Take Away English-Games War

Perfect Dark Zero looks set to be an Xbox 360 hit

With the release in the UK of the Microsoft Xbox 360, the first shot has been fired in the long-awaited war between ‘third generation’ games consoles.

Gamers all over the country queued overnight for their chance to snap up the much-coveted games console. Demand has been so great that virtually every Xbox 360 in the UK was sold within a matter of hours.

However, not only gamers have been eager to get their hands on the Xbox – thousands of consoles have gone on sale on the online auction¹ site eBay with prices averaging around £600, three times more expensive than the retail² price.

By releasing their console first, Microsoft hope to take an early lead in the race to dominate a global market worth $25 billion. Snapping at their heels are arch-rivals Sony and Nintendo.

Sony’s Play Station 3 is due to roll out in Japan in spring 2006, with the US and Europe following later in the year. According to its manufacturers, it will set a new standard in the power of gaming machines. Chris Keegan, Technical Director claims that if the PS3 had existed in 1998, it would have been the most powerful super-computer in the world.

Although the latest machines are many times more powerful in raw processing terms than their predecessors³, the way in which the user interacts with the console via a joystick or controller has remained largely unchanged.

However, all that will change with the release in 2006 of the Nintendo Revolution. Nintendo’s new console will indeed be ‘revolutionary’ in that it introduces a new kind of wireless⁴ controller.

Similar in appearance to a TV remote control, the Nintendo controller is waved in front of the TV screen causing corresponding actions on screen. The Nintendo demonstration⁵ video shows the controller being used as a gun in a first–person shooter, a fishing rod and even as a conductor’s baton⁶.

The battle of the consoles may have begun, but the war is far from over.

GLOSSARY 词汇表
games consoles 游戏机 much coveted 渴望已久, 垂涎欲滴 retail price 零售价 snapping at their heels 零售价 roll out 发行 raw processing 原始数据处理 controller 操纵键盘 waved 晃动,摆动 first-person shooter 第一人称视点射手 conductor's baton 乐队指挥的指挥棒	snap up 抢购 get their hands on 拥有 take an early lead 捷足先登 arch rivals 强有力的竞争对手 super-computer 超级计算机 joystick 操纵杆 wireless 无线的 corresponding actions 相应的反应 fishing rod 钓鱼杆

 

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

5 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

6 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。