When you shop for gaming consoles, of the many things you consider, one important factor is the availability of games in the Nepali market. It's almost impossible to buy original games in Nepal. For the games you buy in the grey market to work with your console, first you have to have a modchip, which costs around Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,000.
The world has three giants when it comes to total Knock Out ConsolesSony Playstation2, Microsoft XBox and Nintendo GameCube. GameCube was released earlier and so has lost its grip on the market. However, they have a niche market and a great fan following. GameCube is ideal for family gaming and entertainment. They also had an upper hand in their portable gaming segment, until very recently when Sony launched its PSP (PlayStation Portable). Sony's PlayStation2 on the other hand has the widest variety of games and accessories available from iToy and Dance with Britney to whatnot. They also launched slim factor PS2 that is ideal for travelling gaming enthusiasts. Microsoft XBox has maintained it's graphic quality and does not compete with any game developers in the sleek design aspect. Like the world of computers, video game systems are constantly being upgraded. New technology developed specifically for video game systems is being coupled with other technologies. All these three giants in gaming consoles (not counting handheld portable gaming devices), have started big PR campaigns for their next big products which will be twice, thrice or even four times better than the consoles available now.
Here are system specifications of some of the gaming consoles that are available in the Nepali market now:
Sony PlayStation 2
Processor: 128-bit "Emotion Engine" 300 MHz
Maximum bus transfer rate of 3.2 GB per second
Graphics: "Graphics Synthesizer" 150 MHz
Embedded cache
4 MB VRAM
75 million polygons per second
Audio: SPU2 (+CPU), 48 channels, 44.1- or 48-kHz sampling rate, 2 MB memory
RAM: 32 MB RDRAM
Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD and original PlayStation CDs
Controller: Two controller ports, "Dual Shock 2" analog controller
Other features:
Two memory card slots
Optical digital output
Two USB ports
FireWire port
Support for audio CDs and DVD-Video
Price: Rs 17500 (modchipped)
Games availability: Easy, Rs 175 per game in the grey market
Next Upgrade: PS3 in 2006
Nintendo GameCube
Processor: "Gekko" IBM Power PC microprocessor 485 MHz
Maximum bus transfer rate of 2.6 GB per second
Graphics: "Flipper" ATI graphics chip 162 MHz
1 MB embedded texture cache
Approximately 12 million polygons per second
Audio: Special 16-bit digital signal processor, 64 channels, 48-kHz sampling rate
RAM: 40 MB (24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB of 100-MHz DRAM)
Game medium: Proprietary 1.5-GB optical disc
Controller: Four game controller ports, Wavebird wireless game controller
Other features:
Handle for carrying
Two slots for 4-MB Digicard Flash memory cards or a 64-MB SD-Digicard adapter
High-speed parallel port
Two high-speed serial ports
Analog and digital audio-video outputs
Price: Rs 16000
Games availability: Not available.
Next Upgrade: Nintendo Revolution in 2007
Microsoft Xbox
Processor: Modified Intel Pentium III 733 MHz
Maximum bus transfer rate of 6.4 GB per second
Graphics: Custom nVidia 3-D graphics chip 250 MHz
Approximately 125 million polygons per second
Audio: Custom 3-D audio processor
RAM: 64 MB (Xbox has a unified memory architecture the memory can be allocated to graphics, audio, textures or any other function as needed.)
Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD
Modem/network: Media communications processor (MCP), 10/100-Mbps Ethernet, broadband enabled, 56K modem (optional)
Controller: Four game controller ports
Other features:
8-GB built-in hard drive
5X DVD drive with movie playback
8-MB removable memory card
Expansion port
Price: Rs 20,000 (modchipped)
Games availability: Easy, Rs 250 per game in the grey market
Next Upgrade: XBox 360 in 2006
Game Facts: The Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972, contained 40 transistors and no microprocessor. The new Pentium 4 microprocessor contains 42 million transistors on the chip itself!
On the original Magnavox Odyssey, players had to keep score themselves because the machine couldn't.
While the original Atari Football game was first created in 1973, it wasn't released until 1978. It was delayed because the game couldn't scroll the screen players couldn't move beyond the area shown on the monitor. When the game was finally released, it became the first game to utilise scrolling, a key part of many games today.
The Atari Pong video game console was the No. 1 selling item for the holiday season in 1975.
The word 'atari' comes from the ancient Japanese game of 'Go' and means "you are about to be engulfed." Technically, it is the word used by a player to inform his opponent that he is about to lose, similar to "check" in chess.
In the 1980s, a service called Gameline allowed users to download games to the Atari 2600 over regular phone lines. It was not a success but did form part of the foundation for America Online, the world's largest Internet service provider.
The first console to have games available in the form of add-on cartridges was the Fairchild Channel F console, introduced in August 1976.
Mattel's Intellivison system, introduced in 1980, featured an add-on called "PlayCable," which delivered games by cable TV.
The Sega Genesis featured a version of the same Motorola processor that powered the original Apple Macintosh computer.
The first colour portable video game system was the Atari Lynx, introduced in 1989 and priced at $149.
Introduced in 1993, the 3DO was the first video game system to be based entirely on CD technology.
Nintendo's Game Boy is the most successful game system ever, with more than 100 million units sold worldwide.
The Nintendo N64 marked the first time that computer graphics workstation manufacturer Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) developed game hardware technology.
Popular Science recognized the Sega Dreamcast as one of the most important and innovative products of 1999.
The Sega Dreamcast was the first console to implement online play over a phone line, calling the system Sega Net.
The Nintendo GameCube's proprietary disc can hold 1.5 gigabytes of data 190 times more than what an N64 game cartridge can hold.
The Sony PlayStation was originally intended as a CD add-on to the Super Nintendo. When licensing problems and other issues arose, Sony decided to develop the PlayStation as a machine of its own.
The PlayStation 2 is the first system to have graphics capability better than that of the leading-edge personal computer at the time of its release.
The PlayStation 2 is the first video game system to use DVD technology.
The Microsoft XBox is the first video game system to completely support HDTV.
