OK let’s start with Nintendo Wii. This is the ultimate party console. Nintendo was genius for taking a completely different approach then Sony and Microsoft and distinguishing themselves with their motion sensitive "Wiimote". I played the Wii for the first time last summer and had a blast just with the game that came with the console – Wii Sports. I thought bowling was the most fun but I probably looked the most ridiculous with Boxing. It was the first time I had broken a sweat playing a video game since I was getting my butt kicked by my brother running hurdles on the Power Pad. The Nintendo Wii is just plain fun and with the Mario Kart Wii coming out at the end of April and Rockband in June, this is definitely a console that I covet very much.
The Playstation 3 is now what I would call the premiere utility console. Not only is it a premiere game console, it is also a Blu-ray movie player, web browser, and has a 40 GB Hard Drive that can store music, photos, and video. With HD DVD going down the tubes, the ability of the PS3 to play Blu-ray DVDs and its price make it a no-brainer purchase for HDTV owners. There have been complaints in the past that the PS3 lacked great exclusive titles but that will change very soon my friend. Let me throw out some exclusive titles coming to the PS3 in 2008, Final Fantasy VIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Haze, Gran Turismo 5. Not to mention the fact that we learned recently that all Rockstar Games after Grand Theft Auto IV will be PS3 exclusive. With all this in mind I’m looking for 2008 to be the year of the PS3.
Now we come to the Xbox 360, which I believe is now the premiere gamer console. This is a unit that just turns out great games with quality exclusive titles of there own. In fact the Xbox 360 always had great exclusives to include of course Halo 3, Gears of War, and others. In fact, the 360 will always have a special place in my heart because of Halo 3. The multi-player experience of this game has yet to be surpassed. In addition to game titles, online gaming with Xbox Live is far superior to other consoles. (We will see soon enough if PS3 Home can steal some of Live’s thunder). The Xbox Live experience has proven to be rock solid. While visiting family I watched my brother-in-law play Halo 3 on Live with a wi-fi connection generated on the other side of the house. There was no lag or stuttering in game play - rock solid. The demise of the HD DVD has made the Xbox 360 more one-dimensional, more of a work-horse for great game play. It’s a good thing that the one thing this game console does it does oh so well.
So you might be thinking to yourself why I listed the Atari 800 next to these behemoths, like a street race against a Toyota Yaris and 3 McLaren F1s (the fastest street legal car for those of you keeping up). Let me tell you something about the Atari 800. My family owned one of these consoles when I was growing up and instead of games, my Dad would purchase magazines that listed the pages and pages of code that made up these games. I remember spending countless hours typing in the code for Asteroids only to have one of my brothers trip over the power cord as I was about to finish the few last lines of code. Curses! When code was finished for a game, we would play it for a couple of hours and then try and leave the console on during the day until we could come home from school and play the game again. We would explain to our Mom how important it was to leave the console on, but it would invariably get “accidentally” turned off, wiping out all previously entered code and therefore the game as well. The blood, sweat, and tears that went to coding those games made the precious hours of game play that much sweeter. You will never have that experience by merely forking out most of your college money for today’s games. It will never be the same!
In the end:
I don't own any of these consoles as of yet and truth be told I want them all. Let me put these consoles in the order I would purchase them.
1) Nintendo Wii - This console is just too fun and innovative, and with Mario Kart and Rockband coming out I had to put this console at the top. $249
2) Playstation 3 - Maybe if I buy this console I can convince my wife we need an HDTV. Here's to wishful thinking. $399
3) XBox 360 - The Wii has games I like playing with a group, but the 360 has games that I enjoy alone. I also hope to keep up with dental school friends using Xbox live and kickin' their butts.
$349
4) Atari 800 - I believe I would have the most fulfillment from this console after coding in my own games but I'm just too lazy now. Playstation 3 should come out with a new feature where I can code in my own games. I'm sure after working on one for 27 years It'll feel like pure ecstasy to play that game. $15 on ebay (not sure where you can buy the magazines:)
Well for those of you who picked the Xbox 360 as the console that went from the top of the list to the bottom you get a gold asterisk.
