xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Seeing as it's a clearance model, not really on sale, we'll wait until the holiday season to see how the prices go. But too many choices. Wii is priced nicely and has more games I can play with my wife. PS3 has the BR player. 360 is my first choice for games I like and the controller.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

The PS3 and 360 are each getting some changes this month. The PS3 has had like 4 different versions available, but now they're moving to a single unit. The 360 currently has 3, all of which are getting a price drop.

The benefits of each system need to be thought of individually:

Wii - $249
-Exclusive Nintendo software, including virtual console and GameCube games
-More diverse "party" games (could be seen as a negative point)
-Motion control unique to the Wii

PS3 - $399
-Blu-Ray player with upgradeable firmware
-HD graphics, 80 GB HDD

XBox 360 - $299
-Exclusive games like Gears of War, Halo, Fable, etc.
-Achievements system
-Very developed online community and features

Personally, I have a PS3 and Wii with no interest in a 360 with the exception of maybe 3 games. The online stuff (gameplay, videos, etc.) doesn't interest me except for the Virtual Console on the Wii and the graphics of the PS3 are currently meeting, eventually exceeding the 360. In terms of exclusives, my tastes go towards the PS3's stuff (mainly Metal Gear Solid 4) and Nintendo's first party stuff (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc.). Halo? Gears? Fable? Not so much.

Then again, this is all my experience. I'm hoping to get a 360 by the end of the year, anyway, to round out my collection and to catch up on anything I missed (that won't be available on PS3 or Wii). But frankly, the stuff Microsoft seems to be focusing on either doesn't interest me (their "hardcore" games like Halo or streaming video) or they're playing catch-up to the Wii (XBL Arcade doesn't hold a candle to the Virtual Console, and their newer first-party mass-market games have stunk and/or failed).

As of right now, I wouldn't bet on any price changes that haven't already been announced. The Tokyo Game Show (September) would be the last chance for anything to change, but MS has already dropped the 360 this year, Sony changed the PS3 SKUs so the price went down, and Nintendo's Wii is still outselling the other two for the lowest price. If you make a choice, I'd do it some time soon after TGS.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Europe just got 60gb model for Xbox 360 ( 60GB Xbox 360 in Europe on Friday News - Page 1 // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More ). Not sure about North America? I also wouldn´t get any of the "clearance models". Usually there might be some minor tweaks and such with these new models etc. 20gb is not that much in the end and those free demos are nice to have. Then again it´s probably "enough" for the casual gamers (and for the people who don´t want to browse photos, MP3s, etc with their console). Also, 120gb might just be "too much"..

Edit: US 60gb seems to be also available (early August, 2008):
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/...olestorage.htm

I personally take plenty of photos and with e.g. PS3, it´s great to watch them via LCD (some I can keep in the hard drive). People really see the "quality" and no need to stare the 13" laptop screen or something. Sure, minor thing for many, but I like watching photos via PS3/LCD. Same thing with small videos, that you can record via new(er) photo cameras. Really great if you have kids, etc (I don´t at the moment, but my relatives have).

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I have to agree. I bought Xbox 360 almost solely for their "exclusive games", and I have to say, that there weren´t *that* many of those available (quality ones, I mean). Sure, "Halo 3", "Gears Of War", "Viva Piñata"-games (for the younger ones), "Dead or Alive 4", "Forza Motorsport 3", "Ninja Gaiden II", etc are all very good games (some excellent) - no doubt. It´s just, that are they "good enough" to choose Xbox 360 over PS3/Wii, etc. Of course, you can ask the same question from the Xbox 360 point of view (PS3s "exclusive games" - enough to be truly excited?).

Wii has also Mario-games (which are just awesome, e.g. "Super Mario Galaxy" is one of the best games ever made and "Mario Kart Wii" is so much fun), along with "Zelda" and "Metroid"-series. "Motion control" also works great. Then again, beyond those is much more silent..

So it´s good to read about those "exclusives games" in each console and try to figure out what might offer the best selection for *your needs*.. Surprisingly many are available at least in both PS3/Xbox 360 and some with Wii also (all 3 consoles).

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Lots of good thoughts

We've spent some hours with the Wii in the past year. We like it, but arent thrilled with it. My wife finds the motion controllers awkward and unintuitive. I -- can't believe I'm saying this -- find the games a bit "kiddie". Fun for a bit, but nothing like a good round of Half Life. We want to love it, but it hasn't completely clicked.

PS3 -- I never understood the PS controllers from way back when. Too many buttons devised for alien hands, as far as I can tell. But maybe time with it would solve that.

Xbox360 - I like the Xbox and a few games I've played on it. I just assumed the 360 had an equally good library.

I'll have to bother my friend to play with his systems and look into the available games. Or my wife will buy more furniture and the whole thing gets put off another year

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

We have similar feelings about the Wii. We've had it since late 2006 and we just don't turn it on very often. Maybe a few hours over the past year.

It's a good "party" system when friends are over, but day-to-day, when we just want to play it's the 360 that gets used. Nintendo is right that gameplay is important, but so are video and audio. And the 360 (and PS3) just blow it away. I've never found myself "immersed" in a Wii game but regularly do on the 360.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I say xbox for more quality games.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I love my Wii but also don't find myself playing it much. There are a couple games from the last year or so that I really wanted to get but didn't have the money. Now that I have money, I decided to buy a PS3 and some games for that, making my Wii collect even more dust.

If only I had more time to play the games I already own, then I could buy more.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Yes, I know what you´re saying. Wii sells well (very well, I might add), but one big reason for that is, that it´s... a) relatively cheap b) very "kiddie" friendly. These combined = Very good choice to the kid´s room...

Then again, Wii + motion control works pretty well against those "couch potato kids" and many parents like these "Wii Play/Sports"-type of games, since they can play them together with their kids and doesn´t get bored. These games are also pretty good "party games" among the friends.
Edit: ..and their "Virtual Console" is pretty cool. Old, vintage games. Bad side is, that Wii only uses "flash memory", so not that much "space" to store all these games (both Xbox 360 and PS3 have a proper hard drive).

But the thing is, that these games ("Wii Play/Sports") are relatively short lived, so what Nintendo has to do is, that they have to keep releasing new, similar games to keep the interest going. "Wii Fit", "Wii Sports Resort", "Wii Music".. (the latter two are coming at some point). So how long they can "keep it up" against the monster (HD resolution) games from Xbox 360 and PS3.. E.g. after "Metal Gear Solid 4" (PS3), it was a bit hard for me to start playing the big game like "Halo 3" (it was great eventually, quality FPS.. ), let alone "Wii Play"...

It´s the similar thing with their "Mario franchise" (latest being "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and the upcoming "Wario Land: The Shake Dimension"). These games keep the Wii going and very important factor for Nintendo.

But like I said earlier, beyond these, it´s not that Wii has some "super games" in their catalogue. "Motion control" and some "exclusive" franchises (Mario/Zelda/Metroid). That´s basically it. But yes, it´s still pretty good for the cheaper console like Wii...


This comes purely to a matter of taste. I really like the PS-controller, but then again I´m a PS1-2 "veteran". I was actually glad, that they didn´t really changed that to PS3. It fits "like a glow" to my hand.


They have a big library, but it´s good to remember, that they had a head start (vs PS3). I would say, that both (Xbox 360/PS3) are now more-or-less equal, when it comes to "exclusive games" (at least how many are available). PS3 is coming very strong now and the future looks very bright for them (at least when you add the fact, that Blu-ray "won" the war).

I personally prefer e.g. "MGS4" over "Halo 3" (I still have both), but many probably disagree. Then again, it´s going to be a tough "choice" between "Resistance 2" and "Gears Of War 2".. I´m glad I don´t have to make that choice (I´ll be getting both).. So again, matter of taste. Main reason why I have all 3 (I actually have also PSP now.. ) consoles it quite easy; I just want to play quality games, regardless of the console.

I could try to do some "exclusive game"-list for all 3 consoles (meaning "my favourites" or something like that - I´m not going to list all of them.. ). I believe that´s quite important. I mean you can get the "quality" games like "Call Of Duty 4", "Lego Indiana Jones", "Resident Evil 5", "The Orange Box" ("Half-Life 2", etc), "Guitar Hero"-games, "Lost Planet", "GTA4", etc to at least BOTH Xbox 360/PS3, so it´s best to see the "bigger picture" here..

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I think Jari has summed it up very well.

The keys are what do you play the most and are the exclusive franchises/titles (eg; Metal Gear vs Halo) enough to sway you one way or the other, again this is a personal preference.

Bottom line is that both systems offer HD graphics, the PS3 offers Blu-ray, the 360 allows HD content via their built in video player over your home network (works very well BTW). Both offer on-line play via their built in services, with Live being the better established. So it is personal preference plus the slight premium on the PS3 for current pricing.

Or do what Jari did, and just buy both, and throw in the Wii for the young kids because our party game is Rock Band.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Does the "new" 80 GB PS3 have software PS2 compatibility?

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I have both and as of late, I have been playing the PS3. MSG 4 is a very good game but I happened to download the Bowling that is available for 4.99 and it is a great value. Controls make use of the six-axis control and thus, the motion follows typical bowling motions. Graphics are HD of course. My wife and I have been bowling now quite a bit and find to be an excellent party game. PS3 owners... check it out. Unfortunately, unlike what is done on XBox Live, there is no demo you can download but 4.99 is little risk.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I believe no. It´s basically the same as the earlier 40gb-model, I guess. No SACD support, either.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Jari, and others, thanks again for the great, detailed info!

I really don't know anything about "exclusives"; I have no idea what's on XBox vs PS3. I know that I've liked some specific XBox games (esp Burnout. Best racing game since Beetle Adventure Racing ), it's about equivalent to the PS3 and seemed to be $100 cheaper.

I did some pricing and was surprised to see that a Wii is only $50 cheaper than a XBox when all's done: Adding an the 2nd player nunchuk and the $30 component cable pack brings the $100 delta to $50.

As for those PS3 controllers, I just never understood them. Nintendo always made more sense to me, and the Xbox seems to fit better as well. A personal issue; everyone else in the world loves the PS controller.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

The new (and supposedly last) model has fewer USB ports and fewer functions. The PS2 game BC is lost.

And DaveF, the newest Burnout game (Burnout Paradise) is available for both PS3 and XBox 360. You mentioned it by name, so I thought I'd mention it.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I've been debating this for awhile myself, though the choice is more clear now as I've seen my video game playing drop off rather sharply in the last year or so. Right now I'm in the PS3 camp, mainly for BD playback and for Soul Calibur IV (the franchise that got me to pick up a Dreamcast way back when). For a long time I had my eyes on the XBox360, but since playing Halo or most POV games makes me dizzy now (my one "I feel old" thing) there's not a real compelling reason for me to get one. I do love my fighting games though (as much as I suck at them), and on the PS3 I can get Soul Calibur IV (with Darth Vader!) and DOA. The decision now is whether to get a MGS bundle while they're still available or get the new 80GB model.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Here here, but "Soul Calibur 4" is actually available on both PS3 and Xbox 360.

Btw, I have my "exclusive list" coming... Stay tuned.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

My "exclusive game" list (14.08.08) - PS3 and Xbox 360. Few notes...

*This is a quick reference list, not "definitive list". It doesn´t include ALL "exclusive games" (and no "Japanese exclusives" etc), mainly those that I feel that are worth to list. I also know PS3 (launched in North America on November/2006) "better" than Xbox 360 (launched in North America on November/2005), so I might´ve missed some Xbox 360-titles (especially the older ones, e.g. from 2005-early 2006).

*Many notes are of course my personal opinions.

I´m not a huge fan of "sports games" (FIFA, NBA, wrestling, etc) or "RPG/strategy"-games (and I dislike most of these cheap and quick "based on a movie"-games), but then again...

I´m a fan of "survival horror", "action/adventure" (Tomb Raider, Uncharted, etc), war-genre ("Call Of Duty", etc) and many "FPS/Third-person shooter"-games (Resistance, Halo, Gears Of War, etc). "Stealth" can be also great (e.g. "Metal Gear Solid"-games), as well as many old "retro"-games (that you can download from the net store).

Genres like "fighting", "platform" (not really counting Mario etc from "Nintendo"), and "racing" are something that I occasionally enjoy, but they´re still not in my "top 5". I sometimes also play online, but not that much (when I play, I prefer "Warhawk" and "CoD4" - haven´t tried "Halo 3" and "Gears Of War" yet...).

So now you know where I stand.

*The list includes also some notable "coming"-titles. Based on the early buzz, they´re probably quality games (at least worth to look). At the moment, no "PlayStation Network"/"Xbox Live"-games included (meaning the ones only available in these online-stores).

*Some of these games can be also released (ported) to Nintendo "DS" or Sony "PSP" (some Wii-games also released to "PS2"). "Exclusive" here means between PS3 - Xbox 360 - Wii.

__________

PS3 / EXCLUSIVES (PS3 games are NOT region coded):

-Buzz!: Quiz TV
-Everybody's Golf: World Tour AKA Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
-Folklore
-Formula One Championship Edition
-Full Auto 2: Battlelines
-Genji: Days of the Blade
-God of War III (coming)
-Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (& "Gran Turismo 5" - coming)
-Haze
-Heavenly Sword
-Killzone 2 (coming)
-Lair
-LittleBigPlanet (coming)
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (also "Metal Gear Online")
-MLB 08: The Show
-Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire AKA Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight
-MotorStorm
-MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (coming)
-Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm (coming)
-Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
-Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (coming)
-Resistance: Fall of Man
-Resistance 2 (coming)
-Ridge Racer 7
-SingStar (PS3)
-Siren: Blood Curse (originally "PlayStation Network" - coming in BD-disc)
-SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation (coming)
-Tekken 6 (coming)
-Time Crisis 4 (with "Light gun")
-Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
-Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
-Warhawk (online game only)

__________

XBOX 360 / EXCLUSIVES (SOME Xbox 360 games are region coded):

-Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
-Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
-Alan Wake (coming)
-America's Army: True Soldiers
-Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (coming)
-Beautiful Katamari
-Blue Dragon
-Call of Juarez
-Condemned: Criminal Origins
-Crackdown
-Crash: Mind over Mutant (coming) (also "Wii"/PS2)
-Crash of the Titans (also "Wii"/PS2)
-Dance Dance Revolution Universe 1 / 2 / 3
-Dead or Alive 4 / Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
-Dead Rising (now also "Wii", name: "Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop")
-Don King Presents: Prizefighter (also "Wii")
-Fable II (coming)
-Forza Motorsport 2 / 3
-Frontlines: Fuel of War
-Full Auto
-Gears of War 1 / 2 (coming)
-Guilty Gear 2: Overture
-Halo 3
-Halo Wars (coming)
-Hour of Victory
-Left 4 Dead (coming)
-Mass Effect
-Monster Jam (also "Wii")
-Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
-Ninja Gaiden II (2008)
-Perfect Dark Zero
-Prey
-Project Gotham Racing 3 / 4
-Quake 4
-Ridge Racer 6
-Saints Row
-Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action
-Star Trek: Legacy
-Too Human
-Universe at War: Earth Assault
-Viva Piñata / Viva Piñata: Party Animals / Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (coming)

Note: Some lists of "region free" Xbox 360 games:
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-00-3-x...ide-49-en.html
http://www.videogamesplus.ca/default.php?cPath=446_470

__________

AVAILABLE ON BOTH (PS3/XBOX 360):
Note: There might be some minor/bigger differences with these versions (I have noted a few), but generally these are "equal". There are some screencap-comparisons and such on the net (that are close to that "nitpicking" category.. ), but those you have to dig up yourself.

-Aliens: Colonial Marines (coming)
-Alone in the Dark (2008) (! PS3-version should have exclusive "episodic content") (also "Wii")
-Armored Core 4
-Assassin's Creed
-Battlefield: Bad Company
-BioShock (! PS3-version coming with some "additional features")
-Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (coming)
-Burnout Paradise
-Call of Duty 3 (also "Wii")
-Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
-Call of Duty: World at War (coming)
-Colin McRae: Dirt
-Conan
-Condemned 2: Bloodshot
-The Darkness
-Dead Space (coming)
-Devil May Cry 4
-Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
-Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
-Fallout 3 (coming)
-Far Cry 2 (coming)
-Fight Night Round 3
-FIFA 08 (also "Wii")
-Final Fantasy XIII (coming - yes, now also to Xbox 360)
-Grand Theft Auto IV (! I believe two episodic packs are now "exclusive" to Xbox 360)
-Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (also "Wii") / Guitar Hero World Tour (also "Wii")
-Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary (also "Wii"/PS2)
-The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
-Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (also "Wii")
-Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (also "Wii")
-Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (! "Colonies Edition" to Xbox 360 has new multiplayer maps, a Human vs Akrid multiplayer mode, and a selection of new monsters and weapons)
-Madden NFL 08 (also "Wii")
-Medal of Honor: Airborne
-MX vs. ATV: Untamed (also "Wii")
-NASCAR 08
-NBA Live 08 (also "Wii")
-NCAA Football 08
-Need for Speed: Carbon (also "Wii")
-Need for Speed: ProStreet (also "Wii")
-NHL 08
-The Orange Box (Half-Life 2/Half-Life 2: Episode One/Half-Life 2: Episode Two/Portal/Team Fortress 2)
-Prince of Persia (2008) (coming)
-Resident Evil 5 (coming)
-Rock Band (also "Wii") / Rock Band 2 (also "Wii")
-Sega Superstars Tennis (also "Wii")
-Silent Hill: Homecoming (coming)
-Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
-Sonic Unleashed (coming) (also "Wii")
-Soulcalibur IV
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (also "Wii")
-Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
-Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 1 & 2
-Tomb Raider: Underworld (also "Wii") (coming)
-Top Spin 3 (also "Wii")
-Turok (2008)
-Unreal Tournament 3
-Viking: Battle for Asgard
-Virtua Fighter 5
-Virtua Tennis 3
-WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 (also "Wii")

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Wii / EXCLUSIVES (Wii games ARE region coded)
Note: Nintendo Wii is kinda tricky, since it can´t be fully compared to PS3/Xbox 360 (for both good and bad). Why?

a) Wii is using standard definition graphics (compared to 720p/1080p HD with PS3/Xbox 360*). If you have HDTV, Wii games *will* look inferior in graphics wise (then again, many of their games are using "cute"/clear/vibrant/vivid graphics, so they can look very good - e.g. "Super Mario Galaxy" looks just great in its own right - even in SD).

*=There are reports, that some PS3/Xbox 360 games are actually "upconverted" to 720p/1080p from the "base resolution" ("original" resolution is something like 640p, etc) - but: This is another story.

b) "Motion control" (Wii Remote + Nunchuk, also "Wii Balance Board") is kinda unique for "Wii" (at least for now), so many games take full advantage of that (and with some games released in all 3 consoles, "Wii"-version has "exclusive" motion control-capabilities). Some ("Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles", "The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return"...) are also using "Wii Zapper" (gun) and some "Wii Wheel" ("Mario Kart Wii"). So with Wii, it´s all about the "gadgets" too..

c) Many of these Wii-games are "kiddie" friendly* party/mini-games etc. "Family fun". Plenty of games from Mario franchise also (Nintendo exclusive), platformers and such. Not really these hardcore and mature FPS/action-games, etc. You can´t really compare "Super Mario Galaxy" to "Call Of Duty 4" (both are great and both look great - just in a different way).

*There are a few exceptions, like infamous "Manhunt 2", etc.

Anyway, here are some of their "exclusive" titles (surprisingly many of their games are also ported from PS2 - or to DS, but not that many of those are listed here - some still are).

-Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun (coming)
-Alien Syndrome (2007)
-AMF Bowling Pinbusters!
-Animal Crossing: City Folk (coming)
-Asterix at the Olympic Games
-Balloon Pop
-Battalion Wars 2
-Battle of the Bands
-Big Beach Sports
-Bomberman Land
-Boom Blox
-Brothers in Arms: Double Time (coming)
-Carnival Games AKA Carnival: Funfair Games
-Castlevania Judgment
-Cooking Mama: Cook Off
-Cursed Mountain (coming)
-Deadly Creatures (coming)
-de Blob (coming)
-Deca Sports
-Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed
-Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
-EA Playground
-Excite Truck
-Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
-Godzilla: Unleashed
-GT Pro Series
-The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
-The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
-The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
-Link's Crossbow Training
-Manhunt 2
-Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
-Mario Kart Wii
-Mario Party 8
-Mario Strikers Charged (Football)
-Mario Super Sluggers (coming)
-Medal of Honor: Vanguard
-Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
-Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
-MySims / MySims Kingdom
-Namco Museum Remix
-Pokémon Battle Revolution
-Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
-Rampage: Total Destruction
-Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 / 2
-Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
-Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
-Sam & Max: Season One (coming)
-Soulcalibur Legends
-Super Mario Galaxy
-Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
-Super Paper Mario
-Super Smash Bros. Brawl
-Wario Land: The Shake Dimension AKA Wario Land: Shake It! (coming)
-WarioWare: Smooth Moves
-We Ski AKA Family Ski (with "Wii Balance Board")
-Wii Fit (with "Wii Balance Board")
-Wii Music (coming)
-Wii Play (comes bundled with "Wii Remote")
-Wii Sports (comes with Wii console)
-Wii Sports Resort (coming)
-Worms: A Space Oddity

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

That sucks that they're reducing the number of USB ports. Trying to focus on Bluetooth, I suppose. Dropping PS2 support is kinda lame too, although I understand why they did it.

The Monster Jam game was released for every system except PS3. I think the upcoming sequel is not coming out for either the PS3 or the X360 for some reason. (I don't really recommend it unless you're a big fan of Monster Jam, since the control is pretty funky, but if you like Monster Jam then it's very cool -- I have the PS2 version.)

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

It all boils down to what is really important to you. IIRC, the new cost-reduced PS3 will list for $100 less than the MGS4 bundle. If you are even remotely interested in the Metal Gear series, you will want to pick up MGS4 ($59.99.) Not only is it easily the best game in the series, it is being hailed as one of the best games ever made, period. So, if you're likely to buy MGS4 anyway, then you're talking about a $40 price difference. For the extra forty bucks, you get two additional USB ports, backwards compatibility (PS2 & PS1), multi-channel SACD playback (via HDMI), and the ability to directly read removable memory storage media (MemoryStick, SD cards,etc.) -- I am not sure if this is being removed or not. It is a guess based on the spec for the current 40GB model. As for me personally, I think $40 is a small price to pay for the additional features and that's why I jumped on the MGS4 bundle when it streeted. The $100 gift card that Walmart threw in didn't hurt either! So, technically my net cost was $399 (the same MSRP as the new model.) Which ever way you decide to go, I don't think you'll be disappointed. The PS3 is a nice piece of hardware with good build quality.

Cheers,

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

The new 80 GB PS3 is, literally, the current 40 GB model with a larger HDD. So no SD slots, only 2 USB ports, etc. The reduced features and the inclusion of MGS4 are the reasons I went with the 80 GB unit.

Regarding the lists of exclusives, I think you could probably cut out about 3/4 of each list and still be left with a couple gems for each platform. That said, it really boils down to which of those gems you "need" to own. Also note that a few of the X-Box 360 games are available on PC (Gears of War, Mass Effect, along with several others that started out as PC Games). The only real heavy-hitter exclusives to the 360 are the Halo franchise (though I wonder if/when Halo 3 will end up on Vista like 1 and 2) and perhaps Fable 2 and Gears 2. I'm not saying the PS3 has more exclusives or even better ones, though I do think the quality of their exclusives is overall higher. I mean, are Viva Pinata and some Crash Bandicoot games going to tip the scales? Versus Uncharted, Warhawk, and MGS4?

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I added that to the list. It´s of course a bit difficult, when some of these are released to "PS2" (like this one), but not to "PS3"... But since my list is *basically* (like I said, it´s more like a quick reference list) PS3 - Xbox 360 - Wii, then it´s a fact that PS3 is missing e.g. "Monster Jam"... Same thing with these two Crash Bandicoot-games on the list (available in "PS2", but not "PS3").


Indeed. All consoles have some true "classics" for sure.


I´m aware of that, but like I said earlier, my list is focused to PS3 - Xbox 360 - Wii. It´s only natural, that some of these games from MS (meaning, that they´re published by "Microsoft Game Studios" - not necessarily made by the studio) like "Gears Of War" and the upcoming "Alan Wake" are also being released in PC.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

With this discussion in mind, I went to Circuit City last night (actually, the grand opening of our new The City) to browse, and looked at the units, games, and prices. And I ran into a friend who has all three systems, and is lobbying me to get the 360.

The PS3 is too expensive; I've ruled it out.

After that, I'm torn. The XBox is what I want. Were I single, it's the first choice. Games like Gears of War, Burnout, Geometry War (man that looks trippy) all look like a lot of fun and the new 60GB unit is system is priced in the middle.

But I'm married and this is for my wife and me. She's not crazy about the Wii, but I know there are more games that we could play together. She's not going to play Burnout with me. But we could play Mario Cart. She won't play Gears of War, but she would play the support controller for my Mario Galaxy. And there's the potential for having friends over for games.

Having both is the best solution, but I'm not spending $1000 on games systems I need a Magic 8-ball.

Jari -- thanks for the listings. It was helpful to scan those for interesting games.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Dave - Do all married guys read from the same book or what? Too many similarities when reading through this thread. I've pretty much come down to the same conclusion with the Xbox360 & the PS3. I have both of the previous gen consoles and if I were single and still living at home then I would have probably already bought the 360 & the ps3. But with wife and child and plans for another, coupled with basement reno, bills and all the other expenses that come with life, what possible solution is there that would have the wife agree on the purchase of the ps3?
By pitching the PS3 and the finishing touch to the basement renovation. I have plenty of movies on the computer that I have on the external drive which when she wants to watch have to carry the ext hd upstairs and set up for her. With the olympics and our daughters 2yr molars, she hasn't asked in a little while, but we would normally watch a couple times a week.
With a PS3 in the mix, all the tv shows and movies could be transferred over from the computer to the PS3, she can sit back and watch what she likes.
I still have a bunch of PS2 games to get through but there are a couple of PS3 titles that I have my eye on.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Michael, I hear ya. No kids here yet, but house and wife consume vast sums of money For what I spend on my lawn, I could buy all the game systems... And I'd love to build a deck next year, which is about 30 PS3's!

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I think the kitchen then tiling a majority of the 1st floor will be about 30 PS3's. But then you know what, what's an PS3 when we just spent close to 30 PS3's?

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Xbox 360 is by far the weakest seller of the consoles. Does that matter, for my purchase? Is there realistic risk of drop off in games for it?

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I now measure everything by "tankfuls" Since I drop nearly a Harley Dollar to fill my truck, most things seem cheap in comparison.

Yup, I also have spent several dozen PS3s on the kitchen, air conditioner, bedrrooms, two new vehicles, and so on. but I've managed to spend ten PS3s on my HT setup, and about eight PS3s on a sailboat, so it's all good.

Now, when our daughter gets to buying her own clothes I might have to cut back a bit on my toys, but till then.......

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

What's a "Harley Dollar"?