Xbox vs PS2 - the online battle! (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

One's available as an add-on in Japan, but I don't believe it's made its way stateside yet

Sony said in some press release that they're waiting for games that actually use the HDD to come out before they release it.

 

[BrianB]

Sony said in some press release that they're waiting for games that actually use the HDD to come out before they release it.

Classic chicken & egg scenario. Publishers won't support it until it's got lots of sales. Sony won't release it until it's got software support.

Expensive addons do not sell.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Sony is probably waiting for FFXI and EQO, two games that will definitely support it.

 

[Joe Szott]

I helped design the PSX and know a little about the PS2. My bet is that the PS3 will not be 100% backward compatible with PS2 and PSX titles. The PS2 uses the actual PSX CPU core as the I/O controller, so when you put a PSX game in the PS2, the console basically turns off almost everything except the I/O controller (PSX CPU) and the vide/audio outputs. So the PS2 literally excompasses a PSX in every box, so backward compatiblity is a no brainer for Sony.
Since the PS2 is not an integrated design like the PSX, it cannot be carried forward as an I/O driver (or would be too expensive to do so.) They could possibly make an emulator for the PS3, but as someone said above that is expensive and they like to concentrate on making new system titles ASAP. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony figured out a way to make PS3 backward-compatible, but my guess is that they will rely on the PS2's brand strength, developer support, and the Sony name to push the PS3.
Now for MS, they are in the same boat Sony was in 5 years ago. Since Xbox is a PC based design with a custom windows OS, they are really just upgrading the hardware for Xbox2 like you would do for your home PC. If they keep the same OS as Xbox (or have a legacy mode), then backwards compatibility should be a snap for them.
I'm pretty happy with the consoles as is myself. Don't know if I would buy either new one at launch next time around (probably still be playing Halo 2 online)

 

[Morgan Jolley]

OK, so we have a guy who makes games, a guy who writes about them in magazines, and now a guy who helped make the most successful console of all time? Who else is on the HTF!?!?!

 

[Adam Tyner]

OK, so we have a guy who makes games, a guy who writes about them in magazines, and now a guy who helped make the most successful console of all time? Who else is on the HTF!?!?!

A guy who makes a lot of incorrect, inflammatory statements about them? Just kidding. Kinda.

 

[Jon W H]

Precisely why I opted for the XBox. I knew I would like to taste online gaming again (without the frustration I experienced on narrowband) and play games that encouraged vast worlds or streaming data or saved umpteen stats.

 

[Bill Griffith]

Adam-

Several XBox games already do this.

Which Xbox games allow you to download your own music, store it on the Hard drive and customize the play menu for the game so you can listen to your own mix while playing the game?

As far as I know you can't download anything to the hard drive thats note programed to be, ie saving games, player stats, etc...

Like I said, it would be a major boost if MS opened the programming and allowed you to place your MP3's on the Hard drive and then made games that allow you to select music off the hard drive to play during the game. Imagine playing Halo and not having to listen to the same music over and over again, but instead have Harry Belefonte's banana boat song playing in the back ground, or Don't Worry be Happy, or G&N's Welcome to the Jungle. That would be nice. Hey then I'd have a digital connection to my Reciever to play my MP3's also.

And while I'm dreaming maybe they could release a disk that enabled the Progressive Scan playback of dvd movies also.

Is the Hard drive for the PS2 able to be written to by external sources? My guess on this would be no.

 

[Adam Tyner]

Bill, here's a partial and seemingly somewhat outdated list, lifted from an XBox FAQ:
Amped
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
4x4 Evolution (EVO)
Fusion Frenzy
Gun Metal
Legends of Wrestling
MotoGP
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
NHL Hitz 2002 (in menus only)
Project Gotham Racing
Quantum Redshift
Rallisport Challenge (single songs only)
Splashdown
Test Drive
Tetris Worlds
Tony Hawk 2x
Tony Hawk 3
Toxic Grind
Transworld Surf
I think Tony Hawk 4 does as well, though I've never tried it with that game.
The XBox hard drive stores ripped media as WMA files, but if you burn your mp3s to CD-RW (or a handful of CD-R discs; I'm sure there's a list out there if you Google), you can rip the songs from that intermediate source.

 

[Bill Griffith]

I was not aware that you could do this. well damn damn.

I'm going to be busy tonight. I've only got a couple of games on that list.

 

[MikeH1]

I find this thread quite fascinating. Here, you are debating the merrits and shortcomings of both console systems. Now that they are becoming online systems its bringing it up to the next level.
Call me a average gaming person. I had an Atari, Intellivision, never owned a Nintendo, had a Super Nintendo, Playstation and then A PS2. I would play and after a week or so got bored and wouldn't pick up a controller for some time. This cycle repeated itself for years, on many different consoles.
Then I bought a pc and a game called Battlefield 1942, my first stab at online gaming. I don't think a day has passed in the last 4 months that I haven't played it. I realized immediatly I will never pick up a console controller ever again (unless I'm at buddies place and we're drinking beer and he wants to play some hockey). I even sold my PS2 to my cousin a few weeks ago after only buying it 6 months ago.
The point of this? Not sure really, just had to let everyone know. Online gaming whether it be microsoft, nintendo or Sony is where its at. I feel for all you on dial up. I feel for all you that was looking forward to BF1942 on XBox. I like low pings. I love my Geforce4 Ti4600.
And I will never be the same

 

[Joe Szott]

Michael,

Can only speak for myself, but I think a lot of it is the potential that folks see in having these new broadband console games. I was just like you but 3 years ago: playing Counter-Strike constantly and even upgrading to DSL for lower pings. I had an N64 that gathered dust and no plans to pick up a PS2 when it arrived. The problems came when maybe 1/10 CS games didn't have a cheater in there ruining the game. I mean one guy could literally stop the fun for everyone and there was very little you could do.

So when Xbox was announced, I was pretty excited. Now I could have broadband gameplay on a stable and cheat-free platform, where everyone is on more or less equal ground. So far, the service is great but with BF1942 being cancelled, I am pretty pissed off. I'm sure BF1942 on PC is fairly cheat free right now, but the allure of playing it on a 46" screen in 5.1 DD from my couch is a hard dream to drop.

Anyway, I think a lot of the fanboy-ism stems from mild dissapointment that none of the current consoles is really all that hot-s*|!.