If there is one truth in the world of gaming, it is that every gamer has a preference in which console they use. A person can deny it all they want. They can claim to enjoy consoles equally — but deep down, there is always a preference. If there was no opinion either way, the manufacturers would not put so much effort into the design, performance and marketing of their gaming systems. The two biggest rivals currently competing for the lion’s share of the gaming world are Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo at one point was a formidable adversary but in recent years has concentrated more on their handheld line than bringing out a comparable product to the PS3 and the Xbox 360.

Microsoft beat Sony to the next level of gaming by pushing up the Xbox 360 launch date by almost a full year. This push could have been a vast mistake, had the 360 been riddled with the problems of its predecessor the Xbox. The Xbox’s complications and bugs are understandable, as it was Microsoft’s first attempt at a gaming console. Bare in mind that Microsoft, at that time, was a software/hardware designer for personal computers…not gaming systems. The Xbox 360 came to the arena prepared to leave a lasting mark and to make sure the world knew that the second Xbox was going to hold its own against any and all competition. Sony already had the Playstation 1 and the Playstation 2 on the market, with development for Playstation 3 underway. Unfortunately for Sony, Microsoft beat them to the release date and contained fewer bugs. The PS3 is a great gaming machine but does not have the speed, capacity and support that the Xbox 360 possesses. Do not get me wrong: the PS3 is a great gaming machine with incredible graphics and an extensive game library. However, the Xbox 360 simply has more power and versatility than the PS3.

Until there comes a time when there is a clear-cut, winning console in the gaming world, there is always going to be personal opinions as to what machine is better. It may be just a slight difference of better suited controllers or it might be the colors that encase the machine. Any way you look at it, gaming comes down to a choice. Tennis shoes, cars, computers and even soft drinks are all about the marketing. There has to be something that sets it apart from the competitors. Microsoft took the game to a new playing field and charged up the competition. There will be other consoles in the future but until that time, in my opinion, the Xbox 360 is the way to go.