The Console Wars: Launch is Nigh (gamezone)

- gamezone -

Weighing in on your next-gen purchasing decision this fall

Well, everyone, it’s nearly that time. Once the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii hit store shelves later this month, the hype machine will effectively shut down and it will be up to the hardware makers to put their money where their mouth is. Or rather, put your money where their mouth is. Which console is the one to get? How will they weigh against each other? Well, considering the amount of hype surrounding each console has generated (and the fact that all three console manufacturers each “spin” more than a West London DJ), the answer will certainly vary depending on where the story comes from. Ultimately (and if you’ll pardon the cliché), the answer to that question relies on you, the consumer, as each one has it own benefits to offer gamers.

PlayStation 3

First on deck is the PlayStation 3. Arguably one of the most controversial systems to hit the market in many years, Sony’s PS3 has had gamers the world over up in a tizzy due to both formal announcements and statements made by higher-ups like Kaz Hirai. Cell processor? Blu-Ray discs? 600 bucks?! Indeed, nothing has both fanboys from all sects (or pretty much anyone else for that matter) up in arms more than the pricing of the unit. Sony’s doing the dual-SKU pricing (a decision which created a lot of criticism for Microsoft when they did it last year), slicing the system into two options, a version with a 20 GB hard drive and one with a 60 GB hard drive retailing for $500 and $600, respectively. However, the differences between the two units run a little deeper than that, as the 60 GB hard drive unit will feature built-in Wi-Fi and slots to insert media cards, whereas the 20 GB version will not.

Sony's behemoth hopes to be a fixture in your living room for years to come.

Either way you slice it though, 500 and 600 bucks is a lot of money to spend on a video game system. However, if you’re an entertainment buff as well as a gamer, this can seem like a great deal for a Blu-Ray player (a grand is pretty much par for the course when it comes to standalone units) that can also play some of the biggest and best games that people have come to expect from a Sony system, like Final Fantasy XIII, Devil May Cry 4, Tekken 6 and the list goes on. Unfortunately, aside from the very impressive looking Resistance: Fall of Man and some good-looking cross-platform titles, there are no other truly high-profile releases this fall for the PS3. However, Sony has been very forthcoming in stating that their system will be a long-term investment, claiming that the system will be a permanent living-room fixture for ten years. The system certainly has the horsepower behind it, and with HD movie playback as one of it's main selling points, it could very well be something that will be in constant use in your home for many years to come. Big things are on the way for the PS3, and once the console shortages (already well into effect) are taken care of, Sony’s behemoth should become a worthy purchase.

Wii

Next up, Nintendo’s Wii. While the company has faltered on the home system front over the past two console generations, the big “N” is hardly out for the count. Their immitigable success on the handheld front with the DS shows how their pursuit of emphasizing innovation in gameplay over raw technical horsepower can lead to big bucks for the company. The Wii follows this business philosophy to a “T”; it may not be the most powerful system of the three (it’s graphical capabilities are roughly twice that of the GameCube, falling well shy of the power behind either the 360 or the PS3), but what it lacks in that department it makes up in uniqueness and personality. Nintendo’s philosophy for the Wii from day one has stressed gameplay over graphics, and the Wii-mote (yes, that is what it’s called) should make for a wholly unique experience that will not only give hardcore gamers a fun time, but should be able to snare casual gamers looking to get into what consoles have to offer.

The Wii's control scheme is both its biggest asset and its biggest gamble.

On the game front, the one name that has been on the lips of nearly every gamer looking into the Wii as their purchase this season has been Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the first Zelda game ever to ship during a console’s launch, and what a Zelda it is. Offering a more “mature” look that gamers have been clamoring for since Wind Waker hit the GameCube (commonly referred to as “Cel-da” by naysayers, due to its cartoony, cel-shaded aesthetic), Twilight Princess will not only offer up some great Zelda gameplay and fantastic graphics, but will now take advantage of the Wii-mote, making the game the most unique Zelda title to date. Also offered at launch will be versions of upcoming cross-platform titles that have been geared to take full advantage of the Wii’s control scheme, like Call of Duty 3 from Activision and Rayman Raving Rabbids from Ubisoft, and more heavy hitters from Nintendo themselves like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy on their way soon after the console hits. Not only that, but the system’s Virtual Console will enable owners to download hits from past systems like the SNES, NES, and even the SEGA Genesis and TurboGrafx 16, catering to the nostalgia buff in all of us. Not only that, but the system will be the cheapest of the three, costing only 250 of your hard-earned dollars, further cementing the system’s ability to pull in a broader audience.

Xbox 360

Last but not least is the Xbox 360. Microsoft’s latest offering started off a little bit on the rough side when it released last November, with highly-publicized shortages across the country immediately after launch and some reports of hardware failures. Not only that, but most of the launch titles were either already on the PC or half-assed ports of current-gen console games (HD, while great, doesn’t necessarily make a game a next-gen experience).

Gears of War could be the killer app that Microsoft needs to put the Xbox 360 on top.

However, Microsoft has since adapted and taken its year head-start as a learning lesson, rectifying it’s mistakes and stepping up for a great looking fall line-up. Microsoft’s 800-pound gorilla from day one, Gears of War, should be a formidable opponent for the PS3 and Wii in and of itself. Even the Xbox Live Arcade is really coming along on it’s own, with some truly fun and engaging experiences showing up nearly every week, with titles like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Lumines Live, and Cloning Clyde providing compelling experiences through the Xbox Live service, and tons more down the pipeline. All said, the Xbox 360 will offer a stellar 2nd year line-up and should be worth more than just a passing thought for gamers who either couldn’t score one last year or have waited to see the whole crop of consoles before they made the ultimate decision.

So, each system has its own high and low points, and gamers should certainly give some serious thought to their purchase before they make it. Luckily, there won’t be any losers depending on what you do get, as each one will deliver great experiences. Now more than ever, it’s a great time to be a gamer.