- $209.99  

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The holidays are fast approaching, and every year video game consoles are amongst the most popular purchases with consumers. But once you've decided to get your son, daughter, husband, wife, grandma, etc. one of these wonderfully entertaining devices, the inevitable question comes up: PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii? Which is best for you? It is one of the most common questions we're asked here. Every consumer's needs and preferences are different, and each of the consoles has plenty of individual strengths to consider before purchasing. Hopefully I'll be able to provide a little insight into each for you.

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Sony Playstation 3

Price range:

• $299.99 - $349.99

Key features:

• Outputs HD resolutions

• Playstation Network online service is free

• Playstation Store, download demos, purchase games and add-on content, etc.

• Playstation Home online avatar-based community

• Built in wi-fi for wireless networking

• Hard-drive is easily swappable with any 2.5” SATA drive

• Plays all blu-rays and DVDs (must be NTSC format)

• Motion control is on the way in 2010

• Stream media from your PC

Popular exclusive games:

• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

• Resistance: Fall of Man

• Resistance 2

• Killzone 2

• LittleBigPlanet

• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

• Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

• inFamous

• Warhawk

Be aware:

• Currently available PS3's do not play PS2 games (with the exception of the newly released God of War Collection, which is a blu-ray remastering of the original two games)

• No games included in box

• HD-capable cables not included

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Microsoft Xbox 360

Price range:

• $199.99 - $429.99

Key features:

• Xbox Live online service for online multiplayer gaming

• Xbox Live Marketplace, download demos, purchase games and add-on content, etc.

• Motion control (Project Natal) on the way in 2010

• Plays DVDs

• Pure and LEGO Batman included with Xbox 360 Elite holiday bundle purchase

• Stream media from your PC

Popular exclusive games:

• Halo 3

• Halo 3: ODST

• Halo Wars

• Gears of War

• Gears of War 2

• Mass Effect

• Forza Motorsport 2

• Forza Motorsport 3

• Fable II

• Left 4 Dead

• Left 4 Dead 2

Be aware:

• Playing online requires Xbox Live Gold membership, costing $59.99/year

• Console reliability is questionable

• Wireless networking requires additional adapter, sold separately

• Arcade model does not include integrated hard-drive, therefore save/download space is limited

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Nintendo Wii

Price range:

• $209.99

Key features:

• Motion Control

• Countless accessories to use with the Wii's controller (guns, wheels, lightsabers, etc.)

• Broad range of games meant to appeal to all users

• Excellent for social gatherings

• Virtual Console service, gives users the option to purchase from a huge library of old NES, SNES, N64, etc. games

• Plays all Gamecube games and can use Gamecube controller
• Wii Sports included with Wii console purchase

Popular exclusive games:

• Wii Sports

• Wii Sports Resort

• Wii Fit

• Wii Play

• Mario Kart Wii

• Super Mario Galaxy

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl

• Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

• New Super Mario Bros. Wii

• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Be aware:

• Does not play DVDs

• Does not display HD resolutions

• Not technologically as powerful as PS3 and Xbox 360, so it does not receive some of the games that the other two consoles do

• Online system is not as in-depth as PS3 and Xbox 360

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Multi-console games

The individual games mentioned in each section above are 'exclusive', meaning that they are only available on one console. It is very important to have an idea beforehand of what games you are and aren't able to play. It can be very depressing if you purchase a system, and later learn that one of the games you really wanted to play isn't available for it. Fortunately, a number of the most popular games on the market are available onmore than one of the above consoles. Here's a quick list of a few ofthem, with the consoles they are available on in brackets after each.

• Assassin's Creed (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Assassin's Creed II (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Borderlands (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• Call of Duty: World At War (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Devil May Cry 4 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Fallout 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Guitar Hero: World Tour (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• Fifa Soccer 10 (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Madden NFL 10 (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• NHL 10 (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

• Resident Evil 5 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Rock Band 2 (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

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Upcoming games

It is also helpful when making a purchase to have an idea of what games are going to be available on your console in the future. No matter what you buy, you can be sure that there will be, at the very least, a few titles each year that hold some interest to you. My goal, however, is to keep you as informed as possible about what you can expect, so here's a quicklist of few of 2010's most anticipated titles, and on which consoles they'll be appearing.

• Alan Wake (Xbox 360)

• Army of Two: The 40th Day (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Bioshock 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Dante's Inferno (PS3/Xbox 360)

• EyePet (PS3)

• Final Fantasy XIII (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Final Fantasy XIV Online (PS3)

• God of War III (PS3)

• Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

• Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)

• Heavy Rain (PS3)

• MAG – Massive Action Game (PS3)

• Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)

• Metal Gear Solid: Rising (PS3/Xbox 360)

• Metroid: Other M (Wii)

• No More Heroes 2 (Wii)

• Red Steel 2 (Wii)

• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

• Tony Hawk: Ride (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)

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So that's it. With a little research and insight, your gift is sure to bring a big smile to the face of the receiver and keep them happy and busy for a long time. In very broad terms, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are for the serious gamer and multimedia buff who is looking for an in-depth online networking system, while the Wii is for a more casually-oriented gaming audience, and is specifically well-suited towards a light, social environment.  If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help, and make those holiday decisions a little less stressful .