Xbox 360 Vs PS3
 

Hey all,

I'm mainly a lurker/listener but I had a question for all of you gamers out there. Which system would you recommend for someone that's very very late to the game? Should I just wait at this point, or would I get decent use out of a system?

I have pretty much been primarily a pc gamer for a while (cheaper to just download and I like modding/tweaking games), but I'm pretty sick of upgrading video cards and waiting months for games. I really want to play Red Dead Redemption, so that's basically the catalyst for all this. So I'm looking at a new system. Probably not Wii though, as I'd like the graphics to be on par with my PC.

I've heard horror stories of the red ring of death (but that microsoft basically will cover the bill), also heard a friend's story of his PS3 failing several times after he updated the Sony firmware, and then having to pay $150 to fix it.

Another thing, I have a bluray player, but never use it...would probably just sell it on craigslist if I went with PS3. I'm also interested in Sony exclusive games (Heavy Rain, God of War series, Uncharted).

I have also heard that Xbox is easier to mod...any opinions on that?

Thanks for any info you all can provide!

I have tons of friends with XBOX 360s, so I've played a fair deal on them before...great systems. I'm not here to shit on them.

But the PS3 is the system for me.

I've never once had an issue with my PS3, as for what your friend described, I've never even heard of that being a major issue with anyone I know...not saying it doesn't happen...but...it must be extremely rare...and definitely rarer than the Ring of Death...which has happened to a few of my friends...and obviously most be more common if I even know what it is...lol

Graphics wise...you're going to get more from the PS3...that's just a fact.
Mod wise? I have no clue, I suspect it's easier to mod games with an XBOX but I don't do that and can't really say much in this department.

In my personal opinion, PS3 exclusive titles > Xbox exclusive titles. Which is one major reason I've always preferred Sony's systems to Microsoft's.

Another reason: Free online gaming. I love playing CoD and shit with my friends...but if I had to pay monthly for some sort of subscription, fuck that noise.

You said you have a BluRay you don't use. So technically..if you buy a PS3, you'll get some money back from selling the BluRay, so that right there is a good reason....it'll be like getting a discount on the system.

Um...PS3 is for badasses
and Xbox is for Halo fags.

I'm done.

Thanks for the info. I was leaning more towards PS3 myself before the poll, but then read some things about the bluray having long load times, which I'm not keen on. I'm guessing there really isn't a perfect option, it's just personal preference.

I'm also more interested in the PS3 exclusives. I've never played a single God of War, but have heard only great things about it and the Uncharted games, Little Big Planet, etc etc.

The online gaming thing might change soon though. A friend told me Sony will be rolling out a pay service. Will have to see how that changes things, but I'm so out of the loop with online play that it doesn't even matter at this point. I'd rather have a solid single player experience than deal with 13 year olds screaming into a microphone.

So I'm leaning towards PS3 at the moment, any thoughts from the voters? Pretty close results at the moment.

I have never owned a video game system in my life and wouldn't know how to play anything more advanced than Super Mario Bros.

I don't blame you. At this point I might just buy a kaleidoscope and some mescaline and call it a day.

With the new Xbox out now they're pretty much the same. The graphics difference isn't really that much. The Xbox's enormous online community is what would tip the scale if you're going to be playing online a lot. Otherwise it doesn't really matter.

I honestly think half the reason the 360 is so popular, is because the PS3 was so expensive when it first came out. 360 was for a while the clear winner...cause who would pay $600 for a system with so few titles and players...

So the 360 fanbase/users grew as PS3 had a pretty long stalemate.

Now that PS3 is clearly on top, you've just got a ton of 360-ers who won't admit they own the lesser system.

But hey, at least neither are Wiis....Wii's blow.

Got a 360, play my room-mates PS3 >2 a week.

Hardware
The PS3 is built solid. The old xbox 360s are build a bit shitty - even if you don't get red rings you wont feel like it's a high quality product. The new xbox 360s (?slim) may change this - they certainly look better made.
The graphics are pretty much the same as far as I care - gamespot used to do comparisons.

Games
A lot of games are available for both systems. Xbox you're getting Halo which is a deal breaker for me. PS3 had never made me regret my choice with a game title.

Extras
Your online experience is going to be better on the 360 but you're going to pay for it (I'd rate it higher than PC online experience - not including MMOs).
PS3 is a top quality bluray player if you're a movie buff. However, there is netflicks etc in HD for the 360.

Conclusion
I've not regretted getting my 360, red rings and all.

I have both and I use my 360 much, much more. Granted that's partly because it can go straight into my monitor without complaining but it's also because the online features are much better. Paying for it is annoying (especially for someone used to PC) but you do get features like partying up, often better servers, better patching service etc and the PS3 online always seems quiet to me. The paid thing for PS3 is just a premium service - playing other people is still free.

The graphics thing only really matters for exclusives. Sony built a potentially powerful system but it's a such a pain to make games for that titles on both systems tend to run better on the 360 (which is basically a PC). When something's being built exclusively for the PS3, they can take advantage of the power and you get nice looking games like Uncharted 2, Killzone 2 or God of War 3 but you shouldn't expect that for multi platform games, unless PS3 is the lead (Final Fantasy's the only game that springs to mind).

As for worrying about a new console, we're at the point where they would usually be coming out but according to the guys developing those systems, this is going to be a much longer generation than usual. It's no coincidence that both companies are releasing motion control hardware now, it's to try and get the money they'd usually get from a hardware refresh without having to make a new console.

Anyway, if I had to decide between one the of two, i'll keep my 360.