Ultimate Game System

Three Hundred Seventy Sixth Post: Ultimate Game System

Well it is the time for next generation game systems again. Chances are you won’t be able to get a Wii or Playstation 3 until after Christmas. That is unless you spend over a $1000 on one that someone is reselling to make a profit.

Seeing people waiting in line and trading over the Net reminds me of when the Playstation 2 came out back in 2000. I was in a game store where the clerk was explaining to a women customer which game system she should get. I remember him telling her that the Playstation 2 probably wouldn’t be available, but the Sega Dreamcast was a great alternative. I was thinking he was just trying to make a sale. Nobody wanted a Dreamcast. However when I look back he was right. The Dreamcast was the better system. It had better graphic capabilities, was cheaper, it was easy for game makers to program games for, and it had more and better games. Unfortunately there was one thing that proved it not to be a great system and that is Sega gave up the project and didn’t support the Dreamcast.

Now we have Playstation 3 and Wii. The Wii is better in to areas and that is Nintendo’s ingenuity when creating great games. That isn’t just great graphics it is great game play. The motion sensing controller is what is going to enhance game play and sell the system. It is unlikely for most people to get one before X-mas. However maybe there is another Dreamcast system in the X-box 360. It has been out a year and just appears ordinary. However Microsoft is very resourceful. They are going to answer the Wii’s motion controller with a motion sensing camera. The 360 will probably be the second option after other systems are sold out. But maybe something will make it shine.

Personally I want to buy a Wii. If I can’t get it I’ll go for an 360. I don’t like the Playstation 3 because of the price. The 360 was slow to develop. It will dominate the Internet play. But one thing that interests me is a game development kit for amateurs. Definitely something to watch.

Until you stand in line for the first and only 20 systems... May the Creative Force be with You

Note: I wrote this on 11-18-06. Since that time it has been quite impossible to get a Wii or a Playstation 3. I went with the X-box 360. Why? The Wii controller is innovative, but does it sense movement or is the user just moving the controller back and forth. The 360 has a camera that recognizes movement. Admittedly they don’t have many games that support it yet, but it has potential. Imagine swinging a green sword around when you battle in a fight game and having your exact moves and speed of the sword put into the game. That is its potential. The review described something like casting a spell with the movement of your hands.

Another area the Wii lacks is graphics horsepower. For some reason every game they show looks like a Game Cube game. Zelda looks the same on both systems. However I am not saying the Wii isn’t an impressive system. If I can order one I will. Nintendo always has some innovative features.
So until Nintendo releases 4 million units... May the Creative Force be with You