Come on, Sony fanboys, lighten up and hear me out before you fumble for that "NO" button. I'm sorry that you spent $600+ to play the most powerful gaming system known to man only to find out that there were almost no games worth playing and the ones they do have are as good on the 360. PS3 is still a sweet Blu-ray player, no? So here's the guide:
The current gen console wars are history and the next-gen craze is front and center with sky-rocketing prices and awesome new games and features coming out of the woodwork. Sadly, if you're anything like me, you have but a modest budget and tight time constraints on your free time and only have the time and money for one next-gen console. The choices are: 1) Microsoft's awesome Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive with it's unbeatable live play, slough of incredible original games, and a proven dependable interface, 2) The superpowered, blu-ray technology sporting, hyper-expensive PlayStation 3 (60GB); the gaming juggernaut with an endless supply of Japanese 3rd party support and perfect backwards-compatibility, and 3) the moderately priced Wii which looks to change the way games are played with it's revolutionary motion-sensitive controller, allowing you control you onscreen action using the motions of your hands, and featuring downloadable games dating from the NES all the way to the N64 era. Nice. So which to get? If the title of this guide didn't tell you, I'll tell you straight-up that I'm down with Microsoft on this one. I'm not some fanboy; I've floated between all three of these gaming giants in my years since my mama bought me the Atari 2600 and I believe they all offer something fantastic. Nintendo has and always will excel at family-friendly gaming and simple, pick-up-and-play party games at a good price and is highly recommended as a console for children or nostalgia buffs. But I'm neither of those. The best Nintendo series, which have great games including Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl that are top-notch and fun for all. But they don't carry the whole system for me (though Red Steel also looks promising). Sony's Playstation systems have been the king of the hill as far as sales go, and continue to dominate Japan and America alike with their always impressive list of RPG's and other quirky Japanese funfests. A great choice if you have limitless time and money to buy and play the neverending catalogue of cookie-cutter games mixed in with the handful of premium PS2 franchises such as Final Fantasy XII, Kingdom Hearts II, and the fighting series, Tekken 5. The PS3 itself has stumbled out the gate, promising far more than it has delivered with middling titles like Resistance: Fall Of Man and games that are already available on the 360 and look and play no better. The interface is little more than a carbon copy of the Xbox's tried and true menu system with promises (always with the promises) of a "Second Life"-style friends' lounge coming up. Let's not mention the disgraceful behavior of Sony's supporters on launch day as customers physical fought each other for the few consoles that Sony had available to sell. Oops, I just mentioned it! I miss my Zelda and my Final Fantasy, but the Xbox Core Console USM simply rocked my world when it came out. Microsoft took the classic home console and changed it forever, essentially transforming it into a specialized PC designed just for gamers. Featuring original, groundbreaking franchises like Halo: Combat Evolved and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, while bringing in great PC ports like Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (Game of the Year) and allowing you to download music onto to your xbox and program it like a jukebox or ipod with independent playlists on your television (you could even put customized soundtracks into some games!), Microsoft pulled me away from Sony's RPG paradise. The Xbox Live service is a smashing success and was/is probably the single-biggest draw of the system. Finally, console gamers had a comprehensive, easy to use service that allowed them to crush strangers and friends alike in spirited multi-player battles and wars, meeting new people all along the way through live voice chatting. Last time around, Microsoft was the new kid on the block, coming late to the game with something to prove. This time, the xbox 360 was first out of the gate by a mile with a price tag that puts it right smack in the middle between the cheaper, kid-friendly Wii and the ridiculously pricey PS3. With great franchises new and old like Dead or Alive 4, Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, the smash-hit Gears Of War, zombie horror-fest Dead Rising, and the promise of Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil on the horizon Sony is losing ground fast in the quality franchise department and has shown us very little in return so far, though they have maintained their "We're Sony, bee-yatches. We'll do what we want and you'll buy it!" attitude towards their fans even as they struggle to catch up to the Wii and 360 by attempting to copy them while dismissing them as "last-gen". And let us not forget Microsoft's unstoppable Halo 3; an ace in the hole if ever there was one. The 360 is constantly catering to the most loyal gamers, 20-somethings with some -but not limitless- disposable income and no time to waste on endless throw-away games or kids' stuff. Xbox live has only gotten better with downloadable arcade games (including Street Fighter 2),upcoming game and movie trailers, hi-definition online movie rentals, dozens of television shows available for purchase, free playable demos for current and upcoming games, and a fantastic online gamer community. Nintendo and Sony both have a lot to prove if they hope to ever even compete with Microsoft online. The xbox 360 now allows you to play every single game on the system with any custom soundtrack you can dream up. Good God, that is awesome. It will interface with everything from your ipod or PC, to a USB keyboard usable for future MMORPG's and the current PS2 port Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia, Rise Of The Zilart, Treasures of Aht Urhgan. To compete with the PS3's blu-ray compatibility, Microsoft gives us the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player which gives you the OPTION of upgrading to a new DVD format rather than Sony's built-in cost that you pay for whether you want blu-ray technology or not. After all, there is a format war going on and either HD-DVD or blu-ray (or even both) may become the next Betamax or minidisc in the future. All of this is just one gamer's opinion and I think I've made some good points without being too biased. After all, I'm an old-time Nintendo and Playstation fan myself. Nintendo has more than held it's own with it's mainstream innovations and stranglehold on the handheld market, but Sony hasn't fared so well and disgruntled fanboys must deal with the fact that the xbox 360 kicks major tail on all fronts. The 360 has almost all of the best games and console exclusives (though not as many recognizable characters as Nintendo), the coolest interface and features (though without the PS3's raw power) so far in a home system, and all at a medium price (cheaper than PS3, more expensive than the Wii). In other words, the perfect system right here, right now.
2007-10-04
04:53:13
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4 answers
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Video & Online Games