Skins For Your Video Game Console

Pretty much all video game consoles are fairly simple and plain in design. While that may be fine for some, many want there are things to be unique and different. The good news is that there are a ton of ways you can customize your electronic devices. Whether you just want to spruce up that new iPod or even something larger such as a PlayStation 3, there is an easy way you can accomplish this - skins. In the following article I will explain to you what video game console skins are and where you can find them.

To start off, skins are actually very simple in design. Almost identical to stickers, skins or vinyl decals as they are also known as are made of higher quality vinyl material that is specially cut to fit each console specifically. They are truly durable and many last for several years - some even longer than the life of the console itself. The great thing about skins that they are very simple to apply. Anyone can do it. You just peel off the paperback and find that the holes and stick it on.

If you own a Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, or even something else like a iPod or laptop, you can rest assured that there are skins being manufactured for it. The and industry is huge so there are many many designs available for anyone to just go out and pick their favorite one. Some places will even let you design your own skins.

Video game console skins come in many different varieties. There are plain vinyl skins that are great for most consoles and there are also gel-based skins that are perfect for handhelds but you can also get vinyl decals for handhelds as well. It's all just a matter of preference. Designs for skins can be anything the mind can imagine the most part. Everything from simple patterns and one color designs to complex patterns with thousands of colors pictures of your favorite video game character or person.

The more expensive skins might scare you off at first because of the price difference but in reality it's only a few dollars difference and most skins that cost a little bit more are made out of cast final which is of a higher quality than calendared vinyl. Cast vinyl lasts for years longer and is a lot more durable than calendared vinyl anyways. If you decide to go with a cheap skin don't say I didn't warn you.

You should never have to worry about skin fitting your console if you buy the correct type. That is to say, if you buy a Xbox 360 skin you can rest assured that it will fit your Xbox 360 but don't expect it to fit your PS3. This is because all consoles are designed with the same chassis that is the same size across the board. But not all consoles have the same shape or size as you probably already know. Also most skins come with parts for your faceplate, case, controllers, and some even have skins for your accessories.

So as you can see, with just a little bit of money you can get a very unique console that will make it stand out from all your friends. There are even more options for skins such as painting or custom cases but neither of them are as cheap or as easy to do as video game console skins. With so many great designs out there that really is no reason for you not go out and skin your console.

Trent writes articles on all sorts of video game topics including skins at video game console skins where he shows you where you can find xbox 360 skins and many other types.

Console Wars: Who Won ‘08?

Nintendo sails, Microsoft trails, Sony ails.

By Ben Silverman

Despite early predictions that 2008 would be the year Sony regained momentum in the bitter video game console wars, it turned out to be false hope. Industry leader Nintendo stayed ahead of the pack all year, thoroughly dominating both the home console and handheld hardware markets with their Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS systems, respectively.

According to NPD Group, Nintendo flat-out owned the all-important month of November by selling over 2 million Wiis, better than twice as much as the next closest competitor, Microsoft's Xbox 360 (836,000). And at over 1.5 million DS systems sold, Nintendo tripled the output of Sony's PSP (421,000). While those numbers weren't nearly that high through most of 2008, the general order -- Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony -- held strong throughout.

Wii Ascendant

But this was hardly a banner year for Nintendo in terms of software. The biggest games -- Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and of course Wii Fit -- came relatively early in the year, and their biggest holiday release, Wii Music, has been labeled something of a dud. Miffed that the company was focusing too heavily on catering to its relatively new mass-market audience, the usually loyal Nintendo fans complained about a lack of core games. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Sony enjoyed a wealth of blockbuster games all year long, including top-sellers Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3. So how did Nintendo compete, much less lead the way?

By finding a new niche, of course. While gamers lament the deluge of cheaply made games (dubbed "shovelware") aimed at capitalizing on the Wii's mainstream popularity, many of those titles speak to their broad audience and support the company's new directive. Nintendo knows on which side its bread is currently being buttered, and while Microsoft and Sony battle for the hearts and minds of the core gamers, Nintendo is content getting their moms to play, too. And their moms often have a lot more money.

Microsoft, on the other hand, found itself in second place by keeping its eyes on the prize: core gamers willing to shell out for great downloadable content. The recently released "New Xbox Experience" system update has nearly tripled sales over Xbox Live Arcade, while huge releases like Gears of War 2 and Fable II cemented their status as the go-to console for most gamers.

New Xbox Experience

As the newest kid on the block, Microsoft is less concerned with catching Nintendo than they are with kicking Sony's butt, which is pretty much exactly what they're doing. Take, for instance, the November NPD numbers for Activision's best-selling first-person shooter, Call of Duty: World at War. The 360 version of the game sold an impressive 1.4 million copies -- over twice that of the PS3 version (597,000). It's hard to play catch up when you're getting beaten that badly.

As for Sony, well, they just can't catch a break. The company scored a major coup when Blu-ray officially trounced HD-DVD in the hi-def format war, but few believe the technology will catch on with consumers. Strong sales of big-time exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4 were promising, but the troubled launch of their 'Home' network coupled with relatively weak holiday sales (only Resistance 2 cracked the Top 10 list in November, all the way back at number 9) cramped their style. The once-promising PSP is getting whomped by both the DS and Apple's surging iPhone. Did a witch cast a spell on these guys or what?

Hopefully next year will bode better for the one-time king of the consoles, but for now, they'll have to get used to the view from the back of the pack.