There is a war going on. Instead of trenches, soldiers wage war from the comfort of their couches. The ongoing battle I speak of is the Console War. A bloodless, cold war fought with hardware and exclusive titles. The mission is the same. Destroy the opposition. Everyone seems to be joining the fight. The question is, whose side are you on?
Determining the superior console is not easy. Convincing you, dear readers, is even more difficult. So instead of force feeding you my bias, I will first present you with the facts so that you may decide for yourself. The pros and cons for each system are many so I will center on the ones I think will make the most difference to you, the gamer.
Xbox 360
We will start off with the newest contender in the Console War, Microsoft’s Xbox 360. This sleek chunk of gaming beauty boast amazing next gen graphics, a dominating library of games, exclusive titles like Halo 3 and Gears of War, and online features galore. The controller is great and feels as if it were made for first person shooters. Not that it doesn’t function well with other genres. The Xbox 360 is also CD and DVD playable. While that is convenient, that is hardly where it shines.
While the system has several pros, it also has it’s share of cons. Some of them, quite literally, are game breakers. The Xbox hit the shelves with some major hardware issues. The red ring of death, as they call it, has caused more anguish and frustration than both its competitors combined. While I have never experienced this tragedy, I can only imagine the horror. Apparently, several issues cause this dilemma. Instead of depressing you with a list I recommend dropping by xbox360prosandcons.com for more information as well as troubleshooting. The only other con I can think of worth mentioning is the fee for Xbox Live. Yes, you have to pay to play your games online. I acknowledge that it isn’t very expensive it is, none the less, annoying.
Playstation 3
Next up is the Playstation 3 from Sony. The PS3 rivals the Xbox in graphics, houses heavy hitter exclusives like Metal Gear and the soon to be released God of War 3. The system also comes wireless right out of the box for your internet pleasure. Speaking of the internet, Sony also host the Playstation Network. Free to play I might add. If that’s not enough, the PS3 comes ready to play Blu-Ray as well as CD and DVD. That makes it pretty convenient if your looking to save space in your home theater or have a few less cords to trip over. Now you may be thinking this all comes at a high price. While that may certainly been a con not too long ago, the new smaller, quieter and cheaper PS3 model changes that. With that, Sony is well on its way to reigning supreme once again.
Wait…there ar a few hurdles. The PS3 is lacking in a few areas. The main gripe being that its game library is less than impressive with only a handful of standout titles. Combine the fact that the system is a programming nightmare with its initial high price and you get wavering third party support. Playstation mainstays like Final Fantasy are coming out on the Xbox as well.
Nintendo Wii
Last, but not least, is the Nintendo Wii. What the Wii lacks in graphics, it more than makes up for in inovation. Nintendo has been killing the competition for years. Over the last two decades all would be conquerors have eventually been trampled at the feet of the dominating force that is Nintendo.
One of the best things about the Wii is its full backwards compatability with the Gamecube. So feel free to trade in your old system for a new Wii. You can also download any of their vast library of past games going back to the NES. The Wii comes priced well and ready to play with a game packaged in. Its innovative Wii remote makes gaming interactive and enjoyable to those that aren’t into the more complex controllers of the competition. The Wii houses a plethra of exclsive games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Mario Kart.
If savvy graphics is what your looking for then you should look elseware. The Wii graphics are barely a step up from the Gamecube. Hardly the advanced look of the PS3 or Xbox. The 512 megabytes of memory is a bit skimpy compared to the massive hard dives of other concoles. The fact that it doesn’t come ready to play DVD also puts it at a disadvantage.
As you can see all three sysems have their own pros and cons. Choosing which system is top dog is determined by the individual. There is no single scale with which to rate. Alliances will change as new games are released and new features made availible. That is the nature of war. There will be changes and shifts in perception. Who is number one today may not be tomorrow. Me personally, I prefer the Xbox. I think they have better games and that’s what gets me. The games. Who knows, God of War 3 will come out and if there are more games on par with Metal Gear on the shelves I may change my preference to the PS3. War is most definitely hell but has never been more fun.
