1- Who will be playing?

 

- For younger kids, the Wii hands down gets the best reviews with its family-friendly games.

 

- It doesn’t offer high definition graphics but that is something you can overlook if you’re looking for pure entertaining family and child friendly fun.

 

- For teens, adults and serious gamers especially those interested in realistic graphics and action, the Xbox 360 and PS3 are by far the better choices.

 

2- Consider the games.

 

- What genre of game will you generally be playing?

 

- Before you buy, visit the manufacturer's website to get a sense of what games are available for that console.

 

- Each manufacturer lists compatible games on its website.

 

3- Try out the controller. Before we get into this, Dr. MacIver will tell us all about controllers.

 

- Nowadays you go to any big electronics store they have a PS3, an Xbox and Wii out on display and guess what? You can try em all out.

 

- Play around with the console's controller at the store before you buy. See how it feels in your hand.

 

- A lot of times users frequently complain that a particular controller style is uncomfortable or the buttons are too small for their fingers.

 

- See which one works for you.

 

SIDE NOTE:

 

Hello I’m doctor MacIver… not Mcgyver… that man’s idea of playing a game involves five fingers and a scrotum. Definitely no relation.

Now… A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game.

A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire or nowadays, by means of wireless connection.

Controllers which have been classified as game controllers are keyboards, mice, game pads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, are also game controllers.

The main function of a game controller is to govern the movement and actions of a playable body or object or otherwise influence the events in a video or computer game.

The type of controller used in a game depends on the genre of the game being played.

Now the Wii system utilizes a different kind of controller, called the Wii Remote. It uses built in measuring devices to detect its approximate position and acceleration as well as an image sensor so it can be used as a pointing device.

The Move controller for PlayStation 3 system, although uses a different set of hardware, has similar motion sensing capabilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4- Are you interested in extras like online gaming or playing movies?

 

- The Wii does have Internet connectivity and is less expensive, but it can't play DVD movies.

 

- Both the Xbox and PS3 play DVDs and CDs, but the PS3 can also play Blu-ray Discs. A big plus on the PS3 part.

 

- Both offer online gaming, where you can play your game against someone in China… but research shows that Xbox 360 does a slightly better job in this regard.

 

- Both Xbox and PS3 have online game and entertainment services with Xbox Live and Playstation Network. These are services that offer downloadable games for purchase, free game demos, game add-ons, movie trailers, themes, wallpapers etc.

 

-The Wii has something similar with Wii Ware but is not as advanced as the first two.

 

- The Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the Wii all offer Netflix streaming.

 

5- Factor in accessories to the total cost.

 

- While prices have dropped for each of the major video game consoles, be sure to include optional accessories in your budget.

 

- The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 do not include an HDMI cable, which is necessary for High definition gaming, so you'll have to buy that separately. The cheapest one can set you back $20 to 30.

 

- Eventhough it’s the cheapest option, the Wii offers a wide host of accessories -- like the Wii Balance Board and Wii Wheel -- that are required for certain popular exercise and sports games, but they all cost extra, too.

 

 

6- Consider capacity.

 

- If you're not that interested in downloading games, you can probably get by with less storage in your game console. i.e. the hard disk.

 

- Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 come in a few separate versions with different hard disk capacities.

 

 

 

7- Backwards compatibility.

 

- Keep in mind that new consoles aren't guaranteed to play older games.

 

- Sony has dropped backward compatibility with PS2 games on all current and recent versions of the PlayStation 3.

 

- Only Xbox 360 models that have hard drives can play older Xbox games, but the models that lack a hard drive cannot.

 

- The Nintendo Wii can play some older games via its Virtual Console feature.

 

 

Final Thought

- The Wii is popular for its family-friendly titles and numerous fitness offerings,

- The Xbox 360 has an extensive collection of games for serious gamers.

- The PlayStation 3 includes fewer games than the Xbox 360, but boasts extra features like a Blu-ray drive and Wi-Fi.

- The motion sensing gaming experience that was exclusive to Wii has now been invaded by The PS3 move released in September of this year and Xbox Kinect due out in November.

- I’ve tried both of them and they’re quite impressive but I will have a segment in a future episode that tackles only the motion sensing gaming experience on offer from the three major consoles we talked about today.