Xbox Value Bundle. It'll net you the system, one Xbox 360 game and a controller charging solution, and all for not a whole lot more than if you were to buy the system alone. Take the next-gen plunge and get some cool extras too.	For a short time, Sony is producing a limited edition 160GB PS3, and with this deal you might want to grab one before it's gone. In addition to its huge amount of storage you'll get a copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and a voucher for the game PAIN, which you can download off the PlayStation Network.	There's no better way to get your feet wet in motion-based gaming than with the Wii starter bundle. This inexpensive package comes with some cool bonuses. In addition to the system and Wii Sports you'll get a second remote and nunchuk and another Wii game.


Want an Xbox 360 but worried about the hefty price tag for taking your game online? Worry no more: with the 360 Live Bundle you'll get the system and a subscription card to Xbox Live Gold that will give you one free year of online gaming, plus two games to get your online experience started.	Some bundles don't give you the best choice of titles to go with your system, but you can sleep easy with the PS3 Greatest Hits Bundle. It has extra controllers and bonus Blu-Ray movies, but the games are the big draw here. They have sold at least half a million copies, making them certified Greatest Hits.	The Nintendo Wii can bring a family together through gaming like no other entertainment device. The Wii family bundle gets everyone involved, packing in the console and Wii Sports game, an additional remote and nunchuk, three more Wii games and 2000 Wii Points for your downloads.	It's hard to believe, but the Xbox 360 has been around almost four years, and in that time some great games have been made for the system. An easy way to save is by purchasing a pair of games together in a two-game package. You can nab two titles for one small cost.	The ultra-popular Wii is home to some ultra-popular games. You might not have enough money for all of them, but you can definitely economize with a Nintendo Wii game bundle. A handful of different Wii games will give you a sample of all the clever uses of the Wii remote, and for an affordable price.