The Epic Battle of the Consoles: Wii Vs. Xbox 360 Vs. PS3

In the 1970s the game Pong was introduced to the world. Shortly after Pong, the arcade game, was released, Pong creator Nolan Bushnell along with Ted Dabney created Atari Computers. Pong was re-released on the Atari System a year later. Pong is probably the most notable game on the first generation gaming console Atari. Since then games have been steadily improving. Game consoles substantially improved with the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Playstation, Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox, and to the current systems; The Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3. Such titles as Pac-man, Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy, and Megaman have probably made a difference in all of our lives in some way.

It seemed as if each gaming system that came out was the best and that it couldn't improve. Yet the console companies did not fail in blowing our minds with each release. And now with the releases of the Wii, the Xbox, and the Playsation 3, gaming systems are on the verge of complete realism. I'd imagine that gaming systems can't improve much from, but time and time again, I've been proven wrong. Many times have I walked in on a friend playing a game on these systems thinking that they were watching the television. It's amazing how far games have come.

But in the end, as the quality of the consoles improves, so does the price. The average, middle class citizen cannot afford all three systems. It comes down to a choice, a battle of the consoles. Which system is better? Which system should you get?

The Wii Pros:
The Wii is the best selling of this generation of consoles, probably due to the wide range of demographics who can enjoy the system. The Wii's design influences people to come together. It features a wireless controller and the Wii Remote, which is commonly used as a pointing device that detects movement in three dimensions. It is the smallest console to date. It features games that influence people to move around and be active. If you're playing Wii Tennis on the Wii, you can swing the remote like a real tennis racket. If you're playing Wii Bowling, you can simulate real life bowling with the remote. You can also use the remote and controller to simulate a gun for certain games. It also features games made to promote good health. The remote just adds a whole new unique dimension to games. It is highly addicting. The console does not use much power due to great processing technologies and is very quiet. It is completely backwards compatible with the Nintendo GameCube meaning you can hook up GameCube controllers to the Wii and play them on the Wii. The Wii is also substantially cheaper than the other consoles of this generation.

The Wii Cons:
The Wii's graphics is subpar to the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The graphics are only slightly better than its predecessor, the Nintendo GameCube. It only has 512 internal flash memory. The Wii uses 12-centimeter optical discs meaning it doesn't have very competitive storage capacity. It has limited online capabilities. The Wii is designed to bring people together so there are not many games designed to be enjoyed alone.

The Xbox 360 or The Playstation 3?
By now, you've probably decided if the Wii is right for you or not. The Wii is kind of on a different level than the other two consoles. If the Wii isn't for you then it comes down to an even more difficult decision, deciding between the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, as they are very similar.
Price:
For a long time the Xbox 360 was reasonable cheaper than the PS3, but recently PS3's prices have dropped and both console are pretty much identical (around $300) in price making the decision that much harder.
Hardware:
The PS3 has a CPU that has 8 cores that run at 3.2GHz each. 6 cores are used for gaming, 1 core is used for the operating system, and the other core is not used. The Xbox 360 has a Triple Core CPU that runs at 3.2GHz each. The Playstation 3 has over twice as many cores. So technically it's processing capabilities are double that of the Xbox 360.
Graphics:
Overall the Xbox 360 graphics look slightly better than the PS3. Although they are very similar and it differs per game, the graphics of the Xbox generally looks more polished. The PS3's GPU(Graphic Processing Unit) processes at 550MHz and has 256mb of RAM that runs at 1.3GHz. The Xbox 360 has a GPU that runs at 500MHz and has 512mb of RAM.
Games:
Although the PS3 has recently been coming out with many games the Xbox 360 still has a wider range of games to choose from probably due to its earlier release date. Most developers make the Xbox 360 their primary platform so sometimes the games will perform better on the 360.
Online Support:
The Xbox 360 offers Xbox Live. It is easier to use by some means but there is a monthly charger. The Playstation 3's online capabilities are free to use. The communities are fairly identical in size.
Value for Money:
The PS3 is one of the best Blu-Ray players on the market. Some PS3's are backwards compatible with the PS2 and PS1. The PS3 and the PSP go hand in hand as you can download games that can be played on both systems, you can download music from the PS3 for the PSP and watch movies on the PSP via Remote Play with the PS3. The Xbox 360 is solely a gaming console but offers an HD-DVD player as an add-on for $200. Many aspects of the PS3 such as the hard drive can be upgraded by the console owners.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the Wii is for those who like to get together with people and play games that are energetic and get you moving and are not worried too much about graphics. The Wii is a much different from the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The PS3 and the Xbox 360 are very similar. The PS3 is a more powerful unit as it features one of the best Blu-Ray players to date. The Xbox 360 has more games and arguably slightly better graphics.