Finally, the moment console gaming fans have been drooling over has arrived. The graphically glowing Sony PlayStation 3 and the incredibly interactive Nintendo Wii raid stores this weekend.
Will Microsoft's Xbox 360 be able to hold its own? Ultimately, the eternal question of which will be the ace in this veritable console war may not be answered. But which is the right one to buy right now?
There are pros and cons to each system. Each game company has gone a different direction in concocting a truly amazing gameplay experience.
The most important factors to keep in mind with the release of the newest Next-Gen powerhouses are availability, price, features and current release titles.
Sony PlayStation 3
Gamers who haven't reserved a PS3 yet may be in for a bit of a wait. Within the last few days, many Gamestops and Electronic Boutiques have cut their predicted stock in half due to low rates of production by Sony. Also, last year's overselling of Xbox 360 pre-orders convinced Gamestop/EB to be more frugal with reserves.
There will be far fewer PS3s than anticipated, and those that are acquired will have extreme value. Expect to see it on eBay for thousands of dollars.
The PS3's graphic technology is nothing short of outstanding. The CPU features a Cell Microprocessor, co-designed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony. It consists of at least seven 3.2 Ghz processors that can work both together and independently.
The RSX graphics chip by nVidia is approximately equal in power to the recently released nVidia GeForce 7900 series for the PC, so expect a beautifully rendered and complex gaming experience.
Both versions come with one SIXAXIS PS3 Controller. It's similar both in size and shape to the PS2's DualShock 2 Controller, but the rumble feature has been sacrificed so it could be wireless and motion-sensitive. The PlayStation 3 supports up to seven controllers.
Ultimately the PS3 and its launch list look amazing, but the price and lack of availability will hurt the system's success from the get-go.
The PS3 seems more likely to succeed in the future after a price drop and some real next-gen gameplay to go with those shiny graphics.
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Wii is innovative and alluring, expanding gameplay in a fresh and unexplored direction rather than stuffing as much graphic horsepower into a small box as possible.
In terms of availability, Nintendo expects to ship four million Wii units globally by the end of the year, with North America receiving the largest chunk. The Wii will be much easier to acquire than what surely will become the almost mythical PS3.
The Wii should be considerably cheaper than the PS3, and that can simply be attributed to lower quality graphics technology. The few hundred dollars extra paid for a brand new PS3 merely improves visual cosmetics. The Wii has approximately as much visual horsepower as the original Xbox, and twice as much as the GameCube.
The revolution of the Wii is not in its graphic capability, but in the way it interfaces with humans. More than simple motion-sensing technology, the Wii controller allows precise movements of the controller to affect the orientation of the in-game world. In the bundled "Wii Sports," players will swing the controller like a tennis racket, golf club and more to interact with the game.
Nintendo will also offer libraries of classic console games to be purchased and downloaded online through the Wii's channel interface. Besides classic Nintendo franchises like "Zelda" and "Super Mario," Nintendo has teamed up with SEGA and Hudson to bring back classic Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 titles like "Sonic" and "Bonk's Adventure."
With over 30 titles available at launch, there are quite a few new titles for the average gamer to cover. That said, it would not be surprising at all if at least some of the release content is underdeveloped fluff that merely showcases the awesome playability of the controller.
Some of the more interesting release titles include "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," "Trauma Center: Second Opinion," "Rayman Raving Rabbids," "Excite Truck," "Red Steel," "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam" and Wii-customized versions of "Madden NFL 07" and "Call of Duty 3."
Overall, the Wii looks like a lot of fun. Its ballsy and innovative departure from the struggle for the most graphically complete experience sets it apart from the PS3 and Xbox 360.
