The greatest game console of all time?

few days ago, blogger Don Reisinger made the bold declaration that the Super Nintendo was the greatest video game system of all time. The SNES was indeed a great console with lots of great games, but it’s still a leap to call it the greatest system ever made. In an industry that’s over 30 years old, that’s seen dozens upon dozens of home video game systems, simply calling out Nintendo’s second console as the best ever seems simplistic.

To a certain extent, though, Don is right. The Super Nintendo could be considered the greatest console of all time. It presented a huge leap in technology from the NES, and its superlative selection of great games make it a system I’d be proud to keep next to my TV to this day. Some of my fondest young gaming memories revolve around the SNES and the countless hours I spent in front of it. Many of my favorite games are SNES titles, and they’re still great to play today (thank you, Virtual Console, since my original SNES is long gone).  

The Super Nintendo isn’t the only choice, though. It might not even be the best choice for best console. The SNES took a huge leap forward from the NES, but it went in the same direction as the NES took from the Atari. It did everything the NES did, and it did a far better job of it, but it didn’t really offer much else. A look at some of the greatest games of the system offer enough proof of that: Super Mario World, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Mega Man X, and Final Fantasy VI were all sequels. They’re all fantastic games, but they owe everything to the original NES games: Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, and Final Fantasy. 

Several other consoles could also be called the greatest gaming system. They all offer a great advancement from the previous generation, they all feature massive libraries of great games, and they all have a shot at beating the Super Nintendo for the superlative title. 

Nintendo Entertainment System:  Brought gaming back from the brink  

The NES helped start it all, and pulled North America back from the brink after the console gaming crash. The home video game system market almost died in 1983 and 1984, when the field became flooded with everything from Atari to Colecovision to Intellivision to Vectrex to the Bally Astrocade. There were practically more systems on the market than decent games to play with them, and people weren’t biting. The Nintendo Entertainment System helped revitalize the industry when it came out in the U.S. in late 1985.  Of course, Nintendo’s first home system wasn’t great simply because what it did to the market. The 8-bit console found dozens of great games, from franchise firsts like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda, to great third-party titles like Mega Man, Castlevania, and Final Fantasy, to classic sports games like Super Tecmo Bowl, Super Dodgeball, and Blades of Steel. The millions of grown-up gamers who helped make the game industry so successful owe much of their childhood memories to time spent on Nintendo’s 8-bit console.  

The case against: The NES’ games haven’t aged very well. While SNES titles like Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past are still a blast to play, the original Final Fantasy,, Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda can’t readily compare. They score big on the nostalgia factor, but the SNES offers broader, deeper, prettier games that feature all the best parts of the NES titles without the ugliness or simplicity. It doesn’t help that for every great game on the NES, there were easily 10 horrible pieces of shovelware pushed out.  

Great games: Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man, Castlevania, Super Dodgeball, Duck Hunt, StarTropics, Ducktales, Final Fantasy  

Sony PlayStation: Gaming made for grown-ups

If you had an NES in your childhood living room, you probably had a PlayStation in your college dorm room. While the NES helped make home video games popular again, the PlayStation helped legitimize the industry as a form of entertainment for adults, as well as kids. Titles like Resident Evil, Final Fantasy 7, and Metal Gear Solid tied great graphics with surprisingly mature and deep storytelling to present gaming experiences that adults could proudly play.  

The PlayStation really gave developers the opportunity to actually show gamers the story, not just tell them. The system’s combination of optical storage and 3D graphics let games use rendered cut scenes, voice acting, and even video footage to tell their stories. Previous systems like the SNES and NES offered dramatic storytelling at times (like the excellent Final Fantasy 7), and systems like the Phillips CD-i and Sega Saturn used optical discs to pack movies and sound into games, but the PlayStation was the first system to really take advantage of both to inject much-needed maturity into an industry that was still seen as primarily for young children.  

The case against: Like the NES, the PlayStation suffered from a deluge of shovelware that outnumbered its decent games. Like the SNES, most of the great games on the PlayStation were retreads and sequels of older systems’ games. Many of the games, like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7, took their series in some great new directions, but they still didn’t offer much new besides prettier graphics and deeper stories.  

Great games: Resident Evil, Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Silent Hill, Tekken 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Xenogears  

Microsoft Xbox 360: Putting it all online Though it’s horribly premature to consider any competitor in the current console war the “best game system ever,” the Xbox 360 still deserves some consideration. Microsoft’s second game system has done the best job so far of connecting a home console to the Internet and bringing the entire experience together with ease and (relative) stability. After a successful test run on the original Xbox, Xbox Live has bloomed into a full-featured online service. Xbox Live Arcade offers a surprisingly large library of fun, downloadable games, from classic titles (like the aforementioned PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) to esoteric board games (like Catan and Carcassonne).  

While online competition was once the sole purveyance of PCs, the Xbox 360 and the for-pay Xbox Live Gold service has made everything from casual death matches to sports tournaments easy to set up and execute. Previous systems, like the Sega Dreamcast, the PlayStation 2, and the original Xbox, laid the groundwork for online console play, but the Xbox 360 managed to execute it the most successfully. Voice and text chat both in and out of games, easy communication between friends enjoying different games, and a buddy list you can view and edit over the Web make the system one of the easiest to take online. Of course, the other two consoles have made available both downloadable games and multiplayer, but they don’t do it quite as well. The Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console lets gamers enjoy some of the best games from the NES, SNES, and other classic systems, and the PlayStation Network offers both new games and classic PlayStation titles for download. Unfortunately, the Wii’s multiplayer component feels incomplete and awkward, and the PS3’s library isn’t as large and its interface isn’t nearly as friendly as it could have been. The Xbox 360 simply manages to hit its mark and, like the NES and the PlayStation, take gaming forward.  

The case against: The Xbox 360 has been plagued by quality control issues since it came out, and the red ring of death has caused a great deal of bitterness. The system itself has some great games, but it doesn’t offer many truly remarkable exclusive titles; with a few exceptions, the Xbox 360’s best games are either PC ports or cross-platform titles that are also on the PS3. In certain ways, the Xbox 360 is little more than a PC in a shiny console wrapper.  

Great games: Mass Effect, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, Gears of War, Puzzle Quest, Catan, Carcassonne, Alien Hominid HD  

The final verdict:  Depends on what you mean by “greatest”  

Gaming is so subjective that there is no single “greatest” system ever. It might sound like a cop-out, but it really depends on what standards you’re using and what generation you grew up in. I loved the SNES, and would personally call it the greatest system of all time. However, the NES and PlayStation could both easily be called the best, based on the standards they set and the advances they presented to gaming. Even the Xbox 360 could be called the best, if you consider how much it’s done in terms of connecting console gamers to each other and making new games and content accessible.

In the end, it depends. My heart says SNES, my head says NES, and my hands say PlayStation (because nobody ever got Nintendo Thumb from the Dual Shock controller). Some of my best gaming memories were from the Super Nintendo, but I still have to give credit where credit is due.

Mobile Power Station Loves The Sun

Imagine a solar powered handheld, and then take a look at the Mobile Power Station. Imagine no more, as this portable gaming machine does not need any batteries, drawing all its power from the sun in order to play retro games found on the NES, Gameboy and Gameboy Color eras in addition to multimedia playback capability. These ROMs must first be transferred over to an SD card before they are playable, but that’s another can of worms. I like the ability of the Mobile Power Station to charge other USB-based devices thanks to a USB-out connector, making this one handy travel tool.

It would be interesting to see future iterations, if any, support GBA games as I would like to run Boktai on it. The Mobile Power Station is a wee bit cheaper than the DS though at $123. Tough call if you ask me.

Wii Could Top 100 Million by 2012

If you thought the Nintendo Wii’s success was somehow a fluke and would only be short lived, think again. According to one analyst, we’ve only just seen the beginning of Nintendo’s reign at the top.

 

If you haven’t been able to find a Nintendo Wii don’t feel too bad. Millions of people are in the same boat as you, as is evident by the fact that many retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy simply can’t keep the item in stock. However, if you were hoping that the popularity would die down enough for you to actually find one, it appears you may have to wait for a little while longer as according to one analyst, the Wii will continue to be a hot item.

 

So hot, in fact, that according to Nomura Securities analyst Yuta Sakurai, there will be 100 million Nintendo Wii consoles in homes across the world by 2012. Explaining his belief to the Telegraph, Sakurai said “around 80% of Wii consoles are in family living rooms. The company has managed to embed the system in people’s lifestyles.”

There is no denying that the Nintendo Wii has become integrated in people’s lives. Everyone from hardcore gamers to soccer moms to grandparents seems to have a Wii in their home. In fact, recently the first Wii café opened in the Netherlands. When I heard about this a small part of me died, but it is still a testament to the growing popularity of the Nintendo Wii.

 

It is also interesting to note that the Nintendo Wii is predicted to top 100 million in 2012, which according to the ancient Mayan people is the same year the world is supposed to end. Coincidence? Only time will tell.

 

Price cut rumors for Xbox 360 and PS3 – Wii already cheap enough

There have been some unsubstantiated, yet insistent rumours of price cuts for both the Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 over the past week. Whether any of them are true or not, it poses the question of how the pricing strategy of all three major consoles is affecting sales.

There’s been talk of price cuts for the PS3 this week, which are rumoured to be announced on January 28th. Most of these were in Internet forums, so can be taken with a pinch of salt. It would make sense however, for Sony to try and increase the momentum for PS3 by cutting the price to a more affordable level.

If the white PS3, which up to now has been a Japanese exclusive, does indeed get released in the US, and Europe, then a price cut to coincide with that would seem entirely feasible, or even likely.

 

We also know that the price of manufacturing each Playstation 3 has dropped substantially, almost being cut in half from $800 at launch, to nearer $400 now. Although that means the rumoured retail price cut to $299 would still see Sony losing money on each console sold, it certainly makes it more of a possibility.

The Xbox 360 has also been the subject of price cut rumours, this time from an “unnamed source”, which depending on your point of view either means an industry insider who is leaking sensitive information, or just some nut who wants to spread unfounded rumours, and has realised a great way to do it.

The unnamed tipster is claiming that Microsoft are planning on a $49 price cut to coincide with the release of GTA IV. Again, that does make perfect sense, as there are literally millions of GTA fans who will want to jump generation in order to play the next instalment of their favourite franchise.

 

As for the Wii, well no rumours there, but why would there be when demand is still outstripping supply by a fair margin. In fact, Nintendo could probably push the recommended retail price up a bit and still sell more than they can manufacture.

At the moment, these price cuts are mere rumours, and until Sony or Microsoft confirm them, I’d take them with a huge pinch of salt. You can, however, guarantee that both consoles will see a price drop at some point during 2008. It’s more a case of when, not if.

 

 

Microsoft repairs Xbox 360 five times, refuses to replace it

This has got to be a record.  A certain Xbox 360 owner has had his Xbox 360 repaired five times by Microsoft and it is still not working properly.  The company is supposed to replace any Xbox 360 after the fourth repair attempt but that did not happen.  This is the story of “Greg” and his attempts to get his Xbox 360 repaired.

 

After the fifth repair which occurred on January 2nd, the unit lasted for 11 days and has been out of service for a total of 12 weeks.  He would like a refurbished unit, new unit or just a plain refund but Microsoft is happy enough keeping him in the repair cycle.

He says that his family can’t play video games or watch DVDs.  What’s worse is that he purchased the HD-DVD add-on and “dozens” of HD-DVD titles as well as some Live content, all of which is now useless to him.

 

While the HD-DVD titles and Live content is now worthless, it’s a little hard to believe that his family doesn’t have a cheap $35 DVD player lying around, somewhere.  If not, it won’t break the bank to buy a DVD player to fill the interim.

 

 

 

 

The Consumerist has a timeline of events which goes like this,

1. He bought an Xbox 360 and an extended warranty in early 2007.

2. It was defective, so he called 800-4-MY-XBOX and arranged to have it repaired.

3. Three weeks later the console was returned in working order.

4. It broke down again.

5. Repeat steps 2 & 3.

6. He bought the HD DVD player add-on and began buying HD DVD movies.

7. It broke down a third time.

8. Repeat steps 2 & 3.

9. On November 28th 2007 it broke down a fourth time.

10. “Paul” at Microsoft says, “that since this is my fourth broken xbox that a supervisor needs to talk to me so that I can get a new console instead of another refurbished one. Paul promised a callback between 5-8pm on the 29th. He recorded my new phone number and address.”

11. Nobody calls.

12. Greg calls Microsoft and talks to a woman who says Paul must have been from a different country, “perhaps Canada she thought,” and they do things differently there. She says her supervisor says no deal on the new Xbox. Greg discovers that his account has no record of his conversation with Paul or his new contact info. She says someone will call him back.

13. Nobody calls him back.

14. Greg calls again and speaks to “Kim,” who says a supervisor tried to call but Greg’s phone number was disconnected. There’s no record of his call from the day before or his new contact info.

15. “Eventually” someone named “Jessica” contacts him and arranges for the fourth repair. He receives his Xbox 360 in working order “a few days before Christmas.”

16. On January 2nd, it breaks down for the fifth time.

Certainly at this point it is cheaper for Microsoft to just replace the console than to keep attempting a “repair.”  It’s also not clear what series of Xbox 360 this was but clearly whatever “repairs” that have been done, have not worked.  Do the right thing, Microsoft, just replace it.  If the company continues to refuse there’s always the law.

 

Free games to play on your iPhone

Not all games have been optimized for the iPhone equally. In fact, I found quite a few clunkers that seemed to exist only to take your cash, advertise dubious services, or bombard you with cut-rate graphics. Shudder. These five games, added just this month, test your strategy and timing while offering above-average graphics. 

501 Darts

A two-player strategy game that pits you against your cutthroat iPhone. The goal is to roll down your points from 400 to zero by lobbing darts where it counts–in the highest point zones possible. Tap the red button once to set your horizon and once again to choose the vertical axis. Then watch the arrows fly. The game is fun, but lacks settings to change the game style, pause or save a game, or even reduce the points if you want a shorter game.

 501 Darts is free, supported by a banner ad that doesn’t obstruct the graphics, though it certainly won’t beautify them either.

The same publisher, Ion Games, brings you Golf Driving Range, which uses similar horizontal and vertical bars tirelessly vacillating between extremes to set the direction and strength with which you hit. It behooves players to also pay attention to wind direction and the course schematic while planning their shots. The iPhone’s timing eluded me for the first two games, but as I started getting the hang of how to plan my taps, frustration melted into personal challenge.

You can always tell Sudoku sovereigns by their intense, withdrawn stare. Addicts of the Japanese puzzle game can solve a daily conundrum for free, and ad-free, with Radworkz Daily Puzzles. Insert a digit into the appropriate square by tapping the square once and selecting from the number wheel.

Sometimes the simplest game is the most satisfying. Connect4 touch is one of those. The iPhone-generation’s high-tech take on the classic two-player game again matches wits with your Apple’s AI to see which player can line up four colored circles first. This one is ad-supported, but once you click the “play” bar below the ad, the game is nuisance-free.

A new day, a new puzzle–that’s iFreecell’s philosophy. Each day, tiles of three designs are shuffled into a 64-square grid. Your job is to remove the tiles by clicking the designs–but those social tiles only disappear when they have a companion. Use your noggin to click away the adjacent or stacked tiles without leaving any singletons behind.

Incoming: Military-grade carrying case for the PSP

Over the years, we’ve gotten letters from soldiers stationed in Iraq, and they’ve talked about how hard the place is on electronics gear–and I’m not talking bullets and bombs, but just the raw elements (dust, sand, and so on…). Well, I just noticed this item on PSP Fan Boy: a $100 military-style PSP case from TAD Gear that claims to be military-grade.

A note on the site about the PSP Pod reads:

“This is a very special, limited custom run of nylon accessory pouches. These PSP Pods were produced at the request of some our associates and customers deployed overseas. The Sony PSP has become a common sight in many a soldiers’ kit these days. The PSP has become ideal for personal entertainment for many while in transit or stuck at barracks. This is built with MILSPEC construction and materials thru-out. There is no sturdier, better built, and versatile storage pouch for the PSP available anywhere. TAD Gear is not a video game store, but we clearly see the merits of the PSP as a personal electronic device and wanted to offer this very special case to carry yours. Due [to] the high cost of production it is highly unlikely we will produce these again.”

A hundred bucks is a lot to spend on a case, but it looks pretty sweet, and I suspect a few civilian commuters might pick one up for that rough train or bus ride between the ‘burbs and the big city.

The ‘Wii Party Station’ is our kind of gaming

We’ve never been into games all that much, so we’ve felt a bit left out with all that’s going on at E3 this week. Then we saw it–the Nyko “Wii Party Station” (cue the angels’ choir).

 This heavenly contraption may not save you from the killer zombies of Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, but it may well help dull the pain from their undead doings. The reason: It has four cupholders that will keep your beers cool, as well as a fan to do the same with your hands, according to Technabob. It’s kind of the bad-boy cousin to Nyko’s innocent charging station, or a console version of a beer hat. The station even has a built-in bowl for chips and dip, as well as LED score trackers and space to store the Wiimotes.

 The $25 accessory is apparently just a prototype at this stage, but we have a feeling that demand will force production once word gets out. After all, it’s the perfect antidote to the obnoxiously health-conscious Wii Fit.

 

A Gamer’s Laptop Dream…The Dell XPS M1710

The top-of-the-line XPS M1710 with Blu-ray, configured similarly to the $3,498 system we reviewed in October, costs $4,249. It costs slightly less to add a Blu-ray drive than a stand-alone set-top box Blu-ray player, but it costs slightly more than a PlayStation 3 console, which also plays Blu-ray discs. Of course, neither set-top boxes nor the PS3 will allow you to record onto Blu-ray recordable and re-recordable discs. The XPS M1710’s dual-layer drive can write up to 50GB of data on Blu-ray discs, as well as play back Blu-ray movies

CyberLink’s PowerDVD 6.6 is included for playing back Blu-ray movies, while Nvidia’s PureVideo HD is behind the Blu-ray decoding, and Roxio Creator Plus handles burning chores. With Roxio Creator Plus, you can create Blu-ray data discs, for storing massive amounts of data, or Blu-ray video discs, which you can play back on set-top Blu-ray players. The XPS M1710 does not have an HDMI output, so to send that HD signal to a big-screen plasma or LCD, you’ll have to use the DVI output, which should work fine, as long as your display is HDCP compliant. (12/11/06)

 Dell’s latest update to its monster XPS M1710 desktop replacement may not warrant an entirely new model number, but the changes are deep enough to deserve a fresh look. The system earns gaming props for being the first laptop to carry Nvidia’s latest mobile GPU, the GeForce Go 7950 GTX. Also of note: Dell, in an unusual move for a mainstream PC maker, practically encourages buyers to overclock the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600G processor. Let’s not forget the multicolored lights built into the speaker grilles, air vents, and lid, which play along with music apps and select games (Dell calls it XPS LightFX technology). The $3,498 system is a budget-buster to be sure, but one that’s hard to top if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line desktop replacement for gaming. If you’re willing to sacrifice a little gaming performance for cash, the Gateway NX860XL is worth a look.

Dell calls the reflective red pattern on the back cover Special Edition Formula Red, but it’s also available in the more subdued Metallic Black. Both colors feature backlit XPS logos. The interior and exterior surfaces are covered with a magnesium alloy, and the system measures 15.5 inches wide, 11.3 inches deep, and 1.7 inches thick. Our test unit weighed 8.7 pounds (10.4 pounds with the AC adapter)–a few ounces more than the Gateway NX850XL, but nearly 1.5 pounds more than a smaller desktop replacement such as the Toshiba Satellite P105.

The XPS M1710 includes a full-size keyboard and a touch pad with horizontal and vertical scroll zones. When activated by a compatible application (or when the M1710 is angry with you), the backlit XPS logo on the touch pad glows red. On the front panel of the system, below the touch pad and accessible while the lid is closed, sits a row of media control buttons, including volume controls, fast-forward and rewind buttons. There’s also a button for launching Dell’s MediaDirect software, but that’s located near the display, far from the other media control buttons. MediaDirect is Dell’s homegrown version of Media Center; it plays CDs and DVDs and lets you access photos and other media files stored on your hard drive. The advantage is that you can use MediaDirect without booting up the PC’s operating system, saving time and battery life.

You shouldn’t have much trouble connecting your peripherals. The system includes headphone and microphone jacks, VGA and DVI outputs, S-Video-out, four-pin FireWire, and six USB 2.0 ports. Networking connections include a 56Kbps modem, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, and integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless. Bluetooth is an available option. Also onboard are an ExpressCard slot and a 5-in-1 media card reader, but no PCMCIA card slot. The stereo speakers (plus internal subwoofer) are located on the front edge, so they’ll work even with the lid closed.

The XPS M1710 comes equipped with a 17-inch wide-screen display. Its 1,900×1,200 native resolution puts your average 21-inch desktop LCD to shame. The screen has a glossy finish, which many people prefer for gaming and media viewing, but it can be distracting under bright lights or when dealing with text documents. While we’ve complained in the past of limited brightness on M1710 screens, this particular system seemed perfectly adequate once we turned up the brightness control a couple of notches.

Also potentially distracting is the XPS LightFX feature, which takes the 16-color LED lights built into the system’s speaker and fan grilles and back cover and causes them to strobe and flash in time to supported music apps and games. You can also set the lights to flash, strobe, or stay in any color combination you want–although the control panel for the lights is somewhat hard to find. It’s under Dell Quickset in your program menu, and within that, under the gaming tab. The lights are either very cool or very lame, depending on your aesthetic sensibilities. Rest assured, you can disable the lights with a few mouse clicks.

Our review unit arrived fairly tricked out, with 2GB of RAM, a 100GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 CPU. For the baseline $2,299 model, you get a slower T7400 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 60GB hard drive. What really sets it apart from the competition is the 512MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7950 GTX; this is the first laptop we’ve seen with this just-released GPU. You can trade down to the previous model, the GeForce Go 7900, and save $150.

The system held its own against other Core 2 Duo T7600 laptops, such as the Velocity Micro NoteMagix L80 Ultra, in CNET Labs’ multimedia tests. Ironically, it fell behind the Area-51 m5550, from Dell-owned Alienware. When it comes to gaming, however, the XPS M1710 is unbeatable, turning in a score of 99.5 frames per second in Quake 4 at 1,280×1,024 and a respectable 53fps at the same resolution in the more challenging F.E.A.R. test. For almost $3,500, you could doubtlessly get better performance from a desktop PC, but for a gaming laptop, it’s top of the charts. We only saw a nominal performance bump from the GeForce 7900 version of the M1710, but slightly older games such as Quake 4 and F.E.A.R. may not be the best test of a new GPU.

In our battery drain test, the XPS M1710 lasted for 2 hours, 51 minutes, about 10 minutes longer than the last XPS M1710 we looked at, and certainly provides decent battery life for a desktop replacement.

Though Dell has cut warrantees to 90 days on many of its less-expensive models, the company covers the XPS M170 with a two-year warranty, which provides parts-and-labor coverage and onsite service. You can upgrade that to four years for $160 or get four years of Premium service, which adds night and weekend onsite service, for $268. XPS machines get a special 24-hour, toll-free tech-support number to cut down on hold time, and the Dell Web site is reasonably well equipped with driver downloads, FAQs, and user forums 

Editor’s note:  A Blu-ray optical drive is available as an option on the Dell XPS M1710 laptop, as of December 11, 2006. The choice of Blu-ray as Dell’s next-gen optical drive is an obvious one, as Dell is a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association. 

 Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Edited by: Matthew Elliott

Wii outsells PS3 in Japan

Sony took another blow with Nintendo’s Wii game console outselling its PlayStation 3 by more than five to one in Japan last month, raising doubts over Sony’s nascent earnings recovery.

Sony’s game division posted an operating loss of $1.91 billion in the year ended March 31 due to hefty start-up costs of the PlayStation 3, dragging down Sony’s overall profitability. 

There are investor concerns that a turnaround in its electronics division, led by robust sales of Bravia-brand flat TVs, could be offset by continued losses at the game unit. 

In the latest step in its electronics operations, Sony said on Wednesday it would spend $494.3 million over the next three years to boost its capacity to make image sensor chips, which are used in cell phones and digital cameras–Sony’s cash cow. 

Sony sold 45,321 units of the PS3 in May, compared with 251,794 units of the Wii. In April, the ratio was four to one in favor of the Wii, according to Japanese game magazine publisher Enterbrain.Nintendo, known for game characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong and Pokemon, launched the Wii in November. The device features a motion-sensitive controller that allows users to direct on-screen play by swinging it like a tennis racket or wielding it like a sword, opening a new avenue of game playing. Rival Sony also started selling the PS3 late last year, but has seen slow demand so far due to its high price tag and limited availability of attractive software titles. 

“If there were half a dozen good titles people wanted to play on the PS3, I’m sure it would actually be doing quite well,” KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said. 

Sony ruled the $30 billion global game industry over the past decade with the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. 

“We are only less than a year into the new (console) cycle. It is wrong to say Nintendo has won and Sony has lost … It’s not game over, but it’s not very encouraging.

“ Sony aims to ship 11 million units of the PS3 in the current business year to March 2008, up from 5.5 million a year earlier. 

Hitting that target seems “rather difficult,” Kamide said. 

In the United States, the Wii was the top-selling new console for the fourth month in a row in April, with Nintendo selling 360,000 units, while Sony sold 82,000 units of the PS3 and Microsoft sold 174,000 Xbox 360 machines. 

Analysts say Sony may also face an uphill battle in its planned expansion in its sensor chip operations. 

With the planned $494.3 million investment, Sony will boost its output capacity of CMOS censor chips, which are more power efficient than CCDs–the other type of major sensor chips.Since Sony is relatively new to the CMOS market, it will likely need to offer its products at aggressive prices to compete with established makers such as Micron Technology and Toshiba, hurting its profitability, said Yoshihisa Toyosaki, president of research firm j-STAR Global.

Nintendo shares closed up 0.5 percent at 42,800 yen (about $352.60), while Sony was up 0.4 percent at 6,870 yen ($56.60).  

Nintendo’s stock almost quadrupled over the past two years, initially driven by strong demand for its DS handheld players and then by popularity of the Wii, far outperforming Sony shares, which gained 75 percent.

 

Gamepark GP2X

This is an outstanding handheld entertainment device. It plays video games (including many of your long time favorites), movies, music, displays photos, and even e-books. The GP2X keeps life simple because it supports all major media formats. It is well-designed and fits your hand comfortably. It has TV-out, so you can play games or watch movies on your plasma, as well as the internal screen; the GP2X even resizes video for best fit automatically.

There is 64mb of internal memory, and an integrated SD-slot (2gb SD cards are available separately). The thing that really sets the Gamepark apart is the company’s embrace of the open source community. There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to available software–for example, the GPL Quake engine has already been released and is free. (Click here for an extensive, and growing, list of available software. http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi) Developers note: the GP2X runs LINUX; compilers/SDKs are freely available and more information can be found at the GP2X Developers’ Wiki http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/Main_Page.

ARE YOU KIDDIN’!!! A 350000 Laptop…Who’s Flossin’

Dutch company Ego-Lifestyle has brought its latest high-end luxury laptop, the Tulip Ego, to the States just in time for the holiday shopping season. Barneys New York will be the first U.S. retailer to feature the handbag-shaped laptop and its corresponding interchangeable “skins,” which are available in a variety of designer fabrics and finishes. And all this can be yours for a mere $5,000. The laptop, first introduced at Milan Fashion Week in the spring, has a 12.1-inch screen, an AMD Turion processor, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and a DVD/CD burner. But if you’re willing to go even further and sell off, say, your house or your firstborn, you might consider the limited-edition Platinum, Diamond, and Otazu Ego Diamond models. The latter, designed by Rodrigo Otazu, sports a total of 470 diamonds arranged in tulip, heart and Otazu logo patterns. The Otazu (pictured) currently sells for $350,000.

HP Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC

Hewlett-Packard’s new Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC comes bearing HP’s new glossy black vision for all of its PCs and laptops. We’ve long complained that HP gray was only a few boring steps removed from old-school desktop beige, and we’re glad to see HP took some steps to make its PCs look more exciting. We’re also impressed with this system’s combination of performance, features, and value. At $580, this model dominates similar systems in its price range, and even approaches the overall value of PCs that cost up to $850 or more. As always with a smaller desktop, you sacrifice expandability for size, but HP even designed this system to give you a little more room to improve this system post-purchase. It’s obvious that HP put a lot of thought into this system, which makes it easy to give it a CNET Editor’s Choice award.

Unlike the last SlimLine we reviewed (also an EC winner), the s3020n features the default retail configuration. Like the older SlimLines, you’ll find systems both in retail stores and on HP’s own shopping Web site, and as usual, you can tweak the online models for more memory, a faster processor, and other options. This retail-only s3020n comes with a modest configuration. A 2.0GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ comes paired with 1GB of 533MHz DDR2 RAM, a roomy-enough 250GB 7,200 rpm hard drive, and a multiformat DVD burner, with the obligatory LightScribe capability, which lets you print your own custom black-and-white images onto the surface of a blank disc. 

As our performance testing shows, that configuration places the SlimLine s3020n firmly ahead of its similarly priced competition. Compared to the recent eMachines T5224 and the even smaller Shuttle XPC X200, the SlimLine dominates them on all of our budget PC benchmarks. On iTunes and our CineBench tests, where pure CPU speed has the most impact, the HP also came very close to the WinBook PowerSpec T470, a midtower desktop that costs almost twice as much as this one.

We’re glad to have the WinBook as a comparison system though, because of its 2GB of RAM. Based on its top scores on our Photoshop tests, you can see that on programs that call for it (intensive digital media apps, for example), more memory really does make a difference. That’s the first upgrade we’d make to the SlimLine s3020n. Its 1GB of memory also partly explains why we don’t have a gaming score for this system. We tried Quake 4 at 1,024×768, and got a pokey four frames per second. So the SlimLine is still not a gamer. If the SlimLine s3020n had 2GB of RAM, the integrated GeForce 6150LE graphics chip would have a little more memory to use, and you might see better 3D performance.

 

As always, the real way to strengthen a PC’s gaming chops is to add a full-fledged 3D card. Many smaller PCs don’t have the expansion space, and if they do, you’re limited to half-height PCI graphics cards. You’d have trouble playing Quake 1 with one of those, though. And while the SlimLine s3020n still limits you to half-height cards (which generally offer lower performance), the motherboard in this system does offer a genuine PCI Express graphics slot, as well as spare standard PCI slot, also half-height. You can find various low-cost, half-height 3D cards from Nvidia and ATI. None will break benchmark records, but adding one after the fact should benefit overall graphics performance. The free PCI Express slot is also a strong improvement over HP’s older SlimLine, the PCI-only s7600e.

The overall expandability of the Pavilion SlimLine series is also why we prefer HP’s small-scale model to Apple’s Mac Mini. Apple had the aesthetic advantage over HP’s older SlimLines, but HP’s new glossy black frame catches up with Apple considerably. HP also took its peripheral components into consideration with the redesign. The new matte black keyboard looks sharper than HP’s old model, and it comes complete with the media keys lined along the keyboard’s sides. That seems to be an industry-wide trend in keyboard design, and we’re happy about it, since it’s much easier to get to the media keys on the sides than if they’re placed along the top row. HP also has new LCD monitors out on the market with a similar glossy black finish to the SlimLine and the other new Pavilions. The new displays feature a stand that lets you slide the keyboard under the display for a cleaner workspace, similar to the HP TouchSmart from earlier this year.

 HP design improvements aside, Apple does still have a few advantages in its Mac Mini. The SlimLine is still larger (10.8 inches high, 4.5 inches wide, and 13.3 inches deep), and the Mac Mini also offers both integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking and Bluetooth. The SlimLine s3020n only comes with Wi-Fi. But for its overall value and capability, if you want to go small, HP is our pick. Of course, choosing HP also means you get Windows
Vista, in this case Home Premium. We found no problems with this system and general Windows
Vista usage, but we were sad to see that HP’s software desktop remains overrun with icons pushing various products and services. They’re easy enough to delete, but we wish we didn’t have to. We criticized the last HP desktop we reviewed for the same icon clutter, but we’re glad to report that unlike that system, HP incorporates a

Pocket Media Drive slot into the SlimLine s3020n without sacrificing an internal hard drive bay. This is because the SlimLine’s motherboard only has two serial ATA inputs on it, which are both currently occupied by the hard drive and the DVD burner cables. You don’t lose anything then, if you opt to purchase one of HP’s external hard drives, and it slides neatly into its dedicated bay, which you can hide with a slide up cover on the front panel. Finally, HP’s service and support is still one of the most robust in the industry. The default plan gets you one year of parts and labor coverage, and 24-7 toll free phone support, whose only limit is on software support, which you can get for the first 90 days after your purchase. HP’s InstantCare service gives HP’s techs an efficient means to fix your PC remotely while leaving you in control of what they can see. We also like HP’s Total Care Advisor software, which comes on every new HP PC and provides you with the tools and information necessary to perform some basic troubleshooting steps yourself.

Wii are the Champions

The anticipated battle between Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 for game console supremacy has become a sideshow to the unexpected rise of Nintendo’s Wii as the new-generation game console of choice.  

Once a dark-horse contender, the Wii has outsold both its competitors in recent months. According to sales data from the NPD Group, the Wii sold 335,000 units in February to the Xbox 360’s 228,000 and the PS3’s 127,000.

 Of the three new-generation game consoles, the Xbox 360 has sold the most at 5 million units in the United States alone, but that’s mainly due to the fact that it was released a full year earlier than either the Wii or the PS3. Since they first hit shelves last November, the PS3 has sold 1.1 million units while the Wii has tallied 1.86 million.

What’s interesting is that the Wii achieved this feat not by offering a lot of multimedia bells and whistles like its competitors do, but by simply focusing on games.

 “We’ve seen Nintendo expand the marketplace and grow it beyond the traditional gamer,” said Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research. “They really redefined the video game experience by creating something new and different.”   That innovation is the Wii controller, a motion-sensitive wand that lets gamers control the action by waving the device about rather than jostling a joystick and pushing buttons. That controller and the games developed for it have captured the imagination of both the core gamer demographic and their parents, spouses and other family members.  So what does that say about Sony and Microsoft, which also are hoping to attract nongamers to their respective new-generation consoles by positioning them as home entertainment hubs?   Both consoles contain hard drives to store content and allow users to stream music and video content from their home computers. The PS3 features a Blu-ray DVD player and is developing a Second Life-style virtual world called PS3 Home, while the Xbox Live Marketplace offers downloadable movies and TV shows.  

“Microsoft and Sony clearly have larger aspirations for the game console in the living room as a portal for some of the other services they’re trying to sell,” Gartenberg said. “The hard-core gamer may be the one purchasing the console, but other family members may use the other features. Nintendo’s approach has been to get nongamers playing games.” According to NPD Group spokesman David Riley, the Wii’s “gaming first” message is much easier for nongamers to grasp than Microsoft and Sony’s more complicated home entertainment message.  

“While they have that capability, it’s not that easy to use,” he said. “It’s going to be a ways off before that capability becomes mainstream.”

Yet that’s not to say the effort is in vain. Microsoft is showing signs of early success with its decision to add TV and movie downloads to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Since first making such content available last November, the company says it has seen a 400 percent increase in downloads. Microsoft did not reveal exactly how many downloads that figure represented.

“All of these strategies are viable,” Gartenberg said. “It’s not a question of one over the other. Nintendo has demonstrated that there are multiple ways to get into the hearts and minds of other family members.”

Other factors also play a role in the Wii’s early success. At $250, the Wii is the cheapest option on the shelves, with the Xbox 360 carrying a $400 tab and the PS3 a whopping $600. Additionally, the PS3 was hampered early on with severe product shortages and a dearth of blockbuster games that show off the system’s capabilities.

But it’s far too early to pick the ultimate winner. Gaming industry press and analysts still feel the PS3 has the chops to dominate in the end. Reviews at game site GameSpot say that the “PS3 has all the processor, graphics and communications power necessary to win this generation,” while Electronic Arts departing CEO Larry Probst told a Web conference audience that he believed the PS3 will prove the ultimate winner.

Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 is taking strong lead in the number of games sold. The Xbox 360 has six titles in the top 10 for February–including the No. 1 title–while Wii has three and PS3 none (PS2 title “Guitar Hero” took the final spot). Additionally, Xbox 360 owners buy far more games than the owners of other consoles at a rate of 5.4 games per 360 owner. That rate falls to 2.3 for the PS3 and 2.8 for the Wii.

 That leaves the Wii, for now, with everything to lose. “Their challenge going forward is to make sure this is not a passing fad by getting a stream of content into the market,” Gartenberg said. “The game console purchase driver is still going to be first and foremost games. The secondary stuff is the icing on the cake.”

Microsoft announces Xbox 360 Elite

Confirming what it admitted was the “worst kept secret” in the video game business, Microsoft on Tuesday announced its Xbox 360 Elite, an upgraded version of its 16-month-old next-generation console family.

News of the Elite console has been making its way around the blogosphere and video game sites for days; Microsoft’s announcement did not contain any real surprises.

    

Essentially, the new console, at $479, is set to include a 120-gigabyte hard drive, as well as an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port, an HDMI cable and a wireless remote, all in black. The Elite package will not, however, include an upgrade to the Xbox 360’s behemoth power supply.

The existing Xbox 360 Core package, which has no hard drive, costs $299. The Pro model, which includes a 20GB hard drive, costs $399. Users of those models who want to upgrade to the 120GB hard drive can buy it separately for $180, Microsoft said.

Asked about well-publicized quality assurance problems with the Xbox 360 line–resulting in some customers returning their consoles multiple times–Xbox product manager John Rodman said the Elite would raise the line’s quality standards.

 “We made a tenet to not ship the Elite console…unless we got quality to where customers and readers and ourselves are happy,” Rodman said. That means, he said, that Microsoft is committed to the Elite being a better-built console that will not be subject to the same frequency of customer service complaints.

 

Sony PSP

After roughly a decade at the top of the home console industry, Sony decided to tackle the portable system market–one heavily fortified by Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance and DS. Sony sought to take down Nintendo by adopting the tactic that made the PlayStation 2 such a runaway success: by offering sophisticated, graphically intensive games and a heavy dose of multimedia functionality. The device is called the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and in addition to playing games of PS2 graphical quality, it can play music and movies (downloaded or via disc) and surf the Web. It may not be the best handheld media product on the market, and the games lack the innovation of ones on Nintendo’s portables, but as an all-in-one device, the Sony PSP is king of the hill.

Design of Sony PSP:  From an aesthetic perspective, the Sony PSP is a gorgeous device. It’s one of those gadgets you immediately want to get your hands on but vigilantly want to protect once you set it down. Weighing essentially the same as the Nintendo DS (6.2 ounces, including removable battery) and measuring 6.7 by 2.9 by 0.9 inches (WHD), the body feels well built and solid in your hand. Although not a lightweight, it’s by no means a brick, nor, we suspect, would it be especially durable in a fall; you’ll want to treat the PSP just as gingerly as an iPod or a Palm-style PDA.  

The centerpiece of the handheld is its especially impressive 4.3-inch wide-screen display (480×272 pixels, 16.77 million colors). The screen is flanked by controls that will be immediately recognizable to fans of past PlayStations: the directional keypad is to the left of the screen, and the familiar square, triangle, circle, and X buttons are to the right. We dug how Sony managed to include an analog “joystick” below the directional keypad. The stick isn’t raised like the analog controls on a PS2 or an Xbox, but it conveys that multidirectional element that gives it a joysticklike feel.

In lieu of the PS2 controller’s four total shoulder buttons, the PSP has two: one per shoulder. Ergonomically, the device is OK but not great; as with most handheld gaming devices, you’ll have to do a little finger stretching every 15 minutes or so to keep from cramping up.

The PSP uses Sony’s recently created “cross media bar” interface. You use the directional keypad to horizontally navigate through Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, and Internet icons, and each section has other icons attached to it on a vertical axis. All in all, it’s a simple and elegant way to access the PSP’s many features.

Games and officially licensed movies come on Sony’s proprietary UMD (Universal Media Disc) media, which are housed in protective cartridges. The UMD drive is grafted to the back of the unit; you load it and snap it shut just as you would a camcorder. The top edge also sports infrared and a USB 2.0 port that you can use to link the device to your PC or Mac, though no USB connection cable is included.

The headphone jack is at the bottom left of the unit; Sony’s official earbud-style headphones sport an in-line remote to control basic playback. The nice thing about the remote is that you can use other headphones with it, not just the provided ‘buds. Like Apple, Sony has chosen to go with white headphones. We’re not sure why, since the PSP is black (though an iPod-white version is available in
Japan).One gripe: Since the device has a glossy finish–and is mostly black–it’s a fingerprint magnet. A static-free cloth should always be at the ready when using your PSP, and the Value Pack had one bundled. Sony’s official carrying case is a padded soft case, but a variety of third-party versions are also available (see our list of PSP accessories for more information). 

Features of Sony PSP  The folks at Sony tout the PSP as, first and foremost, a gaming device. But in the next breath, they claim that it can do so much more, billing it as “the first truly integrated portable entertainment system.” Both statements are, in fact, true, and suffice it to say that as a portable gaming device, particularly from a graphics standpoint, the PSP is unparalleled. You’re getting a miniaturized PS2 gaming experience–or close to it, anyway–and Sony has amassed a decent selection of titles from various game developers to show off its handheld’s gaming chops. Beyond gaming, the PSP’s video prowess may be its most impressive trait. As we previously noted, the display is a 4.3-inch TFT LCD with a 480×272-pixel resolution and 16.77 million colors; by comparison, each of the Nintendo DS’s two screens has 256×192 pixels with 260,000 colors. The picture quality from a UMD movie such as Spider-Man 2 is superior to what you’ll see on most portable DVD players, though the majority of DVD players have significantly larger screens.  The only problem with video playback–and it’s a big one–is that it’s currently hard to watch anything but UMD videos on the PSP. Unlike Sony’s MiniDisc, UMD is not a recordable storage format, so you’ll have to store any video or music and images on a Memory Stick Duo card. The lack of affordable and recordable UMDs has put the format in dire straits. Sony is hoping to give the format a boost by bundling UMDs with its DVDs and creating an accessory that can transfer the video to TV, but it remains highly unlikely that the many studios and retailers that have jumped ship will come back. Thankfully, getting media onto a PSP is much less of a hassle than it used to be. The Sony Media Manager software lets you transfer photos, music, and videos from a PC to your PSP with relative ease. It also lets you back up your saved games and manipulate podcast feeds. It’s a worthwhile alternative to the bare-bones media management options with which the PSP originally shipped in March 2005, but it will cost you about $25–it’s not bundled with the PSP. Fortunately, there are also a wide variety of third-party and freeware software titles available, many of which focus on converting existing video files to PSP-friendly formats (see our “How to put video on your PSP” tutorial for one example). Unfortunately, “home brewed” videos are limited to scaled-down resolutions that fail to completely exploit the PSP’s native 480×272 screen. The exception: live, streaming video from Sony’s LocationFree TV accessory. This Slingbox-like device lets you watch live TV on your PSP while in range of any Wi-Fi hot spot. Still, it’s a shame that the only way to take full advantage of video on your PSP is to buy UMD-format movies or expensive networking accessories. What about music? Well, the good news is the PSP plays many types of audio files without your having to convert them to Sony’s proprietary ATRAC format first–a common problem with the company’s earlier MP3 devices. You simply drag your audio files into the music folder on your Memory Stick Duo card, and they’ll show up on the PSP. Firmware-updated PSPs can play MP3s, ATRACs, WMAs, WAVs, and AAC-encoded song files, though not the copy-protected versions from Apple’s iTunes Music Store. The device supports M3U playlists, but if you have your playlists in another format, you’ll need to find and download a converter. However, as basic as the PSP’s music player is (read: iPod Shuffle with a screen and no autosyncing capabilities), it will be adequate for many people. Those interested in replacing their iPod with the PSP will have to deal with the lack of on-the-go playlist functionality and, most important, the DIY storage. You can get a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card for about $50, while double the capacity will cost you about three times as much. Sony announced 4GB and 8GB Memory Sticks at E3 2006 but no pricing. Player controls can be initially tricky–the in-line remote is handy–but we like the speedy precision of the fast-forward/rewind functions as well as the undulating background graphics. The PSP can also display album art when it’s available. The image viewer is also basic, with simple slide-show functionality. But again, it’s easy to drag JPEG files–or TIFFs, PNGs, GIFs, and BMPs, if you have version 2.0–onto a memory card, rotate them (if needed), and show off your shots to anybody who might want to see them. In addition, you can set a photo as your PSP’s background wallpaper, replacing the colorful splash screen behind the home menu. Unfortunately, you can’t view photos and listen to music simultaneously. Last but not least, the PSP has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. Getting our handheld up and running on even a WEP-encrypted home wireless network was a breeze, and the PSP lets you save multiple wireless configurations so that you can connect from multiple locations without repeating the setup procedure each time. Though PSPs purchased before September 2005 were previously limited to WEP encryption, upgrading to v2.0 firmware adds support for the more secure WPA-PSK standard. Once you’re Wi-Fi enabled–and you’ve installed the latest firmware–you can access the Web using the PSP’s onboard browser. This slick, nearly full-featured app supports tabbed browsing, Javascript, and CSS, though Flash support is still lacking (read more about the PSP’s Web browser).  The browser looks great, displaying crisp images and reproducing colors very accurately. Typing isn’t quite the pain it could have been; Sony has augmented its standard cell phone-style input system with a few shortcuts, giving common strings such as http:// and .com their own keys on the virtual keyboard. Furthermore, the PSP remembers every address you type, so you’ll never have to tap in a long, complicated URL more than once. You’re given the option to reshape the browser’s display window, in much the same way that you can resize video clips during playback. This helps avoid the dreaded left-to-right scroll-back while reading articles, though it usually garbles the page’s layout in the process. You can easily save images from the Web to your Memory Stick Duo and subsequently use them as wallpaper on the PSP’s main menu; customizable wallpaper is another perk of the 2.0 firmware.  JavaScript works like a charm, cooperating with several JavaScript toolkit utilities, but the Flash player included in the latest update is version 6–the current standard is 8–which makes viewable content hit or miss. Our videos and the rotating feature images on the CNET main page, for example, require version 7 at the very minimum. On the PSP, the Flash images and movies change to text and still images, respectively. Some sites seem to mix and match Flash versions, which makes compatibility even more haphazard. We were psyched to see a Strong Bad e-mail start up, only to stop playing when the scene changed. We also noted that the Flash player struggled to work with compatible content, as Strong Bad’s typed response chugged out in full words rather than the smooth tapestry of letters that normally flows from his laptop. Adding to the Flash woes is the lack of a suitable keyboard emulator on the PSP, rendering most Flash games unplayable.  

As expected, overall Web performance is a little slow. On CNET’s reasonably fast connection, we still had to wait a good 5 seconds before images started popping up on the pages. Once the images began to load, the cursor would freeze in place until they were finished downloading. This sort of thing isn’t a problem on a computer, where you can still read plain text and click links without images, but the PSP’s small screen made the wait a bit more frustrating.  The PSP’s strong slate of features–as well as the many bells and whistles that Sony has added via its first major firmware update–proves that the handheld is still under development and hints at even greater things to come. Some of those future upgrades are more fully developed than others. Sony highlighted a few of the more noteworthy forthcoming PSP features in the pipeline at a business conference in March 2006. In terms of gaming, an emulator is being developed that will allow the PSP to play digitally distributed (that is, pay-per-download) PlayStation 1 titles. Later in the year, Sony is pledging to add Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) support to the PSP, with an EyeToy-styled Webcam peripheral to complement it. A GPS-locator accessory is also in the works, with compatible games slated to support it. Finally, Sony is said to be preparing a major upgrade to its Connect online service that will create a more iTunes-like music and movie download service, but details remain scarce. In fact, since these new features were announced, Sony’s been mum about new details–the camera was shown off at E3 2006, but no new information has been revealed about any of the other new PSP concepts. It’s more than likely that Sony is waiting until the November release of the PlayStation 3 nears to comment on most of them, as it’s likely that numerous features of the next console–accessories and downloads, among them–will be shared between the two. Performance of Sony PSP The Sony PSP runs on a proprietary 333MHz processor and comes with 32MB of built-in memory, some of it reserved for the PSP’s operating system and applications, and 4MB of embedded DRAM. While we would have preferred more built-in memory, game developers we spoke to were happy it has what it has, given that early rumors suggested Sony would include only 16MB of RAM.  One of the issues with using an optical disc format such as UMD as opposed to Nintendo’s flash memory-based cartridges is that load times tend to be significantly longer. After we previewed beta versions of games, we were concerned that load times would indeed be a serious problem. But now that we’ve run graphically intensive games such as EA’s Need for Speed Rivals, Konami’s Metal Gear Acid, and Sony’s Twisted Metal Head-On, we can safely say that it’s a relatively minor hindrance. Yes, games can take a good 10 seconds to load, but it’s not much worse than what you’d expect from the PS2 itself. (As one might expect, content loads very quickly from a Memory Stick Duo card.) That said, the Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance SP are much zippier in this regard. Luckily, the wait is usually worth it because most of the games look spectacular. As we said, you’re getting close to a PS2-like gaming experience, and many of the titles are ports of their PS2 counterparts with only small compromises made to the graphics. For the most part, games play smoothly, though you may encounter some frame drops in bigger action sequences in certain games. We played Twisted Metal Head-On against four other players in multiplayer peer-to-peer (PSP-to-PSP) wireless mode and were impressed by the smooth gameplay. We also played Twisted Metal via the Internet with two other people and had good results. But we imagine that when you get up to a dozen players (Twisted Metal supports up to 16-player multiplayer), you’ll probably encounter a hiccup or two. And, of course, wireless gameplay depends on your connection–or, in the case of peer-to-peer action, the distance and potential obstructions between devices. As far as distance goes, we were able to move about 60 feet apart with a clear line of sight in an office setting before our connection became spotty. We felt the Nintendo DS offered better wireless coverage.Before we get to battery life, a few sentences about the PSP’s audio. Using the earbud-style headphones, sound quality was fine with games, but we would have liked the maximum volume to go a tad higher when we listened to our MP3s, especially in noisier environments. When you play games and watch movies such as Spider-Man 2 on UMD, you can boost the volume a bit via a special UMD volume-settings menu, which is helpful. A few preset equalizer settings (Heavy, Pops, Jazz, and Unique) are on board to tweak the sound, but you can’t manually set treble and bass levels, which is too bad. The PSP’s external speakers can’t put out booming sound, but they’re certainly adequate for gaming and casual video watching; using the headphones, however, will give you a much more immersive experience. Conveniently, volume can be raised and lowered from two buttons just below the screen or via the headphones’ in-line remote. 
Battery life? Well, a lot of numbers have been bandied about, with some critics suggesting its relatively short run time would be the PSP’s Achilles’ heel. Here’s what we got:Running on full brightness, we managed about 5.5 hours of gameplay before having to recharge the included 1,800mAH lithium-ion battery pack; gaming time can vary significantly depending upon screen brightness (two dimmer settings are options) and the game you’re playing. It’s worth noting that recharging a battery to full capacity takes a lengthy 2.5 hours. Playing in peer-to-peer wireless mode reduced game sessions by a little more than 2 hours; the battery pooped out after 3 hours, 15 minutes. For music only, the PSP was able to run for a decent 11.2 hours.  And finally, we managed to watch Spider-Man 2 all the way through twice and got 20 minutes into a third showing before the battery died. All in all, that’s not too bad and slightly better than we expected. Still, the easiest way to ensure that your PSP doesn’t go dead at an inopportune moment is to purchase an additional battery pack; kudos to Sony for making it replaceable. Transfer rate over USB 2.0 to an inserted Memory Stick was a reasonable 2.2MB per second.

 

Wii outselling PS3 in Japan

Nintendo’s Wii game console outsold Sony’s PlayStation 3 by nearly three to one last month in Japan, the country’s largest video-game magazine publisher said Tuesday.

Nintendo sold 405,000 Wii units in January, compared with 148,000 PS3s, publisher Enterbrain said. Wii and PS3, made by two of the biggest players in the $30 billion global video game industry, went on sale late last year in a three-way showdown with Microsoft’s Xbox 360. A wider range of software titles and a lower price tag is helping the Wii, Enterbrain said. The basic model of the PS3 sells for $416 (49,980 yen) in Japan, double the price of the Wii. Nintendo has sold a total 1.4 million units of the Wii in Japan, far outpacing the 614,000 PS3s sold, Enterbrain said. “There could be a price cut for the PS3 by the end of the year, and more software titles will hit the market. I expect the PS3 to be doing better after awhile,” Enterbrain President Hirokazu Hamamura said. “Of course, the Wii will keep running ahead all the while.”

Microsoft Xbox 360

 

Console and PC gamers have long been divided into two camps. Sure, there are those of us who play on multiple platforms, but hard-core PC gamers tend to be, well, hard-core PC gamers and eschew “mainstream” console games, while committed console gamers can sometimes be heard bashing PC gamers as elitist nerds. While there’s nothing wrong with drawing your own distinction, what’s clear–at least for the moment, anyway–is that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 makes the line between PC and console gaming a lot fuzzier. Yes, this is a console, with game controllers and A/V cables that are designed to interface with your TV–preferably of the HD variety–but Microsoft has essentially packed a high-end PC gaming rig into a relatively small box that fits into any A/V rack or cabinet. That the Xbox 360 also has a user interface that rivals TiVo’s in terms of slick presentation and ease of use, plus a host of digital media and networking features, helps elevate the already-good Xbox experience to a whole new level. Naturally, the 360 is not without its flaws. Many titles simply rehashed their PC or console counterparts, and we’re only now seeing developers shift focus away from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox1 and creating truly next-gen looking games, such as Gears of War. While Microsoft continues to amass a good library of games, it now has to contend with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. But the $400 Xbox 360 has a major price advantage over the PS3, at least through the end of 2006–it is $100 to $200 cheaper than Sony’s device (the PS3 is available in $500 and $600 versions), and it will be widely available (PS3s will be in short supply until early 2007). Moreover, the $200 HD-DVD accessory and high-def media downloads (both available in November) makes the Xbox 360 a credible HD movie box. With a year’s head start, an excellent mid-range price, and a great library of games, the Xbox 360 is the yardstick against which the new Sony and Nintendo consoles will be measured in 2007–and beyond.

Design of Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)

When laid horizontally, the 8.8-pound Xbox 360 is 12.15 inches wide, 3.27 inches high, and 10.15 inches deep and is actually slightly smaller than the original Xbox, which also weighed in at 8.8 pounds. Unlike the original, the Xbox 360 can also be propped up in a vertical position and, as you’re probably aware, can be customized with interchangeable faceplates that cost up to $20. Neither the original Xbox nor the 360 are terribly sexy, especially compared to the slimmed-down PlayStation 2, but at least the 360 is less boxy than the original, and you can always slap on a funky faceplate to liven things up. Custom faceplates aside, it’s worth pointing out that the beige color of the system tends to clash with the silver and blacks of typical A/V components.One of the reasons Microsoft was able to keep down the 360’s weight is that instead of building a standard, desktop-style hard drive into the unit itself, it’s gone with a smaller–and more expensive–laptop-style hard drive that’s detachable from the main unit. The hard drive (included with the $399 Xbox 360 premium bundle, sold separately for the $299 Core System) is 20GB, but we assume significantly larger capacities will become available from Microsoft–or more likely–third-party manufacturers. As part of the $399 bundle, you’ll also get a wireless controller–the 360 has built-in wireless capabilities but only for controllers, not Wi-Fi (more on that faux pas in the Features section). Each 360 console can support up to four wireless controllers, and unlike with third-party wireless controllers for earlier consoles, you won’t have to have to plug any dongles into any ports. You’ll also like that a green LED on both the 360 itself and the controller indicates exactly which controllers (1 through 4) are connected. This is also true if you are playing with a mixture of wireless and wired controllers; you know who has which controller. All in all, we really like the design of the new controllers. They feel good in hand, and the shift of the Start and Back buttons to the top middle of the controller is a good move, as is the addition of a set of shoulder buttons on top of the right/left trigger buttons. And no, Xbox1 controllers do not work with the 360. On the front of the unit, you’ll find two USB ports hidden behind hinged doors in the faceplate, as well as two memory-card slots that allow you to take saved games and other content on the go. Those ports are where you’ll plug in any wired controllers and other USB accessories that will become available, as well as cables to connect a digital camera, MP3 players, or even your iPod or Sony PSP. Many USB keyboards are compatible, but for the most part, they are strictly relegated to communication and data entry functions, not gameplay. While Microsoft clearly hopes you’ll go wireless and thereby free up USB ports for other accessories, we were disappointed there was only one USB port on the back of the unit–and that one is meant for Microsoft’s optional wireless networking adapter, which conveniently clips on to the back of 360. Another small design gripe: You won’t be able to connect some thumbdrive-style MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod Shuffle, to the USB port in back. You’ll need a USB extension cable to connect them because the entryway to the port is too narrow.The 360 sports an infrared (IR) port on the front panel, which lets you use compatible remote controls without the need for an external dongle. Furthermore, you can power the console on and off and open the disc tray with a remote or a controller–another convenient improvement over the old Xbox. The Xbox 360’s onscreen Dashboard interface is truly stellar, and it’s clear that the folks at Microsoft looked less toward Windows and more toward the vaunted TiVo interface for their model. Yes, the 360 interface certainly has some ties to that of Windows Media Center PCs, but it’s slicker and more user-friendly, with color-coated tabs for the system’s various features, including gaming, media, system settings, and Xbox Live. To page through the various activities, you simply move the directional keypad on your controller (or the remote) left to right. With the increased processing power, windows open quicker than they do on the original; the system and interface as a whole just feels zippier. Like the faceplates, the Dashboard is customizable, with a host of themes preloaded on the hard drive and many more available to download.Continuing the Xbox 360’s customization kick is the Gamer Card, which consists of a personal avatar–a picture chosen from a batch of Microsoft approved images or an image you’ve captured using the Xbox Live Vision Camera–as well as a motto 21 characters or less in length. The centerpiece of the Gamer Card is the Gamerscore: a point-total representative of predetermined goals, known as Achievements, met in each and every game. It’s a nice way to foster offline competitiveness between gamers, as even completely single-player games such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion include Achievements.Not to end the Design section on a down note, but we would remiss not to mention the Xbox 360’s power supply. There’s a reason they call these things power bricks–this one truly is the size and weight of a real brick. We’re not kidding. Furthermore, the 360’s exhaust fan is audibly noisy in a quiet room–not a problem when gaming, but it could be a factor when you’re using the 360 for media playback.

Features of Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)

As mentioned previously, there are two versions of the Xbox 360 available. The $299 Core System delivers the bare basics: the console, a single wired controller, and a standard composite A/V cable. The $399 “premium” bundle (known officially, and confusingly, as simply the Xbox 360) includes the console, along with several key accessories that you’d otherwise have to purchase separately: a wireless game controller, a communications headset for Xbox Live, a component A/V cable, an Ethernet networking cable, and–most important–a snap-on 20GB hard drive. Though it’s more expensive, the premium bundle is easily the better deal in our book. With it, you’re getting at least $210 worth of accessories for only $100 more. The hard drive–which alone retails for $100–is a must-have accessory. Not only is the 20GB hard drive a far more capacious solution than the memory cards that will set you back $40 apiece and hold only a paltry 64MB of data, it’s absolutely necessary if you want to play games designed for the old Xbox console and enjoy the 360’s more advanced media features. Unlike previous game consoles, the Xbox 360 was designed from the ground up to be ready for the HDTV era. As such, all the games have been designed to at least 720p resolution (1,280×720 wide-screen), with many titles available in 1080i. A system update in October 2006 added 1080p (1,920×1,080 wide-screen) support, but games at that resolution won’t start rolling out until 2007. Furthermore, not many HDTVs can handle 1080p via component. To see the graphics in HD, of course, you’ll need to be connected to an HD-ready TV or monitor via the component-video adapter, which is included in the premium $399 Xbox bundle. Alternately, you can pick up VGA video adapters from Microsoft ($40) or Joytech ($20), which let you connect to HDTVs and PC monitors that offer a standard 15-pin VGA/RGB connector. The VGA adapter offers a handful of other PC monitor-friendly high-def resolution choices, such as 848×480 and 1,024×768 as well as the traditional high-def resolutions available via component. At this point, however, the 360 offers neither DVI nor HDMI digital video connections–unlike the Sony PlayStation 3, which includes 1080p-capable HDMI on all models. Don’t worry if you don’t have an HDTV–the Xbox 360’s component adapter includes a fallback composite output, and the system can output good ol’ standard 480i resolution with formatting for squarish 4:3 (non-wide-screen) sets.Just like the old Xbox, the new system offers top-notch Dolby Digital audio. In-game soundtracks are rendered in full real-time surround, creating an immersive sound field that envelops you in the game world. All of the A/V cables include an optical audio output, but you’ll need to supply the optical cable, as well as the compatible A/V receiver or home-theater system. Each A/V cable also comes with standard analog stereo connections for connecting to a TV or stereo, but you’ll lose the surround effect, of course.While it’s primarily a game machine, the Xbox 360 is a formidable digital media hub as well. Plug a digital camera, a flash card reader, a thumbdrive, or a music player into the Xbox 360’s USB port, and if it’s compatible with a Windows PC, you’ll likely have plug-and-play access to browse your photos, listen to your MP3s, and play WMV videos. Digital media on your home network are similarly accessible: just install Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect (all are free downloads) on any PC running Windows XP, and the 360 will be able to stream music, and access photos and WMV videos from the remote PC. If your PC is running Windows Media Center Edition (and presumably, forthcoming versions of Microsoft Vista), the integration is even tighter. The 360 doubles as a Media
Center Extender, letting you access your TV recordings–including those in high-def–from the networked MCE PC. One of the major successes of the original Xbox was Xbox Live. The online gaming and communications network is an even more intrinsic part of the Xbox 360. Every model (assuming access to a broadband Internet connection and a storage option–either the hard drive or a memory card) has a base-level membership called Xbox Live Silver. That offers the ability to create a list of friends, view their gamer cards, and communicate with them outside of a game via voice chat and voice messaging using the headset; text messaging is also possible. Later this year, an EyeToy-like video camera will be released for the 360, allowing face mapping and video chat in a few games. Silver members also have access to the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft’s online bazaar. In order to play multiplayer games, you’ll need to upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, which is basically the same $50-per-year service from the old Xbox. Existing Live subscribers can easily transfer their subscription to their new ‘box. While the Xbox 360’s online experience is quite impressive, Sony promises to deliver a similar-scale service for free on the PS3, though it remains to be seen whether the company can deliver (a few of the PS3’s original features have been scrapped). For its part, Microsoft periodically offers free full subscription weeks and weekends to Xbox Live Silver members.The Xbox Live Marketplace offers up free movie trailers and game demos, as well as premium content, such as Dashboard themes, gamer tag pictures, and extra content for full-featured games. Items are purchased by using Microsoft points, which is the proprietary 360 currency that’s purchasable through the system or via prepaid cards (the going rate for 1,600 points is $30, for example).Arguably the biggest draw for the Xbox Live Marketplace is the wide range of titles available for Xbox Live
Arcade. There’s a healthy mix of completely original titles and classic PC and arcade games freshened up with high-def visuals; some even include online multiplayer options. All of the games are playable as free demos, but to compete online and earn achievement points, you’re going to have to pony up the Marketplace dough.Microsoft has added another feather to the 360’s Marketplace cap with the addition of TV show downloads and feature-length movie rentals. Available in both standard and high definition, videos will run 400 to 800 Microsoft points ($5 to $10). While we welcome the addition of high-def shows and movies to the Xbox 360’s downloadable wares, it highlights an increasing concern among Xbox 360 owners–the size of the system’s hard drive. After necessary system files are installed, the 20GB hard drive has only 13GB of storage left to fit game files, demo downloads, and Xbox Live Arcade titles. While you can delete and re-download shows and games without incurring a second charge, the 20GB hard drive isn’t nearly sufficient, especially when compared to the high-end PlayStation 3’s 60GB drive. While the 360’s library is constantly growing, it can also play more than 250 games designed for the original Xbox. The backward compatibility is enabled through downloadable emulation profiles; they’re free, but you’ll need the hard drive to install them. In fact, the software for Halo and Halo 2 compatibility is preinstalled on the hard drive. Unfortunately, while 250-plus sounds like a high number, that leaves more than 400 old Xbox titles unplayable on the 360 for the time being. Microsoft is working to broaden the list–it’s added about 50 new titles since launch–but there’s no announced timetable as to when the remaining games will be ported over, and it certainly seems as though not every game will be included.

Performance of Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)

The guts of the Xbox 360 comprise what is, for all intents and purposes, a very powerful computer. The customized
IBM PowerPC CPU boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each, each offering two hardware threads, while the ATI graphics processor is said to be able to pump out 500 million triangles per second. We could go on, recounting the 360’s supposed 16 gigasamples-per-second fill rate using 4X antialiasing and 48 billion shader operations per second–not to mention, of course, the 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and the 9 billion dot product operations per second. But, frankly, even if we understood what half those impressive-sounding specs meant, we’d have no way to verify or benchmark them. What we can say is the Xbox 360 graphics varied widely from game to game. With its amazingly lifelike cityscapes and photorealistic Ferraris, Project Gotham Racing 3 offers what’s probably the best example of the 360’s HD-enabled graphical prowess–you could almost smell the exhaust of the cars as they darted over a dead-on re-creation of the Brooklyn
Bridge. The expansive environments of a game such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or the amount of characters on screen at one time in Dead Rising put the graphical output of previous consoles to shame. Similarly, Call of Duty 3 had us ducking for cover as we slogged through some of the toughest firefights of World War II. Meanwhile, in the more intimate confines of the ring, the boxers in Fight Night Round 3 looked astonishing–when a knockout blow was landed, a close-up replay would reveal the copious amount of spit, sweat, and blood emanating from the victim of pugilistic brutality. On the flip side, though, are plenty of games that were developed to lesser consoles and given little else than a bump in resolution–titles such as Samurai Warriors 2, The Godfather, and Lego Star Wars II carry over the now-substandard visuals of a previous generation of consoles. While the Xbox 360’s jump to 1080p takes a bit of the wind out of the PlayStation 3’s sails, we haven’t really been impressed with its implementation. As mentioned above, the lack of HDMI severely limits the amount of people that can experience the Xbox 360 in 1080p. Not many 1080p-capable televisions can produce the resolution via component, forcing many to use the VGA adaptor. Furthermore, none of the downloadable videos are available at resolutions higher than 720p, and it may take some time until we see a game produced in a resolution above 1080i. We tested the 1080i game Dead Rising on an HDTV capable of 1080p (the Westinghouse LVM-47w1), and found the same issues apparent at 1080i. In the game’s opening flyover scene, we still found a lot of flickering and aliasing in faraway fences, street posts, and crossing lines. The backward compatibility on the Xbox 360 has its benefits and drawbacks. Microsoft claims that it’s pumping up the resolutions and adding antialiasing effects to the older games, and both tweaks seemed in evidence while playing Halo 2. Also, playing an online-enabled Xbox1 game (such as Halo 2) lets you seamlessly interact with other Xbox Live players still using the old console. On the other hand, some games such as Fable: The Lost Chapters have brought along new graphical glitches and none of the Xbox1 custom soundtrack-enabled games (for example, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy) will recognize the songs imported onto your 360. Finally, there is no way to transfer your Xbox1 saves to the 360, so you’ll have to reconfigure your workout regimen in Yourself Fitness.Xbox Live is much more integrated throughout the 360 than it was in the old Xbox. At any time, you can punch the Home button on your controller to bring up the Live message center. In theory, you can be playing an offline, single-player game of, say, Enchanted Arms, get an invite from a friend (think instant messaging), and quit out back to the Dashboard while you swap over to F.E.A.R..The in-game Xbox Live experience hasn’t changed drastically, but then again, the service was already near-impeccable on the Xbox1. By virtue of the system’s processing power, games should be able to support more players online. Perfect Dark Zero, for example can handle 32 players, more than all but a few Xbox1 games. Test Drive Unlimited transforms the open roads of
Hawaii into a gaming lobby, where you can pass by potential opponents on the road. Then there are games that support video chatting, like the Xbox Live
Arcade‘s Texas Hold ‘Em. As developers have learned the ins and outs of the 360’s hardware, we’re starting to see more players and less lag in the many online-compatible 360 titles.On the media front, the 360 worked as advertised. We were able to pull photos from several digital cameras, as well as a camera phone Memory Stick Duo plugged into a stock
Lexar USB card reader. We were also able to stream music and view photos stored on our Creative Zen Vision:M. And true to its word, Microsoft is playing nice with its competitors; we were able to access audio and photo files from the 20GB Apple iPod and the Sony PSP. Unfortunately, you don’t get access to the iPod’s playlists, and you can’t play back copy-protected songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store–the result of Apple’s intransigence, not Microsoft’s. Digital media streamed just as easily from XP PCs on our local network, but those with Media Center PCs will find the best experience: the 360 is a full-fledged extender, giving you access to the Media Center’s look and feel, as well as access to its recorded videos, music, and photos. Of course, the 360 is a capable CD/DVD player as well. You can’t copy music files from connected or networked devices, but you can rip CDs straight to the 360’s hard drive, then use those songs as soundtracks for pretty much any native Xbox 360 game. On the DVD front, the 360 finally plays movie discs in 480p progressive scan (via component–the 360 can play DVDs in higher resolutions via VGA) and without the need for an additional remote à la the Xbox1. But 480p is so 2002, especially for a box that touts its HD streetcred. This is where the lack of HDMI or DVI output hurts because those connections would offer the possibility of upscaling DVDs to 720p or 1080i resolutions. Moreover, DVDs represent the pinnacle of the 360’s optical disc capabilities, meaning these next-gen games will need to be squeezed into just 8.5GB of space unless they’re supplemented by downloadable content or made into a multidisc game. By comparison, the PlayStation 3 will use the next-generation Blu-ray format, which holds at least 25GB per disc–the potential for significantly more high-def graphics, gameplay, and so forth. The Xbox 360 won’t work with Blu-ray or HD-DVD discs in a game-playing capacity, although movie fans can pick up the external HD-DVD drive, which is available for $200 with a movie and media remote and plays the 1080p-capable HD-DVD movie format. The bigger mystery remains in regard to the HD-DVD player’s output–no HDMI or DVI cable exists for the Xbox 360 thus far, leading many to believe that Microsoft may be hoping that studios don’t use image constraint to clamp down on component-enabled next-gen video. With the system’s growing pains largely behind it, the Microsoft Xbox 360 has hit its stride just in time to compete with the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. With titles such as Call of Duty 3 and Gears of War available now, though, it’s obvious developers have become more accustomed to the challenge of programming for the 360, and we’ll see much more impressive titles–such as Halo 3 and Mass Effect–as a result. Once those games begin to comprise the majority of the new releases, the Xbox 360 will be a hard opponent for the newer consoles to topple.

Nintendo Wii

 

Nintendo has ventured off the beaten path with its newest system, and the company knows it.

While the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 both emphasize their impressive graphical capabilities, Nintendo downplays the importance of graphics on its new console. While the Sony and Microsoft consoles keep the branding of their respective predecessors, the oddly named Wii is a semantic departure from Nintendo’s more literally named 2001 console, the GameCube. And while the PS3 and the Xbox 360 both use conventional gamepads bristling with buttons, control sticks, and directional pads, the Wii uses a device that looks more like a TV remote than a gamepad to control its games. These strange choices could have spelled failure for Nintendo’s newest endeavor. Underplaying processing power, using a strange new controller setup, and giving the whole package an odd name could have been major mistakes for Nintendo. (Consider some of the company’s earlier attempts to go against the grain: the Power Glove and the Virtual Boy.) But if our early experience with the Wii is any indication, this particular Nintendo gamble seems likely to pay off. It’s strange, it’s new, and it’s not as powerful as its competitors, but the
Nintendo Wii succeeds in its primary mission: it’s fun to play.  

Opening the box:

The Wii box includes everything you need to hook the system up to a standard television: the Wii console, a wireless controller with nunchuk adapter, the sensor bar, a cradle (for mounting the console vertically), the Wii’s modestly sized power adapter, and a set of composite A/V cables. Unfortunately, composite cables don’t support the Wii’s top resolution of 480p, so HDTV owners will want to also purchase a set of Wii component cables (sold separately). The Wii console itself is downright tiny–easily the smallest and lightest of the new generation of game machines. At 1.75 inches high by 6.25 inches wide by 8.5 inches deep (when oriented horizontally), it is–as Nintendo promised–about the size of three DVD cases. The initial model is available only in iPod-white, but it’s a safe bet that we’ll see plenty of other colors become available as the months and years progress. Like with the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, you can lay the Wii horizontally or stand it vertically (either by itself or, for added stability, in the included plastic cradle). Like the PS3, the Wii uses a slot-loading mechanism; it accepts the Wii discs (full-size 12cm) and older GameCube discs (mini 8cm), without the need for an adapter. The Wii includes 512MB of internal memory for storing saved games, downloaded Virtual Console titles, and other data. If that half-gigabyte of onboard storage isn’t enough for you, the system has a standard Secure Digital card slot for additional storage. SD cards are cheap and plentiful, and the Wii’s support of them is a refreshing change of pace from the proprietary memory cards used by older game consoles. While it doesn’t come with a memory card or component-video cables, the Wii does include one pleasant surprise in the box. The system comes with Wii Sports, a simple but infectious sports game that lets users get a feel for the Wii’s capabilities without investing in additional games. Wii Sports uses the system’s wireless controller as erstwhile sporting equipment, letting users swing and mock-throw it to play baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, and boxing. The different games can support up to four players at a time, but most modes require more than the system’s single controller for multiplayer options. Players can swap the remote back and forth for golf and bowling, but players who would like to box or face each other in a tennis match or a baseball game will need to purchase at least one more controller. Wii Sports feels more like a collection of five minigames than a fully fleshed-out title, but it lets users have fun right out of the box and showcases the system’s potential. Setup:

The Wii’s simple design makes it very easy to hook up. The back panel of the console has only five ports: one for the power adapter, one for the proprietary A/V cable, one for the sensor bar, and two USB ports for future accessories. Just plug in the sensor bar and put it either on top of or under your television, plug the video cable into your TV, and plug the power cable into the wall, and you’re ready to go. Once everything is hooked together, just turn on the Wii to go through the software setup. Settings such as time and user name can be easily selected with the remote control’s pointer. The only remotely technical setting most users will have to deal with is the network connection, and the menu system practically walks users through the setup. The Wii’s Wi-Fi connection can work with secure WEP and WPA encrypted Wi-Fi networks, so you don’t have to make your network vulnerable just to play online. We had no problem connecting to our open wireless router, though we couldn’t test the network connection beyond that. If you don’t have Wi-Fi at all, Nintendo is said to be offering an Ethernet adapter that interfaces with one of the USB ports. Once the Wii’s network settings are set up, the system is designed to be constantly online through Nintendo’s WiiConnect24 service. The Wii can use WiiConnect24 to automatically download system updates, additional game content, and even weather and news. Wii Channels…Media and online capabilities:

The Wii’s navigation is done through a series of pages called Wii Channels that take advantage of the WiiConnect24’s always-on design. Among the Wii’s default channels are a weather forecast channel, a news channel, a message channel, a photo channel, and the cute avatar-generating Mii channel. The channel home page is the system’s default gateway, which also provides access to the disc-based Wii/GameCube games and Virtual Console titles. The Mii Channel lets users create and modify Miis, cute little avatars for use online and in certain games. The Miis are cartoony and extremely simple, but the Mii Channel includes enough customization features for users to create Miis that look like themselves, their friends, or even celebrities. (Our Wii is currently populated with characters from The Big Lebowski.) Miis don’t seem that useful, but they can be used as characters in games such as Wii Sports, and as avatars in the Wii’s Message Channel. Since Miis are so simple, players can use their Wiimotes’ 6KB of storage to carry around as many as 10 Miis and use them on their friends’ Wiis. The Photo Channel was a pleasantly useful surprise, though a bit of a misnomer. The channel can display and edit photos. Nintendo claims that the Wii can also play MP3 music files and QuickTime videos, but these features feel like afterthoughts; MP3s can be played only in a photo slide show, and we were unable to load a QuickTime movie on our Wii. Fortunately, the Photo Channel’s emphasis is clearly on image viewing and editing. Once up to 1,000 of your photos are loaded through the SD card slot, you can view them individually, browse them in an album view, or watch a slide show of them. The Photo Channel also includes a basic image editor, though it’s clearly built more for fun than serious editing. With its upbeat background music and some very cute image options, the editor feels a lot like the old Super Nintendo classic Mario Paint. While on the subject of media, it’s worth noting that the Wii does not play audio CDs or video DVDs, which is something of a disappointment. Yes, everybody already has a DVD player, but with DVD playback capability being standard-issue since the last generation of game consoles, its omission here is something of a conundrum. Nintendo claims it was to keep the price down, and the company’s last-generation console, the GameCube, also lacked DVD playback. Nintendo also hasn’t indicated that it’s going to launch any sort of downloadable video or music store, and–with the Wii’s lack of a built-in spacious hard drive–that doesn’t seem like it would be on the docket anytime soon. The Message Channel is the Wii’s system message and online communication center. It’s used to send messages to other Wii owners online using their systems’ unique Friend Codes, but we were unable to test that feature without Nintendo’s online service. The Message Channel can also give players a variety of reports about changes in their Wii system settings, how much time they spend on different games, and other interesting pieces of information. Virtual Console
Shopping for old-school games with the Virtual Console is easy. If your Wii is online, just go to the Wii Shop channel and browse. These games cost Wii Points, which can be purchased in card form at stores such as Electronics Boutique, or with a credit card directly through the Wii Shop. Regardless of how you get your points, you’ll need to enter them into your account through the Wii Shop. If you have a Wii Points card, you can redeem it by entering a code through your Wii. If you want to buy the points directly online, you have to enter your credit card information with the Wiimote through the Wii’s software keyboard. Once you have your points, you can start shopping. Go into the Wii Shop and select Virtual Console, then browse through the various games available. Each game has a title screenshot and a short description so that you can learn a bit before you decide to buy. When you’re ready, just click Download, and you can confirm the purchase. The Wii will tell you exactly how much space you’ll have left on the Wii and how many Wii Points you’ll have left in your account after the download. After you confirm the purchase, the Wii begins downloading your chosen game automatically. The progress of the download is shown by a cute animation of the 8-bit Super
Mario Bros. Mario chasing coins and hitting blocks. The downloads can take less than a minute for NES games, or as much as 10 minutes for Nintendo 64 games. Once the game is downloaded, the program will boot you back to the Wii Shop’s main menu. Downloaded Virtual Console games appear as individual channels in the Wii’s main menu, and playing those games is as simple as selecting their channel and pressing start. The VC emulator loads the game, and your retro fun begins. VC games are essentially perfect emulations of their original versions, which is both good and bad for gamers. Classic purists will be thrilled at the genuine, old-school gameplay experience, but more casual players hoping for the enhanced graphics or online play found in some XBLA retro games will be disappointed. For extra old-school experience, the Wiimote itself can be turned sideways and handled like a conventional controller for NES and Turbographix-16 games. For SNES, Genesis, and N64 games, however, you’ll need either an old GameCube controller plugged into one of the system’s GC ports or the Wii Virtual Console controller plugged into your Wiimote. Wide-screen users will notice the one fatal flaw of the Virtual Console: old-school games have no wide-screen support. If you play on a wide-screen TV, your retro game will be stretched noticeably. Though a firmware update may be in the system’s future, the only way to fix this issue currently is to set your television to a 4:3 aspect ratio for Virtual Console games and set it back to wide-screen for regular games.    

The Wiimote controller:

Wii Sports also doubles as a tutorial for familiarizing yourself with the system’s unique wireless controller, which is what really sets it apart from competing consoles–and all the game systems that have come before it. The Wiimote, as it’s been affectionately dubbed, is a sophisticated motion-sensing controller that connects wirelessly to the Wii via the Bluetooth wireless protocol. This revolutionary design isn’t completely wireless: to function, it requires the placement of the Wii’s sensor bar either on top of or beneath your television screen. Fortunately, the sensor bar is extremely unobtrusive, and we forgot it was even there minutes after setting up the system. The sensor bar is a small and light plastic rectangle about the size of two pens laid end to end, and it connects to the Wii with a very long cord (about eight feet), so its setup is simple and flexible. The sensor bar comes with a tiny, clear plastic base with adhesive squares on its feet, so you can stick it securely on the top of your television, even if it’s a narrow flat-panel screen. Accelerometers inside the remote sense how the device is being held and if it’s being moved in any direction. These sensors control actions such as baseball bat and golf club swings in Wii Sports, Link’s sword slashes in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and even steering trucks in Excite Truck. Moreover, you hold the Wiimote differently depending on the game: grasp it like the hilt of a sword in Zelda and Red Steel, as a baseball bat or tennis racket in Wii Sports, or hold it horizontally as a steering bar for Excite Truck. Because the Wiimote is so light, these controls and movements can take some getting used to. Fortunately, a speaker and a force-feedback module built into the Wiimote can provide additional tactile and audio feedback for your actions and add an extra bit of immersion to the Wii experience. For example, the remote’s tiny speaker makes an audible “Clang!” when Link swings his sword, and it rumbles when Link strikes an enemy. Even menu selections on the Wii are signaled by helpful little vibrations of the Wiimote. The Wiimote also uses a set of infrared sensors to determine the remote’s orientation in regard to the television. A set of IR diodes in the Wiimote communicate with the Wii’s sensor bar to serve as a pointer for navigating menus and aiming weapons in first-person shooters. Again, this control system takes some getting used to, but once you adapt to the control, pointing with the Wiimote feels much more natural than using an analog stick. It doesn’t quite replace the beloved mouse-and-keyboard combination for FPS games, but–after getting acclimated to it–we found it worked better than traditional console controllers. While the new control system is both fun and innovative, the pointer gets occasionally jerky or twitchy, and the tilt controls require a light and subtle touch. Part of this can be attributed to the Wii’s learning curve, and after a few hours we barely noticed those quirks. Unfortunately, the Wii doesn’t currently have a way to manually calibrate the Wiimote’s controls; you’re forced to trust the Wii’s generally accurate automatic calibration. The remote’s stand-alone abilities are impressive enough, but it also has a device port so that accessories can be plugged directly into it. The Wii comes with a nunchuk attachment, a small device that plugs into the remote and contains an analog stick and two additional buttons. The nunchuk augments the Wiimote in many games, such as controlling characters’ movements in Twilight Princess or Red Steel. The nunchuk also contains motion-sensing equipment, so it can be shaken and rocked to perform additional actions. For example, shaking the nunchuk in Twilight Princess executes a spinning slash attack. The nunchuk will probably be the most commonly used Wiimote accessory, but others will also be available. Currently, the only other confirmed accessory is the Virtual Console controller, a conventional gamepad with dual analog sticks. The VC controller will most likely be used with the Wii’s Virtual Console to play older games, though some Wii games will support the pad’s more conventional controls. We also saw at E3 2006 a pistol grip accessory that the Wiimote slides into to offer more controls with shooter games. The pistol grip hasn’t been confirmed for retail release, but it offers an example of the flexibility and potential the control configuration offers. This wireless, motion-sensing goodness doesn’t come without a price. The Wiimote uses two AA batteries, which must power the remote’s accelerometers, IR sensors, Bluetooth radio, speaker, rumble module, and any attachments you plug in (the batteryless nunchuk draws its power from the Wiimote). The Wii doesn’t come with any sort of charger, so you’ll almost certainly want to pick up a set of at least four rechargeable AA batteries and a battery charger. Another factor to consider is that extra controllers a pretty pricey: $40 for additional Wiimotes, plus another $20 for the nunchuk.

Gameplay and graphics:

The Wii’s biggest and most obvious appeal is the ability to use its motion-sensing controller to play Wii-specific games. The Wii’s release lineup includes the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the addictive pack-in party game Wii Sports, as well as a variety of more traditional third-party titles (many of which have been enhanced to use the Wiimote control). But while you’re waiting for some more innovative Wii titles to arrive, there will still be plenty of games to play. The Wii is fully backward compatible with the Nintendo GameCube and includes four built-in GameCube controller ports and two GameCube memory card slots for gamers who want to enjoy their last-gen games. If Wii and GameCube games aren’t enough, the Wii also features Nintendo’s Virtual Console, a library of games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografix-16 systems. Games can be purchased and downloaded over Nintendo’s online Wii Store, where they are stored on the Wii’s system memory or SD card. Virtual Console game purchases are tied to the Wii’s network ID, so you can’t pop your Virtual Console games onto an SD card and take them over to play them on a friend’s Wii. On the bright side, Nintendo is pledging that already purchased games can be downloaded again free if you accidentally lose or delete your data. Games are purchased with Wii Points, which can be purchased via credit card or gift card (100 Wii Points equals one U.S. dollar)–the system is essentially identical to Microsoft’s tried-and-true Xbox Live Marketplace (Sony’s fledgling PlayStation store will denominate purchases in real currency, but is functionally the same). NES games will cost the equivalent of $5 (500 points), Turbografix-16 games $6, Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games $8, and Nintendo 64 games $10. While the Wii’s controller is very advanced and innovative, its processing power is not. The system uses a more powerful version of the
Nintendo GameCube‘s processor, and it doesn’t have nearly as much polygon-pushing power as the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. While Microsoft’s and Sony’s consoles support high-definition outputs of up to 1080p, the Wii can hit only the GameCube’s ceiling of 480p, and even that mode can’t be used with the Wii’s included composite A/V cables. (Most if not all of the Wii’s games will, however, be optimized for wide-screen TVs.) The Wii also lacks advanced surround sound, instead sticking with the GameCube’s Dolby Pro-Logic II matrixed surround (based on a stereo signal, not native 5.1). In other words, if you’re looking for state-of-the-art eye candy, you’re going to want to opt for the PS3 or the Xbox 360–either of which will take a significantly larger chunk of your bank account. Conclusion
Is the Wii worth picking up? It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’ve been clamoring for an all-purpose next-generation multimedia box with blinding HD graphics, the Wii will be a disappointment. But Nintendo was never competing in that arena anyway: the Wii is focused squarely on delivering fun and innovative gameplay, leaving Sony and Microsoft to battle it out at the high end. The Wiimote and its motion-sensing, pseudo-virtual-reality controls are the biggest draws of the console, and its online capabilities, Wii Channels, Virtual Console, and GameCube backward-compatibility are just a thick, sweet layer of icing on an already tasty cake. With a price tag of just $250–far less than those of its competitors–and the included Wii Sports disc that provides mindless fun out of the box, the
Nintendo Wii won’t disappoint. Whether it will be merely a short-lived novelty or a sea change in video gaming, only time will tell.

& SINCE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT OF NEWS…

Sony PlayStation 3 (60GB) 

The next-generation Sony PlayStation 3 is a graphical powerhouse and Blu-ray movie player with an impressive array of extra features.

 Even by the considerable standards of past next-generation consoles, the Sony PlayStation 3 has been subject to almost ludicrous levels of prerelease hype and hyperbole. The system was unveiled at E3 2005, where it faced derision for having a glut of unsubstantiated CGI demos of games that weren’t running on any specific hardware. Information trickled out over the course of the next year until the company’s press conference at E3 2006, where Sony presented the system’s final design, release date and price, and first wave of titles–to once again face derision. The PlayStation 3 is due out November 17, 2006 in North America (Japan gets it about a week earlier, while Europe and Australia won’t see it until March 2007) in two different configurations: a $600 model with a 60GB hard drive and built-in wireless networking and a $500 version with a 20GB hard drive but no Wi-Fi–HDMI was originally absent from this model but was added in September. Based on the PS3’s launch details and our own hands-on experience with the console, we’ve collected the positive and negative points for Sony’s third stab at console dominance.Upside: Like the PS2 did for DVDs, the PS3 hopes to give a boost to the nascent Blu-ray movie format. The console’s built-in Blu-ray drive allows it to double as a high-def movie player, making its otherwise hefty $500-to-$600 price tag seem like a bargain compared to that of dedicated stand-alone Blu-ray players, which bottom out at $1,000. Every PlayStation 3 will come with an HDMI port, which guarantees high-def playback of Blu-Ray movies and PS3 games. Blu-ray will be the format of choice for PS3 games, and the high-density discs offer much more storage space than those of Sony’s competitors; Blu-ray discs max out at 50GB and can theoretically go to 100GB or 200GB, while the Microsoft Xbox 360 and (as far as we can determine) Nintendo Wii use standard DVDs, which top out at a comparatively cramped 8.5GB. The end result? The PS3 has the potential to offer more expansive games, with better graphical textures, more full-motion HD video, and plenty of extra content. Sony is also planning to do away with region coding for games, partly because multiterritory releases (with region-specific languages, for instance) will fit all the versions on one disc. The PlayStation 3 will be the first commercial device powered by the ballyhooed Cell processor, a 3.2GHz chip that Sony developed with help from IBM and Toshiba. The chip’s seven synergistic processing elements (SPEs) will work in parallel to churn out a staggering 218 gigaflops, or 218 billion floating point operations per second. In practice, that should make the PS3 especially adept at such processor-intensive activities as upconverting video and emulating past PlayStation games. You’ll be able to play your PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, right out of the box, on the PlayStation 3. Even though it seems as though every household on the planet owns a PS1 or PS2, it’s still a pretty big coup for the system to have such an extensive backlog available from the start; comparatively, the Xbox 360’s backward-compatibility list is being built from the ground up in a piecemeal fashion, and Nintendo is offering GameCube disc playback but will likely charge for downloading games from the company’s earlier consoles, including the Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo systems.

Like the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, the PS3 supports multiple wireless controllers. Sony gets props for supporting up to seven simultaneous gamepads, as well as the Bluetooth wireless standard; the controllers will likely employ an internal battery that can be charged via mini-USB cable. The controllers use the same Dual Shock design as the company’s customary PS1 and PS2 controllers, with a few notable differences–the PS3 controllers utilize motion-sensitive movement as a method of control, much like the Nintendo Wii, while the force-feedback rumble technology has been removed. There will be some connectivity between the PS3 and Sony’s PlayStation Portable handheld system via USB (and possible Wi-Fi). The most novel usage shown so far was for F1 06, a racing title where the PSP acted as an external real-time rearview mirror.

 Downside: As great as a price of $500 or $600 will be for a Blu-ray player, it’s awfully high for a console. It’s twice the price that the PS2 was at launch in 2000, and it’s $200 more than the core and high-end Xbox 360 models. Another pricing flub that Sony’s been fleeced for was the decision to include a neutered PS3 for $500. While the company originally explained the difference as a simple memory disparity, further research has uncovered that the $500 model will lack built-in Wi-Fi and a built-in flash-memory reader. Microsoft caught some flak for releasing a bare-bones Xbox 360 Core System, a version that was easily upgradable to the exact same specs as the more expensive deluxe version with the purchase of a few expensive accessories. The PS3 should be able to do the same, though the upgrade path for the hard drive, the flash-memory reader, and Wi-Fi compatibility remains vague. While the six-direction motion sensitivity of the PS3 controller worked well when we tried it, it pales in comparison to the Wii’s more fully realized 3D motion control. It probably didn’t help that Sony announced the PS3’s new controller the day before the Wii’s playable debut. Moreover, Sony’s Warhawk was the only motion-based game on display at its E3 booth, compared to the two dozen or so Nintendo games that utilized the Wii remote. The PS3 games shown at E3 2006 looked really good, but quite frankly, we expected better. Perhaps it’s a case of the overambitious prerendered videos from last year’s show coming back to haunt the company, but none of the dozen or so PS3 games showcased looked much better than second-generation Xbox 360 titles. Granted, that system is hitting its stride while this one’s still incubating, and the PS3 should be capable of much better visuals further down the line.With nearly all of the specs and release info nailed down, Sony’s been relatively quiet about the PS3’s online functionality, specifically the available downloadable content. Sony will be joining Nintendo and Microsoft in the microtransaction market, but the company’s entire backlog is already playable on the system in its current form. Nintendo’s Virtual Console has garnered an unprecedented amount of hype, and the Xbox Live Marketplace is one of the surprise success stories of the Xbox 360. If Sony’s last in implementing it, the company may have a difficult time establishing an online economy. On the plus side, unlike Microsoft, Sony has indicated that its online service will be free for online competition (Xbox Live requires a $50-per-year fee for Gold membership to play games head-to-head). Once again, launch allocations will be a major problem for a Sony console launch. The company set a precedent by chopping initial shipments of the PlayStation 2 in half roughly a month before the console’s release, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 faced similar shortages. Sony’s PlayStation 3 debut looks to be on par with both botched launches, as the company drastically reduced launch quantities of the PlayStation 3 to 400,000 units. Even more distressing is the attitude Sony has taken post-E3. In what may be the worst case of damage control ever, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi has made many a distressing prognostication regarding the PS3–one of the more poorly received ones being that he believes the system will undergo evolving specifications. Other execs haven’t been immune either; Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO David Reeves claimed that the PS3 will sell out on brand recognition alone, and Sony CEO Howard Stringer assured gamers that their $600 was “paying for potential.” This odd blend of bizarre business practices and cockiness in the face of tough competition could sour the public’s image of the current king of console development.

Outlook: Last time around, the original Xbox came out later than the PS2 and, thus, wielded a significant hardware advantage. This time, PS3 seems to have the technological edge, but Xbox 360 will have a 12-month head start in the marketplace. But the release dates, gigahertz comparisons, and Blu-ray boasts will likely take a backseat to the two most important factors: games and pricing. The Xbox 360 is slowly but surely amassing a roster of impressive titles and will have even more when the PS3 becomes available. Furthermore, the 360 will also be priced at least $200 less than the high-end PS3. The burden is now on Sony to justify the massive price tag (for a gaming console) while it captures an exclusive, must-have freshman title that sells the system. The most likely candidate for that honor lies with Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4. The company didn’t do itself any favors by drawing undue comparisons with the half-as-expensive Wii when it incorporated less impressive motion-sensitive technology in the controller. Sony’s betting that hard-core gamers–and high-def fanatics looking for a sub-$1,000 Blu-ray player–will be happy to run up their credit card debt come November 17. But for parents searching for a holiday gift, the cheaper Xbox 360 and Wii will be tough competition, indeed.