Top 10 annoying things about next-gen consoles

I think the Wii is considered game only.
Just cause it adopts things like a Browser is an "Extra"

They don't advertise it, like the PS3 for instance.

If Im not mistaken, didn't Kutagari say in one of his famous quotes that the PS3 is not a game console, though his incentive was that its a multi-purpose device, its true.

If you are looking for a GAME!! console, and are buying a PS3, be prepared to come to the stark realization you bought a Blu-ray drive, which is after all, the PS3's primary use, in Sony's foreseable future.

Lets be honest here, how much is riding on Blu-Ray? Everything! PS3 is Sony's only good opportunity to sell it to the masses. This is a problem. It dilutes the intentions of the company to create a game console, in favour of a device that does everything.

Personally, a device that does 1 thing, is better at what it does than a device that does many things.

If your looking for Gameplay, get a Wii.
If your looking for a rounded console, 360 is probably your choice.
If your a tech enthusiaste wanting everything out of the HD era, perhaps a PS3 is in order for you.

My personal favourite, a 360 and Wii as a combo. I can not justify paying 659CDN for a PS3 without any games. Consoles are NEVER worth THAT much money.

I'm not trying to justify the PS3 price but $600 is still way less than a "several thousand dollar PC".

Besides, the PS3 is an anomaly because of Sony Trojan horsing Blu-Ray in the thing. I wouldn't expect future consoles (even the PS4) to come out at that much. Blu-Ray will still be a viable (and much cheaper) technology in 5 years and will likely still be the basis of the PS4.

major nelson posted this and most of the comments were "omg sony fanboi author!!11one" lol, fools.

Sorry to say it, but this article leaves out the number one annoyance that hides with next-gen consoles. As we approach a world of downloading and increased production values, consoles are also finding a problem that has plauged pc gaming for years. Half finished games. The idea that I have to buy a game, then wait for a patch to use all of the features correctly should never have happened to the console community in the first place. While I agree with a lot of the list, a lot of the things they placed were pretty superficial... Name changes? Come on!

The most annoying thing is microtransactions... though I support the 360 and encourage Wii60 over PS3, it sucks that a lot of the games on that console are shipped incomplete with the purpose of charging for absurd things like tutorials.

The most annoying thing about "next-gen" consoles is the continued use of the term "next-gen" for things that are now current "gen". It's even more annoying now because the term is now used for products outside the gaming industry. Soon I'll be wearing "next-gen" socks that just came out of my "next-gen" dryer that cools them with "next-gen" air and "next-gen" dryer sheets. Enough with the "next-gen" nonsense already.

excuse me, Consoles are not better than PC's. Lets remember..consoles are just PC's with a nice pretty bios.

A pretty bios? surely you mean a "pretty os" if anything?

You don't even see the bios on a console.

anyway, I agree that PCs are great technically but it's never just about the hardware (why do folks always forget this?)

When I can play a game that looks as good, works as well and feels as nice as PGR3 on the PC then I will know PC gaming is fully suited to everything other then FPS, RTS and RPG.

The main point i'm getting at is the games that come out for consoles that are not PC ports or PC style games, generally, have a LOT more variety and a lot more instant playability. It's not good having a top spec PC if you can't get the consoles exclusives on it.

Games are the key here. It's not always about the hardware, and console makers put loads more cash into funding exclusives (and therfore pushing the envelope) than PC devs can afford.

The PC shines in cutting edge "technology tests" such as Crysis etc. THese make a PC worthwhile but you pay a lot more than an Xbox360 to get the hardware to run it properly!

microtransactions and incomplete games like the new gran turismo are the worst part

BIOS

Built In Operating System

as in Built In to the console.

The PS3 is being advertised similarly to the CD-i, as a multipurpose machine rather than a game machine, and at a similar price point to the 3DO. Actually, the PS3 costs less than the 3DO did, and once you figure in inflation of the dollar, it's a lot less.

Pricing of video game machines has hardly gone up. Rather, consumers are demanding lower prices as if it's standard.

Most annoying thing about next-gen consoles:

getting annoyed and aggrivated by anyone who interupts me while I am playing them.

besides that. I dislike microtransactions. to an extent. Mostly because the bulk of things that I have spent money on DLing on my 360 have been useless stuff like backgrounds. I would be much more open to some actual good solid DLC. GRAW was a good example. That expansion pack was worth every bit of $10. From the sound of it, Gears of War will have lots of continued DLC. Mark Rein stated in a 1upyours! podcast a while back that Epic will continue on with it's tradition of providing lots of developer made bonus packs for Gears of War ala Unreal Tournament. Apparently as soon as the game releases there going to take a brief break and get right back to coming up with some content to assue that Gears grows some legs and continues to see an increasing userbase.

That alone has me excited for Gears. More companies should take a cue from epic and release bonus packs. Preferably free, but as Mark Rein said...with MS publishing the game, don't expect to many big freebies, but at the same time, whatever we are charged for will be worth what it costs. He could assure that.

@8 > even PCs have "Built in bios's"... they are on an eprom chip. I think you are confusing the issue and BIOS doesn't mean "built in operating system" anyway. If someone uses the term "bios" as the other poster did, then I will discuss it in context of the BIOS.

BIOS stands for "Basic input/output system" and is what the hardware refers to on power on (posting). This is what enables it to boot. The "pretty" stuff comes later, either loaded from hardrive (PC) or stored on a chip (Consoles) and is an Operating System derived from "DOS" Disc operating System.

The BIOS on a PC actually stands for Basic Input/Output System.

Good comments from everyone. It is true that the PS3 is being promoted as more than just a game console, but a media and living room. I don't know about anyone else, but when I look at a console to purchase I look at games, control etcetera. I don't buy a console to watch a movie or to browse the web, I want games. At first Assassin's Creed was the large weight on the balance that would decide if we buy a PS3, but the announcement that it's cross platform just blew that away.


I agree with the concept of the 'Wii60 Combo Platter'. Maybe I'll think about the PS3 in a year or so, but I won't hold my breath.

john#1

You fool the blueray is used for games also, 50gigs for games was a pretty good idea, but of cource you wont think so since your a M# fanboy.

The whole wii60 thing was a ploy by M$ to make its tools feel better that they blown 400 bucks on gargage, a wii+360 still dont = to a ps3 but a
360 + hddrive + wii = 1 ps3, you can say all the crap about the ps3 since its almost launch time and your all feeling buyers remorse, but you all know just as well as I do that the ps3 is better than the 360 in every way possible, xbox just wins in unaccorised price. So M$ fanboys attack the price cuz thats the only solid thing they have.

Have you notised when a anti ps3 rumor comes up xbox fanboys blow it up more than it needs to be. ex: ps3s overheating, although they dont at all.

I'm wrong. It happens. My Bad.

This website does it all the time, xboxstiq.com post garbage w/o making sure its true, but just because its anti ps3 they post it asap to make themselves feel better and you ppl beleve it because your all idiots. But xboxstiq never posts when their crap is debunked.

EX: Xboxstiq.com was super quick to post pics of tgs with the fans on the ps3s, but when it was proven that ps3s did not overheat they did not apoligise, or even took off the post for that matter.

@16:

Gaming PCs don't cost several thousand dollars. If you spend more than oh, I'm going to say $1200, you either don't care about money or you've made a mistake. The total cost of all the parts in this PC was about $800 (at time of purchase, the last of which was over a year ago), and it runs Oblivion fine.

1.If you factor in a handful of games in the purchase, the PC is always going to come out cheaper than a 360 (and without question a PS3).

2. New release, AAA titles with the PC can often be found for cheap, at least during the first week- Company of Heroes for $32 on GoGamer for instance... when most new 360 games released are usually twice that figure. That, and more often that not, PC gamers don't have to pay for patches/upgrades while 360 gamers do for the same game (take GRAW for instance). No microtransactions with PC's! (Aside from maybe Oblivion). No monthly additional internet gaming fee (Live)! No $40-$60 gamepads and other accessories!

3. Build a new gaming PC for around $800, which can do a hell of a lot more than any console: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1962704,00.asp

Considering these three factors, if you're a gamer strapped for cash you'd be a fool to not go the PC route (assuming you couldn't go both) unless there is a must have game/genre on the consoles that you simply can't live without- or you can't handle installing drivers from time to time. Oh my how times change.

I don't really see an issue with $60 games. Back in the day, there were games selling for $80 (I've got a flyer of sorts that came with Ultima VII, so I can prove this). The console prices aren't that high either, as the original PlayStation launched at $299, which the cheapest versions of two of the consoles are at most. The PS3's price is much harder to justify (I can't really do it), but that's the exception in this case. There's nothing wrong with backwards compatibility this gen either, as Microsoft (a company that's NEVER known how to do BC properly, as any DOS game fans who've moved to XP will attest to and contrary to the "kings of backwards compatibility" drivel that article has) is really the only company that's failed to deliver there. Again, there's only one company with a serious issue there so it's really a one-case exception.

Simply put, pretty much everything in this article seems either false, exaggerated, or just plain silly to me.

Isn't it a bit early for a top ten list about nextgen gaming when there is only one real nextgen competitor on the market right now?

My number 1 for that list would have been the term next-gen. I'm so tired of that term...from 1080p is next gen! blue-ray/hd-dvd is next gen! such and such console is next gen!

"Has the plug-n-play game value of home consoles increased as much as next-gen manufacturers are charging"


NO.

u want proof?
my retro 2$ 6600gt and 3$ amd64 3000 can play, QUAKE4, Prey, even FEAR at more than 30 fps

( 60 / 75FPS the first 2 games and with 4X antialiasing, 8X anisotropic filtering, superior textures and higer resolution )

luxuries even the migth 360 and ps3 cant afford while they try to push 25 30 FPS...

I hate how fan-boys have become bigger than ever with the new generation of game consoles coming out. An example of this is "Flash." Why would I have any remorse for buying an xbox360 and starting the "next-generation" of gaming a year earlier? I happened to enjoy the original xbox more than ps2, and I assume that's how it's going to be this generation also, since most of my friends already own xbox360's. I have no remorse for spending $399 on my xbox360, and I'll probably be waiting outside on Nov. 16th for the release of PS3 on the 17th, just because I'm one of those people that is addicted to buying technology. I love how the Sony fanboys act like once you've bought a console you can't buy another, it's called a job people, a job.

AND THE NUMBER 1)


GOW = ONLY 8 PLAYERS?!!!!!!!! :x


8? AND 30 / 25 fps?!


WHERE IS THE ONLINE GAMING ? WHERE IS THE POWER?


IMO, MULTI GOW LOOKS LIKE THIS:

FEMALE - WATER - POLO

!!!!! LOL !!!!!

SO THATS WHY THEY MOVE SO FKING SLOW?

SLOWWW MOTION... 8 PLAYERS MOVING SLOOW...

TEH 24FPS HI DEF GAMING!!!!!

THIS IS SO EXITING.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!


OK, BACK 2 MY CAVE

With the amount of people waiting on lines to pre-oder PS3 today, $600 doesn' t seem annoying anymore. The list should be edited.

**I work at a big retailer that is not taking pre-orders, and has a gamespot nearby, have customers come in to see if we were taking pre-orders for it. (which we are not)

Update the topic guys. everyone was proving wrong about the $400 to $600 price range. I happen to know the manager at this gamespot and I asked him which one did customers pre-order. He said "All my pr- orders are for the $600 PS3.***

LMAO.....A gaming PC costs around $2000. That's for the whole setup, but they can get way more expensive than that. If you only got the tower itself, but wanted it to be for gaming you would still pay around $1000. Consoles are still cheap compared to PC's and if you look at what all the PS3 has in it, then $499 aint shit !!!
Then there is gaming notebook computers and they are in a league of their own when it comes to price. A high end notebook will be around the price of the super high end desktops.....$3000 - $6000

Blake,

It sounds like you used your final paragraph to ... contradict the entirety of the article you linked to? I'm very confused.

PS -- A link to a blog that links to the article? The cardinal sin of Digg ...

@27,

Aside from your pie in the sky cost figures, the key thing you're forgetting here is that most people over the age of, oh, say 10 years old need a computer regardless. This argument is even more solidified for anyone in high school, college, or most full-time jobs. If you subtract what a baseline computer costs from a hardcore gaming rig, we're probably talking something around $300-500, net.

And again, factor in the $30-$40 AAA game price, and the fact that PC's use entirely open standards (no microtransactions or extra network fees or controller restrictions!). And once Vista comes out, I predict that the whole "PC's are too difficult" argument will fade away rapidly with the new "pop the DVD in and go" technology. Gates always has said that Windows is Microsoft's primary "game console".

#1 most annoying thing is no Zombie Mod.

Man, that would be great with wii wand waving, x360 live support and ps3 pritty pritty.

I have to disagree. Find me a PC that can run PS3 quality games for 500 bucks, and i'll break my own leg, right then and there.

2 me, the most annoying thing, is people that compare the cost of a 360 / ps3 and the cost of a super mega high end video card / computer...

guess what? ps3 its not a supercomputer!

360 dsnt have the most powerful gpu on the planet!

360 dsnt have a REAL triple core!

dont trust the Marketing, BS... not even close! consoles have limited resources,total memory 512mb?

(dont give me this optimized for games BS, 30fps yay)

teh super cell ? sony BS. teh 3ple core? MS BS (10FPS per core peak performance)

I can tell you this. just by looking at your average "360 / ps3 next gen game" with " next gen pyhisics"
"next gen scripted ai" " next gen framerate problems" " next gen aliasing"

so far your monster console compares 2 this
(hardware / performance wise)

AMD Athlon XP 1400+ / 1.2 GHz
384MB
geforce 7600gs 128MB
20 gb hdd

This notion that consoles evolved out of a need for cheap gaming PCs is really wrong. The first videogames came out on home consoles that hooked up to a TV. PC gaming only came along with computers that were cheap enough to get into people's homes. It'd be easy to turn this into another stupid and pointless debate on the merits of PC vs Console gaming, but why bother? Both have their strengths and weaknesses in certain game types, and will appeal to different demographics based on what they want to play.

Similarly, it's stupid to declare a "winner" among the next gen consoles before two of them have even dropped. There are too many unknowns to be able to calculate even very simple things like value for the money. Sure the PS3 gets you a crazily multicore cell proc and a blu-ray drive, but if the cell turns out to be too difficult to program for or blu-ray fails to have longevity then these things aren't worth much.


Ultimately the different systems will appeal to different gamers based on budget, additional needs and gaming preferences. To declare that any one is better than another at this point is not only premature but ultimately pointless.

10. Uhmm... the next gen arrived November last year just like the previous gen started with the PS2 (or DC depending on your perspective). If you choose to wait for another horse to get to the track for a race when the first horse is out of the gates and running, then that is your choice.

9. It would somehow be better if it was Sony defining the next generation? Or Nintendo? Assuming of course that you agree that ms is defining nextgen. This is a stupid point.

8. I remember thinking iPod was a horrible name. I rest my case.

7. Microsoft is charging $50 for their games. Try talking to the third party developers. Also, it's not official but so far rumours seem to indicate that none of sony's or nintendo's first party games will be more than $50 either.

6. You're right. Everybody go burn every game they own that isn't exclusive to one and only one platform. burn. Burn! BURN BABY BURN!!!!

5. If being able to play zelda, devil may cry or halo on the gamecube, ps2 or xbox (choose any title/console) is all that matters to you then play them on your gamecube, ps2 or xbox. Otherwise, be happy you could trade in your old console for 50-60 bucks. Btw, the games that are bc on the 360 are upgraded to run at 1280x720 progressive resolution instead of 720x480 interlaced resolution. You are actually getting an upgraded experience.

4. Come on! First of all, Nintendo fans are rabid and have whole heartedly adopted the concept of motion sensing. Second, Zelda and Mario... If I have to explain this then you have no business calling yourself a gamer.

3. Okay, just did a quick online price check on the latest ati and nvidia video cards and they both cost about 30% more than a 360 premium console. The latest intel and amd CPUs are even more expensive. Add in the cost of a motherboard, RAM, case and power supply, hard drive, dvd-rom, keyboard, mouse and if you're serious nic and sound card and anything between $250-$600 is a damned bargain. If you want to compare a console to an entry-level pc then you should be talking xbox, ps2 and gamecube not 360, ps3 and wii. Apples to apples dumb ass.

2. You can upgrade the core 360 to the premium 360 for the $100 you originally saved. Also, a good chunk of people still don't have access to or can't afford high speed internet connections which is one of the big features that needs the hard drive so they can save themselves some bucks. Both ps3 versions can play games and bluray movies and I don't see a need for more than 20 gigs for console gaming if even that is needed. Out in 2012 ICT may degrade playback on some bluray movies but they will still play and at a higher quality than dvd (576p vs 480i) and by then standalone players will be 50 bucks at walmart.

The point is the gamer can choose to save some money by making the appropriate choice for themselves without being screwed for the future in the deal whatsoever. The 360 can be fully upgraded for the $100 price difference and the ps3 is fully functional in both versions. Choice is win/win. And if you happen to be confused by the 2 SKUs and at that point don't have the sense to ask the salesperson or a knowledgable friend for help then flush toilets probably mistify you also. Get out of the damn store.

1. The only point that has a wee, little bit of weight. It's no secret sony is using the ps3 to help get it's format off the ground but it's not exactly screwing the gamer either. It's a want vs need thing. No nextgen game NEEDS more than a DVD but if given a choice, sure, some developers will definitely say they want the extra space. They can use it for longer cutscenes or maybe lossless sound in all languages on one disc or possibly some sort of special features, making of featurettes for example. NONE of this is needed but it's a perk.

No gamer NEEDS bluray playback but if given the option, some will definitely say they want it and for those that have issue with the cost, well the 360 and wii are sitting right there on the shelf next to the ps3 at the store. They have the choice and to be honest, the variation in choice this generation is much more varied than last which is definitely a good thing.

Worst article EVER. I'm looking for an expletive for the author, something that rhymes with ass and starts with dumb.

hmmm... seem to have misread #4 on his list. at the bottom of my post I said: "the variation in choice this generation is much more varied than last which is definitely a good thing." and I think it applies nicely here. Still think the author is a tard.

Consoles are quickly becoming as complicated and powerful as PCs. This is perhaps the last generation of actual 'gaming' consoles we'll see. The next generation (post-360, PS3 and Wii) will basically be entire home entertainment systems you hook up to your television. Packaged accessories will include mouse, keyboard, and all that. I'm really fine with this, it was a matter of time anyway. But please, if you're going to make a television computer, then stop trying to fit in into a plastic case no bigger than a Super Nintendo. Just make your console a mini-tower and be done with it. Otherwise, you think the overheating problems are bad now...

Did anyone read the actual list? Half of the annoyances on it were attribted to MS. And he praised Nintendo for going in a totally different direction. I smell fanboy and it doesn't smell good.

#6 computer games : "When I can play a game that looks as good, works as well and feels as nice as PGR3 on the PC then I will know PC gaming is fully suited to everything other then FPS, RTS and RPG."

Yes, arcade racers are better on consoles, but the PC is better for actual driving simulations. Try GTR2 with a good wheel. And how about adventure games, simulations, MMOs, turn-based strategy, puzzle games, etc.? These are almost non-existant on consoles.

6. - Microsoft’s Multiple Personality Disorder
Probably not Microsoft’s fault really, but it is fun watching titles getting released on the X-Box 360, the X-Box, and PC all at the same time. I need the 360 why?

Right, because apparently the "huge" library of PC-exclusive game is enough to attract gamers to the platform.
#37: Going back to the good old times of the so-called "home computers". That's "progress".
You know, those who sacrifice customization for ease of use deserve neither.

For me, choosing PC versus console gaming is a matter of controller input. For first person shooters, a keyboard and mouse is simply better. You need that fine control for aiming at a fast moving target, and especially for sniping. It's not nearly as easy with an analog thumbstick. Strategy games are easier with a mouse/keyboard, but if "Battle for Middle-earth II" has taught us anything, it's that consoles can have real-time strategy games too. Driving games are fine on either, you can buy a racing wheel for the PC and nearly any console. The Xbox Live Arcade for the 360 is riddled with puzzle games, you don't need a PC for those. MMORPGs are well within the reach of modern consoles, since the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii will all be able to go online wirelessly. Sports games are probably better for consoles, they don't require a ton of input options. RPGs are a mixed bag, depending on what they are. "Diablo" needs a mouse, but "Final Fantasy" doesn't. Fighting games are better for consoles, hands down. And so on, I'm sure you understand my point.

Give the Xbox 360 a keyboard and mouse and you've lost the PC advantage in terms of control. Then again, PC's have long had gamepads, so the console doesn't have many controller options over the PC either. There are always the games that exclusive to one platform or the other, so if you want to be able to play everything, you need to own everything. "Company of Heroes", a really great game, is PC only (for now anyway). The added costs of the PC is for all its other functions. You know, the internet, downloading illegal music and movies, doing your taxes, printing out that essay for school, et cetera.

"Yes, arcade racers are better on consoles, but the PC is better for actual driving simulations. Try GTR2 with a good wheel. And how about adventure games, simulations, MMOs, turn-based strategy, puzzle games, etc.? These are almost non-existant on consoles"

YES. but dont be rude. is just a kid, wii all know GTR2 / GTLegends / Rfactor / LFSs2 just rape any 30fps arcade racer period.

My main gripe with early adoption of next-gen is that the systems aren't completely fixed. There's usually some glaring problem with the first few batches that they fix on later systems.

PS1 - Some needed to be turned upside down
PS2 - Disc read errors
360 - Noisy, Hot brick power supply

I'm going to wait a year and see what happens. Who knows, maybe they'll release a 360 with a built in HD-DVD drive.

"26. With the amount of people waiting on lines to pre-oder PS3 today, $600 doesn' t seem annoying anymore. The list should be edited.

**I work at a big retailer that is not taking pre-orders, and has a gamespot nearby, have customers come in to see if we were taking pre-orders for it. (which we are not)

Update the topic guys. everyone was proving wrong about the $400 to $600 price range. I happen to know the manager at this gamespot and I asked him which one did customers pre-order. He said "All my pr- orders are for the $600 PS3.***"

Does that really make everyone "proving wrong"? It is a high price, and no one but fanboys are saying any different. Same with Wii, for what you're getting. A few suburban parents pre-ordering the console and people hoping to double their money on auction sites still doesn't change the general concencus. Keep in mind, I do plan on getting both a PS3 and Wii. I've starved many a week before.
I really liked the article. Most of the points are spot on, although 3 seems a bit iffy.

The most annoying thing i find is as quoted from www.computerandvideogames.com

" Finishing off with its almost-dead GameCube, Nintendo decided that the GameCube version of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will only be sold on Nintendo's online store, perhaps looking to avoid confusion at retail."

You wait ages for a game only to find out you cant play it as now at the last minute they've decided you need to buy their new hardware to play it just for the sake of it, altough it runs perfectly find on the old hardware.

Most of these auctions are 10 days and they almost all have ZERO bids.

http://video-games.search.ebay.com/Playstation-3_Systems_W0QQcatrefZC6QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfclZ3QQfromZR2QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ3QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsacatZ62054QQsatitleZQ22PlaystationQ203Q22QQsbrsrtZd

The author of that piece, Jason Cox, is a complainer.
There's too many of those around nowadays.

That said some of his points are good.
I'll go down his list:

@#10 "Still waiting for Next Gen to arrive"
That's just complaining.
Microsoft with their XBox 360 is still an outsider to this business. In a way they HAD to have that headstart in order to erode Sony's base. If they launched side by side with the other two knowing the problems they had at launch they might have been in a perilous position. They had time to work out their kinks & have time to build a loyalty base. They haven't exactly set the world on fire like Dreamcast did when it was the only next-gen around but their slowly but surely building up their respect, their street cred. And with that year's headstart they'll be in a much better position absorb Sony's potential base.
At first it looked like arrogance or desperation & maybe it was but in the big picture starting early was wise decision for them.

@#9 "Letting Microsoft define the next-gen market"
Microsoft has defined nothing. All that 'HD era' nonsense will be forgotten when Wii released & we REALLY see where the future of gaming is going. Like I said Microsoft is still the outsider here in this industry. Who in the hell loses Four Billion and comes back for more? They HAVE to do this as it turns their entry in the gamebiz is a strategy to maintain relevance as a long-term corporation. It's not solely a money making venture.
There's a difference in saying you set the pace & actually setting the pace. The results will soon be in as soon as the other two begin the launches.

@#8 "Stupid name changes"
This is more silly complaining. I see he's still stuck on that archaic Revolution name. If he takes the time to come out of gameworld & see how that name actually resonates with people who don't play that may change his mind. I at first TOO was taken aback by the Wii name but now "Revolution" sounds oldhat & Wii sounds cool to me. And it's just so open-ended that no matter how look at the name whether as "small", "peepee" or "everybody", "gleeful expression" one thing it always does is put a smile on your face when you say it. Take a picture of someone saying Wii & you see their mouths in a smile formation. It's the epitome of fun by name. The name is ingenious & if anybody knows ancient kanji (a Japanese pictolingual lexicon) that name has even MORE meaning but I'll keep that a secret.
Besides there's never any confusion what's being talked about when you mention Wii. It's standalone uniqueness is a great identification point.

@#7 "$60 games"
Now THIS is one complaint where he gets it right.
This is what hampered Nintendo in the 64 days with their pricey cartridges as Sony lowballed them with those much cheaper CD's. Which is why I find it ironic that Sony (& Microsoft) are now going in the opposite direction. On top of those already expensive to purchase systems to put even more pricing on top of it just makes you wonder what they're thinking. Wii's gonna lowball both of them the way they're priced. The tables have turned.

@#6 "Microsoft's Multiple Personality Disorder"
He may have a point here. That's a call for Microsoft to come up with more unique exclusive only to them kind of games that are worthy. It's always been a Sega & Nintendo selling point, those ol' school GAME companies.

@#5 "Who needs backwards compatibility anyway?"
This is ONE thing I thank Sony on. Before them each new gen had incompatibility with older systems. Understandable knowing the different design setups engineering & everything but Sony made it common to play older stuff on the newer stuff when they came out with PS2. Ever since then mostly everyone has followed. Nintendo's GBA plays all the various GB's & DS plays all GBA's.
Microsoft shoulda just put it in there just because. Since they are no longer making any old XBoxes might as well let the old XBox users mosey on over to the new thing with their old libraries.
And it can't be that hard to do.
For once Sony got it right. (Is the PS3 backwards compatible with older PS's? I haven't heard the news on that. It should be if it isn't)

@#4 "Chasing Nintendo"
Now THIS one I can't be mad at him. Gets it exactly right. About time someone showed the big N some due respect & recognition for what they do.

@#3 "Cost between consoles and computers vanishing"
He makes some good points here. Consoles were ALWAYS intended to be cheap, easy plug-in, focused gaming computers. That's why people bought them over computers. The industry almost was headed to computers only as a game platform before Nintendo's NES stepped in to rescue the console part of the game industry in America. I've noticed the home computers & consoles have been cross-pollinating over the years. Yes they're still two different & distinct avenues for gaming but each has influenced the other. Computers now have consolish controllers instead of the old keyboard & mouse setup & console have keyboards & mice as well as sometimes usable OS's!
But the one factor computers will never have is the console's ability to provide a unique interface/experience with unique games. Wii does this best of all which is why I frequently hear PC gamers who pooh-pooh both PS3 AND XB360 show interest in the Wii.

@#2 "Dual price SKU nonsense"
Yeah that IS pretty wack. Different system packages should only be for different gamestuff packed in with purchase not components necessary to play the games.

@#1 "Sony’s Alternate Reality"
Amen to that. All that HDDVD, Blu-Ray stuff goes over my head. Why do I hear so many people say that DVD's haven't even BEGUN to fill up space wise? In-game cutscenes, a hallmark of the N64 (see Goldeneye, Perfect Dark) are MUCH more immersive than some FMV. And they also take up MUCH less space being in-game. FMV's are the culprits behind space being filled on DVD's. I'm playing FMV-heavy Resident Evil Zero on Gamecube currently & it's one of the few games that have two discs per game. Sure they're nice but concentrate on the game. Besides that style of gaming is beginning to fade anyhow. People are looking for more easier to get into games rather than these long epics with these elaborate stories. Epics still have their place but that format nonsense isn't needed as gaming is starting to move away from all that.
People'll figure this out shortly.

John Lucas

"consoles have limited resources,total memory 512mb?"

of course such memory is limited since the XBox 360 and PS3 will be running a multitasking OS and a web server, database server, Office suite, user-level task scheduler, Photoshop, an IDE, a web browser and a game. all at the same time!

geez, people without a clue talking BS...

EVERY videogame console released is far more powerful than PCs of the same time. EVERY time. They have specialized microchips (read: optimized for the job and cheap) in a small setup all in the same board (read: cheap for production). They can save on memory and other resources in comparison to a PC because there's only ONE program running at once: the game.

Also a console is a static platform and game makers can feel confident in exploring every once of power the machine grants them and without software limitations, since they know performance won't degrade with lesses hardware in need of upgrades or software updates...

Game makers for PC can't really make a game targetted at PC gamers with top hardware: the produce games to the masses and the people running top hardware won't see more detailed polygonal models or larger game areas, only slight FPS or resolution boost. pity!

1 prices

2 fanboys that think gaming started with the playstation

3 Nintendo for not including 5.1 surround support

4 Nintendo for not having online play at launch

5 Sony's Trojan Horse Philosophy with the PS3

6 Sony's Trojan Horse Philosophy with the PSP

7 No GoldenEye on Virtual Console

8 No Killer Instinct on XBLA or 360

9 Virtual fighter 5 as an exclusive for PS3 BOOOOOO!

10 No true Shen Mue continuation to finish the saga on ANY Next gen console.