Get up to the lastest news on the product wars! Right here!
1a. Console Wars
1b. Online Services
1c. Handheld Wars
3. Apple vs. Microsoft...COMING SOON!
The Console Wars are on!Nintendo, Xbox, Sony! Wii, 360 PS3! Whose side will you take. Which side will prevail and who will come out the ultimate winner!(Please note: I may be a little biased;I love Nintendo but I will try my best to be fair. More to come as this page is still under construction!
Yahoo!'s Console Wars:Who won '08 is officialy out!
The subheadline...Nintendo Sails, Microsoft Trails, Sony Ails
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Home systems
All three consoles have had major shortages both at their launches and directly afterwards, with the Xbox 360's continuing for months after release and Wii's still continuing after 2 holiday seasons; the PlayStation 3 saw high demand for its first week of release, but it did not continue, being in stock at most major retailers shortly after release. Financial Times reported that as of September 12, 2007, the Wii is leading in sales with 9 million units sold, based on sales figures from Enterbrain, NPD Group, and GfK;[22] the Xbox 360 was second with 8.9 million units sold and the PlayStation 3 was third with 3.7 million units.[22]
As of November 19, 2006, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii have all been released. This new generation for the first time has all of the major consoles focusing on online integration and wireless controllers. Initially only the Wii was 100% backwards compatible with its previous counterpart with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 only offering partial support, until the firmware update which came with Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction when all PS3 revisions could have the entire PS1/PS2 library in playable condition (ie: includes 80 GB PS3 emulators). The PS3's "PS2 on a chip" solution used on the North American console has been taken out of the European release and is done through less-perfect but cheaper software emulation; however, the 40 GB PS3 SKU has taken out PS2 backwards compatibility all together, to help lower prices. The Xbox 360 uses software emulation for backwards compatibility via game-specific patches automatically downloaded via Xbox Live or downloaded and burned to a CD or DVD from the Xbox website.[23] Some titles are now available for download via Xbox live, eliminating the need for the original Xbox disc. The Wii is fully backwards-compatible with the GameCube and has backwards-compatibility via the Virtual Console, which provides the ability to emulate various older gaming platforms, though each game has to be repurchased and saved to the console's internal memory.
--THE ABOVE FROM WIKIPEDIA
[24Worldwide sales figures
As you can see Wii has taken a lead of about 9 mil.
My only question is what happened to PS3????
Although Nintendo and Sony originally denied competing with each other with their handheld products, it was widely believed that a new handheld war had begun with the releases of the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable (PSP) in late 2004 and early 2005, respectively (the Nintendo DS Lite, a smaller and sleeker version of the Nintendo DS was released in late 2006). As of the 2006 E3 press conference, however, Nintendo attacked Sony's handheld console, announcing that the Nintendo DS had been outselling the PSP. This could be taken as recognition of a new handheld war.
The Nintendo DS's power is comparable to that of Nintendo 64. It is notable in its use of two screens, one of them being a touch screen. It also sports a microphone input. It has shown considerable early success, particularly in branching out from the usual core demographic of video game players due to the intuitiveness of the touch screen control system. The DS is the least expensive of the two systems, and has longer battery life. The DS is backwards compatible with Game Boy Advance games, but not with games for prior Game Boy systems. The GBA slot is also used for DS Option Paks.
Sony's PSP is more powerful than the Nintendo DS, with graphical power comparable to the PlayStation 2. It is advertised as a portable multimedia system, as well as a handheld console (much in the same way as the PS2). Numerous movies have been released on the PSP's UMD format, and the system can play video and audio from the Memory Stick PRO DUO port. The PSP also supports a large high-resolution display, an analog stick, as well as standard controller buttons. Other features include the ability to make internet phone calls using Skype,[33] and a Global Positioning System.[34]
Both the DS and PSP support Wi-Fi networking, and have free online systems. The PSP has had online games since its launch in December 2004 in Japan, and the DS has had online games since mid-November 2005. Nintendo has also worked with McDonald's and Hilton Hotels to set up Wi-Fi access points across the USA, Europe and Australia.
-- THE ABOVE FROM WIKIPEDIA\
Whoa, Sony got squashed! Again! Let's hope this doesn't become a habit
Nintendo's goin strong!
It's all down to EA vs. Activision. Who will win the music game wars?
Rock Band or Guitar Hero?(or the unheard of Rock Revoloution)
There's only one way to find out, and that's to take it to the experts
Song selection: 'RB2'
A rock game is nothing without its music, and "Rock Band 2" has a major advantage here. Import songs from "Rock Band 1" or download more from a library of dozens, even hundreds, of songs (low hundreds, but still ...). "Guitar Hero" needs to create "World Tour" versions of songs from its previous games to even the playing field.
Each game, though, has a nice selection on its own, with songs from several eras. "RB2" ranges from Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" (naughty words trimmed out) to Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" to Judas Priest's "Painkiller." "GH:WT" has Michael Jackson's "Beat It," Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" and Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher." Some artists and songs appear on both, and "GH:WT" has fun in-game appearances by the likes of Sting and Ozzy Osbourne.
In single-player mode, both games do really well. "Rock Band's" career mode feels more intuitive to navigate, but they follow similar paths. Play gigs, make money, unlock music, buy outlandish costume pieces. Raise your difficulty to get more money. Hit special combos to get Star Power ("GH:WT") or Overdrive ("RB2") bonuses. If you're on "Guitar Hero" doing drums for the first time, you'll find it uses the familiar scrolling mechanism that guitars use. At the earlier difficulty levels, at least, "GH:WT" seems a bit harder than "RB2" at corresponding levels. ("GH:WT" adds a very basic beginner level, too, though.)
But it's in group play that "RB2" pulls ahead. As you're playing each song, it's easier to keep track of each member's progress in "RB2," and when one member is in danger of failing, the others can help out. The Star Power meter disappears in "GH:WT" group mode, leaving players to guess how much Star Power they have. And for the drums in "RB2," it's much easer to activate the Overdrive bonus with less risk of missing notes.
"GH:WT" also has an intriguing Music Studio mode, which allows players to compose their own music and post it for other players to download. It's not for the beginning player but could be fun for creative types.
Both allow online play with other bands around the world and allow custom set lists.
There are some differences, but it's really six of one, half dozen of another on the guitars, though the improved slide bar on the "GH:WT" guitar is nice for more expert users. What really sets "GH:WT" apart is the drum kit. There are three pads and two cymbals (as opposed to "RB2's" four pads), utilizing all five scrolling colors. "RB2" drums will play in "GH:WT," which automatically adjusts for the lack of an orange pad (hit blue and yellow to activate Star Power), but the "GH:WT" kit makes you feel even more like a real drummer. The sticks, though, are pretty wimpy and hasten wrist and arm fatigue, so you may want to find a sturdier pair.
"GH:WT" drums are not currently compatible with "RB2," but hopefully a patch will be forthcoming. Sony, maker of the PlayStation 3, has requested that each game's peripherals work with the other. Guitars and microphones from both do work with the other.
"RB2" has more clothing and accessory options -- and better hair. But "GH:WT" lets you tweak a lot more fine details, from physique to how broken you want your nose. Clothing is also cheaper in "GH:WT," allowing you to expand your wardrobe more quickly, and you can redesign your in-game instruments.
Both games could stand to make forming a band and creating/adding members a bit easier. Even if you draw up several characters and think they're in your band, they may not be. And it's not clear if that even matters. Both games have a nice function: If you have a favorite character but don't want to play the same instrument all the time, you can switch around without penalty