It seems reasonable to say that the three main video games consoles – the Xbox, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii – all have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Individual gamers will have their own personal favourites and it’s an exercise in futility to try and persuade them that one of the other consoles is even worthy of consideration, far less that it might, for certain applications, be better.
Many modern households will have more than one, and possibly all three, of the big three games consoles. Don’t forget the mobile gaming devices such as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS. These are also very popular. Most of the consoles can also be used as DVD or blu-ray disc players.
Putting the question of which console is “best” to one side for the moment, it seems fairly obvious that the Wii is the console which most encourages social interaction. Whilst the PS3 and the Xbox can often be found in teenager’s bedrooms, it’s really not uncommon to find that the Wii is given pride of place in the family living room. Even although the Wii is less powerful than the other two and has much simpler graphics, it is still the console that is most likely to be hooked up to the large screen TV in the family living room.
One explanation for this is the fact that, when using the Wii’s motion sensitive controllers, even although the graphics are less detailed, it’s much more difficult to keep track of the action on a small TV when you’re bouncing around the room waving your arms in the air. Another factor is that it’s more intuitive to learn Wii games due to the control system. In fact, it’s so easy that even adults can do it – which makes it possible for all of the family to take part.
Another consequence of all that bouncing about during game play is that gamers need more space to play the Wii when compared to other consoles which generally involve sitting fairly still and pressing buttons. This also tends to make the living room a better option than the average teenage bedroom, where you would most likely be tripping over piles of unwashed clothes, half eaten snacks and empty coke tins.
The physical element to game play on the Wii is a good thing. It means that there’s a certain amount of exercise involved when playing Wii games. On the other hand, you do need to take it easy at first. It’s all too easy to wake up with a sore arm or stiff legs after an evening playing Wii Sports for the first time.
The fact that so many homes have a Wii in the living room now could be one explanation for the success of the black Wii. Nintendo released this in Japan during the summer of 2009 and it went on sale in Europe just before Christmas 2009. It was a very popular choice with consumers – quite possibly because it goes with the TV, the cable box and the DVD player better than the original white version.
Discover the black Wii for yourself and also have a look at the wide range of Wii games available.
