Which Console Gives you the More bang for your Buck!!!

Let's face it Video Games are the best source of entertainment and not only that it brings you hours upon hours of enjoyment compared to other sources of entertainment like movies, drinking, partying, etc. This article will talk about Which console gives you the more bang for your buck so sit back enjoy and you are more than welcome to express your opinion on this.

So it's been almost 5 years since the current now, then next gen systems have been waging war on each other. So far the Wii is at the very top with over 70+ Million units sold since march and by now that number has increased. The Playstation 3 has sold over 35+ million units with the Xbox 360 selling 40+ Million units as of April. The PS3 had been lagging behind because of its hefty price when it launched but with price cuts and the introduction of a slim version it has been catching up although it will take a while to catch up to the Xbox 360.

Each console has its own hardware faults for example the Wii isn't considered a Next-Gen gaming console and its aimed towards children and family. Last no 3rd party game has ever broken the one million units shipped mark. The Xbox 360 had or maybe it still has the Red Ring of Death, Overheating, 1 Ring e74 issue, etc. It is said that over 33% of the consoles are defective but that number is unsure as it is all based on how you play your 360. The PS3 while no faults have been found it is considered more of an entertainment system than a gaming system and the only problem Sony has had is the huge price tag of $600 at launch.

Now with the new consoles and price drops I am once again doing a Better bang for your buck report of which console gives you more for your money. Let's start things off with the Wii.

The Wii sells for $199.99 and it comes bundled with 2 games and that can basically last you for your entire life time since there are rarely any good titles aimed towards hardcore gaming. But if you were to add 2 games in there each game sells for $49.99 new. Now the Wii comes with 1 controller, 1 Nun-chuck and 1 motion plus. It is aimed towards families so you will need to buy 4 of everything if you want everyone to be included on family night. Now each Wii-mote costs $39.99 but if you buy it with a motion plus bundle it costs $54.99. The nun-chuck which sells separate cost $20. Now multiply that by 3 and you have one very sad father on the floor in the fiddle position crying like a baby. The cost of all 3 controllers comes to $225. Now those controllers come with just 2 batteries and to save money it is easier to buy rechargeable batteries. You can get a rechargeable battery pack for $39.99 which includes 8 AA rechargeable batteries. The memory on the Wii isn't the best so to get the best out of it without erasing any of you data you will need a memory card. Memory cards are very cheap these days and you can easily get a 4GB for $20 bucks so add that to the cart.

So Let's add all these up

Wii Console - $199.99, 2 games - $99.98, 3 Extra controllers - $225, Rechargeable batteries - $39.99, 4GB memory card - $19.99  = $585 + tax. $360 + tax without the extra controllers.

Now on to the Xbox 360. Since the Xbox 360 just released their new Slim version I have decided to base the decision on using the Slim instead of the old model as the old models are being discontinued.

The Xbox 360 Slim costs $299.99. The Xbox 360 no longer needs the Network adapter as it comes with wireless N built in. The cost of each game is $60 new so if you purchase 2 that comes  $120. A new wireless controller costs $49.99. While you may be able to connect 4 controllers to the Xbox 360 most games only have single player with online capabilities or at the most 2 players. So it's not really worth purchasing or makes any sense to have more than 2 controllers for the Xbox 360. Xbox Live Gold costs $49.99 a year in order to be able to play online and to watch Netflix and other video services like the upcoming Hulu Premium service. On the side you can purchase a rechargeable battery pack which comes with the cable which is $14.99 so if you have 2 controllers that is a total of $30. For $20 you can buy rechargeable AA batteries with the charger. So that is all you need for the Xbox 360, now let's add them up.

Xbox 360 - $299.99, 2 new games - $120, 1 Wireless controller - $49.99, Xbox Live Gold - $49.99, 2 battery packs - $30 or rechargeable AA batteries -$20. = $550, $540 with the rechargeable AA batteries.

The PS3 was the most expensive console on the market but now with the slim the PS3 runs you at $299.99. The PS3 is just like the 360 where you have the option of purchasing 4 controllers but because the lack of games that require it I will only put 1 controller and that runs at $54.99. The controller of course doesn't need a battery pack so you can call that a savings in your pockets. Now I know what all of you or some of you might say. Yes the battery does eventually start losing charge after charging it so many times but the same can be said about all  batteries. The solution is buy new batteries or buy a new controller. There are plenty of online tutorials that will teach you how to change the battery of the PS3. New PS3 games cost $60 also so 2 new games run you at $120. Online play is free but Sony is offering a new service called Playstation Plus for $50 a month but the benefits are wow. You get free games, content, Demo's etc. Online play is still free so this is technically not required but I'll add it to be fair with all other consoles. That's really all I can think of that you need for the PS3 so let's add all these up.

PS3 - $299.99, 2 games - $120, 1 controller - $54.99, PSN Plus - $49.99 = $525.

So all in all the PS3 has given consumers and will give consumers the Most value for your money. Not to mention the PS3 has something the competition doesn't and that is of course a Blu-Ray player. Sure Blu-ray players are now cheap but buying a Blu-Ray player still burns a hole in your pocket.

In a few months Sony and Microsoft will release their motion controls with Sony's being called the Move and Microsoft the Kinect. Sony's move will run you at $99.99 for a starter kit and Microsoft's Kinect will run at $150. These accessories are not required as Sony and Microsoft have sticked to the traditional controller but if you add these Sony's console will still be a lot cheaper and will still give you more than any other console on the market today.

Of course all these offerings don't mean nothing unless they have the software to back them up and all 3 consoles have something to offer.

-Donny De Leon