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Smart Shopping: Consoles

Team CHIP | 27 January 2009

Gaming in India has never been this exciting. The choices we now have are at par with most other countries. It is no longer about the latest console on the market, but who we are as gamers.

First things first

The first thing you need to ask yourself before you buy a console is, what kind of a gamer are you? If this is a present for somebody, you should have an idea of what kind of games they like to play. This is essential information for today's gaming climate because the top console companies have all created consoles which are extremely different from one another, the differences can range from function and portability and even to gameplay options and game titles.

You have to ask whether you need portability, maximum gameplay, innovation, a party console or perhaps an all-round console which looks into all your needs from gaming to watching movies.

Features

The only portable console available right now is the PSP and while the new PSP Slim and Lite is a slight improvement, features like WLAN, UMD media and flash memory cards are the same. The Nintendo Wii has just launched in India and is a new take on console gaming. The Wii has games which involve mimicking physical actions, using accelerometers and infrared systems in the controllers (you really play tennis here!). This is fun for the whole family because it is easy to play. The Xbox 360 is now a mainstay console with two editions available, the Core and the Pro/Premium. The Core comes with a composite video bundle and a wired controller; the Pro has HDMI, component and Optical out and a wireless controller. The Xbox has great titles and stays at the forefront of new games while remaining relatively affordable. Finally, we look at the PlayStation 3 which combines features such as 6-axis controls which provide some Wii-like gameplay, great game titles and also doubles as a Blu-Ray player! All three Consoles (Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3) have online gameplay and content.

How to choose

If you want portability, the PSP will suffice. If you want universal appeal and family fun, the Wii is what you need. The Xbox 360 Core is being sold at a very reasonable price, although it does not have the best features, they make up for it by adding two games, an additional 20 GB hard drive and wireless controller. Last but not least, The Playstation 3 can do it all but is clearly the most expensive of the lot, buy it if you really will use all the features. Game on!

 Jargon Buster

Component: Easily identified by the tri-colored connectors red, green and blue, a component cable splits a video signal and carries it as three separate signals. Although a digital signal gets downscaled by component cable, the picture quality is superior to composite cable. Unlike HDMI, neither of them carries audio signals.

UMD: Even handheld video games can now play optical discs, thanks to Sony’s UMD—designed for Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). Intended for storage of movies and games for playback on a PSP, the UMD has a respectable capacity of 1.8 GB.

6-Axis for PS3: The much-hyped 6-Axis PS3 wireless controller has motion sensing technology for true-to-life gameplay, similar to the Wii Remote. Race a car or fly a plane by tilting the controller in the intended direction. FPS fans can rejoice with L2 and R2 triggers—that’s right, triggers not buttons. The PS logo button in the center brings up game settings and status indicators.

Online Services: Online services are present in popular game consoles. Xbox 360 Live, PlayStation Network and the Wii Channels are the respected online services of Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. These services range from full game downloads, demos, TV shows and even multiplayer to creating your own avatar!