(November 21, 2006) PS3 While the Wii may sound worthwhile, Sony’s latest console, the PS3, which came out just two days before the Wii (on Nov. 17), deserves the “next-gen” moniker much more so. While the Wii does bring new controls to the table, the PS3 is a dramatic improvement from every other console released prior. It has a much improved graphics engine, utilizes motion sensing controls (which Sony argues they thought of before Nintendo), a sleek, modern design, Internet browsing, and much more, including a new disc format Sony wants to push called Blu-Ray, or BD-ROMs. These discs contain much more information than currently used DVD-ROMs, but despite this, they will probably fail outside the video game industry due to higher production costs. Sony has a history of pushing new media onto the public and failing, and it’s silly to think Blu-Ray will be received differently. However, as games are already in the process of being made in Blu-Ray, it seems it won’t affect the PS3’s overall performance as a console. It should be noted that the Wii will continue to use (what Sony believes to be) outdated discs for its media. About the motion-sensing controller, the model is exactly the same as it was with the PS2 and PS1, the only difference being the motion controls aspect. In the last cycle, the only difference between the PS2 and PS1’s controllers was that the PS2’s used dual analog sticks, and it seems Sony is continuing this trend of adding a new feature each generation. However, enough with the hardware. The most important part of any gaming system is the actual games you’ll be able to play on it, and the PS3’s future certainly looks bright in that respect. As for good launch games, you can’t go wrong with Resistance: Fall of Man, a futuristic first person shooter which truly looks and plays like a next-gen game. While the rest of the launch games may be hardly worth noting, some other blockbuster titles coming out for the PS3 in the near future are Metal Gear Solid 4, which fans of the series are already wetting their pants for; Heavenly Sword, which looks and feels absolutely gorgeous; and Final Fantasy XIII, only to name a few. Mathias Bartlett Wii Release the buttons, put down the controller and walk away. Gamers and non-gamers will no longer have to depend on complex button-dependent controllers to play games with Nintendo’s newest console, “Wii.” Now the name of the console has its critics. Some may ask why Nintendo would name their console after something that so reminds us of the bathroom. But Nintendo was going for a simple, unique name that would immediately stick in the minds of the public after first hearing it. “Wii” is pronounced like the word, “We” and is supposed to represent gamers and non-gamers alike, for it seeks to unite the two groups under one console. Back to the original story: Nintendo has opted for a new way to play and interact with games. Although there are still some buttons on the new controller, the newest means of controlling the game cannot be seen. This new innovation lies in the controller’s ability to sense motion. If the controller is moved up and down that same motion will be emulated live on the television screen. It’s one thing to talk about the capabilities of the Wii, a complete different thing to play the Wii. At a local retail store, I played the Wii for a good hour before the employees kicked me out. In that hour I played Wii Sports, the game packaged in with the Wii itself. The controller itself is small and somewhat light. At first it actually feels quite flimsy at the touch but once playing you realize why it must be light; you’re swinging your arms and you’d get tired. Tennis was the first sport I played on Wii Sports and it was very intuitive. To hit the ball, you simply swing the controller through the air like a tennis racquet. The gameplay was so easy to pick up that I was truly in awe. I imagined all the possibilities for what Nintendo could create with this new innovative console; I was sold. Even though I was completely captured at Nintendo’s newest attempt at a gaming console, that doesn’t mean I didn’t find some annoyances with the console itself. For one, the graphics do not even come close to those of Nintendo’s competitors. With Sony and Microsoft vying for the top spot of the console wars, is a new controller enough to compete with amazing, life-like graphics? Only time will tell who will come out on top, but for me the graphics are a minor annoyance, not something I would cry over. Calvin Ching