Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Military Times

Intel brief: Christmas of the consoles

Forget about peace on Earth — there’s a new arms race brewing this holiday season.

Bigger than Ali-Foreman, nastier than Coke vs. Pepsi, the three-way slugfest of Sony vs. Microsoft vs. Nintendo is shaping up to be a steel-cage death match for all the marbles.

And you have a front-row ticket.

Sony’s banking on the awesome firepower of its new PlayStation 3. Microsoft is counting on the wide availability and huge game catalog of the Xbox 360. Nintendo is betting on the quirkiness and comparatively lower price of the Wii.

If you’ve been very, very good — and somehow, we doubt it — Santa will bring you all three. Instead, you’ll probably be grappling with the tough decision on where to put hundreds of your hard-earned dollars.

Never content to sit out any good war, we’ve embedded ourselves deep into the conflict to help you size up the fight. Consider this your early intel report on the Console Wars.

Let’s get ready to rummmmmmmble.

Microsoft Xbox 360

Availability: Released Nov. 22, 2005

Price: Core system — $299 (console, controller, video cable)

Premium package — $399 (console, 20 gigabyte hard drive, wireless controller, headset, HD video and Ethernet cables)

Specs: Processor — 3.2 gigahertz IBM Xenon

Graphics — 500 megahertz ATI Xenos

RAM — 512 megabytes

Must-have games: “Gears of War,” out now. “Halo 3,” coming soon.

Intel report: The best news is that you’ll probably be able to find one easily.

Microsoft launched its next-gen system a year ago, giving it a head start on the competition and plenty of time to work out most of the bugs before the war begins. Now, there’s a healthy catalog of games (about 150) to choose from, plus the excellent Xbox Live online service.

Even if we don’t argue over which system looks better, runs faster, blah blah blah, the 360 offers the best flexibility in terms of price vs. features.

Need to do it on the cheap? We wouldn’t recommend this, but you could buy a bare-bones core system now and add upgrades over time. (You’ll spend at least $600 to upgrade it to a $399 premium system, just sayin’.) This is a plus if, say, you take your system to Iraq and it gets smashed, sandblasted or lost in transit.

Don’t care about next-gen DVD movies? No worries — the 360 doesn’t play them. Wish that it played next-gen movies? Add the new HD-DVD attachment for $200 (making it the same price as a comparable Sony system.)

Ultimately, Microsoft is trying to get all the dough by offering gamers the choice of buying a little or a lot. If you’re on a budget, that’s a good thing. There is some bad news, however.

Wireless internet is an add-on, regardless of which version you choose. The hard drive only comes with 20 GB of storage space, and we have iPods with more memory than that.

The really, really bad news — “Halo 3” is a Microsoft product. If you’re not willing to buy a 360, you’ll never find out what happens to the Master Chief.

Think it over.

Sony PlayStation 3

Availability: Expected Nov. 17

Price: Basic — $499 (console, 20 GB hard drive, Ethernet)

Deluxe — $599 (console, 60 GB hard drive, built-in wireless Internet)

Specs: Processor — 3.2 GHz Cell

Graphics — 550 MHz Nvidia RSX

RAM — 512 MB

Must-have games: “Resistance: Fall of Man,” due at launch. “Warhawk,” coming soon.

Intel report: If you can find one, buy it.

Even if you aren’t a PlayStation fan, even if you’re not a gamer, the sheer demand for Sony’s new next-generation console is so high that a savvy investor who lucks upon one could make a quick buck.

We’re not betting it will happen. We’re just saying “if.”

Gaming reports indicated that Sony would offer fewer than 500,000 of its new PlayStation 3 consoles on launch day — far, far fewer than the job calls for. As such, getting your hands on one for the holidays is going to be tricky, even with the bonus of being able to shop in the military exchange system.

The hype comes for good reason. Arguably the most powerful console ever made, every PS3 is also a high-def Blu-ray DVD player. Wireless Internet comes standard, as do wireless controllers (with motion-sensing technology, oooh; take that, Microsoft).

The Blu-ray player means future PS3 games could be far more robust than anything the Xbox 360 can manage, because the discs can hold more data. This is not a big deal right now, but down the road, it might matter.

The PS3 links to the PlayStation Portable. It plays CDs and standard DVDs (however, so does the Xbox 360), and it’ll run the monster catalog of existing PlayStation and PS2 games (with a few exceptions, according to Sony).

It’s pricey, but nothing great comes cheap.

Nintendo Wii

Availability: Expected Nov. 19

Price: $249.99 (includes one remote controller, one nunchaku controller, composite cables, power hardware and the game “Wii Sports”)

Specs: Processor — 729 MHz IBM Broadway

Graphics — 243 MHz ATI Hollywood

RAM — 512 MB (internal flash)

Must-have games: “Red Steel,” due at launch. “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption” and “Battalion Wars 2,” coming soon.

Intel report: It’s pronounced “wee,” as in, small. The name says a lot.

Clearly the least powerful, least formidable and least useful of the three, Nintendo’s replacement for the GameCube probably isn’t the best option for a one-console barracks room.

Most of the games are geared to a far-younger audience. The console apparently won’t play DVDs (although talk of an “upgrade” is already floating around). It doesn’t offer high-definition graphics.

Nintendo is preparing to offer three times as many systems on launch day as Sony’s PS3, however, so finding one might be easier. Pair that wider availability with the Wii’s interesting controls, excellent price and included game, and it should make a worthy addition for Xbox 360 owners.

Breaking from the standard, two-handed controller model, Nintendo is offering a pair of wireless, motion-sensing, one-handed controllers. The goal is to make things intuitive and fun for gaming veterans and newcomers alike.

The Wii will play the full catalog of GameCube titles, and its internal wireless Internet features let you buy and download two decades worth of old-school Nintendo favorites. It will also connect to the Nintendo DS handheld.

For dedicated PC gamers, the Wii might be a must-have. Why? “Call of Duty 3” will be available for the Wii but not for PCs.