After reading blogs from fellow users talking about the Nintendo Wii and the Sony Playstation 3, I wanted to chime in on another console that I feel will honestly deliver for anyone looking for the next generation gaming experience at a value price.  As it becomes harder to find a Nintendo Wii and PS3's situation looking a bit grim, the XBOX 360 has various price points and versions of it's console to satisfy every gamer in your life.  They go as follows:

  XBOX 360 Arcade - Priced at $279, this console is your basic setup and includes 5 titles from the XBOX Live Arcade lineup, including Pac-Man Championship Edition and Uno.  These Arcade titles are perfect to play with your kids and your library can be expanded by using Microsoft Points to purchase additional Arcade titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Prince of Persia and others!

  XBOX 360 Pro - Priced at $349, this is your starter console for the gamer with a mix of casual and hardcore in him or her.  Packed with two outstanding games in Forza 2 (racing) and Marvel Ultimate Alliance (team based combat), this system includes a 20 GB hard drive, a wireless controller for the ultimate space to play without the chords, an HD AV cable, a wired headset, and other features. 

   XBOX 360 Elite - Priced at $449, this console is the top of the lineup and recommended for the hardcore gamer who wants the best in HD gaming.  This system comes in all black in a tip of the hat to the original XBOX and includes a wireless black controller, an HDMI cable for the best HD video experience, a 120 GB hard drive for ample save space as well as space for television shows and movies by way of the XBOX Live Marketplace, and a full one-month subscription to XBOX Live Gold as well as many other features!

  The XBOX 360 is complimented by XBOX Live, the leading online console gaming experience with a community of over 8 million subscribers so there is always someone to play with online.  The Live Marketplace delivers fresh new movie and television content with new additions coming every week.  Some of the recent updates to the system have included college football, new seasons of Family Guy and South Park, and hosts of television stations such as NBC, CBS, ESPN, MTV, and more.

  An addition that was made by way of the Fall Update recently is the option for parents to set a timer on the system so they have full control over how long their kids play.  Any amount of time can be specified and your decisions are secured via password set by you.  Other Family Friendly features are available so parents have full control over their kids playing experience.

  Of course the gaming library is fantastic and continues to grow each.  Last year delivered great hits such as Gears of War and this year has been no exception.  The 360 has lead the industry in console exclusive hits such as BioShock, Mass Effect, and Halo 3.  Other titles you are sure to enjoy include the various EA Sports titles, Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero 3, Rock Band, Eternal Sonata, and hundreds more.

  So for those of you who are looking to add a video game console to your kids holiday lineup this Christmas or maybe one for yourself that will deliver a solid gaming experience each time, I would highly recommend an XBOX 360 in any of the various choices above.  You won't be disappointed!

 by: Rob O'Neill

Patience is a virtue, and you're going to have to be pretty virtuous if you're one of the millions of UK PlayStation Fans awaiting the arrival of the PS3. As if it wasn't bad enough we had to rewrite our letters to Santa this year (because it now won't hit our shelves until March), we're also all going to be green with envy as the web fills up with the usual reviews, cheats, and walkthroughs etc from sites in the States where they will get their hands on the console from November 17th.

Personally, my patience (lost my virtue a long time ago) ran out already, and my craving for HD gaming led me to the XBOX 360. I suspect many others will do the same this Christmas and I don't blame you. To not release the most hyped console of all time for Christmas has got to be the craziest decision Sony has made (apart from the choice of software packed with their MP3 Walkman - but don't get me started on that one). It can't even be based on format because the PS3 will be region free, and you can play any PS3 game on it no matter what part of the world you bought it from.

If you do decide to cut your losses and go for the XBOX 360 you won't be disappointed, I certainly haven't been. But you should be aware that in their hurry to steal the HD gaming market, Microsoft left a couple of jobs as 'work in progress'. Although the list is growing, the XBOX 360 still only plays a handful of original XBOX games. If you're starting afresh that?s fine, but if you've got a hefty back-catalogue of XBOX titles you were planning to play then that?s a real bummer. Backwards compatibility was a target that simply wasn't reached in time for release and early release was obviously of greater importance to Microsoft than it appears to be for Sony.

However, if you're a PlayStation purist, or simply do not fancy the XBOX 360 or the Nintendo Wii, then your virtue will be well rewarded. Although I find it difficult to understand some of Sony's business decisions, I can fully understand the hype surrounding the PS3. It will be without doubt the most powerful domestic games console available, boasting the 'Cell' processor, twelve times faster than processors found in top range PC's. The PS3 will also offer 'Blue-ray' technology which Sony are heavily promoting to take over from DVD, as well as offering free 'out of the box' online gaming (broadband connection required).

All of this extra 'oomph' inevitably comes at a cost, and you should expect to pay more for the prestige of owning such a machine. You'll also need to keep an eye on game prices too from November and compare them to its rivals, afterall there is no point owning the thing if you have to rob a bank every time you want something to play on it. On the plus side it will play any PS2 or PS1 titles you have tucked away.

Whatever you decide, have a happy Christmas, and keep on gaming !