For All You Potential Gamers

Video games were not always such a confusing topic. As a young boy, I was a hardcore Nintendo fan and would not even look at another system. Now, things have gotten a little more complicated.This article is to all those Messiah College students who are interested in getting a system but do not know which one would be best for them. I now have a short lesson for you about how to pick the next-gen console for your needs.

First off, computers are great for playing video games. However, considering all the Macs (Macintosh computers) on campus, it is doubtful that there are many people at Messiah College who want to use their computers for gaming. Therefore, we shall stick to consoles for this edition: Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's Playstation 3, and Nintendo's Wii.

Nintendo's Wii is a good place to start because it stands out from the other two for a few reasons. The Wii is simple fun and gets people out of their seats. It uses a motion sensor so that players have to actually swing the controller around to play various sports and party games.

The carefree attitude of the Wii has caused some developers not to take it seriously though, and it suffers to a degree from a lack of quality games. This is the perfect console for newcomers to the gaming scene and it is very family friendly.

Microsoft and Sony, on the other hand, are much more similar to Nintendo's revolutionary console. They took the common route that has worked so well for years and made it better. There are no motion sensors (yet, Microsoft has an idea for something similar soon), but a lot of hardcore gamers still prefer improvements to the old systems rather than anything too new.

The Xbox 360 is known for Xbox Live and, like the Playstation 3, has much better graphics than the Wii. Aside from amazing visuals and online play, Microsoft has Halo. This is a great shooter game for all those out there who want to do some killing with or against their buddies in a sci-fi universe.

When it first came out, the Xbox 360 had a lot of issues with system failures (I am on my third one) because it was rushed to be released at the same time as its rivals. This problem has been taken care of for the most part, but it is still a bit more of a risk to go with Microsoft.

Playstation 3 also has great visuals and is beginning to have a larger repertoire of quality games. This is the most expensive system (Wii is the cheapest), and it is even more expensive if you want it to be able to play Blu-ray movies. This is the system for those interested in the long-term, though, because Playstation 3 is going to be around for a while. Playstation 2 still comes out with a game here and there; do not worry about throwing down another few hundred dollars for many years to come.

Basically, the Wii is for casual gamers who want to get together with some friends to play. Playstation 3 is for the more intense gamer who likes consistency and a product that will last a long time. Xbox 360 is for those who like the Halo series and usually buy everything Microsoft anyway.

Hopefully, this helps those who go into game stores and get the same confused look on their faces as my parents. In conclusion, if this article told you anything you did not know already, your best bet is the Wii.