Hawty McBloggy Invites You to Play

Microsoft officially announced the release of the Xbox 360 Arcade Console which is available for the low price of $279.99. Included in this bundle is one wireless controller, 256 MB of memory, and five Arcade games (PAC-MAN Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket, and Feeding Frenzy). Just in time for the holidays, Microsoft has put together a package that allows the consumer to start playing a selection of different titles right out of the box.

I had a chance to speak with Margaret Cobb (from Microsoft) about their most recent effort in reaching out to families and children. Not only is she proud of their newest offering, but she is also quite excited about the different items that will be available in the upcoming months that are all very family friendly. From television shows and movies available to download via Xbox Live to new exciting Arcade titles almost ready for release (SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam and SHREK-N-ROLL, both expected to be 800 Microsoft Points or less), Microsoft certainly seems to be chugging along with their goal of attracting more families to the wonderful world of gaming. In fact by the time the holiday buying season rolls around, they expect to have a selection of over 200 “E” and “Teen” rated games available for purchase. Guitar Hero III, anyone?

Let’s compare the specifics of the Xbox 360 Arcade Console with the Nintendo Wii system as many parents will be facing this exact choice this upcoming holiday season. Nagging children everywhere will be asking Santa for a video game console, but which one will appear under the most trees?

Price :
The Xbox 360 Arcade Console retails at $279.99. The Nintendo Wii starts at $249.99. At first glance, the Wii’s pricetag (which is $30 cheaper) appears to win. But is $30 enough to pull in a buyer without first comparing the features of each? Advantage – Nintendo Wii

Included Games :
The Xbox 360 Arcade Console comes with five games. Their selection of games is really quite brilliant in my opinion. I talked with Margaret about how each of the specific games is going to appeal to a different member of the family. PAC-MAN Championship Edition, which features a character that has instant name recognition, will provide a new experience within a classic game. This game boasts the first new PAC-MAN mazes in over 26 years, ensuring a new game experience for the children but also for mom and dad as well. Uno is another game that will instantly have brand recognition. Simple enough for children to play but classic enough for parents to remember fondly, this is the epitome of a family friendly game. Anybody who enjoys a good puzzle challenge will be drawn to Luxor 2. Featuring four different levels of difficulty, this game has 88 levels to complete, guaranteeing hours upon hours of play time (I still haven’t finished this one). The first rhythm music game offered on Xbox Live, Boom Boom Rocket, is also included in this bundle. Children will enjoy the beautiful fireworks and the music that accompanies them as they attempt to hit the right buttons in time with the music. The last offering in this package is Feeding Frenzy which has simple gameplay (eat all the fish smaller than you, avoid all the fish bigger than you!) and absolutely stunning graphics. Kids and grown ups alike will love watching this game as much as they will enjoy playing it. The variety within these games is fantastic and there is sure to be a game that each member of the family will enjoy. I personally have four out of five of these titles and enjoyed every single one of them immensely.

The basic Nintendo Wii package includes Wii Sports, which is actually only one game but has five different playable sports available to choose from (tennis, baseball, golf, bowling and boxing). If you don’t like sports, you are out of luck. Advantage – Xbox 360 Arcade

Accessories :
Both packages come with a single controller (the Xbox 360 Arcade one being wireless). The Nintendo Wii comes with 512MB of internal flash memory while the Xbox 360 Arcade only comes with 256 MB of memory. Both have sufficient storage for the casual gamer so that category is a moot point. Tie

Accessibility :
I didn’t think to ask Margaret how many of the bundles would be on store shelves during the holiday season. I do know it is available for purchase starting today and hopefully many boxes line the aisles of local retailers. Unfortunately it is still difficult getting your hands on a Nintendo Wii. Best buy? Currently sold out. Circuit City? Also sold out. EB Games? They only have a Nintendo Wii Mario Bundle which is retailing for $419.95. Amazon.com? The cheapest one is going for $394. If parents are debating between an Xbox 360 Arcade Console and a Nintendo Wii and there are no Nintendo Wiis to be found, it won’t be much of a battle. Advantage – Xbox 360 Arcade

Digital Entertainment :
Along with gaming, the Xbox 360 Arcade Console can serve as a multimedia center. You can watch dvds on it. You can download movies and television shows via Xbox Live. You can instantly stream “the digital media stored on your MP3 player, digital camera, Media Center PC, or any Microsoft Windows XP 2005 Edition-based PC” onto your 360. The Nintendo Wii allows you to surf the internet along with retrieving digital images from your camera to then view and edit in the Photo Channel. It is possible to watch movies on the Wii although it requires the purchase of additional software and then changing the format. I would much rather simply insert a dvd into the disc tray rather than bother converting everything. Advantage – Xbox 360 Arcade

I read an amazing article the other day detailing a mother’s experience with her teenage daughter as it relates to gaming. It talks about how the daughter wants to purchase an Xbox 360 before purchasing a car. Will a less expensive bundle such as this one (that is especially tempting because it is ready to play right out of the box) change the tide for the daughter? Will it make it more appealing to the mother who will then also have a console her other children can play on and enjoy as well? Will the mother perhaps pick up one of the pink controllers and give PAC-MAN or Luxor a spin?

The Xbox 360 Arcade bundle and the Nintendo Wii may be facing off in a 1 v. 1 this holiday season. Who do you think will come out on top? Only time will tell.