[Update: lots of good points in the comments, which I'm too lazy to copy into the main post, so read the comments.]
I have an Xbox 360 and have spent hundreds of hours on it without the dreaded red lights (knock on wood)[1]. I don't have a PS3 or Wii; I've played the Wii for one evening and haven't played the PS3 at all. Here's my poorly-researched breakdown of the consoles.
NOTE: I am happy with the 360, but this is not intended to be a "UR CONSOLE SUX" post. I hope to get a PS3 once it has one exclusive killer app, like LA Noire or Afrika might prove to be [2]; as for the Wii, I think it's pretty neat but I'm just too much of a graphics tart to really want one. Please feel free to use the comments to point out anything I've omitted or gotten wrong.
360
Graphics: Great
Exclusive games: Lots (and Bioshock is coming next week!)
Price: Medium
Backwards compatibility: Spotty
Special pains: Some games require patches that are released only through Xbox Live
PS3
Graphics: Great
Exclusive games: Few
Price: High
Backwards compatibility: Good
Special pains: Controller batteries can't be replaced
Other: Sixaxis controller; Blu-Ray player, if you care about that
Wii
Graphics: So-so
Exclusive games: Lots
Price: Low
Backwards compatibility: I have no idea [EDIT: Commenters say it's great in this department.]
Special pains: Using Wiimote risks injury to self and surroundings (but may be worth it)
Other: Wiimote is a lot of fun
[1] Just FYI, Microsoft recently announced a three-year warranty against the red lights, RETROACTIVE to when you bought it -- so mine is still warranted against them for a little under two years. But of course you would still be without the 360 for a few weeks while they are repairing/replacing it.
[2] Little Big World looks very slick, but it's just not a "killer app" to my tastes -- your mileage may vary.
ID:33816
 Aug 13 2007, 5:18 pm (Edited on Aug 14 2007, 5:49 pm)
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Heh, just so you know the Wii is fully backwards compatible :D. I admit though, the wii is fun but I'm a bit impatient waiting for more developers to hop on the wii (like EA with def jam and nba street) so I've been aching for a 360 or ps3..The 360 will basically have most of ps3's games, at a much lower cost, but at a higher failure rate(so I've heard)..I want one of them, but I really don't want to have to deal with red light issues..
And what Basik said, if you have and use common sense, you won't injure yourself or others with the wii remote. :P A special pain for the wii, I'd say is waiting for more games/genres that are common on the other two systems like that 'ultimate fps' with controls comparable to pc fpses.. | |
The Wii is backwards compatable to any other Nintendo console thanks to the Virtual Console.
It can also play Gamecube games, use Gamecube controllers, and use Gamecube memory cards. So basically you get both a Wii and a Gamecube if you buy a Wii. Personally I'm satisfied with the Wii, I can't wait for Batallion Wars 2 and Metroid Prime 3. | |
PS3 backwards compatiblity just when down the drain with the 80GB version.(They took out certain things like a bunch of idiots, sony enjoys shooting themselves in the foot.)
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If you have a HDTV I can't think of a reason not to get a PS3.
Otherwise Wii is a solid choice. | |
It costs an arm, a leg, and a spleen? I'd say that's a reason not to get a PS3.
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Yeah, the Wii has potentially better backwards compatibility than any other console *ever*... it can play every GC game out of the box, and they're always releasing new older games from the Ninty range of consoles and other brands...
"PS3: Special pains: Controller batteries can't be replaced" Forgetting no rumble pack, too... :( As far as getting a power console, I'd probably get a 360. It seems as though it'll be the only one out of the two power-consoles that'll still be here in 2 or 3 years (PS3 right now seems to be the Dreamcast just without the good games and cult following). But in terms of actually buying a power console I have a PC for that instead, which costs about the same as a console to keep powerful and up-to-date but also lets me use it to work, program on, do all sorts of things. The Wii is the one thing my PC can't do*, so that's why I have one. *Actually it CAN. Some french guys made a special program that lets you use Wiimotes in flash movies- not just on-screen pointing but full use of the x, y and z coords. But uh, you get what I mean anyway. Mainstream use of the wiimote. | |
The virtual console doesn't count as backwards compatibility. It's really dumbed down version of the Xbox Live Arcade, the games don't get upgrades or anything and they charge the same price (or higher)!
But yeah, I'd go with the 360 if just for Bioshock. | |
Er, why doesn't it count? "Backwards compatibility" doesn't mean upgrades (funnily enough it means "compatibility"?) and you definitely don't pay the same price.
I payed what, 40 quid for an n64 game back in the day, now it'll cost 7 quid... to be honest I wouldn't mind it being a bit cheaper, but at least it's not as bad as the FUD you're spreading. =P | |
I really don't get the whole 'The PS3 has no good games' thing here. My friend's got one and it's bleedin' amazing. I played on an XBox 360 and I thought it was average. I played on a PS3 and I thought it was amazing.
Also, PS3: Free online connectivity And why would you change the batteries anyway? They're rechargable (probably Ni-Mh and moderated so they don't overheat) so unless you submerge the battery in acid or do something else to completely ruin them they'll be fine. And if you were to ruin them you can just leave the cable in the pad and play without the wirelessness. | |
And i think your comparison is forgetting the consoles audience. The Nintendo's wii graphics are "so-so" because it isn't built around the hardcore market. However it does have hardcore games and those games have pretty nice graphics. Although im not a graphical type of guy i don't see the point. I think graphics bring you good stuff to a certain extent.
(might want to read this: http://xbox360.qj.net/ -keynote-speaker-Glenn-Entis-talks-about-future-of-graphics/ pg/49/aid/99670) Ol' Yeller wrote: The virtual console doesn't count as backwards compatibility. It's really dumbed down version of the Xbox Live Arcade, the games don't get upgrades or anything and they charge the same price (or higher)! VC games to come with upgrades. Just not all of them. But some do get added content. There have been a few can't remember which ones though. And more and more developers are working on the wii and are joining (ttp://wii.qj.net/Shin-en-signed-on-as-Wii-console-developer/ pg/49/aid/99794). They will be damned stupid if they don't. The wii has already hit the 10 million mark and by now its probably over taken 360 sales. I think the so called "hardcore developers" are waiting to see what happens during the holiday season and waiting to see how some of nintendo's hardcore games do. You also forgot to mentions Nintendo Wii's WiiWare (developer kit similar to XNA?). I think WiiWare is a great idea for people who want to make their own games. I think wiifit is something in its own league that everyone would buy a nintendo wii for. It may look stupid and stuff but people will actually buy it. | |
Microsoft recently announced a three-year warranty against the red lights, RETROACTIVE to when you bought it -- so mine is still warranted against them for a little under two years. But of course you would still be without the 360 for a few weeks while they are repairing/replacing it. While this is good news it's not something that should really be bragged about. Their machines had such a high failure rate that they were forced into this. Also it doesn't cover everything. If your XBOX 360 is scratching discs, I think they'll fit it, but they wont replace the discs that get ruined. I know that my problem (the disc drive fails to load things quite often) isn't covered by the warranty stuff. Also, PS3: Free online connectivity I used to be against paid online service until I got XBOX Live setup. XBOX Live gives you three things; a universal account for all games, universal in-game voice-chat and a multi-billion dollar company pressuring game developers to add online multiplayer functionality to their games. The account thing doesn't seem like a big deal until you've built up a friends list. After that point you've suddenly got a list of players you can invite to any game when ever you feel like playing (providing you both have copies). No messing around asking the guy you're playing Gears with if he has Halo 3 yet, you just look at his profile. Their passport system also makes it much easier to implement online multiplayer. You end up with a pretty uniform match-making service for every game on the console. I never have to do anything special to invite a friend to a game,. Press the XBOX button, select them from my list, then press X. They'll get a message, they select accept, they put the disc in (if it's not already) and we start playing. The voice-chat is another feature that doesn't sound impressive. However having Microsoft host the voice-server instead of the players means more bandwidth for hosting the game and less problems with lag. It's extremely easy for developers to implement it in their games. It also nearly eliminates the need for text based messaging. Now the big one is having Microsoft pushing developers to add online multiplayer. They make truckloads from XBOX Live so it's in their best interest to keep it healthy. They don't want the half-assed multiplayer you see in some games. They want every XBOX game to have online multiplayer and they want it to be good online multiplayer. | |
PS3 is really crappy. As a software dev, you should know that developing for that crappy Cell thing is really hard, so there aren't that many games for it.
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GoodDoggyTreat wrote:
PS3 is really crappy. As a software dev, you should know that developing for that crappy Cell thing is really hard, so there aren't that many games for it. Sony are helping developers with that. | |
Exclusive games: Lots
Price: Low
Backwards compatibility: I have no idea
Special pains: Using Wiimote risks injury to self and surroundings (but may be worth it)
Well it can play Gamecube games, and with the Virtual Console, games from NES, SNES, N64, Sega Systems, Turbographix 16, and other stuff. So backwards compatibility: ultra compatible.
As for the "special pains", you're pretty much clumsy if you can't play without swinging the Wiimote in your friends face.