PlayStation 3 - Sony PlayStation 3 Game Console Reviews

The Sims - Bustin' Out Video Game (PlayStation2)

2009-02-26T20:08:00.001+07:00

Bustin' Out Video Game (PS2)

Travel to wild new locations, meet unique new people, unlock hundreds of new objects and social moves, and get into all sorts of trouble. Or try Free Play mode for tons of open-ended game play. Either way, you might never go home again.

Details this games.

RPG is my hobby games

2008-11-04T07:40:00.002+07:00

bermain playstation adalah hobi saya dulu, dan sekarang sebenarnya juga masih tertarik untuk jari-jariku diatas joystick playstation. sayangnya waktunya sudah tidak memungkinkan lagi. dari segi usia masih pantaskah Harun Azis bermain playstation sudah 28 tahun lebih! dan dari sisa waktu setelah pulang kerja, capek gak sempat main ps. sebenarnya kalau ada game consoles di rumah, sempat meluangkan waktu untuk mencoba beberapa cd rpg games yang telah saya beli untuk koleksi pribadi saya, masih suka beli cd playstation, playstation 2 kalau yang cd playstation 3 belum pernah nyoba jadi belum pernah beli cd-nya. suatu saat kalau ada uang beli lah 1 game console untuk hiburan di rumah dan juga buat nyenengin calon anak yang sampai sekarang belum nongol-nongol juga! Insya Allah, dengan ijin Allah dan ridho-Nya Harun Azis sudah kepengin punya momongan lagi. Allah yang menentukan tetapi manusia hanya bisa berusaha dan ikhtiar. tunggu earning dari google adsense tiap bulan $1000 sepertinya sudah bisa hidup dengan cukup.

Looking For A Valid Xbox 360 Ring Of Death Repair Guide?

2008-08-19T13:35:00.000+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

The Xbox 360 ring of death is not always the swan song - your Xbox 360 doesn't need to die. Of course, it will need some intensive therapy, core repairs and magic fixes, but don't toss it just yet. Sometimes all it takes to revive an Xbox 360 is a warm towel wrapped around the console for 10 minutes and a restart. Sure, this is a temporary fix and there are many voices against it, but it is nevertheless the proof that you can still count on Microsoft (unless the towel trick sets your Xbox on fire).

How do you escape the ring of death? It all depends on your karma. If the towel trick works a DIY repair might work too. If the towel trick fails put your faith in Microsoft's repair service and start praying, or do the smart thing and invest your money in a new system. As only 6% of all the Xbox 360s cannot be repaired, don't lose hope and instead of calling Microsoft, try finding a valid Xbox 360 ring of death guide that will lead you through all the steps needed to fix your console without specialized help.

The main reason why an Xbox 360 fails is overheating. A valid Xbox 360 repair guide will teach you how to fix the cooling system instead of advising you to blow hot air into your Xbox or wrap it in towels. Valid Xbox guides come with a money back warrantee but more importantly they lead you to the whole process of fixing your console, step by step, with clear pictures and schematics to help you with every detail. No serious Xbox 360 repair guide vendor will ever promise to have the ultimate solution for your problems. Sometimes what causes the Xbox 360 to fail may be something unrelated to the cooling system - like scratched disks for example. In such situations you need a different guide and seldom need you to invest in a new system.

Obviously all these fixes are valid only for the situation when your Xbox is out of warranty. If your product is still in warranty, let Microsoft fix it. It's free and it's safer for your console.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

The First Step in Repairing Xbox 360 Malfunctions

2008-08-19T13:34:00.000+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

Repairing the Xbox 360 is not difficult with some basic tools and a lot of attention to detail. However, if your console is still under warranty and you open the case, please be aware that this will permanently void any remaining warranty. This article will show you how to open your console without damaging components.

If you decide to use this or any do-it-yourself guide, please always make sure your console is unplugged from any source of power before trying to access the case interior. Repairing and maintaining your Xbox 360 is a fairly easy proposition. Let's take you through the steps to accessing the Xbox 360's interior.

You will first need a clean and stable workspace, which can consist of a soft, clean towel spread over a sturdy accessible table. By laying the console flat, gently remove the faceplate by squeezing the latches on either end of the faceplate and pulling it forward. The faceplate should just pop off, but be careful to not break the latches or exert too much pressure.

Next, remove the side panels by releasing the tabs using either a small, thin screwdriver or punch in the holes on either side of the case, being careful not to snap the tabs off. At this point it will be easy to see the metal chassis of the console and to begin removing the bottom part of the unit. Place a flat screwdriver on the tabs in the front and back and apply even pressure in order to release them. The screwdriver will need to be inserted between the white panels in order to access the back tabs.

You are now ready to remove the top portion of the case. This can only be done with a "torx" tool or driver. This tool is shaped like a star on the end, but if one is not available you can buy one at the local auto parts or hardware store. Now remove the 6 torx screws from the four corners and center of the console taking note of where the different length screws come from.

Now you can easily remove the DVD module and have access to the CPU and circuits underneath. All internal components are now within easy reach and basic repair can be performed. Some of the most common Xbox 360 problems deal with the DVD aspect, and these problems are often a simple DIY fix.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

The First Step in Repairing Xbox 360 Malfunctions

2008-08-19T13:26:00.000+07:00

Is It Smart To Download An Xbox 360 Repair Manual?

2008-08-19T13:22:00.000+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

The only website that actually offers free Xbox 360 user manuals which are safe to download is the official Xbox 360 website. But this website will not tell you how to repair your console. In the absence of the most wanted information, what will you do?

Downloading files from the Internet is not always a smart move, especially when you are not familiar with the site. Sometimes what you get with a download comes with no warranties that the files will be both both Trojan and virus free. Think of downloading from the Web as buying from the black market, and understand that there are only rare situations when free actually means free. Many of the sites that offer free downloads are virtual traps for the innocent web user who tries to save money. Little do these users know that rapid share and torrent sites often hide malware that can cause costly malfunctions to their computers - sometimes even fatally corrupting core system files.

We can already conclude that downloading Xbox 360 repair manuals from dubious sites is not smart at all. In the absence of spyware and malware the sites might require an email address to send you a download link. Needless to say that such a demand alone should trigger some questions. If you want to have your email address on the next spammer's list, feel free to submit your private information to such sites.

When is it smart to download Xbox 360 manuals from the web? - When you trust the source.

There are some ways to verify whether a seller is legitimate: do a whois search, check out the privacy policy on the site and the site disclaimer, or check out the site's SSL. Once the SSL certificate authenticates you can safely assume that you are not dealing with a phisher and you can trust the seller. Beware of free downloads which act as baits that will make you buy something else; in the case of an Xbox 360 manual this something else could be a special repair kit.

It is our conviction that there are some sites that offer free Xbox 360 manuals, but it's an art to find them. If you do, we are waiting for your feedback.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

How to Fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death

2008-08-19T13:18:00.002+07:00

By Anthony Reedy

The dreaded Xbox 360 red ring of death. Are there 6 words that could strike more terror into the hearts of gamers? If you have never experienced this problem then consider yourself lucky. Some estimates put your chances of receiving this error as high as 1 in 3. If you are one of the unlucky and are experiencing this problem right now, don't despair. There is hope and help, and it doesn't require you to send your system off to that large global corporation whose name we will not mention! First, a little background on Xbox 360 error lights.

The Dreaded Red Ring of Death

The xbox 360 comes with a system to identify the error based off the number of red lights.

1 red light: you are having general hardware failure.
2 red lights: your console is overheating. Turn off and unplug your console immediately to avoid damage any damage.
3 red lights: the red ring of death. See the next section for how to deal with these red lights.
4 red lights: your AV cable is loose. Check that your connection is secure, replace if necessary.

The Cause of 1 & 3 Red Light Errors

A loose GPU will cause 1 and 3 red lights on your xbox 360. This is a result of the cold-soldering used and the heat given off by the motherboard.

How To Fix The Red Ring Of Death

I hear you loud and clear, "enough information already! Give me the fix!"

Well, that large global corporation whose name we will not mention would like for you to send your xbox 360 console to them, along with about $200. They will hold your system for about 8 weeks.

What you may not know is that you can fix the xbox 360 red ring of death on your own and in the comfort of your home. The non-techiest person can complete this process in under an hour. There are several guides available on the internet that deatail this process. Look for one that includes step-by-step videos. Always verify that there is a refund option and a way to contact the seller. This will ensure that you are not receiving a junk guide reselling the famous "towel trick".

Does your Xbox suffer from the ring of death? Let me show you step-by-step how to fix your Xbox 360 red ring of death error.

Find out more, Xbox 360 Repair Guide Reviews.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Reedy

Where Can You Get Xbox 360 Help?

2008-08-19T13:18:00.001+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

Of course the easiest answer to the "where can I get help when my Xbox 360 is down?" dilemma is Microsoft's Xbox 360 website. But this answer is valid only as long as your product is still in warranty or if you just need answers to simple matters such as "List of original Xbox games playable on Xbox 360."

For more complex Xbox 360 problems you can get help by visiting the Xbox 360 forums, asking your questions on Yahoo! Answers or other similar sites, visiting Xbox related blogs and discussion boards and ultimately buying an Xbox 360 repair guide that usually has the answers to all your tech-related problems. Xbox.com has almost all the general answers you need plus a help section that will even teach you how to play right to reduce the possibility of injury (RSI - repetitive strain injury) and also how to keep the kids safe online. Another interesting support sections helps you deal with offensive players - a bitter reality of the online gaming community.

Also, if you are unaware of it, Xbox has a LIVE Code of Conduct that you should get familiar with, to avoid any penalties. Know the Xbox 360 terms of use and try to follow them as any deviation from these rules can get you into trouble. You can find manuals and system use help on xbox.com too - basically there is nothing the site doesn't cover, except Xbox fixes. Of course xbox.com will never tell you how to repair even the simplest malfunctions of your Xbox 360. Microsoft wants your Xbox in for repair and you'll have to pay if the product is no longer under warranty.

Fatal errors need more attention from Microsoft. Even the famous "towel trick" cannot really help keep your Xbox trouble-free. Such tricks are temporary fixes that buy you time, but if you want your console to run again you have to look for professional help. Are you sure that the Xbox has a problem that can be fixed by any gamer with a screwdriver and a repair guide? You can take your chances and find out, but if you have any doubts do seek help. Remember that sometimes not asking for help might cost more than sending the Xbox to a special service for repair.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.
View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Looking For A Valid Xbox 360 Ring Of Death Repair Guide?

2008-08-19T13:16:00.000+07:00

Troubleshooting The Xbox 360 Problem

2008-08-19T13:14:00.001+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

Three red lights and here it goes: the Xbox 360 problems known as the Red Ring of Death, 3RLOD, X-Clamp Fix or the Red Lights of Doom. This is every Xbox 360's user worse nightmare, because it could turn into a very costly business, especially for those with low technical skills.

Microsoft tells you that when the lights 1, 3 and 4 of the ring of light are flashing red the problem with your Xbox is a hardware failure, and sure Microsoft would like you to send your Xbox in for repair. Microsoft does not tell you what the possible cause of the failure is. Knowing the cause means knowing the fix, and if you know the fix there is no reason for you to pay Microsoft big money just to learn that the only solution is throwing even more money out of the window to buy a new system.

The 3RLOD problem is mostly related to the graphics processing unit (GPU) - but unfortunately the three flashing lights cannot really tell you what is going wrong.

The hardware might fail because of overheating. This malfunction is probably caused by the employment of the wrong type of lead free solder in the construction of the Xbox. Xbox 360 Elite and Xbox 360 Premium have better heat sinks, and some third party manufacturers even introduced external cooling systems, but the overheating problem is still existent for most of the Xbox 360 users.

The fix is not easy for such a problem - you obviously need to cool down your system. So turn it off and try to expose the Xbox to a very low temperature. Other users report success by using a "towel trick" - wrapping the Xbox in a towel for 10-12 minutes while still on, then turning it off for 15-20 minutes. There are pros and cons for this approach, and most of the users report that this is just a temporary fix, as the problem might recur. The situation is not desperate however. The towel trick is just a quick fix, but other easy DIY fixes are available for those with some tech skill.

The hardware might fail because of scratched disks. Some Xbox 360s lack a mechanism to secure the disc solidly in place. Unfortunately you cannot fix this issue alone, but Microsoft provides support for this problem in its Microsoft Xbox Disk Replacement Program - available solely in the countries where the Xbox was originally bought.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

The Quest For The Definitive Xbox 360 Repair Guide

2008-08-19T13:09:00.001+07:00

By Alexander Thompson

Every Xbox 360 user's nightmare has got to be looking for a fix for his console. Once the three lights of death start shining the quest for the ultimate Xbox 360 repair ebook begins - naturally in the absence of other fixes and particularly if the Xbox is out of warranty. What is even worse: when even the ultimate Xbox 360 repair guide fails, a visit to Microsoft's repair centre is what costs nerves and money.

Considering that about 6% of the Xbox 360s produced are irreparable, it makes no sense to ask Microsoft for help prior to knowing whether the Xbox can be fixed. They'll charge you just to look at the box! Most of the Xbox 360 users who experienced such problems agree that the easiest way to tell if the Xbox 360 can be fixed is to use the towel trick when the three red lights of death are on. There are enough tutorials and videos online demonstrating how this works, probably as many as there are voices that tell you not to play such a trick on your Xbox 360. The towel trick seems to work for many (and in all cases reported it's a temporary fix) but in rare situations it could damage the console forever. Fighting heat with even more heat is probably not the best idea.

Fortunately there are enough user forums, blogs and discussion groups where Xbox 360 users can share their thoughts and experiences, and almost all these resources will point to an Xbox 360 repair ebook that helped. What you need to know is that there is no such a thing as an official Microsoft Xbox repair guide, so if someone even insinuates that they have it, try not to fall for it.

There are however valid fixes for some of the most common Xbox 360 problems. In the quest for the ultimate fix many users ended up destroying their Xbox 360s. To select the best Xbox 360 repair guide you'll probably need to listen to the advice of experts and peers. Find out what worked for other people in a forum, or from gaming friends.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Great Entertainment With Best Gaming Consoles

2008-08-19T13:07:00.002+07:00

By Andrena Markley

Gaming consoles have been highly popular amongst the game lovers. Over the years there has been tremendous growth in the gaming industry. Breakthrough technology and advanced mechanism led to amazing innovations in the world of gaming consoles. These consoles give great entertainment and fun. Game lovers have used these consoles for decades with great excitement. The modern age game consoles are created with advanced technology. They are highly sophisticated and great in performance. Major players in the gaming industry are Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. These brands have presented some of the most innovative and exciting gaming devices that have set waves in the global market. The prime reason for the success of these gadgets is that they appeal to customers of all age groups. From kids to teenagers and adults every body loves having rollicking time playing enthralling games on these advanced gizmo.

Some of the highly popular video game consoles present in the market are Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP and Microsoft Xbox 360. Sony PlayStation Portable or PSP is probably the best and the first system that is integrated with amazing multimedia capabilities. It is a complete entertainment system which offers facility to handle variety of content in efficient manner. The PSP provides the facility to play games along with innovative applications to watch videos, photographs and images. The PlayStation has incredible music player and wireless connection. It has wonderful library of more than 430 films, exciting TV programs, 135 adventurous games and other entertainment content. Apart from these additional new content can also be downloaded from the internet.

Nintendo Wii comes with the most wonderful features and innovative technology. The Wii has set new trend in the gaming community with its innovative built in Wi- Fi connection that supports online gaming. You can play games with other users within the Wi Fi range. This adds a new dimension to the gaming consoles. The Wii remote control has incredible intuitive technology with motion sensors that give astounding gaming experience. The sensors gauge the position of the remote control in the 3-dimensional space; this helps the users to use the remote control in variety of ways. For example it can be used as a racket for playing simulation tennis game and as a steering for playing the car racing.

Xbox 360 is my favorite gaming companion. It is certainly the best digital entertainment system that comes loaded with perfect videos, astounding DVD playback and digital music. I admire its innovative design. The sleek and slim body of the Xbox makes it look really great. The various aware users closely analyse the specifications and Compare features of Xbox 360, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii etc.to determine which one is most suitable for them.

The Xbox gives amazing performance on the personal computers with wonderful networking and digital media features. The Nintendo Wii lacks the graphical dexterity of the Xbox but the innovative controller makes it more exciting and adds fun to the game play. The Sony PSP has extraordinary features however its multimedia functionality fails to supersede the tremendous media capabilities of the Xbox.

No doubt all these gaming consoles are absolutely wonderful and they offer users a completely fun filled experience. I certainly appreciate the Nintendo Wii's incredible controller that gives me awesome real time experience while playing games. The incredible and highly responsive remote makes a buzz and vibrates while one is playing games. The PSP is extremely wonderful with its great wireless connection. Now I can compete with my friends in games.

With the advent of internet shopping, getting the latest gaming consoles has become an incredibly easy task. Game lovers can search for the cheap gadgets on the various websites and online shopping portals. Before I selected a particular gaming device I thought it was essential to compare features of Xbox 360, Sony PS3 & Nintendo Wii. You can also get the consoles at incredibly low prices with great discounts.

Andrena Markley is the webmaster of http://gazette-world.blogspot.com, Get updates on Latest Gizmos and Cool Gizmos from the site.

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How To Setup Nintendo Wii

2008-08-19T13:07:00.000+07:00

By Lin Steven

You just got home with your brand new Nintendo Wii, take it out of the box, and realize that you have no idea how to setup Nintendo Wii. Well, have no fear this article will walk you through this very easy process.

Starting to Setup Nintendo Wii

The first step is to figure out how you want your Nintendo Wii to orient. The Wii can lay one of two ways - horizontally or vertically. If you decide to place it vertically, you need to place the Wii in the control plate included with the packaging. When deciding which way to orient the Wii you have to consider your entertainment center and what is the best way to lay it out to keep the unit cool.

Plug in your Wii

The next step to setup Nintendo Wii is to plug it into your television and the wall socket. Check the back, or possibly front of the television to see what type of audio and visual connectors you have. Once you determine which connections are available on your television, setup Nintendo Wii by plugging the right cord into the Wii then into the television.

Next, take out the AC adapter and plug it into the wall then into the back of the Wii. This will supply your Wii with power. Make sure that if you are or plan to travel to Europe that you have the correct AC adapter. Plugging in the wrong one could cause permanent damage to your unit, so be careful.

Once the power and television are connected to you Wii, the next step to setup Nintendo Wii is to plug in the sensor bar. Find the correct jack on the Wii and plug in the cord. You then need to find a good spot to put the sensor bar so the controllers can properly orient themselves. This bar has infrared light emitters in it that need to be picked up by the controllers, so put it in a spot where there is an unobstructed line of sight between the controllers and the bar. Also, make sure that sensor bar is placed in the exact middle of the television as the controllers will align to this.

I am Lin Steven, if you want more about anti-aging, please visit my website: Nintendo Wii

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Xbox 360 Bundles - Options Galore

2008-08-19T13:03:00.000+07:00

By Keith Londrie

There are several Xbox 360 bundles that are available today. Many of them can be found by a simple internet search. By visiting Yahoo shopping, you will definitely find an option that fits your needs. Below are just a few of the Xbox 360 bundles that are currently being sold on Yahoo shopping.

The Xbox 360 Ultimate bundle is for anybody who is looking to have a top notch gaming experience. This bundle offers seven different games, as well as a wireless controller and Xbox live headset. Out of all of the Xbox 360 bundles, this one is the most comprehensive package available.

If you are a sports fanatic you need to look into purchasing the Xbox 360 Core Sports Bundle Video Game System. This bundle offers the sports enthusiast everything that they need in order to have the ultimate sports gaming experience. This package is one of the best selling Xbox 360 bundles on the market today. Sports gaming bundles often sell out quicker than any other bundle.

The Xbox 360 Core System bundle allows for users to start with all of the basics and then expand to the full experience at their own pace. This bundle comes with all of the standard features that you would expect, as well as some popular add-ons and games; including Madden NFL 2006.

Bundles are the best way to get all of the features that you need without having to pay for each one separately. Buying a bundle is the best way to save money when trying to upgrade your Xbox. Bundles give the user the ability to buy everything they need in one cost effective package, instead of buying each game and accessory as separate add-on. Check out all of the available bundles, and choose the one that best suits your needs.

Since the Xbox 360 was introduced to the market a couple of months ago there has been a lot of talk about its reliability and durability. This talk has surfaced online, in print, and on the television. After all of the hype people were starting to wonder if it was all for not. The best place to gather information on this subject is Internet message boards. These boards have opinions from users all over the world who have had problems with their Xbox 360 console.

After scouring these pages, it appears that the biggest complaint is that the Xbox 360 is too fragile. Of course there are some people that are discounting this theory before they even look at all of the facts. But they may be right; even if the Xbox 360 console is fragile does it really matter. It is not like the system has to be moved around very often.

Keith Londrie II is the Webmaster of http://about-xbox.info/ A website that specializes in providing information on Xbox 360 that you can research on the internet. Please Visit http://about-xbox.info/ now!

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Discerning The Better Version of PlayStation 3

2008-04-19T21:20:00.002+07:00

With the wide circulation of the PlayStation 3, many gamers are sure to buy this new console. The PlayStation 3 has two basic versions: the 20GB and the 60GB. The first version retails at $499.99 while the other is priced at $599.99. The PS3 is sleek in design and is handy than other console systems.

One of the noticeable things that the manufacturers did not change in these new versions is the ability of the console to sit horizontally and vertically. The console now comes with an AV rack allowing it to be place in both positions.

Remaining unchanged are the controllers, which has kept its look and functions from previous editions. This is certainly good news to old gamers who have been used to the old controllers. However the controllers boast of larger L2 and R2 buttons, giving the game wider range to move his fingers.

The manufacturers have also removed the force feedback vibration since they feel that the vibration could be a distraction to particular game titles that need motion sensor.

PS3 controllers are wireless like those of the Xbox 360. It operates with a Bluetooth that transmits data of as fast as 3 Mbps.

Meanwhile the PlayStation Portable console also can serve as the remote control for the PlayStation 3 Games in PlayStation 3 can be saved in a hard drive with a faster speed in the loading of games.

The bigger kind of the PlayStation 3 system, or the 60GB type has many features, while the 20 GB version does not have most of these add-ons.

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User-Friendly, Exciting Xbox 360 Core System

2008-04-19T21:20:00.001+07:00

The competition in the video gaming industry has gone more and more intense in recent years and it will only get severe as we move into the future of hi-tech gaming. Digital video gaming systems such as the Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Wii have taken video gaming into a whole new level. Not only do these consoles offer advance video games, they can also serve as cameras, as well as audio and video players.

One of the premier names in the software development, Microsoft, has come up with one of the more popular consoles in the market with its Xbox series. The most basic of this series is called the Xbox 360 core. It is considered one of the most user-friendly devices since even neophyte gamers can play this system. The Xbox 360 core was specially designed for children as well as casual players.

It is also handy and lightweight, with the Xbox 360 core weighing not more than 9 pounds. This allows users to take it anywhere, anytime. In fact the 360 core is noticeably smaller and lighter than other gamin consoles. What's more, the 360 core allows users to plug in the console and the controller in order to start playing a game. The resolution is quite high especially on a 16:9 big screen. The CPU of the system also includes a processor of 10MB plus three symmetrical cores.

Xbox Core 360 has a 20GB hard drive that allows users to save games from the Internet. It likewise boasts of a surround sound system. It even has decompression channels plus 256 audio channels.

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A Look at Hot Selling Gaming Consoles

2008-04-19T21:18:00.002+07:00

Video games appeal to people from all walks of life. No matter how old or young you are, chances are you are also thrilled to play video games. Because of the extensive appeal of these video games today, it's no wonder that they are among the hottest selling electronic devices in top stores.

The website Wikipedia defines video game console as a device that allows interactive entertainment through the manipulation of the video display signal from a display device such as a TV monitor. Consumers buy a gaming console to play video games either from a personal computer or from arcade games. The latter option however entails additional costs, as the user has to shell out a few bucks to be able to play.

A bit of history on gaming consoles: In 1972, Magnavox released what is considered the earliest home video gaming console. However, the video gaming fever only started to pick up with the launch of the arcade game Pong, which was developed by Atari. The craze even reached greater heights with the release of Odyssey 200, considered one of the most advanced games of its time. In relation to the technicalities, one can take note of the basics that constitute gaming console.

Gaming consoles have controllers that allow its users to interact with things or objects flashed on the screen. It also has a power supply, and core unit.

There are websites that offer reviews and gaming consoles, so check out the Internet to get a better idea on these gadgets.

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Focusing On the Wii

2008-04-19T21:18:00.001+07:00

The fifth video game manufactured by Nintendo is set to become the biggest selling video game system ever. The Wii stands out from the rest of the video game systems with its wireless remote that enables players to move freely. No doubt the Wii is the most modern video game system in the market today.

As a footnote, the Wii was actually not named after the company that manufactured it. It is simply named Wii, with a codename of Revolution and E3 before it was formally launched. Wii was chosen as the nick because it sounds like "we", thus emphasizing that the system is for multiple gamers. In effect the system promotes the interaction between the Wii and the players.

However, the name has become the topic of jokes among many users because it also refers to the American slang referring to urination.

But the Wii soon gathered popularity among video gamers. The Wii seemed to create buzz simply on its name, and this has led many to believe that the catchy and intriguing name had something to do with its marketability even to casual gamers.

Perhaps what is remarkable with the Wii is how this came from nowhere to beat other established and well-promoted gaming consoles in the gaming industry. Credit that to the fact that the Wii arguably has the best video system, as well as a catchy name. Indeed, the Wii is the hottest name in the video gaming industry, and it is definitely here to stay.

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Sony PSP Slim - Big in Features

2008-04-19T21:17:00.001+07:00

The Sony PSP Slim lives up to its name. It is 33% lighter as well as 20% slimmer compared to the original PSP system. While it is lighter and slimmer, it still packs a lot of features. For one, it has done away with the metal chassis while greatly improving the WLAN modules. It also comes with a micro-controller plus a lighter and thinner LCD display.

This new version of the PSP comes with notable improvements from the previous versions of the PSP. First, it has a bigger memory capacity of 64 MB that supports the changes in the performance of the web browser. Additionally the battery is slimmer, since the manufacturer has significantly reduced the capacity of its battery by as much as 1/3rd of the original. However, the running time of the PSPM is basically unchanged, thanks to the hence improved power usage. With the bulkier size of the older models, the PSP slim battery cover does not fit with the older PSP version.

To prevent scratches as well as smudges, this version of the PSP boasts of an enamel coated finish. Likewise, the serial port is modified in order to support the video-out feature. The PSP Slim also comes with a loading tray for added efficiency in terms of dimension. On the upper part of the console is the Wi-Fi switch, while the slot for the memory stick has been relocated to the upper left corner. Meanwhile speakers have been moved to the front of the console, near the uppermost part of the screen.

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The Newly Introduced Nintendo Wii And Its Usefulness

2008-04-19T21:16:00.000+07:00

Nintendo Wii is one of the most popular game consoles as from the beginning of 2007. This new generation of game consoles that Nintendo launched came with a great deal of unique features that the competing companies of Sony and Microsoft are still at a loss to work with so far.

The Nintendo Wii is firstly characterized by the unique design of the game console. Studies show that the amateurs of game consoles seemed very please by the design of the console at the time of its launch in December 2006. Other than this aspect, the game console is also characterized by some more features that made it popular and attractive for children and not only. The new elements that came in from with are related to the system of function and to the technological innovations that represent some of the key points in the structure of Nintendo Wii

The producers of Nintendo invented the first and most unique at that time system of remote control. Nintendo Wii is highly distinguished from its competing products by the unique and attractive system of its remote control. This special feature that the remote is constructed with allows the easy and three-dimensional control over the actual game played by using it. There is also a very notable detail of this remote control, in that it can actually detect acceleration, which is a pretty useful feature for the amateurs of game consoles. The remote control is also invested with the ability to be used as a real pointing device, which is actually a very special and attractive feature.

These special features are completed by numerous other elements, such as the fact that the Nintendo Wii game console was also added special software that allows its instant connectivity to the internet while being in stand by mode. This feature is notably important as there are many users of the game consoles who would like to receive the newest updates and messages from the internet by using this special console. The fact that Nintendo Wii managed to accomplish all these important functions brought a great popularity to this specific product and also brought many question marks to the competition of Nintendo.

The innovative approach that the experts used when designing and launching this interesting, last generation game console was greatly taken into account by the competition of Nintendo in the respect that Sony and Microsoft were left in doubt.

However, the numerous new features and innovations used in the Nintendo Wii game console opened a new era of technological breakthroughs in the domain of game console construction. Studies show that the Nintendo Wii is actually the leading sales product among all its generation of game consoles and for this fact we may note the great attractiveness and popularity that the Nintendo Wii has gained with this occasion.

Nintendo Wii is the precursor of the also performant Nintendo GameCube but the overall aspect and elements that represent the structure of the two are notably different in the advantage of the last one released.

For more information about the Nintendo Wii Console visit: Nintendo Wii For Sale.

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A Guide on the XBox 360

2008-04-19T21:15:00.000+07:00

XBox 360 is the most popular video game console from the house of Microsoft. This console was launched in Christmas 2005. This is Microsoft's counter to Sony's Playstation 3 as well as the Revolution game consoles of Nintendo.

The XBox 360 is available with a gamer guide that allows the user to access downloadable movies, games, and music. Through the XBox Guide Button, users can have quick access to a new game or updates for their media files.

It also comes with a personalized interface that allows users to customize their systems. Changeable faces and skins can be tapped to reflect the personality of the user. Plus, this console comes with four glowing quadrants collectively referred to as the Ring of Light. Simply put this button guides the user to the games. It also handles the startup as well as the shutdown of the system.

Meanwhile, the XBox Live allows the user to play with anyone at any place and time he desires. Connecting the XBox 360 via the Internet, users simply have to access the XBox Live Silver in order to start with the online game. Users can also chat with each other at no extra fees.

XBox 360 also offers quality video games with movie-like graphics and surround music. Users can also watch their favorite DVDs. The XBox 360 console comes with a memory unit of size 64MB that allows users to save games and user profiles.

Other accessories of the XBox 360 are the universal media remote, live camera, head set, and wireless networking adapter.

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Great Gaming Experience from the Playstation 2

2008-04-19T21:14:00.000+07:00

The Playstation 2, or fondly called PS2, is a video system manufactured and developed by Sony. Aside from playing video games, it is capable of DVD playback, and USB support.

The latest version of the console is lightweight, enabling the user to carry it anywhere one wishes. Through out the years, the PS2 has undergone certain changes in its features, particularly on its looks.

The PS2 has been one of the most popular gadgets of its time. It has greatly improved the quality of games, especially the graphics and the music. It introduced a new gaming experience that many users appreciated.

The PS2 has contributed to the improvement to the skills and creativity of many video gamers. With the PS2, many individuals have learned to exchange ideas and techniques with each other. This is brought about by gamers clubs that encourage players to pick up games of their liking. These gamers also share information with each other through the Internet.

On the other hand, the PS2 boasts of the DualShock controller which comes with the "vibration" function. This adds to the gaming experience of the user. Another part of the PS2 is the memory card, normally of 8MB capacity. It comes with Sony's Magicgate encryption which basically prevents unlicensed production of memory cards.

Another feature of the PS2 is the expansion ports USB and IEEE 1394. Compatibility with both devices is dependent on the software. The PS2 BIOS, for example, does not boot an image from a flash drive because the system lacks such feature.

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Playstation 3

2008-04-19T21:12:00.000+07:00

Do you want to know the positives and negatives of buying a Playstation 3 console system? Read on and find out. We'll show you the good and bad things in buying this console, and it would be for you to decide if it would be worth spending your money on and whether it offers value for money to you.

The cost of a Playstation 3 unit is normally the first consideration for many people. However the price depends on the model of the console. You can opt to spend $499 or $599, depending on the size of the hard disk, which could be 20GB or 60GB. The two models however differ in the Wi-Fi, since the more expensive model is installed with Wi-Fi.

One of the advanced features of the Playstation 3 is that it is capable to play blue ray disc. This is a highly developed system that plays movies and music. Since most video systems are moving to digital television, getting a Playstation 3 can be quite advantageous for more users. Also, there have been little complaints on the blue ray disc features of the Playstation 3, which augurs well for most Playstation 3 users.

A point of comparison for the Playstation 3 is its capability for online gaming. It allows users to play online without additional costs, something that the Xbox 360 does not afford to its users.

Getting a Playstation 3 is no easy task. You have to know what you are getting in exchange for your hard earned dollars. Hopefully, this short review has helped you in making an informed decision.

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The Expanding World of Gaming Consoles

2008-04-19T21:11:00.000+07:00

Wii is one of the most advanced gaming systems in the market. "Wii" has come to be known as the console for just about everybody.

Wii stands out from the various gaming systems in the market. It is not about blowing up aliens. Nor is it about racing cars. Rather, it makes use of a stress calmer technique known as yoga. This technique has mushroomed various games, including the Konami Digital Entertainment that had recently displayed its digital yoga instructor during Asia's largest video game expo.

The trend points to getting more and more people to try gaming consoles by breaking the stereotype of video games. A new type of video gaming called "casual" games appeals to older gamers. These games are lifestyle-oriented, meaning it is more appealing for mature people who don't find slaying monsters as something worth their while.

This new kind of gaming is also in line with the growing concern of people regarding their health. According to Konami's Katunori Okita, their company believes it is beneficial to more people if they introduce games designed to make users more physically fit, as well as give another dimension to the gaming industry.

The digital yoga instructor is a virtual guide for yoga enthusiasts. It guides users on all the moves, provides tips on how to stretch, and even keeps a daily record of the user's activities. It is available for $35.

These games contribute to an estimated $30 billion a year, with a significant share in Japan and South Korea.

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The Exciting and Stylish PSP Console

2008-04-19T21:10:00.001+07:00

The most innovative gaming system is out in the market and almost everyone wants a piece of it. Every time a new gaming system hits the market, almost everyone lines up just to get his or her own gaming console set. The case is the same with the PSP console.

But what is the rave about the PSP console? The PSP Console is a handheld game manufactured and released by Sony. It is called Playstation Portable because anyone can carry it anytime, anywhere.

This console is powered by a rechargeable battery, which lasts around 3 hours. Users can also plug it so they can play it as long as they want to.

Another feature of the console is that it can wirelessly connect with another PSP systems. Two people can actually compete in a game at exactly the same time. The wireless connection option is also dependent on the game being played.

Also, the PSP console can play UMD movies and music. Accessories such as memory stick can also be added so that the user can download, save and enjoy more files of music, games, and movies. What's more, the PSP can connect to the Internet.

Having a PSP console is such a good investment since the user can play video games, listen to music, and watch movies through this gadget. It is important however that the user understands the features of this gadget to be able to maximize its use. Available in three different packages, the PSP console sells at $200.

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How To Repair A Xbox 360 Yourself

2008-04-19T21:08:00.000+07:00

You can do repair xbox 360 yourself and it really isn't even as hard as you may think. You need to just abide by the directions. You will need some really basic tools and really basic skills. Chances are if you can operate a VCR or DVD player you can fix your Xbox 360. If you have seen the 3 red rings of death then you need to reed this. It will show you how to do your own xbox 360 red ring repair, unless of course your Xbox 360 is still under the warranty. In this case you can get it done for free, though it takes a month to come back. Repairing it your self will void the warranty.

If you repair xbox 360 yourself you will save a lot of money in the end, so if you do not have a warranty I highly recommend it. Microsoft charges a fee of $135.00 and it has no guarantee of a fix. You will just need a few tools and this guide to do it yourself. It has been said that around 6% of the systems that need repair fail to work in the end, so that's a 94% success rate. That is really good right?

You will learn not only be able to repair xbox 360 yourself, but it gives tips and suggestions for correcting freeze ups, and graphical errors. It gives steps in easy to follow organization and can have you ready to do xbox 360 red ring repair yourself in 45 minutes to an hour. I did it myself and it was easy.

The first step to repair xbox 360 yourself is to open up the faceplate. Do not try and remove the top or bottom first or you will run into issues. It should all come out easily so if you have to force anything you are doing something wrong. To get the faceplate of look under the console for finger sized holes, and pull forward on these. it should come right out.

You then want to remove the cover. To do this you will need to free the tabs on the sides and you can do this by using a tool to poke through the vent wholes. You will need to pull up on the cover while at the same time releasing the pins. the way I did it was start at the front of the system and work my way back. Always make sure to not use to much pressure or you will break the pins and be sorry in the end.

You then need to remove the top plate. To do this you need to you have to remove the 3 tabs you can see as well as 3 hidden ones. Going from the front back the first 2 use the wholes where the tray for the drive is located. The xbox opening tool fits perfectly so you should not have any issues. You then want to turn the system upside down. You can see 7 small wholes which have screws inside. You then want to spread the case apart while yo push down on the vent cover. There are a few more pins that connect to the case so when you spread it apart you will here them disconnect. you work your way to the front. you should now have the cover completely off. You can check it out at the link below.

Jacob Green is an xbox 360 enthusiast who's system fell to the 3 red rings of death. The link below can take you to the ebook which gives step by step directions on how to do the Xbox 360 Repair Yourself with a 94% success rate. Just click on the link here:
http://www.squidoo.com/xbox_360_repair

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How to Choose Hardware For Nintendo Wii

2008-04-19T21:06:00.000+07:00

Once you have your Nintendo Wii, then the question comes what Wii hardware you want to add to your basic system. There are a lots of extensive lines of accessories for your Wii, but in this article we will mainly focus on two that are must haves for the hard core gamers.

Nintendo Nunchaku

Nintendo nunchaku is probably the most versatile and necessary piece of Nintendo Wii hardware you can get. The nanchaku lets you use some additional buttons as well as a second controller that can move in the XYZ axis and it clips onto the main Wii controller. It is useful for playing games that requires both hand movement like boxing, archery etc. this Nintendo hardware is being focused on for future development. It doesn't come with the main system. Additionally for some extra components you need to have the nanchaku.

Nintendo Zapper

We can use Nintendo Zapper as a gun extension for the main controller. It clips on the top main controller and the nanchaku. Not only the zapper allows you to aim and shoot but it can actually control your player's movements as well. For a first person shooting game this piece of equipment is perfect. We can use nunchaku in most of the games but the zapper cannot be played on all games. However the games that is does work for are usually specifically designed for use with the Zapper. So we cannot really play those games without Wii zapper. That's the basic difference between nunchaku and zapper, but it does open up a whole collection of games that could not be played without its use.

These two members of Nintendo Wii hardware really very unique elements to your gaming system. We cannot play many games without these two hardware piece. These two controllers increases the overall performance of the player and the game play itself. Zapper and Nanchaku both are two of the most widely used hardware of Nintendo Wii. These two items are not very expensive and can be bought from the Wii stores.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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Set the Wii Apart From All Other Systems

2008-04-19T21:05:00.000+07:00

The unique and innovative design made the Nintendo Wii a phenomenon. The ease of use has made it one of the best loved video games platforms of our time. Wii has changed the concept of console gaming so truly there is nothing that comes close to the amazing capabilities.

Nintendo Decided that they want to make a console that is accessible and useable for people of all ages and abilities. They developed controllers that could be used by younger and older people as well as people with disabilities, instead of making controllers that require a lot of manual dexterity to operate.

The result of all the thinking and concepts the outcome is the Nintendo Wii controllers. They are remote controlled, very sensitive of moving, because it requires the motion sensitiveness for gaming purpose. The controllers are very easily held on you palm. They are almost the size of a remote control and can be easily manipulated by just moving them around.

The motion sensitive is one of the biggest advantages of Nintendo Wii controllers. The controllers and the console are largely based on you movements. This concept has truly taken the gaming world by storm. Gamers and developers are now thinking this might be the beginning of virtual reality games that we all fantasized about.

Besides the Wii classic controllers there are add-on controllers called nunchuks. These allows for even greated range of motion and actions in a game. We connect it to the Nintendo Wii controllers through a cable, using both controllers gives you navitate more accurately and play different games.

The Secret of Wii's Success

Nintendo controllers actually made the Wii a great success. You just need to point the controller at the screen and move it around to interact with your game. There are not many buttons on the controllers, some games require to press some button while aiming at the screen. The buttons are large, well placed, and very easy to use.

The fact that people from all ages like to play Nintendo Wii because its ease of use. Some medical cases also use Wii to recover patient like to help people regain function and upper body mobility after an accident or injury.

The Nintendo Wii controllers have evolved and will continue to do so well into the future. Wii uses balance board to read the position of your body for use in a fitness routine program. Its can definitely can be used in so many other important issues.

Wii has opened the door to new era of gaming before our eyes. We can wait to see a lot more use of this incredible video game.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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Nintendo Wii Supplies Consumer Friendly Bundles

2008-04-19T21:04:00.000+07:00

The question is why should we bundle the Nintendo Wii? They are saying no need to buy a game to play rather you can plug the Nintendo Wii game bundles and play immediately. Nintendo Wii game bundle offers you an exercise routine that no other game can. It comes with Wii sports pack which includes Classic sports from Bowling, boxing, baseball, tennis, golf and you actually have to move yourself and sometimes the controller to play those games.

There are several reasons why buying Nintendo Wii bundles are so excellent. The main reason is that you are getting all the things together so you save your time looking up places to find games and accessories. The bundles come with the console, the wireless remote, the nunchuck, and a game mostly the Nintendo Wii sports pack.

Today a lots of Nintendo Wii bundles are offered. Guiter Hero 3, Legends of Rock, The Legend of Zelda, and Dance Dance - all of them comes with a Nintendo Wii bundle. The advantage of this is its it affordable and immediately playable, that's the marketing strategy for Nintendo. Even the non gamers are attracted to these and pick up a remote control and start playing the games.

Where To Get Your Bundle

Local gaming stores are loaded with Nintendo Wii bundles. Depending on the accessories and games that are included the prices of different bundles differ in prices. For competitiveness sake they have to slash some of the price as the demand is so high and the competition is so cutthroat. Different offers are given like slash the price because they don't have overhead to cover compared to other stores, some offer free delivery. Online shopping is one other option, by shopping online you can buy your Wii in the convenience of your own home.

For customer buying a bundle is very cost effective. It save us both time and money. You can right away start with you game. If you want to buy a Nintendo Wii bundles, you should look around the shops check the online offers and then decide the best deal for you.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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Gamers Demand Has Increased For Nintendo Wii Cheats More Than Any Other Platform Cheats

2008-04-19T21:03:00.000+07:00

The Nintendo Wii console is possibly the only gaming console that attracts all sort of people into gaming. Gamers, non -gamers, all of them are very much appalled with the game console. Almost any range aged people can pick up a Wii remote, put in a game, and be entertained. There are different types of games for different aged groups of people but the fact that all can use the same console with the same input device is an extraordinary feat.

Nintendo Wii has transcended age, gaming ability and even individual levels of physical ability like manual dexterity, it is the only gaming console that managed to do that. The reasons behind the popularity of Nintendo Wii is because of its simplicity of use, its powerful technology and its innovative use of motion detection technology.

Different types of Nintendo Wii Cheats.

The Wii games have already proven to be wildly popular. Every month there are new games and it will continue to grow. Old games are re released for the new platforms as the new games are released.

Many online websites now have the cheats for Nintendo Wii. There are few simple once and also some insanely hard ones. There are actually two types of cheats, one is to simply for fun and let gamers do something that you wouldn't ordinarily be able to do. The other type of cheats are to improve score or get past a particularly difficult section.

The surprising factor about the deman for Nintendo Wii cheats is the sheer volume of request. Gamers crave for the cheats and many sites update everyday with lots of cheats so they are not disappointed. The sites contains walkthroughs, hints, and codes for beating their favorite games.

Expert gamer can share their cheat codes in different online forums and blogs in their favorite cheat code websites. You can also put the cheat codes in your own website, if the walkthrough are good you might get massive amount of hits.

A New Gaming Era

Though most of us didn't know about the impact of the Nintendo's Wii console, but the professional gamer already knew it before the release of the console, they knew that it was going to be a massive hit. With every passing day the popularity of Wii is increasing as the technology improves there's no telling how successful and popular the Wii will become.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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How Nintendo Wii Accessories Really Affect Your Gaming Experience

2008-04-19T21:01:00.000+07:00

There can be two types of people now - either you have Nintendo Wii or you don't. Wii's popularity is growing day by day, its popularity stems from the fact that it gives gamers interactive play, as well as much needed exercise. People from all age ranges find it very interesting. Even the people who never used a gaming console before actually have some interest in Nintendo's Wii.

For A Complete Experience

The Nintendo Wii originally includes a Wii Nunchuck and a Wii remote control, and the Wii sports. But to take the gaming experience little high you got to have couple of more Nintendo Wii accessories. Playing games with a bunch of people is always more enjoying, so Wii comes with accommodation for four controllers.

There are lots of different Nintendo Wii accessories. Different games in Wii might have different accessories for better gaming experience. The basic controllers usually comes with the console. The additional controllers can be the classic controller and the Wii zapper.

The Wii zapper puts together the Nunchuck and the Wii remore controller and make it look like some sort of a gun complete with a trigger. The Wii zapper comes bundled together with link's crossbow training. These customized controllers can be played with games like house of the dead 2 & 3, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Medal of Honor Heroes2. The price of Wii zapper is 19.99.

The classic controller is the usual controller. Wii perfect shot gun is the best Wii accessory if you like to imagine yourself as a gun totling buster. Nyko came up with this Wii offering. It is similar to a traditional handgun and the accuracy is amazing. You have to attach the Wii remote and press the B button to start playing.

Nyko who are the manufacturer of Nintendo Wii accessories have another one of their offerings is the Nintendo Wii front man Wireless guitar. Its also compatible with Guitar Hero III.

Its not necessary to buy all the Wii Accessories but if you want to make the gaming experience better, you might want to buy all the accessories maybe not at the same time but one after another. It will definitely boost you gaming experience.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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Nintendo Wii - Popular Today, Will Remain So In The Times To Come

2008-04-19T20:59:00.000+07:00

Gaming industry's giant Nintendo Co Ltd. is not absolutely a new game as someone might think it to be. It is basically an updated and renamed version of the previously known Nintendo Revolution. It is the Fifth generation of Nintendo gaming console. Nevertheless it has become a big hit amongst gaming users that overlooking the fact that this product does not exactly go overboard with features and they are also ready to put up with the rather monotonous graphics.

Nintendo Wii - the Attraction

Nintendo's Wii took interactive gaming to a new level. It has some features that changed the whole concept of game console. It changed the conventional joy stick or joy pad instead it used motion sensors technology and that's makes it stand out from the crowd. It enables players to mimic real movements like boxing directly on the screen. The other fact that it attracts people is its affordability.

The games of Nintendo Wii is not critical. Unlike other games Nintendo Wii uses real life sports and activity as their gaming concept. It never promise you out-of-the-world entertainment or high definition graphics but the whole experience itself is wonderful. When today, gaming is completely about the high definition graphics, Nintendo Wii is completely depending on their controllers and interactive game concepts.

These days every gaming convention, you are bound to find Nintendo Wii to be most popular and in fact, it is not uncommon to see a huge queue to test the Wii console and to check what the Nintendo Wii has to offer.

Even though video games have been around for a couple of decades it is only through offerings such as Nintendo Wii, you can game like never before. It actually change the way the games been played for last couple of decades. Thanks to the infrared and wireless remote control that we don't have to use the conventional joy sticks and buttons.

Nintendo Wii has opened the door to new level of interactive gaming. It will definitely having an impact on the user as well as the video game console industry. So it is likely to see more new and innovative inventions in the near future.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

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Take Advantage of the Unique Capabilities of Games For the Nintendo Wii

2008-04-19T20:58:00.000+07:00

The Nintendo Wii took us to a new horizon of console gaming. It's small, powerful features, stunning graphics and intuitive game play encouraging people to get out of their seats to play because it is actually helping people to lose weight in an enjoyable fashion.

Open the door to Interactive gaming.

Nintendo Wii used the creative technology and unique motion-sensitive controllers. It truly opened up a new era of Inter-active gaming. It integrated the controller in a spontaneous way. The fact that the Wii controllers are so easy to use made it more popular to gamers and even the non-gamers to take interest in the game.

Wii Sports, one of the first games for Nintendo had games like Tennis, bowling, golf boxing. So the controllers act as a tennis racket, a bowling ball launcher, golf club and boxing gloves. It helped the gamers increase their level of fitness because unlike other gaming consoles gamers have to move around physically to play the game.

The driving games for Nintendo Wii have been quite successful. Wii controller can be used as a steering wheel to control your car, making it very interesting to play the game. Moreover the controller is very sensitive so the gaming experience is fantastic.

Again the first person shooting games turned out to be very popular for Nintendo Wii. Because the controller can be pointed directly at the screen and used as a gun, the game play is brilliantly natural. Gamers don't have to concentrate on the buttons instead they just point at the screen and shoot.

Nintendo Wii controllers can be also used as the conventional controllers but just turning the Wii remote horizontally. Even this action is well suited to the Wii remote and feels completely natural in your hands.

Nintendo has created some games for their Wii console that requires special input devices. For example they have music-based games they use input devices like - a guitar, microphone or drum set made especially for Wii. They have games that improve gamers creativity in an innovative way.

Nintendo Wii is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. It is competing with the seventh generation of video game system. There will, no doubt, be many new games for Nintendo Wii in the future that use the Wii remote in special ways. As Nintendo Wii console is competing with the Microsoft Xbox360 and Sony's Play station 3, it has to invent games that completely change the definition of console gaming. For this reason they obviously have to come up with new specialized controllers. Wii has quickly become the gamers' favorite new machine, and there's no doubt that future generations and innovations will keep the dedicated Wii fans happy and satisfied for many years to come.

Rashid Kotwal writes about technology and how it can be used to enhance your life. For more information about the Nintendo Wii and what it can do, head over to http://whybuyawii.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rashid_Kotwal

Microsoft X-Box 360 Troubleshooting Tips

2008-04-19T20:57:00.000+07:00

Microsoft created one of the most popular gaming consoles in the X-Box 360, however, it does come with many faults and negative reviews. Since its popular debut several years back, it has been plagued with overheating problems and three red light problem called "Red Ring of Death." For X-Box 360 gamers, these problems are rampant and I've listed some of the troubleshooting tips that have been helpful to gamers to deal with these problems.

Troubleshooting Flashing Three Red Lights

This is the most common problem that xBox 360 gamers face while using their game consoles. It is commonly called "red ring of death" among gamers and when these lights appear, it means that the game console is in some kind of trouble. Generally, it is caused by excessive heating and the internal parts may have been damaged due to this heat. Troubleshooting for three red lights may be difficult without finding the exact problem, however, one of the ways to deal with the overheating of game console is to prevent it from overheating in the first place.

Troubleshooting Overheating and Crashing Problems

xBox 360 is a powerful gaming system that requires huge amounts of processing power, consequently, it generates huge amount of heat, which in turn, slow down the system or shut down completely.

Troubleshooting for excessive heating can be easily dealt with, with a small, but effective cooling unit called Niko Intercooler. Intercooler is an add-on unit that has series of 3 cooling fans that snaps on to the back of the game console and keeps it cool while playing the game. Niko Intercooler is available in most of the popular retail chains that sell consumer electronics for about $15~$20. Installing Intercooler may prevent your system from overheating and crashing in the first place. You can also purchase Niko Intercooler online at Amazon.com.

Another way to keep your xBox 360 from overheating is to keep the game console in an open area. This will give the built-in ventilation system on the game console to work properly. Instead of putting game console in a tight corner underneath the table, keep it on top of the table or even on a shelf near a window.

Another neat trick I learned from other gamers is set the xBox 360 system in a horizontal position. Doing this will prevent the air vents at the bottom of the unit to be free from being blocked. And since most of the xBox 360 red light problems revolve around overheating, this little trick will expose the built-in air vents to function properly as they were meant to be at their peak.

Troubleshooting Other xBox 360 Problems

Sometimes you get flashing red lights when your system is cool usually means your power cable is loose somewhere. Check the cables attacked to your game console and the power unit and make sure that it is plugged in tightly. The loose cable can sometimes warn you with flashing lights. When you do check for cable, make sure the power is turned off before you do anything with the main power cable.

If the troubleshooting tips above do not work for your xBox 360 problems, the chances are that the problems you are experiencing may need more advanced technical help. Before calling the Microsoft tech support with your problems, trying turning the power off for some period of time and reboot to find out if this solves your problem. You might also try the infamous towel trick to fix your problems.

You can check out my Squidoo Lens, Repair xBox 360 Problems for details on how to do the infamous towel trick and other repair tips.

Nok Cha is an xBox 360 maniac who operates xBox360ProGamers.info and writes troubleshooting tips and repair advice for gamers who experience problems with their xBox game consoles. If you experience problems with your xBox 360 Red Ring of Death or any other problems, visit Repair xBox 360 Problems for more repair tips and tricks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nok_Cha

Where To Buy A Nintendo Wii Console

2008-04-19T20:55:00.000+07:00

Finding a Nintendo Wii these days is a difficult task, especially when you are looking for it during prime time shopping season. It was hard to find the Nintendo Wii during Christmas time and it is still a difficult task for most people. These things are just flying off the shelves and stores can't keep them in stock. Find out where you can buy a Nintendo Wii console.

Look online first
You can find many great deals online that you won't find in local stores. This is no different when trying to find a hard to get item like the Nintendo Wii. If you want the best chances to get a Nintendo Wii at a great price then I would suggest that you look online first.

Where to look
There are many places to look online but I recommend eBay or video game websites. There are websites available that are hidden gems. They can offer you a detailed price list and the ability to shop easy. I like shopping at these smaller websites because the process is easy and effortless.

Is this safe?
Buying online is one of the safest things you could do online. If you want to get that hard to get item, online shopping is most likely your easiest option. Ebay offers you the buyer protection against any bad sellers. The video game websites I mentioned above are also trustworthy. They don't want to have any bad customer experiences because they rely on word of mouth advertising.

I had trouble finding a Nintendo Wii until I found VideoGameProducts.com. I got my Nintendo Wii in no time and I have been playing it ever since!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Sacco

Most Selling Gaming Consoles - Choose The Best

2008-04-19T20:52:00.000+07:00

A number of wonderful and advanced gaming consoles have made their presence felt in recent years. As a natural corollary, avid games and people having an interest in on-line games have started to shop for the latest and the best consoles. In such instances, determining the most selling gaming consoles could prove to be quite a task. On a more general note, the gaming consoles are the new alternative for instant adrenaline rush currently available. Moreover, with user-friendly controllers, joysticks, buttons and pads - present in many of these devices - the interaction between the players can be quite lively and interesting. And this would go a long way in determining the demand for each of the individual brands.

In the video gaming market, the most selling gaming consoles are from the 3 major producers namely - Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. They are competing with the each other to win the heart of over million game lovers. While playing on the Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii, the users often experience a passionate attachment with the games.To reiterate, a gaming console is an electronic gadget that is empowered with powerful hardware and software features. It comes integrated with high-definition video applications, DVD movie playback, capabilities for digital music, and online connectivity options. Therefore, it can be said that these devices are interactive entertainment gadgets that are living up to quite a few of the expectations of the fun loving generation next.

The users can use many of these gadgets to click the funniest moments with built-in digital camera. They can even watch DVD movies as well as play music. The users who are looking for attractive features like Remote, Wireless Controller and Connect24 can avail Nintendo Game Cube, which is a technically advanced version of Nintendo Wii. The PlayStation 3 or PS3 from the well known house of Sony Computer Entertainment also comes with a range of attractive features. This console includes next-gen primary storage media, Blue-ray Disc supporting DVDs, CDs and HDDs. Therefore, it can be said that market is flooded with the most selling gaming consoles. And the users are free to choose the best from among these options.

Adam Caitlin is expert author of Telecommunication industry. who has written some goode quality articles on gaming consoles, nintendo wii and nokia mobile phones

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Caitlin

Find The Xbox 360 Repair Guide Online

2008-03-29T15:00:00.000+07:00

The x-box 360 is a video game from the stables of computer giant Microsoft Corporation. It is so popular that many video game enthusiasts have become cult followers of the x-box 360 that offers a variety of games to be played. The x-box is considered a revolutionary gadget since it offers plenty of flexibility when it comes to playing games, particularly some of the top end video games that require a lot of skills and talent. The x-box 360 can be purchased from any consumer electronic equipment retail store. However, if you don't have the time to visit a store, you can place an order on the internet.

Using popular search engines such as Yahoo! and Google, you can trace the store selling the x-box 360 online. However, to convince yourself about the product, go through the reviews available online. As plenty of users have uploaded their reviews of the machine on various group sites and social networking sites. You can read the review for an objective opinion on the product. Subsequently, if you are satisfied, place an order for x-box 360 online. However, if you are not happy with the reviews, it is suggested that a visit to an electronic equipment store is necessary. Try your hands personally on a machine before purchasing it.

If you read through the reviews the x-box 360, you will notice one particular pattern of complaints from the users. It relates to the red ring of death on the x-box console that is often considered the most undesirable element of the video game. The red ring of death is nothing but a ring of red color that glows whenever the x-box machine is facing performance related issues. Whenever the x-box machine has a problem the red ring of light glows. In many cases, the machine fails to perform. Under such circumstance, it is advised that the users of the machine take it to the nearest Microsoft authorized dealer for a closer inspection and repair. Do not try to repair the x-box machine on your own since it will void the warranty.

However, there are many ways to prevent the red ring of death. For this, you need to go through the instruction manual and guide very carefully. The guide is supplied by Microsoft at the time of retailing the x-box 360. It contains complete details on handling and maintaining the video game machine. It also provides tips to run the machine efficiently. Whenever you are purchasing the x-box 360 video game machine, insist for the guide. Apart from the printed format of the guide, Microsoft updates the latest information on the internet. Therefore, visit the internet site at least once a week for the latest downloads of the guide.

Apart from the official guide, many users of the x-box 360 video game machine have developed their own guide after studying its performance. Though users cannot rely exclusively on such guides, on occasions, they are of assistance in trouble shooting. Therefore, gather as many guides as possible on the internet.

If Your Xbox 360 is out of warranty or you just want to fix it yourself so you can get back to your game faster. You should go here >>>> http://www.squidoo.com/fix-xbox-360-red-lights These guides will help you fix your xbox 360 fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer

Resolve Xbox 360 Red Lights

2008-03-29T14:59:00.000+07:00

The x-box 360 is one of the most popular video game consoles used by game freaks in most of the developed countries in Europe, Americas and Asia. Invented by Microsoft Corporation, thousands of video game freaks are using the x-box 360 video games whose upgraded versions are available each year. The machine provides the owner the freedom to play video games that are not embedded on the machines. The games stored on external disk storage devices or DVD / CD can be played on the x-box machine.

There are certain aspects relating to the x-box 360 machine that a user has to be familiar with. The x-box machine comes with a user manual which every user has to study without fail. Make sure that the instruction manual is provided at the time of purchasing the x-box machine. If the instruction manual is not provided with the x-box 360 machine by mistake, insist for it. There are a number of uses from the x-box user manual. Microsoft also updates the instruction manual on their website online. Keep checking the Microsoft x-box website every week for the updated instruction manual. You can download the data for optimum performance of the x-box 360 machine.

One main problem relating to the x-box machine is the red light issue. Whenever the machine is overused, it will overheat and hang hampering the performance of the machine. The problem of the machine is indicated in the form of red colored lights on the x-box machine console. This light glows green whenever the machine is being used. The red ring is divided into 4 parts they turn red to display what the problem is.

Earlier, the x-box machine users were playing the video games and had all 4 lights go red hice the red ring of death.Therefore, it is suggested that the users stop playing the video game and clean the machine Under such circumstance repairing the machine will be a problem. The user cannot repair it on own and the instruction manual will not help in any way.You will have to get a seoerate guide on how to repair it.

If Your Xbox 360 is out of warrenty or you just want to fix it yourself so you can get back to your game faster. You should go here >>>> http://www.squidoo.com/fix-xbox-360-red-lights These guides will help you fix your xbox 360 fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer

Play Bomberman Online in Wario Blast Free Gameboy Instructions and Story

2008-03-29T14:58:00.000+07:00

This was the first and only game that Bomberman and Wario were in the same game. It was setup like the traditional Bomberman game but with a twist. You could choose to play as either Bomberman or Wario. In 1-player mode you had to face a computer, then fight two computers, then fight three computers, then finally a Boss. That was considered a World. After you complete a World you are given a ability.

The abilities in this game are bigger bomb explosions, laying more bombs at once, jumping non breakable blocks, running, and tackling. There is no difference between playing as Wario or Bomberman and the Bosses as still the same. This game is great to for awhile because it has a lot of replay value. It was one of the better Original Gameboy games.

Bomberman's story from Nintendo is that he is Bomb making employee and is the best bomb maker ever. He hates his job and wants to leave really bad but can't. He hears rumor that if anyone makes it from the underground they can make a wish for anything. Bomberman escapes the factory and the only thing standing in his way is the Factories security guards. Bomberman who was a robot at the time used the wish to become a human Bomberman.

Wario on the other hand is the rival of Mario and will do whatever to stand in Mario's way. In Wario Blast he stumbles upon Bomberman's World and does the only thing he knows how to do. He decided to steal from Bomberman's World. Bomberman decides to fight Wario the best way he knows.

For anyone deciding to play this old school Gameboy game enjoy and have fun.

Play Nes Games Online at http://www.originalnintendo.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Corgan

Watch Out For The XBox 360 Red Lights

2008-03-29T14:57:00.000+07:00

The XBox 360 is the latest consumer product innovation from the global corporation Microsoft. It has taken on existing video game giants since the XBox has stormed the houses of freaks and geeks all over the world. Microsoft has shipped thousands of XBox machines to video game enthusiasts all over the world. It is an easy to use tool that can provide entertainment in the form of video games. Most of the popular video games are easily available at your local store or online.

A number of instructions have to be followed if the XBox machine has to be kept in the right shape. If these instructions are followed carefully, instances of the XBox hanging will not occur. Of late, due to over use of the machine, it is hanging and users are holding many issues responsible for the situation. However Microsoft has been countering that the level of complaints has always been the same. If the set of instructions given by Microsoft are followed, the incidence of the machine hanging will be less.

In an effort to help the owners of the XBox, Microsoft has devised a simple approach. A red ring of light has been provided on the console of the XBox to determine the danger level. A faint glow of green light occurs in the ring whenever the XBox is being used. Always keep an eye on the ring of light. There are chances that the red ring glow could occur due to over use. Use of the XBox machine for more than two hours at a stretch since it could lead to overheating of the machine. If the machine overheats, it could to a number of problems. The XBox might stop functioning or the speed of the game could easily reduce.

If the red ring of the light glows completely, it means that the XBox has reached the danger level. It is always suggested that the users do not allow the machine to reach the complete red ring of light level. Sometimes, this could lead to hanging of the machine and it could further be reduced to a state of disuse. This problem has become so common these days that users of XBox are referring to the red ring of light to red ring of death. This is for the simple reason that the XBox will no more be in a position to use. Under such circumstance, the XBox owner has no option other than doing a full scale repair.

It is always recommended that the XBox machine if under warranty be taken to the authorized service centre only. If the warranty period has expired, the repairs could cost a lot to the XBox owner. Also you can fix it yourself if you have a good repair guide.

If Your XBox 360 is out of warranty or you just want to fix it yourself so you can get back to your game faster. You should go here>>>> http://www.squidoo.com/fix-xbox-360-red-lights These guides will help you fix your XBox 360 fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer

Beware Of The Problems Xbox 360 Guides

2008-03-29T14:56:00.002+07:00

Video game freaks, till a few years ago, had to use a wide variety of gadgets to play their favorite video games using the TV screen or the personal computer monitor as the display system. A few years ago, Microsoft Corporation launched x-box 360, which can be described as the most revolutionary product to hit the consumer electronics market. The x-box was not only popular among the video game enthusiasts, its users went up multiple thousands in a matter of few days. There was even a long waiting list for buyers of the x-box 360 machines. However, over a period of time, the demand and supply gap narrowed. Now, the x-box 360 machines are publicly traded and auctioned on the internet.

The x-box 360 machine was a revolutionary product since it redefined the video game in many ways. Unlike other machines, the x-box video game console offered plenty of flexibility. For instance, other brands of video games did not provide the option of storing things on the internal hard drive.

It is always necessary that the x-box user reads the instruction manual carefully before using the machine. The instruction manual offers the entire guide relating to setting up and operating the x-box machine. Apart from the instruction manual, the guide relating to the x-box machine is available elsewhere. The internet is one of the best resources for the guide relating to the x-box. Visit popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo! and search for guides relating to the x-box. The search engines will throw up hundreds of pages relating to the x-box machine. Click on each of the links for more information relating to the x-box 360 machine. Microsoft has also made the guide of the x-box 360 available online. Visit the Microsoft x-box 360 website to download all the necessary data and guide to run the machine.

The guide also provides basic information on running the x-box 360 machine and the actions to be taken for trouble shooting whenever a problem arises. Watch the red ring of light for the intensity of the problem. If the entire red rings of light glows, it means that the machine is facing problem relating to software and other applications embedded in x-box 360. Under such circumstance, the machine will hang and cannot be played anymore. The owner of the machine shouldn't repair the x-box if it is under warranty. It has to be taken to the nearest Microsoft authorized service center. If the x-box is still under the warranty period, it will be better. Repairing an x-box machine that has reached the red ring of death stage can be an expensive affair.

If your Xbox 360 is out of warranty or you just want to fix it yourself so you can get back to your game faster. You should go here>>> http://www.squidoo.com/fix-xbox-360-red-lights - These guides will help you fix your xbox 360 fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer

Look For Xbox 360 Problems Red Light

2008-03-29T14:56:00.001+07:00

The x-box 360 machine is a video game console developed by Microsoft Corporation for the benefit of video game freaks and enthusiasts. There are several aspects relating to the x-box machine that one has to keep in mind while using it. For a better understanding of the components of the x-box, it is necessary that the user goes through the instruction manual before using the machine. The x-box 360 machine is just like any consumer product, which is user friendly.

There are various important components of the x-box 360. They are the software applications and solutions that drive the x-box 360 the hard disk drive the central processing unit and the applications that interface with the video game monitor. There are various external components of the x-box machine. They are the add-ons that go into the video game machine such as joystick, gun and other accessories.

However, ensure that the CD / DVDs being used in the x-box machine are free from virus and corrupt files. Running such input files into the x-box could cause permanent damage to the video game machine. Therefore, run the applications on other personal computers or desktops before bringing them on to the x-box platform. If the x-box machine becomes problematic due to corrupt video game files or virus, it has to be repaired only by the Microsoft authorized service centre. Do not give the x-box machine for repair with the local electronics store. It could affect the performance of the machine.

There are a couple of indicators within the x-box machine on which a constant eye should be kept. If the indicators are noticed for optimum performance, the x-box can be kept free from problems. One major indicator on the x-box is the red ring of light. The red light forms in a circle in a phased manner depending on the performance of the x-box. Whenever the x-box is being used, the ring of light glows faintly. If the color of the light changes red it means that the x-box is getting heated or some other problem. Under such circumstance, immediately discontinue the game and switch off the machine. If you continue to run the machine in such a situation, the x-box machine might hang. Read the error code displayed if there is one or read a guide to find out how to do this. Eventually, the x-box machine will have to be taken to the Microsoft service center for repair if it is under warrenty if not the repair is up to you.

The red ring of light has the tendency to glow to the max if the x-box machine encounters multiple problems. This could be a dangerous scenario. For, if the red ring of light continues to glow the x-box machine will hang and require repair. Of late, this trend has been increasing as a consequence of which the red ring of light is being often called as red ring of death. It means the x-box might have reached a state of disuse.

If your Xbox 360 is out of warranty or you just want to fix it yourself so you can get back to your game faster. You should go here>>>> http://www.squidoo.com/fix-xbox-360-red-lights These guides will help you fix your Xbox 360 fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Rorrer

Download Games For Wii

2008-03-29T14:54:00.000+07:00

Landing on this article means that you are looking for a way to download games for Wii. You are looking for a cheaper way or even a free way to download your wii games. With the search engine technology today, it is very easy to find websites that allow you to get the games you want for free. But have you ever thought of the consequences?

First Risk - Possible Damaged Files

It is trivial you might say. But this can be a very annoying, imagine that you have spent your valuable time searching for the games to download, only to find out that the files are corrupt and the games could not be played in the end.

Second Risk - Viruses and Spyware

This is the most immense threat of course. Downloading the games from a random website that you found on the search engine can be very dangerous.

If the viruses and spyware are not that dangerous, they might be easy to be deleted from your computer with Anti virus or anti spyware programs, some of the threats are not detectable sometimes.

What if they have infected your Wii. That would be more difficult problem to solve. Do not let that happen to you.

Wii users want to save money, save time, and of course download safely. The only possible solution to that problem is to register as a member on a wii download sites.

A Wii download sites is a site that provides all contents including games, music, and video as well as software for your wii.

Many Wii fanatics claimed that they are impressed and happy because they are given access to a huge inventory, fast and unlimited download by only paying as much as $50 or less.

That is a good news to all Wii fanatics in the world. You do want to save money, save time, and download safely, right?

You can read all information about the top three Wii download sites on the net at Download Games for Wii.

Jacob is a Nintendo Game Console Fanatics, which means he is as well a huge fan of Nintendo Wii. View his recommendation at the best Wii Download Websites as he has tried as many Wii download website as possible

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacob_Carter

How To Fix Your XBox 360

2008-03-20T19:04:00.001+07:00

Because you are reading this, I guess it has probably happened to you too. One minute your Xbox 360 is fine, then suddenly the smiling green ring turns into a horrible shade of red. So now you want to know how to fix your Xbox 360.

Up until now if you ever wanted to fix your Xbox 360 yourself, you would have to follow some pretty suspect methods. Have you ever heard of the "Towel Trick" fix? If you haven't, I would highly recommend staying well away from it. Basically you are supposed to wrap your Xbox in a towel and wait for it to heat up. Once it has heated up, your Xbox will magically become fixed! You are more likely to set your house on fire than anything else!

I have also read that if you need to fix your Xbox 360 all you need to do is crack open the Xbox case and get stuck in with a soldering iron. The Xbox 360 is a high tech piece of equipment, not something as simple as a toaster. If you try using a soldering iron to fix it, you are more than likely to seriously damage your Xbox 360.

So what other options are there?

One option would be to send your Xbox 360 back to Microsoft for them to fix it for you. But if you are like me, and have had your Xbox 360 for a few years, your warranty would have expired long ago. So that means you will have to pay $140 plus shipping for them to fix your Xbox 360. Also, you will be without your console for up to 8 weeks. Thats a lot of time and money just to fix your Xbox 360!

Also bear in mind, even if your warranty is still valid, you will still have to pick up the shipping charge.

The best way around this is to actually do it yourself. Thankfully there are a lot of companies on the internet who teach you exactly how to fix your Xbox 360.

So what other options are there?

One option would be to send your Xbox 360 back to Microsoft for them to fix it for you. But if you are like me, and have had your Xbox 360 for a few years, your warranty would have expired long ago. So that means you will have to pay $140 plus shipping for them to fix your Xbox 360. Also, you will be without your console for up to 8 weeks. Thats a lot of time and money just to fix your Xbox 360!

Click here to how to fix your Xbox 360 today!

Peter loves his Xbox 360 especially Halo & Guitar Hero!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Van_Zijl

Xbox 360 Repair Services May No Longer Be A Viable Choice

2008-03-20T19:03:00.001+07:00

Recent reports show that the number of Xbox 360 faulty units is up to one third of all units produced. Most of these units suffer of what many define as the "3 red lights of doom." For many of us, the metaphor sounds a bit exaggerated, but for the Xbox 360 users this is more than a metaphor - it's a threat they all fear. The problem is not that the 3 lights of doom mean the sudden death of the console, but that many of the authorized repair centers refuse taking in for repair consoles that display such a problem. This can be explained by the large number of defective units (more than the repair centers can handle) and also by the fact that in certain situations the damage is irreparable.

The 3 lights of doom are caused by a design flaw of the Xbox 360 motherboard that triggers an excessive heating of the system. Although the cause has been identified and there are already some easy fixes that could solve a lot of trouble and money, the repair centers display exorbitant prices. Given the huge number of faulty Xbox 360s, we cannot really blame these subcontractors.

Micromart, one of the repair centers, recently issued a statement to the effect that: "This problem is endemic on the Xbox 360 console and the volume has made this repair non-viable." The company revealed that the cost to repair the 3 red lights of doom was in excess of $200 and even then the problem could not be resolved satisfactorily. Micromart is just one of many Xbox 360 repair centers that no longer accept these units for repair. A solution for the user seems to be farther away than anyone might have imagined.

The Xbox repair centers are still accepting consoles with other problems, but for the unfortunate victims of the 3 red light of doom the repair centers are not always a viable solution. Some of the centers even deny repairing Xbox 360 that are still in warranty (the repair is free for the user, but too costly for the subcontractor).

Imagine the stack of consoles that must be flowing back to Microsoft as the company struggles to find new repair resources. What is surprising is that the Xbox 360 doesn't lose its popularity although in terms of PR and service this is one of Microsoft's faultiest products ever. Obviously the gamers are not easily discouraged.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Repairing An Xbox 360 With 3 Flashing Lights

2008-03-20T19:02:00.001+07:00

Fixing an Xbox 360 with 3 flashing lights is not only possible but it can often be done at home. You might think that repairing your own Xbox 360 console is out of the question, but in many cases quick repairs can be carried out with only basic knowledge and some simple tools. The 3 flashing lights error indication otherwise known as "3 rings of doom", is actually one of the most common system failures out there. This warning basically means that there is system hardware failure, but this is not always the case. It can either be a "false positive" signal for some other failure or particularly a signal that the system has simply overheated. This is the good news.

The bad news is that if the indication is a general hardware failure, then a repair center or Microsoft may be the only salvation for your system. Don't freak just yet though. Microsoft builds some tough equipment and if your system simply overheated, you may be able to save it. Microsoft released so many of these systems and so fast that proper testing was not done, and now thousands of these units are displaying the 3 red light warning. Sending your system back to Microsoft or one of their repair centers (if they will take yours), will take up to 6 weeks and cost as much as $140 to repair.

Luckily there are many super manuals on the Internet that can guide you through alleviating this 3 red light problem. If the system has simply overheated, and no hardware has been damaged, then some simple know how and a few tools are all that is necessary to fix your system. It is important to understand though that a general failure of the CPU or a cracked motherboard will require replacement parts and even then the overheating problem will still exist.

Many of these online manuals provide cooling solutions and how-to tips that can help users avoid damage to systems. So, the 3 flashing lights does not necessarily mean your system is done for. The important thing is to look for every option when confronted with the three red lights of doom.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Xbox 360 Fix for Low Budgets

2008-03-20T19:01:00.000+07:00

Is there an easy, fast, Xbox 360 fix that will not break the bank? It all depends on the problem. Do-it-yourself fixes are often cheaper in appearance - they do cost time and they even might cost you a completely new Xbox 360 system if you don't know what you are doing.

If your Xbox 360 is still in warranty and you have never opened your console, you have nothing to worry about, as Microsoft will repair it for free. You'll need however to wait some time till the repairs are done. On the other hand, if you opened your console for any reason (even cleaning) or if your product is out of warranty, there is only one way to save time and money and that's to do the repair yourself.

As a rule, the Xbox 360 is not easy to repair: it's a high tech product that requires a skilled touch. There are some repair guides on the market, all trying to sell the easiest and fastest Xbox 360 fix, but not all of them offer a magic wand that will cure your Xbox from any malfunction. There are two common Xbox problems that require troubleshooting: the three red lights of death and disc scratching.

The three red lights of death problem often involves an easy fix known as the "towel trick" - this provides a fast but temporary fix. Although it sounds like a fix from grandma's recipe book, the towel trick seems to work for many users. Apparently wrapping in towels an Xbox 360 touched by the curse of the three red lights of doom will mysteriously revive the console, if not for life at least for a few hours. Any serious gamer who cares about his console will try a more efficient fix, but since many Xbox users reported success with this method, all we can do is to take their word for it, and this gives us the background to declare the towel fix the easiest and fastest Xbox fix.

The disk scratch problem is not so simple, but it does have some solutions via experimentation by DIY Xbox 360 users. This fix requires the Xbox user to follow attentively all the steps in the book, meaning that you'll need to get one of the Xbox repair guides on the market and follow the explanations provided by their authors. This will cost less than sending your Xbox in service and it will even take less time.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Many Faulty Xbox 360s Can Be Repaired At Home

2008-03-20T19:00:00.002+07:00

The Xbox 360 is one of the most awesome gaming consoles ever developed, but it has been plagued with problems ranging from overheating to DVD drive failures. The good news is that some of these faulty Xbox 360s can be repaired with some simple advice and a few simple tools. Keep in mind however, that there are design issues that cannot be resolved without costly replacement parts and extensive experience in electronics repair.

For the sake of simplicity we can place Xbox 360 repairs in two categories:

1. Design issues in the system development such as bad motherboards, CPUs and heat sync problems that require costly repairs and eventual component replacement problems involving simple maintenance, cleaning and overheating issues due to poor ventilation.

2. Problems in the second category require easy fixes that are inexpensive and often you can find them free online in forums or blogs. If you need to purchase a repair kit you have to do a lot more digging than stopping at the first forum. With the right repair kit sometimes you can even repair problems related to the 3 red light of doom (often a motherboard problem).

In the case of heat related issues, the only possible home remedies are those that involve easily resolved air flow improvement. Maintenance, upkeep and routine cleaning issues can always be done by any 360 owner. The primary concern to the Xbox 360 owner should be to evaluate the problem and select the best method to resolve the issue. If the Xbox 360 console is faulty, the diagnosis of the problem is the first step in correctly resolving the issue.

When the 3 red lights of doom are triggered by overheating you should forget the towel trick, as a matter of fact it's recommendable never to employ this trick as it might cause permanent damage in consoles otherwise reparable. Try to cool down the system by turning off your console and then finding proper ventilation. If the method doesn't work and you have no technical experience, ask for professional help.

For the tech savvy, once the root of the problem is clear, the fix should not be too difficult. There are many inexpensive repair guides and even repair kits that will allow anyone to get their console back up and running in no time. Often this is the solution for those who don't want to deal with a repair center or to pay for an expensive component replacement.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Thinking Of Purchasing An Xbox 360 Repair Kit?

2008-03-20T19:00:00.001+07:00

With so many Xbox 360 consoles in need of repair, is there a viable solution outside a repair center? The answer is yes. There are many "how to" repair manuals and repair kits available for download online - some of them quite affordable. Since the offer is broad, the logical question rising is "which one do I choose?"

No one likes to waste money on fixes that could damage the console beyond any possible repair. Bad advice could often be the cause of huge upsetting financial loss. From all the kits that could repair the Xbox 360, which are the right ones?

Most of the gamers using an Xbox 360 have enough technical skills to be able to identify the cause of a failing system based on some guidelines from Microsoft Xbox 360's help section. This is the most important step before ordering any repair manual or kit. When you know the problem, finding a fix should not be the most difficult task.

The support section on xbox.com will not give you any easy fix idea. You'll have to browse more, find sites that sell repair kits and manuals, compare prices and user reviews and only then purchase. Never settle for the first kit you find online - many manuals are authored by scammers and scrapers who simply try to make a quick buck on the expense of the naïve. Beware of fakes and overpriced manuals and repair kits.

Before purchasing repair kits check with your local repair center to see how much a professional repair would cost you. If the price is only slightly higher, send your console in. Buying a repair kit just because it's cheaper could cost you a lot if you don't know what you are doing. It's true that the repair kits often come with step by step video instructions, but repairing any electronic device requires skill and attention to detail. If you miss one small issue the damage could be irreversible. So do your homework if you choose to step on the DIY path.

Remember: if the system fails due to motherboard problems - you'll know that when the "3 red lights or doom" start shining - no repair kit (outside one with a new motherboard) is going to help solve the problem in a satisfactory manner. In cases like this, you would be wasting your time and money and you would be better off paying Microsoft than the repair kit sellers.

For issues other than that, there are some really good repair kits you can buy online. A multitude of DVD drive problems and other "quick" fixes along with maintenance and cleaning issues can be resolved with the help of some simple tools and tips from a reliable kit supplier.

Alexander Thompson is an expert on hardware and software within the games industry.

View his recommended Xbox 360 repair guide by clicking on the link below:
Xbox 360 Repair Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Thompson

Nintendo Wii - The Most Popular Gaming Consoles

2008-03-20T18:59:00.000+07:00

The gaming consoles are altering the facet of the electronic gaming machines. Numerous newest models of gaming systems are obtainable in the marketplace these days with multi purpose features. The playoffs in these systems are highly interactive in nature. They also facilitate the players to build up their diplomatic proficiencies and knowledge.

With its various innovative features, the Nintendo Wii console is a tremendous gaming machine that comes to captivate the persons having great passion for the games. The only one of its kind feature of this gaming system is its Virtual Console Channels. This thrilling feature would easily allow the users to download their desired games from the channels of Wii store. This device is also equipped with a remarkable attribute called Disk channel. This incredible feature would help the gamers to load their favourite games from the CDs.

The Wi-Fi remote controllers and the joysticks of this gaming console come to the players with various prominent areas of expertise that would definitely fascinate them a lot. As the gamers can effortlessly download their preferred games, it would permit them to search and get pleasure from the new games available. These stimulating features have made this gadget an outstanding gaming machine and in no doubts, the device is to beat all other gaming systems. The most amazing feature of the Wii is that the users can not only download the Nintendo Wii games but every other popular downloadable media also. The users can even get their favourite TV shows, movie clips, and music tracks etc by connecting this console to the network.

The wireless joystick controllers enable the users to play and control their desired games comfortably. The Wii remote choice of this machine has the potential to sense its point of reference from three various magnitudes. The astonishing feature of this gaming device is its Wii Connect 24 that would let you to receive the messages from the internet when your console is in standby mode.

The motion sensitive aspect of this gaming system is highly appealing as it facilitates the users to use exciting effects in their much loved games like roll, rip etc. This Nintendo Wii console is handy and is very light in weight. The implanted memory of 512 MB of this console would allow the gamers to save the games they are playing. However, the users can further expand the storage space of this gaming gadget by using a microSD memory card. There are different electrifying games that can be played in this gaming machine by more than one player at a time. The multi-player option would allow the users to develop its adventurous aspects.

This gaming device is conceivably the most sophisticated as it enables the gamers to remain online uninterruptedly with its exclusive Wii Connect 24 Service. This mind blowing feature also has the capability to download the system updates without any human intervention. The default channels that come equipped with this Nintendo Wii consoles are a photo channel, a news channel, and a channel for weather forecast etc.

The startling graphics and animations of the Nintendo Wii Games come to mesmerize the game lovers a lot. On the whole, sound and animation feature of this gaming console is surprising. The Photo Channel option would further allow the users to improve their imaginative and editing skills. The basic image editor allows the users to crop up and edit the images in a way they want. The image alternatives and the background music permit the users to add extra zing to the image clips. As such, the users can simply employ themselves with it in their spare time by editing and displaying the improved images.

The game lovers can access the online shopping portals without any difficulties. There they can find the information regarding the most recent Nintendo Wii games. They can even evaluate their prices to get the Nintendo Wii console at reasonable rates. The most appealing thing that would fascinate the users is the exciting and the bold games that can be played with this gaming machine. Further, the Wii game site would allow you to play the latest games such as Super Mario, Legends of Zelda etc.

Adam Jaylin is associated with rupiz compare where you can buy latest game consoles like nintento ds games.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Jaylin

Game Consoles

2008-03-20T18:58:00.000+07:00

Grand Theft Auto, a video game that many people have in their homes, is blamed for the cold- blooded shooting spree carried out by Devin Moore in Alabama. The game is also under fire for the option it provides to unlock sexual content from the internet. Two teens, imitating moves from the Mortal Kombat video game, beat up and killed the 7-year old sister of one of them. According to a police affidavit, the teens were baby-sitting the girl while her mother was at work.

New Gaming Experience

The experience of being a gamer has changed radically. A new generation game console hits the market every 5 or 6 years, exploring realistic three-dimensional worlds in high resolution with surround sound. Latest are the next generation of consoles led by Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii.

Game consoles have replaced video games. There are a range of game console models available in the market nowadays. Nintendo GameCube Black Game Console is one of the widely popular multiplayer gaming and online gaming. This is popularly known as a home console for it is recommended for home use only.

Microsoft's Xbox, one of the most well-known game consoles, has been devised to interface with the Internet, keeping in mind that the Internet has made online gaming a more preferred platform than console games. Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 are also designed for online interaction, enabling gamers to compete against each other, download videos and games, or swap friendly insults in a chat room.

Game Addictions

Among all the charges leveled against game consoles, the foremost is that they are addictive. So addictive that if denied children are known to have all the symptoms of withdrawal, including the shakes. Among other charges are compulsive behavior and loss of interest in other activities.

Research reports of a decade ago had shown video game junkies to be highly intelligent, motivated and achievement-oriented individuals. But the 21st century games are so engrossing that today's studies reveal the opposite tendencies. This is attributed to today's games being more psychologically rewarding, which leads to addiction.

Cause for Growing Concern

Most of the video games in the market are meant for the 7 to 17 age group who play an average of eight hours a week. There is growing concern among parents, educators, child advocates, medical professionals, and policy makers about the subset of games that feature violence, gore, and antisocial behavior. It is believed that ultra violent games are inappropriate for all children and harmful to some.

Research had shown young people could generally distinguish "cartoon" violence from "real" violence, but the interactivity involved in today's games seemed to pose a much bigger risk than previous generations of young people had faced.

Concern about violent video and computer games is based on the scientific evidence providing a cause-effect relationship between television violence and aggression among the children and youth who watch it. This research became the basis of a hypothesis among many social scientists that video games could be expected to have an even greater impact for the following reasons.

* As there is more personal involvement of the player with the characters in the game, children are more likely to imitate their actions

*

The nature of game consoles is such that they require active participation

*

There are lots of repetitions involved in these games which help increase learning. So if the games are violent the effect is a behavioral rehearsal for violent activity.

*

The reward system in video games promotes faster learning

Much less research has been conducted on video games compared to TV. But studies have constantly shown that violent games increase aggression compared with behaviors displayed after playing non-violent games. Another study among 8th and 9th graders showed that those who played more violent video games were also more likely to see the world as a hostile place. They tend to become argumentative and get into physical fights.

Only Some Are Violent

Game consoles are generally associated with violence though all games are not so. According to a rough estimate only 15 percent of the games are violent. They are all perceived as violent because most of the successful games are violent and these get maximum press attention because of their controversy. People remember news about Grand Theft Auto but possibly remember nothing about games like Banjo Kazooie, Gran Tourismo or any of their other non-violent counterparts.

Many argue that a few games cannot be used to brand the industry. Sims is very mentally challenging. And kids are getting a great mental workout from engaging in these games.

Parental Role

A study at the Indiana's School of Medicine in Indianapolis found that about two-thirds of parents surveyed said they had family rules about how much and when video games could be played. But half of the children surveyed said their parents never discussed video gaming with them. Three of every four parents said they "always" helped decide what video games their children might buy or rent, yet, only 30 percent of the kids said that was the case.

In this digital world, children are introduced to video consoles so early that they are tempted to spend more of their time on these than on their studies. Parents should take care to protect them from unfit games by providing them with the right games. Refer to full review of a game God of War [8] which warns parents not to expose this game to children because of excessive violence in it.

Video game addiction experts from the Nottingham Trent University provide a ready reckoner for concerned parents:

First find out if:

* your child plays every day

*

often plays for over 2-3 hours at a stretch

*

derives excitement out of the games

* feels deprived and restless when they are not allowed to play

* plays at the expense of social activities

*

neglects homework

* tries to reduce play hours but can't

If the answer is "yes" in most of these cases then your child may be playing too much and you have to take steps to

Replace violent games with educational games

Discourage solitary play. Make him play in groups

Set strict time limits for play

As a last resort take away the game from him and give back in parts.

Also read Violent Toys

Related article School Violence

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhijit_Banerjee

Tips On Fixing The Xbox Red Light Problem

2008-03-20T18:57:00.000+07:00

Got an Xbox? Lucky you. Got an Xbox with flashing red lights instead of green ones? Not so lucky huh? Unfortunately you have joined the ever expanding group of console owners facing what has become known in gaming circles as the dreaded red ring of death. Although the exact figure seems to be hard to pinpoint, the failure rate of these consoles is estimated to be in the range of fifty to sixty percent of all units sold which of course is a huge number in anyone's language.

If you are one of the unlucky people that is stuck with a malfunctioning console you do have a couple of options. The first one is to send it back to Microsoft for the repair. Microsoft has so generously extended the warranty on the xbox but only if you bought it new and have your receipt of purchase and providing that it has not been modified or the case opened up at all. Expect a delay of up to eight weeks for the return of your console and as some people are reporting, there is no guarantee that it will work flawlessly when it does arrive back.

Another option is to do a search around the net and follow some of the 'home remedies' that people have posted around the place. You may have seen the infamous towel trick where you wrap the console in a couple of towels and run it for a while. There are a few other 'tricks' around as well as the towel trick and if you do choose this way don't be disappointed if more harm than good is done! A few people report that some of these methods work for a short time while others have reported that their console is now ruined and needs extensive repairs. Tread with caution!

The most reliable and cost-effective way of repairing the dreaded red ring of death comes in the form of a do-it-yourself repair guide. These guides are written by people that have repaired hundreds, if not thousands of failed consoles and a few come complete with video instruction to help you along the way. There is no need for any fancy tools either with the majority of repairs needing only basic tools that you will normally have around the house. This method sure beats risking doing more damage to your expensive console or having to wait weeks for something that is not guaranteed to solve your problem anyway!

With a visit to Tried n Tested you could be just an hour away from enjoying your Xbox once more. This information brought to by http://triedntested.info/archives/27

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Wilson

Is The PSP Suitable For Airline Travel?

2008-03-20T18:52:00.000+07:00

The Sony PSP is designed to be a mobile game console. It is slim, light, very handy and just looks cool. But how about traveling with a PSP?

You need to take several things into account:

The battery normally only lasts for 2 hours. This is for a normal d3-game medium brightness when loaded from the UMD.

On a long-distance flight this is not really fun. What you might want to do is try to save power. You can do this by lowering the brightness of the display (using the small +/- buttons on the lower side of the display). You should listen through earphones. Not only will this let your neighbor sleep better but earphone will save plenty of power since less power is needed to power the earphone than the internal speakers.

Also consider to store your games on your memory stick and not load them from the UMD. This saves power because the PSP does not need to spin the disc all the time which needs lots of power. This also gives you another advantage: You can story three or more games on your memory stick and you don't need to take the discs with you. This will also keep them from getting lost or damaged.

However for this to work you need a memory card with plenty of free space (5 Gigabytes or more) and a software to transfer the games to your PSP memory card. Consider that the PSP contains a wireless network device which is now allowed during take-off and landing. This means you need to turn off your PSP during these two phases of the flight.

Watching movies on the PSP can be a great alternative to the on-board movies. The screen might be small but since it is much closer to your eyes you will have the same quality - probably better than you have with the onboard movie. Also you can stop and rewind any time you like.

When it comes to listing to music I still prefer the iPod - since it can store more music and the batteries last much longer. However, when it comes to mobile games and movies the PSP is my number one choice.

For my suggestions to work you need to know how to download psp games to your mobile console. Learn more about it here: http://www.squidoo.com/freepspgamesdownloadsreview

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Stason

Wii

2008-02-20T20:31:00.002+07:00

* Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay
* Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI
* Backwards compatible with all Nintendo GameCube games and most peripherals
* Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service

Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") brings people of all ages and video game experience together to play. This simple yet ground breaking idea is expressed not only though the system's evocative name, which is easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and suggests two players side by side, but also through its innovative list of features and extensive list of playable titles.

Wii with Wii Remote

Wii with Wii Remote. View larger.
A Little Box With Plenty of Power
As with every console, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The Wii boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. The system’s technological heart -- a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" -- deliver stunning performance. And instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that plays both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.

Revolutionary Control
No bigger than a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a truly multi functional device. The magic of the Wii Remote's design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing away. In driving games it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, it acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an on-screen enemy. The controller also has a force feedback "Rumble" feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. The system allows for up to four controllers to be linked at a time and utilizes standard Bluetooth wireless technology. For those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller an adapter is available that fits over the Wii's remote.
Wii with cradle
Wii with cradle. View larger.
A Channel for Everyone
More than just a game machine, Wii also provides information and entertainment suitable for every member of the family. Some of the channels available include:

* Mii Channel - Miis are cute little caricatures you create to use as characters in a variety of Wii software. Store Miis on your Wii or load them onto your Wii Remote and take them over to a friend’s house to use on their Wii.
* Everybody Votes Channel * - The Everybody Votes Channel is packed with national and worldwide polls. Answer interesting questions and have your say. Up to six members of your family can vote. Just choose an answer and check in later to see the results.
* News Channel * - Wii might be great for games, but you can also use it to get updates on the latest news from across the Internet organized into easy-to-browse categories.
* Forecast Channel * - Your Wii can automatically update you on the weather from around the globe.
* Wii Shop Channel * - Download the Opera web browser and access games from classic consoles from the past. All you need is a Wii Points account.
* Virtual Console - Every Virtual Console game you download from the Wii Shop Channel appears in the Wii Menu as a separate Channel ready to select and play any time you like.
* Wii Message Board - Leave or receive messages for other family members on the calendar-based message board or use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home.
* Internet Channel * - Just download the Opera browser for 500 Wii Points and within minutes, you’ll be a professional sofa surfer, pointing-and-clicking your way around the web with your Wii Remote.
* Photo Channel - Show off all your digital photos on your TV. Just insert an SD memory card into your Wii and away you go.
* Disc Channel - The Disc Channel is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube, so you can play all your new Wii discs, along with all your classic Nintendo GameCube discs too!
GameCube controller and memory port
GameCube controller and memory ports.
The Depth of the Nintendo Game Catalog
Each Wii comes with a game compilation called "Wii Sports," including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games, that show off the console's intuitive new controller, but Wii also plays games developed specifically for it as well as fan-favorite games from Nintendo's 20-year-old library. Its drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the original NES of the 1980s all the way through the Nintendo 64 are available for download through the "Virtual Console" for $5 and $10 respectively. To support this backwards compatibility the Wii includes four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers and two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. As if that weren't enough, the Virtual Console will also make available a few titles from SNES console contemporaries, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.

Also, Wii utilizes Nintendo's newly-announced wireless feature, WiiConnect24. This worldwide feature allows players to receive content such as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, e-mails, updated channel and game content, and notification of software updates even while the console is on standby, keeping the fun going even when you are not online.

* Access to some channels may require your Wii needs to be set up with WiiConnect24.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:
By Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" -
The Nintendo Wii is the most inexpensive of the current generation of gaming consoles. It provides motion sensing controllers and 480p graphics. We tested the Wii before its launch day (I'm a game reviewer), and we had our own unit in our home the morning of launch day. Here are our findings.

The Wii is designed around a menu of "channels". There is of course the game-playing channel, where the Wii will play any Wii or GameCube game. Simply load the disc in and go. There is a Mii channel where you set up a profile and avatar to connect to all your game playing. The Photos channel lets you look at photos on your TV. Other channels for news, weather, and online shopping require an interent connection; the news and weather were not actually working at launch time.

The system does NOT have a regular network cable port, which both the PS3 and XBox 360 have. Instead, it works with built in wireless or with a USB network adapter. I am a firm proponent of wireless - less clutter! So I am thrilled that they offer wireless automatically. With the PS3, you have to pay extra for the 60 gig unit to get this built in. The XBox 360 requires extra hardware as well.

It's hard to generalize gameplay on any console - it really depends on what games you buy. That being said, the comes-with-it software of Sports is really quite fun and is about as basic as you can get. You swing at baseballs, lob tennis balls, bowl, box and play golf. A "fitness" mode puts you through a variety of tasks and then calculates your fitness age, sort of like how Brain Age keeps track of your mental age. If you did both every day, you could aim to be as fit mentally and physically as possible!

In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where it natively expects you to move and be active. You don't lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games. Boxing can be quite strenuous, jabbing, blocking and weaving in real life. Tennis involves quick reflexes and strong arm movements. Bowling might be the most relaxed of the sports, but even there you are standing, moving, swinging. You get your heart going at least a little, and get some exercise. My boyfriend had a sore arm after playing for a number of hours, in a good way, as he would from exercising.

The 480p resolution is certainly not high def 1080p like the other two systems. It's something you accept when you're paying such a low price for the console. But really, it's not that big a deal. I still play the old Zeldas and love them for their gameplay, even though you can't see the pores in Link's face. If they are going for the cartooney characters and environments, 480p is DVD quality and is quite good. If you really, really crave high definition super realism in your games, then the Wii might not be the best choice for you. However, if you're fine with playing games with a more impressionist / cartooney look to them, the 480p can show that quite nicely. For example, there aren't fans in the stands for baseball - there are colored blocks.

Nintendo has always been known as a "Kid's Console" - but I really do think with the Wii that they have become a "Family Console". It's not just kids who will enjoy this. Seniors can have fun bowling without knowing anything "Tricky" about how to use a video game unit. It's very intuitive. Moms can easily play with their kids, each with their own Wii profile. Adults having parties can have fun passing the controllers around. Family groups can share slideshows on the big screen while hanging out and drinking wine. Every person who has come over - from 8 to adult - has instantly understood and enjoyed the Wii, without much explanation at all.

With the price tag being so low, a gaming household that "needs" a higher end system can easily save up their money to get that XBox 360 or PS3 - and still be able to justify to get a Wii for the fun, casual gaming stuff to share with their non-gaming friends.

Well recommended! Since I own all three systems, and am playing all three wirelessly, feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

================

Update: One year later, and the Wii is still going strong! It's really funny how many people said the Wii would bomb because it wasn't as good as the PS3 or 360 - and here we are a year later and the Wii is still the system that people are really wanting to get. Hospitals are getting Wiis for their patients to play with. Senior centers are getting Wiis for their residents to play games together with. I was just on a cruise ship and they had Wii tournaments going on every day! This is a fantastically fun system that we really enjoy playing with and that literally the whole family can have fun with. There are great games for kids, great games for teenagers, great games for adults. I am really very pleased with how the Wii has held up and the game set available for it.

I'm running out of space here, but my nintendo.bellaonline.com site has full articles on exactly what you get in this box, and what else you should buy so you have a full system to play with.

By H. Vargas "trivector17" (APO, AP United States) -
Just picked this up during the midnight launch at Wal-mart, so far it's 3:45AM PST and I have to say that I'm totally impressed by Nintendo's latest effort though at first the new control may feel foreign after not more than just a few minutes it feels natural incredibly fun and after a little bit you'll never feel like going back to a regular controller again. I asked my cousin who was w/ me during the launch if he'd get a Wii and he said "no", but that all changed as we hooked it up and started playing Wii sports. All of a sudden it went from "no" to "what games are there" etc. Try this and I guarauntee(*sp) that you will be impressed by this revolutionary new system that places gameplay above nice shiny eye candy which unless you've been living under a rock should know by now that that's not what the Wii's all about. I just also wanted to add that I'm not just some Nintendo fanboy trying to butter this system up as I also own a 360 and also plan on owning a PS3 when the right games come out for it, pure and simple I am a gamer and don't care for one particular system over another as long as it has the games to back it up. For those that are skeptical stop doubting this is the real deal and at a price ($250) that can't be beat by any of Nintendo's competitors this is something that will entertain the entire family regardless of age, gender etc. For about $350 I picked up an extra controller set(wii remote and nunchaku)and a copy of Zelda (try getting anywhere near that much w/ any other system). I'll admit that when Nintendo had finally shared its strategy to the world a while back I was skeptical as well until I saw the videos for it and knew from than on that Nintendo was truly onto something great. Another cool note is that if you have a Gamecube controller lying around you can actually use that for playing the library of old school games that come from the Wii shop (which can be purchased w/ Wii points)instead having to go out and buy the new Wii retro controller (nice touch) some old school games can also simply be played w/ the remote. Also unlike the almighty Microsoft point the Wii points are on equal terms w/ the dollar so 100 Wii points equals $1 etc. You can purchase those online in the Wii shop by 1000 point increments(I believe) up to 5000 points. Prices for NES games are 500 points 800 points for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo games and 1000 points for N64 games. Right now though the library is fairly limited offering no more than a few titles (no more than 5)for each console. The bottomline though is don't miss out on this revolutionary product it is definately worth at least a try before you dismiss it as a clever gimmick and is truly one of the best systems to come out in years(IMO) and a breath of fresh air to the staleness which are controllers.
Additional features include Wi-fi for wireless connection, 4 Gamecube control ports, 2 USB ports, 2 Gamecube memory card slots and extra slots for SD flash cards (doesn't accept anything else like Memorysticks) so you can view your pictures on the Wii for instance.

By J. Martinez "JM" (Silicon Valley, CA USA) -
I was lucky enough to pick one upon 1/21 at a non-Amazon retailer (brick and mortar).
This thing is AMAZING. We have been playing Wii Sports non-stop. Can't wait to get to the other games! So what sets the Wii apart? The feeling of being immersed into the game. Sure, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have all the technology advances built in to them. They are the cutting edge as far as graphics and video, but neither of those captured me as much as the Wii.

The Remote is what really sets it apart. You can't sit down and play this thing. So much for being a couch potato! You have to get up and MOVE. Second is the creation of Miis. You create your own profiles and can bring them with you to another Wii (if you can find somebody else with one). Last, is the compatibility with GameCube and the virtual console games. It's awesome that I can download games from my childhood.

The con is that you will spend lots of time playing!

If you are into the latest video technologies, get the PS3 or 360. If you want amazing interactive technology that you can forget about AND HAVE FUN, get the Wii...If you can find one!

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Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote

2008-02-20T20:25:00.002+07:00

* DVD playback
* Program and shuffle play
* 3-speed scan
* Repeat and slow motion
* Time search

Playstation 3's Blu-Ray Disc Remote is an elegant, sleekly designed controller for enjoying Blu-Ray discs on your PS3. The ergonomic design feels good in your hand and the Bluetooth connection lets you operate with no lag time. Features all the standard DVD remote functions: Chapter display/select A-B Repeat One-Touch Menu Control

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:

By Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" -
Most PS3 owners enjoy not only the gaming abilities of their system, but also the built in Blu-Ray DVD player. The Sony remote control accessory lets you play those movies with great ease.

The remote combines the regular buttons of our other DVD players with the funky look of the PS3. You have a red, green, blue and yellow button - labelled with their color names! You also get a circle, X, square and triangle to do a few things like brinigng up the options and back choices.

The main buttons - play, stop, forward, back - are laid out reasonably nicely at the bottom of the remote with large buttons. There are small buttons up on top for the number keys, and a very tiny eject button.

Missing completely is a power button!! You have to hit the PS button in the center and go through the regular PS3 menus to get the power to turn off. In fact, while I was writing this review, I accidentially hit a button on the remote and the PS3 turned on. We were watching regular TV, so now I have to wait until our show is over, switch over ot the PS3 and use the buttons to turn the system back off again. That doesn't make much sense at all to me.

Also, on our Oppo DVD remote, the buttons glow which makes it REALLY nice to use in the dark or dim light that most people watch movies in. This unit is completely black with black buttons. This makes it pretty much useless in low light conditions until you memorize all of the button locations. You would think by now that remote control makers would have their buttons backlit or at least glow-in-the-dark to handle this.

The unit takes two AA batteries which makes it a bit heavy, but certainly within the normal range of remotes.

It's easy enough to sync up the remote with the PS3. It's bluetooth powered, so you go into the PS3 menu and use the options there to indicate you have a new remote. Note that the base level PS3 will not handle this - you have to have a connection to the internet from your PS3 and run an update routine. If you don't have an internet connection for your PS3, you have to create an update CD on your PC to do this update.

Well recommended - but it really could be much better to be great.

By whiterabbit "harmony" (Yakima, Washington United States) -
A must-have accessory for your PS3 Blu-ray DVD viewing pleasure! I love that it works without having to point it at anything, thanks to being Bluetooth... you don't even have to be in the same room! (not that there is much application for the latter, but thought it worth mentioning). Anyway, it works perfectly and helps add to your PS3 experience. We have a nice universal remote also, but the "Bluetooth factor" makes this Playstation remote our family's favorite so far. I hope all remotes go that way eventually... much better than IR!

By David Whittle (Knoxville, TN United States) -
Blu-Ray remotes are handy because they don't have to be pointed at the device. In fact, the device doesn't have to be in the same room to operate with the remote!

The buttons are laid out fine, but the PS3 just doesn't seem to be designed with a remote like this in mind. There's no power button on the remote, so to turn the system on and off the PS button has to be used, just like the controller. Also, when the stop button is pressed the movie stops and goes back to the XMB (PS3's "dashboard"). And there's no backlighting on the remote, so in a dim room it's hard to tell the difference between the fast forward and skip buttons.

All in all, I wish the PS3 had Infrared support so I could just program it with a universal remote... but this is an acceptable second choice. It is nice to have a remote that does everything the controller does and is clearly labeled.

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Time Crisis 4 (Includes Guncon 3)

2008-02-20T20:17:00.002+07:00

* New Guncon - The new Guncon is compatible with all TVs and has been enhanced with 2 analog sticks that will allow you to move freely in FPS mode.
* Free Roaming FPS – Exclusive to the console, you are able to roam freely in FPS style through various stages. Change your camera angle, move while crouching, standing and more!
* Multiple modes – Along with Story and Arcade mode, destroy biological weapons in Crisis Mission mode, test your sharp shooting skills or go head to head with your friend in various mini games.
* Downloadable content – Extend your gameplay by downloading additional Crisis Missions.

Turn your living room into a state of the art arcade arena! Join operatives Giorgio and Evan to investigate and prevent a top secret weapon from falling into the hands of international terrorists.

The latest and most advanced title in the popular Time Crisis series is now arriving on the PS3. Time Crisis delivers the first and only arcade style interactive FPS gaming experience on the next gen console with HD quality graphics. Superior to its Arcade counterpart, Time Crisis 4 is reborn with additional new free roaming FPS stages along with a new and improved Guncon. In addition to future downloadable content, Time Crisis 4 brings a fresh new look that will carry the series into the next generation.

Product Description
Reborn on the Playstation 3, Time Crisis 4 includes a full FPS game mode, stunning HD quality graphics, a newly designed Guncon to enhance every aspect of the game and an intense new storyline.The U.S. Army's Internal Surveillance Group (ISG) has learned that a top-secret weapon developed by the armed forces is about to fall into the hands of the European terrorist organization known as W.O.L.F. In response, the ISG instructs Captain William Rush to head to California and investigate the incident. Arriving at Pier 5, the enemy's purported hideout, Captain Rush finds himself face to face with unimaginable enemy forces and menacing biological weapons. Meanwhile, having received similar information, the European Union dispatches Giorgio Bruno and Evan Bernard, two agents from the V.S.S.E. International Intelligence Agency. Upon their arrival in California, however, the pair is ambushed by a mysterious military force? Test your sharp shooting skills and complete your objective within seconds, or go head-to-head with a friend in a variety of challenging mini games.In addition to your standard weapons assortment, such as handguns and shotguns, upgrade to grenade launchers and mounted machine guns (FPS mode only) to increase your lethal arsenal. Also features unlockable console exclusive bonus weapons.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:
By A. C. Ege/Acedoh "acedoh" (Stockton, CA USA) -
The Time Crisis series has been an Arcade and Playstation hit for years. With the evolution of the Guncon we now have a PS3 version. Now some of you may be wondering is an $80+ game worth the price. For me it's a resounding no. Of course on the outside this game has quite a bit of potential. Two versions of the game and even some mini games to keep you busy. It sounds like quite the deal but sadly isn't.

Setting up this game is not easy either. When you open the large box you get the new Gun Con 3 with an 8 foot usb cord. The game also comes with two infared devices that go above the t.v. These also connect via usb. For those of you who have a 40 gig PS3 you have just used both your usb ports. Setting up for calibration is not very easy and seems to be rather inaccurate.

The biggest shining light for this game comes from the exciting arcade edition of Time Crisis which still looks good on the PS3. The arcade edition is a lot of fun and feels exactly like the arcade game with all the action. Point down and the gun reloads. Simple controls for an overall good game. This was my first experience with this game and it was really quite an enjoyment.

The major downfall of this game was the PS3 edition of Time Crisis that was made especially for the PS3. Unfortunately where this game lacks is in it's complexity. What really hurts is the several functioning buttons on the Guncon 3. When I say several buttons I mean as many as a normal PS3 controller. I couldn't make up my mind whether I was playing a first person shooter or a gun game. From the beginning you not only go thru the normal shooting but the movement. Trying to get the calibration to work correctly was not very easy. I noticed several times that my shooting was off because of this. I was beginning to feel this would be done much better on the Wii. Having to worry about moving your character in every direction and shooting several enemies is no easy task. I played long enough to realize I didn't want to have to deal with remember the functions of a half dozen buttons.

I have played several Time Crisis games and this one fails on being too complex. Nothing felt natural about having to use a gun to move my character. In all this game had a lot of potential but tried to go way to far. If anything they would have made a simpler game for people who just want to shoot. I would not advise this to anyone unless they are a die hard Time Crisis fan and even then it would be ill advised.

By Bob Manson (Berkeley, CA United States) -
Time Crisis has never been known for its deep gameplay and complex strategies, but it's still a darn fun series and TC4 is the best one so far.

Time Crisis is basically a target game built around a lightgun, which was/is its major draw at the arcades. The name comes from the limited amount of time you're given to complete each stage; usually you feel like you're running behind the clock.

Sure, you're shooting "people," but there's no blood, dead bodies, exploding body parts, or other gratuitous violence found in many other FPSes. Honestly, I'm thankful for this.

Graphically it looks great, as can be expected of most PS3 games.

The classic arcade version runs "on rails"--your character is moved from position to position by the game, all you do is point, shoot, and RELOAD! (The announcer always screams "reload" for some reason.) TC4 adds the ability to look left and right in some scenes, a gun flashlight, and some interesting new opponents, but otherwise is pretty much the same formula as the earlier games--make it through each chapter without getting shot too many times and fight the boss at the end.

TC4 includes an FPS mode where you can move around using the Guncon's builtin joystick, but I found this frustrating and not nearly as fun as the classic arcade version.

TC4's Guncon is based on the "LED marker" technology used by the Wii and several other new controllers. Older Guncons used a video-sensing lightgun, but that method doesn't work with LCD/LED/plasma/projection TVs. The new design works with any TV, but I've found it is harder to calibrate and it really doesn't feel as accurate as the previous Guncons.

(Note that the new Guncon can't be used with previous TC versions, and old Guncons will not work with TC4.)

Time Crisis can be played with a gamepad, but it's a pain and I don't recommend it--moving the targeting cursor around the screen with a joystick is slow and awkward. The game's sole basis is really the Guncon; believe me, I've tried playing it without (as the old Guncons didn't work with my rear-projection TV....)

Should you buy TC4? For fans of the series it's an easy purchase, especially at the new low prices. If you're unfamiliar with the series, keep in mind there isn't much depth to it as there's no real strategy involved--it's just shoot, shoot, shoot. But for mindless fun and excitement it's hard to beat.

By Chon-ny "Your Sensei's Sensei" -
Duck Hunt to Lethal Enforcers to Time Crisis 4...to be honest, not much has changed. TC4 includes a Van Damme made for TV movie plot of a special forces team trying to take down an organization with secret bio-weapons...good enough justification for a game that includes nothing but you shooting at bad guys and insects and dodging their bullets.
Down to the nitty-gritty: the feel of the game. Replacing the arcade pedal, which allowed you to dodge and go into firing mode, is a B1 button, located just above your thumb on the shooting hand. To dodge and reload, you have to lift your shooting hand thumb (righties) and press down just behind the hammer. Easy enough, but you'll find your hand getting a bit sore from extended play. You have two analog-toggle controllers where the hammer is and in the section that juts out abruptly from the side of the gun. The first-person free movement is nothing special for experienced gamers, and is a moderate learning curve for beginners.
Accuracy: the game's setup includes two sensors that you manually hang from above the monitor; they're about an inch square and have a non-intrusive rubber-weight system to hold them into place. You'll spend a significant amount of time calibrating the gun to get just the right feel; it's a bit shaky to start, and for a 42" monitor, you have to stand at least about five feet away from the screen. But that's what the mini-games are for.
The mini games are, by far, the funnest part so far. If you've ever played the Point Blank arcade series, you'll enjoy approximately 15 shoot-the-moving-target type games in this section. You can play alternating competitively and also with a second GunCon. Simple fun, which, in essense, sums up the entire game.
The release of more thinker-oriented, patience required games such as Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc., will definitely be a load for gamers...TC4 provides that well-needed break. The free movement merely adds a non-revolutionary variation to the arcade game. It's a true-to-the arcade translation for the home; what you get at Dave And Buster's is what you get at home, plus the mini-games.

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Playstation 3 40GB Spider-Man Movie Pack

2008-02-20T20:09:00.002+07:00

* High-Definition Spider-Man 3 movie on Blu-ray Disc
* Internal 40GB HDD for storing your games, music, and photos
* Built-in Blu-ray player
* Cell Broadband Engine advanced microprocessor
* SIXAXIS wireless controller

As DVD playback made the PlayStation 2 more than just a game machine, hefty multi-media features make the PlayStation 3 an even more versatile home entertainment machine. Features such as video chat, internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video will likely make it the central component of your media set-up. Still, it is first and foremost a powerful gaming console.

Under the Hood
The PS3 features IBM's "Cell" processor and a co-developed Nvidia graphics processor that makes the system able to perform two trillion calculations per second. That makes the PlayStation 3 40 times faster than the PS2. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, it also boasts an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TV and projectors. The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience. This console also provides for a sound experience by supporting Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, as well as Linear PCM 7.1. A pre-installed 40 GB hard disc drive allows you to save games as well as download content from the internet. Unlike the other models of the PlayStation 3, the 40GB does not offer backwards compatibility.

PlayStation 3: Tower of Power
A sleek new look
Features a wireless motion-sensitive controller
Eye of Judgment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Blu-Ray Is the New Way
Sony's PlayStation 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-Ray disc media format, which can hold six times as much data as traditional DVDs. This increase in capacity, combined with the awesome power of its processor and graphics card, promises mind-blowing games once developers have learned how to fully harness the new console's power. The PS3 will also support CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats.

Sensational Controller
New gamers intuitively move the controller while playing, even though that movement has traditionally had no relation to what's going on in the game. Sony has picked up on this tendency and is using it to bring a new level of control to the PS3. Inside the controller is a high-precision sixaxis sensing system that accurately detects fine movements in pitch, roll, and yaw, as well as three dimensions of movement. This means that future PS3 games will be controlled by the movements of your hands rather than just your thumbs. For example, you might be able to steer a car by holding the controller like a steering wheel.

While the PS3 controller looks much like its Dual Shock predecessors, it will lack the force-feedback vibration since that would only interfere with the sensing system. It uses Bluetooth 2.0 wireless technology and can support wireless controllers. It's a hot-swappable system, so if your controller is running low on power, just pause your game and connect a USB 2.0 cable. You can continue playing while your controller recharges automatically.

A Slew of New Games
A whole host of game publishers back the PS3. Current and future titles for the system, include The Eye of Judgment, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4, Tekken 6, and Heavenly Sword.

Online
Sony has stated that the PS3 will have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it "an always on, always connected device," SCEI's chief technical officer Masa Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network "fundamentally based on community, communication commerce, and content." Technically, the infrastructure is there to make that connection. The PS3 supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, as well as IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless networking protocols.

What's in the Box?
* Game system
* Sixaxis wireless controller
* AC power cord
* Audio/Video cable (HDMI or Component cable sold separately)
* Ethernet cable
* USB cable
* Spider-Man 3 on Blu-Ray

PlayStation 3 40gb Specification:
CPU Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.)
GPU RSX
Sound Dobly 5.1ch, DTS 5.1ch, LPCM 7.1ch, AAC, others
Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
HDD 2.5" Serial ATA 40GB
Communication
Ethernet X1 (10BASE-T,100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g Included
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Included
Wireless controller
(Bluetooth) Included
AV Output Screen Size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI OUT 1
AV MULTI OUT 1
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) 1
BD/DVD/CD Drive
(Read Only) Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)
DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)
CD 24x (CD-ROM)
USB Ports 2
Backwards Compatibility No
Dimensions 12.75in (W) x 3.86 (H) x 10.8in (D)
Weight 11 lbs

Product Description
Performance is the key with the Sony Playstation 3 video game system. Apart from the built-in BluRay disc player, there are numerous Sony exclusive features that help make the PS3 stand ahead of all other game systems.
The Cell Broadband Engine is the very thing that game developers have always dreamt about. Its unique multi-processing unit design represents a tour de force in parallel processing. The ability to do more of everything at the same time means more enemies, more AI, more explosions, and more realistic game play. Game play that takes into account ragdoll physics and keyframe animation, enemy AI behaving unpredictably, glass cracking based on the size of the object that impacted it, and individual flecks of dust in a beam of sunlight to create a more believable experience. The Cell Broadband Engine has the muscle and horsepower to move beyond artificial intelligence. This is the power that is the digital soul of PLAYSTATION3.
Enter the new SIXAXIS wireless controller. Utilizing sensors designed to read when a player angles, tilts, thrusts, or pulls, the SIXAXIS controller allows game play to become a natural extension of the player's body. Bluetooth for wireless gameplay (the PLAYSTATION-3 system can support up to seven wireless controllers at one time)
With plenty of games to choose from, Sony PS3 is the game that makes most sense, especially as you move toward using widescreen HDTV models. HDMI connectivity helps make use of 1080p screens as does the, included, BluRay player. There's even a 40GB storage hard-drive and Internet connectivity. The PS3 is far more than a game. It's a lifestyle! High-Definition Multimedia Interface ( HDMI ) out for up to 1080p resolution Internet ready with built-in wireless network connectivity (Wi-Fi) Two USB ports Free access to the PLAYSTATION Network, including online gaming, the PLAYSTATION Store

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:

By Your Mother -
Having owned a PS3 and an Xbox 360, I can say without bias that both are great systems and we should all be excited at the competition for this generation of video game consoles.

The Good:
The 40gb Ps3 comes with increased Wireless and Bluetooth range and reliability, and new components that reduce energy by 32.5% of previous models. The heat difference between this and other models is incredible. This things runs very cool for hours.

All PS3 models can connect to the internet for online gaming, shopping, web-browsing, and even medical research for Stanford when you aren't playing. It is nice that the PS3's user-base tends to be older and it doesn't come with a headset, so you don't get much of the 9-year-olds running around screaming during games. And the PS3 has better sound features and hard drive space than the entry level xbox 360.

Another huge feature is that the PS3 plays hi-definition movies on a format called blu-ray. I just purchased an HDTV and the picture of Blu-Ray movies is 3D-like and incredible. Games are also played on Blu-Ray discs and several games have already maxed out on Blu_Ray's massive storage capacity. In other words, as HDTV's become more popular, this format will likely become the medium that people watch new movies on. The games on PS3 in the very near future will not fit on the DVD discs that the xbox uses. Another great thing is that the PS3 upscales regular DVD's, which means all DVD's, despite their age, look OUTSTANDING on my television.

The Bad:
But the 40gb PS3 doesn't get everything right. While the 40gb model plays 100% of PS1 games it can NOT play PS2 games like other models can. But after playing recent PS3 games like Call of Duty 4, I realized I don't want to play my old PS2 games anymore, since they just can't compare to this experience.

Second, it doesn't let you keep your music playing once you launch a program, enter the store, or go to a settings menu. And you can't message friends in a game like the 360 can. What's more, Sony's store has a hideous interface (especially on Standard Definition TVs), is clumsy, and needs a serious redesign. The good news is that, it's not nearly as bad as everyone claims and it should get an overhaul this holiday season once Sony launches a new interface. Also, unlike Xbox, the service is free, which is awesome and has caused me to buy several great inexpensive games from the PS store.

Another issue is that the PS3 uses new Cell processor technology so developers have to invest a lot of time to learn how to use the PS3. This has meant that the games for both the 360 and PS3 have tended to look much better on the 360 with the PS3 versions being half-hearted ports. However, developers like Midway, Capcom, and many more are starting to realize this problem, get the hang of things, and prioritize PS3 development first. So recent PS3 games like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune are looking spectacular.

And finally, this model only has two USB ports and they don't include an HDMI cord OR component cables in the PS3 box. So you HAVE to buy one of them separately otherwise the picture will look terrible on an HD or digital TV. They also don't include an ethernet cable, which was a surprise.

The Verdict:
This generation of game consoles is a win-win and I was on the fence for a year before getting and then returning my xbox for a PS3. The main factors for me were quality assurance, longevity, and value. The PS3 simply feels like it is a more sleek higher end unit. It has never frozen on me like my 360, and has a 1% failure rate as opposed to the 33% failure rate for the 360. Further, the PS3 is projected by many financial analysts as lasting for a long time. The xbox 360 might be outdated by late 2009, but the PS3 has a ton of untapped potential.

Several recent exclusive games like Lair, Heavenly Sword, and Ratchet and Clank have looked incredible despite the product being less than a year old. And in my opinion, they look better and have more characters and action on screen than any game I've ever played on another console. And finally, feature for feature, the PS3 is a way better deal than the xbox 360. You get a Hi-Def player, wireless capability, an optional use as a home computer, a web browser, media center, cutting-edge video game machine, and 5 free blu-ray movies if you fill out the rebate form before the January deadline.

In addition, the VARIETY of games on PS3 is astounding. There are Playstation Eye Camera games that let your body movements interact with the game, Sixaxis controller games that focus on tilting your hands to steer, the whole gamut of traditional game types, arcade games you can download from the Playstation store, and revolutionary games like Echochrome, Little Big Planet, and the Home social network. There is something for everyone which I feel is a balance that isn't struck as well with the PS3's competitors.

While both the 360 and PS3 are great systems, the PS3 definitely is a better long-term investment because it can do so much more than just play video games and will only get better with each firmware update. To put it in two words, the PS3 really is "future proof."

By D. Roberts (San Diego, CA) -
See my 80GB review for a full and detailed look atht ePS3, it's capabilities and games. The 40GB was a very smart move for Sony. Let's first address what detracters will say is a problem. Lack of backward compatibility with PS2 titles. First, almost all people who own PS2 games currently, own a PS2. The disadvantage is they can't sell it off and have to support running two consoles. Of course, selling it won't net you the $100 price drop this PS3 gives you so financially it's still advantages. Some XBox owners will use this as a point to detract people from going with the PS3. They fail to mention that the XBox core edition also has no backward compatibility. In fact, it doesn't even have a hard drive. The XBox premium edition has somewhat poor backward compatibility as well.

Really, people are buying PS3s to play PS3 games and watch high definition Blu-ray movies. For $399 you get two in one. Back to that in a second. What else in the 40GB missing? It's missing memory card readers. Rarely to people use these. Most people use USB and/or already have a USB memory card reader for their PC which will work fine for the PS3.

It also has 2 USB slots instead for 4 but USB hubs are dirt cheap. Lastly, it uses a 65nm process instead of a 90nm meaning the chips are smaller and use less power. This is good.

It has all the same movie and gaming capability, built in wireless internet, Blu-ray, HDMI 1.3, etc...

So for $399 you get a high definition player and a next-gen console with wireless internet. The cost of this for the 360 would be:
1. $349 for premium (20GB) 360
2. $179 for HD-DVD player
3. $100 for wireless internet
Total: $628

That's expensive! If you don't need wireless internet you're still paying $528! You might as well go get a cheaper HD-DVD drive on Ebay but of course now you probably have multiple consoles and movie players.

Of course the PS3 upscales regular DVDs to 1080p as well so you can get rid of your old DVD player.

Some people will argue the games aren't there yet. See my 80GB review for details on that. Here's some quick examples of great games for the PS3 in stores now or released before the end of 2007:

I've rated each game from 1-5. I've excluded many games and tried to focus on the games I like.

1. Heavenly Sword (Exclusive to PS3) 4/5, incredible game, just too short.
2. Warhawk (Exclusive to PS3) 5/5
3. Folklore (Exclusive to PS3) 4/5
4. Guitar Hero III 4/5
5. Eye of Judgement (Exclusive to PS3) 5/5 - Niche audience
6. Haze (Exclusive to PS3) Not out yet
7. Ratchet & Clank Future (Exclusive to PS3) 5/5
8. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Exclusive to PS3) Not out yet
9. UT3 (Maybe for this year) (Timed exclusive to PS3) - only console version that supports PC mods, and mouse/keyboard
10. Ghost Recon ADW2 5/5
11. Rainbow Vegas Six 5/5
12. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 5/5
13. Fight Night Round 3 5/5
14. Super Stardust HD 5/5 (Exclusive to PS3, downloadable under $10)
15. Everyday Shooter 5/5 (Exclusive to PS3, downloadable under $10)
16. Calling all Cars 4/5 (Exclusive to PS3, downloadable under $6)
17. Super Puzzle Fighter HD Remix 4/5
18. Madden 08 4/5
19. NHL 2K8 4/5
20. NBA 2K8 5/5
21. MLB 07: The Show 4/5

And there's a lot more to come. For instance Gran Turismo 5 Proglogue is free this year, with Gran Turismo 5 coming out next year. Little Big Planet may be the biggest and most innovative title since Mario and will be out in January/February time frame. And of course there's Metal Gear Solid 4. This game looks incredible and will undoubtly be the biggest game of 2008.

Good luck with your purchases!

By A. C. Ege/Acedoh "acedoh" (Stockton, CA USA) -
For all of you considering the PS3 this is one of the best choices you can make when it comes to home entertainment. Gaming and multimedia are taken to the next level.

First getting my hands on the PS3 made me realize that this is the largest Playstation conosle by volume and weight they have ever come out with. I quickly realized how sturdy and well made this product is. The plastic that is used is solid and heavy duty. I also realized how easy dust and fingerprints attract to the shiny finish which is both plastic and fake chrome. Connecting the PS3 was the easy part. Unlike the Wii and 360 Sony has left the power station inside the console. Which means you only need one heavy duty plug to connect. From the back of the console you have many choices for video and audio outputs. The standard AV outlet is there which allows you to play with the cables it comes with or to buy component cables for high definition viewing. You also have a optical digital output for full digital sound. New to any video game console is HDMI output. This allows you to have the PS3 in full high definiton video and audio. HDMI is capable of a full digital signal allowing 1080p true high definition picture. It is also capable of unleashing 7.1 high definition sound. So audiophiles should be happy about what this console offers. On the front end you get two USB ports. This allows you to connect various devices like a photo camera, internet camera, mouse, or even a printer. The Sony PS3 has a feature that allows it to be on standby at all times. Which is similar to the other consoles. I will talk more about this feature on the PS3 further in the review.

I would like to cover all the interface options the PS3 accompanies seperately so consumers can become aware of all the advantages this console carries. For those of you familiar with the Playstation Portable this interface is almost exactly the same.

You are able to create seperate logins for anyone who uses the PS3. This allows for each person to go online with their information. Although it doesn't really have many more advantages than that right now it is rather insignificant.

Next is the system settings. This allows the user to adapt the PS3 to their television and sound system. You can adjust the high defention settings to fit the maximum resolution of your t.v. You also have setting for your blue tooth devices and internet connections. The PS3 comes with built in wi-fi which seems to have a strong connection that gives you almost seamless online use.

The PS3 also has a photo viewer. You can download pictures by using your camera and connecting it via USB. I haven't checked to see how viable this option is. Generally you get your standard slide shows although they have a fun feature. One of the features takes your pictures and gracefully places them onto a blank canvas. I think the slide shows are best when you set them to music.

Next is the music player. You can download your pics via CD which is rather quick. I have done this numerous times putting quite a music collection on my PS3. Although Sony has talked about having downloads via the internet which I think would go over very well. You can listen to music while viewing a feature that uses colors and textures. It is your standard music viewer...nothing special there.

I want to talk about one of the most notorious features of the PS3. The Bluray player. Most of you now know what a Bluray player is and does. I have viewed numerous movies on it. I have also viewed these movies on two different hdtv's. One a 1080p and a 1080i. I really did not notice much of a picture difference. After viewing a few movies on the XBox 360 hddvd player and the PS3 Bluray player I really did not notice much of a difference. One thing I have noticed about hd movies is that the ones more than a couple years older have a slightly grainy appearance since they were remastered for high definition. Newly made movies appear crystal clear with vivid colors and tremoundous definition. The PS3 does allow you to view regular DVD's which can make the transition that much easier. The regular DVD movies are upscaled on your HDTV allowing an excellent picture. For many of the new movies it is almost difficult to notice a difference in a DVD picture and Blu-ray picture.

Now would be the gameplay part of the interface. This keeps track of the game disc you may have in the player or also games or demos that you have downloaded. This interface is rather simple and easy to negotiate. One feature that is sadly missing from the 40 gig is backwards compatibility. Although you can still play PSone games, PS2 games are a no go. As far as the games go I have played numerous games plus several demos. The games that are non exclusive like Madden Football are deficent on the PS3 compared to XBox 360 counterparts. The game speed is smooth and polished. The visuals on exclusive PS3 games like Heavenly Sword and Ratchet and Clank is quite impressive. The PS3 seems to create a living vivid environment with the ability to create many textures and surfaces. Game demos like Motorstorm and Gran Turismo HD show what the PS3 is capable of. Amazing graphics and sound quality will become apparent in many of the games this holiday season and beyond. I have also enjoyed the few full games that are downloadable. The games have enhanced hd graphics and are affordable at only $7.99-$9.99. What I have enjoyed is online gaming. With the PS3 you don't have to pay any added fees. The gameplay was seamless and quick and allows you to use a blue tooth headset when playing. I also believe you can use your PS2 headset via USB. The online gaming is virtually the same as the 360.

Lastly I will cover the online features of the PS3. On the interface online is a big part. From the browser to having friends and checking your mail. Of course the largest feature is the Playstation store. Which is obviously not very unique. The 360 has a market which could be considered the pedigree for consoles. The Wii is limited to just classic video games. The Playstation store is decent right now with very numerous items to download. You have games, demos, and movie trailers. The store will continue to grow and has a nice feature that allows you to dowload PSone games for the Playstation Portable (PSP). After dowloading it to your PS3 then you transfer it via USB to your PSP. Also a very intriguing feature that I think is really amazing is called remote play. When your PSP is integrated into your PS3 you have the ability to view and listen to stuff on your PS3 anywhere in the world with your PSP. All you need is a wifi connection. I have tried this feature out and it's really enjoyable. I was able to view movie trailers and listen to my music on my PSP. The feature is nice although it is supposed to work when the PS3 is on standby. It did not work for me then. Only when the PS3 was on and set for remote play.

There are also two features that are becoming more apparent for owners. Folding at Home is a beneficial program that works with Stanford University. The program runs when your PS3 is idle. What it does is run computations that help scientists work for many cures to diseases. A beneficial plus to the PS3. I can vouch for having my PS3 on nonstop 24 hours a day 7 days a week for many months without any problems. Secondly I want to talk about HOME. No not your real home but the PS3 program that will be available early 2008. This program will be a virtual online social interface allowing you to meet numerous other PS3 players. I have been allowed to participate on the Beta version and I must say this has extreme potential.

2008 will be an exciting year for PS3 owners. The experience is already excellent with over a dozen very good games. The PS3 will have over a half dozen superb games releasing next year. Games like Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy are just the beginning. If any of these games suit you it would be an excellent reason to own a PS3.

In closing I will say without a doubt the PS3 has been quite an experience. I feel the $400 is well worth it for the features you get. Wifi, Bluray, HDMI, and of course the game playing.
I believe many of you are on the fence and trying to justify a large scale purchase like this. The games are here and the experience is superb. If you want a wonderful living room centerpiece that will provide numerous hours of use the PS3 is the way to go.

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Wii Remote Controller

2008-02-20T20:01:00.002+07:00

* Used as a remote, operates up to 15 feet away
* Built-in speaker
* Rumble
* Features expansion port for additional input devices, such as the Nunchuk controller

To make gaming as accessible to people of all ages and all abilities, Nintendo wanted to create a controller that was as inviting as it was sophisticated- the result is the Wii Remote. Nintendo fused the global familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology to come up with an input device that differentiates the Wii from any other console that has come before it.

Revolutionary control
Sporting the dimensions of a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a multifunctional device that is limited only by the game designer's imagination. The magic of the Wii Remote's design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller body measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing your arm for a long forehand or a quick and hard backhand. In a 4x4 driving game it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, the Wii Remote acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an on-screen enemy. The list of potential uses is enormous, and the light weight of the Wii Remote allows gamers to play for hours without feeling fatigued.

The Wii Remote boasts impressive technology for such a compact package.
All Wii Remote buttons are accessible and responsive. View larger.
Control many games from up to 30 feet away. View larger.
The motion sensing technology is neatly tucked away within the Wii Remote body.View larger.
The remote feels comfortable in both right and left hands. View larger.
As comfortable as it is functional
The Wii Remote is equally comfortable in right and left hands and houses just the right number of buttons for gaming- not so many that new players will get confused, but enough so that Wii games don't feel constrained. On the face of the remote are the D (or "plus") pad, a large "A" button which is used for major on-screen actions, and two small options buttons. Between the game buttons are a plus and minus buttons (which often act as "forwards" and "back"), as well as a "Home" button to engage the Wii home screen to change settings or check remote battery levels. On the back side of the controller is a trigger-like "B" button, perfect for timing releases of a bowling roll in Wii Sports.

Thankfully, battery life is excellent with the two included AA batteries, just as with the previous generation of Nintendo wireless controllers.

Immersive intelligence

Along the bottom of the Wii Remote, four blue LED lights indicate which player position the remote is currently set to. The controller automatically connects to the Wii console via Bluetooth wireless technology. Below the LEDs, an expansion port lets you connect a number of devices including the Nunchuck and Classic controllers for Virtual Console gaming (Virtual Console games and controller accessories sold separately). Other features of the Wii Remote include adjustable rumble force-feedback and a reinforced wrist strap to ensure safe use. A speaker inside the remote gives the player feedback about the strength of swings or the accuracy of their moves- such as realistic tennis noises as the "racket" connects with the ball in Wii Sports. Overall, the physical design of the remote is extremely sturdy and of very high quality, ensuring countless hours of Wii gaming fun!

Product Description
The Wii Remote Controller makes gaming accessible to people of all ages and all abilities. Nintendo fused the familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology -- creating a multifunctional device limited only by the imagination. In a tennis game, it serves as a racket you swing with your arm. In a driving game, it serves as your steering wheel. For first-person shooters, the remote acts as your weapon that you point at an enemy. The list of potential uses goes on and on. Features expansion port for additional input devices, such as the Nunchuk controller

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:

By H. Lam (USA) -
The purchase of additional Nintendo Wii Remote controllers are the basic requirement for multi-player games. Strongly consider buying a pair of high-capacity NiMH rechargeable AA batteries along with each additional controller. The Nintendo Wii Remote consumes a lot of power because of the many functions it performs -- the Wii Remote serves as a motion controller, provides power to controller attachments, and generates sound and vibration effects. The included set of disposable alkaline batteries will last less than a couple of weeks for active players (six days in my case). This compares to a battery life of a couple of months for the previous generation of Nintendo's wireless controller -- the Nintendo Wavebird controller for the GameCube.

Many games require the additional purchase of a controller attachment for multi-player mode -- the Wii Nunchuk Controller or Wii Classic Controller, both of which plug into the base of the Wii Remote. In multi-player mode, the Wii Nunchuk is used for two-handed Wii games, e.g., Red Steel or the boxing game in Wii Sports.

The Wii Classic Controller attachment is currently used to play games on the Wii Virtual Console. Held sideways, the Wii Remote can serve as a game controller for all current Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx 16, and Nintendo (NES) Wii Virtual Console games. A Wii Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube controller is required to play Super Nintendo (SNES) or Nintendo 64 virtual console games.

You may want to purchase a Wii Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube controller (this plugs directly into Wii Console itself) to play Virtual Console titles anyway. The Wii Remote is diminutive, and a Wii Classic Controller or GameCube controller both offer better handgrip and button placement. Of note, a Wii Classic controller can currently only be used for Wii Virtual Console games, while a GameCube controller can be used for Wii Virtual Console games and all Nintendo GameCube games.

Each "Wiimote" has a nice touch of interactivity, holding up to 10 Mii avatars per remote. You can take your Mii character along with you to play games like Wii Sports on other Wii consoles by taking your Wii Remote along with you.

The one improvement I would make to the Wii Remote Controller would be to add finger nubs. The Wiimote can get a little slippery during gameplay because of sweat. Third-party manufacturers offer latex rubber / silicone controller gloves that fit over the Wii Remote to improve hand grip. I find these gloves are more hassle than they are worth because they are time-consuming, both to put on and to peel back when changing the Wiimote's batteries.

By Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" -
The Wii Remote Controller is shaped like a standard TV remove, and has motion sensing ability. You wave it around, and your on-screen character waves their wand!

This isn't an add-on controller - this is the actual, standard controller that most if not all games on the Nintendo Wii use as their primary control unit. There is also a "nunchuck" that can be used in your off hand, but many games don't use the nunchuck.

The aim of the Wii was to make gaming as simple and intuitive as possible for the casual non gamer. Pretty much every person with a TV is comfortable using a TV remote. You point, you click. The Wii Remote Controller works in the same fashion. The motion sensors know what you are doing with the remote. If you're playing a baseball game, you swing at the ball. If you're playing a bowling game, you bring your arm back and swing it forward. Everything "makes sense". A sword swing? A light saber battle? Just move your arm and the character does the same thing.

There are only two buttons that really matter. There's an A button on the front that you push for most operations. There's also a trigger underneath that is the B button. Depending on the game, they will have you use one or the other button. There are also a few other buttons for more complex gaming. There's a D-pad. A "home" button lets you go instantly back to the main Wii menu if you're tired of playing. There's a plus and minus button, a 1 and 2 button. There's even a power button. You don't have to walk over to your Wii any more to turn it on or off. Just hit the power button on the remote and you're all set.

The remote runs on two AA batteries, so there's no USB plugging in or charging up, as with the other systems' remotes. You do get a wrist strap, though, so the Wii remote doesn't fly out of your hands while you're doing a super powerful golf swing.

There's even a speaker in the remote! This is great if you're playing a game against another player. Say I'm boxing my boyfriend and I am the winner. *My* remote says that I triumphed, to me. Neat!

I definitely love the Wii remote controller. It's light, it's super easy to use, it's intuitive and I can just pop batteries into it when it runs out, instead of having to wait for a recharge. Highly recommended. Just note that if you want to play a game that needs a nunchuck as well, that you have to buy that separately.

By Gene Pope "gene" (Trout Creek, MT USA) -
You can go right to the Nintendo website and buy the controllers at the MSRP. It took only 3 days for them to ship mine. Don't pay a bunch extra to these foks trying to take advantage of a "shortage"

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

2008-02-20T19:53:00.002+07:00

* Intense action thriller with stunning next-generation graphics and amazing special effects
* Play as both a U.S. Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns
* Enter treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world
* Use sophisticated technology, superior firepower, and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy, and communication are essential to victory
* Depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive, and customizable gameplay

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward, the creators of the Call of Duty series, delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever.

Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern-day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S. Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower, and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy, and communication are essential to victory.

The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive, and customizable gameplay.

Features:
* Authentic advanced weaponry: Featuring an available arsenal of more than 70 new and authentic weapons and gear from assault rifles with laser sites, claymore mines, .50 caliber sniper rifles, and M-249 SAW machine guns. With accessories like night-vision goggles and ghillie suits for maximum concealment, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has players locked and loaded to accomplish the mission.
* Coordinated assault and support: Delivering the most visceral action thriller ever, the title covers modern battle from the soldier to the satellite, where the need for air support is critical to success. The adrenaline rush deployment enlists gamers to fast-rope from tactical helicopters, ride in an armada of attack choppers, utilize jets to remove enemy strongholds, and even engage hostiles from thousands of feet above the ground inside a state-of-the-art aerial gunship.
* Cinematic-quality graphics and sound: Featuring stunning next-generation graphics, players will be drawn into the cinematic intensity of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Amazing special effects, including realistic depth of field, rim-lighting, character self-shadowing, texture streaming, as well as physics-enabled effects, will enlist players into the most photo-realistic gaming experience. Combine the lifelike graphics and the realistic battle chatter with the Call of Duty award-winning sound design and players will face battle as they never have before.
* Unparalleled depth to multiplayer: Multiplayer builds from the success of Call of Duty 2 delivering a persistent online experience for greater community interaction. Featuring create-a-class options allowing players to customize gear that is best suited for play, to experience points enabling unlockables and perks, all the way to matchmaking and leaderboards for the latest in tracking, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's multiplayer is set to deliver easily accessible and addictive online play for all.

Product Description
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the new action-thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward, the creators of the Call of Duty series, delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever. Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy and communication are essential to victory. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay. ESRB Rated M for Mature

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:

By Prometheus -
After seeing all the 5-star reviews I've decided perhaps a little level-headedness is in order to offset the rave reviews from folks who seem to be unable to see anything wrong with this game. No doubt that very statement (and this review's title) will garner a few 'unhelpful' votes, but what the heck, I'm doing this to help folks, not to be popular.

Now don't get me wrong - I like the game very much, BUT I feel that a review has to point out potential drawbacks with a game if it's to be any use to readers. Often we have to wade through tens of reviews that don't mention a single drawback - those reviews aren't helpful because they don't really tell players anything about the game. After waiting in vain for any truly helpful reviews on Amazon or elsewhere I decided to buy the game anyway and I've decided to post here in the hope that my review can help people like me who have been sitting on the fence.

So here's a critical review so that other potential buyers can know what the game truly offers and where it has problems. After all, if a buyer is forewarned he can't be disappointed when he gets the game. So what I'm going to do here is tell people all the stuff - good and bad - so that they will be able to make an informed choice. I think warning people about the bad stuff will help them to like this great game even more. Anyway, on with the review...

The game is very fast-paced and feels like the previous CoD titles. It looks and feels very realistic, so players of previous CoD titles will not be disappointed. As in previous titles the player is thrust into a number of different personas - in this case a British and an American soldier (and a little vignette at the start where the player plays the president of an Eastern European nation). The controls are exactly the same as in previous CoD titles, but there are a few more controls to get used to for planting Claymore charges and for using night vision and other tools of the modern battlefield. While these extras make the game a bit steeper in terms of the learning curve their use is relatively rare in the single-player part of the game and the game tells the player what to do when their use is necessary so I think most players will be able to handle this with little frustration.

The graphics seem better than CoD3 - it all seems to be in higher definition and it looks great on my 61" widescreen TV. CoD2 and 3 looked a little bit pixellated but this one is just fine. We're not at photorealism yet though, so some images are a little bit off in terms of shading (especially in the intro movie) and characters' faces are a bit cartoonish, but this is not really an issue - after all it's only a game and the characters' faces aren't really that much of an issue when you're hopefully going to kill most characters while they're a hundred yards or more away.

The game experience is very fast-paced and the difficulty is about the same as CoD3, but in this game the save points seem to be much closer together so we don't have the same frustrations of nearly getting through a level and then having to go waaay back if we get killed. The developers have done an excellent job here - I wish the people who made Rainbow Six Vegas had instituted a save point system as good as the one in this game - that would have stopped me from throwing that game's disc across the room in frustration and vowing never to buy another Rainbow Six game.

Now for a really tough criticism: the single player game is very short. I'd say it's quite a bit shorter than the previous CoD titles - or at least it feels that way. As a player who does not have Xbox Live this is a serious flaw. However, the game is very fast-paced and involving so I guess it could be that the game just seems to go by so very fast because of the involving storyline. Anyway I timed my first play-through at around 6 hours - I think that's a bit short.

Another harsh criticism: no co-op mode. To me it is astonishing that so many modern console games don't have a split-screen co-op mode. I want to play this game with my wife but we can't. Too bad! I realise that CoD games don't usually have co-op mode but can we not evolve?

Another issue is that although the game is extremely involving and exciting with some key moments that will live in the memory for years, it doesn't seem to have the historic feel of CoD2 or CoD3. I suppose that's to be expected from a game set in a fictitious modern day setting, but nevertheless I did feel a little something was missing due to this issue. Also, although the setting IS original it SEEMS a little unoriginal. I've played a lot of modern warfare games and this one seems much like them - Full Spectrum Warrior comes to mind and although CoD4's storyline is a bit more complex than FSW the general situation seems very much like deja vu: we keep nearly catching the bad guy and he keeps just eluding us. But then again with a game like this that's based on modern day terrorist warfare maybe that's always going to be a drawback - after all the game has to keep us thinking that big things are at stake, and this game manages that very well.

On a more positive note some of the scenes in the game are amazing - a couple of times I just stood in awe at the stuff that was happening, and to the developers' credit they allow you enough time (but not too much) to appreciate these awe-inspiring moments. Without giving too much away, the last part of the film had me impatient to get the mission done - it really draws the player in and gets him committed to an extent that I haven't felt since I played Knights of the Old Republic a few years ago. This game doesn't have any amazing surprises like the one in KotOR, but some moments come close in that "Oh my God that is AWESOME!" kind of way.

As I've mentioned before I can't comment on the multiplayer aspects of this game, although judging by the single-player experience I'd say it would have to be as good as or better than any other similar game. The player is realistically bound to a real-world movement speed so I expect this will make the game more realistic in online play. On the other hand, there's not much cover to be had, and the cover there is seems to be very easily shot through, so it may not be as good as Rainbow Six Vegas or Gears of War in that regard. But anyway, as I said, I shouldn't really comment as I haven't played in multiplayer.

All-in-all from a single-player perspective this game is excellent in terms of fun value, but overall I knock off a couple of stars because the game is just too darned short and there's no co-op mode. I toyed with knocking just one star off for this, but the game does seem annoyingly short - I'd say it needs at least another hour of play, and maybe two or more in order to be really satisfying. Added to this, the lack of co-op mode is infuriating. Still, I'm definitely glad I bought the game - after all I got much more fun than I'd get from a great movie on DVD, but I got about three times more fun time for only twice the cost of a DVD. After reviewing my review maybe three stars is, after all, a bit harsh. Sadly I can't adjust my initial rating without deleting the review and resubmitting it. Ah well, maybe it serves to offset all the fanboys' overblown 5-star ratings.

So, I advise people who have Xbox Live to run out and buy this game right now! Those who don't have Xbox live might want to consider their purchase a bit more. But if they don't find my review daunting I don't think they'll be disappointed - I've pointed out all the bad things that I can see in the game, so no one can say they haven't been warned about the bad stuff (which is mainly the game's short length and the missing co-op mode).

By V "tazzmanian" (California (Air Force), USA) -
When it comes to FPS's, and any other shooter for that matter, you have your current kings, namely: Halo, Rainbow Six (and all of it's "spawns", like GRAW) and Gears of War (still). Throw BioShock in there if you want... whatever. You get the point. Now - take from each of those games the best aspects... throw them together, and you have Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Simply put - you'll love this game, even if you don't like military or first-person shooters. If you're the type that strictly plays the single-player mode, then I'd rent first, just to be sure it's for you. For me, even the story mode keeps me coming back. This game is a BEAST, and it's a BEAST on every platform it's on - 360, PS3 and PC.

Infinity Ward understands FPS's - their absence was noticed immediately in Call of Duty 3, which sucked. They're back. This game is a few MINOR elements away from absolute perfection, in my opinion. And you don't get better than perfection.

I'll get the little gripes out of the way:

1. No Co-Op campaign. As frantic as every stage is, coupled with the fact that there's really no point on the game where you're not at least with ONE other player - usually more - I thought this should be available. It's pretty much standard now in the next-gen FPS's, but surprisingly absent here. Hmmm...

2. The whole 'friendly-fire' thing... I realize that this is realistic, but it's pretty frustrating sometimes - moreso here than in a game like Rainbow Six, simply because there's no easily identifiable icon or marker. I don't need THAT level of realism in a game - just my opinion. Yes, your recticle is red if it's on an enemy and green for a friendly, but during all of the fighting, that's really hard to see. Coupled with the fact that a lot of the enemies are wearing uniforms pretty similar to YOURS, you may end up accidentally shooting your squad more than you'd care to admit, especially on the Veteran difficulty level.

(That's really it for the 'gripes' - the other is more of an personal preference for me. I'd rather have more gameplay modes available in the multiplayer right off the bat, but I can also see how starting off with just the initial two works.

You may notice that I haven't complained about the duration of the story mode... while short, I doubt that any of the other reviewers that are slamming it have "breezed through in a few hours" on any difficulty higher than Sick Infant - that's before Rookie, if you're wondering. The story is compelling; there are actual moments where your chest and heart actually POUND - tell me the "All Ghillied Up" stage didn't have you holding your breath in real life, I dare you. Other games, while significantly longer, don't always fill their time with substance. A game like BioShock doesn't have an online mode, so it's story HAS to carry it entirely. Halo 3 is longer, sure... but most of it is retracing your steps back through previously played boards. No thank you. Apart from an effective story mode, this game's "bread and butter" is in the online multiplayer. Just like Halo 3. Just like RB6: Vegas. Just like Gears of War. Online play is what will keep this game, and others, being played for years to come.)

...and that's it, folks. Nothing else bad here. AT ALL. Period.

Gameplay - the game is phenomenal. Even if the campaign is rather on the short side (took about 6 or so hours playing on Normal - Veteran or Hardened will probably double that time, plus some) it is undeniably entertaining. While it may not necessarily be breaking new ground as far as plot, it STILL is far more engaging that Rainbow Six: Vegas's campaign mode, which is great, as well as Gears of War and even the mighty Halo 3. (just my opinion) (A+)

Graphics - arguably the best on any console, period. I give it the nod over Gears of War and BioShock - this is the best looking game I have ever played, and it runs (with all the chaos going on) at a smooth 60 frames per second is 1080P HD glory. The word gets thrown around alot with these newer systems, but this game is truly Photo-Realistic. The only thing I've seen comparable would be Crysis, another military shooter -and that's (not surprisingly) a PC-only game at the moment. It absolutely does not get any better than COD4. (A++)

Sound - as good as anything out now. The musical numbers are all spot-on, and the dialogue and combat chatter is phenomenal. Top notch all the way around - no "forced" sounding acting here. This games sounds like it was recorded during actual combat. (A+)

Multiplayer - time will tell if it will stand up to the insanely deep Halo Multiplayer mode, or the ridiculously addictive multiplayer modes on GoW or RB6, but even in this early stage COD4 is more than holding it's own. Choose from a preset variety of classes - sniper, assault, heavy gunner, etc. and get to killing. Kill enough and eventually unlock the ability to create your OWN class - and that's where the fun really gets going. There's a rank structure, but with there being absolutly ZERO offical multiplayer achievements, hopefully this will minimize people's tendency to cheat. (big problem on RB6) Ranking up does have it's privileges, however... different weapons, customizations for those weapons (scopes, skins, etc.) How new players feel about playing months from now when the majority of their combatants have superior equipment remains to be seen... balancing could be an issue there. The way it's set up though, if you're good at FPS's (and you know who you are), you will be alright. There's some work to be done with the team balancing... and I would prefer the ability to choose which maps I play on during ranked matches, but all in all, pretty solid. (A)

Replay Value - extremely high, even with a relatively short campaign. All of the achievements for the game come from the Campaign mode, yet over half of them require you to beat the game on one of the two harder difficulty levels. (not recommended for first-timers - frustration WILL ensue... as well as bullets, grenades and dog bites) Hell, even the TRAINING MODULE is fun and gets replay - Halo can't say that. This game is ridiculous. Even as varied as multiplayer is by nature, the Prestige Mode adds a new level to it. Make it all the way to Level 55, then you have "a tough decision" to make... (A+)

Overall - Dangerously Good. I give it an A+, or a solid 9.9998 out of 10 (I stand by the fact that a co-op campaign would render a potential Call of Duty 5 pointless) This is one of the best games ever. After playing the Beta earlier this year, I proclaimed that this could be a sleeper for Game of the Year, while everyone else was obviously sold on Halo... maybe a few for BioShock. This has them both, hands down. The only surprising part is how convincingly better this game is than the other GOTY frontrunners. All other FPS's (particularly military FPS's) need to take notice - this is BY FAR the best ever. (Note to Tom Clancy and the folks at UbiSoft: you have work to do for that next Rainbow Six. The bar is WAY up there now... don't disappoint)

A definite must own, especially for XBox Live subscribers - this is the best for this year. No not Halo - Call of Duty 4. Period. The only thing I see that could pull people away from this even for a moment would potentially be Grand Theft Auto 4.

By N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) -
For the fourth installment of the series once set in World War II, the Call of Duty series moves to the present day (thankfully), and what results is by far the best Call of Duty game to see the light of day yet. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare may very well be one of the best first person shooter's you'll ever play on any system, as it features astounding production values and brilliant multiplayer modes on XBox Live. The graphics and visual presentation are simply gorgeous, as are the spectacular sound effects, which is something the series has always done particularly well. Controls are sharp and the multiplayer elements make Call of Duty 4 worth picking up alone, but there is one glaring flaw that is unavoidable to notice. The single player campaign is short, quite short in fact. You could probably finish the game's single player campaign in an afternoon if you so desired, which is a big time drawback if multiplayer gaming isn't your thing. If it is your thing though, you'll find it a blast here, and even though the single player campaign is lacking, Call of Duty 4 is still definitely worth picking up. All in all, Call of Duty 4 is by far the best game in the series yet, and if you're leary of the change of scenery, fear not, war shooters don't get any better than this.

View product details at Amazon

Rock Band Special Edition

2008-02-20T19:44:00.004+07:00

* Experience 4 music games in 1--master lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. Music spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary artists.
* Form your own band, create and customize your own rocker, and travel on a fast rise to fame around the world.
* Choose single-player Career mode leading a band or multiplayer as part of the band or against each other--in person or online. Supports downloadable content for never-ending challenges.
* The Rock Band Special Edition includes the Xbox 360 game, a guitar controller, drum set, and microphone.

Tap into your Rock & Roll fantasy as you pick your axe, form a band and tour for fame and fortune, all while sticking the rock credo of learning your instrument as you go in Rock Band.

Bring the house to its feet in Rock Band

For those about to rock!
Solo Tour Mode

Jam solo if that's your thing. View larger.
Band world tour mode

Or try multiplayer action. View larger.
Step to the mic

Step to the mic. View larger.
Drum like a wildman!

Or go Bonzo on the skins! View larger.
Developed by Harmonix, creators of the blockbuster Guitar Hero franchise, Rock Band is an all-new platform for gamers ready to take on the challenges of the Rock & Roll lifestyle. Instruments available to players are guitar, bass, drums or vocals as they hit the road as either an aspiring superstar solo act, or for the first time in game genre history take on the true collaborative and challenging nature of music as they form a band and jam together in multiplayer action from home or around the world. Either way players will need to master their stage presence through the various game modes and polish their rock chops via the unrivaled Rock Band song list if they hope to make it out of the garage, into the clubs and finally on to the main stage.

* Rock Band Special Edition for Xbox 360 includes: guitar, mic, drum kit peripherals plus software.

Extensive Game Modes.
Rock Band delivers four music games in one - challenging rockers to master lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals through the five separate game modes.

* Tutorial Mode: Master the basics! No need for experience. Pick your weapon of choice and ascend from beginner to rock god.
* Practice Mode: Perfect your tune! Breakdown any part of any song at your preferred speed before hitting the main stage.
* Quickplay Mode: Instant fix of fun! Jump into any unlocked song for some quick jam time either on your own or with other players.
* Solo Tour Mode: Take it on the road! Pack up your instrument of choice and set out on the open road for a fun and challenging single player career.
* Band World Tour Mode: Conquer the world! The journey to rock stardom takes you from small town bars to world-renowned venues. Earn fame and fortune along the way to secure rock star necessities.

A Song List That Goes to Eleven!
Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the mix of remastered originals and covers that make up the epic Rock Band song list puts players in the shoes of legendary artists from day one. And with the promise of additional downloadable songs and albums you are sure to be rockin’ for some time to come. In addition to the 45 tracks listed below, Rock Band will also feature 13 songs ranging from a variety of established bands to up-and-coming independent artists that can be unlocked as you play through the game. Track list includes:

* Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter"
* Aerosmith "Train Kept a Rollin'"
* The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
* Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"
* Mountain "Mississippi Queen"
* The Police "Next to You"
* David Bowie "Suffragette City"
* Black Sabbath "Paranoid"
* Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
* The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
* Deep Purple "Highway Star"
* KISS "Detroit Rock City"
* Molly Hatchet "Flirtin' With Disaster"
* The Outlaws "Green Grass & High Tides"
* Sweet "Ballroom Blitz"
* Rush "Tom Sawyer"
* Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
* The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
* Faith No More "Epic"
* R.E.M. "Orange Crush"
* Iron Maiden "Run to the Hills"*
* Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
* Metallica "Enter Sandman"
* Nirvana "In Bloom"
* Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
* Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
* Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock"
* Radiohead "Creep"
* Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
* Hole "Celebrity Skin"
* Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid"
* Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"
* The Hives "Main Offender"
* Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"
* The Strokes "Reptilia"
* Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
* OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
* Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
* Pixies "Wave of Mutilation"
* Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
* Coheed & Cambria "Welcome Home"
* Fallout Boy "Dead on Arrival"
* The Killers "When You Were Young"
* New Pornographers "Electric Version"

Product Description
Time to release your inner rock star! Dive into Rock Band's challenging and addicting game modes and rock out to your favorite tunes. Put together a band, play in it, and tour for fame and fortune- all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists - from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock - including many master recordings from legendary artists, including acts like Metallica, Bon Jovi, Stone Temple Pilots and the Ramones! Learn to play songs spanning all genres of rock and with access to new downloadable content, it's a new concert experience every time! Play together in your living room or across the world - Rock Band offers deep online functionality, allowing players to rock together whether they're in Rhode Island or Reykjavik. This Special Edition box includes game, guitar, microphone and drum set -- everything you need to get in the game and rock out! Call out the crowd! Vocalists can bring the crowd to their feet during Rock Band's freestyle vocal fill windows. Ad-lib your own words or shout to the crowd to raise the rock intensity of the performance. Band mates can fail out of a song for poor performance, but the band still plays on. Rescue your failing mate by busting out signature moves and blistering solos to wow the crowd with showmanship. Boost your bonus! Earn bonus points for your band during Rock Band's Unison Phrase opportunities if everyone plays perfectly. ESRB Rated T for Teen.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

243 of 258 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Harmonix Delivers another Slam Dunk, November 20, 2007
By Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Let me first admit that I'm a Guitar Hero fan. I adore playing all of the Guitar Hero games, and we have multiple guitars in the house (for multiple platforms) so that we can jam together. When Harmonix turned over Guitar Hero III to another company, I was really curious what they would choose to do next. I am THRILLED with the result - Rock Band, which combines together all the fun of singing karaoke, playing guitar (lead and bass) plus DRUMS!!!

My boyfriend is in several bands, and he plays lead guitar, bass guitar and drums. I love to sing. So we have played many, many games in all of these genres (including the Donkey Kong Konga game which is surprisingly fun). We were quite interested to see how the Harmonix guys would merge these variety of instruments into a single game.

First, the instruments. The guitar is FAR better than the guitars previously released for Guitar Hero. The buttons are "full fret" making the much easier to press. You don't have that annoying ridge line. You get TWO sets of buttons in fact - one for easier guitar solo play. You have sound settings. I can't say enough about this guitar. The only thing it lacks is stickers :) Really, couldn't they include a sticker set or two, to customize the thing? A minor flaw :)

The drum set is REALLY cool. It comes with a stand and it has a very nice feel to it. My boyfriend complained a bit about the wood sticks not being smooth, but heck, you're not paying for high quality sticks here.

There is a four-plug USB hub so you can actually plug all these items into your XBox 360 :) And there's a few headset adaptors, and a microphone. We already had several of these.

Now for gameplay. The graphics are visually lovely, although really, with up to four people playing and singing, the background stuff is pretty meaningless. The screen is taken up by all of the progress bars and alert bars and so on. I do have to comment that the customization for your characters is AWESOME. You customize their style of movement (punk, rock, etc), their facial look, hair style, eye color and much more. Plus you can buy all sorts of great outfits in the store. Never mind equipment. They really went overboard in this area.

I found when I played an instrument whose track was on the far left (the lead guitar, for example) that I could easily see the "overall progress" bar showing how everyone in the band was doing. I could see that the drum guy was doing poorly and slipping down into the red. However, when *I* was playing the drums - and the visual for my drum track was on the far right - I had NO idea how well or poorly I was doing. That overall band progress display was on the far left (past the other instruments' tracks) and there was no way to watch both my own drum note list and see how I was doing at the same time. So you almost need to designate whoever is playing in that far left track as the "band alert person" to yell out if someone is doing not so well.

The band works as a unit. If for example the drums are doing poorly, but the guitarist is doing well, the guitarist can use their energy the rev up the crowd which helps everyone in the band. So the guitarist can save the drummer, for example. On the other hand, if the drummer is really bad, after a few failures, the crowd gives up. You can't have the remaining players try to play the song out.

Which brings up one of my only complaints about the game. Let's say you start a band "Asia" with the leader being a drummer. Now any time Asia wants to continue on their career, the drummer MUST BE PLAYING. In real life, band members change positions sometimes. You have a drummer who also likes to sing. But here, if you have a position set as the leader, the game can't be played (with that band and the songs it's unlocked) without that instrument being played. We found that really annoying. You should be able to say that person X now wants to play instrument Y and keep going.

Now, interestingly, my boyfriend plays the drums. He found the drum pads AWFUL to use and thought they were broken. We swapped off and he took over guitar while I played with the drums. I did a 100% performance. So it's something about the way you hit them. I *think* they have to be hit pretty close to dead center, with a sharp rap. I'm not a drummer so undoubtedly I'm not hitting them "technically right" but I am able to sail through many songs on easy with 100%. So it's a matter of getting used to how they work.

The vocal / mike track is much like any karaoke game, and you "yell" to activate overdrive. It's a lot of fun. I did try several songs with a mike stand setup so I could play guitar and sing at the same time. It was a lot of fun - but part of the mike track is "cowbells" where you're supposed to thwap the microphone in time to the beat. Unfortunately if you're busy playing the guitar or drums you no longer can thwap the microphone. I tried yelling "POP" and it worked about half the time, if I used a very snappy sound to my POP. Still, it's a shame you can't sing and play because of this.

The songs in this list are GREAT. I really love some of them, and there were few that I simply didn't like at all. It's cool that they have multiple venues per location, instead of the Guitar Hero games where there was just "one Boston" and so on. You have to actually earn a Van or Bus or whatever to move on to a new city. You actually build up a fan base as you go, and lose it if you do poorly. That is all very cool. On the down side, the progression of songs is rather odd. You can play 2 songs you like in Boston, and then go to Chicago and play the exact two songs again to earn more stars there. The songs seem to unlock slowly. I'm also not overly fond of several modes where you have no idea what songs are coming up until 2 seconds before the songs begin.

They do have a training mode and solo mode, but really you figure the great appeal of this game is to play with your friends, using the various instruments. So we found that interface - where you are stuck with a single leader, and it is very much one-person-one-instrument oriented, to be a bit frustrating. Sure, I love playing drums - but I love playing guitar too! Sometimes I love to sing. It didn't seem like it should be THAT bad to let a person switch instruments once you'd unlocked a bunch of venues and songs.

Finally, I really like that right from the start you have access to all difficulty modes, and can set them by person. So if you have a really great guitarist in your family, and someone who is perhaps younger or just getting started, the great guitarist can set themselves to difficult and the younger person can set to easy and both can have a really fun, challenging time.

I am really looking forward to new song downloads too, and imagine that could make this game last years and years and be just as much fun.

Highly, highly recommended if you can get your hands on this thing. We were there right when the store opened to get our hands on ours, and it sold out immediately. Well worth tracking down!! Note that I have photos of the instruments on my website and am happy to answer any other questions you guys have about this game.
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76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Are you ready to rock?!, November 20, 2007
By M. B Cole "Kegrun" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
When I first heard that Harmonix was creating Rock Band, I thought to myself, "Guitar Hero Remix". Until I heard about the mic and then the sweet drum set. So I was amped for this to come out. Then GH3 came out and all I could think of was "Dang...Rock Band better be awesome cause I just can not put GH3 down". Then I hit up my local Best Buy with a mock set-up of RB..and once I hit those sticks on those drum pads..I was in heaven. I was already going to buy RB, but now I HAD to have it.

I bought it the day it came out as soooon as my local Target opened up. Went straight home (with Kane & Lynch also...which at this time hasnt been played..heh) and began opening it up. After a few minutes of setting up (drums take a few parts to put together..nothing hard though..no tools), I was ready to go.

I started off with the drums (like probably most people). I'm gonna have to say..they are a lot tougher than I thought they were gonna be. I've never played drums in my life so it's gonna take a little time to get used to them. When I tried them at Best Buy...they had a demo that didnt include the base pedal. Well now I have to worry about stepping on that, while also worrying about where I'm slamming my two sticks at also. Sounds easy right? I really dont think so..least not yet..lol. By no means am I dogging this part though. I can see that this will be a lot of fun, especially when you start playing on Hard. On Easy the beats are so slow that I really do not feel like a rocker... I feel more like I'm some slow drummer in some jazz band. But I know it's like that to get people like myself accustomed to this new piece of equipment.

Secondly, I grabbed the new guitar. I put it on Medium and began playing a bunch of songs. I looovveee this guitar. The top fret buttons feel so good. One the edge of the green button and the orange button, there is a lift about half an inch high. So when you start playing on Hard or Expert and you start moving up and down the fret buttons trying to hit every button, you won't get lost cause you'll bump into those lifts. Definitely helps out. Also at the bottom you have 5 more fret buttons with the same color. Once a 'solo' appears on screen (the background will be a shade of blue) you can use these buttons and not even have to strum. Just hit the buttons once the button appears on the line. So much fun and you feel like even more of a rocker. The selector on the guitar has a bunch of sound effects that you can do on the fly. Pretty cool I guess, but I swear I cant hear a difference. Not saying it's not there, but I just havent heard the difference yet. The ONLY gripe I have about the guitar is the Whammy Bar. Its so dang long and almost gets in the way of my strummer. It looks very good, but I'm just not diggin it. It's not crazy bad where you would hate the guitar, but I would have liked it just a bit shorter. One last thing about the guitar. My roommate is insanely good at Guitar Hero and he is in absolute love with this new guitar and the new way it plays out on Rock Band. He doesnt even want to look at the GH guitars anymore..lol. He has issues with the whammy also though.

The Mic is next. I've never played a karaoke game before on any system. I never really cared for it (even though I do like Karaoke sometimes...when I'm drinking). I also didnt really know how it worked. Well before I stopped playing RB for a while, I decided to try it out. HOOKED. Seriously hooked on this part of the game right now. I was laughing at first while singing cause it was just funny to me, but then I really started getting into it. Then my roommate wanted to join in with the guitar. So we picked Creep and aced the crap out of it. Next thing you know we had Mississippi Queen playing and then I'm standing up and just rockin the mic. Right then I could just TELL this was going to be a very fun party game. I'm getting off track here. Ok, back on. When you sing you have to keep the pitch or tone of your voice on track with the line that shows on the screen. There is an arrow that will let you know if you are to high or to low. When it's time for your 'energy' meter (star power), you can just make any noise or statement you want to to activate it. I just usually hold out the note of the last word longer than usual to activate it...or scream ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?! (cause it always gets a laugh..lol). The only thing I dont care for is that you have to tap the mic on certain parts to make a tambourine sound or a cow bell sound. It's not bad if you are JUST singing, but I can see how that would be crap if you were playing a guitar or drum also. It doesnt HURT you if you miss those beats, but you dont get extra points. So far I love the mic, but probably cause I've never played those Karaoke games before like I said.

Although the 360 version isnt wireless cause of Microsofts greedy self (they use a proprietary wireless that they charge companies to use and Harmonix didnt want to pay for it so they could keep the PS3 and the 360 versions the same price), it's not TOOOO bad. The wires are a lot longer than the GH guitar wires. Plus the 4 port USB that comes with the game is a godsend for this game (make sure you have one more outlet for the USB plug). Hopefully they'll make some wireless stuff later.

When you start your career, you'll get to start customizing your guy or gal you want to use. Lot of different things you can do also...I was very surprised. If you ever played any of the Def Jam fighting games, then you might think back to those games like I did. Faces, Rock Styles (fighting styles on Def Jam), Hair, Height, Color, Rings, Bracelets, Pants, Shoes, Shirts, Tattoos. It's crazy. Lots of items to choose from the start and more and more as you get farther into the game. I unlocked 5 things in 5 songs I believe. I cant talk much about career mode since I stopped after my first 5 songs since I had to get ready for work. What I played though was really fun and what I've read and seen on videos (mainly from the rockbands website) its seems like it's going to be a blast.

I still love Guitar Hero. 1, 2 and 3. Not 80's, but whatever. I'm still gonna play them because of certain songs. But I think Rock Band has become my new favorite. Especially since once in a while, we have a good group of people show up to just drink and play GH. I think Rock Band is gonna replace that thanks to the 4 player support, GREAT song list, and more than just a guitar or two to play with. Actually I know it is..lol.

While you are reading this... I'm pretty sure I'm playing Rock Band. =D

***UPDATE for 22 Nov 07.***

2 more gripes about this game.

1. Harmonix seemed to use a LOT of constant repetitious notes..for example..you have to hit the blue button say...6 times in a row..then the red..6 times in a row..then back to blue..6 times in a row...then yellow..six times in a row...and on and on. I dont mind this on some songs...but I'm just saying they used it a lot this time around. Even my roommate was getting aggravated with it.

2. I believe my guitar is starting to act up like others that I have read. My strum bar after only a day is getting less responsive on the down strokes. I'm missing notes for no reason. I started using the up stroke instead and now I'm hitting ever note. I'm gonna send a request for a new guitar soon. Usually I'm not a victim of the faulty hardware that many people come across (I've never even seen a red ring of death in person on the 360...knock on wood), but this time I think I am. *sigh*

Cool stuff I like though since I first posted.

1. I figured out how to use the Guitar sound effects switch. Gotta be using star power (energy..whatever). Very fun!

2. Love how the star power adds up even while you are using it. Huge improvement over GH's.

Thats it for now.

LOVE this game...really I do. Just wish the guitar didnt start messing up. =(

***UPDATE for 23 Nov 07.***

2 really cool new things I like.

1. I REALLY love how when you are doing good during a song...the crowd starts to sing along with the song. WOW! That made me feel more like I was there than GH ever did. Very cool feature.

2. During Thanksgiving...I took my game over to a friends house. We had enough people to put a 4 player group together. Talk about A LOT of fun. 2 people never even touched GH before. Yet they had a blast playing all three instruments. The one girl I was playing with who I would have thought would've been on the mic more since she likes karaoke STOLE the drum set almost the whole time..she loved it. It was a lot of fun watching her beat the crap out of the set..lol. I was on mic most of the time since most were scared of it. Sometimes other people took the mic over, and even though they were sometimes bad..it was never embarrassing. Most of the time the other people were to engaged into their own playing or either it was so bad that it wasnt embarrassing, but just down right funny.

I had way to much fun with that game this Thanksgiving. Like I said way earlier..I knew this would be a great party game. We didnt even think about putting GH in.
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65 of 123 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay - Let's Get Serious, December 4, 2007
By Brian Seiler (Tomball, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Kind of shocked there aren't more less-than-stellar reviews at the time that I write this, so I'll clarify some things before I begin. For starters, we need to understand what we're reviewing. We're not reviewing the game simply as a game, but instead the game and the three external control devices that you get for the princely sum of one hundred and seventy dollars. That's going to be important in a minute.

That out of the way, quick summary - Rock Band is basically Guitar Hero with drums and vocals, or, if you're not familiar with that game (for all you parents out there that couldn't possibly care less), it's a game where you take a plastic guitar or microphone or funny looking drum set and play along with some popular music roughly from the general direction of rock, probably with your friends. Since I'm talking to the parents, I'll take this opportunity to let you know that unless you're strictly conservative (as in Shakers or so level of moral conservatism), this game is probably okay for your children so far as the content goes. My filters don't pick up anything objectionable in the content that comes with the game.

Now, this game is really four games (guitar, vocal, drum, and multiplayer) so let's look at each independently.

The guitar part is unquestionably the best element of the game, which makes sense, since it's just an extension of Guitar Hero in that regard and that was pretty well refined at the point that Harmonix handed it off. Comparing it to its nearest competitor (Guitar Hero 3), the set lists are better, the song styles are more varied, and the tabulature makes a lot more sense (Guitar Hero 3 was developed primarily by game designers, so they had a terrible tendency to just make everything a chord in hard and beyond, while the folks at Harmonix are all musicians, so things that should be single notes typically are only single notes). The controller, however, is a weakness.

First off, if your controller isn't broken, that's a good thing, and you're lucky, because mine was. There was apparently some bad doings at the factory and the glue that holds the strum register on tended to break on some of the first run models, which led to your guitar becoming virtually unusable after five hours. The tilt sensors in a number of them were also totally fried. Outside of those technical issues, it's a mixed bag. I like the weight and feel of the control a lot better than any of the other alternatives (it almost feels like a real instrument, with a proper weight distribution), and the different widgets are a lot more convenient to get to, but it seems that in fixing the problems earlier guitars had, the designers went overboard. Now it's easy to reach from the green fret button to the orange fret button with one hand, but that's because the buttons are now adjacent. They click much deeper than before and it doesn't take a lot of pressure to do that, and the result of all that is that you're going to hit a lot of buttons you don't mean to. Most of the people I know that have the game are still using the Guitar Hero 3 controller, if that's any indication of how awkward it can feel.

The drums....well, let's put it this way. Either you're a drummer or you aren't. The easiest drum parts are as hard as most normal guitar parts, and I can easily believe there are large numbers of people that just plain won't be able to do it very well and no amount of practice will help. That's bad. The drum charts that they force you to play also don't do much to help you learn how to, for example, keep one time with each hand and another with one foot. The foot pedal has to be pushed pretty deep and it gave me leg cramps after a while. The set itself is also loud as a donkey bleeding to death in a metal barn, which might be an issue for parents.

The microphone works pretty well. That's good. Alternative microphones, however (like, for instance, a 360 headset) do not. I am convinced that this is because things like screaming and loud talking are best filtered out of in-game conversation (what the headset is built for), but are necessary parts of rock music. Long story short, if you intend to play and sing, you're going to end up buying a microphone stand. I personally object to the difficulty of the vocal tracks, and the microphone (any of them) seem to do a remarkably terrible job of picking up high-to-low tone transitions. You're probably going to be a little frustrated trying to nail five stars in normal on some songs if you're not a pretty good singer, which is bad.

The multiplayer, I'm led to understand, is enjoyable, and I could definitely see that. The multiplayer campaign is wonderful. And should be the single player campaign. And isn't. And this bothers me. The development team didn't get the online cooperative elements finished by release, with the result being that you cannot play the cooperative campaign online. If you don't have friends you can bring over, or can sing well enough to play and sing at the same time, you'll never know how much fun it is. I'm an old person. My friends are married with children. I cannot bring them over to my house to play pretend guitar with me. This is unacceptable.

On the whole, I wish I could recommend this package, but I just can't do it. You're better off spending the money to get Guitar Hero 3 (inferior game, but superior value in this case) and just the game itself and playing the guitar parts. In six months, and particularly if prices come down, it might be a good idea, and the downloadable content support for the title is amazing so far (cheaper than Guitar Hero 3 and better songs besides), but for the holiday season, I have to warn undecideds to stay away.

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Gamecube Console Platinum

2008-02-20T19:44:00.002+07:00

* The 485MHz processor makes loading&starting the games faster than ever -- no more long load times
* The processor creates 6 to 12 million ploygons per second -- no more slowdowns in the middle of the game
* Supports instructions for incredible effects -- your games will be brighter, faster, and more dramatic
* External bandwidth of 3.2GB/sec, for really fast gameplay
* It also includes 64 sound channels -- you'll feel like you're in the game, with the top-quality audio

Though it looks like a toy, don't be fooled: the Nintendo GameCube is a powerful video game console that rightly deserves its place among the other next-generation game systems. In fact, its playful, appealing design and small size (the unit is a not-quite-cubed 6 inches) aren't the only features that set it apart from the others.

For starters, Nintendo has quite clearly made this a game-only machine. It doesn't try to play your CD collection, run your movies, read your e-mail, or store your MP3 files. The company has concentrated its efforts on games. All the prelaunch titles we've seen play smoothly, with bright, fast graphics and great sound. Nintendo says its engineers have removed traditional bottlenecks that have, in the past, slowed down processing. New components designed by IBM and MoSys, as well as a large-capacity secondary memory cache, keep instructions moving through the system's microprocessor (MPU) at peak levels. In English: the GameCube is optimized to push speed up while pushing costs down; hence its position at the lower end of the price spectrum.

The GameCube is the first Nintendo video game system to use a disc-based medium rather than cartridges for its games. Moving the software to disc media generally means lower development costs for the publishers, which, in turn, trickles down to the consumer not only in price, but also in availability and quality, as it's then easier to try out untested game ideas (Pikmin, anyone?). While most other systems likewise have their games stored on discs, the GameCube's 3-inch format is smaller than everyone else's, and is so designed to fit in a shirt pocket as much as to deter would-be software pirates.

Of course, the main advantage of the GameCube is that it's the home field of one of the world's premier game designers: Nintendo. While powerhouses Electronic Arts and Sega make games for all systems (including this one), you can play Nintendo games only on a Nintendo system. And Nintendo, you might recall, has been hitting them out of the park since it started with Donkey Kong. In fact, here's a roll call of characters and series you won't find on the other consoles: Mario, Legend of Zelda, Perfect Dark, Metroid, Kirby, and, of course, Pokémon. A few names that the GameCube will share with the other guys: Madden, Tony Hawk, Sonic, Batman, and Star Wars.

The system also comes with four built-in controller ports, so you can easily plug in extra controllers and let friends join in for the multiplayer games--it's even got a built-in handle so you can easily move it to a friend's house. It comes with two memory card slots for saving your progress through games, and there's the capacity for future expansion into the world of online gaming.

In short, the GameCube isn't an all-in-one entertainment system, and neither is it the most powerful of the modern video game consoles. But for video game enthusiasts who want to stick with their favorite characters, its value cannot be beat. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

* MPU (Microprocessor Unit): 485 MHz custom IBM PowerPC Gekko
* Graphics Processor: 162 MHz custom ATI/Nintendo Flipper
* Texture-Read Bandwidth: 10.4 GB per second (peak)
* Main Memory Bandwidth: 2.6 GB per second (peak)
* Pixel Depth: 24-bit color, 24-bit Z buffer
* Sound Processor: 81 MHz custom Macronix 16-bit DSP
* Sound Performance: 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding
* Polygon Performance: 6 to 12 million polygons per second (peak)
* System Memory: 40 MB
* Main Memory: 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM
* Disc Drive: 128 ms CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system
* Data Transfer Speed: 16 Mbps to 25 Mbps
* Media: 3-inch, 1.5 GB capacity disc
* Controller Ports: Four
* Memory Card Slots: Two
* Audio-Video Output: Analog and digital
* Dimensions: 4.3 by 5.9 by 6.3 inches (height by width by depth)

Product Description
The GameCube is unlike any video game system you've ever seen before! It's power and gaming capabilities will shock you! 40MB of onboard memory means bigger game worlds, bigger enemies, and bigger battles can be stored Store your games on memory cards and load them instantly Analog AV output Includes special controller that connects through analog, digital or compnent video ports Color - Platinum

Most Helpful Customer Reviews:

By Crombian (Washington DC) -
With great frustration, I find the overabundance of misguided preconception and unsubstantiated opinion surrounding Nintendo's Gamecube too much to keep quiet any longer. First and foremost I would like to concede to the fact that I am 22 year old, multi-platform gamer. Since my very early introduction to gaming with my first console, the Atari XE, I have since been privy enough to have experienced nearly every other console that subsequently followed. Included in this list are the NES, Sega Master System, Turbo Graphics 16, Game Boy, Genesis, Sega CD, Sega 32X, Super NES, 3DO, Jaguar, Lynx, Gamegear, Virtual Boy, Saturn, PS, N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PS2, XBox, Gamecube and Game Boy Advanced. In addition to all that, I have a background in PC gaming that began all too clearly with the likes of ID's original Wolfenstein 3D and Lucas Arts' original X-Wing. Now for the breakdown:

HARDWARE:
The first somewhat obvious advantage of the Gamecube is it's sheer processing power. The hardware architectural scheme is simply unparalleled when compared to the likes of the PS2 and Xbox. With the help of hardware development giants like IBM, NEC and ATI, Nintendo was able to assemble a very powerful machine that is cost effective and easy to code for. The beauty of the Gamecube's hardware design is in it's high emphasis on multi-processor resource sharing. With a CPU developed by IBM, a main graphics processor developed by ATI and a slew of other hardware components dedicated to such environmental effects as dynamic light sourcing, bump mapping, tri-linear vector shading, DLPII surround sound support to name a few. Given that all of these components work in tandem and are (for the most part) independent of each other, it is easy to see how resource burden is effectively reduced. Couple this with super-high-speed DRAM (best showcased in the loading-time-free Metroid Prime), and you've got the potential for more performance than you could ask for. Keeping all of this in mind, let us first take a look at PS2 when making comparison. The PS2's general processing scheme is dependant on 3 separate processors: the CPU and two "Emotion-Engine" co-processors. At first glance one may look at this layout and think, "that's not so bad, sounds like Nintendo's design." The truth is, although the intention of the 3 processors was to share processing burden, only but a handful of software titles for the PS2 have effectively been able to pull this off. In my research, I've found that the common, major complaint stemming from production houses was the inefficiency to which it takes in order to couple the processors. Rather than being an automatic component of the hardware (e.g. one processor starts to lag so it automatically routes data crunching to the next processor), whether or not the co-processors go to work is dependant on whether or not that instruction is explicitly stated in the software engine architecture (source code). In most cases, software development houses (especially those who specialize in making cross-platform software) will simply limit processor utilization to the CPU. Take a second to consider how much needs to be processed by the CPU: polygon draw, dynamic light sourcing, shadows, environmental mapping, reflections... this list goes on. Point being, the PS2 is really only barely hanging on in the hardware development. Now, to something a little harder to see is the Xbox architecture. Being the fair an honest critic that I am, I have been quite impressed by the visual and audio processing of the Xbox. Coupled with the fact that it has a built-in hard drive and ethernet card, I must say it is a good design in general. What turns me off about the Xbox is its incredibly striking resemblance to a PC (e.g. CPU, graphics card, sound card, hard drive setup). For God's sake, the thing supports Direct X. What turns me off to this set up is the sheer redundancy of it all. Why not just buy a computer? It does more, and is easily upgraded to last into the future. Granted I have enjoyed Halo, but I've enjoyed UT 2003 on my Pentium 4 1.4Ghz / Nvidia GeForce 4 Ti a heck of a lot more... especially with my mouse and keyboard.

SOFTWARE:
This is where the debate can truly get ugly. I'll be forthright, Nintendo's Gamecube has hands-down the best and most diverse software catalogue among all three next-gen platforms. First and foremost, when considering this statement you've got to look at console-specific games. Sure, the PS2 may have a ridiculous slew of games over both Xbox and Gamecube, but consider the fact that you can attribute this to PS2's earlier launch. Generally speaking, the majority of PS2's console specific games were developed from launch through to the first year of release. Given this fact coupled with the knowledge of PS2 being a less powerful system altogether, who wants these games anyway? If there is credit to be had on the PS2 side of things, it's that of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the Gran Turismo Franchise, and a couple of good RPGs like Suikoden and Zenosaga... that's it. Both Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy are coming to the Gamecube, so both of those Franchises can no longer be used as bargaining chips. Also, consider that Grand Theft Auto exclusivity expires in 2004. Many experts are weary to assume that exclusivity will continue. You wanna talk Xbox now? Only one word: Halo. That's it. Other than Halo, all you have are other multi-platform games that you'll find on both PS2 and Gamecube anyway. Oh, and don't be so naïve as to effetely fall victim to the whole "Only on Xbox" campaign. Given the financial backing of a corporate giant such as Microsoft, how much more obvious is the fact that they pay out big bucks for limited (insome cases 1 to 2 weeks of) exclusivity. Don't be a fool, open your eyes... honestly what else is there for Xbox? Nothing. Now, lets look at Ninetendo's more notable exclusive franchises: Metroid, Zelda, Mario, F-Zero, Starfox, Resident Evil, to name only a few. Couple that with every other multi-platform game that is being published for Gamecube anyway, and you have the strongest software line-up. That's, it. Simple.

VALUE:
$... plus a free game? Are you kidding? Need I say more? Buy it now, you will not be dissapointed.

By Charles Chun (Orange County, CA United States) -
I was doing research on game consoles and I felt that the reviews for the Gamecube were very limited in scope. Yes, every system has its pros and cons, but where do they stand and more importantly why.
Of the current game consoles (2003) this is my ranking for them:
1. Nintendo's GameCube
2. Sony's Playstation 2
3. Microsoft's XBOX

**PS2**
The biggest advantage of the PS2 is its library. PERIOD. Due to backward compatibility with the PS1 it has the most games available. Some will tout PS2's ability to play dvds a reason to buy, but it isn't a "dvd player". What does that mean? It means it won't replace any decent dvd player. If you want it for that reason you will sorely be disappointed when you discover it wont play certain dvds to the fact that it doesnt have a real remote.
~Remember... you are in the market for a "gaming console"

**XBox**
The Xbox is by far has the best and fastest hardware. Some people will say it is a pc in a box, and they are pretty much right. Xbox does have some impressive games, but the word that comes to mind when I think Xbox is "limited". Everyone I know who owns an Xbox really isn't getting *excited* about anything anymore. Get an Xbox if you plan to *hack* it. I know people who have done this to create a multi-functioning device that does many-a-things. Very cool... but again I repeat:
~Remember... you are in the market for a "gaming console"

**Gamecube**
Why does the GC come up on top? Quality. It does not have the fastest processor onboard like MS's solution nor does it have a library of games like Sony's, but where Nintendo innovates is in its quality of games. Sound trivial? Look up any Gamecube game on Amazon and read the reviews, compare with any other system. Nintendo is very picky about who they let develop games for their system. And on top of this the Nintendo franchise has alot of VERY promising games coming out from the new Zelda to Soul Caliber II. And now is the time to get a GameCube... Why? because they are offering one of their hot titles for FREE w/ the purchase. This brings the console price drastically!

There are imperfections with every system, but the GameCube holds its ground. The only STRONG reason to not buy the GC right now would be Sega's recent announcement of not supporting its line of Sports Games for the GC (only applies to sega sports). If you primarily play Sports games then you may want to go with a PS2.

Other than that... claims such saying the GC is a "kid's system" really are weak arguments. We all become kids when we play anyhow. And there are alot of games coming out from Nintendo that are not intended for children.

All in all... I prefer the Gamecube and the PS2 over the Xbox. Get the GC if you want a system that will last you 2-3 years w/ quality games before the next generation comes out.

So if you are in the market for a "gaming console"...

By J. DEATS (Houston, TX USA) -
I haven't owned a Nintendo product since the Super Nintendo many years ago, when Sony introduced the original PlayStation they won me because of the CD-ROM media format, excellent graphics (at the time) and the support for well known third-party developers. But the second time around Sony hasn't made the splash with me they did years ago, don't misunderstand, the PlayStation 2 and the XBox have some incredible titles, but these systems are bulky and cost a lot more than I'm willing to pay. Also, I have small children and I want a system that's kid friendly, but also has a game catalog to support my taste. Gamecube was the only one that fit that bill.

To me Gamecube has the most compelling exclusive titles, trademark games like: Metroid, Mario, Zelda, etc.. are being done justice on the new platform, the GameCube Metriod game is the most outstanding console game I've ever played. In addition to Nintendo's exclusive's Sega is porting more exlcusive titles to Gamecube than any other system they develop for. True it doesn't have a DVD drive, but the truth is, DVD doesn't do much for games, it just provides more storage space (mostly wasted on prerendered movie scenes). The inclusion of the DVD drives on XBox and PS2 are keeping their prices up and their systems bulky. Consider Gamecube.

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl

2008-02-20T19:31:00.002+07:00

* See your favorite Smash Bros. character, redesigned from their most recent games, brawl onto your screen once again!
* A host of new characters to fight with, including Sonic, Pit from Kid Icarus, Wario and Diddy Kong
* More than a dozen gorgeously-rendered stages
* New special moves and attacks, including the groundbreaking Final Smash
* New items and assist trophies

The third installment in Nintendo’s popular Super Smash Bros. fighter franchise debuts on the Wii in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Loaded with all the characters and features players have loved from the two previous versions, plus much more, it is a worthy addition to the series and yet another must-have title for the Nintendo Wii.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl logo

The Brawl comes to your Wii
Mario

Brawl with old friends View larger.
Pit from the

Or new ones like Pit from "Kid Icarus." View larger.
Struggle for the Smash Ball

The Smash Ball is the key to success. View larger.
Battle to your hearts content

Battle to your hearts content. View larger.
Characters: More Than Just Mario and Friends
The lifeblood of the Super Smash Bros. series has always been the depth of the character lineup that each installment has been able to bring and Brawl not only keeps with tradition, but does it one better. Just as in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros Melee, players can expect to pit their favorite Nintendo characters against each other in head-to-head and multiplayer battles, but instead of insisting on characters exclusively from the Nintendo universe, Brawl adds variety in the form of superstars Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake from Konami’s Metal Gear franchise. This is a first-time addition and one that will delight veteran players and newbies alike. But these two characters are only a sampling of the new additions to the game’s lineup. The other ten come from classic Nintendo titles and bring the complete lineup of playable characters to a whopping 25. See the full list on combatants below:

New Comers: Pit from the Kid Icarus series, Wario, Zero Suit Samus, Ike from the Fire Emblem series, Meta Knight and King Dedede from the Kirby series, Pokémon Trainer, Diddy Kong, Lucas from the Earthbound/Mother series, Pikimin and Olimar from the Pikmin series and of course Sonic and Solid Snake.

Returning Veteran Fighters: Mario, Link, Kirby, Pikachu, Fox McCloud, Samus, Zelda/Sheik, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Princess Peach and Ice Climbers from the NES title Ice Climber.

The Rules of the Brawl
As in previous releases in the series, Brawl places players within a different, but easy to use fighting system. Players choose a character, select one of the numerous stages--which are levels based in the game worlds represented in Super Smash Bros.-- and try to knock their opponents off the screen using a range of standard techniques and combos as well as a variety of special attacks and ‘Smash Moves’ specific to their chosen character. A Smash Move can only be performed after securing a ‘Smash Ball.’ These precious items, marked with the Smash Bros. logo, fall randomly and can be used by either player, but they must be cracked open before they can be used. To keep things interesting they can also can be stolen if not used right away, so when a player sees one it must be grabbed quickly and cracked to avoid an unfortunate turn of events.

Also, keeping with the game’s "E" rating and player’s affection for the characters, instead of displaying health bars the game uses a percent system to indicate character status and strength. The more damage done to a character, the higher the percentage and the farther back he/she is knocked back when struck by an opponent.

Many Ways to Play: Multiplayer and Single Player Options
Just as in previous installments of Super Smash Bros. there is fun to be had whether you choose to fight in multiplayer or single player mode, but Brawl again pushes the envelope even further by providing additional ways to play within these areas and the possibility of others added later. Here are just a few of the modes that you can expect to see:

Multiplayer

* Standard Multiplayer Brawl - A standard battle between 2-4 players.
* Special Brawl – Take down your friends in matches which you can customize with as many rules as you would like.
* Tourney – Choose the number of players and rules you want and have at it in a round-robin battle against many foes.
* Online Multiplayer - For the first time play against registered friends or randomly selected opponents from anyplace in the world via a Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

Single Player

* Training – Start on the path to Brawling like a pro as you learn to string standard moves together into combos.
* Classic – Fight your way through semi-randomly generated battles where each match features an arena or opponent from a particular game series and may feature unique battle conditions.
* Stadium: Target Smash - Practice your aim as you break ten targets within a set time limit.
* "Subspace Emissary" - The world of Smash Bros. is invaded by an entity called the Ancient Minister and his army, called "The Primid. As this villain starts turning characters into trophies to harness their power, declare a peace with your quarrelsome companions and work together to defeat the invaders in an engrossing side-scrolling adventure.

Stay in Control
Because the Super Smash Bros. series has a huge following and an even larger list of characters from the Nintendo catalog, it only makes sense that players may have a preference for a particular Nintendo controller from the era of their favorite game. Because of this the game’s creators have incorporated all four of the major Nintendo controllers into the mix. Whether you prefer the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote with Nunchuck, the Wii Classic Controller or the GameCube Controller it makes no difference. All four are fully compatible with all the features of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although the handling of each is a little different. Choose the one you are most comfortable with, or explore all your options. The choice is yours.

A Barrel Full of Customization
Finally, created with an eye towards providing year’s worth of fun, Brawl comes with extensive built-in customization possibilities. Dive into the game’s seemingly endless list of game modes/mini-games, battle stages, in-game items and musical playback options to make the game your own and Brawl the way you want to.

Product Description
Engage the rage with Super Smash Bros. Brawl! The third installment of the incredibly successful Super Smash Bros. series is now on the Wii, The roster islonger than ever, but that just means more butt to kick across over a dozen different, graphic-rich stages with original moves, new modified moves, and a brand-new super attack called Final Smash! Old favorites like Mario, Link, Peach and Kirby are now joined by such exciting newcomers as Wario, Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog. With a variety of new modes, an absolutely epic soundtrack and the ability to play with distant friends through online multiplayer, this is a game you'll have to break your own fingers to put down. Original soundtrack from 36 different artists Online Multiplayer ESRB Rated RP for Rating Pending

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Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 Launch Day (& Night) Survival Guide

2008-01-25T21:45:00.000+07:00

It is easy to get carried away with the imminent release of your favorite console be it the Playstation 3 or its cousin, the Nintendo Wii. Yes, motion sensing Twilight Princess sword thrusts and Resistance: Fall of Man screen shots have left us all in a tizzy of anticipation, but freezing on the sidewalk is no way to spend an evening.

For those of you who have pre-ordered your Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii, feel lucky that you’ll get to survive the rush at your Toys R’ Us or GameStop, leaving you able to stroll into your favorite retailer and waltz out. For those with the desperation and spare cash to plunk down an absurd premium to secure a Playstation 3 over at eBay, this article is certainly not for you (though I do envy you).

For those in the middle, neglecting to pre-order but hearty enough to camp out now that the time is near, there are a few essentials that you need to remember before you head on down with your pup tent and thermos to the Best Buy sidewalk.

Layers, Folks, Layers

As you’ll find more and more as you travel through life, your mother was right. For most of the country, mid-November can pack quite a chill. Sure, the lucky folks in Miami or San Jose get a break, but the rest of us, especially at night, have the prospect of getting a nice chill. The lines, especially for the Playstation 3 with its predicted short supply at launch, will likely form early, so arrive early and bundle up well. Dress for what you think it’s going to be like at night, not what it’s like when you get there.

Social Gaming At Its Finest

Pick your poison, be it a Nintendo DS, a Playstation Portable, a Gameboy Advance or even some classic Game Gear goodness. Standing in line for a Wii? You better believe that there will be some Nintendo DS gaming in line. Single cart download games like Mario Kart, Clubhouse Games or Metroid: Prime Hunters will undoubtedly provide some distraction as the hours tick by, and possibly make you the most popular person literally on the block.

Dig A Little Deeper

Yes, your local Best Buy or Walmart will have shipments of Nintendo Wiis or Playstation 3s to cart out, but so will lesser-scavenged retailers like Sears, FYE, Costco, Sam’s Club, CompUSA and other similar outlets. While those stores will have smaller initial shipments of each console (especially the sure-to-be-scarce Playstation 3), the crowds will undoubtedly be smaller in kind.

Nintendo has given its Wii a production head start and shortages for it may be less pronounced than the Playstation 3, but how can you leave being the first amongst your friends to land a next generation console to chance?

Bundle up, bring entertainment, bribe your kid brother or sister to man another station if you must, don’t forget to bring the plastic and you’ll have a better, more successful trip to the glamorous retail outlet sidewalk camp-out.

Oh, and bring a pillow.

Nick Crane is a successful Webmaster and publisher of CoolGamesZone.com Visit his site at http://www.coolgameszone.com to find out more on the upcoming release of the latest Nintendo Wii.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Crane

Sony Delays PlayStation 3

2008-01-25T21:44:00.000+07:00

As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.

In the U.S., the PS3 will launch on November 17th, with approximately 400,000 consoles available for sale. The U.S. launch will come almost a week after the Japanese launch which will consist of merely 100,000 units.

Sony's PlayStation 3 is the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world's most popular (and as recently as July, the world's best selling) video game console.

The Number That Really Matters

The fact that there will only be 400,000 PS3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December.

Sony claims it will have 1 million to 1.2 million consoles available for sale by December 31st. So, let's assume there will be at least a million PS3 consoles available for sale in the U.S. by Christmas.

Will that be enough to put a PlayStation in the living room of every household that wants one?

No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a PS3 for Christmas, despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that's nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.

A delay is much worse than a mere shortage. There's a promise (and a tangible product) behind a console that has already launched. So, very few people in the U.S. or Japan who planned to buy a PS3 are likely to change their minds because of a Christmas shortage – no matter how severe.

The Things That Really Matter

The success of any gaming platform is largely based on five factors:

Available Titles

Relative Launch Date

Price

Predecessor's Installed Base

Technology

Of these five, technology is by far the least important factor. The four most important factors (available titles, relative launch date, price, and predecessor's installed base) are difficult to separate. Clearly, having a predecessor with a large installed base (such as the PS2) can be tremendously beneficial, if you get satisfactory marks in the other three areas (titles, launch date, and price).

Predecessor's Installed Base

The PlayStation 3 dominates when it comes to having a predecessor with a large installed base. So, how does it score in the other three areas?

In terms of available titles, the PS3 scores as well as any of its competitors, if not better. However, none of the three consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii) does very well in this regard. Unfortunately, the titles are likely to be somewhat segregated by console. There will be quality games on each system; but, almost no one will buy all three. Simply put, there will be some games exclusive to each console that a lot of people would really love to play – but can't.

Relative Launch Date

Returning to the list of factors that determine a console's success, let's consider the launch date issue. Sony clearly has a bit of a problem in Europe, because it will have one less Christmas season than both the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Some analysts think Sony will lose no more than a few hundred thousand console sales to substitutions. If that's true, lost revenue might be in the hundreds of millions rather than the billions.

Three Separate Markets

The U.S., Japan, and Europe are really three very different markets. It's quite possible you could have a console that is very successful in one market and yet unable to get any real momentum in another.

Before this delay, I felt strongly that Europe was the market where the PS3 could come closest to duplicating the performance of the PS2 in terms of market share. There's a long-term danger that Microsoft will gain market share in the U.S. and Nintendo will gain market share in both the U.S. and Japan.

Obviously, Europe isn't as well defined a market as either the U.S. or Japan. So, it's much harder to predict how a certain type of console or a certain type of game will go over there. The U.S. and Japan are very clearly defined game markets, largely because they have very clearly defined consumer cultures in general and entertainment cultures in particular.

So, what does the PS3 delay mean for Sony's future in Europe? It's hard to say. I'm more interested in seeing what the installed base of each next generation console will look like in the American and Japanese markets after Christmas 2007, when we'll have the first real chance to predict how this round of the console wars will play out.

Although I do think Sony is doing serious harm to its PlayStation line by insisting upon including Blu-ray and charging a ridiculous price, I don't think any amount of managerial ineptitude is likely to cause the catastrophic failure of a successor to such a dominant console as the PS2.

Price

If price isn't the elephant in the room, it should be. Most of the articles I read about the recently announced PS3 delay / production scale-down didn't say much about the pricing of the PS3. That's a mistake – especially, because several articles mentioned the laptop battery recall, which has nothing to do with the PS3 and very little to do with Sony (it has everything to do with lithium-ion batteries irrespective of their manufacturer).

The PS3's price is a big problem. One that might have manifested itself in poor Christmas sales, if the number of units available for sale had approached the expected demand. For now, Sony is planning on having so few units available in the U.S. by Christmas that the launch will go well even if the PS3 is ultimately a failure. Sony claims it will have 6 million units by the end of its fiscal year. A few analysts are skeptical, but Sony is sticking to that line.

In the weeks ahead, expect Sony to make a big deal about the fact that it will actually make more PS3 units available by the end of December than the number of Xbox 360s Microsoft had made available by the same time the year before. It's a valid point. But, it omits two key facts. The PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360 and there are more PS2 owners out there who will want to trade up for the new system.

Since the PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360, no one is waiting around to see what the alternative will look like. They already know what the Xbox 360 is, what it can do, and what (some of) the games available for it are. As soon as the PS3 launches, the comparisons can begin. That wasn't possible when the Xbox 360 launched and everybody knew the PS3 was on its way.

The second reason why no parallel exists between the demand for Xbox 360s at launch and the demand for PS3s at launch is simply that there are more PS2s out there. As a result, Sony having as many units available by Christmas as Microsoft had the year before would be a lot like Gillette having as many new razors available as Schick had produced the year before. The difference in market share obliterates any possible comparison.

So, even though I think the PS3 is far too expensive going into the Christmas season, I'm quite sure that fact won't be evident in the sales numbers, because there will be a severe PS3 shortage throughout 2006. Even if the PlayStation 3 is too expensive, it will look like it's selling well, because there simply won't be enough of them produced in 2006.

Why am I so convinced the PS3 is priced too high?

The PS3 is too expensive to be a Christmas gift. Around Christmas, a lot of these consoles are bought by parents as gifts for their kids. Parents are willing to pay a lot for them, because they're a huge one-time item for the kid (and the parents have been hearing about it since well before the launch). But, the prices likely to be charged in 2006 for the PS3 are simply beyond what parents are willing to spend.

It's not an issue of how much consumers have to spend versus the value they're getting. It's an issue of being psychologically unprepared for paying this kind of price for any gift.

It may be a price older gamers are willing to pay to get a PS3 for themselves. But, it's not a price parents will be willing to spend on their kids.

Copyright 2006 Geoff Gannon

Geoff Gannon writes a daily value investing blog and produces a twice weekly (half hour) value investing podcast at: http://www.gannononinvesting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoff_Gannon

Playstation 3: The Blu-ray Player

2008-01-25T21:43:00.000+07:00

All around, the Sony Playstation 3 is a complete home entertainment system for your entire household. With the system, you will be able to play Playstation, Playstation 2, and of course Playstation 3 games. Besides being able to play games that date back generations, to games that are the most technologically advance with 1080p high-definition, the Playstation 3 serves another function and another purpose. A purpose that's worth its weight in gold. The Sony Playstation 3 is a Blu-ray Player!

But how does the Playstation 3 compare to a standard Blu-ray Player?

The Playstation 3, compared to a stand alone Blu-ray player, has one massive advantage. Price! A standard Blu-ray player can cost anywhere around $850 dollars to a whopping $1,300 dollars. It is obvious that the average person won't be able to afford such a steep price. Here is one reason why the Playstation 3 comes into its own. Priced at $499 dollars to $599 dollars, the Playstation 3 is by far the cheapest and most affordable Blu-ray player to date. Allowing a boarder audience to enjoy high-definition Blu-ray movies from the comfort of their homes.

What about quality, functionality and is the Playstation 3 easy to use as a Blu-ray Player?

With some of the more state of the art technologies, the Playstation 3 could be considered better than all the Blu-ray players on the market today. From the moment you turn it on and insert a Blu-ray movie via the front loading disc drive, you will be blown away and surprised at the picture quality this little box provides. On average the Playstation 3 turns on and loads up a Blu-ray movie in about 22 seconds, which is highly impressive. Using the wireless gaming control or the soon to be released Playstation 3 remote controller, navigating throughout the Blu-ray movies enjoyable and easy to learn.

Playstation 3: The Blu-ray Player

Sony has made a wise decision to integrate Blu-ray into their system. The Playstation 3 is hundreds of dollars cheaper even if you decide to purchase Sony Playstation 3 remote also, which is estimated to cost around $30 dollars. Even before the release of the Playstation 3, Blu-ray movie sales continued to increase as time goes on. Playstation 3 is the total package, so go out and get one.

Blu-ray and Blu-ray Movies are the future in high-definition entertainment. Purchase your Blu-ray movies here at MyBlu-RayMovies.com Get great prices and have your favorite movies delivered right to your door. Enjoy the full power of Blu-ray

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephan_Smith

Use Your Playstation 2 Controllers On Your Playstation 3 With the PS2 Controller Adapter

2008-01-25T21:42:00.001+07:00

Do you own a Playstation 3? I Do. And I absolutely love this game machine. In fact, I love it so much that I put my good old trusty Playstation 2 system up for sale and sold it. Mind you, I'm keeping all of my favorite games, because they can be played on the PS3 as well. Especially the two player games that I play often with friends. Thankfully I had several PS2 controllers (4 to be exact) and decided to only sell two of them with my Playstation 2 console. I figured I could use my PS2 controllers on my Playstation 3, and not have to spend another $50.00 on an extra controller.

Now, I did of course know that the Playstation 3 controllers were not the same as the Playstation 2. While they do have their SIXAXIS wireless controllers, they also have SIXAXIS wired Playstation 3 controllers as well. However, these use a USB port in order to be able to plug into the controller ports on the Playstation 3. This did present a problem, because the Playstation 2 controllers do not have a USB plug, but a unique plug that's specific to the PS2 Console.

However, having reviewed and written about video games and video game accessories for many years now, and watched as innovative companies designed and developed what are called controller adapters for essentially every single video game console on the market, I was certain that it was only a matter of time before a Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 controller adapter would be released. And boy was I right. Not even 3 months after the release of the Playstation 3, the PS2 to PS3 Controller adapter started showing up on video game web sites.

The Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 controller adapter is an adapter for Playstation 2 controllers. About 3 to 6 feet long, depending on which model you buy. The adapter allows you to plug in a Playstation 2 controller to one and, and then plug the other end, which is a USB plug, into the Playstation 3. Your Playstation 2 controller will work just like any wired Playstation 3 controller, minus the SIXAXIS Support of course, and the HOME button that's on all of the PS3 controllers.

All of the buttons are of course there, so you'll be able to play every single Playstation 3 game just as you would when using a Playstation 3 controller. Unfortunately, though the PS2 controllers have the rumble function / dual shock built in, Sony decided to remove this from the Playstation 3 controllers (and I suspect it had a lot to do with the lawsuit brought against them by the developers of this technology). What this means is that regardless of the DUAL SHOCK functions built into your Playstation 2 controller, unless you're playing Playstation 2 games.

Not only does the PS2 to PS3 controller adapter save you money, and make use of your now unused Playstation 2 controllers, you'll also be able to play your PS2 games just the same as you would on your Playstation 2 console, with all of the rumble and force feedback that would be lacking if you were playing your Playstation 2 games with a Playstation 3 controller.

The controller adapter is a quick and easy way to use your Playstation 2 controllers on your Playstation 3. And above all, it's extremely cheap. priced at under $10.00, it's certainly much cheaper than going out and buying another Playstation 3 controller. In fact, you could buy up to 4 adapters, and make use of all of the Playstation 3 controller ports, and use PS2 controllers in all of them. An excellend, and low cost way to enjoy those multi player games, without having to let your Playstation 2 controllers collect dust.

Steven Fields is an avid gamer, and a freelance video game and video game accessory reviewer. Many of his must read reviews on new and cutting edge accessories can be found at http://www.videogamebin.com Take a look at the Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 controller adapter by visiting http://www.modchipnow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Fields

Getting the Latest News on Playstation 3

2008-01-25T21:39:00.000+07:00

The PlayStation 3 is one of the most eagerly awaited gaming consoles this year. Besides, with the best graphics and sound technology integrated in this console, who wouldn’t want to know more about this gaming console or better yet, purchase one at the soonest possible time?

Gaming consoles are extremely very popular and are one of the best forms of entertainment today. With a gaming console, you will be able to entertain yourself when you're bored or spend some quality time with your family and friends. Just imagine, you can play your children's favorite games after a long day at work. Because of gaming consoles, you will be able to relax and play with your children at the same time.

So, if you are interested in the upcoming PlayStation 3, you should know about the latest news about it. PlayStation 3 news is complete with information that you can use in order to improve your gaming experience. The latest news about PlayStation 3 will enable you to know about the different new accessories available and also about the different latest games being offered.

The latest news in PlayStation 3 today is about the format it supports. The Blu-ray drive is an advanced disc drive that is integrated in the new PlayStation 3. This Blu-ray disc drive is one of the latest technologies in the disc media and is able to store data 5 times higher than that of your regular DVD. This means game developers will be able to develop far more realistic games with greater details.

The Blu-ray drive is one of the latest additions to gaming consoles and no other gaming console is using the Blu-ray drive except for PlayStation 3. Another benefit of Blu-ray drive is that it can read almost any disc media. This means that your investment in your old PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games can still be played through the PlayStation 3. What's more is that the Blu-ray drive will be able to play your DVD movies and even audio CDs. This makes that PlayStation 3 an all-in-one hub for home entertainment.

Another latest in the PlayStation 3 news is that Sony will reassert PlayStation 3 shipments. By the end of the fiscal year on March 21, 2007, Sony expects to ship a total of six million systems worldwide. Sony believes that the six million units to be sold worldwide is not a difficult target. This is because of the growing anticipation and growing popularity of the PlayStation 3 worldwide even before the hardware is actually released.

News of the expected retail price is also out. There are two configurations for PlayStation 3 that Sony will be releasing in the market. One is the basic configuration that will cost US$499 and the other is the premium configuration that will cost US$599 in the United States. The main difference between these two configurations is that obviously, the premium configuration will contain more integrated features, such as a 60GB upgradeable hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi capability, and flash card readers.

All these and more can be read when you log in to the PlayStation 3 website. More upcoming news about the release will be posted soon. If there are any changes with the release date, you will be the first to know by logging on to the PlayStation website.

So, if you want to know more about the latest news on PlayStation 3, all you have to do is visit the PlayStation website at playstation.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Taylor

What Will Be The Fate Of The Upcoming Playstation 3?

2008-01-25T21:37:00.000+07:00

The playstation 3 is going to be a machine of machines. One that no other video game console can possibly match. It will have the Blue-ray drive, and have the ability to watch and burn DVD movies.

Even more, the Playstation 3 will be a mini computer, and have the ability to process information much much faster then the playstation 2 does, or even the XBox 360. All of this is great for Sony in theory, but when one sits back and analyzes the situation, it can become a bit more confusing.

When the Playstation 2 was released 7 years ago, the average number of games sold per unit sold was 5. Fastforward to the PSP; it released and has only sold about 2 games per PSP sold. This is mainly because of the multimedia aspect of the game. People are buying it to watch movies just as much as they are to play the games.

This doesn't sound so bad, but it can cause problems for Sony. A lot of Sony's income from video game consoles are the licensing fees they charge video game companies to create games on any of Sony's console platforms. Thus, when less games are being sold, less money is being paid for the rights to make games since not as many games are being bought compared to the past.

Another possible problem with the Playstation 3 is the complexity of the interface. Since the Playstation 3 is so powerful, crtics are speculating that the console may confuse consumers and give the PS3 the reputation of being complicated.

Whatever the case may be, the Playstation 3 will prove to be the biggest release in video game history.

This article is by Matthew Evers, the owner of Playstation 3 People.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Evers

Why PlayStation 3 Failed

2008-01-25T21:36:00.000+07:00

The PlayStation 3 (often referred to as the PS3) was meant to be the console of the future, but its release in November 2006 was overshadowed by lateness and rumors on cutbacks made by Sony. It can read the new Blue-ray Disc format, features a special Nvidia RSX video card and includes features such as Wi-Fi internet. Despite these many innovations, sales of the PS3 have been sluggish, as the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360 continue to enjoy a larger market share.

Upon its launch, the PlayStation did not come with many of the features that were expected, disappointing many customers. Another disappointing aspect of the PS3 is the removal of the Emotion Engine, which means that games which were released for the PlayStation 2 have to be run using software emulation, causing the loss of several functions for the older games.

Both the Wii and the Xbox 360 have enjoyed immensely popular games released for consoles. Halo 3, a first-person shooter game is often credited to having a large part in the success of the sales of the 360. Yet no game for the PlayStation 3 has been released which could provide potential customers initiative to purchase Sony's console.

One of the major obstacles that Sony faces trying to sell its product is the hefty price-tag that comes with the PS3: Sony has charged as much as 600$ for its product. With the Wii costing just 250$, and the Xbox 360 only 350$, the PS3 is a very large investment and not many people are willing to spend that much for a video game console.

Despite the many problems that the PS3 has faced, it still remains a very high quality console. Sony should now spend their efforts on pricing the PlayStation more competitively and launch a large marketing campaign to improve their public image. As more and more games are released for the PS3, it still might be able to make a comeback.

Clrly Technology Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Perrin

Ratchet And Clank Future - Tools Of Destruction Review

2008-01-25T21:35:00.000+07:00

Insomniac struck gold selling over 2 million copies of the PlayStation 3 exclusive Resistance: Fall of Man. Now, the video game company known for selling the most number of critically acclaimed PlayStation 3 exclusives continues their next endeavor in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is a PlayStation 3 exclusive video game that is set in the action adventure genre. This marks Ratchet and Clank's first time on the PlayStation 3.

The storyline in the game revolves around Ratchet and his partner Clank. It begins when Captain Qwark tells Ratchet and Clank about the dangers of the armada. As a result, Ratchet and Clank are under attack by the nefarious Emperor Percival Tachyon. The game is not as facetious as the PlayStation 2 adaptations, but it is still has the best plot in the series. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is not just any ordinary platform video game. I felt like the game was a combination of both platform jumping and third person shooting. The gameplay is without a doubt in my mind the most engrossing Ratchet & Clank game anyone has played so far. Gamers will feel like the game is at a brisk pace, and there is never an insipid moment. Avid Ratchet & Clank aficionados will pick up the controls fairly easily. Even if you are a novice to the Ratchet & Clank games, the controls should not deter you from playing it.

The game does an amazing job with the camera. I never found any point in the game where I said to myself "Where the hell is Ratchet?" Furthermore, a free camera mode allows players to adjust the camera to line up those tricky jumps. Ratchet is a versatile character, and the things he can do is a true testament to his dexterity. For instance, Ratchet can glide on a railing, double jump, and lock onto his targets with brilliant accuracy. He also has the ability to execute evasive maneuvers such as flips in various directions.

The gameplay provides you with the chance to play mini games (which provides an excellent change of pace from the usual gameplay). Some of these mini games entail firing gun turrets while in outer space (ala Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic). Moreover, there are some sections where you can play as Ratchet's teammate Clank. Bolstering weapons is done in exactly the same manner as the PlayStation 2 editions. Utilizing a particular weapon repeatedly will automatically give that weapon a statistical boost. Giving the weapon a boost is eerily similar to a role playing game, and it works well. In order to purchase new weapons, you have to collect bolts from defeated adversaries. Everyone was flabbergasted by the numerous weapons in previous Ratchet & Clank games and Resistance: Fall of Man. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is no exception to that rule. Insomniac really sparred no expense in attempting to design weapons that are both comical and entertaining. Weapons seem to be the name of the game in all of Insomniac's video games. Some of the plethora of weapons Ratchet has in his arsenal are a whip, tornado launcher, plasma guns, homing missiles, rocket propelled grenades, disco launcher, and so much more. There are the self explanatory weapons, (ala homing missiles) but there are also the eccentric weapons (ala disco launcher). When the disco launcher is used near an enemy, it will coerce the foe into dancing to disco music. Another unique weapon is a weapon that turns opponents into penguins. When this is used in conjunction with the disco launcher, there will be dancing penguins on screen.

The only two lingering flaws with the game was the lack of a multiplayer and difficulty. It is somewhat simple when the game lets you use all those fully upgraded weapons. However, the lack of challenge is something that did not decrease the amount of enjoyment I had with this game. The graphics in the game are gorgeous. Everything from the environments to Ratchet him is nicely rendered. The visuals manages to retain the same cartoon-like presentation that made the PlayStation 2 versions appear futuristic. No, the character models are not as realistic as other next generation games. Nevertheless, the graphics in the game will successfully appease enthusiasts of Ratchet &Clank. Explosions are as gratifying as gliding though the air. The animations are on par with any PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 game. I was more than impressed with the fantastic frame rate in the game. The audio in the game is what I expected it to be. Captain Qwark is his usual whimsical self, Ratchet is his like his PlayStation 2 counterpart, and Clank is Clank. The audio was solid, and the music fit the style of the game. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction has a cliffhanger ending, but it is a long fifteen hour gameplay experience. Overall, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is a must play and is the best PlayStation 3 exclusive that is currently available.

http://wwwfunnyman.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sayed_Islam

Electronic Arts Shocks The Video Game Industry

2008-01-25T21:30:00.000+07:00

The game company known for the Madden video games and Lord of The Rings video games (Electronic Arts) has decided to purchase BioWare/Pandemic. Electronic Arts wants to open their checkbook and plans on spending an estimated $ 860 Million to buy BioWare/Pandemic. This is a brilliant marketing strategy by Electronic Arts. They have been making fantastic decisions since 2005.

When Electronic Arts bought the exclusive rights to the NFL, it prevented 2K Sports from using actual NFL players in their game. Consequently, Madden 2006 obliterated the sales of any 2K Sports game that year. Then, Electronic Arts did the remarkable Lord of The Rings games. After that, they delayed the release of the Crysis demo to prevent low sales due to Halo 3. Electronic Arts keeps making unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. No one can deny the success that Electronic Arts has had with games like Madden, Quake Wars, and the newly released The Orange Box.

The future looks bright for Electronic Arts. They are going to be earning so much money from games such as Army of Two, Hellgate: London, Spore, Crysis, Mercenaries 2, Rock Band, The Simpsons Game, and Need for Speed ProStreet. More importantly, Electronic Arts will own the rights to MASS EFFECT!!! What does all this mean for Electronic Arts? It is too early to infer the intentions of Electronic Arts, but there is intense speculation that the highly anticipated game Mass Effect will no longer be an Xbox 360 exclusive. Mass Effect could be a multi console game and be ported over to the PlayStation 3. The game is still slated for a November 2007 release date on the Xbox 360, but Electronic Arts has not ruled out a PlayStation 3 iteration of Mass Effect.

For right now, BioWare/Pandemic and Electronic Arts are separate video game companies. January 2008 is when Electronic Arts will overtake BioWare/Pandemic. PlayStation 3 owners have to doff their caps to Electronic Arts if they can pull something like this off. If Mass Effect comes to the PlayStation 3, then owners of the PlayStation 3 will give Electronic Arts a standing ovation.

http://wwwfunnyman.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sayed_Islam

Does The Playstation 3 Have A Future?

2008-01-25T21:27:00.000+07:00

This is a question that many people have been asking. Does the ps3 have a future? There are many people that say that the Playstation 3 has no future whatsoever for many reasons like ‘Gamers can’t afford such a steap pricetag’ to ‘Xbox 360 is 1/3 the price yet just as good’. These reasons are from tightasses that can’t afford the console. Thats all this is. The only people that complain about the Playstation 3 are the people that can not afford it. These people are mostly Xbox gamers that are jealous that Sony came up with a console that twenty times better than their console.

A couple days ago Sony announced that they are reducing the Playstation 3’s cost by $100US. This move by Sony has baffled a few fanatics. They wan’t to know the justifications of price change, whether lowering the price was to increase sales and increase the PS3’s market share or to increase the amount of investors. Sony is giving their reasons but they won’t say exactly why.

Sony has stated that they would like the Playstation 3 to hold up for the next 10 years.

“What we felt that we had the luxury to do was to really build a machine that we firmly believe is future proof and is going to carry us for the next 10 years,” ==> Jack Tretton - SCE America president and CEO.

Sony must believe in the console enough to say something like this which shows that they do believe this console can last the long run.

Some rumours have been popping up stating that some leaked information showed that a PS4 was planned for 2010. No one can confirm this and no one should be able to because technology will change so much by then no one can really judge where the gaming world will be at then.

If you know anything about gaming then you know about E3. E3, also known as E3 Expo, is basically a giant gathering of nerds. It is the convention to rule all conventions. It is the thing that nerds dream about. It is where the latest in the world of gaming is shown off. E3 is mainly showing off games but does show off any new consoles, or accessories. This expo can truly show the future of a gaming console as it shows what the console has coming, rather what is coming to the console. If the Playstation 3 has a future, it can be judged by what is shown off here.

Over the next few days many videos and screenshots are going to be poking up around the place from the convention showing the games that will be coming over the next couple years. There is one video that will top them all. One video that will let you judge for yourself what kind of future the Ps3 has. I have come across this video and it is time for you to judge. Time for you to voice your opinion. It’s time to sit back for the next six and a half minutes and really judge what is going to happen…

See The Video At http://www.allthingsps3.info/does-the-playstation-3-have-a-future/

At http://www.allthingsps3.info we keep you updated on the latest information on one of the most popular consoles, the PS3. All the latest news, reviews, previews, etc.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Partland

The Finest Games For PlayStation 3

2008-01-25T21:25:00.000+07:00

Sony has continually provided an assortment of magnetic games, add-ons, and bundles for its PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles. On the launching of the PlayStation 3 early in November 2006, thousands of buffs were excited to discover the large and exciting compendium of PlayStation 3 games too. The finest PS3 games may be found online, in video game and electronic shops, and likewise at big box retailers around the land. Internet resources of the best PlayStation 3 games include Amazon.com, EBay, the Sony internet site, and even fan websites that are functioning as independent sellers.

The top PlayStation 3 games range from racing games, arcade-style puzzles, challenging warfare and battlefront scenarios, and space exploration games. From Resistance: Fall of Man, to Final Fantasy XIII, role-playing games are the most popular PlayStation 3 games although animation and cartoon-based games come a close 2nd.

One of the better PlayStation 3 games is Final Fantasy XIII. It's the first set of a fresh series of role-playing games from the Final Fantasy collection, that will be brought out early in 2007. The game boasts exciting sceneries set in medieval and historical roots, along with several role-playing opportunities from its character lineup. The games are produced by Square-Enix.

Tekken 6 is a popular three-D combat series that will be brought out in 2007. Its heavy martial arts focus and magnetic graphics come together for the tournament matches and brisk game play choices set in Japan. The series has had a lot of success in its former versions and formats, and a full-length preview about the key plot line may be discovered on the site’s homepage.

Sonic the Hedgehog will be published in Jan 2007, a 3D animation game that continues to uncover and explore the world of the Sonic and Tails. The journey goes on for the quest to discover rings, gems, and beat out the prof. Sega’s popular Sonic the Hedgehog games will continue to offer up attractive graphics and speeds on the variant for PlayStation 3.

For racing enthusiasts, Grand Theft Auto IV is a crime series challenge that offers up a hatful of plot lines and escapades to keep players occupied and motivated. The series has been popular on desktop computers too, but the PlayStation 3 adaptation extends enhancements that include special effects, interaction with additional players through the PlayStation Network account, and being able to explore new cities.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 offers up a unique create-a-character choice where players may select the attributes and style of their characters as they compete on the PGA Tour. EA Sports offers some promising animation snippets, along with golf hints and skills, easy manipulations from the wireless controller, and being able to network with additional golf enthusiasts registered on the primary site.

Sony has partnered with some really attractive software companies in 2007 to offer some of the best PlayStation 3 choices on the market. From golf to cartoon-based arcades, there is a great deal of choice for all gamers.

James Hunaban is the owner of http://playstation-3.jims-info.com a site full of playstation 3 information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Hunaban

Get a Free PlayStation 3

2008-01-25T21:22:00.000+07:00

The PlayStation 3 is definitely high demand merchandise, a really popular item that was put out to the United States market in November 2006. In the nick of time for the vacation rush, the console was especially magnetic to EBay resellers and additional independent retailers as the consoles vanished off the shelves in electronics shops and computer outlets across the nation. The PlayStation 3 went through a big marketing effort from Sony, along with local and national promotions both online and offline. As a consequence, a lot of people pre-ordered the console and waited with great anticipation as the launching date got nearer.

During the launch stages, several companies were able to secure a set of PlayStation 3s for themselves. Although there were a lot of boundaries on how many could be bought by one party, some people were however able to get a varied choice of consoles ready for resale or giveaways. Some companies got them in order to create competitions and promotions for their loyal clients.

Local radio and TV stations have produced lotteries, raffles, and prize drawings to win a free PlayStation 3. Particularly during the initial launch stages, several local stations had competitions where the PlayStation 3 was a top prize. Local charity auctions, or silent auctions, have likewise had the PlayStation 3 as part of their giveaway and promotions strategy. It’s a good idea to ask local stations and charities when they have events, and watch out for the PlayStation 3 as a top prize.

Some sites promote a free PlayStation 3 as part of a promotional and marketing campaign where you sign up for additional offers. Some of these offers are gratis, while others involve initial charges that can be cancelled at a future time. Once a series of offers is completed and submitted, the company promises to hand over a gratis PlayStation 3 for the efforts. A few of them also add a competition or contest to qualify you in a drawing or raffle along the way. In either case, it’s important to follow up and sign up for the offers you have interest in. It’s also important to read all the guidelines carefully so that you do qualify for the free PlayStation 3 when it’s concluded.

Some companies such as automobile dealerships, luxury holiday packages, and other big-ticket item vendors may package a free PlayStation 3 console along with the sale. It’s a good idea to check all the particulars of the promotion, but there's a chance that you can get a free PlayStation 3 once you sign the lease for your new automobile or luxury dwelling!

James Hunaban is the owner of http://playstation-3.jims-info.com a site full of playstation 3 information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Hunaban

Final Fantasy Futures

2008-01-25T21:17:00.000+07:00

Will the Juggernaut continue despite a bad console choice?

We've all been playing games since we could grab the controller and as such we've all played (to varying extents of course!) games from the Final Fantasy series. While the numbering of the series--not counting the sequels and spinoffs, the main series is hitting THIRTEEN installments with this release--might be daunting for newcomers, there's nothing to worry about. Each game is its own story and universe, and besides cameo appearances from a variety of creatures common to many of the games, nothing in the plot or story of any of them requires having played any of the others at all, and can be fully enjoyed even by newcomers.

It isn't even like the Harry Potter books that give you backstory as you go along if you hadn't read the others. Each game is a self-contained world with a huge story that often involves saving the entire world. Classic elements such as the magic system and Active Time Battle have kept the series bound together but with a huge variety in the system used to make each game a unique experience.

So far, Final Fantasy has appeared on the most popular systems of the era, from the Nintendo to the Super Nintendo to the Playstation and its sequel, and when development on installment thirteen started a few years ago, Square Enix assumed that continuing work on the Playstation 3 would be the natural choice. However, the PS3 has not been selling well at all and it's difficult to say what the future holds. Thirteen, however, is part of a larger project of games set in the same world, and there are installments being developed for every platform imaginable almost, from the PS3 itself to the Wii to cell phones. However the flagship title will be on the PS3, still, and so far no ports have been announced.

Given the project's scope, however, Square Enix won't be out of business anytime soon. The compelling stories and beautiful graphics might draw a few people to purchase the expensive behemoth that is the Playstation 3, and perhaps they will step up the quality on the other platforms' games to make them worthy Final Fantasy titles despite not being the flagship game. As we're all fans of this legendary series, we're waiting with baited breath to see what the future of Final Fantasy holds.

For more on video gaming, visit http://gamer-revolution.net to read everything from how to (legally!) back up your Playstation 2 games or read about the latest developments in free mass multiplayer online games and more!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Basile

Wii Media Downloads - Download Games to Your Wii Legally

2008-01-25T21:16:00.000+07:00

The Nintendo Wii's high popularity cannot be argued. In a little over a year Nintendo has managed to re-capture the industry it ruled only a decade ago even though the industry has changed to now include two entertainment giants in Sony and Microsoft. Naturally there was always going to be download services pop up that allow you to download any entertainment you wish to your Wii.

The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have both been praised as the two machines that can best hold things like movies and TV shows and with good reason. The huge hard drives these two consoles have and the power they wield allow you to not only watch movies and play games, but to do it right from the machines hard drive resulting in a clutter free living room. But with all that said, the Wii is more than capable too. While it doesn't have the hard drive that it's competition does, the huge SD Cards that can now be bought mega cheap ($5 for a 1gb on ebay) more than makes up for that.

The games you can download not only include the current generation games, but also older games from any console including the PSX, PS2, N64, Gamecube, Xbox, Super Nintendo, Dreamcast you name it. This means Wii Media Downloads can turn your Wii into the ultimate retro gaming machine especially if you've already been taking advantage of the Wii Virtual Console.

With this new technology, if course there has been criticisms. Many believe that owning a digital version of a game simply isn't the same as holding the case and instruction manual in your hand. This is true to a point, but Wii Media Downloads has taken care of an element of that by allowing instruction manuals to be downloaded as well.

Used correctly, Wii Media Downloads can definitely be used to expand your game collection.

Check out my blog for more information on the service.

Brett Ranton is creator and owner of the blog "Wii Want to Blog." This blog aims to supply consumers with reviews, news and opinion pieces on the Wii or software/hardware available for it.

Wii Want to Blog

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Gaming Consoles - The Incredible Entertainment Device

2008-01-25T21:14:00.000+07:00

The first generation of exciting gaming consoles hit the market in the early 1970s. Since then, children have been clamouring for the latest gaming devices. These game consoles have come a long way since the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. Two most popular consoles on the market today are Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 that deliver not only top-notch gaming experiences that support HD but also impressive multimedia features.

Sony made its introduction in the console game world in the mid-'90s with the PlayStation and again in 2000 with Play Station 2. As expected, the Play Station 3 leaves its predecessors far behind, with gorgeous, HD graphics and a super-fast processor. It carries a higher price tag than the Xbox 360, but at the same time you might find the features it brings to you well worth the extra cost.

The PS3 is available in two configurations: 40GB and 80GB. In addition to the extra storage space, the 80GB game console comes with Motor Storm, a popular off-road racing game exclusive to this console. A very striking feature of this version of PlayStation is its integrated Blu-ray Disc player (BD). If you're a movie lover and want movies in HD, you might not need another reason to buy this game console. To enjoy excellent video quality of the BD player, pick up an HDMI cable to connect the PlayStation to your HDTV. It also includes an Ethernet cable for a wired Internet connection. With its SIXAXIS wireless controller and in-built web browser, you can surf the Internet and check out the online PlayStation Network. You can also use this to play DVDs and audio CDs, together with copying audio files to the Play Station 3 games hard drive. It sports four USB 2.0 slots, which let you connect your digital camera, download photos, and print them out on a USB printer.

If you would like more information on Gaming Consoles visit Buy Online Games

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Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Playstation 3 FAQ

2008-01-25T21:13:00.000+07:00

The release of the original Gran Turismo game for the first Playstation made great waves all over the gaming community. For so long, the PC has been the domain for most of these racing simulations with console gamers having little or no option for their racing needs. Some games like Motor Toon Grand Prix were exciting but just wasn't promising enough for fans of racing games.

After Gran Turismo was launched in 1997 in Japan, and in 1998 in both US and Europe, the game was a seller. It has certainly went beyond anything racing games had been before and because it has been made available for console gaming, it is something new altogether. And not forgetting to mention that you can tune your car to your own specifications, but there's always something for ordinary racing fans as there is also an arcade mode for this game. Get suited for the coming of Gran Turismo 5, with GT5 Prologue giving you a taste of what to expect from the full title.

Since GT5 won't be out until sometime next year, you are sure to find that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is worth all your gaming time. For this game, you also have options to tune your car in exact specifications, depending on your preference. This drove fans to purchase the game, totalling to a 50 million copies sold worldwide for Gran Turismo and its sequels. But don't take the GT5 Prologue lightly, it has got more to offer than most full racing games.

Before the Gran Turismo 5 will be released next year, GT5 Prologue will enable fans to have a little taste of what the full game will look and feel like. And these cars are not a bunch of trash either, with such racing giants as Ferrari and Lotus sports cars, what better choice can you have? For this one, you do not have the full roster of all the cars and tracks available in the full title but this game has got enough fun features to keep you occupied.

Son'y partnership with Polyphony Digital, which is known as the premier videogame designer, ensures that fans will have utmost fun racing in these tracks. If you think that offline gaming is too restricting and if you wish to expand your competition a bit further, you can take advantage of the GT5 Prologue Online Mode. So long as you have a broadband connection, you can join in on the online racing fun which is able to support up to 16 players. This may be a good time to test you and your friends' racing skills. Having earned a reputation for becoming one of the world's premier game designers in the gaming community, you expect Polyphony Digital to do the same for GT5 Prologue.

Just like in an offline version of the game, you can also use the Garage mode through the Playstation Network. While in this mode, you'd be able to customize your car's hydraulics, engine settings, brake and suspension, tires, and many more. Now, you can change your car settings so long as you think it will help your car run its best during the race. It can be quite a difficult task to reach the top of the rankings, but working your way their can be a great way to spend your gaming time.

So, as you gear up for the race make sure you use the Garage mode to help you get started. By doing this, you can customize your car's hydraulics, engine settings, brake and suspension, and tires. It has also got a Calendar that enables you to check racing schedules, as well as predicted weather for those upcoming races.

Beyond all this astounding racing features, you also have some other stuffs just to keep things more interesting. This will enable you to view the action clearly via the point of view of a real racer, and see other cars disappear behind you as you run past them.

With the features of GT5 Prologue, fans are surely raring to get their hands on the game and have a sneak preview into the full Gran Turismo 5 game.

With the features of GT5 Prologue, fans are surely raring to get their hands on the game and have a sneak preview into the full Gran Turismo 5 game. So, until the Gran Turismo 5 is officially released in 2008, enjoy yourself with GT5 Prologue!

Samual writes about Gran Turismo 5 on the Sony PS3 for the website APi. Gran Turismo 5 Playstation 3 Cheats are available as well.

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40GB, 60GB or 80GB - Which PS3 Should You Choose?

2008-01-25T21:07:00.000+07:00

So, you've made the decision to buy a PlayStation 3? You're not the only one - to date over 5.75 million units have sold worldwide. You can't go wrong with a PS3 as it offers the best graphics and value for gamers out there. The trouble is, should you go for a 40GB, 60GB, or 80GB hard drive?

The choice really depends on what you will be using the PS3 for and how much money you are willing to spend. There are some differences between the hard drive models that you will want to pay close attention to.

The new 40GB model has just recently debuted. Many people will be excited that this has a low price tag compared to the higher models. Before you decide to purchase the 40GB model though, make sure it has everything you will need in your PS3 gaming system.

The 40GB version is no longer backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles. For those of you who have built up quite a large library of PS2 games, you will want to steer clear of this model when you order PlayStation 3. If you are new to PlayStation, or have sold off all of your old games, this won't matter so much to you.

Another consideration is that it will only have two USB slots instead of four. There will also be no multi-memory port. If you are going to need to connect many peripherals to your PS3, then this 40GB model is not for you.

However, if you simply want to take advantage of the best gaming system out there at the best price possible, you will definitely want the 40GB model. It still offers out of this world graphics, online game play, and great functionality.

There has also been a recent price drop for the 60GB model if you are interested in having more storage space and backwards compatibility. This is great news for those who have been holding off on buying a PS3 for price reasons. The Xbox 360 is comparable to this 60GB model, but you will be getting a much better deal with you buy a PlayStation 3.

The 60GB PS3 will have four USB ports vs. the two ports the 40GB model contains. If you have a lot of things you will need to connect to your PS3, then the 60GB model may be the way to go.

If you like to play PlayStation 2 games, and have sold off your old system, you will want to get the 60GB version. In fact, the 60GB version is the most full featured of all three of your choices. If you want to have the most features and get the most out of your money, the 60GB version is a perfect fit for you. Hurry though, as Sony are phasing out this version. No more 60GB units are being manufactured - once they sell out that's it!

The 80GB hard drive may be good for people who want to turn their PlayStation 3 console into a full-fledged computer system. You have the option to install Linux on the system and use it as you would any PC.

However, many will find that the 80GB is simply too much and they could never hope to fill up that hard drive. The 80GB version also has limited backward compatibility. It contains the same number of USB ports and functions as the 60GB version otherwise. The 80GB version is currently only available in the US.

In order to make the best decision for you, you will want to take a hard look at your needs. If you want a bare bones system that will introduce you to the wonderful world of PS3, then look no further than the 40 GB model. If you want to save a lot of things on your PlayStation 3 or turn it into a computer, you should go ahead and get the 80 GB model. However, the majority of people will do well to purchase the 60GB model as it has all the storage, USB ports, and backwards functionality you could ever need.

Have fun PlayStation 3 hunting!

Christopher Edwards is a self-confessed console fanatic. His current babe is the PlayStation 3. If he's not playing on it, he's writing about it. He is the webmaster of http://www.PS3-Preorder-Fever.co.uk - the best UK online resource for all of your PS3 buying needs.

Head on over to make sure you're not throwing away money by purchasing at the wrong places. Here you will find a complete list of all PlayStation 3 stockists online and the PS3 deals they are offering, plus links to online retailers with the lowest priced PS3 merchandise.

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Xbox 360 3 Red Light Fix

2007-12-30T12:25:00.001+07:00

Since the Xbox 360 was released in 2005 the video game console has been plagued with general hardware failure issues indicated by the three red lights flashing on the console.

You may have heard of or experienced this problem yourself. I am going to tell you about the main Xbox 360 problems people have been experiencing and how you can solve them.

The most common problem is overheating. The console is designed to utilize heat sinks, vented openings, and fans to aid in dissipation of this heat. If the airflow to the vents become obstructed then this causes reduced system performance and hardware failure indicated by the three red lights . Try placing the xbox 360 console in the open and free any debris that might be blocking the vents.

The Nyko Intercooler has also been reported to have caused a general hardware failure in a number of consoles, as well as scorching of the power AC input. Microsoft stated that intercooler drains too much power from the console and can cause the faults to occur.

Another problem that is also heat related is the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). When the GPU becomes very hot it causes the motherboard to flex causing the soldering to become loose, because the lead free solder that is used is more brittle than the older tin/lead solder that was used in the past.

Microsoft repaired consoles under the 90 day warranty for free, and charged $140 to repair out-of-warranty consoles. July, 2007 Microsoft extended the warranty of all Xbox 360 consoles suffering general hardware failures.

If you have experienced the Xbox 360 three red lights, you could have it shipped to the repair center. Let me forewarn you that due to the increasing number of malfunctioning consoles, you may have to wait 4 weeks or more. If you area Xbox 360 addict like me that is just too long to wait!

I have just explained the main reasons why the Xbox 360 shows three red lights. I hope this information was of some use to you.

Jeffery Fairow is an Xbox 360 fanatic who loves to play Halo3 and John Madden 08.

I have good news for all you hardcore gamers. If you are ready to fix this problem and start playing your favorite games today, Check Out My Step By Step Guide On How To Fix These Simple Problems Yourself. Click Here:Xbox 360 3 Red Light Fix

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Download Console Games - How to Download Console Games Online

2007-12-30T12:24:00.001+07:00

These days with the power of the internet it's a lot easier to download console games online than it is to buy them from the shops. Downloads are quick and easy and of course there's no walking to the local video games store only to find the games your after has sold out! But with the internet it's sometimes hard to find exactly what you're looking for. So how exactly do you download console games from the internet?

First of all, you should always try to avoid downloading console games from torrent sites. Although it's free to download from these sites, the files can be full of viruses and spyware and it's very complicated to download the games and transfer and play them on your console. You can join a paid service for less than the price of a second hand console game and have unlimited access to there database of games for life. There are a lot of paid console game download services out there, so what should you look out for?

When looking for a service to join you should check exactly what they have to offer. Firstly, you should make sure the service has games for all consoles. The best sites have downloads for the Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360 and have more than just the latest games. My favorite services offer the latest movies and music at no extra cost and all are available to download instantly at super fast speeds. So when looking for the best service to download console games, make sure they also offer other types of media.

You should also check the site you're looking at has a money back guarantee. If they haven't then keep well away! A money back guarantee is a good way to tell if the sites of good quality. If they offer one, it shows they have nothing to fear and that their site is worth the money you pay so always check for this. Also check the site has a good customer service section, in case you have any questions or problems.

Follow these few rules and you will find a great service to download console games from for life. To read a review of my favorite service check out http://www.squidoo.com/download-console-games

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Free PSP Game Downloads - 3 Facts You Must Know!

2007-12-30T12:23:00.001+07:00

The PSP is easily the greatest handheld game system to ever come out. And like every other game system, buying PSP games can get quite expensive. In hopes of beating this dilemma, many PSP owners are looking to download free PSP games.

But the fact is, everything 'free' comes with some sort of price - including the free games. So before you begin your search, be sure to protect yourself with THESE 3 FACTS!

FACT 1: Peer To Peer (P2P) Networks Are Dangerous.

If you're not sure what a peer to peer network is, it's basically a file-sharing system where individual computers are connected via the internet and exchange files for free. And the reason this is so appealing to people is the fact that it is free. But like I said earlier, free always has a price. Using this method to download games can get you in serious legal trouble, since you are illegally downloading copyrighted material. You can also expect to damage your computer with terrible spyware and viruses.

FACT 2: Free PSP Download Sites Have A Risky Price Too.

There are many sites you can find through Google where you can actually download free PSP games. But again, we must ask, what's the price of free? Well, in exchange for your games, you can have your fair share of spyware, malware, etc. And once you get your spyware, don't rush to get rid of it, because your downloads will be taking more than enough time to complete.

FACT 3: Membership Sites Are Your Safest Option

So what's the price of free this time?? Well, for a small, ONE TIME membership fee, you get access to unlimited free downloads! And you can expect your games to be virus free and legal. You also can expect them to download at the highest speeds. Just remember, if the membership site is asking for monthly membership fees or per download fees, you are at the wrong site. One time fee.. unlimited downloads. That's what you are looking for.

But whatever you do... Don't get ripped off! Be sure to visit Free PSP Game Downloads and find out the best place online to get free games.

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The Best Game Consoles

2007-12-30T12:22:00.001+07:00

Because there are so many different game consoles now available it can become quite confusing as to which may be the best one you can purchase. Not only are those which you can use solely at home but now you have the added option of choosing whether you want a portable version also. All the top manufacturers which includes Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft now have both portable and stand-alone versions of their games consoles available.

However below what we are going to do is take a look at the latest incarnations of the stand-alone models, including the Nintendo Wii, Sony's Playstation 3 and of course not forgetting Microsoft's XBox 360. We will look at each one starting with the least expensive of all the three models that we have just mentioned.

Nintendo Wii
This is the cheapest of all the latest games consoles to come on to the market and it has a price of around $250. Although many did not think it would be able to compete successfully with Sony's and Microsoft's it does seem to be standing its own ground. The reason why this has been as successful as it is because it feels more like a toy rather than a video game and this may well be down to the controller's that come with it.

Compared to both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 the controller for the Wii looks more like a TV remote control rather than what you would normally expect with a games console. This allows for more movement for the person who is playing the game that they loaded up on to their Wii.

Microsoft XBox 360
This one has been on the market for longer than the other two models it has had a chance to gain a loyal following. Although not as inexpensive as the Wii, it does not actually command the high prices of the PlayStation 3. Currently you can expect to pay around $300 for this console. Moreover, because it has been on the market for much longer you have a larger selection of games to choose form compared to the other two models.

Nevertheless, as with both the Wii and PlayStation 3, you can get online with this console and if you go to the XBox Live Arcade, you will actually be spoilt for choice with a large selection of more classic arcade games to choose from as well.

Sony PlayStation 3
Of all the consoles, we discuss in this article this is the most expensive even though recently Sony actually reduced the prices. You can still expect to pay around $500 for this particular games console. Nevertheless, if you are looking for one which games with great quality graphics because it contains a Blu-ray Disc Player.

This means that unlike the XBox 360 where you need to purchase the HD DVD add on for around $200 in order to watch any high definition movies you have on it. However, because of what is contained within the PlayStation 3 game console already you don't.

Yet which ever of these game consoles you choose will depend upon what you want to use them for. For those who are interested in playing active games such as the tennis pro one's the Wii may be the ideal choice, but for those who are more in to the intense racing games the XBox 360 or PlayStation 3 will be your preferred choice.

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.arcadegamesreviews.com/gameconsoles.html - Game Consoles

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Next Console's War Crown Belongs To Big N - Nintendo Wii

2007-12-30T12:21:00.000+07:00

Console have a very interesting history of their own and how the came about. First there were arcade games along with commodore 64 & Atari. Later Nintendo dominated the market with Super Nintendo and Game Boy. Now we are entering a new era of video games with PS3, Xbox360 and Nintendo's Wii each offering different feature for their console uniquely. From PS3 taking the console crown of Power horse to xbox360 "Xbox Live" question begs what it is in for Nintendo's next console Wii? Will Nintendo be able to stay in market? And is it even possible for Nintendo to take the lead in next Gen console War from Giants M$ and Sony? I believe all of these are possible for three primary reasons. Both Sony and Microsoft have failed to offer anything new in game experience truly with exception of graphic upgrade from previous consoles. They still use the same mechanism for playing games using the old controller system with thumsticks and buttons. Also both have failed to understand gamers for a console. Gamers are not asking for a $400 gadget to have fun playing games but they want it to be affordable. One of the most important aspects of a console is its software. Xbox was able to utilize on that with games such as Halo and Nintendo DS with NintendoDogs. When looking at all these three points, there is strong chance Nintendo can come out strong.

One the key notes on the Next Gen Console from both Microsoft and Sony the power of their consoles. It seems each one tried to jump on horse wagon as which one has more power. The Sony's head of Playstation has even gone on to say that PS3 can do 120 f/s "to have approximate idea, your eye can see only up to 70 f/s" and also with PS3 world will be transformed into 4D dimension. Believe it or not that is an actual statement from Sony Playstation CEO Ken Kutaragi. This left question as how really games going to be different Playing it while still old mechanism of game play using thumsticks being deployed to play the games. Nintendo tried to make use of this idea. Graphics can make games more realistic but still you live in the polygon world of games. At this point Nintendo was trying to experiment with Gamecube to come up with new way of playing games. The idea was that if you have game where you have to slash your sward, you actually use controller to slash or in matter fact if you have to shoot the ball with Tennis Stick, you use the motion in you hand to feed the ball. It was a hard concept to design the controller for and technology for it never could be provided until three years ago when a Japanese company actually came up with a motion sensor technology to use motion in hands to feed off scroll on screen. Nintendo had the idea and now there was the key to unlock it. Therefore the final design was one of the most awkward controllers for consoles in its history. Many were questioning the accuracy of such a controller and answers were given when one of the reporters in Time Magazine was able to play the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princes where in it he actually was slashing with sward using the controller and analog stick. One more thing to keep in mind about Nintendo is their focus on game play which can be seen in DS ("New handled Gaming Machine after Gameboy Advance AKA Dual Screen Nintendo"). DS has proven to be successful and surprisingly has outsold PSP from Sony ("In which has much superior graphic capabilities") 4 to 1 and sold over 16 million world wide. Both PS3 and Xbox have failed to address game play with exception of superior graphics.

Second issue was affordability and the features of the Game Machines. Microsoft seemed to be able to offer good price range for its Xbox360s having Premium package at 399 and Core package at 299 with difference of Premium having a 20 GB HD, headset and wireless controllers all for 100 extra. Sony has gone on the record and recently announced that PS3 will come in two packages one at 499.99 US and 599.00 US. Yes you heard me right that is a price for Sony's PS3 and why? Because you simply get blue ray technology for DVDs and who will utilize that? No one. That is simply a price for playing games. The good alternative is Wii Nintendo's new system for under 299 US or even cheaper for 199.99 US. Nintendo not only is offering consumers a fun and affordable system to play but also they make very good profit on it.

The third issue and biggest and most important of all is the software. Sony has strong repetitions in that area but the rivals are catching up to it. M$ has got very strong games coming out. In other hand Nintendo has surprised many with its new library of games such Red Steels, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princesses and Sadness. Therefore Nintendo won't be BIG N Anymore with Mario only for kids but also for hardcore gamers alike.

To conclude this long article, I should say that there is bright future for Nintendo and looking at the fact will tell how much Nintendo is ahead of its competitors in understanding the Gaming Market and gamers alike by offering a solid system that is fun to play and affordable with many great features such wireless WiFi and retro Nintendo library as well as great games to come and play.

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Video Game Consoles - A Complete Infotainment Device

2007-12-30T12:20:00.000+07:00

On this Christmas, shopping of Video game consoles is on high priority among children, avid gamers and tech-savvy game players. In the video gaming market, there are 3 big producers namely Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, who are competing to win over millions of game players with their gaming consoles. The user experiences a passionate attachment in the games while playing on consoles like Sony Playstation 3, Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii.

A video game console is an electronic device embedded with powerful hardware, software and services which integrates high-definition video, DVD movie playback, digital music, photos and online connectivity. It can be said that Video game consoles are interactive entertainment devices that control the video display signals of the monitor.

The target of gaming consoles are not on the entertainment as with that big players in the market are also offering infotainment. For instance Xbox 360 from the well renowned house of Microsoft provides high definition that empowers Power PC-based CPU with 3 symmetrical cores and graphic processor with 10MB of embedded DRAM. Apart from that, it offers users to click life-like pictures with built-in digital camera. Adding more onto its entertainment wing, one can watch DVD movies, play music on CD or MP3. Users who are looking for attractive features like Remote, Wireless Controller and Connect24 can avail Nintendo Game Cube, which is a technically advanced version of Nintendo Wii.

Hence, with these features, Wii has succeeded in marking the sales in the market, since its launch.

Marking its place, Playstation 3 or PS3 from the house of Sony Computer Entertainment, offers new gaming experience in digital infotainment world. The gadget's attractive feature includes next-gen primary storage media with 256Mb of RD RAM, 256MB of 700MHz GDDR VRAM, Blue-ray Disc supporting DVDs, CDs, HDDs and it is capable of playing back content from the disc at bit rate of multiplex 48 Mbps. With a wide variety of choice in video game consoles providers, the user can shop from the online shopping portals at the best bargain.

Video Game Console, Nintendo Wii, Xbox Elite 120Gb Console

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