Sony PS3 vs Nintendo's Wii

Of the three consoles competing for market dominance in the latest generation, the PS3 and Nintendo's Wii are the most distinct from each other. While they are certainly both powerful systems, and similarities can be easily drawn between them, they have arrived on the market through very different design philosophies, with marketing strategies to suit.

On one hand, the PS3 is pushing every technological limit it can. Using an ambitious processor architecture, top-end graphics acceleration, and large stores of memory, the PS3 is one grunty system! It also includes a range of technologies that are either still at the bleeding-edge prototype stage, untested in mass production, such as the CPU that behaves like an eight-core chip and Blu-Ray Disk drive, or are considered the high-end of two alternatives, in the case of using licensed Bluetooth in favour of generic wireless technology, and the full HDTV support, HDMI output, and full 7.1 surround sound, rather than mere 5.1. If the E3 screenshots of the announced games are anything to judge by, graphically, they will challenge even the best-looking PC titles, which is rare for console systems.

Retailing for prices upwards of US$600 significantly higher in some countries and for pre-orders the PS3 is a truly extravagant system.

Sitting in defiant contrast to PS3's whole design philosophy is the Wii. Nintendo opted not to simply load their system up with enough grunt to blow every competitor out of the water in fact, their approach was to not even try. Nintendo have opted to instead take a prudent path, by offering a well balanced system, not ridiculously overpowered, yet perhaps still on par with a medium to high-end PC gaming rig.
Like with the PS3, they have produced a system that is highly backwards-compatible with legacy games and accessories, includes Bluetooth support, which their innovative motion-sensitive controllers make use of, again like the PS3. The console has legacy memory card, Flash card, USB, and ethernet support, allowing for LAN and Internet use. It's the choice of games on offer is the first indication that this is a different sort of system. Certainly some of the same demanding titles are in the list, but it's populated more by simpler platformer and parlour games, which both attract their own significant fan-bases.

The controllers, including the Wii Remote, and Sensor Bar, have been a huge hit with E3 and TGS attendees, already well-received by the gaming press. The main indicator to distinguish the Wii from the PS3, which may well give it the edge it needs to outperform the superior system in the marketplace, is its price. It starts at a much more manageable US$250, with the highest prices outside North America only reaching $100 more. So marked is the price difference, that Microsoft and Nintendo reps quietly put the word out at 2006's E3 Expo, that people would be better served by buying both an Xbox 360, AND a Nintendo Wii, rather than a PS3. To compound The Case Against Sony as their critics may well be phrasing it supply problems have recently caused delays for the launch of PS3 outside Japan, USA, and Canada, giving the Wii launch window three or four months with only the Xbox as competition.

When it comes to PS3 vs Nintendo Wii, the Wii does not compete on any technical level. It certainly has respectable system specs, but the PS3 is simply a more powerful system that will deliver better performance. Whether this translates to more fun is clearly a choice for each individual to make, because Sony has no short of critics saying that it does not. The three biggest criticisms the PS3 has had to face are a perceived lack of innovation, an arguably outrageous launch price, and a lack of supply during the most crucial period. This all contrasts with reciprocal praise on the same points of the Wii. As it stands currently, both systems are pre-selling like hotcakes, so it will be some time before a clear leader emerges, assuming one will at all.

Andrew Lawrence

The 10 Ultimate Reasons To Get The Xbox 360

You hear all the hype – all the time. PS3 is the best – no, forget that, it has to be the Wii, or no. no, no, it’s the Xbox guys. You know what? I’m here to lay the hype to rest. The best system is the Xbox 360 and this article will give you 10 solid reasons explaining why. Ready…

Now don’t get me wrong, gaming systems from Sony and Nintendo are good – solid titles, graphics yada yada yada. BUT, when it comes to really getting the maximum out of your gaming system than the Xbox 360 has them all beat.

In the Xbox 360, Microsoft has created a beast that just keeps getting better and better. Sure, they are problems with some of the technology, but then again, show me a piece of technology that always runs perfectly and I’ll eat my Xbox!

Whether it is titles, graphics or its brilliant ability to link to other players, LIVE, around the world in real-time, the Xbox 360 wins hands down! Here are my top 10 reasons for you to choose the 360 before any other system.

1. The Xbox360 come with awesome wireless connections which I just love. Letting you remain in control from over 30 feet away, I find this feature perfect for those long gaming sessions when you get tired of staying in the same position. It definitely helps my gaming!

2. The games list is just awesome – and keeps getting better. Not only are some of the best games ever written available on the 360, but many amazing titles are written exclusively for the Xbox 360.

3. The Xbox Live feature is truly revolutionary – you get to play multiplayer games against opponents from all over the world. You can create gamer tags for id, make avatars, create a friends list, set up a rating system, keep track of your achievements and so much more. This alone makes the Xbox 360 the best.

4. If you are thinking of upgrading from the Xbox and are worried about the games that you have already bought, worry not. Over 200 Xbox games are compatible with the Xbox 360!

5. The Xbox Live feature also lets you tap into an awesome arcades marketplace. Here you can try free games, ultra cheap games and more. The possibilities are endless.

6. Xbox 360 graphics just rock! The 360 runs three (three!) 3.2 GH processors that run with a 500MhzATI graphics processor. You want power? Need I say more?

7. Remember, the Xbox 360 is more than just gaming. It is also an all-round entertainment system so you can watch movies, download music and play your own CDs as well.

8. The Xbox 360 plugs you right into the heart of the game development world. You get the opportunity to download demos, and bonus packs from game developers. This is a great feature that lets you tap into the latest cutting-edge gaming developments.

9. The Xbox 360 keeps track of your gaming history – lets you easily recall scores, favorite games, images and so on.

10. The Headset feature lets you chat in real time to friends and fellow gamers around the world. Imagine chatting to teammates and opponents while playing? How cool is that?

11. Oh yeah – I’ll throw in one more reason as well – the Xbox 360 just looks cool. Not only that, you can easily mod it with different face plates as well. If you want your gaming gear to look good then you have no choice.

If those 10 (sorry, 11!) reasons don’t persuade you then you must be lacking some serious gaming passion. If you want to take your gaming to the next level then the Xbox 360 is the only game in town. Enjoy!

Wii Lead Vs PS3 Falls in Japan to 3:1!

New data from Enterbrain has revealed that sales of the Wii in Japan fell to a ratio of 3:1 against the PlayStation 3 in August. In July, the lead was as much as 4:1 and in June it was 7:1. In fact, back in November 2006, the sales ratio was as much as 8:1 in the Wii’s favor.

Enterbrain sales data broadly agrees with that of weekly data from Media Create and shows that a total of 245,653 Wii consoles were sold in Japan in the four weeks ending August 26th, compared to just 81,541 for the PlayStation 3 and 11,288 for the Xbox 360.

It appears that the PS3 is either finally catching on, or Nintendo is simply not building enough Wii's. It maybe difficult to draw any conclusions from these stats. If it's not a stock problem, in theory Metroid should bring the Wii numbers back up to a historically higher sales ratio vs. the Ps3.

The Most Common Wii Problems

The Nintendo Wii is great, but no system is perfect. Here are some of the main problems users have experienced with the gaming console since its release last year.


Light Trouble

It seems that people who got the Wii for Christmas had trouble with some kind of interference from their Christmas lights. It was reported that they console wouldn't respond to the remote control while the lights were on. Some gamers found that if they played on the other side of the room from their Christmas trees, there was no problem.

This is because the Wii's sensor bar, a part of the unit that detects changes in the position of the remote, gets thrown out of whack by bright lights. This is why playing the console too close to a bright light source messes with the remote control action.

Nintendo responded by saying that your Wii controller may not work when it's too close to a bright light source. It's not a problem with the design or technology, they said, and suggested avoiding sitting or standing near bright lights when you're playing. Also you should keep bright lights away from the TV, because they will interfere with the signal there as well.


Crashing Wii's

Another technical problem some Wii users have experienced is their games slowing down. This usually happens after 10 or more straight hours of game play. Of course, turning it off and back on again helps, but the unit should be playable for longer than 10 hours. The reason it slows down is that it is mildly overheating, so if this happens to you, make sure the warm air can escape and the fans are working properly. The Wii comes with a stand to put the console on, and it's recommended that if you use the stand, the warm air will be able to get out.

In any case, game systems do sometimes crash. The Nintendo Wii doesn't seem to crash nearly as much as XBox 360's or PS3's do, so it doesn't seem to be a major problem.


Trouble Getting Online

Some users report having trouble getting online with their Wii's. It seems like the Wii doesn't take too well to one-bar connections, and often it is slow to dial up. The Wii's online connection is wireless, so it suffers from all the other problems of wireless systems. If it's a serious problem, you can always buy an adapter from Nintendo and run a line.


Accidents And Injuries

The biggest problem with Wii is not technical, but physical. There have been a number of Nintendo Wii-related injuries. The main culprit, aside from overactive gamers, seems to be the controllers' wrist straps. The wrist straps, which keep the controller from flying out of the user's hand, apparently break easily. This is made worse by gamers' sweaty palms, which make it easy for the controllers to slip. The result is lots of broken glass, damaged TV's, smashed light fixtures, cuts, bruises and twisted ankles.

Nintendo is actually facing a lawsuit because of these strap-related injuries. They claim that it is the users' fault for failing to hold the controllers properly. Still, the complaints have prompted Nintendo to recall 3.2 million of the straps and exchange them for thicker ones.

In spite of these problems, the Nintendo Wii continues to sell well, and is being enjoyed by thousands of gaming fans.

Nintendo Wii Brings The Gym To You With Wii Fit

Nintendo has announced a new fitness game Wii Fit which is a full on exercise product set to give you more of a workout than Wii Sports, while still retaining all the fun of gaming. Wii Fit will help to keep you physically fit via a dedicated peripheral, a wireless balance board which comes with the game. There are over 40 different activities, including hula hooping, ski jumping and heading soccer balls.

The hula hooping consists of, as you’d expect, gyrating your hips with a virtual hoop onscreen and then as the game progresses, characters will throw more hoops for you to catch and rotate as many times as you can until the time runs out.

The skiing game gives you two chances to make the longest jump you can whilst keeping your balance when landing. Players can increase speed by leaning forward, the more you lean the faster you’ll go, and upon reaching the jump, you stand up straight ensuring your weight is evenly balanced for a good landing.

For the football game, you will need to balance on the board moving from side to side whilst balls are fired at you to hit back on to the field and avoiding other objects that are thrown at you at the same time.

Training falls into 4 categories: Aerobics, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games. Players can assign their height to a profile to measure body mass index and Wii fitness age as well as monitor progress and record performance statistics.

The calorie busting fun could appeal to couch potato kids as well a non gamers, perhaps using the Nintendo Wii as a slimming tool which would be a move into the lifestyle category rather than gaming, covering the market from another angle.

Nintendo hasn't given a release date yet for Wii Fit, although its thought to hit the highstreet in early 2008.

Source: Karen Bennett