The gaming industry is big business. It seems like a new console makes the adventure to store shelves every few months and new games for the vast variety of systems arrive every week. The end of April saw the release of Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri on Nintendo Wii, a game originally created for Playstation 3 before Nintendo bought exclusive rights. Though the game has taken a dive in graphics to slice its way onto the world’s most popular games console, the majority of features and functions remain and the core gaming experience is exactly the same. Unfortunately, the esteemed motion sensor wii-mote provides no playability enhancement, compared with games that heavily rely on the capabilities of the wii-mote like Mario Kart, Red Steel and Trauma Centre.

Any gamer will tell you Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are always in competition with one another and unfortunately, they’re not always forthcoming with game sharing. For the time being, anyone desperate to play Monster Hunter Tri will have to invest in a Wii, as it won’t be fighting its way onto any of the other consoles any time soon. Game companies heavily guard their popular franchises. You probably can’t imagine Mario making an appearance on any Playstation console anymore than you can imagine Cloud Strife appearing on any Nintendo console.

These unfortunate facts make being a gamer an expensive lifestyle. Most of us have one, maybe two major consoles at most (though you probably own either a DS/DSi or PSP), making it frustrating when you catch a trailer for a new game that positively makes you salivate. Foaming at the mouth or not however, paying the bills comes before indulging, which is why shopping online for competitive prices on games, consoles and accessories is an idea of only the wisest! Not only can you usually find something cheaper than you would in most high street stores, but you can compare the list of prices online or you could even search for something second hand with online marketplaces just like this one!

Christmas is now far behind us. The shops are quiet, the roads aren’t busy all day, every day, and the usual musical drivel has resumed playing on loop in every store. However, just because Christmas 2010 isn’t for another 9 months, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to buy any presents until the 24th December. As if the winter holidays didn’t drain our pockets of pennies enough already, there are plenty of other holidays to depress our purses throughout the year. We’ve already discussed Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, but yet to come is Easter, Father’s Day, Halloween and Bonfire Night. Not to mention birthdays.

You probably know at least one person who has children. Either that, or you’ve got kids of your own, kids that will whimper and whine and whinge until you buy them the latest toy or gadget to satisfy their lust for the newest play things until the next contraption comes along in a month’s time. Christmas 2009 saw the Go Go Pets Hamster become astonishingly popular and near impossible to find. It’s a toy reminiscent of the late 1990s Furby, an item that has since sold over 40 million units since its initial release in 1998. Electronic toys have become one of the most sought after items for children. If it doesn’t walk and talk, the kids just aren’t interested and according to the creators of Go Go Pets (also known as Zhu Zhu Pets), the Go Go Hamsters provide fun and intelligent substitutes for a real pet, without any of the mess or disappointment when the real critters pass on to the other side. They’re not even all that expensive.

If electronic pets aren’t to your kid’s tastes, luckily there are plenty of old favourites like the action figure to keep them occupied! The best bit about action figures is, you can find one of almost any character the kids like, be that Indiana Jones, Seto Kaiba , Spongebob Squarepants or Spiderman. The realm of toys is grand and magnificent with anything from educational toys like the almost adorable Build My Dinobot to the plain and simple soft toy. Not to mention all of the creative toys, model kits and outdoor toys on the market to suit every age and every whim. Some of the outdoor toys can even provide fun for all the family!

Computer games and games consoles tend to have a level of stigma attached to them, depending on who you ask. We hate to say it, but whatever your opinion is tends to depend on what generation you’re from. Computer games aren’t what they were back in the early 1970’s (though the origin of console and computer games go back decades before). No longer do they contain painfully simplistic 2D programming and limited enjoyment at quite a substantial cost. But back then they didn’t realise the dangers of smoking and saturated fats, either.

Computers in general make our lives easier. They also infuriate us when they don’t work the way we want them to, but that’s an entry for another time. The best technology is built to provide entertainment, built to completely immerse you in a level of fantasy that surpasses all past selves and current rivals. You know what we’re referring to; X Box 360; Playstation 3; Nintendo Wii; three of the dominant figures in the games console market. After the console gaming industry crashed in 1983, Japan picked up the slack from North America, so it’s no surprise that even today Japan offers two of the most impressive consoles available on the market. In fact, Sony has sold a phenomenal 138 million Playstation 2 consoles since its release in 2000. Nintendo has sold an astonishing 56.14 million Wii’s since 2006, compared with the meagre 39 million X Box 360’s and the 27 million Playstation 3’s that have been sold.

So, what was it about Playstation 2 that was so good then, and what is it about the Wii that is so good now? At the turn of the century, the PS2 paved the way for superior graphics, original and unique gaming and an enormous variety of genres to suit every gaming need. Even now games are still in production for it, even with the majority of focus being on its newest console. It pushed gaming at the time to its limits and spiralled beyond them.

As for the Wii, Nintendo couldn’t have gotten it more right. The Wii, though somewhat lacking in intense single-player games that are found on the other two consoles, brings a lot to the table. Not only does it have an innovative control system that makes it feel a bit like you’re playing with the TV and not using a games console, but it offers a massive range of multi-player games for friends and family alike. Nintendo has banished the image of the stereotypical, overweight 15 year old hauled up in his room in the dark, thumb and index finger tapping away at a frightening speed. They’ve opened the curtains to a brighter age of gaming where everyone can get involved, where health and fitness is encouraged and where enjoyment is paramount. Yes, sometimes the graphics fall short of those seen on other consoles, but everything else the Wii has to offer more than makes up for it with gusto.