Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: The Verge

During the day at Eastern, students attend classes, play sports and study diligently.

When their busy days come to a close, students like sophomore theater and English double major Paul Martin settle down in front of their favorite game console and fire up their favorite games.

"They are great way to relax when you've got a lot of homework or a lot on your mind - just sit back and play," he said. "Then go back to your homework and you'll find that you have an easier time writing your paper because you'll be less stressed."

The three major competitors in the gaming console world are Nintendo with the Wii, Microsoft with the Xbox 360 and Sony with its Playstation 3.

Already, the combined sales of video game consoles have exceeded 60 million and are climbing, according to the National Purchase Diary Group, a sales research company.

The Tokyo Game Show, which begins Oct. 9, allows game developers to unveil their latest titles.

This means students will have an even more difficult time deciding which games to buy.

Dave Kosak, executive editor for Gamespy.com and video game critic for 11 years, feels that this is because of the drastic change games have taken during the past 10 years.

"There (have) been all sorts of changes," he said. "The biggest change, technologically, is the graphics. It's mind-blowing ... they used to be pixel graphics. Now you have to do a double-take when you see someone playing 'Madden.' You have to make sure they aren't watching TV."

Kosak said graphics and multimedia capabilities are the main strengths played off by the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

The Nintendo Wii, the least graphical and media-intensive, focuses on a different strength.

"The Wii is very, very different," he said. "You can hand the controller to people who don't play games and they'll have fun. Senior citizens have Wii bowling leagues; who would've thought that would've happened?"

Seth Fisher, a freshman history major, said the Wii doesn't appeal much to him.

"It doesn't seem all that cool," he said. "It just seems more like a toy that you'd buy for a little kid."

Through July, the Wii - which has sold 9 million units - has outsold the Xbox 360's 8.9 million units.

But at Eastern, the Xbox 360 seems to me more popular.

"I see people playing 'Call of Duty 4' or 'Madden' all the times on their 360s," said Kyle Tonn, a sophomore graphic design major. "They use headsets to talk to each other, so some guy in Thomas can be playing with someone in Carman."

Students believe that most fellow students play video games, some more casually than others.

"It all depends on the type of student," says Brittany Denison, a freshman secondary education major. "A lot of them are secret gamers."

The Playstation 3 is the priciest console of the three, but also brings the most to the table graphic- and media-wise.

"The PS3 is an inexpensive Blu-Ray (a high-capacity, high-definition disc format) player," Kosak said. "It's a great value."

All of the platforms offer downloadable games, a very popular means of buying games and one that students seem to like. Michael Dimayuga, a freshman elementary education major, wishes that all games were downloadable.

"You wouldn't have to go out and buy any games," says Dimayuga. "If you want Madden, you can just get online and get it whenever you want."

While the console platforms are so different, many games don't have exclusivity and are available on both the 360 and the PS3. Because of Wii's format, there aren't as many cross-platform games available for it.

With the Tokyo Game Show a mere week away, the console wars are pulling in to their final stretch. While the NPD's numbers show that the Wii is the current console leader, there are still more great games to be released, so the console crown is still up in the air.

"It's all about having fun," Kosak explains, " We all get caught up in these 'console wars,' but in the end, what we get is more great games and great consoles. No matter who wins, the gamers still win and that's what matters."

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