To Wii, or not to Wii:That is the question

T20 Group E: The AVGNs
Group Members: Kyle Doyle, Sergey Kamenetsky, Daryl Park

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The Topic at Hand
Technology: Video Game Consoles

Issue: With so many choices of systems, which one should one buy?

Initial Project Statement

In our world today, video games have become increasingly popular in society. There are countless systems out on the market and it is becoming increasingly difficult to decide which system one should purchase. Currently, there are three next generation game consoles on the market today. These include the Nintendo Wii, the Sony Playstation 3, and the Microsoft XBOX 360. These consoles are all very different and cater to different niches in the market. As more and more people enter the market of video gaming, where should one take a stand? Is there one console that is better than the others, or is it personal preference? This assignment will help you answer that question. It is the goal of this project to help the consumer make an infomed decision by giving him or her some background information of the systems available.

Completed by 10014099 16:16, 3 December 2008 (MST)

Overview
The Nintendo Wii is Nintendo's latest release into the new era of video gaming history. Entering into the seventh generation of video games, it competes with Sony's Playstation 3 as well as Microsoft's XBOX 360. However, this system adds a few new concepts that must be taken consideration. The Nintendo Wii was released in November 19th 2006.

Hardware
The specifications of the Nintendo Wii are much more sophisticated than its bigger brother, the Nintendo GameCube. Conversely, the specifications that this system provides are fairly different to the other two consoles it is competing with. Here are some specifications that a customer might be interested in looking before coming with a decision.

The Nintendo Wii is quite an interesting console despite its mere appearance. It has backwards compatibility with the Game Cube plus the Wii has four Game Cube controller slots just so they do not go to waste. It is only known for Japanese models of the Nintendo Wii to be able to play DVDs. In comparison to the other two systems, this console has the lowest quantities in terms of memory and clock speed, but the Nintendo Wii does not use as much power. Also the Nintendo Wii is the only system with respect to the others that doesn't have HD resolution. For its 480p resolution, it is considered as "Enhanced Definition" or ED. Most materials for the Wii are wireless and also the system is Wi-Fi ready to surf the internet.

Pros
While picking a console that best suits the consumer, one must consider and balance the assets and the drawbacks. Here is some positive pieces of information that may help a consumer make their big decision.



Parental Control System

There is a special feature in the Nintendo Wii that aids parents in restricting content for their children to access. With the growth in violence today, this gives parents the chance to take a breath and block any inappropriate or uncomfortable games as well as some content provided by the internet. The Wii can limit the level of a game being played based on the ESRB rating given on a game case. For example, if one would set their Wii to play up to ESRB rating E (Everyone) games, the person would restrict himself from playing a T (Teens) rated game such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With this in mind, parents can be in a more stable position knowing the safety of their children. The other half of this option requires selecting choices relating to activities in the internet. These choices are simply YES or NO statements ranging from usage of restricting Wii Points from being used to denying access of a few of their own Wii Channels. Please note that the word "parent" could be anyone and possibly the consumer themselves for self control skills.



Sensor Bar / Controller

One noticeable difference between the Nintendo Wii and the other two competitors is the setup of controllers. This system utilizes a sensor bar that responds with the provided Wii Remotes or "WiiMote", thus giving a higher sense of interactivity. The sensor bar allows the user to do some interesting actions like using precision or tilting the remote at an angle. A key asset that Nintendo made with this is a buffer for shaky hands. This really helps for making precise actions and it reduces the level of frustration for players. The Wii remote itself has a mono speaker, rumble motor, and an extension port to attach the Wii Nunchuck when needed for some specific actions. The WiiMote can be held in different ways for users to perform realistic actions like swinging a baseball bat or rolling a bowling ball.



Games for Wii

Nintendo has built a stable market and have kept most of their main icons that support the company. Many games featuring characters like Mario, Samus Aran, and Kirby are still exclusive only in Nintendo products and so the Wii is the only home made console that releases these amazing games. So far, the Nintendo Wii has around 300 games and is still proposing another batch in the coming year. The Wii has such a wide range of games, it is impossible to not find the game for you. Top selling games like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl are good examples that Nintendo developed in their Nintendo Wii Game list.
 * Super Mario Galaxy : With perfect ratings, Super Mario Galaxy is a must have for its unique form of game play as Mario travels over many galaxies to collect power stars for Rosalina.
 * Wii Sports : Comes with most Wii consoles and sold 30.87 million copies worldwide, Wii Sports truly shows off to the world the power of the Wii's sensor bar and controller. The sports this game features are boxing, bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball.
 * Wii Play : Another fun Wii game that brings back the concepts of classic arcade games. You can fish, play billiards, shoot targets, and much more! Nintendo has sold 16.15 million copies of this worldwide.
 * Super Smash Brothers Brawl : The third game in the SSB series featuring an awesome list of special characters like Solid Snake and Sonic! 2D fighter that goes up to four players and with the ability to play online! Who doesn't like a good brawl?

Wii Features

Aside from the outer shell and the inner specifications are what the Nintendo Wii provides. The Wii allows the user to access a variety of channels like the News Channel and the Everybody Votes Channel. The News Channel utilizes the WiiConnect24 and posts the latest sources of news across the internet into the consumer's very own television screen. The Everybody Votes Channel is a polling channel that goes nationwide and worldwide. A consumer can enter a poll and submit what they believe in and it will be displayed after processing. This neat little feature helps one compare their predictions with the rest of the world. A very special factor of the Nintendo Wii which attracts most consumers is its very own Virtual Console. This gadget allows you to download many old time classics from old systems. You can download games from the NES, SNES, N64, NEOGEO, Sega Genesis and the TurboGrafx 16 and relive and bring life back to both the game as well as your early childhood.

Cons
So far, the authors have discussed some positive assets that this system has in comparison to the other provided systems. However, in order for one to truly make the right decision, he must take both the positives and the negatives to account and balance the two. Here are some aspects about the Wii which are negative.

Sensor Bar

Although there has been some good comments towards the Wii sensor bar, there are some who are still dissatisfied with the product therefore, looking into the other two systems. As far as the sensor bar provides this special relationship between the player and the game, it sometimes doesn't pick up what you want to do. At times it may bring up an easy level of frustration for its unreliability especially at key moments while gaming. Also keep in mind that you are using a Wii Remote and not the real object shown in the game. Therefore, it sometimes becomes really obvious to how fake the playing is. For example using Wii Sports' Golf, one does not actually know the force to put into for a clear cut shot, or how some of the physics work. It is because of you wielding the Wii remote that provides this fake environment while playing the game. Especially for those who actually play golf, they would notice such artificial material more quickly.

Wii Points

A minor setback that the Wii requires would be the Wii points. These points are accumulated by paying around a dollar per 100 Wii points either by the Wii Shop Channel or by getting prepaid cards of 1000, 3000, and 5000 values. There are some features within the Wii that require these Wii Points such as WiiWare, Virtual Console and some of the Nintendo Channels themselves. As explained, the Virtual console allows players to play old time classics, but for a certain price. For starting prices, NES games start at 500 Wii Points each, SNES at 800 Wii Points, N64 games at 1000 Wii Points, NEOGEO games at 900 Wii Points, the Sega Genesis games at 800 Wii Points, and the Turbo Grafx 16 games at 600 Wii Points. Furthermore, it does not stop once you have purchased an old console game because there might even be the chance that the remote used is not compatible with the game play. So, you must go out and either get a Wii Classic controller or a Nintendo GameCube controller.



Attachments

Here is the part that is probably the most noticeable. Throughout the markets you will see many specific items for the Wii that "enhance" game play in certain games, and there are also other items that are absolutely needed in order to play some games. The Nintendo Wii gets rather a bit excessive about this and provides many attachments that the Wii remote fits into. Games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution require a whole new set of controls like the guitar, drums, microphone, and the dance pad. Other attachments that do not replace the Wii remote are basically frames that the remote fits into which ends up being redundant altogether. The reason all of these attachments exist is to further attempt consumers to buy them and realize the uselessness it possesses.

Overview


Released on November 11th, 2006, the Sony PlayStation 3 is the successor of the insanely popular PlayStation 2. Its main competitor is the Microsoft Xbox 360, and to a lesser degree, the Nintendo Wii. This was Sony's first True High Definition gaming console, and the carrier of their new optical disc format, the Blu-ray drive.

Hardware
The PlayStation 3 was released as a bleeding edge technological marvel, and this was reflected through it's high initial price point. Every PS3 comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive that is used for all of its retail games, and all BD format High Definition movies and video. Sony also opted to include a Cell microprocessor, which is different from most desktop processors today, because of its parallel SPEs, which can be, in theory more powerful than an ordinary CPU, but it also comes with its share of difficulties when programming for it. The PS3 also includes many standard features, and this makes it suitable to act as an entertainment center.

Pros
The following are the features that will compel a consumer to buy a PlayStation 3. These positive aspects should provide a reference that will help when weighing in factors and deciding which console best suits your needs.

Exclusive Games

First and foremost a gaming console, the PlayStation 3 features a wide library of both multi-platform games that it shares with other consoles, as well as its own strong line-up of platform-exclusive titles. Some of these notable titles include:


 * METAL GEAR SOLID 4: Guns of the Patriots - Critically-acclaimed and a multi-million selling title that is described as a "Tactical Espionage Action" that tells the epic tale of the battle between a protagonist named Solid Snake, and his arch-nemesis, Liquid.
 * LittleBigPlanet - A physics-based, 2D-platforming game that features an adorable character named "Sack-boy", has depth using a 3 layer z-axis; it is a wacky game that focuses on players creating levels, sharing them, and playing them together online and offline.
 * Resistance 2 - The sequel to the much loved original launch-title First Person Shooter, Resistance: Fall of Man. It follows the story of Nathan Hale as he tries to fight back against a virus, and the Chimeran invasion. It features an 8-player co-op mode, and an unprecedented on consoles, 64-player squad-based online multiplayer.
 * MotorStorm: Pacific Rift - The sequel to the best selling PS3 game that was released at launch, MotorStorm. MSPR is an off-road arcade style racing game that features realistic looking environments, wide array of vehicles to pilot, and has extensive features like 12-player online multiplayer and 4-play split screen.

PlayStation Network

The network that seams the whole PlayStation experience: from the online store, to the system that supports all the players that are playing at once, it is a service that is provided absolutely for free. No additional charges are needed in order for you to enjoy your games online with friends, and most first-party games that are published by Sony Computer Entertainment run on dedicated servers which drastically improve internet latency, when compared to Peer-2-peer based online network. The PSN network allows you to link your account to an online identity, so you can have a profile that displays the trophies that you have earned in games (comparable to XBOX 360's achievements), chat and play with others, and if you wish, even buy full games through the online store, often for a bargain price. One of the features of the store is also to provide the community with free demos of games that are soon-to-be released, allow downloading of themes to customize the Cross Media Bar (XMB), the interface that the PS3 uses in order to easily navigate around. PSN gives players news of upcoming games and new releases. It also provides the system firmware updates which are necessary in order to play online, and are constantly released to add new features and fix any bugs.

Versatility

The PlayStation 3 is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to versatility. You have the ability to browse through your images (JPEG,BMP,PNG or TIFF format), set up slideshows, listen to audio that is stored on the harddrive in different formats (MP3, WAV, AAC), a music CD-ROM, or even create your own custom playlists. The PS3 is also capable of playing back MPEG4-layer10/AVC/H.264/VC-1/MPEG-2/WMA/DivX/XviD encoded video files. It is also possible to stream media files from your PC, through the use of a third-party program, in order to conveniently watch or listen to movies/music on-the-fly, without wasting the space by storing them locally on the PS3 harddrive. Another great feature is the included web browser, which is capable of playing Flash 9 applets, accessing websites, and even supports javascript and other internet standards in order to give the user a seamless experience when they don't want to travel to their PC to look something up. An easy to use search function is also included, which is made easier by the fact that the PS3 supports any plug-and-play USB mouse and keyboard to be hooked up and used to type and navigate around websites. A more obscure feature of the PlayStation 3 and one for the more hardcore geeks is the fact that you can easily install a Linux distribution to co-exist with the PS3 OS. This is not done through any hacks, but is an officially supported feature that allows people to tinker around and expand the possibilities of their PS3.



Reliability

A large advantage when investing possibly hundreds of dollars into a gaming system is the peace of mind that knowing the hardware will not fail. The PlayStation 3 has been rigorously tested by third-parties and proved to be an incredibly reliable piece of hardware. Constant use in a hot or humid environment shows no signs of upcoming failure, and it is obvious that the console was built with longevity in mind. Sony themselves have claimed that it is a "10-year console", showing their dedication to even their older products. This history that they have with their previous consoles proves that constant support and a long line-up of games will be seen even in the far future, with no need to worry about them pulling the plug on the system, and letting the consumers pay the price.

Cons
The following is a list of things that may be considered undesirable in the PlayStation 3 console. These should be considered along with the pros in order to make a good judgment on whether this console suits your needs.

Price

With the initial launch price of $599 US for the Premium PlayStation 3 model, it was a large investment to make. Even now, in late 2008, the price of $399 for the cheapest model is still twice the amount of its competitor, the XBOX360 Arcade model. This initial price point is a major factor in deciding which console to get, and can effectively decide the outcome of the decision, if you are set on a tight budget. The truth is that initially the PS3 may cost more, but considerations such as included Wi-Fi, free online, and better hardware reliability may change your mind about is right for you. Along with the price, considerations such as power usage come into play. When compared to the XBOX360, the PS3 uses roughly the same amount of electricity, but it is much higher than the power usage of the Wii. Although newer models with smaller chipsets (65nm architecture) may decrease this amount, if you are worried about the environment, and would rather go green, then you might want to re-evaluate your decision of what to purchase.

Online Features

Although free and functional, the PlayStation Network service may not be fully up to par with its XBOX360 counterpart, LIVE. Some features which may concern players may be missing. The ability to have private conversations during gaming sessions is currently not implemented in PSN. Other things like no universal party system, only invitations through inbox messages, or game-specific implementations are currently part of PSN, so playing with a bunch of friends may not always be as easy as it would be, if you were to use the LIVE service. Other than these, most of the features are currently more or less the same. PSN used to have less features, but many were added with time in order to catch up to LIVE, and more features may also come in the future through firmware updates.



Multiplatform Issues

Early on in the PlayStation 3's life-cycle, many multi-platform games were criticized for being inferior, whether it be graphically, through less features, or by having forced installs, when compared to their XBOX360 counterparts. Some developers would not take the time to properly port the game code from the XBOX360, leaving issues such as low framerates, freezes/hiccups, graphical glitches, or just a worse looking picture. Another feature that was once neglected as well was the simple option for controller vibration. Because the PS3 launched without a rumble-enabled controller, most developers left it out of the code, and never patched the functionality back in, when the DualShock 3 came out. Now, a similar, but not as serious problem is the fact that since Trophies were only introduced through a firmware update, only several new releases had them. This problem is being addressed by Sony by making their inclusion mandatory, starting early 2009. This does not change anything about already released games, so a lot of earlier games will remain without trophies, whereas their XBOX360 counterpart did include achievements.

Overview
With great anticipation, the XBOX 360 was released into the video game market by Microsoft Corporation on November 22, 2005. It was the first high definition gaming system to be released and was the first of what is considered the next generation consoles.

Hardware
With the age of high definition gaming comes the need for more powerful hardware. Although the hardware is not the only part of the console, it is an important part. It is always a good idea to understand, at a basic level, what each console is made up of and what some of the specifications mean. This section deals with the most common specifications one should look at when purchasing a console, or a computer for that matter.

The XBOX 360 is a very sophisticated piece of machinery. It has a very powerful processor which has 3 cores each able to process 6 threads at a time. With three cores, the processor is able to process through information quickly so that the game runs smoothly and loading times are kept to a minimum. The graphics processor is also very sophisticated and runs at a very quick speed of 500MHz. This allows for more intense graphics and as well, helps to eliminate ghosting and other distortions during game play. Both the XBOX 360 CPU and GPU are a great improvement from those of the original XBOX. The XBOX 360 has many outputs which allow for expansion and versatility. It can support up to four controllers at a time and can have an external hard drive attached to increase storage space. This is important if consumers wish to play multiplayer game titles. With the XBOX 360, you can play media at full HD 1080p, meaning you can get the highest HD resolution possible. This is great for those who really want an HD gaming experience. With a Wifi ready console, you will be able to connect online without the clutter of networking cables. This is definitely something to consider as it is both messy and costly to run network cables. These are just a few of the technical specs for the XBOX 360. One cannot buy a console by the specifications alone. One must also consider the pros and cons of buying the system.

Pros
The following information is used in order to present what the authors and sources believe are positive aspects of the XBOX 360. When looking at buying a console, one should way the pros and cons of each in order to make an educated decision and hopefully walk out with the product that is best for them.

Online Multiplayer

The XBOX 360 has the most populated online multiplayer out of all the systems. XBOX Live is the premier online entertainment and gaming system to date. With millions of people logging on in 26 different countries, it has become very popular among gamers today. This online multiplayer brings to the gamer a new aspect of the game. When playing games on the console, after a while they can get a bit boring and predictable. However, with XBOX Live, you can play different gamers from around the world each day and get a different feel each time you log on. XBOX Live is not just for online gaming. It is also a median for online entertainment. One aspect of the product is called Marketplace. Here, you can download free demos, trailers, extras, new levels, and even movies. XBOX Live conveniently brings all these things to you for a limited cost. An amazing thing about XBOX Live is you get to talk to people from around the world and meet people you wouldn’t be able to. Only with the XBOX 360 can you do the things above. Although the PS3 has an online multiplayer as well, it is not as popular and contains far less features than XBOX Live. XBOX Live can be yours for the simple price of approximately five dollars per month.

The Games

Not everyone likes to play the same games. This is why having a variety of games is very important. With over 1000 games, the XBOX 360 offers a large range of genres and ratings to cater to all the needs of its users. Games are offered with ratings from E^c (Early Childhood) to AO (Adults or Older). With the XBOX 360, there truly is a game for everyone. There are some games which are considered platform specific games. These games are developed for use on only one operating system and one only. The XBOX 360 has over 160 platform specific titles including the Halo series, Gears of War 1 and 2, and Pacman Championship Edition. If you want to play these and other games of the same category, you must buy the XBOX 360. The developers are continuously developing for games for the future as you are reading this. Currently, Microsoft has the following games in the works expected to be released sometime in the near future. A few of these titles include Halo Wars, The Godfather II, an Resident Evil 5. With titles like these, the BOX 360 holds a major part of the market of video games.

Versatility

The XBOX 360 is a very versatile product. It is not only a video game console; rather, it is a digital entertainment centre. The XBOX 360 allows you to simplify your home theatre system as you can remove some accessories. With an optical drive located within the console, it is possible to play CDs and DVDs and display them on your television. This allows you to remove your CD player and DVD player, which gives you more space for new electronics. Also, you can stream movies, music, and other media onto the XBOX 360 from the internet. This brings all your media to one central area in your house for efficiency and convenience. As well, you can load pictures from digital cameras to the hard drive and view them on a big screen. Being able to display different forms of media easily can be very useful. For example, at family reunions, instead of hooking up a computer to the television to sow family pictures, one could use the XBOX 360 which is already hooked up. From these examples, you can see that this console is very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of applications.

Cons
The following information should be used in order to present what the authors and sources believe are negative aspects of the XBOX 360. When looking at buying a console, one should always way the pros and cons of each in order to make an educated decision and hopefully walk out with the product that is best for them.

HDDVD Drive

When the XBOX 360 was released in 2005, there was an option of purchasing the optional HDDVD (High Definition DVD) drive. At the time, the option cost approximately $180. This drive is now not in production; however, you can still buy the remaining drives still in stores. As of February 2008, the HDDVD has been discontinued as the Blu-Ray Disc has taken over the market and won the ‘format war’ similar to the ‘format war’ in the 1970s between the VHS and BETA formats of videotapes. As soon as stores run out of HDDVDs, they will not be offering anymore. The HDDVD option can still be purchased at the rok bottom price of fifty dollars as they are soon going to be obsolete. The major issue with this is that the XBOX 360 is using older technology. Unlike the PS3, the XBOX 360 does not have a high definition optical drive. So in a cinema standpoint, they are a step behind the PS3. If a consumer wants a Blu-Ray player, they will have to buy it separately. With so many parts to home theatres, simplification is the key, and without an HD optical drive, the XBOX 360 is a step or so behind.



Major Hardware Failure

The issue of major hardware failure has plagued the XBOX 360 since its debut in 2005. Also known as the 'red ring of death', the failure occurs when three of the sections of the ring of light on the console turn a red colour. Once this occurs, the XBOX 360 will not function and must be repaired. In 2005, 68 out of every 100 XBOX 360s produced came off the assembly line nonfunctional and has been plagued with reliability issues ever since. In 2007, Microsoft officially came out and recognized the problem. To date, Microsoft Corporation has invested over one billion dollars to fix the issue. For the most part, this issue has been resolved; however, it still occurs to date. It turns out that the issue was overcrowding of internal components causing the overheating of the console, thus rendering it useless. Microsoft has had to fix over one and a quarter million XBOX 360s due to this problem. Although Microsoft will fix the XBOX 360 for free if it is broken, you must consider the external costs of this. While your console is getting fixed, you don’t have anything to play. Is this a wise place to spend your time and money? As a consumer, is this a risk you want to take?

Overlooked External Monetary Costs The XBOX 360 has many costs which consumers appear to overlook when purchasing consoles. Some of these include cost of running the machine and the cost of peripherals. The console consumes much more power than its previous counterpart, the XBOX. The average Watt usage during game play for the XBOX 360 is approximately 187 Watts. This may be considered a small number, but it does make a difference in yearly costs. Compared o the Nintendo Wii, this console has significantly larger power consumption. It is said that it will cost about 20 or thirty dollars more per year to power the XBOX 360. Though this may not be a lot of money, add it to other costs consumers have in their lives and it could make a difference. This is something to think about as the price of energy continues to increase. Another cost that is often overlooked is the cost of peripherals. Peripherals are anything that is not include in the box including games, headsets, controllers, and accessories. New games range from 50 to 70 dollars, which can add up if you are constantly buying new games. Also, for some games it is recommended to purchase things like microphones extra controllers. An example of this is the guitar controllers for some of the interactive games. When a peripheral is purchased separately, it is not a huge cost to bear; however, buying many peripherals can become costly as everything has a price. It is important not to overlook these long run costs as they could affect your continuing use of the product.

The above information on the XBOX 360 was completed by 10014099 00:06, 3 December 2008 (MST)

Final Thoughts and Recommendations
After great amounts of research, deliberation, and testing, we have come up with some recommendations in order to help the consumer purchase the right console.

XBOX 360

All things considered, the XBOX 360 is a well rounded game system. Being in the middle of the road price wise, you get a great console for a reasonable price. With superb graphics and powerful processor, you get a great gaming experience for a reasonable amount of money. With a vast amount of games available, there should not be a problem of not finding any enjoyable games. Although the XBOX 360 has games of every rating, we would not recommend this system for younger children as most of the games are directed towards ten and older audiences. As well, the controller is a bit large for some smaller hands and this may pose a problem for young children We would recommend the XBOX 360 to people who want to have great graphics and power for a reasonable price. The XBOX 360 is very powerful and provides a unique experience for the gamer. Also, if you are looking to simplify your home theatre setup, the XBOX 360 may be for you. With all the media applications, your DVD and CD players can be unhooked as the XBOX can perform these tasks as well as play games. Completed by 10014099 16:17, 3 December 2008 (MST)

Playstation 3

Even when considering its steep price, the PlayStation 3, with its great versatility, reliability, wide array of games, and constant feature-adding updates, is a fine choice for any gamer that is looking for a future-proof gaming console or a Blu-ray player to upgrade and simplify their home theater. It has a wide library of games that will appeal to most kinds of gamers, but is more suited towards a teen to adult audience. It has free online capabilities, so any gamer, ranging from casual to hardcore can easily test their skills and reflexes by playing online against their friends or any other people they meet.

Nintendo Wii

This clean looking system is recommended for any casual gamers who would just like to spend a good half hour playing. The age group that this system suggests would be for all ages between toddlers to seniors due to its variety of games and simplicity of game know how. There are a few intense games for those who like playing games when they are up to it. Furthermore, even though the hardware specifications are not as high as what is expected, the system does meet its goal and saves a lot of power doing so.

What it all comes down to at the end is personal preference. This assignment cannot make the decision for you, but we hope that it can help in the console purchasing process.