[ On why A PlayStation 3 is The Way To Go ]

Been debating with myself if I should write my rantings about consoles, I mean will it be read/convince someone? Then I realized that there are some valid points that are only discussed on hard core gaming forums, and some seem that are not discussed at all. So here we go. If u are 72 years old, or 6, is a ps3 for you? Or is the Nintendo Wii a better option? I would go with a yes here. Nintendo has managed to create an accesible system, with simple, fun, accesible games. But if you can handle a pc, or write a blog, I bet you will get bored quite soon: Games with repetitive tasks, unless they're played with more than four people, don't get funnier after a week. Nintendo has always come as a family friendly, "Your kids will not see blood" approach, wich is good, but also gets a bit restrictive over time. This restriction also alienates certain developers, and even complete genres ( There were no terror games on nintendo's earlier ystem, the GameCube ). A PS3 has a back catalog and upcoming games of enough famili friendly games, and a lot of gritty, obscure, complicated games. Its like choosing a movie: You choose the movie, not the theater. While Nintendo is trying to enter darker games, I think that will hurt it more than benefit it. Another drawback, is that the lack of third party publishers narrow nintendo to the next Mario, Zelda and Metroid iterations. They're great games, wich always score as perfect, but those are only 3 games, plus a couple of another gems. And yes, the new controller. It's great. But it's not simple. As with any interface, you'll have to learn it's quirks. Its just a new controller, wich by the way, tries to emulate a keyboard and a mouse, only motion sensitive. With it's own motion sensitive controller, the ps3 doesn't reinvent the wheel, rather, expands it, welcoming new and old users alike. And, unfortunately, Nintendo online comunity just doesn't seem as advanced as Microsoft's or Sony's. You'll be able to download oldies games, but the console doesn't have a hard disk or enough internal space to accomodate movies, shows or a lot of games. In short, Nintendo is still an option, just a very childish focused one. So, I can handle a PC and I'm not afraid of variety. Why not choose an xBox 360? If you had an xBox, or knew someone who does, you'll have probably stumbled upon one of the biggest drawbacks: Microsoft doesn't care for you. Just as with Windows, once the nex big thing is here, you're history unless you upgrade. Ps3 is backwards compatible, and the ps2 still has a year or so of momentum, before starting to get old. In paper, it doesn't sound as important, but my ps2 has managed to keep me entertained for the last year, and will do so a bit more, while enough supplies of ps3 are acumulated, and I buy one. An xBox owner suddenly wakes up and realizes there are no more games for his/her console. On the obvius side, the ps3 is more powerful, and more expensive, but it will also look better, and as mentioned above, has a larger life span. Besides, there's enough variety of games to have a lot of tastes happy. Microsoft is in it for the money. They just ensamble a good computer and ship it as a console, expecting to get a good byte at the 4 billion dollar pie. Nintendo and Sony try to make something better each time. Oh, at it will charge an extra $200 for a HD drive, wich will be required for bigger games later on, making it a $650 console over time. ( $400 console + $50 xBox live service/year + $200 HD Drive ) ... the PS3 offers you all that for $600, no hidden costs. is the PlayStaton 3 really that powerful? Yup, really. Perhaps you will not notice from the start, at least on the graphics, but you'll start noticing certain details. Like intelligent enemies, for example. Basically its like this: The ps3 has 7 persons running around inside, while the xBox has 2, and the wii has this 2 not very intelligent persons running. What does this means? Means that you can assign work to those 7 persons, and they're synchronyzed enough to get incredible results. One people can paint a masterpiece ( the image you saw ), while other one composes sounds and music, other one places the players in great manners, other one manages the weather, other calculates the trayectory of your bullets and the last one checks what is the traffic on the city doing. It can create a living, breathing environment, for you to get lost on it. Extra content While obviusly copying from microsoft, the ps3 will have an online store, where you'll be able to download free demos, videos and the like. You will also have a profile ( like a blogger account ), where people will write you and play you. The difference? Microsoft charges 50$ a year for the service, while the ps3 offers it for free. That high cost on the ps3 is getting lightier, isn't it? Besides, you'll be able to download new and great oldie games for a 'bout $5 a shot. If you feel caritative, you can download applications that will use the power of your console while you're not playing, to decode DNA and try to cure genetical diseases. Cool, ah? I can see you saying: "My Ps3 is saving lifes. What's your console doing?". Games It just makes sense to continue with your current console, doesn't it? Same games that you enjoy, and a lot more of surprises. Ps2 marked the birth of onimusha, devil may cry, killzone an God of War ( Probably the most innovative game since metal gear solid ). And with its current horse power, ps3 will enjoy PC ports wich will look better, same and runnable for about 6 years, as pc games evolve and require more power, and the ps4 arrives. While I'm certain that you won't play Halo, Gears of War or Zelda, my bet is that you'll enjoy a lot of other licenses. Besides, with current software costs going up, it's more likely that at least the xBox and the ps3 will get the same games, in wich case, the most powerful console will receive the most extras and content. What now? Go and play. I think you'll be happier with a ps3, but you'll probably get a good time with any other one. It's your movie!