This year “Black Friday” didn’t seem to be as big of a deal as usual. The reason was the release of the Playstation 3 (PS3). Locally people camped out in front of stores for more than four nights to have a chance to get the new gaming console. If you haven’t been paying attention to gaming, it has grown rapidly. It is now a lifestyle, and for some even a profession.
When I was a kid, if anyone would have told me I could play video games professionally for a living, I would have never believed it.
Can you imagine kids looking up to game-playing teenagers as role models? I know these guys could probably kill me in about five seconds playing Halo, but is it really worthy of a league and endorsement opportunities?
There are three consoles that are competing for the loyalty of gamers. The newly released PS3 and Nintendo Wii, along with the XBOX 360, which beat the Sony and Nintendo by releasing about a year before the other consoles.
The XBOX has a strong following. It has very clean graphics and can run High Definition DVDs. You can connect to the Internet and play against others worldwide. You can also play some XBOX games on the new console.
The PS3 is meant to bring Sony back with a vengeance. Sony sided with Blu-ray instead of High Definition DVD.
The quality is supposed to be slightly weaker, but Blu-ray is supposed to carry more movie titles. The system can only be played on an HDTV because of its high resolution. Both consoles are like computers, and most games are aimed toward older people.
The Nintendo Wii is, like most Nintendo systems, aimed toward all audiences. It is the system that a grandfather can play with his grandson.
It can play Gamecube games and connect to the DS, along with the Internet. The company has developed a new control style, which is what people are excited about.
With so much popularity and competition, it is only natural for humans to start competition. It isn’t about you and your friends or siblings anymore.
Major League Gaming (MLG) is an organized, international league for professional gamers. These pros meet in various cities, mostly in the United States to compete and see who can play video games better.
I love video games, but it is scary to think that more kids may want to play Madden 2007 than to actually play football.
MLG is growing in popularity by the day, and Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo know this.
They are pushing the limits on what games can do. With so much competition between them, who knows what will be next.