If you are looking for a NextGen Console, then the three main choices are the PS3, the XBOX 360, and the Nintendo Wii. Each have their own characteristics, advantages, game catalog and selection, so it pays to review the best of each before you make your decision, if it is time for an upgrade or new purchase.



The Playstation 3 or PS3 is from Sony. This game box is set up for online multiplayer gaming with three Ethernet networking ports for broadband internet connections or linking up with your computer. The PS3 has next-gen storage capabilities, at 80, 60, 40 or 20 GB. The system also has WIFI and USB ports. Some of these systems also accept flash cards and have Blue-Ray capabilities, as well as DVD. You should be able to keep your old Playstation games with an upgrade.

For most gamers, the PS3 was a big snooze. Compared to the XBOX 360 or Wii, something seemed to be lacking. The Playstation 3 did not seem so much different than the previous version, nor the games. So, a big question is, can the PS3 really bounce back, through better development of games for this platform or for new services and capabilities in the PS4? What will it take to bring the spice back to the Playstation platform? For the most part it is the distraction of much better competition than existed in the early days of the Playstation line. Another is simply the boredom and burnout that many gamers may have experienced after years of the same Playstation games. For them, a change to a new xbox system or wii is like a whole different experience. For the casual user, or for those who play mostly popular games that are found on all systems as well as PCs, it won't make much difference.

The PS3 offers as much bang for the buck as any other gaming system. So it is mostly a question that if you have been using the Playstation for many years and playing the same games, the new look and feel of the xbox and wii will be more interesting. But do they really have better games, graphics, sounds, and extra features? Probably. The PS3 is a bit light when it comes to comparing to the others. But if you are willing to spend enough money, it is possible to customize the new PS3 completely. The other set ups seem to give a more interesting variety for similar investment. The PS3 does have the advantage of the sleek consumer design and tradition of Sony. But much like the last generation of Vaio laptops, it seemed to be an off year for the company. Nevertheless, there are some hardcore gamers who will never leave the platform. For them, the PS4 is sure to be as popular, if not more than, the PS3. Otherwise, the rest will be switching to the XBOX as a gaming platform of choice. You can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and test each one out for yourself before you buy and see which games are most interesting. But the big factor is price. At a standard cost of two to three times the XBOX or Wii, does the PS3 really have that much more to offer? Sales figures suggest that cost will determine the popularity of one similar product over another. But if the other has more features and is half the price, which would you choose? For this reason the XBOX is recommended over the PS3 for most.

The XBOX 360 is a mash up from Microsoft, IBM, ATI, and other companies. It is said to be part of Microsoft's strategy to compete actively in the gaming market. This set up comes with a nice, custom gaming console that is sure to make playing all the games easy and fun. It also has a remote control and head set. There is a lot of hard disc space and a Microsoft operating system, so that and the many, many excellent games for the XBOX systems make it the top choice.

Compared to this is the Nintendo Wii, the new release following the Game Cube series from Nintendo. The operating system is also quite good on this system, with lots of memory and storage space. This comes with a remote control and a nunchuck, but it is no comparison to the XBOX set up. The real hope is the Wii may generate some new concepts in gaming and gaming possibilities. There is still the excellent round up of games for the system

One of the interesting, new developments with the Nintendo Wii system is the Mii Channel. The Mii system allows you to create 3-D avatars on your Wii system. Nintendo is launching an online Mii Channel that will allow users to share these avatars and vote on them. Wii users love the ability to create avatar models of themselves, their friends, and families to take part in traditional video game roles. The increase in video games allowing users to manifest as their own Mii is also sure to increase. As users can save their Mii on their Wii system and use the same avatar to play different games, it is also hoped that this system will advance to allow the avatars to enter into other online virtual worlds.

The future for this system has a lot of possibilities for video game players. An advanced Mii system will first have to incorporate better design tools and graphics for the avatars. Users will want to spend their time to create avatars with all of the characteristics they need to enter and play the video games. These avatars should also be able to incorporate their own tools or gadgets from game to game, or platform to platform. Having the avatars able to be customized in this manner, different avatars with various configurations of features, accessories, spells, and so forth can be saved on the game box like the Wii.

If the Mii avatar can be made to apply in a wider variety of game applications, including online MMORG environments, then it will be an interesting success. The worry is that allowing avatars to carry gadgets from other systems in games that were not designed for them could completely change the game itself. But the advantages of having an avatar with all of the attributes, accessories, and additions one wants ready, before entering the game's environment to participate is clear. The ability to carry acquisitions found in one game by the avatar into another game is also interesting. A lot of new possibilities for video game development exist in the further expansion of the Mii avatar on the Nintendo Wii gaming system, and into other platforms.

In summary, the recommendation is to go with the XBOX 360 for its great all around package of console, operating system, ports, and game catalog. The Nintendo Wii will come on strong if game developers expand some of the new possibilities inherent in the system. Otherwise, we'll be waiting for Wiii.