The start of this gaming era has really changed shape over the last two years. People were skeptical over what consoles they should buy. Single console owners were unsure if they made the right decision, and could only base their judgment on the launched titles that shipped the same day the consoles did. At first, it was Xbox 360 with Quake 4, Wii with Wii Sports, and PS3 with Heavenly Sword. These games were the popular trendsetters that would make the consumer feel a sigh of relief that they made the right choice. Now, after three years past all the pools of money that these companies have been raking in from us, this year is supposedly another important year for gamers. One thing that hasn't been seen in a long time are price drops. The Xbox 360 and PS3 are at a mini-war by keeping up with their price tags, lowering their amount to satisfy us consumers, and considering that they are at the same price, it's strange enough that the Wii is still in this sale war. And speaking of tawdry gimmicks and crappy motion controls, new motion devices have been supplied for each console. The Xbox 360 has been critically noted with its Project Natal, which will feature motion that requires no controller whatsoever. The PS3 has sidestepped such an attack, by preparing its own motion controller, which can make you practically do anything with the screen and even turn it into a virtual sword or even a whip. And the Wii has also updated their motion control with a little help from its MotionPlus. The devices themselves seem pointless to many hardcore and experienced gamers, but if one is willing to succeed this year as the Christmas winner, they need bait, and newcomers are the prey. Hopefully, they'll work to the best of their abilities, but going in-depth on these three consoles just might solidify your choice for your next entertainment system.

PS3, Sony, Nov. 11, 2006

The third major installment to the Playstation franchise, the Sony PS3 is a sleek black beast famous for its amazing HD graphics display, Blu-ray, and free online play. The main features of the console start out as so:

1. Slimmer, weighs less

This is now important because some fans have had trouble with their past ones overheating, and we all know that the 360 Red Rings are a larger setback, but it still became an issue. Sony now claims that such system hardware problems should never occur with their new console repairs, and now the size has been reduced, making it so much easier to fit that small nook in the video slot underneath the TV. The past one was, metaphorically, a ton, and would probably put a hole in your floor if you dropped it. Good news for Sony fans.

2. Built-in Wireless Finder

Another great feature that has been enhanced slightly based on the slimmer design is the built-in wi-fi. The internet connectivity is known to be fast and reliable. From game downloads to trailer videos to special interface themes, as long as you are connected to the internet, the downloads are smooth and speedy, making the extent of the console more enjoyable. It would be best to mention that in order for this to work, you would require a broadband internet connection hooked up to a wireless router, thus producing the signals necessary for the wi-fi to locate your internet, duh.

3. Built-in Hard Drive

This can also be seen as a problem to some, but let's start with the good news first. This 120 GB Hard Drive is built-in so you don't need to worry about the hassle of setting up a memory card or external memory unit. But, in a sense, it's not. It's just plugging it in. No real complication, and the fact that it can't be a removable hard drive is rather limited. But, the fact that it holds a whopping 120 GB of music, downloads, pictures, videos, and add-ons is impressive, to say the least. This is a massive amount of information that can be held and is very important to fully enjoy any entertainment system, and the other components will come to support this claim.

4. Netflix

Sometimes, you just feel like renting a movie. Unfortunately, the video store isn't open right now, so PS3 sided with the film lovers out there by reaching a financial agreement with Netflix, so when using the console, you can now find movies from A - Z just by starting up the PS3. The rating system and the searching is quick and sleek, as well as the movie quality and the prices. If you have a Netflix subscription, this makes it even easier to rent your movies, so this is a thumbs-up for a lot of consumers.

5. Blu-ray Disc Drive

Blu-ray has taken over the HD DVD film industry and provides a new euphoria of movie quality, with impressive display and mind-blowing detail. This is the best way to view your movies to date, so if you would rather keep up on the curve and find a new way to play movies, this ability has come forth as a great way to enjoy movies at their finest.

6. Game Library / HD Gaming

The Sony PS3 is making a comeback after years of speculation from its first bidders who once said that it had no interesting and also entertaining games. What it needed was a boost in classic and memorable titles. And that's what they planned on. Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted and more. The new games coming out scream "Playstation classics" but they still have their own originality. Other multi-platform games have been deemed popular for PS3 as well, like Modern Warfare 2, Fallout 3, World at War, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Assassin's Creed II. The gaming detail itself is a sight to behold. As dependent as the graphics are on the game disc itself, as long as you own an HDTV and a PS3, the visual quality is a major factor in PS3 sales.

Cons for Thought:

1. Limited Online Marketplace Downloads

The wi-fi picks up the connectivity fine, but it's not the internet's fault if you can't find some DLC that you've heard about on the other consoles. Some multi-platform games have been neglecting Sony of DLC for their games (i.e. Fallout 3). They have been left in the dust by the Xbox 360 when it comes to gaming DLC in most cases, and it has been a small setback. The PS3 marketplace is also constricted since Xbox 360 had Netflix about half a year before they received it. Their gallery of gaming artifacts and add-ons just can't compete with the large Xbox LIVE marketplace, and it's missing some popular downloads that would boost its sales. Luckily, though, PSone downloads are available, so any of the old-school games you once played can be brought back to you yet again.

2. Backwards Compatibility Doesn't Exist

That's right, the new PS3 Slim can't handle your old PS2 or PSone games. I honestly can't explain why, but all I can really guess is that either it required too much stored data that might compromise its design, or that they planned to improve their PSone original downloads via its marketplace by excluding possible compatibility.

3. Wi-fi Range Issues

This is a small and sentimental issue, but according to some PS3 forums, consumers have been having wi-fi fluctuation issues. In other words, the range connectivity percentage is really not as controlled as some might think, but it does not effect their connectivity. It simply just has an issue with calculating its true connection strength.

4. Disapproving Controls

For some PS3 owners, the controller has been known to them by birth, and the button layout has been jarred into their head, possibly for many more years to come. But for the new and intrigued gamer, this controller is tough. After reading more forum threads, some think it's too light, and that it makes it feel like the controller is flimsy and annoying. There are also reports of the L2 and R2 buttons being the most ridiculous attachment ideas ever, since they rotate in, unlike the 360 trigger buttons. Based on the controls, many speculate that it's really been made to satisfy a casual gamer's prowess rather than the hardcore group. But, this is more of an adaptive problem rather than a console issue, so this one can slide.

Hardcore gamer review: 9.25/10

Common review: 9.5/10 (10/10, 9.5/10, 9/10, 9.5/10)

Finally, we're done with the Sony PS3 for a while. Time for a new form of gaming, the Xbox 360.

Xbox 360, Microsoft, Nov. 22, 2005

This successor to the Xbox has had a long shelf life and keeps itself sturdy amongst the top of the gaming consoles available. Many successful starts have best been achieved on the 360, but many blunders as well.

1. Best Online Play Around

If you were to play Call of Duty 4 multiplayer and then compare it to the PS3 and the Wii (Call of Duty 4 is planned for this, just so you know), the Xbox 360 is the obvious choice. Strong online connectivity and great fast-paced shooter games have made it the best console to play online. As sad as the fact that it costs money for it, it really adds up to a great gaming experience as long as you really are near a good wi-fi or wired internet connection.

2. Marketplace Content

Ever since 2005, the marketplace has expanded vastly, from themes and gamer pics, to trailers, movies, music, TV, and downloadable game content. These incredible features add up to a comfortable and controllable environment that gives the consumer control. Without this main library of content, the games would definitely not be as memorable. Netflix has taken part in this as well, and it has been available for quite some time on the 360, making it easily the largest media marketplace of gaming consoles on the market today, excluding PC.

3. Updatable and Fun Graphic Interface

The new updates for 360 have made Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm and Zune a one-click feature available on the interface. The interface is enjoyable and organized, including a fun avatar that you can create and edit just by pressing one button. You can also auto-eject the game just by controller. The problem with these cool features is that many are, in a way, pointless. Why would I type in a long status on my 360 when I can just walk upstairs and type it in a few seconds? It's good to check up on things, but it feels like a waste whenever I want to update my status. Still, cool features and 2-minute downloads for said updates make it a force to be reckoned with when compared with the PS3's slow firmware updates.

4. 120 GB External Hard Drive Comes With It

A good deal for most new gamers, this feature comes with the Elite in a $300 package, which is just as cheap as the PS3's deal. This hard drive, as said before in the PS3 section, makes it much easier to store data, so you can keep playing games at their finest.

5. Ergonomic Controls

The Xbox 360 isn't just known for the console, but for the controller as well. This may be one of the best controllers to use, considering that the design is not sharp-edged like past controllers, and it appeals to the gamer by fitting their hands perfectly. The thumbsticks are a mini-necessity, because once you adapt to them, you are destined to need them forever. They are a great addition, and it begs the simple question, "Why aren't all game control sticks made this way?" The triggers and the bumpers are smooth and yet easy to press, so keeping the controller in your hands is no problem. It can even attach to a PC and play computer games, as long as it's wired or you've bought a special component to wirelessly attach it to a PC. One setback would have to be the D-pad, though. With my past experience and after reading about it in the ask GI magazine section, I have to completely agree that it majorly effects your gameplay if it's dependent on the D-pad (i.e. Gears of War 1 & 2). Despite such a problem, this controller and the other controller attachments appeal to the consumer perfectly, and make the entertainment system legendary for such a feature.

6. Top-Notch Original Games

Microsoft is well-known for making its own games on the 360. Microsoft Game Studios brought a force of nature when it created Halo, and Halo 3, despite its sub-par graphics, is a great game that is still played today, and is known for its manipulatable gametypes and maps, while Gears of War is well-known for being one of the best shooters because of its stop-and-shoot action and gritty gameplay, as well as Crackdown and others. They've developed a good amount of video game series that would be great to expand to a third console, so these games are dressed to impress, alongside the before-mentioned multi-platform games that modify it to the next level of gaming.

7. Indie Games

This console actually tries to stabilize an environment with gamers and low-budget game makers. This provides entertainment that these developers can profit from, and some interesting popular games have been added to this always growing library that can entertain video game connoisseurs to their very delight. Something for the underdog.

Cons for Thought:

1. Expensive Equipment / No Built-in Wi-Fi

If you choose to get the Xbox 360 Arcade instead of the Elite, you'll be digging yourself into a grave with the money spent on a hard drive. They're very expensive, just like the racing kit, the HD DVD player, Media Remote, controllers, and even the wi-fi plugin. That's another setback; they can't attach a wireless adapter to your 360 when you buy it, so that's $100 for those who just can't plug it up to their computers.

2. Expensive Xbox LIVE

I got to be honest, I feel like ranting because Microsoft obviously has billions of dollars in their company from computer, Zune, and Xbox 360 profits, but the fact that they just need more money is pathetic and it drains your wallet out real fast. In order to enjoy this amazing online multiplayer experience and socialize with friends, you require more cash just to pay for this service. It's a joke enough that you spend so much money on the other equipment, but such a deal is just down right unfair to the average gamer, and it hurts even more to notice that when I searched Microsoft's stocks, it's been raising at a large incline ever since the beginning of 2009, so I really don't understand why they have to keep making us pay. If Sony and Nintendo can live with it, why can't one of the largest companies ever handle it?

3. Microsoft Points Suck

The fact that most of the time when I plan to download something, it pops up saying that you need this many points, and then I soon realize that I'm only a few short. But, in order to get more points, I have to buy them in at least $5 increments. It's just stupid that I can't buy them off, oh say, a numeric system, where whatever number of points you need, you place the digit into their price average so you can pay for that number without buying excess points. It's a simple thing to fix, but they require so much money, so why not take more of it?

After figuring out its pros and cons, here's what I'd say:

Hardcore review: 9.75/10

Common review: 9.5/10 (10/10, 9.75/10, 9.25/10, 9/10)

I'm not going to include the Wii right now because it'll take forever to talk about, and I'm pretty sure based on the GI reports I've seen on the site, everyone thinks it's failing slowly, so I doubt anyone would care about its features and benefits. For now, I'll just include these two. All in all, I think the Xbox 360 is best for hardcore gamers, and since the deal this Christmas gives you a 120 GB hard drive as well as a controller and a sleek black 360 all for a $300 package, I think that's the best it'll get when it comes to expenses. Although it's expensive, experienced gamers have made this their standstill choice for online gaming and more. But, if you're more of a casual and controlled gamer, or even a newcomer to the whole scene, I can honestly say that PS3 would be a good start, especially with its fun and easier gameplay as well as free internet capability and impressive graphics and games.