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Today, I found myself in a situation that I hadn’t necessarily been in before. Many of us, at some stage, have found ourselves being looked upon as a source of advice regarding a potential purchase by someone a little less knowledgeable in the field of computer gaming. More than likely, on NUMEROUS occasions we have all found ourselves in a position to heavily influence a decision by a simple comment or suggestion. After all, the principal of buying new hardware or games is often based in the experiences of others. Whether it be reviews in magazines or on websites, or even customer comments on a site like Special Reserve’s, taking advice from others is a primary way of deciding on purchases.
However, today I was called beyond my regular duty of suggesting a game, or even a particular accessory suitable for a gift. Today I found myself expected to take a completely un-biased view of the gaming world.
Today I found myself with the unenviable task of advising a COMPLETE beginner in the art of taking their very first steps in the gaming world. Something a great deal harder than it initially sounds, ESPECIALLY with the current boom in the gaming industry.
How does one take their very first steps in the gaming world? For somebody with no prior knowledge, a decision worth in the region of £200-£300 is no small one, yet often such people are left to make the decision alone [or, in the more common case, feel they are capable of making the decision alone]. It’s an accepted fact that the majority of us LOVE to give advice, and the simple reason being, because we’re in a position to do so. Surely as games-players we should be able to give advice to others to prevent people spending money on the wrong gifts, or investing a large amount of money only to regret their decision shortly after. If we can assist, in general we do. It’s all part and parcel of being a games-player (especially when the often treacherous shelves of a high-street retailer are OFTEN loaded with software tagged with a ludicrous £30, and the stores RARELY inhabited by a staff member in a position to assist.) and a chance to exhibit our particular expertise is nearly always welcome.
Therefore, the prospect of advising someone with no pre-conceptions, no bias towards any games company, and an ‘open’ wallet, seems a gloriously simple one. It’s easy to make a few quick observations and then suggest a particular path to follow for the ‘gaming-virgin’, but then is it?
On this particular occasion, I found it amazingly difficult to make a simple suggestion. At a time in the video-gaming world where competition is bigger and fiercer than ever, how can one console be singled out as the ‘best’ and therefore suggested as the best choice for investment? Whereas in the past I may have been able to make an immediate suggestion feeling confident that it was the right one, what ensued was a conversation of around an hour and fifteen minutes in which I explained my own personal opinion on the three consoles including facts and figures that were relevant. I tried to cover all various aspects that I felt it would be important to consider and answered a variety of questions that had troubled the person in question.
From investment potential, to DVD capability, to online/hard-drive possibilities, to third-party development support, to peripherals, to software medium’s, all area’s were covered. As little as this person actually knew about the gaming industry, they still understood some of the concepts of broadening games-playing to an ‘entertainment-system’ basis, and felt a need to know about every plus and negative to each console before feeling truly ‘informed’ of all the possible choices.
I’d like to think that in some way, I contributed to helping the decision become that little bit clearer, and I certainly managed to raise some issues that had until that point gone un-considered. However, what a time to enter into the world of gaming! What a SUPERB time to enter into the world of gaming! With money investment at an all-time high, success is almost certainly guaranteed for all three companies doing battle in the gaming-arena.
I was asked to put it as simply as possible. The best games. Which console will provide the best games? A question we all WISH we knew the answers to. Graphic chips, processors, polygon counts, memory, etc, etc, etc...but the best games? That’s something NO-ONE can honestly answer yet.
It’s a step that many MANY people are currently taking. One that will hopefully be as enjoyable for them as our first steps into the gaming world were.
Welcome, and we hope you enjoy the ride, but please, don’t continue to set us the question that we’re currently finding toughest to answer. After all, you’ll only end up blaming us when you find out that one of the other options turned out to have been a better choice.
So, the question remains, how do you advise someone in the aforementioned position? Being as un-biased as possible, how would you best advise someone with an 'open-wallet' and therefore no restrictions on any of the three consoles. In this day and age, there is so much to consider that the decision is made SO much harder than it's ever been.
However, today I was called beyond my regular duty of suggesting a game, or even a particular accessory suitable for a gift. Today I found myself expected to take a completely un-biased view of the gaming world.
Today I found myself with the unenviable task of advising a COMPLETE beginner in the art of taking their very first steps in the gaming world. Something a great deal harder than it initially sounds, ESPECIALLY with the current boom in the gaming industry.
How does one take their very first steps in the gaming world? For somebody with no prior knowledge, a decision worth in the region of £200-£300 is no small one, yet often such people are left to make the decision alone [or, in the more common case, feel they are capable of making the decision alone]. It’s an accepted fact that the majority of us LOVE to give advice, and the simple reason being, because we’re in a position to do so. Surely as games-players we should be able to give advice to others to prevent people spending money on the wrong gifts, or investing a large amount of money only to regret their decision shortly after. If we can assist, in general we do. It’s all part and parcel of being a games-player (especially when the often treacherous shelves of a high-street retailer are OFTEN loaded with software tagged with a ludicrous £30, and the stores RARELY inhabited by a staff member in a position to assist.) and a chance to exhibit our particular expertise is nearly always welcome.
Therefore, the prospect of advising someone with no pre-conceptions, no bias towards any games company, and an ‘open’ wallet, seems a gloriously simple one. It’s easy to make a few quick observations and then suggest a particular path to follow for the ‘gaming-virgin’, but then is it?
On this particular occasion, I found it amazingly difficult to make a simple suggestion. At a time in the video-gaming world where competition is bigger and fiercer than ever, how can one console be singled out as the ‘best’ and therefore suggested as the best choice for investment? Whereas in the past I may have been able to make an immediate suggestion feeling confident that it was the right one, what ensued was a conversation of around an hour and fifteen minutes in which I explained my own personal opinion on the three consoles including facts and figures that were relevant. I tried to cover all various aspects that I felt it would be important to consider and answered a variety of questions that had troubled the person in question.
From investment potential, to DVD capability, to online/hard-drive possibilities, to third-party development support, to peripherals, to software medium’s, all area’s were covered. As little as this person actually knew about the gaming industry, they still understood some of the concepts of broadening games-playing to an ‘entertainment-system’ basis, and felt a need to know about every plus and negative to each console before feeling truly ‘informed’ of all the possible choices.
I’d like to think that in some way, I contributed to helping the decision become that little bit clearer, and I certainly managed to raise some issues that had until that point gone un-considered. However, what a time to enter into the world of gaming! What a SUPERB time to enter into the world of gaming! With money investment at an all-time high, success is almost certainly guaranteed for all three companies doing battle in the gaming-arena.
I was asked to put it as simply as possible. The best games. Which console will provide the best games? A question we all WISH we knew the answers to. Graphic chips, processors, polygon counts, memory, etc, etc, etc...but the best games? That’s something NO-ONE can honestly answer yet.
It’s a step that many MANY people are currently taking. One that will hopefully be as enjoyable for them as our first steps into the gaming world were.
Welcome, and we hope you enjoy the ride, but please, don’t continue to set us the question that we’re currently finding toughest to answer. After all, you’ll only end up blaming us when you find out that one of the other options turned out to have been a better choice.
So, the question remains, how do you advise someone in the aforementioned position? Being as un-biased as possible, how would you best advise someone with an 'open-wallet' and therefore no restrictions on any of the three consoles. In this day and age, there is so much to consider that the decision is made SO much harder than it's ever been.
Hmmmm...
Well, First of all select what type of games they'd like. Would they rather play an ultra realistic racer (GT), or a phantasy epic (Zelda). That'll differentiate between the GC and PS2+Xbox.
Oh, and take into consideration age... if they have kids, the GC will probably be best.
Next, what about DVD playback, and online facilities- how important are they? Most casuals will want DVD, but not care about the net.
The tough one is deciding between a PS2 and an Xbox. For a new gamer, the PS2 is probably the best simply because it is guranteed to have something they like.
Sonic
Well, First of all select what type of games they'd like. Would they rather play an ultra realistic racer (GT), or a phantasy epic (Zelda). That'll differentiate between the GC and PS2+Xbox.
Oh, and take into consideration age... if they have kids, the GC will probably be best.
Next, what about DVD playback, and online facilities- how important are they? Most casuals will want DVD, but not care about the net.
The tough one is deciding between a PS2 and an Xbox. For a new gamer, the PS2 is probably the best simply because it is guranteed to have something they like.
Sonic
Today, I found myself in a situation that I hadn’t necessarily been in before. Many of us, at some stage, have found ourselves being looked upon as a source of advice regarding a potential purchase by someone a little less knowledgeable in the field of computer gaming. More than likely, on NUMEROUS occasions we have all found ourselves in a position to heavily influence a decision by a simple comment or suggestion. After all, the principal of buying new hardware or games is often based in the experiences of others. Whether it be reviews in magazines or on websites, or even customer comments on a site like Special Reserve’s, taking advice from others is a primary way of deciding on purchases.
However, today I was called beyond my regular duty of suggesting a game, or even a particular accessory suitable for a gift. Today I found myself expected to take a completely un-biased view of the gaming world.
Today I found myself with the unenviable task of advising a COMPLETE beginner in the art of taking their very first steps in the gaming world. Something a great deal harder than it initially sounds, ESPECIALLY with the current boom in the gaming industry.
How does one take their very first steps in the gaming world? For somebody with no prior knowledge, a decision worth in the region of £200-£300 is no small one, yet often such people are left to make the decision alone [or, in the more common case, feel they are capable of making the decision alone]. It’s an accepted fact that the majority of us LOVE to give advice, and the simple reason being, because we’re in a position to do so. Surely as games-players we should be able to give advice to others to prevent people spending money on the wrong gifts, or investing a large amount of money only to regret their decision shortly after. If we can assist, in general we do. It’s all part and parcel of being a games-player (especially when the often treacherous shelves of a high-street retailer are OFTEN loaded with software tagged with a ludicrous £30, and the stores RARELY inhabited by a staff member in a position to assist.) and a chance to exhibit our particular expertise is nearly always welcome.
Therefore, the prospect of advising someone with no pre-conceptions, no bias towards any games company, and an ‘open’ wallet, seems a gloriously simple one. It’s easy to make a few quick observations and then suggest a particular path to follow for the ‘gaming-virgin’, but then is it?
On this particular occasion, I found it amazingly difficult to make a simple suggestion. At a time in the video-gaming world where competition is bigger and fiercer than ever, how can one console be singled out as the ‘best’ and therefore suggested as the best choice for investment? Whereas in the past I may have been able to make an immediate suggestion feeling confident that it was the right one, what ensued was a conversation of around an hour and fifteen minutes in which I explained my own personal opinion on the three consoles including facts and figures that were relevant. I tried to cover all various aspects that I felt it would be important to consider and answered a variety of questions that had troubled the person in question.
From investment potential, to DVD capability, to online/hard-drive possibilities, to third-party development support, to peripherals, to software medium’s, all area’s were covered. As little as this person actually knew about the gaming industry, they still understood some of the concepts of broadening games-playing to an ‘entertainment-system’ basis, and felt a need to know about every plus and negative to each console before feeling truly ‘informed’ of all the possible choices.
I’d like to think that in some way, I contributed to helping the decision become that little bit clearer, and I certainly managed to raise some issues that had until that point gone un-considered. However, what a time to enter into the world of gaming! What a SUPERB time to enter into the world of gaming! With money investment at an all-time high, success is almost certainly guaranteed for all three companies doing battle in the gaming-arena.
I was asked to put it as simply as possible. The best games. Which console will provide the best games? A question we all WISH we knew the answers to. Graphic chips, processors, polygon counts, memory, etc, etc, etc...but the best games? That’s something NO-ONE can honestly answer yet.
It’s a step that many MANY people are currently taking. One that will hopefully be as enjoyable for them as our first steps into the gaming world were.
Welcome, and we hope you enjoy the ride, but please, don’t continue to set us the question that we’re currently finding toughest to answer. After all, you’ll only end up blaming us when you find out that one of the other options turned out to have been a better choice.
So, the question remains, how do you advise someone in the aforementioned position? Being as un-biased as possible, how would you best advise someone with an 'open-wallet' and therefore no restrictions on any of the three consoles. In this day and age, there is so much to consider that the decision is made SO much harder than it's ever been.
However, today I was called beyond my regular duty of suggesting a game, or even a particular accessory suitable for a gift. Today I found myself expected to take a completely un-biased view of the gaming world.
Today I found myself with the unenviable task of advising a COMPLETE beginner in the art of taking their very first steps in the gaming world. Something a great deal harder than it initially sounds, ESPECIALLY with the current boom in the gaming industry.
How does one take their very first steps in the gaming world? For somebody with no prior knowledge, a decision worth in the region of £200-£300 is no small one, yet often such people are left to make the decision alone [or, in the more common case, feel they are capable of making the decision alone]. It’s an accepted fact that the majority of us LOVE to give advice, and the simple reason being, because we’re in a position to do so. Surely as games-players we should be able to give advice to others to prevent people spending money on the wrong gifts, or investing a large amount of money only to regret their decision shortly after. If we can assist, in general we do. It’s all part and parcel of being a games-player (especially when the often treacherous shelves of a high-street retailer are OFTEN loaded with software tagged with a ludicrous £30, and the stores RARELY inhabited by a staff member in a position to assist.) and a chance to exhibit our particular expertise is nearly always welcome.
Therefore, the prospect of advising someone with no pre-conceptions, no bias towards any games company, and an ‘open’ wallet, seems a gloriously simple one. It’s easy to make a few quick observations and then suggest a particular path to follow for the ‘gaming-virgin’, but then is it?
On this particular occasion, I found it amazingly difficult to make a simple suggestion. At a time in the video-gaming world where competition is bigger and fiercer than ever, how can one console be singled out as the ‘best’ and therefore suggested as the best choice for investment? Whereas in the past I may have been able to make an immediate suggestion feeling confident that it was the right one, what ensued was a conversation of around an hour and fifteen minutes in which I explained my own personal opinion on the three consoles including facts and figures that were relevant. I tried to cover all various aspects that I felt it would be important to consider and answered a variety of questions that had troubled the person in question.
From investment potential, to DVD capability, to online/hard-drive possibilities, to third-party development support, to peripherals, to software medium’s, all area’s were covered. As little as this person actually knew about the gaming industry, they still understood some of the concepts of broadening games-playing to an ‘entertainment-system’ basis, and felt a need to know about every plus and negative to each console before feeling truly ‘informed’ of all the possible choices.
I’d like to think that in some way, I contributed to helping the decision become that little bit clearer, and I certainly managed to raise some issues that had until that point gone un-considered. However, what a time to enter into the world of gaming! What a SUPERB time to enter into the world of gaming! With money investment at an all-time high, success is almost certainly guaranteed for all three companies doing battle in the gaming-arena.
I was asked to put it as simply as possible. The best games. Which console will provide the best games? A question we all WISH we knew the answers to. Graphic chips, processors, polygon counts, memory, etc, etc, etc...but the best games? That’s something NO-ONE can honestly answer yet.
It’s a step that many MANY people are currently taking. One that will hopefully be as enjoyable for them as our first steps into the gaming world were.
Welcome, and we hope you enjoy the ride, but please, don’t continue to set us the question that we’re currently finding toughest to answer. After all, you’ll only end up blaming us when you find out that one of the other options turned out to have been a better choice.
So, the question remains, how do you advise someone in the aforementioned position? Being as un-biased as possible, how would you best advise someone with an 'open-wallet' and therefore no restrictions on any of the three consoles. In this day and age, there is so much to consider that the decision is made SO much harder than it's ever been.