By Richard Southam

Nintendo’s new game console, the Wii, is finally here. Nintendo has chosen to go in a completely different direction then that of Sony and Microsoft. Instead of focusing all their attention and resources on graphics, Nintendo has instead chosen to focus on game play. This is a risky move by Nintendo. Their intent is to not only capture the core gaming audience, but to reach out to casual and non-gamers as well. So how are they trying to accomplish this? By creating an innovative way to control and interact with the games.

Nintendo’s new control scheme starts with its remote, or as many people in the gaming industry have dubbed it, the “Wii-mote”. This is not your typical gaming controller. It does not have a plethora of different buttons. Instead, it only has a handful of buttons. You may be wondering how a game controller with so few buttons actually works. That is where the beauty and innovation comes in. The Wii remote works similarly to a computer mouse. You simply point it at the screen to control various objects. The innovation does not end there however. The Wii-mote has built-in motion sensing technology. Your movements are recorded and translated on screen in the game. For example if you were playing a game of tennis, you simply make a swinging motion to hit the ball. There are many sensors that determine how hard you swing, your timing, etc. Tennis games are no longer simply clicking buttons. The Wii-mote puts you directly in the action.

Although the Wii controller is innovative and has many uses, it does lack functionality for more complex games. This is why Nintendo also made available a special attachment for its Wii-mote, called the “nun-chuk”. This attachment plugs into the bottom of the standard Wii remote. The nun-chuk has the same motion sensing technology as the Wii-mote. It contains two trigger buttons and an analog stick. With the two remotes, the potential for different combinations far surpasses any other gaming controller.

As if two remotes weren’t enough, Nintendo has also released a special controller to play games on its Virtual Console. Although these particular games can be played with a Nintendo GameCube controller, the “Classic” or “Retro” controller is for people who don’t have GameCube remotes. This controller does not have any motion sensing technology, and can only be used for games on the Virtual Console.

As is the case with any new technology, there are some kinks and adjustments that need to be taken care of. Some games have some strange control schemes that don’t use the remotes to their full potential. This may seem like the remotes lack in functionality; however this is not really the fault of Nintendo. It is the responsibility of the third-party game developers. The launch titles released by Nintendo have no control issues whatsoever. It is just a matter of the game developers getting used to how the controls work best. Included in the box when you buy a Wii are both the Wii-mote and nun-chuk attachment. The “Classic” controller is sold separately for $19.99. Additional Wii-motes retail for $39.99 and the nun-chuk attachments are sold separately for $19.99.

The Nintendo Wii’s crop of controllers is very impressive. After the third-party developers make their control adjustments for future games, there will be nothing to complain about!

By Richard Southam

It has been a long time coming, but finally both these gaming consoles have arrived. The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) was released on November 17th, whereas the Nintendo Wii was released 2 days later, on the 19th. So which of the 2 systems is better? Which should you buy for Christmas? Who has the better launch? Read on to find the answers!

Launch by Numbers

PlayStation 3: After numerous delays and production problems, Sony was finally able to release its PlayStation 3 in time for the Christmas holidays…Well not quite. Sony was indeed able to release the system; however the shipment numbers are laughable. It is estimated that only 500,000 units will be shipped by the end of the year. This means trying to get your hands on a PS3 before Christmas will be nearly impossible.

Wii: Although it may be also difficult to get your hands on a Wii at the moment, Nintendo plans to ship over 4 million units worldwide by the end of the year. This easily dwarfs the PlayStation 3 number of 500,000. A steady supply of Wiis is being shipped weekly to retailers thus making it easier to get a Wii with each passing week.

Winner: Wii

Games:

PlayStation 3: When it comes to the PS3, it is generally thought that there are no games worth getting at this point in time. I have had the privilege of playing the PS3 and most of its games. The only game that held my interest for more than 15 minutes was Resistance: Fall of Man. It is obvious that better games will make their way to the system, but I would not suggest holding your breath for them. Games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13 are expected to come out in late 2007 or early 2008.

Wii: For the first time ever, Nintendo is releasing a Zelda game at a console launch. This launch title is without a doubt the best game available on the console. In fact, it is widely believed to be the best Zelda game ever. Another thing to take note of is the variety of games available. Nintendo and its third-party developers have covered all the bases. Whether you like sports games or shooting games, there is plenty to choose from.

Winner: Wii Graphics:

PlayStation 3: Although they don’t even come close to realizing the full potential of the PS3 in terms of graphics, the launch games are much prettier than those of the Wii.

Wii: Nintendo has taken a different direction this generation and is less concerned about graphics. Although that doesn’t mean that the games look bad. You certainly won’t get the same level of realism that you would get on the PS3 or XBOX360. The Wii’s graphical power is a little stronger than that of the original XBOX.

Winner: PlayStation 3

Price:

PlayStation 3: The PlayStation 3 comes in 2 different versions. You have the $499.99 version and the $599.99 version. No, I did not make a typo with the prices. Although both systems are similar, the $600 version comes with, among other things, a bigger hard drive. It is estimated that over 80% of the PlayStation 3 consoles shipped will be the $600 version. All this makes the $500 version fairly obsolete. Both versions are able to play BluRay discs. One remote and the necessary cables are included in the box.

Wii: Currently, the Nintendo Wii retails for $249.99. Included in the box are: the Wii game console, all the necessary wires and adapters, Wii Sports (a game featuring 5 different sports), the regular Wii remote, as well as the nun-chuk attachment.

Winner: Wii

Final Score: Wii – 3 vs. PlayStation 3 – 1

Verdict: The Wii is the obvious choice for all gamers right now. The cheap price, great launch games, and fantastic innovation make it the console to get this holiday season.

By Richard Southam

There is always at least one constant in the world of game console launches: shortages. It is no different this time around as all 3 of the big name consoles, the Microsoft XBOX360, the Sony PlayStation3, and the Nintendo Wii, can’t seem to keep up with the high demand. Nintendo executives were prepared for potential shortages, and produced millions of consoles for the launch of the Nintendo Wii. What they weren’t prepared for was the overwhelming demand for their new console. Nintendo expected to have over 4 million units available worldwide for the launch period. That is from its initial launch on November 19, to Christmas. So far every shipment made from Nintendo to the retailers has sold out within 24 hours of arrival on the store shelves. It may be quite tricky to get your hands on a Wii before Christmas. This article will provide you with some tips with regards to purchasing a Wii.

If you go to a retailer and they are out of stock, the first thing you want to do is stay patient. If you missed out on your opportunity to get a Wii during this week’s shipment, it’s not the end of the world. There will be plenty of Wiis available between now and Christmas. What you don’t want to do is get impatient and buy a Wii on eBay for double the price.

Having said that, eBay is definitely the first place to check for deals for the Wii. You will want to avoid any of the “Buy it Now” auctions, as they will charge more than the retail price. What you want to be looking for are regular bid auctions. Make a search for “Wii” sort the auctions by “time remaining”. If you are living in the United States, you’ll want to display only the results from North America. The reason for this is that there are a lot of scammers on eBay, and these scammers are typically located in Japan or other overseas countries. All this will give you the list of all the Wii auctions ending soonest. What you want to be looking for are auctions where the current bid is lower than the retail price of the Wii. These are the auctions you’ll want to be bidding on. One thing to check before bidding is the shipping cost. Some people will deliberately have a low cost, but charge an outrageous amount for shipping. This method does not always work, as there are always plenty of people bidding on the auctions as well. But with a little luck, you may be able to snatch up a Wii for cheap. The same principle applies for Wii games, controllers, and other accessories.

Another way to get a great deal on a Wii is to buy it in a bundle. Some stores will offer the Wii bundled with various games, accessories, etc. These bundles are usually quite expensive; however it does save you some money. One thing you need to consider before buying a bundle is if you really need and/or want everything in the bundle. For example, if you don’t want 2 of the games included, maybe it would be cheaper to buy everything separately. Also, even if you want everything in the bundle, you should take note of what the price would be if you bought every item separately.