Posts Tagged Xbox
Should You Buy a Nintendo Wii?
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on February 14th, 2010
I’ve noticed a lot of people asking the question “Should I buy a Nintendo Wii game console?”. Since its release in November 2006, the wii has dominated the current generation console battle, with its combination of a cheap price point, unique control system, and family values. This isn’t to say that the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 haven’t seen their own successes, but Nintendo seem to have hit a slightly different demographic of consumer, which has lead to an amazing uptake of their console. To determine which console is best for you, requires you to weigh up the current pros and cons of each platform, which hopefully this article will help you out with.
It’s easy to forget that the current generation of consoles has been around a few years now, and the original appeal of each platform has change over the years. Prices have changed, game catalogs have matured, and event he platforms themselves have seen further developments.
Price
Initially the Wii was the cheapest console of the current generation, but this has swapped around a bit recently. The chart below is ordered by UK recommended retail price price ascending, and includes all current versions of each console.
£129.99/$199.99 Xbox 360 Arcade (256MB)
£169.99/$299.99 Xbox 360 Premium (60GB)
£179.99/£249.99 Wii (512MB)
£229.99/$399.99 Xbox 360 Elite (120GB)
£299.99/$399.99 Playstation 3 (80GB)
£339.99/$499.99 Playstation 3 (160GB)
As you can see, the Xbox 360 Arcade is the cheapest game console available, and it undercuts the Wii by and an impressive £50/$50. The biggest downside of the Arcade model is the lack of substantial storage space, so for UK consumers the premium version is slightly more appealing with its 60GB hard drive, and price point which is £10 less than the Wii. You should note that these are only recommended retail prices, so you can most likely get them slightly cheaper if you hunt around various retailers.
The Wii has been in constant short supply since its release, so appears to hold its value significantly better that the other consoles, and is less susceptible to discounted prices. Also unlike the other consoles, the Wii has not seen a single official price reduction since its release, and is expected not to change until the supply finally exceeds demand.
Graphics
The Wii is often described as being based on the last generations hardware, with it having very similar performance to the Nintendo GameCube. Despite this, it’s proved a very easy platform to develop games for, and Nintendo themselves have shown that they can squeeze every last drop of graphics performance out of it, with titles such as Mario Galaxy, and Metroid Prime.
It’s very obvious that both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have graphics potential way beyond the Wii, and they have already produced some stunning looking games. There isn’t a lot between the two consoles themselves, with cross platform titles looking pretty similar on both bits of hardware. It will still be another year or so before we see the true potential of these consoles, but that’s something to look forward to.
It’s important to note that both the Xbox 360 and PS3 do 1080p hi-def output, which looks great on your massive TV. The wii unfortunately will only do a maximum of 480p, which can’t start looking pretty rubbish on bigger screens. There are many rumours that Nintendo will offer an upgraded version of the Wii at some point, which will correct this limitation.
Controls
As you may know, the Wii has got funky motion controls, which allow the console to detect how you are swinging the controller around, or if you are pointing it a specific direction. It’s certainly not just a gimmick, and can be very effective, although sometimes games do get it wrong. Luckily, the Wii controls are very good and standard style game play, so games designers are not being restricted by it. The controller consists of a remote (WiiMote) and an optional separate analogue stick (Nunchuck), which are connected together by a short cable. The controls themselves are wireless, and include a built in speaker and rumble effects.
The PS3 also boasts motion controls, but they’ve not been implemented as widely or successfully as the Wii Controllers. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have quite standard style controllers, and come in both wired and wireless form. All versions of the 360 controller have a rumble feature, and so does the latest version of the PS3 controller.
Games
Each console has it’s own set of exclusive titles which are only available on that specific system. Nintendo have been around a while now, and have some long running franchises such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. Sony and Microsoft also have some great exclusives, including Grand Turismo and Killzone for the PS3, and Halo and Gears of War for the 360. It’s important for you to identify any specific titles that you wish to play, and checkout which consoles they are available for.
Online Features
Each console supports a variety of online features, including online play, web browsing, and media downloads. Both the Wii and PS3 are free to play games online, while the 360 requires you pay for their subscription service. Many people consider the online features of the Xbox 360 superior to the PS3 and Wii, although all are quite adequate for online play.
Both the Wii and PS3 have web browsers so that you can access the internet, while the 360 lacks this feature for now.
Download-able content varies between consoles. The Wii allows you to download system updates, applications, retro and indie games. The 360 supports everything that the Wii does, but also includes game demos, and TV/Movie Downloads. Currently the PS3s features are very similar to 360, although movie downloads are only currently available in the US.
Hardware Features
Each console has additional hardware features that may influence your decision when purchasing. The Wii and PS3 come with wireless networking as standard, while the xBox 360 comes with an wired ethernet port, and the option to purchase a separate wireless adapter.
The Wii does not support any formats for playing movies. The PS3 supports Blu-ray and DVD playback, the xBox 360 supports DVD playback, and also the now fairly redundant HD-DVD format via an optional external drive.
The Wii is backwards compatible with most GameCube titles, and even supports GameCube control pads via four ports on the top of the console. Current UK versions of the PS3 only support original Playstation titles, and no longer support PS2 games. The xBox 360 will play a wide selection of original xBox games, but you will require a hard drive to play them.
I’m no audiophile, but it’s useful to note how the 3 consoles support surround sound. The Wii simulates it using Dolby Pro-Logic II through an analogue connection, while the 360 and PS3 both support 5.1 surround sound via digital optical connections. It’s important to note that it really comes down to the games, and how well they are designed to support multiple sounds channels.
Conclusion
There are obviously many factors to consider when buying any console, so it’s not always a straight forward decision. So should you buy a Nintendo Wii? Comparing price and features, you may find that the other consoles are more appealing, but if your interested in the motion control, or Nintendo’s exclusive titles, then the Wii may be for you.
Wii Console: Comparing Nintendo Wii Against Other Consoles
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on September 14th, 2009
New generation gamers like you would definitely know about the seventh generation Nintendo Wii. This is the ultimate console made specifically by Nintendo. It competes with the Xbox 360 of Microsoft as well as the Playstation 3 of Sony. Based on the 2007 edition of the Financial Times magazine, the Wii Console of Nintendo has surpassed its competitors in terms of sales. The reasons for this are varied. Wii Consoles has the following features that make it different from the other consoles:
Nintendo Wii targets wider demographics than its competitors. One proof to this is that it can be enjoyed not just by young boys and girls game enthusiast but also adults.
The Wii console is the first of its kind that has a wireless controller. The Wii remote is used as a pointing device detecting three dimension movements.
The console also has what is called WiiConnect24. This feature enables the console to receive messages and updates from the Internet even when it on standby.
As the latest console of Nintendo, the Wii console is so far the smallest among the many consoles released by Nintendo. Its dimension is 44mm thick, 157mm wide, and 215mm long.
Pros and Cons of a One-stop Shop for Wii
For those who enjoy the features of Wii as well as its games, it is important for them to find a store where they can get the product and accessories. As much as possible, they want to find one-stop shop for all their Wii needs. With just one shop, they avoid hopping from one place to another just to find what they need.
The disadvantage, however, when getting Wii console and its accessories in one shop is that you never know if the prices are affordable or reasonable. Perhaps a Wii enthusiast will get what he needs but when he actually visits other stores, he discovers that the one-stop shop offers substantial price compared to others. In effect, the person may have saved time searching for the needed items for the Nintendo Wii, but he has lost money for the savings.
Searching For Nintendo Wii
Fortunately, in the Internet, there are many sites that can help you search right for the needed Nintendo Wii. You can find sites that help you make your search easier and economical. Easier because you do not have to hop from one online store to another just to get your needed item. Your search will also be economical because you will be able to compare prices of different stores in just one view. One site that offers this service is Wii Compare.
What Wii Compare Offers
Wii Compare is a site that offers everything related to Nintendo Wii. It could be about the Wii console, Wii accessories, and Wii games. If you are looking for a certain game, you just have to check on the webpage that offers the game. In Wii Compare, you will be able to see what store offers the particular game. Most importantly, you will be able to compare prices from each store. With the Wii Compare, you will find which among the stores offer the most affordable price.
So when you are looking for everything related to your Nintendo Wii, its not enough that the items are available in one store. You must also check if the prices are affordable. You can only do this by comparing stores. For easy ways to compare, you can utilize the services of the Wii Compare site.
Nintendo Wii - and What’s Special About it
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 17th, 2009
Why exactly are Wii consoles in such hot demand? There are many people out there claiming that PS3 and Xbox 360 are so much better, but if that’s the case, why is the demand for Wii so crazily high every year, making it so hard to get hold of them every Christmas?
What’s really awesome and magical about the Wii is in fact how you play it. It has features like no other gaming console on the market right now. With the Wii, you are no longer a couch potato, just sitting on your bum and playing one-sided games. What you get with the Wii is a high level of interaction! Rather than having a controller attached to the console by a wire, it works so much more interactively. That means you’ve a wireless controller that you hold in your hand while playing the games. What makes it even better is that the Wii is able to interpret your movement and translate it onto the gaming screen - A gaming experience that no other gaming console is able to offer you!
Children, adults, teens all love it and that’s one of the main reasons that makes the Wii so wildly popular.
Lately, a different craze has came forth with the Wii. It is the Wii Fit and once more it has sent Wii sales soaring up again. And with the approaching holiday season, we might just expect to see another case of demand exceeding supply again as everyone rushes to lay their hands on a Wii.
The Wii Fit helps you exercise while letting you have tons of fun. What Nintendo has done with this game is to banish the thought that exercise and fun cannot be bundled together. There are tons of sports games that you can play with the Wii Fit. So, if you are someone who does not going for boring jogs, you should really consider the Wii Fit. With the Wii Fit, you will realise how simple and fun it is to keep in shape. But, that is if the kids even let you use the Wii console in the first place.
Honestly, when you have a Wii, it’s hard to figure out why you would even consider getting other consoles, considering the level of fun the games bring you, and the number of games that you can get with Wii download sites.
Well, I’m a Wii convert, and I’m proud to say that.
