Since Nintendo Wii is in very high demand with the Wii system being more difficult to find, it's possible that the PLaystation3 will benefit, because their sales last year were far lower than the Wii. If you are trying o find a Wii system, should you consider a Playstation3 if you can't get the Wii?



They are very different, but both excellent systems. The Sony PS3 is the high-end, bells-and-whistles choice between the two. It has hi-def graphics, comes with its own a hard disk, and also includes a Blu-ray Disc drive which has top image quality. It also comes in several versions, with the 60GB hard drive version being much more expensive at $600 retail price.

The Nintendo Wii system costs about $250, and includes wireless Wi-Fi capabilities. Like the PS3, it has a slot for an SD Card and can display photos, but unlike the PS3 it does not play movies. Nintendo hopes to add that to the Wii in the future.

The best thing about the Wii is that it has a unique remote and nunchuck combination, as well as a huge library of games. While the PS3 has a lot more

horsepower and better graphics, they just don't have the same volume of game choices. When Wii came on the market last year, there were sixty two games available, and since it became so popular, many more have appeared.

Even though the Wii's graphics are limited to standard

definition, what makes the Wii so much fun is the remote technology. It is motion-sensing technology, so that a player's physical motion moves the game play on the screen. For example, if you're playing football, you make a passing motion with the remote to pass the ball. A sword fight will require a little air-fencing as part of the game participation.

The Wii is very accessible for all ages because of this motion-sensing remote play, and in addition the price is more affordable. Wii also has a supplementary controller piece called the Nunchuk which is a joystick-type device that works together with the motion-sensing remote for some games that have more actions.

The Nintendo Wii provides more of a simple box with unique controls that is designed for fun. The Wii can play GameCube games (Nintendo's last offering) and has been introduced with a new addition to the chart-busting Zelda game series. Nintendo also released many old favorites such as PacMan, which can be downloaded right onto the Wii. You can even access th Internet through the Wii.

Nintendo's decision to target casual gamers has paid off. While it might not sport the high end graphics of the PS3, it has a great future. Most average players just want to have fun, and don't care too much about how fabulous the graphics are. For serious gamers, the PS3 is the likely choice. For everyone else, there's the Nintendo Wii.