The Best Console?

So, I guess I lied - I'm gonna talk about this right now, because I really can't think of anything else to post about haha. Anyway, this has been the age old question - for as long as I can remember games existing - which is the best console? This time around there's the Wii, PS3, and the Xbox 360, and I'll include the PC as well, just for fun. I guess the way I'll do this is just by talking about each, then telling you what I think at the end.

I'll start with the good ol' 360, which I've had the longest, since like.. March 2006, I think. And I loved it, for a very long time, until very recently, infact. It's got pretty much everything you could ask for in a console - the most exclusive games, the best navigation, the most features, the simplest navigation, and, most importantly of all, Xbox Live. Live is, without a doubt, the best thing this console has going for it; it has an AMAZING community, mainly due to the fact that with most consoles, you get a headset, so teamwork gets going, because most people can talk and coordinate things. Yes, it may be $50 a month, but honestly, how many people can't spare $4 a month? But the Xbox-io has one extremely huge flaw. In the first two years I owned mine, it got the red rings (the most common way they break) 3 times, which wasn't too bad since they fixed that for free, and I got it back within two weeks.

But over the summer, my 360 started crashing uncontrollably. Just the other day, I was listening to music, and it was working fine for hours, and then I accidentally turned on the visualizer fullscreen and it crashed. And this time, Microsoft won't fix it for free, because it's "not a common problem". Which I love, as I know many other people who've had similar issues. And it'll cost me $100 to fix. And I don't know about you, but I can't see putting in money to something so incredibly unstable. Sure, I've heard the newer consoles break less, but they've been saying that every few months about the "new consoles". And they still break just as much, it seems. 

I bought the Wii next, solely for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and then later got Wii Fit as well. And I really haven't been able to pin down why they're so extremely popular. I rarely turn mine on, and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because the very botched "Friends Code" online system really doesn't work at all, and makes me feel detached from my friends, which is hard after being so used to being connected with Xbox Live. Or maybe it's the fact that you have to stand up to really get the motion detector to work right, which isn't exactly my idea of "kicking back and relaxing", which is usually what I turn on a game to do. It might also be the fact that the games really aren't too compelling on your own. But that does lead me to the Wii's one shining star - it's INCREDIBLY fun when you have other people playing. It seems that most developers have made that the focus of their games, which is great, because the Wii's multiplayer is the one thing that the other systems just can't match. 

Then came the PS3, which I bought because they were discontinuing Playstation 2 hardware backwards compatibility, and I really wanted that, and Blu-Ray also seemed like it'd be worth trying. But I can't lie - in the year I've owned the system, I haven't bought a single retail game. I've downloaded games, and I've rented them, but I've never been compelled to buy any, because I've always had my 360, and for whatever reason, developers that make games on both platforms like to make the 360 versions better than the PS3 ones. And none of the exclusives have really stood out (though LittleBigPlanet shall be mine soon).

From when have played some games on it though, to be honest, it's not as bad a console as some people (*cough*fanboys) make it out to be. The online's not as good as Live, which I think is mainly because you have to buy a Bluetooth headset seperately to talk and they're not cheap, but the service is free, so it sort of balances out, I guess. Everything else works as well as it does on the Xbox, for the most part, aside from when the game developers decide not to work out all the bugs (which happens way too much.. *punches developers*). Two random annoyances I have, though: one, the controllers feel way too light, but I believe that's fixed now with the new Dualshock 3 controllers having vibration again (Sony, you have to admit, taking that out in the first place was STUPID). And two, no one should buy this console for Blu-Ray unless you're a complete graphics whore, because after the "OMGPRETTY" effect wears off, you'll probably decide that the $10-15 price difference on the movies just isn't worth it.

And lastly, we come to the age-old PC, which is according to some people "dying off" (but, I'll tell you a secret: it's really not ;)). I've been playing PC games on and off, but I'm planning on getting into them more with my Xbox dead, and having just built a new gaming rig. So far, I can tell you that the PC has three major advantages over any of the consoles. First, if you have a powerful PC, the graphics are EXTREMELY prettier than any console can make (just take a look at Crysis if you don't believe me). Next is the fact that games can be modded, which lets you get a lot more bang for your buck, since they change up the way the games play quite a bit. And the third thing I like more about the PC is that it uses a mouse and keyboard, which is a lot more accurate when it comes to shooters than any controller to this day.

But of course the PC's not perfect - the biggest problem is definitely how, even if you spend thousands on a new computer, within a few months it'll be outdated, while consoles last for 5 years. And you also have to deal with technical issues and all sorts of funky compatibility shiz, which is about as fun as giving a hairy man a full body wax (I mean, unless you're into that, and hey, I'm not one to judge..). One last little thing I have to note about the PC is that the community is about as tight as the PS3 - not very - but if you have some friends who play online, or you find a good clan to play with, then that's not an issue. 

As for the verdict..? You know, after all that reading you've done, I feel kind of bad, because I tricked you. I don't have a verdict. None of the consoles are best. The Xbox may be great, but how can I recommend something that breaks for nearly everyone at least once? And the Wii, well, what's the point of buying a game system that's not much fun to play alone? The PC, sure, it's great, but who has the money to constantly (and expensively) update a game system every year or two? Honestly, if I had to pick one of the four, I think I'd go with the Playstation 3, because it's stable, and it has nearly all of the game variety the 360 or PC has, even if many of them are slightly buggy and the community's not as tightly knit as the Xbox's, and it's not quite as fun with friends as the Wii. So, that's as close to a verdict as you'll get out of me. My advice, if you're looking for a good console, just read what I had to say and choose what you think you'll like best, because I really did my best to be unbiased with this as possible.

What? You're pissed that I didn't tell you what you should buy exactly? Well then, you can have a consolation prize: a free cookie. I mean, it's a virtual cookie so I reaaally don't know what you can do with it, but.. Eh.. I'm sure you can figure out something. *Runs off*