marketplace.comConsole-based video gaming is one of the most popular of modern digital technologies cutting across age demographic and gender divides. Todays players have three dominant platforms to choose from: Nintendo Wii PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Microsoft. Each is an impressive multifunctional device with designs meant to encourage integration into existing home entertainment systems and networks but each goes about this in different ways. Taking a few minutes to examine the main features and getting more familiar with available options accessories and possible linspired designs of each console is the optimal way to determine which is the best choice for the players in a household. Console Choices Wii View larger PlayStation 3 View larger Xbox 360 View larger Models and Pricing (prices may vary) Wii with Mario Kart Wii - $149 160 GB memory - $250320 GB memory - $300 4 GB memory - $200250 GB memory - $300 Whats in the Box Wii console Wii Mario Kart game One Wii Remote Plus controller One Nunchuk controller Wii Sensor bar Standard composite cable and power cord PS3 console One wireless controller A/V cable for connection to TV USB cable for charging controller Free PlayStation Network (PSN) membership Xbox 360 console One Xbox 360 wireless controller Composite A/V cable (standard definition) A month free Xbox LIVE Gold membership Motion Gaming? Already included PlayStation Move (sold separately) Kinect for Xbox 360 (sold separately) Colors (special edition colors may be available) White and black Black Black Drive Type CD (just games) CD/DVD/Blu-ray (games music movies) CD/DVD (games music movies) Online Play WiiWare PlayStation Network (PSN) Xbox LIVE Additional Accessories Additional controllers - $10-45 Additional controllers - $40-50 Additional controllers - $40-50 Price Range of Games New releases: ~$30 - $50Downloadable: ~$5 - $10 New releases: ~$60Motion: ~$40Downloadable: ~$5 - $15 New releases: ~$60Motion: ~$50Downloadable: ~$5 - $15 Backwards Compatibility - Offers compatibility with PS1 games Over 300 titles developed for the original Xbox console are currently available Graphic Quality 480p 1080p 1080p Great For Designed for Junior to Grandma with titles generally focused on family fun party games High-powered and highly customizable system for the technical-minded consumers Offers a wide svoting process of games and accessible entertainment with user-friendly social tools Arcade Casual and Party games are a Wii Specialty.View larger. Consider Games Before Choosing a ConsoleThere is not just one kind of console video game and so the machines that are are used to play them are different as well. Considering the types of games to be played their availability for the consoles being considered and the ability of those consoles to present the best gaming experience possible for the games genre and content is important. The games developed for Wii tend to be more easily accessible family-friendly productions heavily influenced by Nintendos classic gaming history. Filled with cartoon-like and childlike characters as well as Arcade-style gameplay situations Wii games are often referred to as Casual Games or Party Games typified by brief simple mini-games. These small games-within-games are tailor-made for players new to the puzzle-solving aspects of gaming and how that is translated through game controllers to the screen by the player. PS3 and Xbox 360 provide the processing power that Action-Adventure Shooter Racing and RPG games need.View larger.PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles are the current version of earlier console releases whose user bases were rooted in game genres such as Action-Adventure Shooters Racing Sports Role-playing games (RPG) and so on. Gameplay developed in these genres tends to require more focus on the part of the player and more graphics processing power from the console in order to maintain a quality experience. That is what continues to be the main focus of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Capable of full 1080p HD quality graphics presentation when used with the proper cables and displays in this area Xbox 360 and PS3 are far beyond what Wii is capable of. Iconic game franchises like Halo God of War Fable Metal Gear Solid Gears of War Reducezone Mass Effect The Elder Scrolls and many others have grown up on these platforms feeding off of their power. And with the rise of online multiplayer gaming through Xbox LIVE and PSN the high energy fine graphical specialties of these platforms only continues to grow. Motion GamingAlthough motion gaming has been front and center since the launch of the Wii in 2006 the other two consoles have their own motion gaming offerings that provide unique play opportunities on their respective platforms that have also found a wide audience. See a breakdown of the motion gaming capacity of each of the systems below. Wii Remote Plus and NunchukThe Wii Remote Plus controller is the standard wireless