Perspectives on game consoles – Part 1
Even now as the holiday season winds to a close, I still get bombarded with the million question routine churned out by frantic parents trying to placate their demanding children: "Which video game console is the BEST?" This of course, is a silly question in some ways, because comparing consoles to one another is like comparing apples to oranges to bananas. Each of them offers a unique entertainment experience to fit your different entertainment needs. What you may see as the best console out there may all depend on what kind of experience you are looking for. Let's take a look at the three biggest players in the gaming market, and the current and next-gen gaming consoles which are available for you to buy.
Let's start with the classic that everyone is familiar with, Nintendo. Who could forget the nostalgia of their very first Nintendo Entertainment system, ready to offer you hours of Mario, Link, Donkey Kong and much, much more. Nintendo has grown up since it's arcade beginnings, moving from 2D to 3D with the N64, and improving upon that with the current-gen GameCube. If you are looking for family-friendly fun with lots of classic nostalgia games for kids of all ages, then the GameCube is it. This is the only console upon which you will find Mario games of any type (except, of course, for Nintendo's handheld systems) as well as the Legend of Zelda, and Metroid Prime. Nintendo is well-known for putting their consoles and games through extensive testing and retesting, ensuring that you have a console which is hardy enough to stand being dropped by your toddler, as well as ensuring that your games will run virtually problem-free. In addition, if you are looking for a console which offers a good deal of games which are appropriate for younger children, the library of E and T rated games dwarfs the few titles with an M rating. This console is quickly becoming harder to find new, as Nintendo is slowing down production now that the Wii has been released, but you can still find this console used (and sometimes new) at your local video game store.
Moving on to Nintendo's "next-gen" console, you have the Nintendo Wii. Not truly considered a next-gen console due to the fact that the console does not display in high definition the way the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 do, this little console still has a lot of punch packed in it's sleek white casing. The Wii's hook is that it offers new game interactivity through wireless controllers unlike any the
Has Wii Started A Gaming Revolution
Remember the days when you used to sit in front of the computer and bash away at the keys playing the latest game. When game consoles first came along the excitement about he future of gaming was well lets say less than enthusiastic. At the time no one ever imagined how far gaming would go and how big it would become.
When the Nintendo first arrived in the shops the games were pretty basic and basically mimicked the games available to play in the arcades. As the game console evolved the gaming ideas became more unique and games were being developed for the abilities of the game consoles themselves rather than porting the latest arcade game into a console were it didn't always translate that well.
With the release of the Nintendo Wii a whole new family gaming experience was born. Rather than going for the latest wow graphics and sound they concentrated on fun and playability. If you were having fun playing a game that was fun then it wouldn't matter too much if the graphics were not life like. In fact the cartoon graphics of many of the Wii games makes it more endearing.
As the Wii developed a whole new generation got into gaming including the parents and even grandparents who would have never considered playing games. The Wii provided more challenging and competitive multi player games where the fun was that you were playing against each other. This whole interactive idea of families spending time together soon caught on.
Soon after Nintendo released the Wii Fit. The Wii Fit built on the already established family gaming aspect of the Wii but addressed the other major concern about games consoles. Thee was growing concern that out children were becoming more sedentary and not getting the exercise they would if they were playing outside.
The Wii Fit added a whole new sporting and fitness aspect to the games where you had to use your whole body to play the games. The idea was that you would be getting exercise without realising it. The Wii Fit has become a hit and has also attracted more girls onto the gaming market with more games that would be more appealing to women.
You can now get Wii Fit accessories for your Nintendo Wii that allows you to play many different games such as skiing, yoga, hula hoops and many other sporting and exercise based games. More games are being developed all the time including games that are less sports based but still require the same level of physical activity to play.
Video game reviews: Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (PC)
Many movie critics have claimed that Disney's third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean Series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, is the benchmark summer blockbuster for 2007. Hoping to maximize the profits of the movies, Disney executives have also launched a series of video games for various game consoles and computer operating systems.
While the different console version of the game and the PC versions do not vary much, the PC version is only a slight improvement in the animation and visual graphics. Otherwise, the gameplay and game options are very much the same.
World's End continues the plot line of the second film, Dead Man's Chest, and echoes the third film's plotlines. The combat between characters is pretty much straightforward sword fighting, without much variety. Although players will be given the opportunity to play as Will Turner, Elizabeth, and some other of the film's most popular characters, this game is generally geared towards a younger audience, more enthralled by the movie's story, than interested in gameplay and graphics.
Kids will surely love the short cut scenes taken directly from the movies which are perhaps the only appeal to the game. Adult gamers will likely be uninterested in the campaign version, but might find some entertainment from the competitive multiplayer mode that allows players to go head-to-head in battle against computer enemies or an online friend in time sword-fighting challenges.
Overall, this PC video game is great for kids and Pirates of the Caribbean fans, but for the rest of the World, this cookie-cutter film-to-video game Disney product is best left on the store shelves where little kids can enjoy it.
The Nintendo Wii And The History Of Gaming
Choosing an Online Video Game Rental Service
Clark Cassidy asked:
With game consoles in the $300-600 dollar range and the average video game costing about $60 bucks, it is easy to understand why everyone has turned their backs on buying games and are now instead renting them online. There are nothing but benefits when renting video games online; you get to keep the games for as long as you want, you pay a small monthly fee, you have the latest and greatest games available at the click of the button, and for the cost of one game you can have an entire year subscription to the leading video game rental services! However, not everything is all cake and ice cream. Not every single video game rental service is for everyone. We have services that can let you rent out only one game a month, good for the leisure gamer and we have a few who let people rent three games out a month for the extreme gamer. In this article I will go over what to look for in a video game rental service so you can find the service best for your dollar!
The first thing you need to look for when choosing a video game rental club is to see if they offer games for your console. Not all companies support all consoles. So if you have a PS3 don't go sign up for an online video game rental club that offers Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games exclusively. This is especially important if you have a handheld device (Nintendo DS, PSP, Nintendo Advanced, ETC.) because only a chosen few support and have games for these consoles for you to rent.
The second thing you need to look for is plans. Most video game rental companies have plans ranging from one video game out at a time to three video games out at a time (although there are a few who have four that are allowed out at a time). So if you are a casual gamer, as in you play whenever you have free time and want to relax then you should probably go with a cheaper deal and only get a plan that allows one game out a month. If you are more of an avid gamer then a better service for you would be two to three video games allowed out a time (which of course will cost a bit more).
The third and final thing you need to look for is to see if they offer a free trial. Before you make any commitments to any online video game rental company you need to make sure their service is for you. Sign up for a free trial, place a few games for them to send and see how you like it. This is important for a few reasons. If you sign up for a trial for a company based in Pennsylvania and you are in California it might take a few days more to get to you compared to one that is located closer to home, but then again it might be cheaper. I recommend trying out at least three rental services before making a commitment to any single one.
That's it! Easy as that! If you follow those guidelines when picking out a game rental service, then you will be on your way to gaming in NO time!
Cheap Video Games
Dave Simpson asked:
The Xbox 360 is the successor to Xbox video game console from Microsoft. It was referred to in the past as Xbox Next or Xbox 2 or simply Project Xenon. Microsoft has scheduled its launch just before Christmas of 2005, the biggest shopping season although it was unveiled on 12.05.2005 on MTV. Xbox 360 is an answer to Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Revolution game consoles. Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system as it is fully known as would usher a totally new era of high definition digital entertainment which is personalized and connected always.
Who designed the Xbox 360?
Xbox 360 is designed by the very innovative Astro studios, San Francisco, USA in collaboration with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory, Osaka, Japan, resulting in sleek and stylish exterior packed with powerful hardware, software and services.
The Xbox 360 comes with:
Xbox Gamer Guide: An entertainment gateway that connects to your games, movie, friends, music and available downloadable content. The Xbox Guide Button, a one touch interface gives you instant access to content you want, be it the gamer card of the player who just invited you to play, or to new downloadable content for the game you are currently running.
Personalized interface: Xbox 360 lets you create your own customised system for a unique experience. With changeable facia plates, it is very easy to change the make up of your console. Power on your system and you can customize the look and feel of the System Guide and Gamer Guide with various unique skins. The faces and skins can form a unique combination to reflect your personality.
Ring of Light: The Xbox 360 console is divided into four glowing quadrants which are also collectively called the Ring of Light. This Ring of Light, along with the Xbox Guide button controls the entire system. The guide button visually connects you to your games. The Guide button apart from connecting and controlling your experience also controls the startup and shutdown of the system. . The Xbox 360 supports both wired and wireless controllers and accessories by the virtue of which all operations can be controlled from the comfort of your couch.
Xbox Live: Xbox 360’s Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive. This is a unified interface where you can play with anyone, anytime anywhere. By connecting your Xbox 360 to a broadband internet connection, you can instantly access Xbox Live Silver, to announce your digital identity via your gamer tag or gamer card. You can talk to others using voice chat, and access the Xbox Live Marketplace — all right out of the box, at no extra cost. When you upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, you get access to the ever exciting world of online multiplayer gaming. By using intelligent matchmaking, and accessing all your achievements and statistics, Xbox Live Gold brings you nearer to your competition at your terms.
Games: Xbox 360 redefines the whole gaming experience in terms of what they look like, sound like, feel like, and play like in order to engage you like never before. All Xbox 360 titles have resolutions of 1080i and 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen formats, anti-aliasing support for movie-like graphics and of course, multi-channel surround sound.
Not to mention you can amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. You can watch DVD movies in the comfort of your couch. Xbox 360 also supports progressive-scan DVD’s. The Xbox 360 hard drive can be used to rip music and share your latest albums and pictures with friends and family.
Xbox 360 Accessories Fact Sheet
A successor of the Xbox gaming system, Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 and its unique line of Xbox 360 system accessories extend your digital entertainment experience beyond the console.
Xbox 360 Faceplates
A never before feature – Xbox 360 is centralized around gamers. As a fully customizable design, Xbox 360 gives you the freedom of changing the look of the console to reflect your tastes and personality. The face plates like most Nokia Cellular phones can be changed with extreme ease to express your moods or your sense of style.
* Interchangeable faceplates allow you to create a unique system.
* Find cool, swappable and changeable cutting-edge designs.
* Faceplates come in a lot of varieties and designs.
* Regardless of chosen faceplates, the system remains fully functional.
Xbox 360 Memory Unit
Xbox 360 comes with a 64MB memory unit to further enhance your gaming experience. This memory unit facilitates you to save the in-game achievements and gamer profiles. These units are portable and enable you to start off from where you left quickly and easily. You can easily carry around the Memory Unit in a carrying case which is extremely portable and can fit on a keychain. This memory unit is absolute plug’n’play. Xbox 360 can hold up to two memory units, thus making it upgradeable.
Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote
The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote is designed in such a way that it becomes an integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 system. The Media Remote facilitates your entry into the world of digital entertainment by the touch of a single button. Play DVD’s, music, control your TV and your PC with a single integrated controller. This option is to let you kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Accessories Designed for Xbox Live
Xbox Live Camera
The Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360 lets you video chat and message with your friends and gives up the true gaming and entertainment experience. As an integrated part of Xbox 360’s Xbox Live experience you can connect and communicate with friends while playing, listening to music or watching movies. When you play motion-detection-enabled games online the Xbox live camera inserts you into the game and helps you control the characters.
Xbox 360 Headset
The Xbox 360 Headset enlivens the online gaming experience beyond your imagination helping you to talk to friends, your team mates to finalize strategies or trash talk your opponents out of the game through Xbox Live, all this during play time. Xbox Live also comes with a message service which you can use to leave short vocal messages for your family or friends.
Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter
The Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter takes your Xbox 360 experience way beyond your home, synchronizing with the Xbox 360 main system seamlessly. You can transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your PC with ease, chat up your colleagues and friends, play games using Xbox Live, and more without wiring it all up.
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller
Xbox 360 through the optimized wireless technology offers the ultimate in wireless gaming within a 30 ft range for 40 hours with the help of 2 AA batteries. With warning systems in place you can plug & charge with ample notice for uninterrupted playing. The wireless controller also supports the Xbox 360 headset for voice communication. The wireless controller has all the functionality of the standard controller enabling you to use all the gaming and entertainment features from your couch. The wired controller comes with a 9 ft cable.
Nintedo Wii Systems-Best Buy