Nintendo Wii U

The Wii U can access Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, and even show Web pages either on your HDTV or on the gamepad. Its real entertainment value will be seen at the end of the year when Nintendo launches TVii, a media service that aggregates live TV, DVR video on your TiVo set-top box, and online services together and offers social networking features while watching.
The Gaming ExperienceFor a new system, the Wii U has a compelling library thanks to a handful of long-awaited cross-platform titles and a scattering of interesting exclusives. Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. U is the system's first-party AAA title, and Nintendo Land offers varied and entertaining minigames. The latter comes with the Deluxe Set for the Wii U, so depending on the system you purchase you could get it as a pack-in. Nintendo also plans to release Game & Wario, Wii Fit U, and Pikmin 3 in the system's six-month "launch window."
For third-party games, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition, and Assassin's Creed 3 all have full-fledged ports on the Wii U, with additional features for the Wii U gamepad. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a much-needed upgrade to the mediocre Ninja Gaiden 3 released last year on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and ZombiU offers survival horror you can't get on the other systems.
Buy or Wait: Buy, if you can snag the Deluxe Set. The Basic Set is easier to find, but the Deluxe Set is the better deal. For just $50 more, it has four times the onboard storage, a game (Nintendo Land), a charging cradle, and stands for both the gamepad and the console.
Sony PlayStation 3

The Gaming Experience
The games themselves are many and varied. With the availability of most major releases, a large number of console exclusives, and high-definition remakes, the scales are tipped just slightly in the PS3's favor when it comes to the best titles. Games like Uncharted, Gran Tourismo, and LittleBigPlanet are excellent on the PS3, and remake compilations of the Sly Cooper, Metal Gear Solid, Prince of Persia, and Team Ico games mean last-gen classics feel new again. Top-notch games are aplenty on the PlayStation platform.
When it comes to motion-controlled gaming, Microsoft reigns supreme with its controller-free Kinect for Xbox 360. Sony's answer to motion control, the PlayStation Move, offers a Wii-like wand-based interface that uses the PlayStation Eye camera accessory and a sensor-filled controller with a lit ball to track movement. The Move hasn't caught on like the Wii or Microsoft's Kinect, and Move integration outside of a few gimmicky games is a novelty.
The PlayStation 3 uses Sony's PlayStation Network online service, and despite a few notable security issues, it stands as a top-notch system. PSN lets gamers keep track of their friends, download games, and access online services easily. It's free, but if you want discounts on games and a selection of free games every month, you can pay $50 a year for a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Buy or Wait? Buy. Sony has yet to formally announce the next PlayStation, and while the company is likely developing it, we probably won't hear word about a PlayStation 4 until at least halfway through 2013. The PlayStation 3 just got a hardware upgrade with even more storage for around the same price as the previous version, so it's a solid deal. If you want a flexible game system with a huge title library and excellent media features, pick up a PlayStation 3. There's no reason to wait.
Microsoft Xbox 360

The Gaming Experience
Like the PS3, the Xbox 360 has tons of cross-platform titles in its library, plus a solid crop of system exclusives. The Halo and Gears of War games are only available on the Xbox 360, as are Fable 2 and 3 and the Forza Motorsport and Project Gotham Racing franchises. Beside Halo Combat Anniversary and a few other remade titles, though, the PlayStation 3 has the edge on high definition remakes and classic game compilations.
The Xbox 360's motion control system, Kinect, goes beyond PlayStation Move and the Wii. While the other two systems use wand-like controllers, Kinect relies entirely on its depth-sensing camera system and your voice to control the system. It measures where you are in the room, maps out your movements, and lets you dance, fight, jump, and run without touching a single piece of plastic. Like the Playstation Move, Kinect doesn't have too many titles available, and while it's unique and innovative, it lacks a specific "killer app" that makes it a must-buy system. Unless, of course, you like dancing. If that's the case, the Dance Central series is the best example of the Kinect at its most entertaining.
Xbox Live stands as the oldest online game service for consoles still running, and it's still top-notch. Xbox Live is free and lets you access the Xbox Live Arcade game library and buy and rent movies. Xbox Gold is $60 per year, and it offers much more functionality, with online gameplay, streaming media, discounts on games, and even video chat with Kinect.
Buy or Wait? Buy, especially if you want motion controls. The Kinect isn't perfect, but it's one of the more interesting, unique interfaces we've seen in a game system yet. Microsoft hasn't yet announced a new Xbox system, and since it's still pushing Kinect and adding new features to the Xbox 360 Dashboard, it likely won't pump out a new Xbox within the next year. We might see the company tease a new Xbox at the E3 gaming conference next summer.
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