Playstation 3 Vs. Wii

Now that all three of the next generation consoles are out, it's time to see which one takes the cake. Will it be the Xbox 360 with its potential to burst into flames at any moment? Or perhaps the tried-and-true stability of the Playstation franchises? Or will the Wii surprise us all and go from being that silly Nintendo console with the weird name to one of the most pleasant surprises in the gaming world?

The Xbox was the first of the next-generation consoles to come out, promising better graphics and another fire hazard. So that leaves Sony and Nintendo, fighting it out for the reward of going down in history as Gaming System of Holiday 2006. And competition is fierce, in part due to the near-simultaneous release dates.

The stage is set, now which console will emerge victorious?

Sales

The Playstation 3 is in high demand, but low in stock. The addition of Blu- Ray technology, part of no other gaming console thus far, bumped up the price significantly but also created a shortage of PS3s. (For those of you unfamiliar with Blu-ray, it's essentially a different format DVD that can pack more in one disc, named after the blue-violet colored laser used to scan them.)

The Wii, too, sold out after one day. The Wii, however, did not suffer from a severe lack of consoles. Score one for Nintendo.

Price

Then there's the price to consider. The Playstation 3 comes in two styles: 20GB and 60GB hard disk dives, and they are $499 and $599, respectively. Compared to the Wii's $249.99, it almost makes you wonder what else you could get for the same price as a PS3.

You could get a small computer for that price. Or a nice digital camera. Or maybe even 7.5 iPod Shuffles. You get the point. The PS3 is expensive for a gaming console, and that's without buying any games. Wii-2, PS3-none.

Gameplay vs. Graphics

Now, the meat of the gaming industry-the games themselves.

The PS3 promised better graphics, but did they deliver? Not quite. The graphics were surprisingly…ordinary… in the games released so far. While still capable of topping the Wii in this category, I'm personally a little disappointed that Sony wasn't able to deliver something more. Wii-2, PS3-1.

The huge difference between the PS3 and the Wii, though, is actual gameplay. To start with the controllers, the PS3 controller is identical to the PS2 controller. Not much new going on there in terms of revolutionary gameplay. Nintendo, on the other hand, took a huge gamble with its motion-sensitive nun chuck TV-remotes. They're a bit hard to master at first, but once past that, they're quite fun.

Take the Madden football title released for both consoles: the PS3 version is same-old, same-old while the Wii version is an entirely new experience with the odd nun chuck controls. I can't say whether this is just an immediate fascination because the console is so new, or if the controllers will continue to be just as intriguing in four years, but for now it's just something different that sets Nintendo apart from its competitors. Wii-3, PS3-1.

History

To jump back a little and look at other Nintendo and Sony products, we being to see a pattern.

The Nintendo DS introduced something new to the handheld gaming world: two screens. Or, more specifically, a touch screen. "Touching is good," they asserted, and people responded. Nintendo's history of durability, battery life, and entertaining array of games drew people in. Plus, it never hurt that the DS was relatively cheap.

The Sony Playstation Portable, or PSP, was shiny, expensive, and had online capabilities. It boasted better graphics than the DS, and could store video and music. But, it was pricey and less durable.

So, the Wii, like the DS, offers innovative gaming and a cheaper price. The PS3, like the PSP, offers exceptional graphics at a higher price with nothing too groundbreaking.

Wii?

Now, to be fair to the Playstation, the Wii has raised some eyebrows at its name. People know what to expect from something called a Playstation 3: the next level of Playstation gaming. But a name like "Wii" leaves people scratching their heads. And, odd though it may sound, maybe that's what Nintendo was aiming for. Something that people would remember, rather than something that would blend into the background. Wii- 4 (for being different), PS3- 1 (because there's nothing new here that makes me want to jump up and check it out)

Final Score

Wii-4, PS3-1

Overall, the PS3 features slight improvements on the traditional console, but offers very little in revolutionary gameplay. Nintendo, on the other hand, has scrapped everything you thought you knew about gaming and turns it upside down with the Wii. The Wii wins hands-down for originality, but will that be enough to raise it above the Playstation that we all know and love?