Surprise: Microsoft affiliated site advises Xbox 360 purchase for Christmas

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Friday, 17 November 2006

Page 1 of 2 ! In what hardly comes as a surprise, the MSNBC site is trying to reminder shoppers about the Microsoft Xbox 360 console. What, did you think they’d really advise that you buy a PS3 or Wii? Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not bagging the Xbox 360, the PS3 or the Wii. All three are excellent games consoles, each offering unique features not found on the other to make it harder for people to choose one console over another. And with the clear disclaimer in the MSNBC article that MSNBC is a joint venture between Microsoft and US TV network NBC, they certainly aren’t hiding the fact that they are backed by Microsoft. Given this disclosure (even though to most computer people have known about Microsoft’s involvement in NBC for years, with the MS itself a dead giveaway), there’s nothing wrong in them having written this article. It’s just funny to see it came from a Microsoft affiliated site. I mean, next thing we’ll be seeing the PS3 featuring in upcoming Sony movies. It’s called product placement when you see it in the movies or TV shows, and in a way it’s product placement in the MSNBC article too. Nothing wrong with that when it’s all disclosed and above board as has happened here. Once again, it’s just funny and it caught my eye, and I thought you might have a chuckle over it, too. So, what are some of the reasons the article gives for recommending an Xbox 360 over the PS3? Well, for one, the Xbox 360 has the largest selection of next-gen games this Christmas, with over 100 titles available now, compared with the Wii’s 30 next-gen titles and the PS3’s 22 next-gen titles to be released by year’s end. Until three weeks ago, the PS3 bested the Xbox 360 on output resolution for high-def movie playback and gaming, offering 1080p over the Xbox 360’s then-1080i maximum. But now that the Xbox 360 has come out with its massive swag of November updates, the resolution gap has been eliminated and the Xbox 360 displays in 1080p too, if you want it to and your HDTV can support it. The Xbox 360 can also play HD DVD movies thanks to the upcoming HD DVD drive, matching the PS3’s Blu-ray high definition capabilities, and while the HD DVD drive costs extra, the Xbox 360 console is cheaper to start with than the PS3, more or less neutralizing the price differences between high-def equipped Xbox 360s and PS3s. The Wii doesn’t display in high-definition at all, but at least all games will look fantastic on those boxy old CRT TVs while still looking great anyway on big shiny new plasma and LCDs models. And no high-def capabilities makes it the cheapest ‘new’ console on offer, although the older 1st-gen Xbox and the PS2 will be even cheaper still. So what else sets each console apart from the other, what about those empty shelves the MSNBC article talks about, and what are my final observations? Click here or on page 2 below for more, it's worth it! << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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