Gaming Blog

Playstation 3

Video Game Console Wars Back!

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consolesNot long after Sony released its much awaited PlayStation 3 Slim, video game console makers seem to have woken up from their slumber. If you thought that the video game console wars are over, think again! It’s back and in full force.

Try looking online for a video game console and you will be met with various promises and offers. This console has better hardware to give the best graphic experience. This one is the fastest. This one has awesome sounds. And so on.

More than the actual console itself, manufacturers are coming up with a plethora of hardware add-ons that promise to give gamers the best experience yet. At the most recent E3 convention in May, Sony revealed a new control system that is compatible with the PlayStation Eye. Not to be outdone, Microsoft revealed Natal, a hands-free control system. Of course, Wii had its MotionPlus.

Now we are witnessing the slashing of game console prices. The PlayStation 3 Slim already costs less than the first models. I was really taken by surprise at how low the price was! The Wii is also getting cheaper, with a 20% discount in the works.

What does this mean for us, consumers? Simple! We will have more and better choices in the near future. Looking at things from another angle, owners of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Slim are quite assured of the longevity of their consoles – it doesn’t seem like the units will be phased out for newer ones anytime soon.

My PlayStation 3 Slim Experience

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ps3slimBy now, you’ve probably gotten yourself your own PlayStation 3 Slim – the newest console to roll out of Sony’s manufacturing plants. Then again, you might be holding off on making that purchase, especially if you still have the original PS3. If you do not know it yet, my own 60G PS3 died on me early this year. Apparently, the motherboard just melted. From what I have been reading in the forums, this particular model of the PS3 is really prone to this meltdown. Lucky me.

So you would have thought that I would have gone out and immediately bought a replacement. I thought it wiser to wait for a while, and I am glad that I did! Over the weekend, when the new PS3 Slim was released, I decided to wait no longer and get myself a new toy. So how is it?

Well, it has only been several days but so far, I am more than satisfied. To be honest, though, I have not seen much improvement regarding performance and functionality. I am still doing the exact same things that I did with the original PS3. I play my games, I watch videos and TV shows, I play online, and I download content. The Blu-Ray player is just as handy as ever.

So why buy the Slim? Well, it IS slim! I still am getting used to seeing this sleek black box where a chunky shiny black box used to sit. I don’t hear any noise – seriously, nothing at all – while it is on. It doesn’t heat up (please, motherboard, don’t melt on me again), and they say it uses less power (let’s see the electric bill when it arrives).

I say get yourself one if your PS3 is due for replacement. If not, then you can wait.

Photo courtesy of Letsbuyit

Gamers Don’t Need to Upgrade Game Console Series

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For the series of game consoles such as Xbox and the Playstation series, it does not necessarily follow that they would have to follow towards the newer versions such as Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 or 3. The games are still continuously developed and most of the time, the only difference is that of graphics and actual games released.

Xbox 360

It is only natural that the newer versions are higher capacity game gadgets that can offer a more attractive and alluring graphics display and features for the gamers to enjoy. However, as long as new games are being introduced for these subordinate game consoles, people can still be content with their present setup and save the enticing upgrade options for a later date.

Another thing for consideration is that newer game consoles do not come cheap. Especially for tight-budgeted groups who would rather put their focus on something important in life, foregoing their vice for a latter time is something worth while. Besides, prices for gadgets vary and it doesn’t really follow that newly offered games and gadgets should be immediately purchased.

[tags]xbox, xbox360, playstation, playstation 2, playstation 3[/tags]

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Debuts on PS3 Series

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All hardcore gamers would agree what a Sony Playstation 3 would be without the popular arcade fighting game such as Tekken. Since the inaugural launch of the Playstation 3 last November, only a handful of games have been known. Sure there will always be the usual sports, role playing and famous PS games, but the inclusion of Tekken 5 will certainly gather more curious and avid followers of the Tekken series to get a copy of the game now.

Tekken 5: Jinpachi
Tekken 5 is available in Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Japan at present for roughly $16.00. However, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is not yet compatible with the US version of the PS3 console. But it would only be time before one would be compatible and available to most avid Namco arcade gamers.

The modes are still the same as the other series, single player, two player versus mode and the ghost mode which allows players to study other moves with the usual characters known in the Tekken series such as the Armor King and Dagunov. The game’s final boss is Jinpachi, who can be eventually used as a character player once the arcade mode has been finished. Jinpachi cannot however be customized like the other characters in the game but is a good character selection on versus mode.

 

Playstation 3 Units: Is the Buying Price Worth It?

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Playstation 3 Console

So Sony has launched another contraption for its avid gaming followers and it really does cost a lot! While the Playstation series has been obviously something that most people are getting attached to, the cost of purchasing one may need to be looked at again. The suggest retail price for owning a Playstation 3 at the moment stands between $500.00 to $600.00 in the market and for sure, only a few can afford to shell out some cash just to buy this new gaming console launched by Sony for its seventh generation era video game console last November 11, 2006.

The price may be outrageous but the need to analyze its feasibility may be studied. For one, the games available for use with this new Playstation are only a handful. Perhaps the only possible thing that potential buyers would aim for is the distinction of owning the new device ahead of others. But isn’t this the same belief when the Playstation 2 was also launched some years back? One thing that should also be taken into consideration is the fact that people would wait for the price to drop before finally getting their own Playstation 3 device. As it stands, its current price will not attract purchases, considering that most consumers today would rather invest their hard earned money on the more important necessities of life today!

[tags]playstation 3, ps3, sony, playstation[/tags]

Popular Science cites Wii

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If there is one next generation console that I am really anticipating with the utmost excitement it would have to be the Nintendo Wii. The Sony PlayStation 3 may be more advanced, more powerful, more beautiful, more versatile but I am a practical man and I know that at this point I am not willing to shell out 600 dollars for a game console.I am anticipating the Wii mainly for two reasons – the price point is so attractive that I am willing to buy a unit at launch. This is the first time that I am buying a game console on the same day that it is going to be released. The second reason why I am excited about the Wii is the game play! I just love to try the nifty Wii-mote and see for myself how it operates and if it would really revolutionize the way we play games.

And I am not the only one that has these same opinions about the Wii. Popular Science Magazine recently awarded the Nintendo Wii its Grand Award in its Home Entertainment section. The award is part of the magazine’s yearly technology innovation roundup.

Popular Science cited the Wii for allowing people to go back to “simpler era.”

The widely read and highly respected Popular Science magazine has given the Nintendo Wii the nod by awarding it the “Grand Award” in the Home Entertainment section of its annual technology innovation roundup.

The magazine chose the Wii because it took them back to a simpler era – a time when, as the magazine said, games were fun, controllers only had two buttons and controlling games was simple.

It really is turning out to be a great decision for Nintendo to not get into the graphics war and instead focus on the game play .

[tags]Nintendo, Wii, Sony, PlayStation 3, Popular Science, Home Entertainment [/tags]

Sony Commits To Replace Sixaxis Batteries

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When Sony revealed the details about its new Sixaxis PlayStation 3 controllers one of the first concerns that were raised by many people was its lifespan. This concern was brought about by Sony’s announcement that the controllers will have built in lithium ion batteries and these are inaccessible to users. In other words the batteries are not replaceable. Of course, the immediate question became – what would happen to the controllers when the batteries are already dead? The prospect of disposable controllers was not a good idea because of the high price of replacement or extra controllers.Consumers and gamers can now breathe a collective sigh of relief because Sony is planning on setting up a service where wireless PS3 controllers can be replaced if the lithium batteries have already degraded and could not carry a charge anymore. The company has not yet given the exact details on the service as well as the cost for changing the controllers.

[tags]PS3, Playstation 3, Sony, Sixaxis[/tags]