Holiday Game Season 2010 - Hottest New Gaming Consoles

Let's get right down to brass tax here, a video game console is the best present that you could get your child this holiday season. Yes, there are a lot of other presents that your child might like, but there is nothing out there that will bring him/her the joy and excitement that he/she will get from a brand new gaming console. If you are having trouble deciding what to get your child, get them a gaming console; if they already have a gaming console, get them some new games! While consoles and games may be expensive, it is well worth the investment. Your children will love the gift you got them and will brag about it to their friends, and they will play with it over and over again. I know what you are thinking, well why don't I just get my child something cheaper like a remote control car or something? Well unfortunately, your child would only play with it a few times and get tired of it and go play games at his/her friend's house. If you can afford it, and if you don't mind your child playing video games, do the smart thing and get him/her a video game console or some new video games!

There are so many video game consoles and video games to choose from, I want to get one for my child but I don't want to get them the wrong one!  There are many different consoles to choose from this holiday season and it can be hard to pick one considering they are all popular and loved by the masses. I am going to go over the pros and cons of each console and let you decide which one will fit your household the best. After all, this generation of consoles caters not only to your children, but to you as well.

I am going to start with what I consider to be the black sheep in today's current lineup of consoles. The Nintendo Wii experienced tremendous success right out of the gates because of its unique use of a motion controller to allow you to control your characters with real gestures and movements; however, the Wii's competitors are now starting to offer even better motion-gaming solutions. Now, other consoles allow you to play standard console games AND motion-capture games; this puts the Wii at a strong disadvantage considering you can only play motion-capture console games on it. With the majority of the hit games on the market being standard console games, the game that your child may want might not even be available on the Wii; something to keep in mind. I would strongly advise against getting this console as I feel like its days are numbered, its sales are already struggling.

Pros

• Relatively Inexpensive
• Motion-Capture System
• Family Games

Cons

• Average Graphics
• WiFi Only (No Ethernet Port)
• Not HD
• No Standard Console Gaming (Only Motion)
• Not As Many Available Games
• Little to No Online Gaming
• Losing Popularity

The second console I am going to review is the Microsoft Xbox 360. This console is one of the most popular gaming consoles on the market today and currently offers the best solution for gaming online. The Xbox Live network offers gamers a chance to compete against each other online and gain achievements and reputation for their efforts. Along with hit games with excellent online play such as the Halo series and the Call of Duty series, Xbox Live has become the most popular way to play online. The Xbox will also be launching a new system in 3 days from the time of this article that may revolutionize the way that the console is used. The system is called the Kinect and it will allow you to use your body as the controller! The system offers full-body movement tracking, facial recognition, and voice recognition software; in other words, the system will be able to recognize who you are and pull up your own settings and customizations automatically. The system will set you back another $150, or you can buy it in a bundle with your Xbox 360 for a better deal.

Pros

• Xbox Kinect (Will revolutionize the Xbox experience)
• Great Online Gaming (Xbox Live)
• Great Game Selection (Halo, Call of Duty, etc.)
• Competitive Pricing
• Instant Stream Movies and TV Shows (Requires Netflix Subscription)
• Social Networking (Keep in touch with family and friends)
• Now Has Built-In WiFi

• No Blu-ray Player
• Extra Cost for Motion-Capture
• Online Play Requires Monthly Fee (Affordable Though)

Now, behold what I consider to be the best console on the market today; the Playstation 3 (PS3) is the latest gaming console from Sony Entertainment and boy is it special. Many prefer the Xbox 360 over the PS3 and in fact, if I were only going to be gaming on my console, I might consider the Xbox 360 a better buy as well; however, I want to do much, much more on my console than gaming, and that is the PS3's specialty. The PS3 is a media and social networking beast! It allows you to stream movies and TV shows (with a Netflix subscription) and has social networking apps like Twitter and Facebook built in! To top it all off, it offers free online play through the Playstation Network (PSN) and has a built-in Blu-ray player for watching full HD Blu-ray movies. Sony has also developed and released a motion-capture gaming system called Playstation Move that just hit the shelves recently! I have used it already and I must say that I am impressed; it is much better than the Wii's current system of motion-capture and the games are a blast! The PS3 is a great console that will continue to impress you as you learn all of its wonderful features. I strongly suggest that this console goes on your holiday shopping list!

Pros

• Blu-ray Player Built-in
• Rechargable Controllers
• USB Slots
• Instant Stream TV & Movies (Netflix Subscription Required)
• Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Copy Movies and Songs From USB Thumb Drive to Your PS3 Hard Drive
• Great Games
• FREE Online Play
• Playstation Move
• Competitive Pricing

Cons

• Fewer Online than Xbox Live
• Extra Cost for Motion-Capture Gaming

If you are looking for a portable gaming console to buy for your child, you only have two real contenders, the PSP Go or the Nintendo DSi. Personally, I would go with the Nintendo DSi for younger kids and the PSP Go for older kids/teenagers, but you decide.

The PSP (Playstation Portable) Go is great because of its outstanding graphics and its ability to watch movies on the fly. The PSP Go is definitely catered to an older audience, teenagers and adults, though children can have fun on it too. It is a very cool portable console and its high-end graphics are revolutionary on a portable device.

Pros

• Plays Movies
• High-end Graphics
• Great Games
• Decent Battery Life
• Built-in Bluetooth
• Large Screen
• Skype

Cons

• No Camera
• No Touchscreen

The Nintendo DSi is a very cool device and very fun and easy to use; it is great for younger children and teenagers alike. It has two screens, one screen is a touchscreen and is used as an input screen to interact with your games, and the other is just a display screen. The DSi comes with a built-in camera and allows you to edit photos you take and make them look goofy. If you are looking for a device with silly games and more interaction, the DSi is for you!

Pros

• Built-In Camera
• Touchscreen
• Fun Games
• Easy To Use
• Good Battery Life

Cons

• Can't Watch Movies or TV
• No Bluetooth
• Mediocre Graphics