Critical Decision

S

Sad Max

Artful Dodger
All right, I have been putting this off for a long time, and now it's time to draw upon the accumulated expertise available on DVXUSer...

...Playstation, Wii, or XBox? To connect to a 67" 1080p LED DLP display; already have a good blu-ray player so that functionality isn't important. Mostly want it for shooter and flying and survival-horror-type games; the lightsaber-type stuff looks like fun, too, although I guess that would mean a Wii.

In your opinion which system offers the best mix of graphics and sound capability, future longevity, selection of games and manufacturer/aftermarket support?
 
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Wii will definitely get the most people to play, so if you're having friends over a lot or have family that might not normally play video games, this could get them. But the graphics aren't that good. On paper, the PS3 has the best graphics ability... but from what I understand, the chips are so convoluted to program for that few developers take full advantage of them.

Personally, I much prefer my Xbox360. It looks great on my 1080p 50" DLP, there is a huge variety of games, and Xbox Live has such a huge amount of content, from classic games to movies to whatever.
 
i would immediately rule out the wii. it only displays a resolution of 480p, and that will look horrible on a 67' led display. also the best games are primarily made by nintendo, third party support has been unimpressive.

the playstation has built in wireless; you have to buy an adapter for the xbox360.
it also plays blu-ray. internet gaming is free. better record of hardware reliability than the xbox.

the xbox is cheaper than the playstation. you can also set it up to stream netflix movies. you have to pay for internet gaming, but the service is generally considered superior to playstation's free service.

beyond that it's a matter of preference. i prefer the controller of the ps3. i also am interested in some games like gran turismo 5 that are exclusive to the playstation.

as far as the future of the systems, here is what both systems are rolling out...

xbox360
playstation 3
 
ugafan said:
the playstation has built in wireless; you have to buy an adapter for the xbox360.
it also plays blu-ray. internet gaming is free. better record of hardware reliability than the xbox.
Click to expand...

All absolutely true. XBL isn't that expensive, only about $60/yr... but that's $60 more than PS3. I've had my Xbox360 crap out twice, but each time was under warranty (it's like three years), so MS just gave me a new one each time with a new warranty. Fortunately, mine is located were it's easy to hook up to an ethernet cable... but if that's a problem for you, the wireless adaptor is something like $90.
 
Hmmm....

.... well, even though I do love my PS3, if I had to choose only one, and blu-ray wasn't a factor, I'd go with the XB360. The reasons are that there are a few more games out for it that I like, and the controller feels much better in my hands than the PS3's. Also, the PS3 hasn't been out as long and will most likely drop in price to around $250 or so within two years from now. You can always wait for that day and enjoy the 360 until then.

Mike Harvey said:
On paper, the PS3 has the best graphics ability... but from what I understand, the chips are so convoluted to program for that few developers take full advantage of them.
Click to expand...

I suppose in the long run, the PS3 might have more years in it for technical improvements, but that could still be quite a ways off. By then, there will probably be new systems from all three companies anyways.

And so far, the PS3's better tech and blu-ray hasn't resulted in a vast amount of graphically superior games except in Sony exclusives like Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, and Killzone 2. In fact, many multi-platform games have looked better on the 360, although the graphics gap has leveled out pretty much to the point where most games look almost identical on each system.

Max, you said you like shooters, so that is another plus on the 360's side. Although the PS3 has Killzone 2 which is amazing. Do you like more realistic shooters or more amped up and stylized ones? Killzone and Call of Duty are two more realistic ones, while Halo and Gears of War are more wild and wooly, as well as a bit more colorful and exaggerated in their worlds and characters. Plus, the 360 has exclusivity on the insane zombie shooter Left 4 Dead, and it's upcoming sequel Left 4 Dead 2. Who doesn't love blasting wave after wave of zombies?

If price is not a major concern, then really you can buy both an XB360 and a Wii for about the same price as a PS3 (Xbox 360 Arcade model + Nintendo Wii = approx. $450.00). The only major knocks against the 360 are that you have to pay for Xbox Live, which is worth it in my opinion, especially if you like shooters. Of course, there is the 3-year warranty due to the dreaded RED RING OF DEATH malfunction. The plus side is that the RROD fiasco seems to have peaked and is on the decline now.

Having said all that, the PS3 is great too.
 
I am not a serious gamer. In fact, I get bored with them pretty easily. But I love the Wii. We got it for the kids this past christmas and I really enjoy the motion aspect of the controller as opposed to traditional video games. But i agree with Uga about third party games. They are a pretty poor lot
 
Okay, Xbox obviously enjoys the most support, so far.

Now, with regard to software...anybody want to throw out their recommendations for survival horror and shooter (1st and 3rd person) titles?
 
360 my friend, although mine has recently just red-lighted. Aka. It K.O's everytime I try to go on live.

Still, Xbox 360. Wii, only good point is the way its controlled... with the physical handset. What you must bear in mind is that sooner or later the Xbox will update and have a sensor, which you can just stand in front of and play using your body. If you get XBL, post your gamertag - infact, i think thats worthy of a thread..
 
They've been out a while, but both the Tom Clancy lines... Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2 and Rainbow Six: Vegas 1 & 2... are a ton of fun in single player (haven't tried multi). For just pure fantasy blow up alien fun, there is also Halo, which also enjoys a huge online following. I don't know what you own now, but if you haven't played either of the first two Halo's for the original Xbox, you can pick them up for dirt cheap so you know what the story is for 3 (the 360 is backwards compatible with most original Xbox games).

Also, ports for both the original Doom and Wolfenstien 3D just came out not to long ago on XBL Arcade for like $5 a pop.

Zombies... really can't help you.

I do recommend that if you go the Xbox360 route, you pick up a model with an HDMI port (many of the lower end models don't include it).
 
There have been a couple of gamertag threads around here.

My vote is for the Xbox360. I don't have a PS3, I've used my them and played nhl 2009
and some other games, and wasn't all that impressed.

Paying for online play is a bummer, but the huge library of games that you can buy, and the netflix support, and games available make this my easy choice.

I don't game a ton, but my old roommate did... enough to get me to buy a couple of games just to play with/against him online. Call of Duty 4 was fantastic, I also enjoyed Gears of War and Halo 3. GTA4 is of course my favorite way to de-stress after a long shoot day.

Also, if you like the idea of playing games with groups, getting Rock Band is a sure winner.

Have fun!
 
Sad Max said:
Now, with regard to software...anybody want to throw out their recommendations for survival horror and shooter (1st and 3rd person) titles?
Click to expand...

Survival Horror

Resident Evil 5
Dead Space


Shooter - Horror Hybrids

Bioshock
Left 4 Dead
FEAR 2: Project Origin


Shooters

Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Halo Trilogy (part one and two are on the original Xbox)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: World at War
The Orange Box (which is basically Half-Life 2 with a bunch of extra games)
Red Faction: Guerilla


Upcoming Shooters (Sept. thru Nov. 2009)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Nov.)
Halo 3: ODST expansion pack (Sept.) -- note: I think that you will need a copy of Halo 3 for the multiplayer options
Borderlands (Oct.)
Left 4 Dead 2 (Nov.)
Wet (Sept.)
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (sometime this fall)

You might get a kick out of Fallout 3. It is a wacky retro sci-fi first person RPG that can be played like a first person shooter, or more like a regular RPG. Also, Mass Effect is a fun sci-fi RPG with a good dose of action.

The good thing is that pretty much all of these games have downloadable demos on Xbox Live. With the exception of any upcoming games, most of these can be found used or at a bargain price ($20 - $40).
 
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Well...I already have a very good blu-ray player, I'm satisfied with my various PCs' connectivity and therefore don't feel much need for DLNA, and the consensus appears to be that - at least to date - the technical edge enjoyed by the PS3 has gone unexploited for years, with no specific reason I've yet found to think that's going to change.

The mini supercomputer gag is appealing, but since I already maintain a render farm I kind of doubt it's something I would really pursue...
 
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Easily the xbox.

The ps3 might theoretically have the best hardware but MS has made it easily accessible and has the most developer support by far, and the xbox versions of games are pretty consistently preferred over ps3 in comparisons.
 
Okay, let's talk price: US$295 for an Elite System, 120GB HD, 3-core 3.2 GHz CPU, 512MB system memory, HDMI port, wireless controller, headset.

Reasonable?
 
I have all 3 systems and The 360 gets the most run. (when I have time to actually play them) The wii is cool at first but my kids don't even play it anymore. I love the PS3 though. Just grab one of the two and you will be happy. Blu ray is an absolute joy to witness.
 
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