Back in my day (aka NES, Genesis, Playstation) the whole idea of a video game system was for you to sit on your butt and play a game (in my case, Madden). The controller for the Nintendo Wii looks like work. Also, what is the point of a video game system name that sounds like something you should be doing in the bathroom?
The low-end version of the Playstation 3 is going to cost $500. Um, exactly how much money are kids getting for allowance nowadays? I should call up my mom and get back on that program. (BTW: Am I the only nerd who realizes the logo type of the Playstation 3 is the same as what Sony uses for the Spider-Man movie?)
I currently have an XBox. At best I may purchase an XBox 360. The only thing I really play is Madden, though I bought Call of Duty 1 the other day but it is way too much pressure. I’m used to games where you just shoot everything (Quake), not games where THE LIVES OF YOUR BRAVE FELLOW SOLDIERS DEPENDS ON YOU. It’s honestly too much pressure because the games are too realistic now.
You’ve got it all wrong man. The Wii is incredibly fun and you can pretty much play it as aerobically as you want, you choose your own level of involvement. Kinda like Fight Club.
PS3 = not fully backward-compatible with the entire PS library.
360 = pretty decent system, especially considering it’s from MS.
Wii = the most fun I’ve ever had playing a video game.
(Plus, you can sit down to play, Ollie.)
Oliver:
These games systems are meant for kids, but young male adults, the 18-35 crowd (the one’s advertisers love) that have disposable cash to spend on overrated game systems.
The Wii is indeed fun. I’m getting one because it looks likely to have the most fun multiplayer games, and also Zelda. For me, the games on XBox and PS3 just aren’t that appealing yet, with the eventual exceptions of grant turismo and grand theft auto. In two years, who knows? Maybe I’ll get one or the other used.
Its true that the Wii doesnt require a great deal of aerobic movement. Its possible to play Wii Sports Tennis for instance by just sitting down and flicking the wrist. Course it aint any kind of fun that way but there you go. I’m getting one this weekend. Got my preorder verified and everything. Almost want to take a day off work to get into Zelda.
Also in terms of real cost the $500 PS3 is a better buy than the $400 XBox 360. For that extra $100 you get Free lifetime online play and a Blu-ray player. I’ll be getting one in a year though when the price point is scheduled to drop and Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out. You seen the trailer? Jesus Halliburton Christ I HAVE to kill those things.
Get a 360. I don’t participate in the Great System War and don’t hate one system and love another.
The PS3 is WAY too expensive and i don’t like how they shove Blu-Ray down your throat (I like Microsoft’s modular approach to HD video).
The Wii is going to suffer from Nintendo’s “we save our 1 or 2 good games per year for the holidays” syndrome.
The 360 has a steady flow of good games. Pretty much any good game you can get on the PS3, you’ll get on the 360 and its online service is superb.
Again, I’ll let others display that frightening “loyalty” to a console and “hatred” of another, the 360’s modular approach (OPTIONS ARE GOOD, SONY) not only saves you money but is also more flexible.
Begging your pardon Starky but the 360’s “modular” approach (read: we’ll let you buy the $300 version of the console because it will get you to buy the $200 worth of addons you would have got with the $400 version) is whats going to end up killing it in the end I think. Performance related Add-ons have never really sold worth a lickety-damn (Sega CD and 32X spring readily to mind, as does the PS2 Hard drive, to say nothing of the failure of the GameCube to sell network adapters to customers or game companies) even though their features have helped sell consoles when built in. Microsoft realizes this and its why they cant even be bothered selling the $300 Xbox360 in Europe and Japan, because people want the features now and not later.
I’m not in the Blu-ray camp myself really (I frankly think the winner will be the studio that can make a disc that plays on Blu and HD-Dvd players) but even ignoring the simple fact of the PS3 being a stronger system strictly in the technical sense, its also got the market for features in its favor. Though again, yes, $500 is a bit expensive for a new console right now, which is why I’m waiting for the price drop. S’why I’m going for the Wii. Know what sold it for me is that its backwards compatable not just with the GameCube’s discs, but it’ll actually play downloads of older games too, from NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, GameGear, TurboGrafx, and who knows what else a year from now. Plus its damn cheap by comparison.
The Nintendo game system has never been my cup of tea. I did own a Gamecube largely because it was inexpensive (I bought mine on Ebay with 7 games for like $70), but the library of the types of games I enjoy playing weren’t available.
If you’re into all of the Zelda/Mario type, then I don’t see how you don’t buy the Wii, but I don’t play those kinds of games.
Since I mostly play sports and adventure games (I really like games such as Tour of Duty and Rainbow 6 because they combine elements of action, adventure and strategy). I owned a PS2 and I own an Xbox. I don’t see too much of a difference the two except the Xbox has the hard drive which allows for some faster load times, and customized music on games (but who has time for that??).
Frankly, I think the HD DVD and Blu-Ray is not going to worth the added expense it will cost people. The Internet is going to change all of that just the way it did with music. Microsoft is going long on their movie rental idea with Xbox live. It’s a great idea. There’s no need to buy more hardware and you can get HD content on demand. Plus, as most people will have their Xbox 360 already attached to their HD plasma television and their Xbox connected to the Internet, it makes it that much easier.
Jay,
The Internet is going to change all of that just the way it did with music.
You mean it’s going to get us all used to inferior products that provide a higher profit margin for the major corporations that produce content? Great.
Blu-Ray / HD DVDs hold 50GB. How big is my Tivo going to have to be when I start downloading HD movies? Will I need a 7TB X-Serve RAID just for that? No thanks. Once someone produces a machine that will play both HD DVDs and Blu-Ray, I’m there.
Rex, I told you I don’t particpate in System Wars.
I didn’t even read your whole post because you brought up the 32X and Sega CD. Displaying ignorance.
The 32X and Sega CD were needed to PLAY GAMES. The HD-DVD add-on for the 360 is not. Dumb argument defeated right there.
It’s an OPTION. You don’t need to buy it if you don’t want to. Which gives the 360 a distinct advantage over the PS3. This can’t even be argued.
Everything about the modular approach trumps Sony’s “we’re shoving it all down your throat so pony up $600″ approach.
You don’t HAVE to by the HDD to play games. You don’t HAVE to buy the HD-DVD player at all if you don’t want to. But guess what? If sometime down the line you want an HDD, go buy one. If you want HD-DVD, go buy one. IT’S YOUR OPTION.
What rational human being would possibly argue that FORCING you to buy things you may not want is better than leaving the OPTION up to you?
Oh yeah, Sony fanboys.
Also, saying the PS3 trumps the 360 “technically” is a highly dubious argument. There are some things the PS3 does better techncially and some things the 360 does better.
It’s all about games. Buy the system with the games you want. But trying to say the PS3 is a better “value” than the 360 is just WRONG. Shoving in Blu-Ray made the PS3 too expensive PERIOD. Microsoft outsmarted Sony by going with the modular approach and giving customers OPTIONS. Options are ALWAYS better than forced features. Any marketer will tell you that. And NONE of the 360’s options are even required to play games.
Not interested in playing online? Buy the $300 360. Want online play? You can still buy the $300 360 and buy the $100 HDD. Or just buy the $400 360. Want HD video? Buy the HD-DVD add-on. Not interested? Then don’t buy it.
It’s an ingenious approach.
Oh, I beg your pardon then. Clearly this hostility is completely warranted and I, in my own foolish and misguided way, have committed grave offense against thought itself. You must be correct, of course, but help me see sense here then:
Not interested in playing online? Buy the $300 360. Want online play? You can still buy the $300 360 and buy the $100 HDD. Or just buy the $400 360. Want HD video? Buy the HD-DVD add-on. Not interested? Then don’t buy it.
It’s an ingenious approach.
Okay, so modularity roxors teh boxors and must therefore sell extremely well. Except…
I didn’t even read your whole post because you brought up the 32X and Sega CD. Displaying ignorance.
Well if you had read ten words further into my ignorant post you’d see I was bringing up the PS2 Hard drive which was also an option to purchase seperately. The PS2 HDD did not sell. At all. Placed at the same price point and, as you say, “needed to play games” it did not sell to consumers, nor to developers, so was basically scrapped after one cycle of severely lackluster sales. Now Microsoft is doing the same thing, with more components, and it makes them ingenious for offering this modularity?
Lets honestly think about this, who, in a position to understand the console, is actually going to say “hmm, the extra $100 for the Premium 360 is too much to spend right now, so I’ll wait and buy the hard drive, wireless controller and HD cables seperately at inflated costs because, even though this is the year 2006, I may not want Online play, Backwards compatibility, Wireless gameplay, or Hi-Def visuals at any point during this console’s life, and that extra $100 is just too much for me to risk on getting what everyone else on the planet wants. I’m going to wait and pay more.”
What rational human being would possibly argue that FORCING you to buy things you may not want is better than leaving the OPTION up to you?
Who’s forcing? All 3 companies are responding to the demands of the market by providing online play, wireless controllers, etc. Microsoft was the only one that had the option of buying a crippled system and upgrading it to the standard (in spite of the previous Xbox, which had only one version that was, at the time, technically superior, and came with online and hard drive built in) and for that, they’re ingenious, because the other companies are trying to force on people what the the market is basically demanding?
I’ll grant you that Microsoft having customers buy crippled systems and then upgrading them to what is becoming the industry standard in this console generation and having to do so at an inflated price may be considered an “ingenious” way to make money, but not necessarily to maintain the system’s strength in the marketplace. Thats why, as I pointed out, Europe wasnt even given that option, because they knew how weakly that “choice” would play over there.
Christ man I dont want to start a war over this, I’m not sure why you do, particularly when you say you dont “particpate in System Wars” but then praise Microsoft as being ingenious for doing what has failed in the marketplace before, and try to trash me as a “Sony Fanboy.” Honestly, what the hell? Weren’t you supposed to be one of the sane ones here?
Your reading comprehension leads much to be desired. System Cheerleading aint my thing. This is what happens when people root for a system like a sports team.
Oliver, buy the system with the games you want on it.
End of discussion.
“System Cheerleading aint my thing.”
“…the 360 (has) a distinct advantage over the PS3. This can’t even be argued.
Everything about the modular approach trumps Sony’s…”
“What rational human being…
Oh yeah, Sony fanboys”
“I don’t particpate in System Wars.”
…oooooookay…
Damn, Mr. Willis, that’ll teach you to discuss a hot-button topic like freaking video games again right? In the future, better stick to the less important crap like who controls the government.
You mean it’s going to get us all used to inferior products that provide a higher profit margin for the major corporations that produce content? Great.
Blu-Ray / HD DVDs hold 50GB. How big is my Tivo going to have to be when I start downloading HD movies? Will I need a 7TB X-Serve RAID just for that? No thanks. Once someone produces a machine that will play both HD DVDs and Blu-Ray, I’m there.
Well, I may not have been clear enough, but when I was talking about watching I meant on demand, sort of in the way on demand cable works right now. You don’t have to download the entire movie (I know we are a long way from that). But the fact is, most people rent in this country, not buy and if they can get HD programming without having to get the extra hardware, a lot of people will do it.
I made the music comparison because a lot of people would much rather buy an entire album for $10 on iTunes than spend the $13-$17 it might cost in a store.
And I agree with what Starky is saying. Giving people options is a much better route to go than saying, “Buy it all or the hell with you.”
I have a PSP, so if I did buy one it would be a PS3.
The great thing about the PSP is it does a lot more than games. It’s also great for watching movies, listening to podcasts, and browsing the web wirelessly from anywhere.
Again: PS3, not fully backward-compatible. HUGE, potentially fatal flaw, IMO.
The Blu-Ray/HD smells so much like VHS/Beta. Just come out with one damn format so I can watch Jessica Alba in Into The Blue in glorious high definition.
The format war is going to be settled when Toshiba introduces it’s Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player. It won’t matter which format wins then.
And again, the optional/modular approach of the 360 is ideal. Just from me and my friends this approach has garnered 3 different systems. I started with the premium and bought the HD-DVD a year later. Another friend started with the core system then bought the harddrive a few months later. Another friend of mine just has a Core with nothing, but watched Swordfish on my 51″ HDTV in HD-DVD and is now gonna get the HD-DVD add-on.
But it’s all entirely optional. The Core system isn’t “crippled” in the least. Because neither the harddrive or the HD-DVD is needed to actually PLAY GAMES. So if all you want to do is play games, you can buy the Core system.
Sony is forcing an HD format upon PS3 buyers. What if you don’t care about HD? What if you don’t even have an HDTV? Why are you paying for Blu-Ray when you don’t want or need it?
I have always been mystified as to why Sony has to blaze the trail of proprietary systems and formats. They always have, from Beta to Memory Sticks to now Blu-ray.
Why do they have to make it so hard for consumers to love their products?
Jesus H. C…..
These are our modern democratic overlords?
“It’s honestly too much pressure because the games are too realistic now.”
Is it any wonder that the american people don’t trust the leftists in this country to protect us?
“But, but, but , we CARE about our troops! We don’t ever want to BE one, and actually, we are too scared to even CONTEMPLATE the idea by playing a video game, we just can’t handle the pressure!”
Un. F’ing.Believable