Many of you may have been pondering what next gen video system to buy. With so much information flying around on the Internet sometimes it can get difficult to decipher what is viable information.

Here is a comprehensive guide to buying a video game system, weighing all the pros and cons while delving into the system details. Hopefully this guide will help you determine which system is just right for you.

Wii

The Wii is the next gen offering from Nintendo. Arguably Nintendo is the company that brought the home console gaming to the forefront as it is today, so you can be rest assured they know a thing or two about video gaming.

The Wii is hailed not for its graphical marvel but its innovative motion sensing controls. This is definitely a system to play with your friends with fun and exciting games such as Wii Sports and Mario Cart. This console is geared for the casual gamer for those that don’t have the time to worry about a deep story, but just want to pick up the controller and start playing. However that doesn’t mean you won’t find games for the hardcore gamers with Zelda and Metroid Prime.

Wii cost - $249.99

Pros

• • Fun innovative motion sensing controls
  • Wii comes bundled with Wii Sports
  • Download classic NES/SNES games via the virtual console
  • The Wii offers a decent Internet browser so you can surf the internet from the comfort of your couch
  • Has Wi-fi built in so you can connect to the internet wirelessly
  • Backward compatible to Gamecube games

Cons

• • Lack of rechargeable batteries included or offered by Nintendo, they should at least offer official rechargeable batteries instead of third party vendors
  • Lack of Hard-drive cause constant deleting of downloaded games, this is a definite issue with so many great games on the virtual console to download
  • The Wii loses some of its appeal when not played with a group of people; yes when friends are not over, the Wii sits collecting dust
• Hidden Costs
• • You will find yourself quickly going through batteries, and will eventually have to buy rechargeable batteries.
  • The Internet browser costs approximately $5 to download.
  • With only a 512mb internal memory, you will have to get at least 1GB SD card or greater to take full advantage of all that the Wii offers through the downloads
  • Considering how much of a social console the Wii is, it really is surprising Nintendo only bundles one controller, so purchasing at the minimum a second controller is a must.

Hidden Costs	Cost
Rechargeable Batteries (avg third party)	$10
Internet Browser purchase	$5
1GB SanDisk SD memory card (minimum)	$15
Wii-mote & Wii Nunchuk	$60
Total Potential Hidden Cost	$90

Xbox 360

Microsoft’s offering the Xbox 360 is their next gen platform capable of producing high quality graphics. Unlike the Wii the Xbox 360 is geared towards the hardcore gamer, with titles such as Halo 3, Gears of War and Bioshock as their staple franchises.

In the past the Xbox 360 garnered some harsh criticism to their alleged 30% failure rate, however in response to that Microsoft has since rectified the issue by extending all Xbox 360’s warranty to 3 years.

The Xbox 360 has been out a full year longer then its competitors Sony’s PS3 and Nintendo’s Wii, thus they have a larger library of games dating back to late 2005.

Xbox 360 comes in three configurations:
- Xbox 360 Elite
- Xbox 360 Premium
- Xbox 360 Arcade

Difference between the three models:

Features	Elite	Premium	Arcade
Cost	US $449.99	US $349.99	US $279.99
Storage	120GB	20GB	No Harddrive; 256mb flash
Ethernet cable	Yes	Yes	No
USB Headset	Yes	Yes	No
HDMI Cable	Yes	No	No

As you can see the Arcade is a gimped version of the Xbox 360, it is definitely not worth the money when you can pay a bit more and get almost everything the other consoles have. The Arcade also lacks a crucial component, a hard drive. Without the hard drive online functionality is practically useless, with no real means of downloading any demos or videos.

Pros

• • A huge selection of games with over 200 games to choose from.
  • Xbox Live: Great online functionality, chat with friends, message each other
  • Small tid bit sized games, and puzzle games offered via Xbox Live
  • Backwards compatible to 400 some original Xbox games
  • High definition games in 1080p, 1080i and 720p
  • 3 year warranty

Cons

• • Recurring fee for Xbox live every year, this cost should be included in the price of the games, we shouldn’t have to pay to play online
  • Lack of rechargeable batteries included, this should be standard
  • Lack of wireless Wi-Fi capability, have to purchase the wireless adapter for $100, what were they thinking? Nobody has Ethernet cables running to the entertainment den
  • No Internet Browser, can’t buy one or download one, absolutely no option
  • No old Xbox library games to download from Xbox Live
  • High failure rate reported by Microsoft due to what is know as “Red Ring of Death”

Hidden Costs	Cost
Wireless Adapter (Wi-Fi)	$100
Quick Charge Kit (Rechargeable Batteries from Msft)	$30
Xbox Live (recurring annual charge)	$50
Total Potential Hidden Cost	$180

PS3

The PS3 is Sony’s next gen system utilizing the next gen format Blu-Ray. The PS3 houses the much publicized powerful Cell processor as well.
The PS3 truly is the ultimate media center, being the only game system on the market capable of playing next gen movie format as well as next gen games. This is definitely the right system for those who love video games and movies. The PS3 is known for games hit games like Resistance Fall of Man, Motorstorm, Ratchet and Clank, and Uncharted Drake’s Fortune.

There are two PS3 configurations on the market:
- PS3 40GB
- PS3 80GB (available June 2008) *Bundled with Metal Gear 4

Features	40GB PS3	80GB PS3
Cost	US $399.99	US $499
Storage	40GB	80GB
Flash Card Readers	No	Yes
PS2 Compatible	No	Yes
PS1 Compatible	Yes	Yes

There is not much difference between the two versions except PS2 backwards compatibility and the flash card readers. Both systems will play Playstation 1 discs though.

• Pros
  • back catalog to over 1000 PS1 game titles
  • back catalog to over 2000 PS2 game titles(80GB)
  • Comes with rechargeable batteries for controllers
  • plays blu-ray movies
  • Approximately 160 PS3 games available
  • Has Wi-Fi built into system
  • Playstation Network(PSN) – Great online functionality, chat with friends, message each other; is free in contrast to Xbox 360’s annual fee
  • Has Internet Browser; nice for surfing the web from the sofa
  • Small tid-bit games can be downloaded from PSN
  • High definition games in 1080p, 1080i and 720p

• Cons
  • Lack HDMI cable, they should really bundle this with the system considering it plays hi-def movies
  • Lack of headset, this should come standard as well
  • Does not have as much games out as Xbox 360
  • Lack of PS2 backward compatibility support for 40GB system

Hidden Costs	Cost
HDMI Cable	$10
USB Headset	$10
Total Potential Hidden cost	$20

In conclusion, every console really targets different consumers with different needs you just have to decide what needs are. Ask yourself several questions, are you looking for an all in one solution or are you looking for something basic and fun for the kids? How much are you willing to invest in a game system, and what is the best cost for what your needs are.

Here is a chart of realistically what you can expect to spend per console; many will agree these are accessories you will eventually find you can’t live without.

Expected cost on each console

PS3	Wii	Xbox 360
80GB PS3 - $499	Standard - $249	Elite - $449
Hidden Costs	Hidden Costs	Hidden Costs
HDMI Cable - $10	Rechargable Battery - $10	Wireless Adapter (Wi-Fi) - $100
USB Headset - $10	Internet Browser - $5	Quick Charge Kit - $30
	1GB SanDisk SD - $15	Xbox Live (recurring annually) - $50
	Wii-mote/Wii Nunchuk - $60
Expected Cost: $519	Expected Cost: $339	Expected Cost: $629

---

Related:

Complete guide to buying a desktop PC

Buyer’s guide to Blu-ray players to help clear up the confusion

How to buy the perfect notebook/laptop computer

Buying guide: how to buy the perfect GPS navigator

How to buy the perfect LCD monitor

Entry was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 at 6:20 am under Uncategorized.

Read more entries by Mike Ferro.