Choosing a Game Console

by Ainafuin

Every kid wants the experience of waking up Christmas morning, running down the stairs and finding a big present on the floor containing that game system they had been bugging their parents about since December 26 of the last year. But how are parents supposed to know exactly what to look for in the world of video games? There are so many options with so many technicalities. Where to start?

Before ever even looking for a brain leech in a box, you should have a general idea of what your child wants. If they have no personal preference, that probably means they are new to the gaming world. In this case, it's good to start with something simple. A good way to determine this is to look at how many buttons there are. More buttons mean more features, and more features means more complexity. Another way of finding something simple is to look at the size and disk capacity of it. If a system is smaller, it usually means it will have less room inside for complex features. What I mean by disk space is that, in some systems, there is a capability to "save" the game. If you don't know what that means, saving your current file means that anything done since the last time the game was saved will be recorded into either the console, the game itself or some sort of memory card, and therefore be available for the next time the game is played. Less disk space generally means less memory for sophistication. In buying a simpler system, you can introduce your child into the basics of the gaming world.

If your child already knows exactly what he/she wants but you don't, have no fears. A typical Christmas request is "I want a premium Xbox 360 with four turbo controllers, a headset, Xbox Live and Halo 2 so that I can play split screen with my brothers and Xbox Live with my friends." If you have no idea what this means, you are not alone. Many parents go out and buy game systems for their kids and wind up disappointing them after recieving five-hundred dollars worth of stuff. So how do you know what your kids are talking about? The list below defines systems commonly asked for by money-sucking children.

Xbox:

Complexity: 7/10

This is the original Xbox series game system designed by Microsoft. Not to be confused with the Xbox 360.

Xbox 360:

Complexity: 8/10

This is the latest Microsoft designed game console as of April 2007.

Complexity: 7/10

Sony's second PlayStation series game system. Not to be confused with the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable.

PlayStation 3 (PS3):

Complexity: 8/10

Sony's fourth PlayStation series game system. Not to be confused with the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation Portable.

PlayStation Portable (PSP):

Complexity: 8/10

Sony's third PlayStation series game system. This is a handheld system, meaning it can be held in your hands and taken wherever you go. Not to be confused with the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3.

Nintendo DS:

Complexity: 7/10

Nintendo's fifth(?) Game Boy series game system. This is a handheld system, meaning it can be held in your hands and taken wherever you go. Not to be confused with the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advanced, Game Boy Advanced SP, or Game Boy Micro.

Complexity: 7/10

Nintendo's first motion-based game system. Motion-based means that you actually move the controller to as if you were actually performing the action the game shows. Not to be confused with the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS or the Game Boy series.

And there is a rundown on the basic systems available for purchase as of April 2007. For more information on video game purchases, see my other guides.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope it has helped!