Gaming

TSR Wiki > Life > Computing and Technology > Gaming

There are many different games and systems that are available for people new to gaming to get very confused with. This is to iron out any questions you may have as to what console is best for you, pros and cons of each console and any other general info that is helpful in deciding what to do if you want to start gaming.

Systems

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is Microsoft's own console. It was launched nearly a year behind its first competitor in time for Christmas 2005. There are 3 different packages available for purchase. Firstly there is the Xbox 360 arcade. This comes with 1 wireless controller, a 256mb memory card and 5 free arcade games and is the cheapest of the 3 packages at around £200. The next package up is probably the best value for money. For around £250, in the premium package you get the console with a 60gb hard drive. Some bundles come with 2 wireless controllers, some come with only 1 so shop around to see which one you want. Then at the top end of the price range is the Xbox 360 elite, this comes as a black console, not white, and includes a 120gb hard drive and an HDMI cable. All packages come with an Xbox live headset for voice communication (aside from the Arcade) and one months free subscription to Xbox live gold. The welcome screen is also known as the dashboard and is where the control of the console is given.

When the console is first turned on, the gamer has to create what is known as a gamercard. This is an online identity and is used across all games. Using the gamercard, when playing games, this means that the gamer doesn't have to subscribe to lots of different services to play on lots of different games. The gamercard also tracks all the games that are played by that gamer ever and will record achievements. Achievements are a feature added in the Xbox 360 where when a game is played, the gamer unlocks them. These can be for things like completing a mission or completing the single player. Each achievement is rewarded with gamerscore and this is just a way of boasting.

Xbox Live

Arguably, the best internet gaming network on all of the consoles. Xbox live comes in two different flavours. Firstly there is the silver subscription. This is free and allows you to connect to Xbox live. You can create a friends list of all the people you know who have xbox live and also chat to them. You can also sign in using your window live ID to messenger and be able to chat to all your messenger friends. Gold subscription allows you to play online with other people in multiplayer games however this cost around £35 for one years subscription.

Marketplace

The Xbox Live Marketplace is located on the marketplace blade of the Dashboard. This is where gamers who are connected to xbox live can download new content. The marketplace works on a points system which can be purchased through pre-paid cards in most gaming retail shops or directly through xbox live by giving card details. Once you have the points they can be spent on a number of things. They can be used to buy new content for games such as map packs or extra levels. They can be used to purchase new arcade games. These are smaller games than those bought on disk and take up to 200mb of room. These are usually sold for either 400 or 800 Microsoft points and developer regulations say that the games must offer 12 achievements with a maximum of 200 gamerscore points. Other than games, you can purchase picture packs to uses as gamer pictures, these usually retail for 80 Microsoft points. You can also purchase themes to decorate the Xbox dashboard.

In December 2007 (06 in the US) Microsoft launched the video marketplace. Here gamers can pay for and rent full length movies. One standard definition movie costs 360 points and a HD movie in 720p definition costs 540 points. As the marketplace was only recently launched in the UK, there is not a lot of content, however in the US the marketplace has already been trading for 1 year and so there is a lot more content. Hopefully, in the new year more content such as TV shows are added.

Wii

The Wii is Nintendo's shot at gaming console success. Launched in autumn 2006, many in the industry dismissed the console as a gimmick without great specifications. However, since the launch of the console, with its active game play and games for both the family and the gamer, it has seen lots of success and is now viewed as a console all will enjoy. Many of the games differ from that of the Xbox 360 and PS3 as they make use of the intuitive motion sensing feature of the Wii remote, which is a breakthrough in gaming technology.

PS3

The PlayStation 3 is a game console which also has extensive media features. It was released in March 2007 to Europe and since then has grown into one of the most popular consoles on the market. The PS3 is the most powerful games console out there, its processor has been likened to that of a SuperComputer. It is capable of playing Blu-ray (Profile 2.0) discs, and possibly expandable to future profile versions. It supports Adobe Flash Player, e.g.. you can watch videos on YouTube and streaming of music, videos, photos and so on. The PlayStation Network (PSN) offers free online gaming. five main versions of the console have been produced, though only the latter two remain in production:

• The 60GB version - The original model, with a 60GB hard drive. This system has 4 external USB ports and is backwards-compatible (i.e it can play most PS2 and all PS1 games). It also has a flash memory card reader. This version has now been discontinued, though used systems can be purchased from eBay or a number of highstreet games stores (e.g., Game, Gamestation) - due to the backwards-compatibility, these models can fetch a high premium.
• The 40GB Version - Released in a bid to make the PS3 affordable, this system has a 40GB hard drive, lacks the backwards-compatibility of the original 60GB model and only has 2 external USB ports. Later versions of the 40GB model included a DualShock 3 controller (rather than the older SIXAXIS controller), adding rumble functionality. This version of the console was about £150-£200 cheaper than the original 60gb version at the time of release. This version has now been discontinued.
• The 80GB Version - For a long time the primary version, the 80GB was sold alongside the 40GB version, being essentially the same except with a larger (80GB) hard drive. This version has now been discontinued.
• The 120GB PS3 'Slim' - The PS3 'Slim' was released in September 2009, and is 32% smaller, 36% lighter and uses 34% less power than previous models. All features of the console remain the same, except that it is not possible to install the Linux operating system onto the PS3 'Slim', a (little-used) feature of older versions.
• The 250GB PS3 'Slim' - Identical to the 120GB version but, as the name implies, with a 250GB HDD installed.

PC

PS2

The PS2 or Playstation 2, the sequel to the original playstation one, was launched around march 2000. It remains one of the best selling console systems to date having sold 120 million units world wide by September 1st 2007.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS, or Dual Screen, is Nintendo's handheld gaming device and is easily recognisable due to its twin-screen set up and stylus control.

Where to buy