This article is all about video game consoles, it talks about everything from the first PlayStation to the latest Wii. When I was 10, I remember torturing my dad to buy me a third generation Video Game Console (ATARI). Did I say a Third Generation Video Game console?

Let’s see what a Third Gen Video Game console is.

Flashback on Video Games

The introduction of Video Games first happened in the Year 1971 and they had become an important part of the entertainment industry in US, Japan and Europe. The video game industry had a disastrous collapse in 1983 and a subsequent rebirth two years later.

The video game industry has seen growth and matured for over two decades to become a $10 billion industry. Over a period of 3 decades the Video Game Industry has seen consoles of different generations from the First Generation (1972 – 1976) till the present one i.e. the Seventh Generation (2004 – Till Date).

Today there are different kinds of Video Games Consoles available in the market. I have tried listing down the best in the market and what their features are. Xbox 360

  The Xbox 360 is Microsoft’s second creation in video game consoles and is the successor of Xbox and its competitors are Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. The Xbox 360 was developed in cooperation with IBM,

ATI and SiS. The Xbox 360 was first released on November 22, 2005 in U.S & Canada. In its first year in the market the system was launched in 36 countries and also it was launched a year before Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. The integrated online service that Xbox provides is known as the Xbox live service.

The console connects to the service via Internet through a built-in Ethernet port or a wireless accessory and helps the user to download content such as HD movies, demo games, arcade favorites, TV shows and also lets the player compete online.

The Xbox 360 comes in three different versions:

• Xbox 360 Arcade
• Xbox 360 Pro
• Xbox 360 Elite

Xbox 360 Arcade Preview The Xbox 360 Arcade model is ideal for traditional gamers who are more interested in the "old-school" and lighter side of gaming. The Xbox 360 Arcade was priced at $279.99 and early this week Microsoft reduced its price to $199.99 which has doubled the sale in the US.

The Xbox 360 Arcade console was the first one Microsoft launched. Arcade is everything you need to begin playing right out of the box, including Family Settings that allow parents to restrict game access for younger players. It comes with a wireless controller.

The Xbox 360 Arcade console combines a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector and a 256 MB of on-board memory for storing games and entertainment content. The Xbox 360 Arcade can plug into an HDTV-based home entertainment configuration and display game content at 1080i resolution, although the limited storage capability may send some Xbox 360 Arcade owners looking for a hard drive add-on peripheral.

The games included with Xbox 360 Arcade are full versions and not demos as listed below.

• PAC-MAN Championship Edition
• UNO
• Luxor 2
• Boom Boom Rocket
• Feeding Frenzy

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• Amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. Watch progressive-scan DVD movies right out of the box.
• Rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive and share your latest digital pictures with friends
• Xbox LIVE Marketplace-Keep your favorite games fresh with instant access to new content. Accessible to Silver and Gold members, Xbox LIVE Marketplace lets you personalize and extend your experience, on demand. (To know more about the silver and gold membership, please visit the Xbox website)
• Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like, and play like to engage you like never before
• Every Xbox 360 title supports 720p and 1080i high definition resolution or 480p standard definition resolution, in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing so you enjoy smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround sound

Where to Buy?
You can buy your Xbox 360 Arcade at several places across 36 countries. To buy your console you can click here.

Xbox 360 Pro

Preview The Xbox 360 Pro model was priced at $349.99 and with the recent drop in prices last week The Pro model is now available at $299.99 and is much smaller than its predecessor. It measures approximately 3.3 by 12.2 by 10.2 inches and weighs 7.7 lbs.

It is equipped with three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in high definition (HD) entertainment (up to 1080p for gaming), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output.

The 60 GB detachable hard-drive is the feature of this console that makes it a little better than the Arcade. You can save your games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos, and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The unit also has a 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM drive, which plays both the game media and progressive-scan DVD movies right out of the box.

Xbox 360 can accommodate up to four wireless controllers which has a range of up-to 30 feet and a battery life of up-to 30 hours on two AA batteries and has three USB 2.0 slots to use for wired controllers or for streaming your digital media from digital cameras, MP3 players, and any Windows XP-based PC. Microsoft has also created a video-conferencing camera, sold separately, that will work with this system.

The Xbox 360 Pro also comes with a headset which lets friends and family around the world chat while playing games, watching movies or sending voice messages on XBOX Live.

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• Personalized entertainment. Xbox 360 is the most powerful next-generation gaming system. Featuring high-definition (HD) graphics and multichannel digital sound, the Xbox 360 heralds the new era of gaming.
• Games. Xbox 360 is home to the best, highest-rated and most varied library of games for everyone to enjoy.
• Xbox LIVE. Xbox LIVE is where games and entertainment come alive. Connect your Xbox 360 console to a broadband connection and get instant access to Xbox LIVE with an Xbox LIVE account.
• Xbox Gamer Guide. Press the Xbox 360 Guide Button on your controller at any time – while you’re playing a game, watching a movie or listening to music – and the Xbox Gamer Guide heads-up display will slide into view.
• Family Settings. The new, more robust Family Settings features in Xbox 360 help parents control the online and offline game experiences of their children

Where to Buy?
To buy your console you can click here.

Xbox 360 Elite

Preview The Xbox 360 Elite model was priced at $449.99 and now available at $399.99 is the premier console package with a massive hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console.

It also comes with a black wireless controller and Xbox LIVE headset. It has an excellent selection of games, including many 360-only exclusives; all games are in native high-definition; user-friendly Dashboard interface; supports wireless controllers and accessories.

Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and more available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

The huge 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, extra game levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

New to Xbox 360, HDMI lets you get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

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The features are a combination of the previous Xbox versions.

Where to Buy?
To buy your console you can click here.

Play Station – 3
  The PlayStation 3 is the third Video Game Console produced by Sony officially marketed or commonly known as PS3 and is the successor of PlayStation 2.

The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006 and in North America on the November 17, 2006. At the launch there were 2 versions of the PS3 available, a basic model with a 20 GB hard drive and a premium model with 60 GB Hard drive with a lot of additional features. PS3 faces competition from Microsoft’s XBOX 360 and the Nintendo’s Wii.

The PlayStation 3 combined with an online gaming service, known as the PlayStation Network which is Sony’s free online service provided with their PlayStation 3. Some of the other features of the console include its multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.

The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market. The option of playing DVD’s made the PlayStation 2 more than a game machine; however the robust multimedia features make the PlayStation 3 an even more versatile home entertainment machine. Some features that PlayStation 3 carries are as mentioned below.

• Video chat
• Internet access
• Digital audio and video

These features make your PlayStation 3 the central component of your media set-up. Do not forget, it is first and foremost your powerful gaming console. Though they are 5 products in this series, the ones we would discuss here are:

• Sony PlayStation 3 (40 GB)
• Sony PlayStation 3 (80 GB)

Sony PlayStation 3 (40 GB) Preview The option of playing DVD’s made the PlayStation 2 more than a game machine; however the robust multimedia features make the PlayStation 3 an even more versatile home entertainment machine. Some features that PlayStation 3 carries are as mentioned below.

• Video chat
• Internet access
• Digital audio and video

These features make your PlayStation 3 the central component of your media set-up. Do not forget, it is first and foremost your powerful gaming console. Priced at $399.99 the PlayStation 3 (40 GB) features IBM’s “Cell” Processor and a co-developed Nvidia graphics processor that makes the system able to perform two trillion calculations per second.

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.  

The PlayStation 3 (40 GB) model comes in a swanky design and all the games are in high definition. It has an easy to use interface like the PSP and at the same time, The PlayStation 3 can play High Definition Profile 2.0 Blu-ray movies. It has a built in Wi-Fi and this model comes with a 40 GB hard drive on which you can save games, music and much more. You can play online on the gaming community also.

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• Includes Spider-Man 3 movie.
• High-Definition Blu-ray player for the best movie experience
• Plays DVDs and CDs.
• Includes SIXAXIS wireless controller. HDMI output for 1080p resolution.

Where to Buy?
To buy your console you can click here.

Sony PlayStation 3 (80 GB)
Preview Priced at $499.99 the PlayStation 3 (80 GB) has almost the similar features and specification as the PlayStation 3 (40 GB) does. So what is the difference between the both? Is it just the Hard Drive? No, that is not the only difference between the both.

The 40 GB hard Drive can be swapped any day. Below mentioned are some of the differences that I have been able to gather based on my research. The PlayStation 3 (80GB) offers an incredible graphic quality, stunning game-play, improved audio and visual fidelity that PS3 games are known for by maintaining the PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility through software instead of hardware.

The PlayStation 3 (40GB) does not have PS2 backwards compatibility, although it does maintain backwards compatibility to PlayStation 1 which the PlayStation 3 (80 GB) also does.  The PlayStation (80GB) PS3 has 4 USB ports and also memory card slots whereas the PlayStation 3 (40GB) has 2 USB ports and No memory card slots.

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Do I need to mention anything more?

Where to Buy?
To buy your console you can click here.

Nintendo – Wii Wii pronounced as “We” is the fifth Video Game Console created by Nintendo and is the successor of Nintendo Game Cube. It competes with both Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 as a part of the Seventh generation Video Games Console.

Nintendo’s Wii was released in North America on November 19, 2006 and after that in Japan on December 2, 2006. A must know feature of the Wii is the Wii Remote, which looks like a TV Remote and can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Unlike its competitors the Wii does not have an internal hard drive, but uses 512 MB of internal Flash memory and also includes support for removable SD card storage.

Wii is the only seventh generation console not utilizing High Definition with a Maximum graphics output of 480p. It is also the first Nintendo console i.e. backward compatible with previous Nintendo consoles, where it can play all GameCube games and supports up to four GameCube controllers and two memory cards, along with Virtual Console which supports games from older systems.

Preview
A question you may ask yourself before buying a Wii would be, is it worth buying the Wii which does not have today’s Seventh Generation Video Console graphics? Nintendo never intended to compete in that arena, the Wii focused on innovative way of playing the game and having fun.  The Wii Console invites players who are young or old, expert or beginners. Wii players will use the Wii remote and you may notice a flick of the wrist to swing a tennis racket or a backswing and follow-through to send a golf ball flying over.

The Wii Remote, its online capabilities, Wii Channels, Virtual Console and Backward compatibility make this console so popular that it remains difficult to stay in stock. Are video games not supposed to be by default equal to couch potatoes? Well that’s not the case with Wii. It really is amazing to have a game which actually expects you to move and be active.

You do not have the luxury to lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games. People also call the Wii “A Little Box With Plenty of Power”. This Little Box priced at $249.99 has a 512 MB of flash memory with USB 2.0 ports and also a slot for SD memory expansion.

It uses a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" — deliver stunning performance. Instead of the traditional 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.

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• Wii Channels: Wii is changing the way people play games. Wii is far more than just a game console. Explore Wii Channels and you’ll find them packed with entertainment and information that the whole family can enjoy.
• Virtual Console
• Wii Ware: A new family of games for Wii, available from the Wii Shop Channel. Experience genre-defying gameplay, new takes on old favorites – and much more. WiiWare games are downloadable directly to your Wii in exchange for various levels of Wii Points. Just make sure your Wii is connected to the internet, and you can play new Wii games in seconds.

Where to Buy?
To buy your console you can click here

Alright that was everything you needed to know about Gaming Consoles. Learnt something new today?

[Image source:Kristenlanea]

Wii Fit is the new video game which combines Fun and Exercise using Wii Balance Board for a new experience. The game offers training modes such as Yoga, Balance Game, Strength Training and Aerobics.

(Check the Video out at the end of the article)

Wii Fit offers several games under each of these training modules, for example Balance Game offers Soccer Heading, Ski Slalom, Ski Jump and Table Tilt and Yoga offers Tree Pose, Warrior, Half Moon and Deep Breathing. Wii Fit currently offers 40 such games but you should certainly expect more of these games hitting Wii Fit.

Wii Fit measure a user’s weight and center of gravity using the balance board, it also calculates body mass index once the height of the users if feeded into the system. The game maintain seperate channels of each users and tracks their progress and fitness regime.

Game was released during the third quarter of 2007 and has sold close to 700,000 by May,2008. Wii Fit is available on Amazon for about 170$, grab one before its all sold out.

See Wii Fit in action in the video below: