Wii Vs. 360 = Wii60?

The Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 are the two most prevalent consoles of the next gaming generation. But which is better? Which appeals to what audience? And who will win the console wars? Well I'm glad you asked those questions because I'm going to try to answer them.

Nintendo's Wii is a simple inexpensive and fun console. The Wii takes a common household remote and turns it into a video game control. This is a smart move on Nintendo's part. They are taking a piece of equipment that has been around for years and making it a controller. I think this may be one reason people are gravitating towards the Wii, it makes things simple. Some of these new controllers for the PS3 and Xbox 360 are very complicated, even for the most experienced gamer. The Wii uses a controller with two main buttons, two sub buttons and a D-pad.

The Wii demographic I believe is everyone, especially the non gamer or new gamer. The simplicity is one major selling point for the console. My parents' last console played on was an Atari 2600. Now they are bowling and golfing on Wii sports. This says something to me, like a big red sign. People enjoy playing on the Wii, especially when your parents are rather technology/gaming unfriendly.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is a graphic powerhouse, something the Wii will never accomplish. However this console is not "fun" like the Wii. The Xbox is more competition, killing, being the best over everyone else type of fun. While the Wii is just plain "fun" like running through sprinklers or going out for coffee with a group of good friends. The level and type of fun is different between the two consoles. Don't get me wrong, I love competition and beating people at their own game. The Xbox 360 has quite a few things going for it right now.

Graphic power, this console can hammer out beautiful graphics and at a high refresh rate. The 360 can play on HD TVs very smoothly and well. Xbox LIVE is another major feature the Wii has no rebuttal against, yet. LIVE is an amazing online community that is rather seamless for the most part. Downloadable content including music, movies and games add a new level to the console. The Xbox is mostly for the medium and hardcore gamer. I don't see many new gamers starting off with a Xbox 360 right off the bat. Most of the games are incredible, but require a few hours to get used to the gameplay and multiplayer. One neat feature is that most games have some type of online functionality which adds to the length of playing the game.

Each system has their own pros and cons, for example price. The Wii comes stock with a controller and Wii Sports bundled with every Wii for $250. The Xbox 360 offers three versions: Core, Premium, Elete. The price ranges $299.99- $479.99 and different accessories are included, primarily hard drive space. The Wii is weak in graphics while the 360 has incredible graphics.

The Xbox has online services while the Wii is still in progress. The Wii is immensely popular, in fact it is still very hard to find in America and sales are up for Nintendo. The Wii will have Super Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, and Mario Galaxy by the end of the year. Xbox 360 will have Halo 3 and Halo Wars by the end of the year. The Wii will also use the Nintendo DS as a extra controller using the wireless capabilities of the DS in future gaming. And the Wii allows you to sent messages straight to your friend's Wii through e-mail or sending the message from one Wii to another Wii.

Who will be the winner in this game match? It really comes down to the people. Both consoles have their ups and downs, but overall I enjoy having both in my house. I own the Wii and my brother owns the 360. I would say the Wii is for a younger audience and the 360 is for a more mature audience. I personally enjoy the Wii and play it more than the 360. The innovation of the Wiimote and nunchuk controllers are the most comfortable controller I have ever used. Which system you chose to purchase is your decision, I just hope this has given some insight into both systems.