I downloaded the Dantes Inferno (DI) demo on PSN. I installed the God of War III (GoW3) demo from the District 9 Blu-ray disc.

DI has no shame in how closely it copies the God of War formula. From the graphics to the music to the gameplay, DI mimics a lot of what GoW has done in the past. Missing from the mix were the puzzles.

Graphics: Di looks great. The cutscenes are amazingly detailed. The in-game character models and environments are crisp and clear with few jaggies. Screne tearing was not an issue. Framerate was perfect.

GoW3 seems to have a little extra "oomph" in the graphics department to make it stand out. I think it has a lot to do with the dynamic lighting implemented in GoW3. Add to that (what seems like) a more varied color pallette.

No matter which game you go for, they both look great.

Music: Both titles use orchestral music similar to that of the original GoW games on PS2. They both fit well into their respective worlds. I can't imagine the music being the deciding factor. I don't have a preference from either game from my playtime in the demos.

Combat: DI is behind in the execution of combat. Don't get me wrong, everything flows fairly smoothly. However, the moveset seems limited in comparison to GoW3. I'm not sure how many weapons you get in DI, but the demo only provided 2 versions of the Scythe.

GoW3 does a good job of naturally moving you from one area to the next while keeping you busy fighting off enemies. DI stuck more to the hack-n-slash standards of: go to this room, fight until enemies stop spawning, rocks blocking path mysteriously disappear, move on, rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

Story: Personally, I've played all the GoW games (GoW, GoW2, and GoW: Chains of Olympus [psp]). This means that I already have a good understanding of the story. In DI, I only know what the demo explained to me. This leaves DI at a disadvantage.

Putting aside my history with GoW and focusing on only what is shown in the demos, I can say DI does a good job of summing up the story line and getting you interested. The story is a good reason for me to play DI. GoW3 doesn't really explain much about what's going on. You encounter a God and a Titan in the demo, but you don't really know why either of them are there, whether you are enemy or friend, or for what cause you are fighting. Somehow without all of the story elements being told, GoW3 still feels very cinematic and epic.

Conclusions:

Dantes Inferno is going to be a good game. If you only have an Xbox 360 then this is your only choice out of the 2, but I still recommend it because it's a great copy of the original GoW games on PS2 with an interesting story, solid combat, and great graphics.

If you have a PS3, I recommend getting GoW3 over DI. Everything about this game begs for a GOTY nomination. If you enjoyed GoW and GoW2 on PS2, you are not going to be disappointed with GoW3.

Even if GoW3 is a given for you, I still recommend giving DI a try. I think it is stacking up to be a great alternative to the GoW IP. Plus, if GoW3 really is the conclusion to the series, then DI is going to be the only option in the future; and its stacking up to be a great option at that.

Leave your comments below on what you think of either or both of the games...

Indianapolis isn't famous for much. We've got the Colts doing well, so for now that gets us noticed. When our Pacer's aren't beating up fans in the bleachers or shooting people outside a gentlemen's club, they can be pretty good.

One thing that has always been world-wide famous is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500.

Yesterday (Dec 14, 2009) the Playstation.Blog posted information on their Gran Turismo 5 demo. The announcment included the featured track. And yes; it's IMS!

Source: Get Ready to Race! The Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Challenge Starts This Week!

Not only are they featuring my home town, they are giving out tickets and more to the winner of their GT5 demo competition.

I don't think I have the ability to win this package, but its a sweet deal and I'm gonna give it a try. If you're capable of perfecting the demo and getting to the top of the Leaderboards, hop on the Playstation.Blog and check out what you need to do.

A lot of gaming-related websites that have comments sections and forums fall victim to the "console wars." I see it a lot here on GameSpot.

A lot of gamers are competitive, so it makes sense that some people would apply this to brand loyalty. However, it is inappropriate and inaccurate to claim that one console or service is better than the other.

Justification of Claim:

There are a few factors that govern someone's decisions on their gaming purchases:

• Life Style
• Resources
• Time

Life Style: Life style plays are large role. If you are a very social gamer, you are going to want to use the social features of a console. If you are not social, then you have no need for those social features. If you like having all of the latest and greatest devices and games, then you are likely to have all of the major consoles and several games for each. From these examples, you may be able to get an idea of how life style plays a role in a gamers purchasing decisions and playing habits.

Resources: Resources mostly restrict purchase decisions. Someone on a tight budget might have to decide on a single console for the entire generation of consoles. Once they've made their decision, it may be difficult to switch or even harder to purchase one of the other consoles. This also ties into life style.

Someone who has a social personality and whose friends all have a certain console will strongly be influenced into choosing the console that their friends play on. However, if that person's budget does not allow room for them to purchase said console, they may choose the more affordable console; even if it prevents them from enjoying certain aspects of social gaming. On top of that, if the systems services require a premium to be paid for a subscription to the social features, the person may get the console but stay away from the social services until an opportunity arrives that allows them the ability to pay.

Time: Time influences gamers' decisions as well. If you are young, work minimal hours, and parents pay for your hobbies, then you have plenty of time for yourself and those hobbies. This means that you will play more games and you will use more of the services provided by the consoles. So a service that costs money is not a concern for you because your resources are there and you spend more time using the services so the cost is justified.

A parent has less time than an adolescent. Adolescents have nearly endless amounts of time in a week to spend playing games, even if they have a part-time job and are still in school (I know it doesn't feel that way when you're that young). Parents who are involved in their children's lives and have a strong relationship with the other parent have much less time. Adding school activities, friends, and family activities eliminates a lot of game time. A parent who does not spend as much time on their console is less likely to use certain services provided by a console and will sometimes avoid games that take a long time to beat (for example: an RPG).

Conclusion:

Don't run around the internet, school, work, the gym, et cetera arguing with people about why one console is better than the other. If they are arguing with you it's because they have different life constraints, they have different preferences (most likely influenced by their life constraints), or they don't care much for games.

What you can do is be proud to be a gamer. As long as you are happy with the services, games and hardware that you decide to purchase there is no reason to attempt to invalidate someone else's viewpoint or purchase decisions. If you are in a situation where someone is asking you to provide a recommendation for a console, don't just spit out your favorite console just because you feel you owe some sort of loyalty to the company. Provide a logical answer by investigating and understanding that persons constraints and which console will bring them and their family the most joy. You can use the social services for your interaction with them (a.k.a. if you want to play online with friends) as a bullet point, but don't fabricate or knock the other consoles.

Gaming is an exciting hobby and I am glad to be a part of it through playing the role of a gaming consumer. My current situation has allowed me the resources to own all 3 of the current generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii). It has allowed me and my family to experience all that each console has to offer. With the struggling economy I have had some constraints added to my life that have made me nail down my preferences. While this limits my total experience, it has not limited my ability to see that being a gamer is not defined by the consoles you own, the games you play or the services you use.

In my eyes all gamers should celebrate the growth of the gaming industry no matter which console manufacturer comes out on top. To gamers, it's a win no matter what. If you have opinions about how services are charged for, what games are on what console, or any other complaint about a console or it's services, address the manufacturer and make your voice be heard. Just don't take it to the forums where your voice fades as fast as you click "submit."