The best gaming console of 2006
Xbox360 named the "best" in '06

The Best Of 2006 @ [H] Console

Welcome to [H] Console’s first annual year end “Best Of” awards. We have picked what we feel are the best of the best for the year 2006. This last year was, without a doubt, an extremely eventful year in the console industry.

Best Of 2006

Welcome to [H] Console’s first annual year end “Best Of” awards. We have picked what we feel are the best of the best for the year 2006. This last year was, without a doubt, an extremely eventful year in the console industry. With the release of all three next-gen consoles we can finally ditch the term “next-gen” for a few years. We saw spectacular worldwide launches and equally spectacular stumbles. We were witness to countless product releases, product revisions and even a few recalls. So sit back and enjoy our take on what we believe to be the Best Of 2006.

The following products, in our opinion, were the best in their class for the year 2006. Obviously, the list is subjective and based solely on the opinions of our editors but we feel that, on the whole, we have selected the products most worthy of your time, consideration, and hard earned money.

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Best Console

Microsoft Xbox 360: Whether or not you are a fan of Microsoft, you have to admit that the company has been on a roll this year. While it is true that they have basically run unopposed for the entire year, thanks to the whopping 12 month head start they had on the competition, it is what they have done with that lead that earned them the top spot on the list:

• Addressed 2005 Launch Console Hardware Issues
• Extended The Warranty To One Year
• Fine Tuned Xbox Live
• Added Background Downloading
• Added 1080p Support
• Launched The Xbox 360 Video Marketplace
• Xbox Live Vision
• Xbox 360 Wireless Headset
• HD-DVD Add-On Drive
• 10 Million Units Shipped

Microsoft is not without its flaws. The company has had a number of very high profile flubs in its first year, like high rate of failure among launch consoles, updates that bricked consoles and the video marketplace choking on launch day under heavy strain. But the fact of the matter is that each problem has been remedied and MS is now firing on all cylinders. New features and products are rolled out regularly and having A-list games like Oblivion, Dead Rising and Gears of War all to themselves hasn’t hurt either.

To be brutally honest, the one year head start has allowed Microsoft to turn Xbox Live into “the” online system to beat, release blockbuster games like Gears Of War and completely dominating 2006...making it the console to beat.

Unfortunately for both the Wii and the PS3, both systems arrived far too late in the year to really challenge Microsoft for the “Best Console” award. Although the PS3 is having a difficult time right now, the Wii is off to an amazing start but both consoles, 5 weeks after launch, are almost impossible to find at your local retailer right now. With that said, we can’t wait to see what 2007 brings!

Read all about it here, courtesy of hardocp.com

Eric