Microsoft has tried to catch up with some of the titans of the
gaming
world,
such as Sony with the release of the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 offers
many
new features that players will
love:
- Free limited subscription to online gaming - This allows
players who have
not been participating in online gaming a chance to see what is
available at no
charge.
- All Xbox 360s come with Live-aware - This means you can get a
friend invite
or see who is online and what they are playing from your Xbox 360.
The
button in the middle of the controller makes all this very
easy.
- It offers great media features including listening to
music while you play
games, the ability to create custom playlists and your own custom
soundtracks,
the ability to rip songs from original CDs to your Xbox 360 and
stream music
from your MP3 player to your Xbox 360. You can also create
slideshows of
photos to share with friends and family.
- Xbox 360 has a wireless controller. No more tripping over the
wires,
although it can support two wired controllers through USB ports in
the
front.
- The game console is not only great for gamers, but developers
as well.
It is a powerful machine with an unprecedented amount of RAM - a
feature added
on the request of developers.
But, Xbox 360 still has some problems that need to be worked
out:
- Their Japanese third party support is lacking - While some
Japanese
developers offer software for the Xbox, it is small in number when
compared to
what the same developers offer for Playstation.
- While the controller is wireless, it eats batteries rather
quickly.
Standard alkaline batteries only last about thirty hours, so if
you buy Xbox
360, invest in rechargeable batteries to save yourself some money
in the
end.
- When they were set up in WalMart stores before days before the
launch, many
suffered what is known as the Xbox "360 screen of death," an error
screen.
The Xbox 360 had also had some problems with overheating.
- Some report the Xbox 360 system as being very noisy when
playing an Xbox 360
disc.
Many
people are eagerly awaiting the
release of Playstation 3, which may
occur as soon as November of this year. It has been said that
the
Playstation 3 has an outward feel (which allows it to stand
vertically or
horizontally on its own), as opposed to the Xbox 360's inward
feel. It is
a much larger console than the Playstation 2 and closer to the
original size of
the Xbox. Game discs slide into the console like CDs slide into a
car
player.
Here are a few attractive features of the Playstation 3:
- It is always on, so you can access your Playstation 3 from
anywhere as long
as you have an Internet connection.
- With a Playstation Portable, you can connect to your
Playstation 3 and
transfer media such as music and movies.
- The Playstation 3 appears to be much more powerful than that
Xbox 360,
Ninetindo Revolution, and Playstation 2. Initial reports say it
will be
twice as fast as the Xbox 360.
- Developers and publishers of over 230 games have announced
titles for
Playstation 3 games.
Here are a few reported cons and problems with the Playstation
360:
- Comes with only 256 MB, less than the 512 MB the Xbox 360 will
come
with.
- Their Playstation Network Platform (the online service) is
still in
development and may not be ready by the time Playstation 3 is
released.
- The launch of the Playstation 3 has already been delayed due to
disk
problems.
Both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are incredible gaming
consoles. It
seems that although the Xbox 360 came out first, the best bet is
still the
Playstation 3. The strongest point of the Xbox 360 is its
online
functionality, but Sony may be working on something similar to
Xbox Live right
now. However, Microsoft is closing the gap with Xbox 360 and
probably will
eventually catch up with Sony in gaming consoles. For some users,
it may
come down to something as simple as which one is more compatible
with the games
they already own.
Credit Pacific Service Union Mark Robbins is a gamer providing valuable tips and advice on
video game
systems, game cheats, and giving new game reviews.
player, digital camera, Media Center PC, based PC. You Control the Experience Xbox 360 lets you create your own unique system and experience. With interchangeable Xbox 360 Faces, it is easy and fun to change the appearance of your console. Switch on your system and customize the look and feel of the Xbox Gamer Guide and Xbox System Guide with unique "skins." From sleek and sophisticated to fun and funky, pick the Faces
[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]