It's too late to order broadband Internet access in time for Christmas. Too bad, especially for those who'll find a videogame console under the tree tomorrow. If you can't hook it up to the Internet, you're missing at least half the fun.
All three of the latest game consoles - Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, Nintendo Co.'s Wii, and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 - are designed for online interaction. You can compete against gamers around the world, download videos and games, or swap friendly insults in a chat room.
But functions and features vary. Here's what you can expect:
Microsoft leads the way
When Microsoft's original Xbox game console came to market in 2001 with a high-speed ethernet port, many critics saw it as an irrelevant gimmick because few homes had broadband Internet. Today, more than half of us have broadband at home, and thanks to its head start, Microsoft's Xbox Live service is the slickest and richest on the market.
The service comes with an intuitive interface that's as good as anything Apple Inc. might have designed for its famously simple Macintosh computers. A twitch of the joystick painlessly guides you through hundreds of entertainment offerings - movies, video, and of course, games.
Every Xbox 360 owner gets a free "silver" membership in Microsoft's online network. This lets you download free goodies or chat with friends using the game controller and an onscreen keyboard, or by voice with an optional microphone. But to compete against other gamers, you need a paid "gold" membership, at $50 a year. Online multiplayer matchups are free on the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS 3.
There are lots of freebies, including downloadable movie and game trailers and demos of upcoming games. But Microsoft is also out to sell. Xbox Live users can buy "points," a form of online currency that's currently ranked at 80 points to the dollar. Players can use a credit card to buy points, then use the points to purchase and download games like Pac-Man and Centipede. Expect to spend the equivalent of $5 to $10.
It's not just about gaming. You can download full-length movies onto the Xbox 360's hard drive, and you can generally choose between standard- or high-definition versions. The same goes for popular TV shows like "Chuck" and "South Park." Movies are available for rental only; new releases cost $6 for high-definition or $4 for standard. TV shows are $2 per episode for standard and $3 for high-def, and you can keep them. It can take an hour or more to download a movie. But it's a service that Microsoft's rivals can't match.
Sony plays catch-up
Sony should have dominated online gaming. Its PlayStation 2 machine is still the world's leading videogame console, with 115 million units sold. But Sony treated online gaming as an afterthought.
Not anymore. The PlayStation 3 has built-in ethernet, just like the Xbox 360. And Sony offers a dedicated online entertainment service, PlayStation Network.
Sony doesn't charge a dime for access to the PlayStation Network. That means free online head-to-head gaming without Microsoft's annual membership fee. There are about 100 classic games available to buy or download, and there's no nonsense with points. You buy them with dollars, and expect to pay around $10 per game.
On the other hand, Sony doesn't offer full-length movies or TV episodes - just movie trailers. And where's Home? Announced with much fanfare this year, Home was supposed to be a 3-D social networking system, like the popular Second Life service, but with much better graphics. Home could have been a major step up from the text- and voice-based socializing on today's gaming networks, and Xbox Live has nothing like it. But Sony has pushed back its introduction to next year.
Wii goes its own way
Donkey Kong notwithstanding, Nintendo refuses to ape anybody. It's coveted Wii console links to home networks using a built-in WiFi wireless networking system. Then, instead of serving up a big online portal bristling with features, the Wii interface treats online offerings like channels on a TV set. The first channel features whatever game disk you've inserted; the rest offer a host of options, including two that you won't find on any other console: real-time news and weather.
These two are beautifully implemented with global images provided by NASA. Want to know the latest news from Baghdad or the temperature in Santa Barbara? Use the Will's famous motion-sensitive controller to find the correct spot on the map, then click it to read news stories or check out the weather report. The Wii is designed to keep downloading data even when it's in standby mode, so information is always up to date.
Of course, there's a shopping channel where Nintendo tries to sell you stuff. Forget about downloading movies or TV shows; the Wii doesn't have a hard drive so there's no place to store them anyway. But you can buy classic Nintendo games like Mario Bros. Like Microsoft, Nintendo uses a points system for payment, with an exchange rate of 100 points per dollar. Games generally cost 500 to 1,000 points. Beware: Many older games aren't compatible with the Wii controller. You'll need to spend about $20 for an add-on controller to play these titles.
You can also use the network for free head-to-head gaming. And there's the unique social interaction of Nintendo's Mii system, which lets you create a digital avatar for yourself, then send it out to socialize with other people's Miis. You can't do a lot with the Mii system yet, other than compete in contests to judge the best-looking avatars.
If you've got broadband, you'll find fun and adventure online. If you haven't, you know what to ask for next year.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at bray@globe.com.
