{"id":43217,"date":"2009-11-17T00:00:16","date_gmt":"2009-11-17T05:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/?p=123490"},"modified":"2009-11-17T00:00:16","modified_gmt":"2009-11-17T05:00:16","slug":"gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/43217","title":{"rendered":"Gift Guide 2009: Gaming Consoles"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul id='postTabs_ul_123490' class='postTabs' style='display:none'>\n<li id='postTabs_li_0_123490' class='postTabs_curr'><a  id=\"123490_0\" onMouseOver=\"posTabsShowLinks('Intro'); return true;\"  onMouseOut=\"posTabsShowLinks();\" href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/?postTabs=0'>Intro<\/a><\/li>\n<li id='postTabs_li_1_123490' ><a  id=\"123490_1\" onMouseOver=\"posTabsShowLinks('Microsoft Xbox 360'); return true;\"  onMouseOut=\"posTabsShowLinks();\" href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/?postTabs=1'>Microsoft Xbox 360<\/a><\/li>\n<li id='postTabs_li_2_123490' ><a  id=\"123490_2\" onMouseOver=\"posTabsShowLinks('Sony PlayStation 3'); return true;\"  onMouseOut=\"posTabsShowLinks();\" href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/?postTabs=2'>Sony PlayStation 3<\/a><\/li>\n<li id='postTabs_li_3_123490' ><a  id=\"123490_3\" onMouseOver=\"posTabsShowLinks('Nintendo Wii'); return true;\"  onMouseOut=\"posTabsShowLinks();\" href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/?postTabs=3'>Nintendo Wii<\/a><\/li>\n<li id='postTabs_li_4_123490' ><a  id=\"123490_4\" onMouseOver=\"posTabsShowLinks('Portable Gaming Systems'); return true;\"  onMouseOut=\"posTabsShowLinks();\" href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/?postTabs=4'>Portable Gaming Systems<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='postTabs_divs postTabs_curr_div' id='postTabs_0_123490'>\n<span class='postTabs_titles'><b>Intro<\/b><\/span><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" defer=\"defer\">\n<!-- \nvar so2_c1 = {\n\tparams : {\n\t\twmode : \"transparent\",\n\t\tallowfullscreen : \"true\",\n\t\tmenu : \"false\",\n\t\tbgcolor : \"#262626\"},\n\tflashvars : {\n\t\tpath : \"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/flash-album-gallery\/skins\/default\/\",\n\t\tgID : \"2\",\n\t\tgalName : \"CrunchGear Gift Guide 2009\",\n\t\twidth : \"100%\",\n\t\theight : \"600\"},\n\tattr : {\n\t\tstyleclass : \"flashalbum\",\n\t\tid : \"so2_f1\",\n\t\tname : \"so2_f1\"},\n\tstart : function() {\n\t\tswfobject.embedSWF(\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/flash-album-gallery\/skins\/default\/gallery.swf\", \"so2_c1\", \"100%\", \"600\", \"9.0.45\", false, this.flashvars, this.params , this.attr );\nswfobject.createCSS(\"#so2_f1\",\"outline:none\");\n\t}\n}\nso2_c1.start();\n\/\/ -->\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"flashalbum\">\n<div class=\"swfobject\" id=\"so2_c1\" style=\"width:100%;\">\n<h1 style=\"font-size:14px; font-weight:normal; margin:0; padding:0; background:none; border:none;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/codeasily.com\/wordpress-plugins\/flash-album-gallery\/flag\" title=\"GRAND Flash Album Gallery\">GRAND Flash Album Gallery<\/a><\/h1>\n<h1 style=\"font-size:12px; font-weight:normal; margin:0; padding:0; background:none; border:none;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/photogallerycreator.com\" title=\"Skins for GRAND FlAGallery\">Skins for GRAND FlAGallery<\/a><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"font-size:12px; font-weight:normal; margin:0; padding:0; background:none; border:none;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/codeasily.com\" title=\"Flash Templates, WordPress Themes and WordPress plugins\">developed by CodEasily.com &#8211; Flash Templates, WordPress Themes and WordPress plugins<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/go\/getflashplayer\">Flash Player<\/a> and a browser with Javascript support are needed..<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ah, gaming consoles. They pick up where TV left off. Back when TV was still entertaining, it served as the perfect babysitter.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You kids watch Full House and Urkel until your mom and I get home from our key-swapping party, okay?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s a key-swapping party?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Okay, gotta go!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Now consoles are here to fill that void. Well, and Facebook. Whatever the case, if you&#8217;re looking to buy your kids (or yourself!) a console this holiday season, here&#8217;s some info on a bunch of the available options in no particular order&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-123490\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class='postTabsNavigation' style='display:none'><span class='postTabs_nav_next'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(1,123490)'>Microsoft Xbox 360 &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='postTabs_divs' id='postTabs_1_123490'>\n<span class='postTabs_titles'><b>Microsoft Xbox 360<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"xbox360\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/xbox360.jpg\" alt=\"xbox360\" width=\"620\" height=\"222\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Microsoft Xbox 360:<\/strong> Starting at $199.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.xbox.com\/en-US\/default.htm\">Xbox.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Among the current generation of gaming consoles, Microsoft&#8217;s Xbox 360 has been around the longest. Don&#8217;t let its age fool you, though. There\u2019s still more than enough power under the hood, a vibrant online community, and plenty of media-centric features like Netflix streaming and Windows Media Center integration to earn the console a spot in your living room.<\/p>\n<p>The Xbox 360 comes in two main flavors: the $199.99 Xbox 360 Arcade and the $299.99 Xbox 360 Elite. There\u2019s also a $399.99 Elite version for the holiday season.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"compare\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/compare.jpg\" alt=\"compare\" width=\"620\" height=\"179\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pros:<\/strong> Huge library of available titles, low starting price, high-definition TV and movie downloads, Netflix streaming, Windows Media Center integration<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cons:<\/strong> Wireless internet connection costs extra, premium online gaming (Xbox Live Gold) costs extra, Arcade system has very little built-in storage for game and movie downloads<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.xbox.com\/en-US\/default.htm\">Product Page<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/tag\/xbox-360\/\">CrunchGear Coverage<\/a><\/p>\n<p><div class='postTabsNavigation' style='display:none'><span class='postTabs_nav_prev'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(0,123490)'>&lt;&lt; Intro<\/a><\/span><span class='postTabs_nav_next'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(2,123490)'>Sony PlayStation 3 &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='postTabs_divs' id='postTabs_2_123490'>\n<span class='postTabs_titles'><b>Sony PlayStation 3<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"PS3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/PS3.jpg\" alt=\"PS3\" width=\"620\" height=\"437\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sony PlayStation 3:<\/strong> Starting at $299.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.us.playstation.com\/PS3\">PlayStation.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>A massively powerful system with built-in Blu-ray player and Sony\u2019s signature sex appeal &#8212; what\u2019s not to love? Sony\u2019s flagship gaming system has finally reached consumer-friendly price points and ought to see some healthy sales this holiday season.<\/p>\n<p>The PlayStation Network serves up movie, TV, and game downloads and Sony has just recently added Netflix streaming to complement robust online and home network integration features. The PlayStation 3 console had been available in two different form factors \u2013 the original on the left (above) is now being replaced by the newer, \u201cslim\u201d version on the right.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"PS3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/PS3.png\" alt=\"PS3\" width=\"620\" height=\"201\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pros: <\/strong>Built-in Blu-ray, built-in Wi-Fi connection, no additional charge to access online gaming features, slimmer console, slimmer starting price tag<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cons: <\/strong>Still the most expensive console on the market, not as many available titles as Xbox 360, no compatibility with PS2 games<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"PlayStation.com - PLAYSTATION\u00ae3\" href=\"http:\/\/www.us.playstation.com\/PS3\">Product Page<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/tag\/PS3\/\">CrunchGear Coverage<\/a><\/p>\n<p><div class='postTabsNavigation' style='display:none'><span class='postTabs_nav_prev'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(1,123490)'>&lt;&lt; Microsoft Xbox 360<\/a><\/span><span class='postTabs_nav_next'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(3,123490)'>Nintendo Wii &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='postTabs_divs' id='postTabs_3_123490'>\n<span class='postTabs_titles'><b>Nintendo Wii<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"wii\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/wii.jpg\" alt=\"wii\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Nintendo Wii:<\/strong> $199.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/wii\">Nintendo.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>While its competitors were busy stuffing as much horsepower into their consoles as possible, Nintendo opted for a much simpler approach: an inexpensive, gesture-based, pick-up-and-play gaming experience. No complicated controllers, no high-definition graphics, no big heavy box sitting next to the TV \u2013 just a cute little slot-loading console named Wii.<\/p>\n<p>Industry pundits may have scoffed at the Wii\u2019s relatively underpowered guts but consumers didn\u2019t seem to mind, and the console went on to sell more than 55 million units worldwide to date in the face of popularity-induced inventory shortages.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s only one version of the Wii available. It features the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Price: $199.99<\/li>\n<li>Storage: 512MB<\/li>\n<li>Controllers: 1 Wii Remote, 1 Nunchuk, 1 wireless sensor bar included<\/li>\n<li>A\/V Cables: Composite included, 480p component optional<\/li>\n<li>Backwards Compatibility: GameCube games and controllers<\/li>\n<li>Data Connections: Wi-Fi (b\/g) included, Ethernet optional<\/li>\n<li>Included Games: Wii Sports<\/li>\n<li>Available Games: 650+ (not including downloadable games or GameCube games)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Pros: <\/strong>Simple family fun, compatible with GameCube games and controllers, great first-party titles, no shortage of available accessories, great retro gaming with Wii Virtual Console<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cons: <\/strong>Doesn\u2019t work as a DVD player, lack of compelling third-party titles, buying all available accessories would eventually bankrupt you, no HD, no movie or video downloads<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/wii\">Product Page<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/tag\/wii\/\">CrunchGear Coverage<\/a><\/p>\n<p><div class='postTabsNavigation' style='display:none'><span class='postTabs_nav_prev'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(2,123490)'>&lt;&lt; Sony PlayStation 3<\/a><\/span><span class='postTabs_nav_next'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(4,123490)'>Portable Gaming Systems &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='postTabs_divs' id='postTabs_4_123490'>\n<span class='postTabs_titles'><b>Portable Gaming Systems<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: inline\" title=\"portable\" src=\"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/portable.jpg\" alt=\"portable\" width=\"620\" height=\"186\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Portable Gaming Systems <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If gaming on the go is more your style, there are plenty of portable options available.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sony PSP Go:<\/strong> $249.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.us.playstation.com\/PSP\/Systems\/pspgo.html\">PlayStation.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Sony&#8217;s newest portable gaming machine, the PSP Go, eschews physical media in favor of download-only software. There\u2019s 16GB of built-in memory, a 3.78-inch 480&#215;272 widescreen LCD, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, music and movie playback, web browsing, and more.<\/p>\n<p>PROS:<strong> <\/strong>Small form factor, no game discs or cartridges to misplace, multimedia playback<\/p>\n<p>CONS: Old PSP games won\u2019t work, unbelievably high price tag<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sony PSP-3000:<\/strong> $169.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.us.playstation.com\/PSP\/Systems\/3000cp.html\">PlayStation.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Not to be pushed aside by the newer, smaller PSP Go, the PSP-3000 boasts a big 4.3-inch widescreen at 480&#215;272 pixels, is compatible with UMD disc-based games as well as downloadable games, and features most of what\u2019s available in the PSP Go at a much more reasonable price.<\/p>\n<p>PROS: Big 4.3-inch screen, reasonable $170 price tag, support for game downloads<\/p>\n<p>CONS: Comparatively large at 6.7 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches, no built-in memory<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nintendo DSi: <\/strong>$169.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendodsi.com\/#slideshow=meet-nintendo-dsi\">NintendoDSi.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo&#8217;s latest portable adds two built-in cameras, audio recording, SD card expansion, web browsing, and direct-to-device game downloads to the familiar dual-screen setup that\u2019s been the distinguishing feature found in the DS series of gaming devices.<\/p>\n<p>PROS: Cameras and audio recording features add new depth to games<\/p>\n<p>CONS: Iffy web browser, selection of available downloads is pretty limited so far<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nintendo DS Lite:<\/strong> $129.99 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendodsi.com\/meet-dslite.jsp\">NintendoDSi.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Take the DSi, chop a quarter of an inch off the screen size, take out the cameras, and remove the ability to download games. Boom &#8212; you\u2019ve got the DS Lite. You also get a lower price tag and backwards compatibility with Game Boy Advance games.<\/p>\n<p>PROS: Cheapest mainstream portable game machine around, backwards GBA compatibility<\/p>\n<p>CONS: Lacks the online features of all its competitors, small screen<\/p>\n<p><strong>Apple iPod touch:<\/strong> Starting at $199 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.apple.com\/ipodtouch\/\">Apple.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>We could argue about whether or not the iPod touch is an actual gaming system until the cows come home, but two things are certain: 1. Apple actively markets it as \u201cA great portable game player\u201d and 2. There are hundreds of quality games to download from major publishers like EA, id, Konami, and Gameloft. Not to mention 100,000+ other apps to boot.<\/p>\n<p>PROS: Plenty of inexpensive games, great web browser and multimedia playback<\/p>\n<p>CONS: No tactile controls, games not as complex as what\u2019s available for Sony and Nintendo<\/p>\n<div class='postTabsNavigation' style='display:none'><span class='postTabs_nav_prev'><a href='http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/2009\/11\/17\/gift-guide-2009-gaming-consoles\/#postTabs_ul_123490' onClick='postTabs_show(3,123490)'>&lt;&lt; Nintendo Wii<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/eHNmzx2ix_MFH_2duMWi6-AhUVQ\/0\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/eHNmzx2ix_MFH_2duMWi6-AhUVQ\/0\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/eHNmzx2ix_MFH_2duMWi6-AhUVQ\/1\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~at\/eHNmzx2ix_MFH_2duMWi6-AhUVQ\/1\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?a=S2DjsG1E08Q:AwBvMpuCKgw:V_sGLiPBpWU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?i=S2DjsG1E08Q:AwBvMpuCKgw:V_sGLiPBpWU\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?a=S2DjsG1E08Q:AwBvMpuCKgw:F7zBnMyn0Lo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?i=S2DjsG1E08Q:AwBvMpuCKgw:F7zBnMyn0Lo\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?a=S2DjsG1E08Q:AwBvMpuCKgw:yIl2AUoC8zA\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/crunchgear?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Intro Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 Nintendo Wii Portable Gaming Systems Intro GRAND Flash Album Gallery Skins for GRAND FlAGallery developed by CodEasily.com &#8211; Flash Templates, WordPress Themes and WordPress plugins The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed.. Ah, gaming consoles. They pick up where TV left off. Back when [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43217\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}