Pass or fail? Video game consoles graded

With the launch of two of the industry’s most-awaited gaming consoles just around the corner, the general excitement that has been building up can be felt almost everywhere. While the rest of us are painfully counting the days, hours, and minutes for those shiny, new machines to finally be available, Robert Workman from GameDaily takes a step back to assess the video game consoles of our time, to see which companies have actually done their homework.

Basing his comments on the console’s price, game library, and lifespan, Workman then proceeds to grading the various gaming systems and issues a small prediction for that particular console.

Playstation 2: B+
A solid gaming machine with a fair price, the PS2 has a good library of games, as well as one of the best controllers of its time, no thanks to the Dual Shock 2. Despite being cast in the shadow of its bigger relative, the Playstation3, many good games are still being published for this well-loved console, with titles including the types of Final Fantasy XII (I personally recommend this game, by the way), God of War, and Okami. However, this star may just lose the limelight because of the PS3’s superior technology.

Xbox: D
Microsoft‘s first attempt to enter the gaming industry may not have been as successful as they wanted it to be. Though the Xbox has a good library of games, this good factor may have been neutralized by its bulky frame. At this time, Microsoft has also stopped publishing games for this platform, with only the occasional third-party title making a quiet appearance from time to time. It may have been doom for this console the moment the Xbox 360 was released.

Want to know how other consoles fared? Then read the rest at the full article!

With the launch of two of the industry’s most-awaited gaming consoles just around the corner, the general excitement that has been building up can be felt almost everywhere. While the rest of us are painfully counting the days, hours, and minutes for those shiny, new machines to finally be available, Robert Workman from GameDaily takes a step back to assess the video game consoles of our time, to see which companies have actually done their homework.

Basing his comments on the console’s price, game library, and lifespan, Workman then proceeds to grading the various gaming systems and issues a small prediction for that particular console.

Playstation 2: B+
A solid gaming machine with a fair price, the PS2 has a good library of games, as well as one of the best controllers of its time, no thanks to the Dual Shock 2. Despite being cast in the shadow of its bigger relative, the Playstation3, many good games are still being published for this well-loved console, with titles including the types of Final Fantasy XII (I personally recommend this game, by the way), God of War, and Okami. However, this star may just lose the limelight because of the PS3’s superior technology.

Xbox: D
Microsoft‘s first attempt to enter the gaming industry may not have been as successful as they wanted it to be. Though the Xbox has a good library of games, this good factor may have been neutralized by its bulky frame. At this time, Microsoft has also stopped publishing games for this platform, with only the occasional third-party title making a quiet appearance from time to time. It may have been doom for this console the moment the Xbox 360 was released.

GameCube: C
Nintendo’s neglected cube may have seen better days, but we’ll never really know now. Another console which bears a good library of games including Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, and Eternal Darkness, this console may not be worth purchasing anymore, only for the reason that it no longer has a steady supply of new games to keep it alive and breathing.

DS Lite: A
Whatever the GameCube lacked in sales, the DS Lite may have just made up for, as it is now dubbed as the Star of Nintendo (until the Wii comes out, maybe?). A sleek handheld with a touchscreen and wi-fi capability, the DS Lite also had a price which the masses found to be reasonable, thereby making it possible for almost everyone to pick one up for themselves. The fact that there is also a healthy supply of new games for the DS Lite which span vast ranges of interest makes the handheld worth the cash. Workman considers this handheld a must-have, next to the iPod.

PSP: B
Featuring a more mature look and selection of games as compared to its Nintendo counterpart, the PSP is expensive, but still gives good value for its price as it still serves as a good device for media storage and music playback. However, the UMD movie market is slowly dying, which may cause a loss for this handheld despite its steady stream of new games. It fights back, though, since it will be attaching itself to its big brother, the PS3, as a means to play PSOne games that can be downloaded via the console, and then transferred to this handheld.

Xbox 360: A
To quote from Workman: “The system is considered a success, thanks to a large supply of games, a substantial online community, complete with classic and new game downloads and a well-designed controller.” ‘Nuff said.

Nintendo Wii: A-
Surrounded by good publicity since it was first announced, the Wii has much promise in it. For one, it is more affordable than most consoles (though the US$ 60 extra controller may be a bit of a turn-off in that department). It also has good games come its launch, and has great games on the way; couple this with the Virtual Console, and we have a winner. The Wii is also supposedly more readily available, as compared to its contemporary, the PS3.

Sony Playstation 3: B+
One major issue that this console faces is the matter of availability, with only around 400,000 units at launch. Another factor which may mar its otherwise shiny surface, would be the fact that for its hefty price tag, Sony couldn’t even throw in an HDMI cable into the package. However, the PS3 is expected to breathe new life into old titles, and the second wave of games that are scheduled to be released for this console all promise to be awesome.