What do you want from a game system?

The Playstation 3 is indeed the most advanced video game system currently on the market, but it may not meet your needs as well as some of the other platforms currently for sale.

The Playstation 3 features full 1080P capable graphics, and the system contains the some of world's most advanced and powerful processors. This creates for an amazing gaming experience, and the blueray disc player is awesome but it is not one you can take full advantage of unless you have some additional components, such as an HDTV with an HDMI input (best way to hook up your system, but you will need to purchase the cable separately) and surround sound system.

The Playstation 3 also has some wireless capabilities. In addition to the controllers using bluetooth technology to operate (the only time you need to connect them to the system via a wire is when you need to charge them), the system also has built-in WI-FI, so if you have a wireless network in your house, you can get on the Internet (and the on-line Playstation Network) without running an Ethernet cable to your PS3, or purchasing additional equipment, like with some of the other consoles.

It should also be noted that the PS3 has no quality control issues. Very few PS3's have to be sent back to Sony for repair. XBox 360 owners experience some major issues with their systems, such as the now infamous "red circle of death", and system overheat. Also, Microsoft is currently being sued for allegedly having knowledge of the fact that their console will scratch the DVD game discs if the orientation if the console is changed while the system is on. I like to purchase items that have high reliability, so after I found out that about 25% of Xbox 360's must be sent out for repair, I decided i would pay a little extra for the PS3.

The Playstation Network is free to access, and there are a lot of demo games that you can download and play for free...but if you are a serious online gamer, I think you would probably find Xbox Live more entertaining. Sony is improving their online network, but is nowhere near as advanced as Microsoft's console. Also, don't purchase the PS3 just so you can browse the Internet on your television...You'd be better off connecting your PC. Although Sony's web browser is quick, and I really enjoy the layout, there are a lot of incompatabilies with wbesites (because it is not a widely used browser) so you don't get to see all of the content/features of a lot of sites.

I can go on and on about the features of the Playstation 3, but the bottom line is that each gamer needs to choose a platform that works best for them. Below, I compared a little info about the 3 best selling platforms, and which type of gamer would best match each:

1. Playstation 3: The Ultimate Experience
If you have an advanced home theater system with a 1080P HDTV and Dolby Digital surround, you can begin to take advantage of what this system can do. If you are going to hook this up to an older television, and do not plan to upgrade, you should probably look at a different system. The Playstation is for those who care about graphics, game-play, and amazing capabilities.

2. XBOX 360: The Online Gamer's top choice
Once again, the Xbox 360 can also produce HD graphics, and to take full advantage, you will need a HDTV and surround sound system. More games are available for the Xbox 360 as opposed to the PS3, and the Xbox Live network is superior to the Playstation Network. The Xbox 360 is cheaper to make, and more affordable than the PS3, but reliability is a well-known issue.

3. Nintendo Wii: Best for getting everyone involved
The Wii offers a totally different gaming experience. Nintendo focused on the interactive experience instead of maxing out the graphics capabilities. The result is a video game system that is extremely fun for everyone (even non-gamers) to play. The Wii is great when used by large groups of people, but the other systems will be catching up in the motion-controlled experience soon. You need to buy a lot of additional hardware to fully enjoy the Wii, so factor that into the total cost of the system.

Good luck and happy gaming!