Battle For Supremacy

We are now 2 years into the "Next Gen" console war and it doesn't seem like there is a clear winner in sight. In one of my first articles I did a anticipatory piece between the XBox 360 and Playstation 3. Back then, the Nintendo Wii wasn't even on my radar of systems to really watch out for. Boy was I proven wrong. With all 3 consoles alive and kicking, we see a much more interesting picture forming in the console war.


Nintendo Wii

First we have the Nintendo Wii. Before it came out I wasn't very impressed by the prototype that Nintendo was then calling "Nintendo Revolution". It was small, not nearly as powerful as the XBox 360 or PS3, and if the games available on the Game Cube were any indication, it was once again going to be geared primarily toward a younger audience. My friend picked one up on the day it came out, and before I knew it, I had a controller in my hand and we were all bowling against each other. Plain and simple, it was FUN! I was immediately impressed as to the way the games were actually played and how interactive it was. It turns out, Nintendo decided to put processing and graphical power aside for a more interactive, entertaining system that has proved to cross generations. Yes, even grandpa can occasionally be found playing the Wii. People young and old, gamers and non-gamers are all finding interest and having fun with the Wii. Doctors are even using it for physical therapy. This in my opinion was truly unexpected. I know that once I got my hands on one and got to play it, I wanted one. Of course, in California, it turned out to be quite a challenge to even find one. But one fateful day, I happened to call the correct Best Buy store and was told to check out another because they just got a bunch in. Turns out the Best Buy I ended up getting it at received 12 just a little bit before I called. Needless to say, I was there and back in about an hour with my new Wii.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Games: So far a plethora of really entertaining and all around GOOD games have come out for the Wii. A few that have stood out for me so far are:

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Simply amazing game. I know it came out on the Game Cube too, but the use of the Wii remote was smooth and intuitive, not to mention that the story, game play and all around fun factor were at the top of the charts

Super Paper Mario - Simple, really fun, and lots to explore. While we were all waiting for "Galaxy", this whet our thirst for a Mario game for the Wii. Again, really fun, simple controls, and a lot to explore.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - This was the first of the series I ever played, but WOW! AMAZING!!! Nuff said.

Super Mario: Galaxy - I can't say enough about how cool this game is. I haven't had too many opportunities to play any 3D Mario games since Mario 64, but this one took the cake. Absolutely beautiful game. The Eye Candy that it provides throughout the whole game, and the plain ingenuity that the game provides is unlike anything I have ever played before. A definite MUST for anyone that owns a Wii.

That brief list is just the tip of the iceberg. Also, you can't forget the Virtual Console and various "Channels" available on the Wii. the Virtual Console lets you download some of your favorite games from: NES, SNES, N64, Turbo Grafix 16, Sega Genesis, and Neo Geo. They're all reasonably priced, and the nostalgia factor really helps since they release a lot of the most beloved games for each system.

As a result of coming out first, and having the lowest price point, the Wii took a very early lead in the "Next Gen" console war. But the other 2 competitors weren't very far behind.


XBOX 360

Before the XBox 360 came out, there were whispers of people saying "XBox 360 = Dreamcast 360". Since then, those people could not be more wrong. At first, I was very hesitant to give it much of a chance. But the more opportunities I've had to play it and to see its many offerings, I began to change my mind and give the 360 another shot.

First off, the 360 actually has some great graphical capabilities. The screen shots and games that I have had a chance to witness have been very nice. Especially when you get to play them in HD. One of the best features happens to be the online features of the 360. The new Xbox Live service has been re-vamped and is now a media monster. XBox Arcade allows you to download various types of games for a nominal fee, TV shows (i think) have been added to the lineup as downloadable content and I'm pretty sure that movies are on the way.

Suffice it to say, my experience with the different games has been minimal due to not owning one (Mainly because of the $399 price point). However, the titles that have been coming out are very promising, especially compared to the titles that came out on the original XBox. The one draw back I see is that XBox 360 required an additional purchase/upgrade for HD-DVDs. You could of course also shell out extra cash for the system that includes the HD-DVD drive on it.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

The 360 definitely has lots of promise and seems to be doing very well. Microsoft did a great job in creating a system to follow up the XBox and in a much stronger way than was anticipated. I may be partial to the actual games that are going to be available on the PS3, the 360 is definitely living up to the hype of being a strong system to very aggressively rival Nintendo and Sony.


PLAYSTATION 3

Last but certainly not least is the Playstation 3. Before it came out, I had anticipated it to be THE system to get. The demos that were shown and the screen shots that were coming out were absolutely breathtaking. However, the killer was the $599 price tag for the "Good" system and $499 for the stripped down version (Which just wasn't worth it). Thankfully they dropped the price $100 for both systems, but the stripped down version still isn't as worth getting. This aside, the PS3 managed to be a very impressive system. Of course, it was also the last and slowest out of the gate in this generation of consoles. But immediately it was making an impact. First of all, Sony had a very briliant idea of going w/ the Blu-Ray technology. It may be personal preference, but over all the Blu-ray disc (BD) is a much better format for the future of gaming and movies. It holds a greater capacity and might actually be able to support a higher resolution (This has yet to be proven/disproven but I'm willing to be corrected). Additionally, like the XBox 360 the online content is pretty solid. Games are available to download as well as movie trailers, game demos, themes, and add-ons to various games. For the first time, Playstation finally has a fairly solid online presence.

As far as games are concerned, there have been a number of good games already available. And when you play them in HD, WOW. Playstation 3 definitely does deliver well in the graphical dept. However, since the PS3 platform is one of the more difficult to develop on, there are still going to be a good amount of kinks to work out, and as a result there have been reports of choppy game play. But so far I haven't noticed much while playing it. The titles themselves look as promising as ever. I haven't been able to play many but those i have played have been very entertaining. Before I make any final judgements on the games that will be out on the PS3, I'll have to wait and see what happens. However, if the PS2 is any indicator (and probably due to personal preference again), the PS3 is bound to have some of the best games available across all 3 consoles.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

It may be personal preference but I love the PS3. Yes it did get off to a slow start, but it's gaining ground on both the Wii and 360. It's turning out to be quite the Multimedia system and only has room to grow. The highly anticipated release of Playstation Home really looks to bring the idea of video game community to a whole new level. The graphics the PS3 has been able to deliver so far and what lies on the horizon is exciting. Even the demo of Gran Turismo HD Concept was enough to make my eyes bulge out of my head. As developers get more used to the PS3 platform, it is no doubt that quality of games being released will be nothing short of Phenomenal (We can only hope).


Closing Thoughts

Each system has its ups and downs. Nintendo can only support 720p and is not as graphically powerful as the other 2. XBox 360 makes you decide on whether or not you want HD-DVD by having to purchase an extra drive, or shell out extra money for the superior system. Of course, it also doesn't help that XBox Live costs an extra subscription fee. Playstation 3 is still on the steeper side of the price point, but is already delivering some great things. This generation of console competition is more fierce than ever. While the Wii will be able to reach a broader audience, the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be able to tap into the true gaming market and will no doubt eclipse the Wii in the near future. At this point, I still think its too early to call a clear winner. Each person has their own preference (Mine being PS3), but after being able to have experience with all 3, it's safe to say that I like them all and look forward to seeing what the future holds for the home gaming console.