PS3 and Wii launch in the US
The US market is the first to get the next generation holy trinity of 360, PS3 and Wii.
The two new kids on the block joined the 360 and launched in the US at the weekend. As you might imagine, chaos reigned as people queued for days to get hold of them. The PS3 was in particularly short supply and caused a mini crime spree with armed robberies and shootings - only in America!
So, what happens next? Well, the reviews have been flying, mostly positive for the PS3 and Wii but both have also had some negative press, most notably the New York Times panned the PS3.
Both have suffered with some technical glitches as well, some Wiis are getting 'fatal errors' when upgrading the firmware and the PS3 is having backwards compatibility, HDTV compatibility and a few other issues. All to be expected these days with new technology unfortunately.
I still remain quite skeptical about the PS3, technical glitches and game compatibility issues not withstanding, it's inevitably getting compared to the 360 and the comparison doesn't look that great for the PS3.
The 360 has had a year's head start on the PS3 to iron out it's own issues, enhance it's multi-media offering and for game developers to learn how to harness it's graphical power.
People are looking at the considerably more expensive PS3 and wondering why they need to pay so much extra for something that doesn't really do anything more than the 360 and at this stage doesn't offer the superior graphics or game play that Sony promised (the launch line-up of games on the PS3 is pretty lacklustre). That will change over time I'm sure but for now, today, it's got no real advantage, unless you want a cheapish Blu-ray player.
And what of the Wii? Well, in some ways it's off on it's own because Nintendo never got into the technical arms race, so they aren't necessarily being judged on the same criteria. For the Wii, it's all about the innovation. Most people seem to think it lives up to it's potential so far and is great fun to play. Whether that feeling can last and whether it turns out to be a novelty only time will tell but the DS vs PSP battle has seemingly proved that innovation and interesting game play can win the day over pure graphical power and multi-media capabilities.
Today though, I put my money where my mouth is and pre-ordered a Wii from Amazon, ready for it's UK launch on December 8th. And I expect that next year I will be getting a 360, purely for Halo 3. So that's my decision made. I'll let you know next year whether I think I made the right one.
Where do you stand with the next-gen consoles? Post your thoughts and what you intend on buying in the comments!
Updated: Typos and stuff.
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