I suggest you destroy all your Xbox's if you have them. Paying for Xbox live is a horrible deal just cause the Xbox 360 is a bit cheaper than the PS3. You can have all the PS3 online access you want for free (as long as you have a working internet at home).
Really depends if you've got enough extra cash. The system itself will be 400$-600$ and the games have been priced at 99.99$ plus you'd have to pay for xbox live,which of coarse is 60$ /yr. So you'd need around 1000$ USD to play TWO GAMES.
So I'd say,stick with the current gen,atleast until they lower the price of the console and games.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.