XBox, PS3, or Wii?

One of the biggest debates of our generation is that over console superiority. Which is the better console; XBox 360, Wii, or PS3? All three are great systems, all three offering new things to the gaming experience. I own all three personally, and play all three. However at the end of the day, if I had to make a choice, I would choose the XBox 360 as my favorite of the three. Let me explain why.

First, visual appeal. While the PS3 has a fairly sleek design I have to admit that it's matte finish turned away my appeal. Though there is a glossy version, I felt that there was too much gloss, not enough break up in the design. The Wii was simpler, with a glossed square shape that I have to admire. It was also available in a cherry red that made my girl side squeal with delight. Mind, I got the black to match my other consoles… but nonetheless! Yet when I saw the XBox 360 slim I have to admit I drooled a little. Sleek gloss, smooth silver trim, gentle curves… Needless to say, it's an attractive system.

Onward. After the unboxing came the setup which was also extremely simple… though I have to admit the PS3 does have it beat there, I found its setup considerably simpler than the XBox. Anyway, gentle tap of a beautiful silver button and to the dashboard.

Over the past two years the 360 dashboard has underwent two to three different makeovers.  I have heard a lot of dispute over the current dashboard arrangement, and at first I was hesitant as well. However, now that I've become accustomed to it I really do like it. I've always preferred the 360 dashboard though. I find the PS3 home screen to be exceedingly confusing, with a lot of cluttered unnecessary options. The Wii home screen is very very easy to navigate; but therein also lacking features.

Beyond the easy to use dashboard, the multiplayer is much easier to get involved in on XBox LIVE. First, party chat. For those not familiar with the Xbox LIVE parties, it allows you to be in a group of people with whom you can talk while gaming. Parties make multiplayer coordination much easier, but also allow you to chat while playing single player games too. Messaging, friend requests, the whole user interface is so much simpler and cleaner. There's a wide variety of well-organized aps, everything from Netflix to Zune. Another bonus is the Xbox live store, which has a ton of great Arcade and Indie titles. Playstation does offer a huge selection of games as well, but I've found many less titles of personal interest. Both systems offer free and paid accounts; personally I find that Microsoft really rewards their users for their Gold memberships.

Not to mention, the games. The long list of Xbox exclusives was what originally drew me to buy the Microsoft console. Halo, Fable, and Gears of War are just a few of the fantastic exclusive titles that the Xbox offers, all brilliant additions to any collection. While PS3 has wonderful exclusives like Uncharted and God of War, I found myself more drawn to the Xbox's offerings. Besides, of course, the Xbox controller which I discovered to be considerably more comfortable in my hands.

As I said, I own all three consoles. My Wii only gets used for new Mario games, new Zelda games, basically new releases of old Nintendo titles. Sometimes I use it for my gamecube games, though I have a gamecube as well. The PS3 maybe gets turned on once a week, if that, and only when I desire to play PS3 exclusive games. But the Xbox? I use it literally every day, if for nothing more than Netflix. If a game is available for more than one console, I buy it for Xbox. Everything about that console suits me and my style of gaming better.  

If you made me choose? I will always choose the Xbox.