Beginner's Guide to Gaming Consoles

Until recently, gaming was a small and relatively insignificant segment of the entertainment industry in India. In the past few years, however, some of the biggest names in the industry – such as Microsoft and Sony – finally acknowledged that the country is a lucrative market for their hardware, and set up operations here. It’s a great thing since we don’t have to rely on the unstable gray market for our console gaming necessities; but on the flip side, with so many options open to the novice gamer, things can get rather confusing.

So if you’re planning to ride the console gaming wagon with the rest of us and have no clue what console to pick, we shall help you with just that by telling you all you need to know before you make your decision. This article is part of Tech 2.0’s Beginner’s Week; click here for the rest of the articles.

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The Contenders

Xbox360
Our first contender is Microsoft’s second-generation console: the Xbox360. It was the first current-gen gaming hardware to hit the Indian market, so it has a stronger grip compared to its competition. While its predecessor, the Xbox, was on the losing side of the last console war, it seems the folk at Microsoft have learned a lot from their mistakes, and really put their ass into gear this time around.

PlayStation 3
Sony’s got two generations of PlayStations behind it, both of which were highly successful. The PlayStation 3 is one of the most powerful pieces of hardware out there, but due to its unique architecture it’s taken a while for developers to fully understand its potential. Despite of the PS3’s weak start, it’s catching up fast in the console race.

Nintendo Wii
Sadly, the most unique of the three consoles – the Nintendo Wii – hasn’t been released in India officially, so you’ll have to rely on the gray market to hook up with this console. The Wii does not have the raw graphical or processing power of the PS3 or the Xbox360, but it makes up for this with its motion controls and offbeat games that appeal to people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Now that I’ve introduced you the three contenders, let me lay down all the factors that might affect your decision, starting with the most important – the price.

Price
Xbox360
Pro Unit – Rs 27,750
Core Unit – Rs 19,990 (Ideally stay clear of this!)
Bear in mind that the Xbox360 comes equipped with only one controller, so if you wish to play with someone else on the same console, you’ll have to buy another. The wired controller is priced at Rs 2,150, while the wireless one costs Rs 2,840. Ensure that you have a High Definition LCD or Plasma TV to enjoy your Xbox360, because if you’re planning on playing it on a standard definition television set, you might as well not buy it.

PlayStation 3 (40GB) – Rs 24,990
The PlayStation 3 comes with only one controller and no HDMI cable. The extra controller (SIXAXIS) costs Rs.2,490 while an HDMI cable costs about Rs 1,200. As with the Xbox360, you might as well not buy a PS3 if you don’t have a High Definition television.

Wii (Gray Market) – Rs 17,500 (Subject to change!)
The Wii comes with only one controller and the spare comes for about Rs 3,000. The console doesn’t require a HDTV to enjoy it.

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Availability
Xbox360
The Pro unit of the Xbox 360 is available through most major consumer electronics retailers across the country. The Core unit, on the other hand, has been phased out of production; it’s available only till stock lasts.

PlayStation 3
The PS3 is available at all major retailers too, but word is that they’ve almost run out of stock. If stock runs out before the next big shipment, the console might become scarce in the market.

Wii
Since the Wii’s available only in the gray market, retailers keep running out of stock from time to time. Also, not every retailer in the gray market has one, so you might have a tough time finding one.

Library
Xbox360
Since the Xbox360 had a head start, it has the maximum number of titles released in the country so far (around 86), a good number of which are exclusive to this platform. Apart from the games available in retail, you can also buy many ‘Xbox Live Arcade’ titles from their online store. New games are priced at either Rs 2,499 or Rs 1,999 (EA), while some of the older titles are available for Rs 1,499.

PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 has roughly half the number of titles the Xbox360 does (about 40). Just like the Xbox Live Arcade games, the PlayStation Network has casual games, but not as many as the Xbox360. On the other hand, the PlayStation has one of the best casual games I’ve ever played, called Pain. New titles are priced at either Rs 2,799 or Rs 2,499, while older ones are available at Rs 1,499 (EA) or Rs 1,799.

Wii
Most of the units available in the gray market are modded to play pirated games, which are available for as little as Rs 150. Not recommended.

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Online Functionality
Xbox360
The Xbox360 has the most extensive online functionality amongst the three, thanks to the Xbox Live Network. Microsoft has done a great job with Xbox Live, making it really easy to find/add friends, invite them to games, keep track of what games they’re playing and how much so (via the achievement system). You can also buy a ton of arcade games on the Xbox Live network, and download demos, themes for your dashboard, game trailers and movie trailers.

The catch here is that to do most of that stuff or to even play online, you need a Gold Membership, which requires you to shell out a good chunk of cash. This membership costs Rs 350 for a month, Rs 880 for 3 months, and Rs 2,200 for a year. To make things worse, if you wish to buy something as basic as an avatar or a theme, Microsoft charges you! In short, while the Xbox Live service is really good, it should have been made available free for Xbox360 owners.

PlayStation 3
The PlayStation Network isn’t as sophisticated and doesn’t have the plethora of features Xbox Live has (yet), but it gains the upper hand in a couple of key areas. For one, the service is free! Secondly, there’s less lag when you play online since the PlayStation Network hosts dedicated servers for most games, making them far more stable than the player-hosted servers Xbox Live uses. Also, Sony doesn’t charge for stuff like themes and avatars.

Wii
Apart from the free online play available on the Wii, the online segment is broken up into Channels (which includes a News Channel, a Voting Channel and Virtual Console, among others). Virtual Console is a lot like the Xbox Live Arcade, where people can buy games present on all of Nintendo’s old consoles.

Stability
Xbox360
The failure rate of the Xbox360 is the highest I’ve seen to date. The console is ridden with hardware failures, and this is denoted by three flashing red lights on your console, nicknamed the Red Ring of Death (RRoD). Microsoft has extended the warranty just for this issue, so if you console RRoDs within 3 years of purchase, they’ll replace it. If it weren’t for the great library of games, there’s no reason to even consider this console.

PlayStation 3
Unlike the Xbox360, the PlayStation 3 is one of the most sturdy pieces of hardware I’ve seen in a while. The earlier 60GB version had a drive issue, which was quickly rectified in later SKUs. So far, there are no complains about the 40GB version.

Wii
There are no major issues with the Wii as such, but modding any console can cause a whole lot of issues, since you’ve got to open it physically before installing the chip.

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Conclusion
Taking all factors into account, the Xbox360 has the most titles and the best support available, but it’s also the least stable option. The PS3 has a moderate amount of titles, but thanks to Blu-ray support and stable hardware, it’s a solid accompaniment to any High Definition setup. So if you own an HDTV and a killer sound system (or plan on buying one), we recommend you weigh out the odds and see which one you prefer – the Xbox360 or the PlayStation 3. Personally, I would go for the PlayStation 3 until the next generation of Xbox360 units (with more stable hardware) hits the market.

If you don’t own an HDTV, or if you’re a sucker for innovative gameplay and don’t care much about visuals, the Wii is a good buy. Games on the Wii appeal to people of all ages, since they’re innovative and most importantly easy to pick up (well at least most of them are). The only problem is that it isn’t available here officially, and I abhor the gray market; so personally I’d never buy one for myself.

For those who like gaming on the go, there’s a whole segment of handheld consoles that I’m not very familiar with. Thankfully, Gagan’s an expert on them since he’s owned (and probably dated) every handheld console in existence since the GameBoy. So if you’re looking to buy a handheld, he’s your man…

Handheld Consoles

Handheld gaming consoles have a very limited audience in India, with most people using that term for mobile gaming. But nothing on mobiles comes remotely close to the quality and the playability of the games on a handheld console. Considering that just about every one of us, whether in big cities or small towns, spends a considerable amount of our day commuting, handheld gaming consoles could turn out to be the best traveling companions.

The Contenders
_PlayStation Portable (PSP)
_Definitely the most popular handheld console in India, the PSP’s biggest USP is that not only does it have the best-looking games, but it also works pretty well as a portable media player.

_Nintendo DS Lite
_Currently the best selling portable gaming console in the world, the DS has not been officially launched in India, but has still made a significant presence in the gray market and toy stores in all major Indian cities.

Gameboy Advance Micro (GBA)
The third and final redesign of Nintendo’s highest selling gaming console ever is still alive and kicking.

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Price
PSP (Slim Base Pack) – Rs 8,990
The unfortunate thing about the base pack is that it just leaves you hanging with the console and a battery charger. There are four essentials that every PSP owner should obtain as soon as he purchases the console, namely:

PSP Case: Available for cheap (Rs. 100 onwards) at any local toy store.
Hand Strap: Use any standard mobile hand strap here.
Screen Protector: I can’t emphasize its importance enough.
Memory Stick: A 4GB stick is now available for under Rs 2,500. If you intend to watch movies on your PSP or use it as a PMP, 4GB should suffice.

Nintendo DS Lite (Gray Market) – Rs 6,500
The slimmer and better version of the DS hasn’t dropped much in its price since its introduction in the Indian market. It comes with a great hand strap and a kickass stylus, leaving room only for the highly essential screen protector. At least for the lower touchscreen. Since it’s a clamshell design, buying a case for it is not a necessity.

GBA (Gray Market) – Rs 2,300
Its price is its biggest selling point. That and the fact that it’s the least fussy gaming console out there. To hell with accessories, just squeeze it into any pocket and you’re set.

Availability
PSP
The only officially available handheld console can be found at just about any major electronics store, music store, toy store or just about any other logical place you can think of. If you want a PSP, finding it will not be a problem.

Nintendo DS Lite
Not the easiest console to find, but its still gaining popularity out of the gray market. You may find it with some toy stores but I’d suggest you call and find out before getting there with your money.

GBA
Surprisingly easier to find than Nintendo DS. Its cheap pricing makes it a hot favorite among toy shops.

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Library
PSP
While a lot of the games released on the PSP are ports of the bigger, better home console versions, it does have a good amount of great exclusive titles. The games, like the console, are easily available just about everywhere. Prices range from Rs 999 to Rs 1,499.

Nintendo DS Lite
The best part about the DS is that it’s fully compatible with GBA games as well, so you have thousands of exclusive games to select from. Unfortunately there’s a lot of ‘crapware’ available on the console as well, thanks to failed experiments by noobish developers, but that aside the console does also have some of the most fun handheld games today.

Since the games are sourced only through the gray market, and there are a lot of duplicate cartridges in the market, the prices could be anywhere between Rs 700 and Rs 1600, depending on the popularity of the title and whether the cartridge is original.

GBA
Huge game library, but the games are extremely simplistic compared to today’s standards. But once again, budget gamers would rejoice at the fact that duplicate GBA carts (original carts are not available anywhere) can be found upwards of Rs 200 at the local toy shops.

Multiplayer
PSP
This supports local wireless multiplayer or Wi-Fi-based free Internet play. Some games support the console’s Game Sharing feature, which allows local multiplayers from a single UMD.

Nintendo DS Lite
Though the games are mainly focused on local wireless play, the console does have quite a number of games that support Internet play as well. Most games with multiplayer modes allow some level of local multiplayer though a single cartridge. GBA games on the DS don’t support multiplayer.

GBA
This one uses the ancient link cable for up to 4-player local multiplayer. The cables are hard to find and can get extremely clumsy. If it’s multiplayer gaming you want, steer clear of this one.

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Build & Stability
PSP
Not to denigrate it as a fragile console, but the PSP does tend to get easily smudged. And its big screen is not very fall-friendly, which is why the hand strap is recommended as a must-have. If you use it with common sense, this one will last you for years to come.

Nintendo DS Lite
The most delicate part of the DS is the touchscreen, which is easy to scratch with a little stylus-rage. But once you have the screen protector in place, the clamshell design makes the console immune to quite a bit of stress.

GBA
Hah, this little baby would probably outlast you!

Conclusion
Thankfully the decision here is a lot easier than with home consoles. PSP is a great portable companion if you love what you get on home consoles and don’t mind similar type of games on the road. It’s also a great media player, just as long as you don’t run out of memory sticks.

The DS is a fuss-free all-out gaming console. The fresh and exclusive titles on it are constantly breaking the norms to provide you with gaming experiences that will give you a break from your home consoles. Its 10-hour battery life will ensure that you get enough gaming till you hit another electrical socket.

As I have mentioned throughout the article, there’s no reason to go for the GBA today unless you’re on a tight budget. The games are fun and aplenty, but the visuals do leave a bit to be desired. When it comes to gameplay, it’s definitely an upgrade from mobile gaming for sure.