The Console War Three Decades and Counting

With the recent release of Microsofts Xbox 360 and the upcoming releases of Sonys ps3 and Nintendos Wii, gamers a like are becoming more aware of the fierce competition and tactics used by these three major players of the video gaming industry.

It all began in 1972 with a unit you may remember Magnavox Odyssey. While Magnavoxs efforts were short lived, they are still remembered to play a heavy role in the establishment of the home-based video game console. Of course Atari was next in line with a new and back then evolutionary game PONG. As simplistic as the game was, it was loved by consumers worldwide and helped launch Ataris name into the big books.

The newly created gaming industry was gaining strength and the general consumers interest. However as 10 years passed the video gaming industry was about to crash. In 1983, consumers criticized the lack of quality console games with the emergence of home-based computers, gamers began to lose faith in the console. Breaking the silence in late 1983, nintendo introduced the Famicon (Nintendo Entertainment System). With the release of the Famicon came the birth of Super Mario Bros. a signatory series to the nintendo brand.

Nintendos dominance was challenged by sega who entered the market with their Master system. Despite Segas efforts, their Master system barely captured any market share and made little profit. The company refused to face defeat and soon there after released the Mega Drive/ Genisis in 1988, two years before Nintendos release of the Super Nintendo (SNES).

Moving along, the video gaming world became divided into the 32-bit vs. 64-bit machines. The first wave of systems that entered the market was the 3DO and Ataris Jaguar. While both systems were powerful for their time, neither was able to outperform sega or nintendo who both dominated the market until 1994. On December 3 1994, Sony launched its Playstation system and enjoyed a successful launch. nintendo followed 2 years later with their 64-bit offering, the nintendo 64. Even at this stage nintendo made the controversial decision of releasing a cartridge based system arguing that it would reduce load times and minimize piracy.

sega fought back one last time in 1998, releasing the dreamcast. While Segas efforts were strong, the company failed to make ends meet when Sony released the successor to their first console the ps2 (in 2000). In 2001 nintendo released its gamecube targeting a younger market. Both companies had established their own brands and proved themselves to the gaming community. Sonys system was challenged in 2001 when microsoft entered the arena with their Xbox.

We are currently in a new generation of console gaming. While Xbox 360 is currently available the ps3 and Wii are due to release later this year. Previously, Sony dominated in market share, however this is forecast to change with the new generation of gaming. More than ever it is critical to offer the greatest innovation, greatest power and most of all the greatest games.

So who will dominate the market this generation? This is difficult to answer, however as a gaming enthusiast, I strongly believe that competition between the three companies ultimately means better games for you the gamer.

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Greatest Super Bowls

There have been a number of great games over the years which makes finding one of the greatest super bowls out of this list a difficult task. Over the nearly 40 year history of this big game there have been a number of blowouts, but the close ones have given us something to remember for years to come.

5. super Bowl XXIII (1989, 49ers 20, Bengals 16)

This was San Fran's 3rd super Bowl of the 80s and was won in thrilling fashion. The 49ers led in net yards 452 to 229 but still was down 16-13 after Jim Breech kicked a 40-yard field goal with a little over three minutes remaining.

In comes Joe Montana, driving 92 yards and ending with a 10 yard TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left.

Rice was named the super Bowl MVP after gaining a super Bowl record 215 yards on 11 catches. Montana had a super Bowl record 357 yards passing.

4. super Bowl XXV (1991, giants 20, bills 19)

The giants won their 2nd super Bowl in 5 years by controlling the ball for 40 minutes in this game. The bills scored 95 points in their two other playoff games that year, but only had their offense on the field for 8 minutes in the 2nd half.

But this game is known for only one thing, and that's Scott Norwood's missed field goal with seconds remaining, as it sailed wide right. That missed field goal basically set the tone for the bills over the next four years, as they only found disappointment in the super Bowl.

3. super Bowl XXXVI (2002, Patriots 20, Rams 17)

As Norwood's miss set the tone for disappointment with the bills, Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard FG to win the game help guide the Pats to super Bowl wins in 3 of the next 4 years.

The Pats were 14 point underdogs who were outgained 427-267 in total yards. There were several turnovers in this game that let the Pats stay in it, the first being Ty Law's return for a TD, then Terrell Buckley's fumble recovery, and an Otis smith interception. These three big plays let New england jump to a 17-3 lead.

After the Rams struck back to tie it up at 17, Brady moved the ball easily with 1:30 left in the game to help Vinatieri drill a 48-yarder as time expired. Brady ended up the MVP despite going 16 of 27 for 145 yards.

2. super Bowl iii (1969, Jets 16, Colts 7)

The guarantee by Joe Namath basically makes this game great. The AFL hadn't even been competitive in the super Bowl before this and they beat a baltimore team that had only lost once in 16 games.

Namath backed up his claim by completing 17 of 28 for 206 yards and earning the MVP honors. This game put the AFL on the map.

1. super Bowl XXXIV (2000, Rams 23, Titans 16)

This game ended with Mike Jones being tackled by Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired, giving the Rams their first Super Bowl title.

The Titans defense really stepped up as the Rams took it into the red zone on their first 6 possessions but were held to 3 field goals and a TD.

The Titans finally got their offense going by scoring a pair of touchdowns on two seven minute drives, but a missed 2-point conversion made the score 16-13. Then with only 2:12 left in the game Al Del Greco tied the game up with a 43-yard field goal. It didn't take long for the Rams to strike back as on the first play Isaac Bruce went deep for a quick TD with 1:54 left. The Titans wouldn't quit and drove downfield to Tennessee to the 10 with only six seconds remaining. Without a timeout left, McNair attempted a quick pass to Dyson, who caught it at the 3 but was stopped at the 1 by Jones as time expired. Warner was the MVP with a Super Bowl record 414 yards and 2 TD. Holt and Bruce both had big games, the former with 7 catches and 109 yards with the latter going for 162 yards on 6 grabs.

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Dieting Pitfalls Part 1: Are You Sabotaging Yourself?

Are you making losing weight harder than it has to be? One of the most important keys to weight loss success is ensuring that you are not standing in your own way. When you eliminate self-sabotaging behaviors, you are free to focus on external challenges and temptations rather than wasting time on self-created issues.

In this article, we will discuss three of the most common physical ways you can sabotage yourself.

Booby trapping your cabinets

One of the most common reasons for diet failures is bringing unhealthy foods into the house. You may bring a package of cookies home and say its for the kids, but admit it: Some of those cookies will probably end up in your mouth. Its best to leave the cookies on the store shelf and not lead yourself into temptation.

Instead, make sure that you are setting yourself up to win in the nutrition arena. Be sure that you have plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products in your home. That way, you will reach for food that will satisfy you inside and out when you are hungry rather than go for the foods that just satisfy your tongue.

Creating bottomless food pits

A bottomless food pit is an environment in which a large quantity of unhealthy food is made available to you in one sitting. Examples are buffets, whole pizzas, tubs of buttered popcorn, boxes of cookies, and bags of potato chips.

If you have a hard time controlling your food intake, then you will be more likely to overeat when faced with a bottomless food pit. I remember going to the movies on more than one occasion when I was overweight and sitting down with a tub of buttered popcorn. Id become so engrossed in the movie that I didnt notice the robotic way that I was taking popcorn from the tub and putting it into my mouth. I only became conscious of what I was doing when my hand scraped the bottom of the empty tub.

You want to eat consciously and enjoy the experience. If you do want to enjoy popcorn at the movies, then order the smallest size. If you must have cookies or potato chips, then have the snack size (not the grab bag size, which can contain 2 servings or more).

If you are going to a buffet, be sure to have an apple or other piece of fruit before you leave home. That way, you can decide which items you will have rationally rather than be at the mercy of a ravenous appetite when you get to the buffet!

Sleeping with the enemy

While it is true that some fast food restaurants are offering healthy items on their menus today, most menu items are still either fatty, salty, sugary, or a combination of the three. Be honest: If you go into Burger King and smell the hamburgers and fries, how likely is it that you will order a salad? Again, you dont want to lead yourself into temptation.

However if you must go to a fast food restaurant, then I recommend that you check out the establishments Web site beforehand. Usually, they will post the menu and provide nutritional statistics on the items they offer. You can decide ahead of time what you will have. Then, go to the drive thru to get it. That way, you wont be tempted by the smells of the unhealthy stuff.

The above pitfalls are just a few challenges you will need to handle on your way to achieving your goals. The better you can handle these challenges, the sooner you will enjoy the spoils of victory: A healthier, fitter body.

A Registered Nurse for many years, Kimberly Floyd battled obesity for much of her adult life. She was finally able to achieve her ideal weight and is currently writing a book that is designed to help others achieve their weight loss goals entitled Take Back Your Temple.

Kim has written articles for the georgia Nurses Association publication and Nursing Spectrum online. now a technical writer, she has written training programs for corporate clients, including IBM, U.S. Bank, and Cingular.

Kim also teaches an online course called Goodbye to Shy. This course is distributed to over 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia through Thomson Learning. An accomplished speaker and trainer, she delivers presentations on health-related topics to enthusiastic audiences.

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