Which video game console should you buy?

Which video game console should you buy?: "

Now that the seasonal price cuts have finally arrived for video game consoles, the console makers are positioned for the fall selling season. The question for gamers is which console is the best bargain.

I still use the Xbox 360 more than any other game system, even though it has had the worst history with reliability. The answer comes down to your taste in games, how much you play, your budget and who else in your household will be using the console. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 have both become more affordable with $100 price cuts. It’s logical to compare those consoles spec for spec, but the Nintendo Wii is in a class by itself.

Sony still has the slight edge over Microsoft at $299 since you get a Blu-ray movie player with the PS 3. But that hasn’t turned out to be advantage that Sony expected many years back. Sony can’t really charge extra for it, because the consoles are still purchased primarily as game machines. Sony announced a new advertising campaign today with the tagline, “It only does everything.” It touts the games, Blu-ray movies and the ability to download more than 2,000 movies. It’s a familiar “all-in-one” pitch that appeals to certain kinds of consumers. But it certainly hasn’t been the winning pitch of this generation of buyers.

Nintendo says it isn’t cutting the price of the Wii. I have to question that decision in terms of consumer value. Nintendo hasn’t changed its price since introducing the Wii in 2006. Back then, Nintendo was doing right by the consumer, charging only $249 while the others were charging $299 and $499. Normally, console makers cut their prices or offer better features every year. The Wii was in such hot demand that Nintendo could milk it for all that it was worth. But for the past five months or so, Wii sales in the U.S. haven’t been as stellar. Yet Nintendo still hasn’t cut its price. Perhaps it is waiting to see how Wii sales go during the holiday season. There’s a risk now that the Wii may lose some market share. You could argue this makes business sense. Nintendo is just maximizing profits. Still, it just bothers me that Nintendo has probably been able to reduce the costs of making the Wii dramatically, but it has chosen not to pass on those savings to customers. That’s just a bad way to treat your fans. Nintendo can argue that it has a better long-term value because its games cost only $50, rather than $60 for the PS 3 and Xbox 360 premiere games.

The games are the real differentiators. On the Xbox 360, the Halo and Gears of War games are outstanding hardcore games. Big games coming this fall include Halo ODST, Left 4 Dead 2 and Forza Motorsport III. Microsoft has really distinguished itself through the Xbox Live online gaming service. If you pay the $50 a year Xbox Live fee, there are some great download options, ranging from the excellent $15 Battlefield 1943 game (in which I rank as a staff sergeant bronze) to movies streamed via Netflix. Soon, you’ll be able to use Facebook and Twitter on the Xbox 360.

Sony has distinguished itself with games like LittleBigPlanet and Killzone 2. On Sony’s list of games coming this fall, the big ones are God of War III, Unchart 2: Among Thieves, and MAG. There are a bunch of download options via the PlayStation Network (including Battlefield 1943), but not as many as with the Xbox 360. Nintendo has Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart, Wii Sports Resort and a bunch of other titles with familiar Nintendo characters. More of the same is coming with a new Super Mario Bros. game and plenty of other cutesy and cartoon-like games that appeal to females and casual gamers.

In some sense, you can’t lose. You’ll find that some of the best games coming this fall are on all of the platforms. They include the Beatles: Rock Band, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (PC, PS 3, Xbox 360), Batman Arkham Asylum, Madden NFL 10 Avatar, Assassin’s Creed II, Guitar Hero 5, Brutal Legend, among others. The Batman game is surprisingly good. A bunch of other good titles have slipped until 2010. All that means that it’s a pretty good time to buy a console and there isn’t much need to wait. It’s possible if sales do not pick up from these price cuts, then retailers might offer more bundles later in the year to attract consumers. But that usually just means you get a free older game as part of the deal, which you could probably buy anyway for a decent price as a used game at the store.

Some people have pointed out that, with so many games available for free on the PC online, maybe there isn’t any need to buy a console anymore. We’re probably not at that bridge yet. Here’s a chart that helps with the basics. I’ve added a poll where you can vote on your choice for a console. Please cast a vote and leave a comment that explains your choice.
Which video game console is the best bargain for gamers?(answers)

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