PS2 or X-Box?? (1 Viewer)

[Mike_T_]

With the new prices, I'm thinking of picking one up...Is there a good place to go to see the pro's and con's of each machine. From what I understand, the X-Box has more potential but the PS2 has a massive library of games. Does the PS2 support 5.1? As well as an on line network?

I've owned the Dreamcast and am a little gunshy about purchasing a machine..

 

[Evan S]

Mike, go with the system who's games you like the best.

Playstation has 5.1 but only during FMV, not during actual gameplay. X-Box supports in-game 5.1. X-Box is the more technologically advanced system, but the PS2 has more third party support (right now). Microsoft is bleeding red ink right now on X-Box hardware and the future of the system will be dependent on how hard line Microsoft will be regarding support (meaning, how much money are they willing to lose to make sure the system survives and has a chance to flourish).

Bottom line? X-Box has more potential and is a higher risk...PS2 is the safer bet if you want to insure that the system will be solvent 3 years from now.

By the way, I have an X-Box. I couldn't deal with non-5.1 gaming after experiencing it first hand.

 

[Derrik Draven]

If you're going to choose a PS2 simply because it has more games; don't!

Reason being, Xbox is going to one day have a large game library as well. But the PS2 will still be technically inferior.

 

[Masood Ali]

Reason being, Xbox is going to one day have a large game library as well. But the PS2 will still be technically inferior.

This would be the same argument Nintendo 64 owners used to justify their purchase over the Sony Playstation. Although the Nintendo 64 had it's Marios and Zeldas, I don't think the argument held up very well in the end.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Buy an XBOX... let me give you some reasons
1. All games progressive (at least 480p)
2. 5.1 in-game sound
3. Halo
5. Halo
6. SEGA'S support (Jet Set Radio series, Panzar Dragoon series, Crazy Taxi series, Phantasy Star series)
7. XBOX Live!
8. Microsoft's excellent peripherals
9. The Hard Drive
10. Microsoft's deep pockets

(I am picking mine up this week! )

 

[ChrisMatson]

Check the Hardware FAQ.

PS2 DOES HAVE 5.1 IN-GAME!

It is DTS, not Dolby Digital.

I'm sure support will grow.

I am torn between the two systems myself. I just read that Microsoft is infusin the Xbox with $2 Billion and has 200 games in the works. With HD and more 5.1 support, the Xbox is very tempting.

 

[Dave E H]

I sitll believe that MS will be more successful with their online efforts, but we'll see. They are risking alot by not having modems, but on the other hand, their network support is built in as PS2's will be an add-on. Add on's have never sold well.

 

[Ryan Peddle]

Mike...I was in the same place as you this weekend. I borrowed an Xbox off of a buddy of mine and loved it. I looked at all three major systems and bought an Xbox yesterday. But I do have possible intentions to buy all three.
I personally liked the look of Xbox, and (after some research) believe it is a system looking to the stars and on the right path to get there.
All games are 5.1 DD, both in game or not. so if you have a system, it is something to think about. It is also Progressive scan HDTV compatible...if you have the means, just another thing to think about. The other reason I think it has an advantage is the hardrive. I realized that I could rent a game for a weekend...play it, return it and rent it again the next weekend and continue where I left off. Now you may say you can do that with any system with the use of a memory card. But the thing is, if you have cars, charcters, or settings from any other game, they may be jeopardized with memory cards.
Plus, if you read anything about a new game called BLINX, it utilizes the hard drive by anabling you to Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward, all game play. Read more about the game and you'll see what I mean.
B U T
PS2 is still the best bet. It is a technically sound system that every game will look fantastic and sound great. PLus it has many great games and a lot on the way.
If you are looking at just buying one system, and wanna get some great use out of it right away, PS2 is the one to go with.
And don't forget Gamecube. It is technically amazing and has some great games. But it's real truth lies in what is coming. SURE THING games like Zelda, Starfox, Wrestlemania, Mario sunshine, and Metroid. I personally intend on buying a Gamecube simply because of these titles. Gamecube derserves as much thought as the others. I'll probably buy a Gamecube before a PS2.
If you have an HT and wanna put it to VERY good use, and you want to see a system that MAY change the way of gaming, buy an XBOX.

 

[Mike_T_]

Yeah see I've invested a lot into my home theater and if a game can take advantage of this, I can't imagine how much of an "experience" it would make. I see both sides. I really can't see Microsoft letting the x-box 'lose' the war. They have so much money to work with...and a huge ego to boot. They'd rather go out in a fireball then watch the X Box linger on with no support until it's death. Still, Playstation I was by far the best game system I've used so I'm still a fan! The competition of playing these games with roomates in college is gone now, so now it's more in line with my addiction to electronics than anything else that has me interested...

Thanks for the opinions!

 

[James_G]

Like others have said, pick the systems with the most games that interest you. I happen to think that Sony is putting out a lot of AAA 1st/2nd party stuff right now. Look into:
ICO
Twisted Metal: Black
Gran Turismo 3: A-spec
Drakan 2: The Ancients' Gates
Frequency
Hot Shots Golf 3
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
And keep a lookout for these in the near future:
Ratchet And Clank
SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals
The Mark of Kri
Twisted Metal: Black Online
Wild Arms: Advanced 3rd
The Getaway
Then of course there are the great 3rd party titles like Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy 10, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2, Tekken 4, Virtua Fighter 4, Maximo, etc.
It's really all about exclusivity IMO. Go with the system that has the most games that pique your interest.

 

[DavidAM]

I look at it like this, the Xbox has a much better gaming experience with DD 5.1. It may not have the huge library right now, but we know that is building up. Even with the way it is now, there are enough solid games there to get you buy as the new games continue to roll out....at least for me. I guess it depends on how many you buy. I try to limit myself to 1 new game a month which I think is fair and not all that expensive and it always keeps me with something new to play. Also, let's say the xbox flops. Microsoft won't pull it anytime soon, so even if it does phase out, it won't be till its time to buy a new machine anyway. The xbox just has MUCH more value for the dollar than the PS2 right now.....DD5.1, built in harddrive, progressive scan, better graphics, etc. Its not like its commanding a premium, its the same price as a PS2. Equip a PS2 with the xbox's features and it would cost $200 more. And think, jumping on the xbox wagon makes you one more person closer to the system surviving and kicking the snot out of all the other systems out there. When everyone else realizes its the machine to have, then you can always smile and say "I told ya so" and know that you've been enjoying yours for 2 years already.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Mike,

Count me as a vote for "follow the software you want". Look at the available games for each system, and get the one that has the games YOU really want to have. It's true that the XBox is technically the best system, but the power under the hood doesn't do you any good unless it's powering the right games for YOU.

Just do a little research. (The kiosks at Target and stores like Funcoland are a great place to start.) You won't go wrong with any of the systems, they all have good games. Heck, look at the Dreamcast--it's supposedly DEAD, but there are still plenty of fantastic games available for it!

 

[Andrew Grall]

I am a person who hass owned both systems. After seeing/hearing how the X-Box games worked on my HDTV and DD 5.1 system, there was no going back. The PS2 just couldn't keep up. My vote is for the X-Box.

 

[James_A]

Or, go crazy like I did, and buy all three systems... within the past month. Ouch.. my poor wallet.

Jim

 

[Carlo_M]

I was at this very decision last week and went with the XBox. Why? Well there aren't many PS2 *exclusives* that I want. Check out the videogame websites like IGN and Gamespot. Many 3rd party game makers are going cross platform. Chances are most popular, non-first-party games are going to be on multiple systems. The franchises I play: EA Sports, Sega Sports, Acclaim, Capcom, are all cross-platform.

Here's what made me choose XBox:

1. I've had a friend's PS2 hooked up to my widescreen HDTV via component video, and let's just say that nothing on his machine looks as good as what's now coming out of my XBox via component video.

2. Hardware - since games are pretty equal for me across all three systems, I went with the hardware that had the highest headroom.

3. Micro$oft's deep pockets - Detractors liken XBox to other failed game systems like Jaguar or Dreamcast. But the truth is that MS has a huge war chest, and I would liken the XBox to something very similar to 7 years ago when a huge electronics corporation named Sony dared to tread on ground previously owned by Sega and Nintendo. You know the results.

4. The Hard Drive - read around and see how many people have probs with mem cards, both *official* and third-party ones. I was burned on my PS1 and N64 by both kinds. Plus I hate paying $25-$30 for something that just lets me SAVE a damned game, you should be able to do that anyway! Oh, and I just got the new XBox magazine which let me DOWNLOAD NEW COSTUMES for the Dead or Alive 3 characters onto my hard drive. Too cool!

5. Upcoming games! Don't just look at what's in the stores now. Check out IGN and Gamespot and other sites to see what's coming in the near future. E3 is happening, and there are great games coming out for all platforms. Since I'm not made of money, and tend to buy less than a game a month, I'm not really swayed by Sony's enormous library since there aren't many games I'd buy from them anyway.

6. Read Rob Lutter's list in the post above, it's quite good.

Hey, I remember buying a PS1 a month after it came out (traded my old SNES for $100 off of the $299 price tag). All my friends said it was a dead end, but being an electronics buff at the time, I knew Sony would not let that machine fail. I am getting the same feeling from Micro$oft. As much as I don't like the company's practices in the software industry, they did make a kick-ass gaming machine.

Whatever you decide, though, don't look back and second-guess yourself. Enjoy your new machine, whatever it is!

 

[JoshF]

You can't go wrong with the PS2 if you're only getting one system, IMO. It has, by far, the best games and best developer support. There's simply no arguing that. If you want the best games, you need a PS2. Crummy games in DD 5.1 don't a good gaming experience make. They may look pretty, but you'll be switching back to HBO within a few minutes.

Also, some PS2 games already support DTS in-game as well as 480P. What's more, the hard drive will only cost $79, despite what everyone has been saying about costing $200 or so to "upgrade" to Xbox specs.

Just look at the upcoming games in all the recent E3 press. Sony is the clear platform to go with out of this generation: Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Ratchet & Clank, The Getaway, Tenchu, Resident Evil Online, Madden Online (nope, you won't be able to play Madden online on your Xbox), etc.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Also, some PS2 games already support DTS in-game as well as 480P. What's more, the hard drive will only cost $79, despite what everyone has been saying about costing $200 or so to "upgrade" to Xbox specs.

DTS in-game takes ~ 1/2 of the processing power of the Emotion Engine to handle... meaning that you will NEVER see it in a complex gaming situation (plus, hasn't it only been used by EA thus far).
Only ONE game has taken advantage of 480p on PS2 (Tekken 4)... no more games are even on the MAP that will take advantage of it.

in other words...
GET AN XBOX!

 

[Dave E H]

Only ONE game has taken advantage of 480p on PS2 (Tekken 4)...

and that game doesn't do both 480p AND 5.1.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Coming from someone with an:
XBox
Gamecube
Dreamcast
Playstation
Saturn
And about 25 more systems and several hundred games, I have to agree that a system has to have games you really want before you should buy it.
I owned a PS2. I sold it. Every once in a while I think about getting another one.
It still doesn't have games I must have. I may get GTA3 for the PC.
The one game that has tempted me towards the PS2 lately is, believe it or not, Namco Museum. Why? Because it has the 'Remix' version of Galaga from a few years back. I played my friends boardset of these remixes in the fall and I want them bad, especially Galaga. But now it looks like it is coming to the 'Box.
But you can't have my XBox. No way. 'Jet Set Radio Future' and 'Rallisport' in 480p 5.1 is priceless. And I can't play them elsewhere, even without the 480p and the 5.1.
And I've got major wood for a whole bunch of upcoming XBox games. Really.

 

[ChrisMatson]

DEVILS ADVOCATE:

For a 20 or 40 Gigabyte hard drive, $79 ain't bad. It should be more versatile than the the much smaller Xbox hard drive.