| Sony may have caused a revolution by | | | | forced Sony to launch the PlayStation 3 |
| launching the first advanced gaming console | | | | before schedule. Before the Xbox 360, the PS2 |
| (the PlayStation), but the gaming console | | | | was by far the most advanced gaming console |
| market is no longer dominated by Sony's | | | | available. The Xbox 360 is available in 4 |
| PlayStation. Today, there are three gaming | | | | major flavors, the Xbox 360 Core System and |
| consoles that are competing for top spot in | | | | the Xbox 360 Elite being the most popular. |
| the gaming console market. The first gaming | | | | Unlike the Wii, the Xbox 360 Core System |
| console is the Nintendo Wii (pronounced | | | | supports removable hard drives and the Xbox |
| 'we'). The Nintendo Wii was launched on | | | | 360 Elite comes equipped with a 120 GB hard |
| September 14, 2006 and was designed to target | | | | drive. Like the Wii, the Xbox 360 supports |
| a 'broader audience'. Unlike the Xbox 360 and | | | | internet browsing and wireless connectivity. |
| the PlayStation 3 the Nintendo Wii is | | | | However, the Xbox 360 also offers DVD |
| designed for a wide age group, and offers a | | | | playback and wireless game controllers. The |
| variety of games for both young and mature | | | | Xbox 360 is currently the most popular gaming |
| audiences. | | | | console on the planet, the reason for its |
| | | | success is the amazingly realistic games |
| Compared to the Xbox and PS3 (PlayStation 3), | | | | available and games like Halo 3 have now |
| the Nintendo Wii does not support removable | | | | become the de facto standard for first person |
| hard drive based storage. Although the Wii is | | | | shoot out games. |
| equipped with a SD card slot, it does not | | | | |
| support larger storage devices. The Wii has | | | | Xbox 360 has a year's head start on both the |
| robust graphic processing capabilities when | | | | Wii and the PS3 and is thus the most widely |
| compared to the Xbox 360 and PS3. The Wii | | | | sold gaming console. The PS3 was launched to |
| also has a unique game controller (game pad) | | | | directly compete with the Xbox 360. Like the |
| that is shaped like a TV remote control and | | | | Xbox 360, the PS3 offers removable hard drive |
| is ideally suited for single hand use. The | | | | storage, internet browsing and wireless |
| Wii supports internet browsing and has a | | | | connectivity. However, the PS3 also supports |
| wireless network card integrated into the | | | | Blu-ray discs that allow even greater storage |
| gaming console. There are two things that | | | | than DVDs. Unlike the Wii however, the PS3 is |
| have contributed to the Wii's success the | | | | not 100% backward compatible with PS2 and PS |
| first is its 'fun gaming' image and the | | | | games. Sony is working on making the PS3 |
| second is the diverse gaming titles | | | | backward compatible, but the entire process |
| available. | | | | is expected to take a long time. The |
| | | | PlayStation has the highest number of games |
| The Xbox 360 took the market by storm when it | | | | available today and is expected to equal |
| was launched on 22, November, 2005. | | | | Xbox's sales in the longer run. |
| Microsoft's first gaming console was what | | | | |