360 or PS3?

[Forestkuan2]

I know there are probably other threads about this, and I know that I said I would never get a 360, but I'm at a fork in the road. On one hand, PS3 is the console I really want to get, due to sequels that I am looking forward to coming out. On the other hand, just about every single one of my friends and a majority of the DSA have Xbox 360. I can't justify spending the 600 dollars for PS3 no matter the reason, but having to pay monthly for online with the 360 is not really making me all that happy. Well if any one else could lend me their advice, I would be grateful. I'm just looking to move on and play games that the rest of the clan plays, and to haven fun doing it.

[Grejo]

*hears Zabka pulling out all his facts and opinions* lmao


we've talked about it in AIM forest but hear's my suggestion:

PS3 has all the titles you love but is just too expensive

360 has a lot of friends and DSA and is a lot cheaper but has monthly fees and titles in which you're not as familiar


If you have a friend with a 360 I'd go to his house over the next few days and rent and play games that the DSA plays and your friends play....see if you like the games or not and make your decision from there.


or you could make a list of pros and cons with both systems and titles that each offer.

[RaTix]

Tis a dangerous thread you have started.

Get Both if possible. But of course not many have 1000+ to blow on gaming. But if you had to choose between them...Hmm. Honestly at this point, It's getting harder say. I would still have to go with 360 as I don't think the ps3 is quite caught up with the 360 in amount of good games yet. I say by next summer and fall for the holiday season, the ps3 will be more on par. Just making the decision even harder. I think its a matter of whether you will be able to spend next summer for the ps3, on top of a 360 now.

** After reading Grejo's Post **
I think testing out the games is a good idea as well. Deffinately try out the games we have divisions in and see if they peak your interest. If they don't, then no point in buying a system your not gonna like playing on.

[norm]

Grejo makes a good point, test it out for yourself. If you don't know anyone, I'm pretty sure your local video store would let you rent out a 360.

Playing online is really cheap and worth it from my experience with the PS3 I've been lucky enough to play with. It's only 3.84 per month for 13 months. You can read through my other posts about what I think Sony has done to screw people with their online policy or send a pm to me.

There are a ton of 360 games that you would enjoy. Rainbow 6, GRAW2, and Gears of War are a few I bet you would love. If you have any questions about specific games ask away. Right now I'm playing Bioshock and it's one of the best games I've played in a long time. I'm looking forward to Army of Two, Frontlines Fuel of War and the new Katamari game.

Also make sure never to buy the Xbox version of Star War Battlefront 2. It'll just make you mad. I can't figure out who to be mad at LucasArts or Sony for the PS2 version of the game. The Xbox version looked and plays so much better..lol

The only issue I have for the 360 and this would be the same for the PS3 I guess is the lack of games to be used on your own server and not hosted on someone's console. There's a whole host advantage thing that gets annoying at times. If you get one you're getting a better deal then most of the DSA. It'll be cheaper and plus you get the one with the HDMI connection, the quieter disk drive and the better heat sinks to help with the overheating. I would never get the cheap version of the 360, you need to have a hard drive to play. They should really quit selling that version.


The PS3 that I got to play with was so much fun. The Warhawk demo is the only game I played and it was a blast. I wasn't a big fan of Sony's online interface and I don't like Second Life (which is what Home is based on). The only real complaint hardware complaint I have against the PS3 was the controller. I really miss the dual shock and the 360 has it, but I think Sony is going to start making them again now that the suit was settled.


All in all it really comes down to these questions. Where are your friends going versus what games you love. Both systems right now are close and will be close for a good while. I don't see one coming out on top, like the PS2 did, for a few years to be honest. Both the PS3 and 360 have gotten cheaper.

Hopefully that didn't sound too preachy, there's enough 360 v. PS3 threads out there. Hopefully you have some questions about games and I hope you get to play/rent a 360 for a bit.

[Forestkuan2]

Well another question I had was how you pay the monthly cost for Live. I'm still a little confused on how to set up the account and then pay for it.

[Zabka]

you can pay via credit card online or you can by a 1,3, 6, or 12 month card at almost any store that sellls games. the card will have a code you can input for your live account. Often times you can buy them as part of a bundle with the system or in some cases a bundle with games or controllers, etc. First month on Live has traditionally been free.

Ratix's point is a good one. I am not sure if it will be only 1 year when the balance swings to more even as I believe the 360 is still better gamewise, and multiplayer-wise. But it is likely that by 2008 or 2009, Sony will have many titles out that should even it out 9at that point ,you won't care about old games, only new ones).

Looking at Titles coming in the future: compare the 360 with teh PS3. It'll be a lot more even than it has been in the past in about 12 months. They both get COD4, Assassins Creed, GTA4 (although GTA4 willl have 360 excluxive downloadable content), Army of two, frontlines, etc. Killzone2 on ps3 is supposed to rock. Lair and Warhawk have been relative disappointments so far in ratings. heavenly sword looks impressive. UT3, Haze, MGS etc. all look promising for PS3.

360 has all the same multiplatforms (usually a bit better version as most games are still written for 360s and then ported over to PS3, but that could change). Bioshock is being discussed as game of the year. Two Worlds looks like it could be an amazing coop game. Mass Effect is expected to also contend for game of the year. A bunch of RPGs. some MMORPGs that are cross platform with PCs will be coming out relatively soon (Huxley is going private beta very soon). Ace Combat looks ridiculously good, but I think flying/fighting sims are tough to pull off really well. Of courese there is Halo3 which has a couple of features like the map editor and recording that many games will have. They say that a 12 min recording only takes up 1GB! Clan matches will be so different if you can record to study people's tactics as well as find cheaters.

I would normally be more vociferous, but the games that I am most interested in coming in the next 6 months are multiplatform since I don't play RPGs. so then the only other difference is that LIVE is still just a better service...but PS3 will likely end up being a better machine. Not sure if that matters as the xbox was a better machine than the PS2, but I stuck with my PS2 anyway.

[TriPP]

i think u should get a ps3 based on previous posts of ur's that i've read forest.

[norm]

The 12 month card is 49.99, but in truth it's a 13 month card and is your best deal. That's why I had the price at 3.85 per month. So for the price of a brand new PS2 game you get to play for 13 months.

[Zabka]

Well...it's a 13 month card for a new subscriber...but after that it is only a 12 month card. I didn't know how to do my first month free and instantly paid for 12 months on my credit card...I lost out on the free month. meh. $4.

i really think the decision is mostly a game decision. And over the next 12 months, that comparison becomes a lot tougher. Killzone2 might be better graphically than COD4 they say...and COD4 might be the best offering on the 360 yet. So it is hard to say. Generally speaking, the 360 has better shooters, the PS3 has or will have better action games.

[CHRIST]

I'm just going 360 because I have 5 friends w/ 360 vs 2 w/ PS3 and another friend is still in the debate between the two but will most likely end up getting 360.

and Forest, I really think you would enjoy RB6 Vegas because it reminds me very much of socom and the online seems more exciting to me because all the games I played everyone was going with the Run n' Gun style. no sitting and sniping.

Personally I don't really like Gears, to me RFOM blows it away in comparison, especially online. I can't get used to the aiming on Gears because it does not have an aiming reticle unless you zoom in. Plus the whole host issue online (I dunno if it's in other games or not) where the host is stronger than all the other players. I also hate the whole downing thing, where if you shoot someone with the machine gun from far away you like can't kill them.

[Zabka]

and Forest, I really think you would enjoy RB6 Vegas because it reminds me very much of socom and the online seems more exciting to me because all the games I played everyone was going with the Run n' Gun style. no sitting and sniping.

On RB6 it depends on the game type, the map, and the people you play with. Generally it isn't a sniping game...but it can be a camping game around the choke points. That's why the game can be frustrating for some since the maps are small, the fights are to get control of choke points that make it tough for the enemy to bust out of--in some cases that is right next to the spawn..almost spawn camping. But since I view it as part of the game, it is not a big deal. Sometimes you lose that way, other times you win that way, other times, you just need to fight through it.

Personally I don't really like Gears, to me RFOM blows it away in comparison, especially online. I can't get used to the aiming on Gears because it does not have an aiming reticle unless you zoom in. Plus the whole host issue online (I dunno if it's in other games or not) where the host is stronger than all the other players. I also hate the whole downing thing, where if you shoot someone with the machine gun from far away you like can't kill them.

Gears is completely different from RFOM. 3rd person small squad vs first person large squad. the aiming reticle thing was intentionally designed to give a different feel to the game and to add a little realism since unless you do aim, it is going to be less accurate.

As for the host issue---unfortunately most games have that host advantage. I think it depends on the upload speed of the host. In Gears it is particularly noticable. In RB6, some hosts have HUGE advantages and some don't. I don't seem to unless it is a pistols game, but I have seen some guys who are equiavlent to me skillwise go 30-6 as hosts. I have only hit 30 kills once in a match that was 10 mintues long. That's why some leagues will only have dedicated servers allowed---or in many matches, the teams swap hosts. Because it is so easy to make a private room and send invites, this really is not a hassle at all.

Finally, the downing thing is only for execution mode. That forces the game play to be closer up unless you are a sniper or have the torque bow or boom shot. Otherwise, it forces more close quarters fighting. Warzaone is a similar mode, but it allows you to kill from a distance when they are down.

Gears is just a different game...unlike almost anything out there. In addition, the more you play, the more you enjoy it. I don't play a ton, so I only enjoy it with my DSA brethren, even if it means that Tripp, SithWarrior, Regent, etc are just going to tool me all game long. If I get two klls in a first to three match, I am happy.

Killzone2 on the PS3 is looking outstanding and they seem to have picked up on my favorite part of RB6 by employing a similar cover scheme--using a shoulder button to take cover.

COD4 will be on both and could be the best multiplayer game ever.

Halo3 does not have the graphics of the above, but a fantastic story, great Coop, and some very cool features,heretofore only available on PC should make the multiplayer that much better.

I can see that my fall/winter are probably going to be spent less on the older 360 games and more on Halo3, COD4, and FIFA08 (5v5 online multiplayer).

[CHRIST]

I can see that my fall/winter are probably going to be spent less on the older 360 games and more on Halo3, COD4, and FIFA08 (5v5 online multiplayer).

OH MY GOD!!! Zabka is getting FIFA? that's unheard of lol

[Zabka]

lol. i do think Winning Eleven is a much better soccer game...better manager mode, includes international and clubs, can do international and club competitions, realistic fitness, form, and injury markers, better game play. But I have heard good things about the FIFA engine. 07 had independent ball physics, and now 08 is looking to have better AI. So i will give it a whirl--espcially with 5v5 multiplayer. I love that concept. Soccer games are so much harder to play as a team, so that will be fun.

I had FIFA06 on PS2, PSP, and 06WC on the 360. They're all okay..but not as good as Winning Eleven---but Winning Eleven has poor multiplayer interface, so that's that.

[CHRIST]

well FIFA 06 was an extremely easy game, I dunno why, but it seemed all you had to do was cross the ball and it was easy to get a head on the ball and score.

I did play winning eleven at a friends house, and it is definitely a much harder game, but it didn't help that we were playing 5 min games and it was hard to score in that amount of time.

oh and just to throw this out there, this is the same friend who got the 360 right before it went on a discounted price, but anyways they took back the 360 and were able to get the entire $400 for it instead of the retail price, $350, and they just spent the extra 50 bucks and got the elite.

[Deslock]

It's a good question, certainly with merit.

Honestly, it will boil down to which one appeals to you personally. There is no "right" or "wrong" console.

The reason I bought my PS3 was because it can damn near do anything I want to do with it. Music Cd's, dvd's, blu-ray (which is astounding!), can play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games. I can surf online with the web browser (DSA website is my homepage), and the amount of free stuff you can download continues to grow, even though at a slightly slow pace, but what the Hell, it's free. :DAnd there are extremely low cost games and maps that you can download. It is indeed a powerhouse, with a helluva lot of potential for the future. The games keep getting better and better, absolutely NO lag ever online. With the last update, it even upscales PS2 games to damn near HDMI. My PS2 games look SOOOO much better on my PS3. And the already installed WiFi makes my wireless keyboard and headset so nice to use. No wires, and instantly worked with no problems.

The downside is, that I can't interact with my DSA brethren more, as they mostly went 360. I look forward to the day when we have more DSA on the PS3. The price drop has certainly helped. We're selling them like crazy now, even more now than before.:) But the fact that I can pop in SWBF2, or Socom, or BFMC2 makes it easier, since I'm not alienated from my old PS2 games that we still play together.

If you decided to go with the 360, at least in God's name get the "Elite". That way you can jam with the majority of your fellow DSA players, without fear of the dreaded "Ring of Death". The Elite seems to be a much improved system. Not up to the PS3, but damn near. M$ does have damn good online interface, and more games to offer than the PS3 for right now. But ya gotta pay for it. Like I said before, you get what ya pay for. Sony is good and it's free. M$ is excellent, but ya gotta open your wallet, but a great number of people say that it's worth it in the long run.

As Ratix said, as time goes on, the decision is going to be harder for you. There are awesome great games for each system out now, including the Wii.

Follow RaTix's advice and try out each system, and the different games. Then go for which appeals to you most as an individual, and which one meets your needs.

It's Chevy vs Ford, Apples vs oranges. In the end, it matters to which one you like more.

Des.