Christmas PS3 Blues

Patience is a virtue, and you're going to have to be pretty virtuous if you're one of the millions of UK PlayStation Fans awaiting the arrival of the ps3. As if it wasn't bad enough we had to rewrite our letters to Santa this year (because it now won't hit our shelves until March), we're also all going to be green with envy as the web fills up with the usual reviews, cheats, and walkthroughs etc from sites in the States where they will get their hands on the console from November 17th.

Personally, my patience (lost my virtue a long time ago) ran out already, and my craving for HD gaming led me to the xbox 360. I suspect many others will do the same this Christmas and I don't blame you. To not release the most hyped console of all time for Christmas has got to be the craziest decision Sony has made (apart from the choice of software packed with their MP3 Walkman - but don't get me started on that one). It can't even be based on format because the ps3 will be region free, and you can play any ps3 game on it no matter what part of the world you bought it from.

If you do decide to cut your losses and go for the xbox 360 you won't be disappointed, I certainly haven't been. But you should be aware that in their hurry to steal the HD gaming market, microsoft left a couple of jobs as 'work in progress'. Although the list is growing, the xbox 360 still only plays a handful of original xbox games. If you're starting afresh that?s fine, but if you've got a hefty back-catalogue of xbox titles you were planning to play then that?s a real bummer. Backwards compatibility was a target that simply wasn't reached in time for release and early release was obviously of greater importance to microsoft than it appears to be for Sony.

However, if you're a PlayStation purist, or simply do not fancy the xbox 360 or the nintendo Wii, then your virtue will be well rewarded. Although I find it difficult to understand some of Sony's business decisions, I can fully understand the hype surrounding the ps3. It will be without doubt the most powerful domestic games console available, boasting the 'Cell' processor, twelve times faster than processors found in top range PC's. The ps3 will also offer 'Blue-ray' technology which Sony are heavily promoting to take over from dvd, as well as offering free 'out of the box' online gaming (broadband connection required).

All of this extra 'oomph' inevitably comes at a cost, and you should expect to pay more for the prestige of owning such a machine. You'll also need to keep an eye on game prices too from November and compare them to its rivals, afterall there is no point owning the thing if you have to rob a bank every time you want something to play on it. On the plus side it will play any ps2 or PS1 titles you have tucked away.

Whatever you decide, have a happy Christmas, and keep on gaming !

Rob O'Neill is owner of console Fun, the one stop shop for information on video games consoles including xbox, xbox 360, PS1, ps2, ps3, PSP, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, and DS.

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Getting Around The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately 4 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that runs from Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino at the southern end to the Stratosphere Las Vegas hotel and Casino in the North. The Strip is one of the most famous and most valuable stretches of real estate in the world, and is the heart of the city that is known as the gaming capital of the world.

The Strip is ever changing and growing. Recently non-gaming properties in the form of tall condominium towers have been spouting up in between and behind the casino-hotels. Of course casinos are also being built, with most seemingly designed to outdo prior properties. Also, while new properties are being developed existing properties are evolving and improving in an attempt to remain competitive.

This non-stop growth can occasionally cause headaches for people trying to drive from place to place on the Strip. Closed lanes, closed side roads, and traffic from construction vehicles cause this already busy road to become difficult to traverse. Las Vegas has tried to keep up with increased traffic by adding pedestrian walkways, a monorail, more buses, and improved alternative side roads as alternatives to tourists simply driving down the Strip. By keeping a few tips in mind a visitor can save time and frustration when traveling around the Strip.

one way to get around is to walk from one property to another. Just keep in mind that Las Vegas is brutally hot in the summer, with normal daily highs over 100 degrees, and the nights from late fall until mid spring may be surprisingly cool. Also, while casino security and the cops do an excellent job of keeping as safe as possible, you need to keep your own security in mind, especially in areas that aren't near a casino. The north end of the Strip past the Wynn, especially, has areas that are not near any casinos. Also, some of the side streets are less safe after dark than the Strip is.

The monorail is useful is some cases. It is located on the east side of the Strip, and is excellent for going to the Convention Center and the hotels on the east side. The monorail stations are mgm grand, Bally's/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars, Harrah's/Imperial palace, The Convention Center, and the Sahara. Buses run 24 hours a day up and down the Strip, and a Trolley (really another type of bus, not a San Francisco style trolley) zigzags from Strip hotels to off Strip hotels. Taxis are everywhere, all day long, and are another alternative way to get around the Strip.

If you want to drive you should try to become familiar with the side streets that run parallel to the Strip. On the west the streets to learn are Frank Sinatra Drive and Industrial Road, and on the east the Roads to know are Koval Lane, Sand Avenue, and Paradise Road. These roads will lead you to the back entrances for most of the Strip hotels and are almost always easier to get around on, although Paradise Road can be slow when a very large convention is in town.

planning ahead and consulting http://www.lasvegasstripmap.info can save you time and frustration, and help you to better enjoy your Las Vegas vacation.

Mike McDougall has lived and worked in Las Vegas for 20 years, and business interests have made it mandatory that he drive on the Las Vegas Strip at least once a week for those 20 years. His web site, http://www.lasvegasstripmap.info/, has been created in an attempt to help tourists to better understand how to get around the Las Vegas Strip.

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