Video Game Consoles/Platforms That I Own

For this assignment I am going to be showing you some video game consoles/platforms that I own. For each one I will talk about the spec, show things such as peripherals, and other things like wires (how they plug in and where they go etc.)

1. The Nintendo Wii

The release of the Wii marked Nintendo's entry into the seventh generation of video game consoles. The Wii was a unique console, and was aimed at non gamers and casual gamers as well as experienced gamers. This is because of the Wii's main feature, movement based gameplay. The Wii came with the Wii Remote, which would connected to an infra-red bar that would be played on top of the television, this allowed the player to use the remote as a pointer to navigate menus and to be used during gameplay by moving it around as well as pressing buttons on the screen. This feature meant that the Wii was more of a family console, and it was something that the whole family could get into and play together. In terms of spec, the Wii wasn’t as good as the Xbox and PlayStation. It did not come with a hard drive, instead only 512mb of internal flash memory (however it supported SD cards.) 

The Wii also ran at 480p max, meaning it was the only 7^th gen console that couldn’t run in HD…

Advantages

• Like most consoles, it's small and easy to set up. You could take it somewhere with you if you needed to.
• The Wii was something the whole family could get into. It was enjoyable with lots of people.
• Lots of great games were released over the Wii's lifetime. It has a wide selection of games.
• Backwards compatibility.

Disadvantages

• In terms of power and graphical capabilities, the Wii was behind the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

2. Nintendo 3DS
The 3DS is Nintendo's current main handheld, along with the New Nintendo 3DS (a never version of the 3DS that is more powerful and has better 3D features.) The 3DS allows players to view games in 3D, without having to wear 3D glasses. The 3DS is also much more powerful than previous DS models and can run full 3D games with great graphics. 

Specs:

• OS: Nintendo 3DS system software
• CPU: Dual-Core ARM11 MPCore, single-core ARM9
• Memory: 128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM
• Storage: 1 GB internal flash memory
• Removable storage: Included 2 GB SD card (3DS)
• Included 4 GB SDHC card (3DS XL)
• Cartridge save
• Display: LCD screens
• Graphics: DMP PICA200 GPU
• Sound: Stereo speakers and a microphone
• Camera: 3 VGA cameras. One on the inner screen, 2 on the outer shell.

Advantages

• A huge step up from the previous DS models in terms of features and hardware capabilities.
• Strong line-up of games. 

Disadvantages

• 3D effect can be awkward to use. If the screen is at a slight angle it messes it up (This was fixed with the New 3DS.)
• Low battery life with use of the 3D effect.
• 3D effect has negative effects on some individuals. (This obviously isn't Nintendo's fault but I'd still count it as a disadvantage.)

3. PC
PC is a more difficult platform to talk about because people build PC's differently depending on what they want to use it for. Some built them for casual gaming, others for intense gaming, some build them for doing work etc. My PC is built for intense gaming.    

    

Pictures:

Headphone jack and mic jack plugged in.

DVI cable (for graphics card, the white one) and the power cable for the monitor.

DVI cable going in to the graphics card.

Ethernet cable, keyboard and mouse USB's.

Ethernet cable goes into the TP Link which allows me to connect to the internet. The power cable for the PC and monitor are also plugged in.

Power cable plugged into the PC's power supply.

Advantages

• PC's can be custom built to meet any requirements, and high end PC's can last a long time.
• Highly customizable.
• You can do a lot on a PC.
• Performance and visuals are usually better on PC.
• wide variety of peripherals.

Disadvantages

• Can be quite expensive.
• Usually not very portable. Hard to move around.
• PC games sometimes get terrible console ports (games that function more like a console game than a PC game. Bad performance etc.) Or certain games aren't released for PC.
• Possibility of technical problems.

4. Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP was a portable system released by Nintendo in 2003. The GBA was accompanied by the Nintendo DS, Nintendo's first DS model, and when compared to the DS it wasn't as powerful.

Spec Info
The Game Boy only had one screen, and it was only 2.9 inches. Earlier models of the GBA didn't have a backlit screen, so it was quite dull and hard to see at first. The resolution was also only 240 x 160 pixels. 

• CPU: 32-bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory.
• Co-processor: 8-bit Zilog Z80
• Memory: 32 kilobyte+96 kilobyte VRAM (internal CPU), 256 kilobyte DRAM (external CPU).
• 15-bit RGB colour.

5. Mobile
Mobile gaming has grown a lot over the past few years, and people spend a lot on in game items and bonuses which keeps the market afloat. The reason why mobile gaming is so popular is because its easy to access and easy to get into. Most people have a smart phone, and younger gamers are able to show their parents things that they would never have used before. You can mobile game in your spare time, on a break at work, on a bus (pretty much everywhere.)

The power of mobile phones and tablets has also got better and better, and they can handle games with full 3D graphics. An example of a great looking game is Modern Combat 5, which looks stunning considering it's a phone game.

Advantages

• You pretty much have your phone with you wherever you go, so mobile gaming is easy to access and is good for killing time.
• Powerful devices allow us to run almost console-like games on the go (MC5 for example.)
• Easy to get into and even older people can enjoy it (games like Candy Crush etc.)

Disadvantages

• On a small touch screen or touch screen in general, controls can sometimes be a little bit hard to get used to and or annoying.
• Battery life may be an issue on some phones.