Game on!
With videogame systems expected to be among the hottest gifts this holiday season, the Big 3 are slugging it out for superiority.
Consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are more powerful — and more fun — than ever, as gamers continue to benefit from high-stakes competition.
Deciding which system is best is highly subjective. Nintendo's Wii is the most affordable, it's games are cheaper and fans say its motion-sensing controls make it a better deal at any price. But hardcore gamers tend to shun the Wii, considering the novel controls a gimmick.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 has such a powerful built-in computer — capable of downloading and storing movies — that enthusiasts say it outmuscles the competition. Gamers can play each other online, though the software giant charges $50 a year for the privilege.
The September release of Xbox's wildly popular "Halo 3" game has it on top of the heap — for now.
Sony's PlayStation has a little bit of everything and the company's online store makes it easy to download games and movies. A new, top-of-the-line model has an 80-gigabyte hard drive and comes with the hit dirt track racing game "MotorStorm."
Your Money sought out Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, the duo behind the popular Internet comic strip penny-arcade.com, for their unique and expert critiques of the computer gaming triumvirate. They've been making fun of video games since 1998, but we got them to be serious (well, kind of) to help you make the right choice.
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo's $250 Wii is only a bit more powerful than its predecessor, the GameCube, but that hasn't stopped it from selling more quickly than it can be made. What sets the Wii apart is its unique motion-sensing controls. Hold the Wii remote like a baseball bat and swing, and your character gets a double, like in "Wii Sports." Turn it like a key to open a door, like in the science-fiction shooter "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption." Or flick it for a midair spin, like in "Super Mario Galaxy."
The cost means it's going to be the choice for price-sensitive parents. It's got a lot of family-oriented games, too.
Fans are looking forward to next year's Nintendo fighting game "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," which features Nintendo's most memorable characters.
Penny Arcade's Take: It'll keep flying off the shelves. "Adults associate video games with Nintendo," Mike Krahulik said. But it probably won't satisfy the appetites of the hardcore all by itself. "I don't think there's much meat there," Jerry Holkins said.
Penny Arcade's Pick: " ‘Super Mario Galaxy.' It's a work of genius," Holkins said.
Microsoft Xbox 360
Microsoft's Xbox 360 is the leader of the pack, riding a wave of success after the September release of "Halo 3." It comes in three different flavors: a $279 Arcade model with no hard drive to save games, a $350 Premium unit with a 20GB hard drive and a $450 Elite system with 120GB of storage and HDMI video output, aimed at videophiles who plan on downloading aplenty.
Like Sony's offering, the 360 offers a full-featured online gaming experience, but Microsoft charges an annual fee of $50. The 360 has perhaps the most diverse library of worthy titles, with high-concept thriller "BioShock" and far-future roleplaying game "Mass Effect" both garnering some of the highest critical praise this year.
Penny Arcade's Take: Don't get a 360 without a hard drive. "If you are serious about playing games, you can't get that Arcade model," Jerry Holkins said. "That system is not a good buy for consumers."
Penny Arcade's Pick: The realistic war simulator "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," is prime, Holkins said. It's "like playing through an action movie." Krahulik named the first-person thriller "BioShock" as his topper. Both agreed "Halo 3" is the game to get.
Sony PlayStation 3
Sales have been picking up recently with the availability of a $400 model that comes with a 40-gigabyte hard drive and a copy of the summer blockbuster "Spider-Man 3" on Blu-ray disc. There's also the $500, top-shelf version, which is good for downloading movies, games and original PlayStation titles.
But gamers said the only system-exclusive games worth the $60 are "Resistance: Fall of Man," "Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction" and the treasure-hunting adventure "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune." Next year will see the release of much-hyped and PlayStation-exclusive sequels, like the stealth action title "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" and role-playing game "Final Fantasy XIII."
Penny Arcade's Take: "There's not much of a reason to buy one this holiday season," Mike Krahulik said. Next year "is going to be their year," Jerry Holkins said. Penny Arcade's Pick: "Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction" is pretty much pure fun," Krahulik said. "It's very Pixar," Holkins agreed.
Source: New York Times