With four ways to game in the living room or office, buyers have more options than ever before. Here's our quick guide to what separates one system from another.
Jump To: | Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Wii | Browse the Holiday Games Guide >>
The Personal Computer
Games like Crysis Warhead show off the PC's strengths
Price: $1000-$10,000
Who needs it: The Hard-Core Competitor
The Basics
The PC is still a vital and viable gaming platform, especially with the release of Windows Vista, which supports DirectX 10 to achieve ever more realistic visual detail. You can buy a regular old Dell, a dedicated gaming machine, or custom-build an ultimate rig; all will be able to game, but some machines will be more capable than others. Make sure you have an Nvidia or ATI graphics chip inside, and most modern games will be able to run.
Media and Extended Entertainment Capabilities
Like any other PC, a gaming rig can be the center of your media universe. With proper networking and speakers, you can stream music and video to any part of your house. Compact cases can allow a good media PC to replace your DVD player and stereo in the living room, and Blu-Ray or HD-DVD playback require only the proper drive. The sky's the limit here... or maybe your budget is.
The Exclusive Games
Spore:
Can you guide an entire species from single-celled organism to interstellar dominance? Spore's unique scope gives you the reins of evolution itself -- and keep an eye out for the new Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, which expands the game to add many new creature design possibilities.
Crysis Warhead:
One for the hardcore, this: it'll push dedicated gaming PCs to their limits (and beyond, in some cases) as it tells its gripping sci-fi tale of desert islands, rebels, and aliens.
Civilization IV: Colonization:
A standalone expansion to one of the PC's most addictive games, Colonization is the perfect gift for that relative you wish would never come out of their room. Give them this, and watch them withdraw from society for months.
Posted: 18 Nov 2008
