By Naheem Zaffar
This article did not make it into Issue 8. We had a similar "War of the Consoles" in there instead, which this article cannibalised on. Now this article is presented as an exclusive bonus to our online readers.
Ok, time to play some games. There are three new consoles out. Some call them the next gen. Others the New Gen. We call it a bundle of fun.
The revival HQ thought it was a good time to have a look at them and see what they had to offer. We also got the opinion of a Joe Schmoe [Actually it is David Orton - Ed] who owns all three so you can see what he thought about them.
The first of the new generation of consoles to be launched was the Xbox 360. Launched to much hype and predicted sellouts in December 2005, it got a massive run where it was the only kid on the block. The “premium” version (in other words the only one worth buying) has a retail price of £279.
This was David's second console of this gen. He brought it with Gears of War (£50). This is what he had to say:
"It had very good graphics and relatively fast gameplay. I was happy with the remote and picture quality. The price was also not too bad. Unfortunately the price shot up when i decided to take the thing online..."
nderstandable really as a wireless adapter cost him a massive £80. That was not including the extra £40 he had to pay for his Xbox live membership. There was also the matter to contend with that after a year on sale there are still very few high quality games out for it. But its online gaming center – Xbox live is a point in its favour.
The next console launched, almost a year later was the Wii by Nintendo for a very reasonable £179. A golden yellow colour with a “wet look” was not used. Instead we got a sleek white console which was dwarfed in size compared to its competitors. It comes with built in wifi (wireless internet) but lacks some of the graphical flair of its competitors, The Wii has the main selling point as motion recognition. Think Minority report. It's nothing like that.
This was Dave's first console of this gen. However his choice of games left him with a few question marks over the motion control:
"I received "Wii Sports" with the console and was moderately happy... I purchased Zelda: Twilight Princess. Good game but still has the same problems as i mentioned earlier."
Another thing David did not like was that the standard batteries supplied with the wii-motes were not rechargeable.
The Wii is an innovative console that is still in very short supply worldwide. It's motion control is thought to add a whole new level to games, and get couch potatoes moving (you can hear them groan at the thought!). In Wii sports – to Play tennis, you swing the wii-mote as a tennis racket! Like you were playing tennis! But without all that running around that you would have to do when playing real tennis. You wouldn't wanna do that!
A problem with the controller may be that when it comes to precision, the controller can detect very small changes. Try holding your hand steady. See all that motion? So does the controller, so it can hinder delicate gameplay.
Just be careful – if you buy a game for a minor, make sure it is appropriate. Unlike other consoles where you press a button to do some action – here you actually carry it out. This issue has not been too publicised so far. In games like “The Godfather: Blackhand Edition”, you do violence by actually doing violence. You punch by swinging your arms. You hit people with a baseball bat in the same way. You strangle by grabbing people around the neck and shaking. You break the neck as you would...(Not that I know how it is really done...that should keep the cops away!). When manhunt is released later in the year – it should be sold very carefully.
Other things in favour of this console are the “channels” the two most important being Internet Channel – which you can use to access the internet, and “Virtual Console Channel” - which allows you to buy and play selected games from many previous consoles. In May Nintendo will also launch its foray into on-line gaming to appease those who do that sort of thing.
The third Console to be launched was the Playstation 3. At massive monstrosity when compared to the Wii, the only thing is big was its retail price of £425. Many people baulked, when comparing it with the Xbox 360, but adding up the price of the 360 accessories needed to compare there is not too much difference. This was also the third console purchased by David. After he got a mortgage to afford the thing. Joe was impressed:
"When i took it out the box i noticed the almost hypnotising glow and reflection of the chassis and the HUGE ventilation access. Yet i didn't let the looks steer my decision. From turning it on i noticed the immense futuristic and advanced factors of the console. I then saw the on screen interface and thought the Playstation was definitely at first look, very good.
I then tried the gaming. The gaming at first glance seemed similar to the Xbox's but after playing more, i realised Playstation features a far more advanced gaming processor and a hugely more exciting, speedy and cheaper on-line centre."
Yeah, what he said. Being the latest launched, it has a very small catalogue of games, but more are on the way. The current picks seem to be Virtua Fighter – but only if you are a fan of Virtua Fighter as it is not an easy game, Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man. Currently the graphics are not too different from the 360's, but it is expected by many to eventually look much better. It also has a an internet browser, just like the Wii internet Channel, but not.
So, what is the verdict of The Revival? Show us the money. Send it in non sequential unmarked notes and we will take it. Or if you really want our opinion, it is what do you want? If you want strong graphics and centralised on-line play, go for the 360. If you want very strong graphics from a well known brand, go for the Playstation. If you want fun game play that is immersive and allows to kill people without really killing – or play classics Nintendo games such as Mario, Metroid, Zelda The only place to go is the Wii.
