E@zyVG’s Vichar::World Connected

Videogame systems have come a long way from the days of a paddle and a bouncing ball. Interactive games, online play and realistic graphics have moved gaming from something that only kids play to a pastime that has entered many homes. With the Cell processor playing the lead, high-performance graphics engines in support and advanced interface and display technologies in the wings, Sony’s Playstation 3, Nintendo’s Wii and the Xbox 360 Elite have driven video-game platforms to the cutting edge of consumer electronics design. So much so, that it is only through a nostalgic look back at the early days of gaming platforms—specifically the Atari 2600 from 1986—that one can appreciate just how far gaming has come.

The two most recent gaming systems entered the market about a year after Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was introduced. The Sony Playstation 3 was launched in North America last Nov. 17, and the Nintendo Wiiwas launched two days later. During the 2006 holiday season, 1.1 million Xbox 360s were sold, compared with 600,000 Wiis and 490,000 Playstation 3s.Thanks to Semiconductor Insights, we can have a brief tour of what are todays Top 3 gaming consoles made up of:

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

Sony PS3

Nintendo Wii