After the usual initial install (preceeded by a system update and followed by the PS3 specials) an hour later and I was into the game.

Hours passed without notice and yet I am only 5% through.

By far the best Batman Game ever.

Recently I purchased a copy of one of the most elegant and innovative games for PS3 that I have seen or played in a long time. The games title is Mirrors Edge.

Mirrors Edge is set in a city of the future complete with blue skies, clean streets, and stunningly realised modern (futuristic) environments.

The game play consists of running, jumping, climbing, and sliding through these visions of perfection as the story unfolds. You play the character Faith, who is a runner; a courier of sorts, who delivers packages around the city whilst avoiding police attention.

More details of the game can be found elsewhere. What I wanted to focus upon was the look of this game. Its stunning. Especially when high up and looking down onto the streets and buildings below.

The interiors (those I have seen so far) are, for me, what we should enjoy now in real life but seldom do.

Perhaps if I weren’t a fugative in the game I could move about this clean and bright city of the future and imagine what life could be like.

Not as straight forward as you think for a Mac user (I needed to use a PC as the Sony store software is not Mac compatible).

The flOw game is a beautiful, ethereal experience where you guide a life form around an underwater environment all to the sound of ambient music.

EchoChrome is another downloadable game from Sony. This time my download experience was a lot better thanks to the fact that I used a PS3 connected to the Sony store.

The game is another minimalist affair that uses a white background with black, line drawn, three dimensional puzzles that you guide a small humanoid figure around. This time the soundtrack is one of classical music.

Both of these games are elegant, simple, and very playable. In my opinion, just what the PSP was designed for.

[image from Gizmodo.com]

For America and Japan the next generation of consoles are available and by the end of 2006, in the UK, the transition will be 66% complete when the Wii from Nintendo and the Xbox 360 from Microsoft will be on sale.

Essentially each console/platform will be capable of delivering unique gaming experiences. By this fact alone an argument could be developed championing any one console over another. Some games will appear across all consoles and will allow for direct comparison of attributes like graphics.

In the area of aesthetics there can be a winner.

Visual Appeal – Style and Volume

In most cases these consoles will sit in constant view of the gamer [and to some extent other non-gamers for movie and music content]. Many installations will be in the main living area of the house. Therefore the exterior design of the console is of utmost importance.

In my opinion Nintendo has achieved the best packaging for its console although some would argue that this is because it doesn’t pack any significant technology.

Compared to the others the Wii is tiny being a little larger than three DVD cases [this is partially due to the fact that the power supply is external like the Xbox but unlike the Sony]. One benefit if this small size is a reduction in the packaging.

Interface

From what I have seen on YouTube the interface of the Nintendo Wii is much simpler than the others. This is because primarily it focuses on game play and not any other multimedia activities.

Summary: A console worthy of success.