I graduate university in a few weeks, and I'm moving into just about the best apartment I've ever seen -- and that's a hell of a statement, given my history of apartments.
We're sort of in the middle of everything, so my place is likely to be a big party spot. We want to get a game system, especially after playing Street Fighter 4 on a friend's system -- Steve and I are both AWESOME at it, and I see a lot of showdowns coming on it. M. Bison rules.
I took some prices from Newegg and compiled a list of the three systems.
XBOX 360: $360 console (bundle includes 2 wireless controllers, charging kit, 60GB HDD, and Crackdown) $40 controller $4/month for online multiplayer
XBOX GAMES: Street Fighter 4 Halo 3 (exclusive) Mass Effect (exclusive) Bioshock Orange Box GTA IV Call of Duty 4 Dead Space
WII GAMES: MarioKart Wii Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Smash Bros. Brawl Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Okami
PS3 GAMES: Street Fighter 4 Metal Gear Solid 4 (exclusive) Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (exclusive) Resistance: Fall of Man (exclusive) Bioshock Orange Box GTA IV Call of Duty 4 Dead Space
Totally honestly, the only games I REALLY care about are Street Fighter and Halo -- and Batman when it comes out because, well, I AM Batman. Being disconnected from gaming for a couple years has left me pretty disoriented though, and I could use advice. Does anyone have experience with any of these? The cost is being split between three of us, so it's not TOO important given how similarly priced all three systems are.
I've heard the Xbox has a horrifying failure rate, but all my friends have them and the controllers fit my hands wonderfully. Plus, there's an extended warranty. It DOES annoy me that I'll have to pay an extra $90 for wireless connectivity, but I don't HAVE to stream movies from my computer. Also, a friend gave me her Xbox (classic) a while ago, so I have some older Xbox games and controllers I can use.
The PS3 seems like the best all-around value, but I just can't work up the interest. The controllers are painfully tiny and none of my friends have the console. Still, it's definitely a possibility if the Xbox fails as often as the Internet says.
The Wii seems like fun, but only has 3 or 4 games worth playing. And I'll need Gamecube controllers for Smash Bros. It seems way too expensive and limited to justify.
That said, I also have no real idea what I'm talking about. Does anyone have any warnings against the Xbox I should hear? Endorsements of the PS3 or Wii? Did I miss any make-or-break games?
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Looking at your list of games on the PS3 and the 360, and the preponderance of FPS on those lists, I'd advise staying away from the Wii on that basis. My personal taste experience with Wii FPS games is not good.
Posted by Lanfear (Member # 7776) on :
"the wii only has 3 or 4 games worth playing" ....
Your lack of knowledge along with your surety that the wii has such a small library of worthwhile games astounds me. And infuriates me.
You didn't mention: Super Mario Galaxy- possibly the best game so far this generation
Madworld
No More Heroes
And not to mention a ton of gamecube games that are worth playing.
However, I will answer your questions.
If your interested in Street Fighter and Halo . The 360 is the ONLY system for you.
The failure rate with the "red ring of death" error is pretty high. However, it is decreasing with newer chipsets, and comes with a 3 year warranty. That's 3 entire years. You'll be fine covered by this warranty.
The PS3 still hasn't justified it's existence yet.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I could give you a deal for my XBox 360 if you want. I've been meaning to put it on ebay. It's an "arcade" version, so not the tricked out ones you are looking at. May not be worth it for the upgrades to the hardware you'd have to make, but something to consider.
(Runs fine and everything, I just hardly ever play it.)
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Long time buddy, how's life? And nah, I appreciate it, but I'd rather get the warranty that comes with a new one. Plus, the hard drive's probably important for some reason.
Why aren't you using it? Have you SEEN Street Fighter 4?
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
I love my 360. I haven't really had any experience with PS3, but no one I've talked to who's had one has given me any reason to want one. Especially since Final Fantasy XIII is coming out on the 360 as well as the PS3 (last time I checked). My friend who works at Gamestop says he won't sell anyone PS3's. An exaggeration, as he's forced to, but the key word there is forced. So there's my two cents.
P.S. I don't know if you have Netflix, but IIRC, the PS3 doesn't have the Netflix partnership the 360 does. I can watch any of the Instant Play movies straight from the 360.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
If you do get a 360, retailers will occasionally have 13 month live cards on sale for $30. Although you might not want to wait to get started, I definitely make a point to get one on sale when I have less than a year left on my subscription.
I'm sure many people can recommend different games for you to get, but one thing I can recommend is a subscription to Gamefly. If you play through games once rather quickly and then are done with it it can let you play a variety of games, I also like renting games to see if I'll enjoy it before I buy it. Gamefly also offers pretty good deals on used games, so if you like a game enough you can just buy it for the "keep it price."
Posted by Humean316 (Member # 8175) on :
quote:Originally posted by MEC: If you do get a 360, retailers will occasionally have 13 month live cards on sale for $30. Although you might not want to wait to get started, I definitely make a point to get one on sale when I have less than a year left on my subscription.
Wow, really? I've never seen them for under 50 bucks, where did you find that deal, if you don't mind me asking?
I too would recommend the 360 because it does have the best games, but one of the good things about the PS3 is it's built in blu-ray capability. If you want a system that you can play High-Def movies on, the 360 does this but only for the defunct HD-Dvds and it does not have a blu-ray peripheral, and in that, the PS3 is much better. Still, the 360 has games such as Halo 3 (which is one my all time favorites), Gears of War 2 (possibly the greatest 3rd person shooter ever), Mirror's Edge (a great game), and the greatest RTS console game in Halo Wars. Bioshock and Bioshock 2 are great Xbox 360 games as well, and if you love RPG's, then you really cannot beat Fable 2 or Mass Effect.
Posted by J-Put (Member # 11752) on :
Well if you like halo, then the 360 is really the only way for you to go. Cost shouldn't even factor into it, they are very similarly priced as you mentioned.
The 360 has netflix instant viewing built in, but you can get a program for about 5 dollars (one time fee) that will stream the movies through your computer to your playstation 3. That works on both systems, and works with nexflix, hulu, and a bunch of other sites. It's called PlayOn. So that point is pretty much useless.
The ps3 has blu-ray built in. A huge bonus if you have an hdtv and no player yet. The 360 has nothing like this, so that's one for the ps3.
Then there's always the red ring of death issue. I've played my ps3 online for over 2 years now with no problems, and a buddy on there swears by his 360, but with the two of them he owns (one for himself and one for his kids) he has had them replaced 9 times. Each time it takes about a month to send it in to be repaired...so you will only actually HAVE your 360 half the time you own it.
But, the online service on the 360 is MUCH better than the ps3. In this case you get what you pay for.
If your buddies have 360s, then that's the way you should go so you can game with them, but don't start listening to any fanboy hype and thinking that it's a BETTER system.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Xbox 360: Looking good. Standard gamer console. New xboxen do not redring. Best game library.
Wii: Looking good. Standard casual console. Largest market support and plenty of kitchy games. Cheap.
Playstation 3: Looking bad. Poorest exclusives list. Poorest market support. Distant runner-up. Producer in serious financial trouble. May be console non grata in as little as three years. Still best blu-ray player on market and is sold vastly under cost though, so
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
I LOVE the wii but I don't play fantasy games or first person shooter games. The thin I like about the wii is that it gets me off the couch. I have Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and several other rhythm/movement games. Heck, even the sports pack that comes with the console gets me off the couch. I love the boxing.
Now, my husband does like fantasy games (not so much the first person shooter games) and is enjoys both those and the movement games. He particularly likes Star Wars Force Unleashed, which allows him to wield his remote like a light saber. It's not my personal cup of tea but I admit to being amused by it for a while. Even in his role playing games, I think the movement of the wii remotes (when the programmers are competent) adds to the game play. I know some die-hard role playing/first person shooter people will disagree with me on that but that's my experience.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
If you want to play online, get a 360. Period.
If you want to play local co-op, I would also skew toward the 360. Gears of War 1 and 2 have exemplary local and online co-op, and Halo 3's co-op is quite good as well.
If not, it's much more down to personal taste. I don't own a Wii, although I know a lot of people who do. I do own both a 360 and a PS3. My third 360 died last month -- the first two (Zephyr models) fell to the RROD, so I didn't have to pay for replacement, but this third one (a Falcon model) had a different failure mode and is out of warranty. If you buy a 360, make absolutely certain you get the newest model, the Jasper.
Since people haven't talked about the PS3 much: the PS3 has some fantastic unique exclusives -- Uncharted you've already mentioned, though it's quite short. I bought mine to play Wipeout HD -- the best rocket car racer ever. And in the bargain, I got interesting and unconventional games like Eden, Flower, and Echochrome. All fairly short downloadable games, but quite interesting. And the Planet Earth BBC documentary series on Blu-ray is staggeringly beautiful.
If you're looking to play the Orange Box on a console, and you get a 360, you owe it to yourself to check out Left 4 Dead.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
If you want to try game programming Xbox lets you sign up for XNA microsoft thingy.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
We have both a wii & a 360 at home, which is a great combination. I don't know anyone with a Playstation. The 360 has gone through one red ring of death return - it only took a couple of weeks to get it returned. Microsoft has a very streamlined system, probably because they've needed to.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
I've got all three consoles. The Wii doesn't get played much, though there are some "must have" games for me on there like Super Mario Galaxy. I only own one PS3 game - Little Big Planet. Otherwise I primarily use the PS3 for watching Blu-Rays.
The 360 has the best overall experience in my opinion. The online service is vastly superior to the PS3's and most games that I'm really interested in are either multi-platform or exclusive to the 360. There's a much broader selection of downloadable games from Xbox Live Arcade, though as twinky mentioned there are a handful of compelling titles on the PS3 as well.
Standalone Blu-Ray players are getting relatively cheap now, so I wouldn't put as much weight on this feature as I may have a year or two ago. At the time that I bought my PS3 it was the cheapest Blu-Ray player available.
Obligatory Xbox reliability report: I had one launch-era console that red-ringed at about 18 months of age which was quickly repaired for free. I bought another Xbox 360 at that time and both have been going strong ever since. (another 18 months or so)
Someone asked about the $30 13-month XBL cards. I've seen them at most major online retailers - Amazon, Buy.com, BestBuy, etc. I get the sense that the MSRP on those cards is about to drop so it may be a more frequent or even permanent price soon.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jhai: We have both a wii & a 360 at home, which is a great combination. I don't know anyone with a Playstation. The 360 has gone through one red ring of death return - it only took a couple of weeks to get it returned. Microsoft has a very streamlined system, probably because they've needed to.
I could have honestly written an identical post, Jhai's experience is the same as mine.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
quote:Originally posted by Humean316:
quote:Originally posted by MEC: If you do get a 360, retailers will occasionally have 13 month live cards on sale for $30. Although you might not want to wait to get started, I definitely make a point to get one on sale when I have less than a year left on my subscription.
Wow, really? I've never seen them for under 50 bucks, where did you find that deal, if you don't mind me asking?
I've seen it on Buy.com, Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Newegg.com to name a few, I'm pretty sure others have had similar sales in the past.
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
All wrong.
Look at the reviews on Halo versus Killzone 2. Look at Resistance 2. Both PS3 exclusives. Add the Naughty Dog games (especially Uncharted: Drake's Fortune) and Metal Gear . . . who wanted to play Halo? Any good RPG's come out for PS3 or Windows as well (Mass Effect, etc). And throw in Little Big Planet and free online for good measure.
PS3 OWNS exclusives over X-Box.
X-Box has a more robust online experience, and it's likely you can play with your friends. But they'd be drooling over Metal Gear, if you got the PS3.
Wii games are better, if you're not too concerned about HD, but the lineup is weak. They've got some insanely great exclusives, but you'll be bored six months from now. It's worth the admission price to play, but it's not an "all around" game system.
Best bet? PS3 and Wii.
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
And games on Blu-Ray are FAR superior. PS3 exclusives have the benefit of a VASTLY larger disk size.
"I don't mind changing disks on my 360," you say?
The Metal Gear game engine ALONE couldn't fit on a DVD. Not to mention all the extra cinematics (real time)and voice.
The production values on Uncharted and Metal Gear might as well be next-next gen, if we're going to consider the 360 next gen. 360 fails . . . obsolete.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:And games on Blu-Ray are FAR superior.
Dude, you can always tell the Playstation fanboys, because they're always so, so wrong. Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
quote:And games on Blu-Ray are FAR superior.
This is hard to support without qualification. Most games available on both systems are on a single disc for each and there has been no significant difference in graphic quality between them. Side-by-side comparisons seem to slightly favor one system or the other in about equal shares.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
quote:Long time buddy, how's life?
Not too shabby, you?
quote: Why aren't you using it?
Hard to say. I have a much harder time getting into video games than I used to, and no console games seem to hold my interest beyond a couple of hours. Same goes for computer games, but slightly less so. I'm not doing any gaming whatsoever right now, besides a couple of play by post board games. I'm counting on Starcraft II, Diablo III, and Blizzard's unannounced new MMO to return me to my gaming ways.
quote:Have you SEEN Street Fighter 4?
I've read reviews, and while I played a lot of Street Fighter 2 as a kid, I haven't gotten a fighting game in forever. Even highly reviewed ones like Soul Caliber 4 I get bored of shortly after renting. Probably because most of my enjoyment from them was playing my brothers / friends and stomping them . Don't really have anyone I play games with anymore.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Actually, if you hang out on Beyond3D, side-by-side comparisons of crossplatform games generally favour the 360. The 360 has a 10MB dedicated framebuffer that allows for antialiasing with an extremely low performance hit. That's why so many crossplatform games that render at the same internal resolution on both platforms have 2xAA on the 360 side and either Quincunx or nothing on the PS3 side. The ones that don't render at the same internal resolution on both platforms almost always render at a lower internal resolution on the PS3. GTA IV is one example, but Beyond3D has the full list.
I like my PS3, but every game I buy that's available on both platforms I ultimately buy on the 360 after seeing the graphical comparisons.
Exclusives are open for debate. I think Killzone 2 is the best-looking game on the consoles right now, but it doesn't have to worry about rendering two perspectives on the screen at once the way Gears of War 2 does -- no local co-op in Killzone. (Or co-op of any kind, but that's beside the point.) And Killzone is, IMO, only the latest in a series of graphical leapfrogs: Gears 1 < MGS4 < Gears 2 < Killzone 2.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Love our 360..we finally broke down and got Xbox live and now we love it even more. We did get RROD, but Microsoft replaced the console and shipped us a refurbished one within one week.
Since then we've had no problems at all. We paid $39 for our 13 month subscription, I think. I know it was less than $50.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Yeah, I'm definitely leaning toward the Xbox. It's HARD to justify though... the PS3 has built-in wireless. non-proprietary hard drives, and free online play, plus all the same games as the Xbox (except Halo).
To get wireless capability on the Xbox, I have to buy a $90 dongle. All I really want is to stream movies from my computer to my Xbox... maybe I'll buy a cheap little computer and use Boxee.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
quote:Originally posted by Humean316: Wow, really? I've never seen them for under 50 bucks, where did you find that deal, if you don't mind me asking?
About $3.30 per month for Xbox Live.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
PSN is free, but feature- and functionality-wise it still has a ways to go before it's comparable to Xbox Live. I can go into more detail if you want.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Actually, yeah, what's so great about Xbox Live? I'm not such an intense gamer that I think I'll even use the online functionality often -- the console's mostly for kicking back and playing Street Fighter against my friends, and streaming movies from my computer for dates. Can either the Xbox or the PS3 go to Hulu for casual watching without purchasing anything extra?
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by Herblay: And games on Blu-Ray are FAR superior. PS3 exclusives have the benefit of a VASTLY larger disk size.
Games on the PS3 have a very tenuous claim to being 'far superior' since the PS3's architecture has proven far more difficult to wrest good performance out of. If anything, they seem to have only managed being on par with the 360.
Not that they don't have the capacity to exceed greatly in the future, perhaps, but just ain't the case now :/
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Wow, $90 for the wireless thingy seems ridiculous to me.
Looks like you can get a third party wireless bridge that will hook up to the console via a patch cable for less than half that...that's what I'd try. (Don't have a console myself...I assume you'd want to research this to make sure it's working well for others.)
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
We've been using the Netflix Instant Demand features on our Xbox a lot lately, if you have a subscription to Netflix. They've recently upped the selection, and the streaming quality is pretty great. We watch Hulu on the TV too, but that's through an older laptop with a dead screen that's permanently attached to the TV. Just a couple of thoughts on the matter of media other than video games...
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: Yeah, I'm definitely leaning toward the Xbox. It's HARD to justify though... the PS3 has built-in wireless. non-proprietary hard drives, and free online play, plus all the same games as the Xbox (except Halo).
To get wireless capability on the Xbox, I have to buy a $90 dongle. All I really want is to stream movies from my computer to my Xbox... maybe I'll buy a cheap little computer and use Boxee.
I don't know anyone who has both a 360 and a PS3 that doesn't prefer the 360, for whatever that's worth.
The proprietary hard drive is annoying, but not an ongoing issue. You don't really store all that much stuff on the hard drive and the 120GB is plenty for me. The cheaper 60GB drive would probably do for me as well.
The $90 dongle is not the only way to get wireless, but I would try to hook up your console with a physical network cable if you can, especially if you want to do video streaming.
The online experience is just more "tight". You can chat with friends, see what they are playing, join "parties" to play games together, make custom avatars to represent your profile, compare your games played and achievements with friends, send text and voice messages, etc. etc. The PS3 can do some of these things, but not in a very consistent, friendly way.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: Actually, yeah, what's so great about Xbox Live?
On paper, both platforms have the following features, as of the latest PSN update last week:
Global friends list
Global text messaging
Global chat
Online marketplace
Online movie rentals
Global tracking and comparison of accomplishments
Multiplayer game lobbies
Custom soundtrack support
Video/audio/photo streaming from servers
Here's what's different, feature-wise, including functionality that one console has but the other doesn't:
Global chat: This is text-only on the PS3 now; the feature didn't exist at all until last week. Global voice chat for up to 5 people simultaneously on the 360, so you can talk to your friends over Live even if you aren't playing the same game. Voice chat quality on the PS3 is poor compared to the 360.
Online marketplace: The PSN Store has a much smaller selection than the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade. Both have good and unique titles that aren't available on the other platform.
Global game invites: On the 360, regardless of what I'm doing, I can accept an invite to play a game at any time. The 360 will quit whatever's running and open the tray for me to swap discs if needed. When the game loads, it automatically connects me to my friend's lobby. This functionality doesn't exist on the PS3. Only some games support invites at all; in the games that don't, you have to hunt around for your friends' lobby, which is compounded by the spotty lobby support.
Multiplayer game lobbies: Some PSN games don't even support making a lobby friends-only or invite-only, so not only do you have to hunt around for your friends' lobby because the invite system isn't global, you also have to hope their lobby doesn't fill up with random people before you get there. This problem doesn't exist on the 360 side; every game I'm aware of supports this functionality and is hooked into the global invite mechanism.
Custom soundtrack support: The PS3 will let you replace a game's music with music you have on the PS3's HDD. Some games even let you use streamed music; other games don't support custom soundtracks at all. On the 360, you can do this with any game regardless of whether the music is on the HDD, on a USB-connected device (e.g. an iPod), or streamed from somewhere else. I stream from my computer to my 360.
Video/audio/photo streaming: The 360 will do this out of the box if your computer is running Windows. Mac users have to use third-party software to mimic Windows Media Centre; I use Connect360, which is about $15 or $20 and is great. On the PS3 side, everyone needs a third-party solution. Free software to do this is available on the PS3 side, although I use MediaLink, which is made by the same people who did Connect360 and costs the same. Incidentally, neither consoles supports playback of video files in the MKV container.
Global matchmaking: Live has global zones (family, recreation, pro, etc), ability to insta-mute annoying players, a global reputation/player review system (you can prefer or avoid specific players), and a global complaint system. PSN doesn't have this at all. Matchmaking, if there is any, is per-game.
Finally, the interface for doing most, if not all of these things is significantly more cumbersome on the PS3. There's almost always at least one extra step or extra prompt. The only exception is streaming, which takes one less step on the PS3 than on the 360.
Most models of 360 include a headset while no PS3 models include one. Also, all 360 models come with a high-def video cable (component or HDMI) in the box. The PS3 only has standard def composite cables in the box, so if you get one, make sure to hit up Monoprice for a cheap HDMI or component cable, otherwise you'll be displaying your 720p games at 480i. If you have PS2 component cables, those do work with the PS3.
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: I'm not such an intense gamer that I think I'll even use the online functionality often -- the console's mostly for kicking back and playing Street Fighter against my friends, and streaming movies from my computer for dates.
If your co-op and versus gaming is primarily with people in the same room, then you don't need Live Gold. I use it because my friends are largely scattered to the four winds, so we can play full games in co-op mode (Halo 3, Gears of War 1 and 2, Army of Two, Left 4 Dead) with seamless voice chat.
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: Can either the Xbox or the PS3 go to Hulu for casual watching without purchasing anything extra?
The PS3 has a built-in web browser and can navigate to hulu.com. Hulu doesn't work in Canada, so I have no idea what the quality is like.
The Xbox 360 will stream movies from your Netflix queue if you have Live Gold (the paid membership tier) and a Netflix subscription. I think a third-party company recently released its own disc-based software for doing this on the PS3.
Both consoles also have their own video rental stores.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I wish I didn't need wireless, but the only place to put the TV is across from the telephone jack. The only solution is taping a cable along the living room wall or doing it wireless. New York City apartments.
I did find this PopSci article (http://www.popsci.com/node/30580) on using a router as an access point, but it seems like a lot more work than just buying the PS3. How much traffic would you say Xbox Live takes up? Wireless really won't have enough bandwidth to give a smooth experience?
I mean, it probably doesn't matter AS MUCH given how great our location is -- we won't spend much time at all playing the Xbox, and we probably don't even need Xbox Live. But streaming movies from my computer is important to me.
Posted by Humean316 (Member # 8175) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lalo:
quote:Originally posted by Humean316: Wow, really? I've never seen them for under 50 bucks, where did you find that deal, if you don't mind me asking?
Ahh thank you Lalo, that is what I am talking about!
I wanted to add that I paid 100 for my wireless adapter, but I have to agree with Matt, you would be much better served in getting internet through DSL or cable internet. I've found that wireless internet is spotty sometimes with the adapter and sometimes will kick you out of games, even when a good and strong wireless network is present.
ETA:
quote:I wish I didn't need wireless, but the only place to put the TV is across from the telephone jack
What about cable internet where you get internet through the cable and not through the phone? That would sound like it might solve that problem?
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
If you are planning to stream HD video then I think a wired connection is a must. Otherwise, wireless will probably be OK. There are also ethernet-over-powerline options which, I believe, are better than wireless.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
quote:If you are planning to stream HD video then I think a wired connection is a must. Otherwise, wireless will probably be OK. There are also ethernet-over-powerline options which, I believe, are better than wireless.
Powerline? I'm probably going to get DSL, then use a wireless router within the apartment for our laptops and Xbox and such. That won't be enough?
quote:What about cable internet where you get internet through the cable and not through the phone? That would sound like it might solve that problem?
The cable connection's directly next to the phone jack, which blows. New York apartments.
quote:On the 360, you can do this with any game regardless of whether the music is on the HDD, on a USB-connected device (e.g. an iPod), or streamed from somewhere else. I stream from my computer to my 360.
Music and movies? I really want to do both, but I'm not sure how. Did you buy the $90 wireless dongle?
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
My consoles are both wired.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
quote:Powerline? I'm probably going to get DSL, then use a wireless router within the apartment for our laptops and Xbox and such. That won't be enough?
It's a device that you plug into your power outlet. You then connect a network cable from your router to it. You can then plug a similar device into a power outlet near the Xbox which you then connect to the Xbox with another network cable. It's a wired network that uses your household wiring. It's not going to be as fast as a conventional wired network, but I believe current models are faster than wireless. I only have a superficial familiarity with the technology, so do a little research if it sounds interesting to you.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Wireless N is faster than the powerline stuff I checked out about a year ago. (either one is fast enough for video streaming, I think.)
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Okay, we're definitely getting an Xbox. Now it's just to decide which one -- I'd love to get a Batman-themed Xbox, but since there's no evidence it'll ever come, we'll just commit to a Resident Evil 5 one. And it makes economic sense too! Evidence as follows:
Xbox Pro bundle -- $360 (Newegg) Xbox Pro (60GB) two wireless controllers (white) ($30) play-and-charge kit ($15) Crackdown ($10)
not included headset ($20) ethernet cable ($2)
Total cost $382
Xbox Elite bundle -- $350 (Dell) Xbox Elite (120GB) one wireless controller (black) ($40) headset ($20) ethernet cable ($2)
not included one wireless controller ($40) play-and-charge kit ($15)
Total cost $405
Xbox Elite (Resident Evil 5 version) -- $370 (Dell) Xbox Elite (120GB) one wireless controller (red) ($40) headset ($20) ethernet cable ($2) Resident Evil 5 ($55) Street Fighter II HD Remix ($15)
not included one wireless controller ($40) play-and-charge kit ($15)
Total cost $425
Since we're splitting the cost between three of us, an additional $15 each means nothing if it means getting a bigger hard drive and an HDMI cable (for future use or selling), plus the cool red color. Plus, if I subtract the cost of buying Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter II HD Remix separately, it's actually the cheapest of the three options.
Thoughts?
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
There's a Halo 3/Fable 2 Elite bundle coming out very soon. That might be worth considering if you are interested in those games.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I AM definitely getting Halo, but it's only $30some sold separately. And I'd still have to buy Street Fighter II, which alone makes up the difference between the two prices. I'll think of it as getting the $50 RE5 game for free rather than the $30 Halo 3 game.
And it's red Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Just for my own record-keeping, here's what the prices break down to if I buy the following games:
Resident Evil 5 (included) Street Fighter II HD Remix (included) Halo 3 ($37) Street Fighter 4 ($54) Orange Box ($20)
Total -- 536 (180 each)
Bioshock ($30) Mass Effect ($20)
Total -- 586 (195 each)
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
OH SNAP. I just got offered a used PS3 for $200, with an extra controller and some games/movies. How do I NOT take it.
Quick, any compelling reason to pay 3x that for an Xbox? Besides the warranty and Halo? Games seem to be slightly more expensive, but otherwise...
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Ugh, and the controllers suck. And no Xbox Live.
But it has built-in wireless, so I can stream movies without pain-in-the-ass networking Twister. And I can get USED to the controller... I guess. Or buy something 3rd party.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
The PS3 is about two years old, 40GB HDD.
Hmmm.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Question: does it do PS2 emulation in hardware? Because, if so, I will give you $250 for it.
That said, if you don't already have an Xbox, you will be happier with an Xbox. Period.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I offered $180, but I don't REALLY want it. Wouldn't a new Xbox be better than a two year old PS3?
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
...and he wants $250.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Xbox Resident Evil 5 (included) Street Fighter II HD Remix (included) Halo 3 ($37) Street Fighter 4 ($54) Orange Box ($20)
Total -- 536 (180 each)
Playstation 3 Street Fighter 4 ($57) Orange Box ($20) Metal Gear Solid 4 ($47)
Total -- 274
Hmmm. I offered him $150 for the PS3, but I'm regretting it. What's the price threshold at which you'd buy it?
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
I don't know man, based on reading your posts it seems to me like you're more inclined towards the 360. If the PS3 was really a consideration, you'd probably snap it up at $150-180, rather than feeling a vague sense that you might have buyer's remorse. Usually when I get that feeling, it's accurate.
I have both consoles, and for me the only edge the PS3 has that enters into consideration is its bluray player. If I had to choose one system over the other because of a lack of disposable income, I'd go for the 360. I won't list the reasons why, as that's been done enough already, but the main reason is simply because I use the 360 at least thrice as often as I do the PS3.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Hey, just a note: right now, on Steam, the Orange Box is available as a weekend deal for $10.
That's a truly incredible price.
Now, it's PC only, so you'll need to have a real computer. But having played the games on a PC and on a Xbox, I can tell you that PC's the way to go with them, anyway.
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
I'd just like to point out that nobody has mentioned the awesome gameplay of Resident Evil 4. I have it on Wii, and it is truly the best game I have ever played, and, if not that, at least in the top 3. This assumes that you enjoy FPS, which some, like TomD, don't.
Again, Resident Evil 4.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Hey, just a note: right now, on Steam, the Orange Box is available as a weekend deal for $10.
That's a truly incredible price.
Now, it's PC only, so you'll need to have a real computer. But having played the games on a PC and on a Xbox, I can tell you that PC's the way to go with them, anyway.
I heard about this too, fastest $10 I ever spent.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
On a side note, Dell's offering the 80GB PS3, brand new, for $300.
But like Fitz said, the fact I'm not going for it means I'm probably not meant for it.
Posted by mobester (Member # 12039) on :
Don't let anyone tell you that the 360 is the better system. The only thing that it has going for it is the fact that eveyone has one. The PS3 is simply superior technology. It comes with wireless connectivity, a blue ray player, blue tooth connectivity,and free online gaming. Plus, once you start playing COD4 you will forget about Halo. If you like sports games, PS3 has by far the best rated games on the market. Plus you will be able to look forward to Grand Turismo 5.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
Yup, PS3 has free online gaming, and unfortunately you get what you pay for. 360 also has COD4, along with the better controller and better online. As for sports games, what does the PS3 have that 360 doesn't? MLB The Show is the only series I can think of.
Gran Turismo 5, well, big deal. Look, I like my PS3 just fine, but even the exclusive I was most looking forward to is now also coming out for 360.
Sure, PS3 has a bluray player. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing I use my PS3 for lately.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
At $10 on the PC, The Orange Box is a no-brainer. Portal on its own is worth more than that.
RE4 is great. I talked it up here a fair bit back when I first played it in 2005. The Wiimake seems to have been fairly successful as well, which is cool.
The PS3 does have some sweet exclusives: MGS4, Uncharted, and Valkyria Chronicles are all excellent. Flower is a masterpiece. If you don't have a gaming PC, the 360 has more good exclusives, but for half the price, of the 360, it'd be hard for me to say no to the PS3.
Of course, I've already got both.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
He just contacted me again, asking $200 for the PS3. Again, it comes with an extra controller, Grand Theft Auto IV (and three other unnamed games), two Blu-Ray Pixar movies...
It's SO hard to say no. Totally honestly, even if this broke down, I could send it in to Sony for a $150 repair and still break even with the initial cost of an Xbox BEFORE any games. Minus the cost of the extras, the PS3's practically free.
I might do this. Online play and a comfortable controller isn't worth an extra $300.
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
Lalo! Long time!
I'm a fan of my PS3. I have always preferred the Playstation controller to the Xbox controller. It's just my personal preference. I like alot of the Sony published series (Ratchet and Clank, Jak, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo) and have thoroughly enjoyed a lot of this generation's PS3 games as well (LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, Resistance, Killzone 2, Wipeout, Pixeljunk Monsters and Encore). I cannot afford both a PS3 and 360 (I already had a Wii), so I got a PS3. I do like the free online. Some people say you get what you pay for but I haven't had any problems with online play. Well, Resistance 2 gave me some headaches but they seem to have worked that out. The Blu-ray player is nice too.
There are a few 360 exclusive games (Fable 2 and Dead Rising), but mostly there wasn't that much appeal for me to go 360. To be honest with you the failure rate scared me. I understand that the most recent batch apparently fixed this, but it was quite discouraging at the time. I've yet to see any evidence that the Xbox 360 is the far superior gaming machine, regardless of statements made here or elsewhere.
I can't imagine you will be unhappy with either purchase. If you get a PS3, then you can join us on Rock Band from afar.
So, yea.
[ April 29, 2009, 06:52 AM: Message edited by: Ben ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I'm a little surprised that he's not eBaying it at this point. He could easily get more than $200 on Craigslist or eBay.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:Some people say you get what you pay for but I haven't had any problems with online play.
No, but remember how cumbersome it was for us to set up those races in Wipeout HD last year? Sending text messages back and forth, looking for one another's lobbies, etc? It took five or ten minutes. We could have done it on Xbox Live in about thirty seconds, including the time it takes to launch the game.
Thank goodness that Wipeout finally got an invite patch, but this functionality is global on Xbox Live.
Nonetheless, for $200 with controllers and some games, that PS3 is definitely a good bargain. You lose slight graphical fidelity on crossplatform games and you lose downloadable content for any Valve and Bethesda games that come to the platform. But for the price difference, particularly if you aren't gung-ho about playing Fallout 3, it's pretty hard to say no.
Particularly if it's one of the fully- or partially-backwards-compatible models, because if you don't like it, you could probably resell it for a premium: Sony doesn't make backwards-compatible PS3s anymore.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I JUST WON A FREE WII!!! YES.
And it looks like there's programs that'll let me stream media (high-def?) to the Wii from my computer. If that's the case, I don't even NEED an Xbox.
I really wanted one, but this is plenty good enough. Plus, the Xbox came out in 2005 -- the next generation can't be more than a year or two away, and this'll hold me up until then.
SMASH BROS.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
That's great news, Lalo; can't beat free.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
How'd you win it? Were you the millionth visitor to a website?
--j_k
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: And it looks like there's programs that'll let me stream media (high-def?) to the Wii from my computer. If that's the case, I don't even NEED an Xbox.
The Wii does not support high-definition output of any type. 480p is its maximum output resolution.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I won it in a college raffle, somehow. I'm ALSO getting the receipt with it! So... I might just trade it in for an Xbox and pay the $50 difference in cash.
I'll go see if I can swap it out without having to re-sign a credit card release. If I can, why not? Either way, I win.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I happen to have been given a free Xbox (classic) with some old crappy games. Definitely worth hacking into a media center... and solves one of my needs for an Xbox 360.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
XBMC is sweet. IIRC, though, the original Xbox is incapable of handling high-definition video content.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Que? Wikipedia says it does. And the XBMC website says it can handle .mkv files, which are usually high-def. One of the comments in the Lifehacker article even says the Xbox upscales to 1080i? Not that it matters, I have a (nice) 36" CRT television that probably doesn't even display that high.
And I just checked -- I can swap in the Wii for $270 in store credit. Since I can get the Xbox 360 Pro on Dell's website for $250 right now, I think I'm going to use the Wii credit to get games and extra controllers. Like so:
Retail Street Fighter 4 - $60 Halo 3 - $40 Orange Box - $20 Xbox controller with play-and-charge (black) - $60 Xbox controller with play-and-charge (black) - $60 Xbox play-and-charge kit (white) - $20 Total - $260
Newegg: Mass Effect - $20 XBL 12 months - $40 Total - $60
Are there any games I'm missing? I'd love a Mariokart-esque game on Xbox, but I don't know any. Or a multi-player fighter like Smash Bros. Or really anything that can incorporate three people on a regular basis, including a girl.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
The original Xbox is capable of upscaling video to 1080i, provided you have the component cable kit (which is optional and used to be fairly expensive). This is not true high-def, obviously, but doesn't look that bad.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I'd love a Mariokart-esque game on Xbox, but I don't know any. Or a multi-player fighter like Smash Bros.
Um....You could just not trade in your Wii.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I've considered it. But what do we do when we get bored with Mariokart and Smash Bros.? The Xbox has way more variety in its games... I just wish they were half as fun.
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
you know, you're right. Mario Kart, Brawl, and Wii Sports are the only games we play on the Wii.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Well, the other option is this: consider the free Wii you just won a way to play Mario Kart and Smash Bros., then spend the money you were planning to spend anyway on an Xbox 360.
Posted by Xann. (Member # 11482) on :
What? I don't know the technical side of it, but when you LOOK at these game I think it's closer to Gears 1, Gear 2, Mgs4, Killzone 2.
Other than that I have a 360 and a Ps3, they sit right next to eachother. In 3 years my ps3 has sat there being played twice as much as my 360, my 360 on the other hand has been replaced twice in two years. Never have I gone to play a game and been disappointed because it was going to take another few weeks to get it back.
I really don't care about what most people rate games on, I rate them on how much fun I have. That is why I have a Ps3, gamecube, and a sega. oh, I also have a 360, but that is now the designated Peggle machine Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: The original Xbox is capable of upscaling video to 1080i, provided you have the component cable kit (which is optional and used to be fairly expensive). This is not true high-def, obviously, but doesn't look that bad.
What? I don't know the technical side of it, but when you LOOK at these game I think it's closer to Gears 1, Gear 2, Mgs4, Killzone 2.
Gears 2 renders bigger areas with more active agents in them, not to mention rendering two perspectives on screen at once (splitscreen co-op). The assault derrick sequence with the gigantic draw distance and dozens -- or maybe even a hundred, I couldn't count them -- locust on the screen at once is a good example.
MGS4 only ever renders multiple perspectives in the mission briefings where the environment is tiny and static, and it never matches Gears 2 in scale. In the (totally sweet) Metal Gear sequence, everything else is just scaled down.
MGS4 is also rendered squished at 1024x768 and then stretched to a widescreen aspect ratio; Gears 2 is rendered at 1280x720.
MGS4 looks great and it's a lot of fun, but from a graphical standpoint I do indeed think it was surpassed by Gears 2.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
I love my Wii fitness (though I haven't done anything with it lately since I am desperately trying to finish my master's thesis by next Friday). I also like the crazy rabbit game and my husband loves playing the old games he bought on the wii channel.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Sweet. I officially own a new Xbox 360 Pro with three controllers, three play-and-charge kits, and three games -- Street Fighter 4, Halo 3, and the Orange Box. All for about $105 spent on my part. Not bad.
I made a short list of games that look appealing, but I'm sure I'm missing some. Anything I should definitely get?
Definite buy Batman: Arkham Asylum Braid Bomberman Live Mass Effect Bioshock Red Dead Redemption Burnout Paradise: Paradise City (closest to Mariokart I can find)
When-it's-cheaper buy GTA IV Call of Duty 4 (or 5) Left 4 Dead
Possible buy Dead Space Prototype Fight Night Round 4 Fallout 3 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Las Vegas Gears of War 2 Viva Pinata
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Fallout is a must.
Gears 2 is also awesome, and wheres Assassins Creed?
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
Dead Space was a blast, and if you have any semblance of a decent audio setup you will appreciate it all the more. That being said, I finished it once and haven't played it since. Not much replay value on that one. I'd call it a rental.
Rainbow Six: Vegas and Vegas 2 are probably my favorite shooters of the current generation. Vegas 2 especially has a ton of value, from the story mode (co-op) to a ton of terrorist hunt maps (4 player co-op) and multiplayer.
Viva Pinata is just a ridiculous amount of fun. It looks so much like it's geared towards kids that I almost passed it up, and boy am I glad I didn't. Another plus, if you get the first Viva Pinata, is that you should be able to buy it for peanuts. It was discounted almost right off the bat.
Oh, and if you're looking for a fun racing game, you oughta check out Pure. I think it's more akin to Mario Kart than Burnout (also fantastic). It's an ATV racing game, with crazy, fast-paced races, cool environments, massive jumps, and a really neat trick system.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I was actually thinking about Viva Pinata for our girl roommate, since she's openly expressed her unhappiness with our fighting/shooting games. Swear to god, earlier today she was trying to get me to buy the Shrek tie-in game because she "loves the kitty."
What I'd really love is something akin to Mariokart's Battle Mode, where you can pick up missiles and race around a battlefield, shooting at each other. I've never really cared about racing, really. I have no idea how developers haven't cloned the idea over to another console yet.
Failing that, we need a decent party game. We've played so much Rock Band that we're sort of over it, and obviously we can't play 4-player games like Mariokart or Smash Bros. I guess Halo and Bomberman will do for now.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fitz: Rainbow Six: Vegas and Vegas 2 are probably my favorite shooters of the current generation. Vegas 2 especially has a ton of value, from the story mode (co-op) to a ton of terrorist hunt maps (4 player co-op) and multiplayer.
I actually just played that with my little cousins in Texas this past Christmas, and we had a blast. It's probably my next purchase once it falls to $20-30. They also love Gears, like T said, but I just don't get it. Since I suck at it, it must be a bad game.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lalo: What I'd really love is something akin to Mariokart's Battle Mode, where you can pick up missiles and race around a battlefield, shooting at each other. I've never really cared about racing, really. I have no idea how developers haven't cloned the idea over to another console yet.
Actually there is Fatal Inertia, but it's kinda bad.....
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Haha, Lalo I suck at gears too but it's still fun to play (at least for me). I don't think people who are good at FPS's should play TPS's....
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
I just got done playing Wii Sports with my almost 5 year old son. We laughed and played so hard. It was fantastic. We also tried boxing and worked up quite a sweat.
My wife, even tho she is Japanese, is anti EVERYTHING video game related--going so far as to throw away a little electronic Spongebob Game Toshi got for Christmas.
I need to sell her on the Wii. I also need to loose 50 pounds.
Can the Wii be used as an actual work out program? We sweated a lot. I saw Wii Fitness games.
Would I be lying or stretching the truth if I were to claim it can be very healthy for our family?
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
As far as video games go, it's one of the best social-gathering and "I don't like videogames ooh let me try it" machines.
Nintendo is certainly working on the "it encourges exercise" angle; I know that games like Dance Dance Revolution can definitely be a good cardiovascular work-out, provided you regularly play them. I can't say I exactly know of specific people who say "I played Wii Fit for an hour a day between bites of Subway sandwiches and lost 110 lbs!"
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote: I can't say I exactly know of specific people who say "I played Wii Fit for an hour a day between bites of Subway sandwiches and lost 110 lbs!"
I should totally take some "before" pictures and pimp myself out to Nintendo to use for marketing once I am super fit. Then Southpark can do an episode on me and my life will be complete...at which point I can stop Wii, get into WoW, and balloon up into my happy fat self lost in a MMORPG living off of my Nintendo royalties, Cheetos, Diet Coke, and pizza.
hmmm....that last paragraph sounded more sad then I intended.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Actually, the Wii Fit has been a great way for my fiancee and I to track our weight loss. I really only do the hula-hooping and soccer ball ball game with any frequency, but we both have a blast.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
I haven't gotten them, but I saw several other wii fitness type games (EA Sports Active) that are supposed to be great for actually working out. One thing to keep in mind is that it may be a video game, but it is still working out. So, if you refuse to workout, having it in video game form won't necessarily change anything. And of course, you have to actually do the work out to lose any weight. I have just the wii fitness and I use it and feel healthier for it.
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. Don't really have anyone I play games with anymore.
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