This has to be the question we are most commonly asked, be it by readers, friends, family or random folk met at the pub: “I am thinking of buying a console, which one do I buy?” It seems like a simple enough question, but it is a tough one to answer. Indeed, every time the query passes someone’s lips and their eyes widen in anticipation, shaped with naivety, there is little we can do but take a deep breath, sigh a little and begin. “Well…
The first decision you need to make is “what kind of a gamer am I?” Do you just want to be able to put something on and have a bit of fun when your friends are around for a BBQ? Do you want to be right on the cutting edge of gaming technology struck with awe every time you pump the machine through your high-def home theatre? Do you have a particular genre allegiance, like puzzle games, or strategy games, or adventure titles? Are you part of a particular demographic: a pre-teen, an elder statesman or maybe a parent with kids to play with? Are you interested in multiplayer gaming? Offline or online? Is there are particular series you simply must play, like Zelda, Halo or Ratchet & Clank that might be found on only one console? We could go on.
Before deciding which console you want to buy, you’ll need to get a general idea of what type of gaming experience you want by answering questions like the ones above. You should also have a good idea of your budget, and also look towards any major life changes that could occur over the next couple of years: do you plan on updating your TV? Have you a baby that is on the verge of becoming a young child? Are you going to move into a flat with friends? As you will see from what is detailed below, the answer to these questions will end up directing you towards one console over another.
Ok, so are you in the right head space? Let’s go…
The Nintendo Wii
Nintendo has done a remarkable job in marketing the machine, making just about everybody on the planet think it is going to be a blast of fun and an object of desire. And it can be quite a lot of fun, but the Wii is a long way from the games machines offered by Microsoft and Sony.
The Wii isn’t a format you will religiously come home to and put on. It’s great to crack out when the kids won’t shut up.
And it can be a blast at BBQs or dinner parties where a range of players of differing skills and experience can find themselves laughing and having fun on a level playing field. With its motion-based controls and generally dumbed-down gameplay, it is not about epic 100hr adventures and all about 30 min bursts of low-emotional investment gaming.
That is not to say that such epic games don’t exist. The likes of Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper Mario and No More Heroes offer mature and lengthy single-player experiences, but the lack of high-definition output – the Wii lacks the technological muscle and the output capabilities to deliver high quality visuals and sound – means that said games feel underdone in comparison to similar titles on Xbox 360 and PS3. The gameplay is fine, but the experiences still feel dated.
It should be noted that GameCube games do play on the Wii: they are hard to find in any retail outlet, but can be picked up for very cheap on ebay and really, there isn't much of downgrade in the quality of the experience.
Perhaps one of the biggest myths surrounding the Nintendo Wii is that it is cheap. The console has not received a price-cut since its launch and still retails for AU$400, more expensive that the Xbox 360, although cheaper than the PS3. Additionally the all important controllers cost you AU$100 a pop (for the nunchuk and Wii-mote) which adds up quickly if you want to make use of the key functionality of the console which is as a party system. It will cost you another $300 for you to make best use of the four-player experience called Wii Sports that comes bundled in the box. Going online is free – unlike the Xbox 360 – but the machine offers no DVD playback. While that may seem a moot point to many, if you are looking for a games machine for the kids in a separate room, you may want to be able to play movies as well as games.
Buying into the Wii in late 2008 though does give you access to a pretty rich library of games. The console has become synonymous for its cheap and nasty party titles, but Nintendo itself has pumped out some top quality experiences, from adventures (The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy), racers (Mario Kart Wii), fighters (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) and shooters (Metroid Prime 3) to RPGs (Pokemon). These brands are not available on any of the other consoles and at $100 each you can grab three of four choice games that will keep average customers thoroughly happy for months.
If you are planning to really get into your gaming experience though and invest in more than just the occasional party experience, the future of the console doesn’t look flash. Nintendo seem content to let what they have already made do the business and there is little in the way of upcoming games to get excited about. While there are some excellent titles appearing from third-party developers like de Blob and Madworld, these are definitely a rarity, meaning that once you’ve tapped the current library, you’ll run low on options. In addition, the machine looks and sounds terrible on high-definition TVs and home-theatre systems, and that is seeing it become out-dated quickly as the buy-in costs of these devices plummet.
Even though all PS3's are BC with PS1 Games