From Atari to Wii: The Boom in Gaming

Testament to my age lies in my nostalgic memories of the Atari 2600 Gaming System. Hitting the market in 1977, the Atari 2600 was one of the earliest video game systems to make it on the scene, marking a period in time where children began to explore some of the vast luxuries of indoor entertainment. Consisting of a relatively large (by today's standards) plastic and wooden console, a pair of stark joysticks, a pair of adjoining circular "paddles", and a complimentary game cartridge, this video game system became a staple in many households.

I have recently had the distinct pleasure of getting my hands on one of those coveted red-buttoned joysticks--- and it was as if time had stopped. I popped in a "Pac Man" cartridge into the console (Wow, did I just say "console" again?) and suddenly the gates to Nostalgia Heaven were open unto me. After a few hours of uninterrupted bliss, I acquired both a sore thumb, and the realization that the Atari 2600 (and all its accoutrement) is the best gaming system ever. In fact, I'd rather own one of these than any PS2, PS3, game box, cube or any other souped-up variety.

SIMPLICITY

Suffice it to say, the Atari 2600 is one of the simplest game systems ever made. Not many "bells and whistles" were added to this little piece of equipment. But for some reason, the simplicity of its functionality is what makes it so fantastic. In perusing the video game section of my neighborhood Toys-R-Us, I came to the conclusion that video games these days are incredibly complicated.

Pick your average $60 PS3 game and more than likely it will be accompanied by an inch-thick manual and an elaborate set of instructions. I am not too proud to admit how incredibly impressive programming is on these new games. Slide in the disc and your television screen fills with the most realistic-looking graphics one has ever seen. The realism is definitely one of the technology's biggest selling points. But I personally don't feel like acquiring a degree in order to ascertain the logistics of "getting to the next level." Thus, there is something to be said for the Atari 2600's sheer minimalism.

Take for instance, the most popular Atari 2600 confection, "Pac-Man." This game, comprised of a series of dashes and blocks dispersed throughout an "intricate" maze is one of the simplest games ever developed. But anyone accustomed to playing will tell you that there is a mind-numbing meditative quality in steering a chomping semicircle around a screen over and over again. As an adolescent, I played for hours, stopping only for dinner or bedtime. Truly, the beauty in all of the Atari 2600 attractions is in its sublime minimalist qualities.

GAME VARIETY

Don't let anyone tell you that today's gaming systems are better because of the variety of subject matter depicted in them. This statement would be false. Take a stroll through your local technology/ gaming store and you'll realize that these games fit into either of two categories: fighting or sports.

Surprisingly, software developers have found a myriad of ways to exploit those two subjects. Some games have extremely graphic sexual content; most of them simply contain extreme violence. I am under the distinct impression that had Atari 2600 game developers included intense and bloody sequences in their programming, parents everywhere would have been outraged. But for some reason, these images are quite acceptable today. As a matter of fact, gamers these days don't take a disc seriously if there isn't some measure of "realism" included in the game.

What I loved about the Atari 2600 especially, was the wide variety of cartridges available for play. Novelties like Superman, Asteroids, Pitfall, Frogger, and Donkey Kong used the fantasy world to encourage creativity. Kids used their brains to imagine what these mystical worlds really looked like, even though their television screens only depicted a few basic shapes and expanses of blank space.. But in today's gaming world, the emphasis is focused squarely on how realistic the hero's AK-47 looks to its "virtual trigger puller."

<i>Rock Band</i> for Xbox360: For a Challenge, Stick with the Drums

The current game systems we have available have been out for a few years. They have been battling with each other for years too. We have some of the greatest gamepaly right now, but it depends on what kind of gamer you are to figure out what kind of system you need.

In corner number one, we have the Wii ($199). In 2006 the Wii made some new rules for the future gaming systems, but has it run its course as a system? This was the lower technology game system. It was supposed to be an inexpensive alternative to the Xbox360 and the Playstation 3 (PS3) and succeeded. With 480i (original TV Resolution), 480p, and 576i, there is only a slight improvement on a high def TV. The Wii is still great for the younger game player. Kids love using the motion sensitive control stick to make their Mii (onscreen character) go bowling, play tennis, golf, or even act like it's a steering wheel and drive.

In corner number two, we have the Xbox360 ($199-299 depending on model). This system released way back in 2005 making it our oldest out of the group. There are many great games out that have great game play and network play. The network play costs about 50 bucks a year and it is paid per user account. Of course, the kids can share one account, but won't be able to save their individual game files unless they are playing off line. The Xbox360 games can be misleading on the multiplayer feature. Many of them claim multiplayer, but use the network account system so you can only play one person per machine. These machines are also prone to failure (About 1 in 6 that were made from 05-08 have went bad). The machines built in 2009 are "supposed" to be much more reliable, but like GM, do you really trust someone who has been pumping out super cheap machines the last few years. Other than that, they have this machine pretty polished up.

Finally, in the center of the ring with both arms up, we have the Playstation 3 (PS3)($299-399 depending on model). This machine released in 2006 at the price of $599, but it released with the ability to do 1080p (Yet it depends on the game). It was super expensive to most people, but it has been re-designed and just dropped in price. It sports a blu-ray player and has built in wireless. The controllers have some motion sensing, but it really hasn't been utilized. They don't charge for network play and sport a very fast processor. This will probably be the prominent machine in 2010-2011, but it still has a few hurdles to cross.

So, in conclusion, if you have small kids and grandparents, go with the Wii. The Wii is very easy to use and has a great fun factor. If you are looking for a machine with a cheap startup cost and still want nice graphics, go with the Xbox360. If you have a 1080p TV and an extra hundred bucks to spend, I would recommend the PS3. The PS3 will probably be the best investment for the future and will probably be running up against the next wave of video game systems. Happy gaming!

Wii price, release date, and resolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii
Xbox360 Price and Release date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360
Xbox360 live play card.
http://www.nextag.com/xbox-live-game-card/products-html
Xbox360 Falure rate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_technical_problems
PS3 Price, Release date, and resolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3

Guide to Nintendo Wii Accessories

Something tells me that Nintendo's (Pink Sheets: NTDOY) Wii console is continuing to surprise everybody.

However, that is not the only surprise coming from the hose of Mario this week.

More on that in a few minutes, though: the first order of business today is a surprise in and of itself, as the Wii comes storming through Japan after a 22 percent sales drop forced most of us to think that the console itself was threatening to go all "passing fad" on us -- literally. Indeed, the Wii's performance -- tracked by Media Create Co. for the week of Feb. 5 through Feb. 11, 2007 -- saw Wii hardware sales increase to 78,550 -- up from 65,740 during the previous week. That is an increase of nearly 84 percent!

On top of that, two software titles for the Wii platform ranked in top ten for all software sales during the same week -- as reported by videogame community site Punch Jump -- with Wii Sports at No. 2 and Wii Play at No. 3. Additionally, six titles for the Wii platform ranked in the top 50 of overall software sales, beating out every other next-generation console currently on the market.

Media Create also reports that Wii Sports -- currently only sold separately from the Wii in Japan as it is a console sales "pack-in" nearly everywhere else, including the United States -- is now officially a platinum title, with just over 1 million units sold to date. Obviously, this means that when you include the game's distribution in-box with the Wii itself in nearly every other global market, you have a title that is (unofficially) a multi-platinum title as well. Consequentially, this means that Wii Sports has officially joined Zelda: Twilight Princess as the Wii's second official platinum-seller title released to date.

Now I do not personally know about you, but that makes me hungry for even more mini-game action on the Wii. On that note, I can safely say that Wii Play is now officially available across the entire world now, since the last couple of weeks mark the official availability of the first official follow-up to Wii Sports here in the States. Admittedly, however, my guess on the ability to actually find the game may be a stretch thanks to the inclusion of a second Wiimote (that's short for Wii Remote, if you will) which is packed in with the game like Wii Sports is with the Wii itself.

Finally, here is the surprise I mentioned earlier: starting this week, Nintendo is looking hard for the opinions of its fans -- literally -- as a new, survey-themed Wii Channel hits the 'Net for owners of the console. Launched on about Tuesday or Wednesday -- depending on where you live -- the new Everybody Votes Channel makes opinion polling a lot more fun. Users must perform a Wii system update, then they can download the required software from the Wii Shop Channel's Wii Ware page without charge -- like they did for the beta version of the Opera browser for use with the Wii. At that point, they can vote on a number of general-topic questions such as whether they prefer dogs or cats, would rather give roses over chocolates on Valentines Day -- you get the idea. It is also possible that Nintendo could throw in a few market-research questions as well at some point in time.

After voting on a topic, users can vote on which answer they believe will be the most popular, and can track their predictions on a win/loss scale. They can also view the twelve most recent topics on which they voted to see how accurate their answers were for a specific topic. Players can also compare results globally as well as within a player's own family.