Another Year, Another Battle In The Console War

With the festive season now behind us, many wonder which of the seventh-generation video game consoles came out on top for 2007. The Big Three - the Nintendo Wii, the Microsoft Xbox360 and the Sony Playstation 3 - have all partaken in fierce competition, each with its own unique selling point and games.

The short answer is that, for now, the winner is the Nintendo Wii. Taking the console market by storm since its launch in November 2006, it has seen an unprecedented popularity amongst what is known as "casual gamers" - those who do not wish to invest time and emotion on what they perceive as overtly complex games. Using inexpensive controllers, known as WiiMotes, that capture the motion of their user's hands, Wiis were scarce as demand for the console surged - making it to the top spot of the Telegraph's "Hardest to find Christmas gifts" list and becoming the most searched for term on eBay. This could have been a conscious effort by Nintendo to avoid saturating the market, but the company denies this, instead citing inefficiencies with the supply of third-party components.

It's not all plain sailing for the Japanese console giant though. Despite its Wii and Nintendo DS being leaders in the home and handheld gaming market respectively, the majority of games available for Wii have been made in-house. Shunning the market for decidedly family-unfriendly games like Halo 3, it remains to be seen whether its simple appeal is sustainable in the upcoming year; but for now, the Wii is definitely in the lead.

As for who's in second place, the jury's currently out. Analysts were divided over what to expect this Christmas. DFC Intelligence, a video game and entertainment industry research firm, predicted in September that the Xbox 360 was likely to finish third this Christmas, with the gap widening over the course of the year, unless it managed to strengthen its weak position in the all-important Japanese market. On the other hand, research group BrandIntel expected the PS3 to fare worse this festive period, citing its high price and comparative lack of games as the main reasons.

With the two consoles appealing to more hardcore-gamers than the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft announced last week that it had sold 4.3 million Xbox 360 machines worldwide in the last quarter of 2007, while Sony announced this week that it sold 1.2 million in the U.S. during the Thanksgiving to New Year's period. These apples-and-oranges figures make for hard comparison, but it's clear that both machines are still in the running.

Sony anticipated its issues by slashing prices on the PS3, and sales must have been helped with the news that Warner Bros have decided to drop HD DVD as a format for its home video releases, making the PS3's Blu-Ray playing capability a bigger draw than previously. Microsoft meanwhile, benefited greatly from the release of Halo 3. Since its release in September it has sold 8.5 million copies, which means that almost half of the 17.7m Xbox 360 owners bought the game. It is currently the top-grossing video game of all time, bringing in $300 million by the end of the first week of release.

Perhaps the biggest winner in the current console war, however, is the game-playing public. Gaming is slowly becoming the leader in entertainment and well on its way to surpassing Hollywood. It might not do so this year or even this decade, but thanks to the success of games like Halo, the industry is sure to see significant investment, widening the selection and quality of games for years to come.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

AP - A former Rwandan army colonel was convicted Thursday of genocide and crimes against humanity for masterminding the killings of more than half a million people in a 100-day slaughter in 1994. Survivors in Rwanda welcomed the watershed moment in a long search for justice.

Downloadable Nintendo Wii Video Games

The Nintendo Wii has indeed exceeded expectations of video gamers, not least those who were actually making fun of it, mocking urination with the sound of its name when it first came onto the scene. Today, it is a symbol of being up with Joneses, thanks mainly to the video gaming revolution that it has brought forth through Nintendo Wii Games.

Riding on the crest of the wave, new Wii games are being churned out thick and fast. In addition to the brick-and-mortar retailing outlets of physical discs, Downloadable Nintendo Wii Video Games over the internet has also caught on strongly. This mode of acquiring Video Games is popular because it's faster, easier and much more affordable.

As with other digital products, video games targeting the tech-savvy market have to be inherently downloadable. Currently, they can be downloaded from various sources: Nintendo Virtual Console on Online Shop Channel, numerous peer-to-peer (P2P) torrent sites and professional third-party games download service providers.

Wii Virtual Console is the most bona-fide of all the online options. It's the answer to those who are not up to the fuss and fun of physical shopping. That way, it saves time and gasoline too. The product is digital so it never runs out of stock either. The perennial disappointment is that its pricing remains prohibitive.

If cost is the foremost consideration, Wii video games can be found free-of-charge on plenty of peer-to-peer (P2P) torrent sites but people are generally well-advised to steer clear of them unless they're willing to contend with the viruses, malware and identity theft. The downloading process is also often glitch-ridden.

Wii download service providers make the most sense for avid gamers and not without reasons either. For a one-time subscription fee, you get access to unlimited media, inclusive but not limited to, Wii video games for a lifetime with all the works of 24/7 support, service and money-back guarantee thrown in. What more can we ask?

Are you contemplating How to Download Games For Nintendo Wii, we can help you. Visit our site at Downloadable Nintendo Wii Video Games for tips and related information.

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Xbox 360 3 Red Flashing Lights Error Code Fixes

IntroductionThe infamous xbox 360 3 red flashing lights aka "Red Ring Of Death" need not trigger a panic attack as visions of costly repairs are conjured up. The xbox 360 provides for secondary error codes which give more information as to the actual cause of the problem and so you can make an informed decision on what to do next.

Getting the secret code
Turn the xbox 360 on, and wait for the xbox 360 3 red flashing lights indication. Press and hold the sync up button, which is a small white button, and whilst holding in the sync button press the eject button. The segments will now blink the first number of the code. Release the eject button whilst still keeping the sync button pressed. Press the eject button again and the segments will blink the second number of the xbox 360 3 red flashing lights secret code. Repeat the release and press sequence for a further two times to obtain the third and fourth numbers of the xbox 360 3 red flashing lights code. The flashing segments are interpreted as follows to get the code number:
(a)All four lights flashing - 0
(b)One light flashing - 1
(c)Two Lights flashing - 2
(d)Three lights flashing - 3.

The Xbox 360 3 red lights secret codes
The following codes deal with over heating problems namely 0011 CPU over heating, 0012 GPU over heating, 0013 RAM over heating.
Network problems are indicated by 0002 Network Interface problem and 1030 which indicates a problem with the Ethernet port's controller chip.
DVD Drive Errors 1001 and 1002 indicate incorrect drive firmware, whilst 1023 indicates a DVD drive not connected.
Hard drive error 1003 indicates either a problem with the Hard Drive or its internal connection and 1010 a Hard Drive eProm problem.
Bad solder joint problems are covered by the following error codes.0021, 0010, 0022, 0100,0102, 0103, 0110,0121. If your console is still under warranty return it to the store where it was purchased or call MS to have it replaced. If it is our of warranty, then for instructions on how to fix the problem follow this link
Miscellaneous problems include 1000, Kernel problems after bad update or a bad SATA cable. 0030 a problem with temperature control. 1022 either the "ANA" or "HANA" chips near the AV cable connection are faulty or the AV cable itself.
Code 0001 is a straight power supply problem. 0003 indicates that the console is not receiving clean power from the power supply..
The following codes refer to unknown problems 0023, 0031, 0032, 0033, 0101, 0200, 1011, 1012, 1013, 1020, 1021, 1031, 1032, 1033.

Summary
The xbox 360 3 red flashing lights need not mean expensive repairs or being seperated from your xbox for long periods of time. Understanding the secondary codes allows you to decide whether to carry out the repairs yourself or get someone else to repair your xbox 360.

To find out more about fixing and maintaing your Xbox 360, why not download a free ebook by visiting http://www.xboxflashingredlights.docsabout.com

Bill Williams is an electronics and software engineer who spends his spare time researching and writing on various topics.

AP - Dave Smith, a former All-Star closer who holds the Houston Astros record for games pitched, died Wednesday. He was 53.

Fishing Games to Play - Can You Make the Big Catch?

If you love the great sport of fishing, what better way to improve your skills than practising in the comfort of your living room, allowing you to escape the task of cleaning fish or the strong smell. Perfect for the freezing winter months, there are many different fishing games to play that will improve your chances of making the biggest catch of your life next time you take to the water.

Catering for all the different consoles, as well as being available online, fishing games are designed for all levels and skills with superb graphics and plenty of fun and relaxation along the way. They also teach you a great deal about the sport, from what type of bait to use, different types of fish, the best fishing weather and where to target certain species. Whether it's fresh water or deep sea fishing that float your boat, there are games out there perfect for any fishing enthusiast or anyone who wants to try out the sport for the first time.

Online Fishing Games There are many games available online, for free or a small fee, which can help you sharpen your skills. Bass fishing games are the favourite online, allowing you to compete against your friends or other players over the internet. They are great for getting you into the habit of noticing conditions and water type and offer valuable tips for your technique. You can even create your own scenario or keep practising at a difficult site. The graphics are fun and exciting, with splashing water bugs, jumping frogs and fish that fight back harder than ever!

Three of the Best Console Fishing Games:

• Sega Bass Fishing: A classic fishing game which was born as an arcade game in the 1990s, Sega Bass Fishing has recently been launched on the Wii. The Nintendo Wii is the perfect console for fishing, allowing the use of the handset as a rod to practice your cast in a more realistic way, or for diehard fishing enthusiasts you can purchase a Wii fishing rod. The game offers four different modes, including practice, arcade, tournament and nature trip, making this the perfect game for anyone new to the sport.
• Hooked! Also available on the Wii, Hooked allows the gamer to use the remote as a rod and the numchuck as a reel to catch the biggest fish. Settings are photo realistic, including a meteorite crater lake, with features that include fully interactive tutorials to turn you into a top fisherman.
• Rapala Pro Fishing: created by Activision, this is one of the best known fishing games available on many different consoles. With authentic Rapala fishing gear and guided fishing trips. The under water environments are incredibly realistic and fish have amazing special effects and graphics with an advanced depth of field.

For lots more gaming tips, articles and resources visit http://www.barginbargains.com

AP - With the Illinois Supreme Court rejecting an effort to oust Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a legislative panel considering impeachment prepared to examine whether he abused his power, despite challenges from the Democrat's lawyer.