PS3 vs. XboX 360

[Sigurd]

I need advice some advice on this.

There might be a window of opportunity of getting me one of these game consoles. And I need to have made the choice of which to choose before this window presents itself.
I have tried to look at the specs and trawled youtube for "helping" comparisons, but I am not the wiser.
I have a friend who thinks the Xbox would be the better choice. But I need to be sure I will not regret the choice after it is made.
For the record, I have never owned a gaming console before. We had a XboX 360 at my former job and I borrowed it once or twice. I have never tried the PS3.

Anyone with owner experience that would like to share their advice?

[Husar]

I personally chose the PS3, why?

I read it's a bit more powerful than the 360, not much, but a bit.

3% failure rate vs. 13% failure rate or something similar, maybe Microsoft improved it I'm not sure but the 360 also seems louder

more people in the .org chat have it, and we can play games in MP, ok not everyone all the time but when we do it's a lot of fun. maybe I'm the only one who would see this as a good reason but for me it was one, I prefer to play with people I "know" instead of random strangers when possible

BluRay! got kingdom of heaven on bluray and the additional details and crisp image are very nice, plan to buy a few more bluray movies later

so far the thing is working really fine for me and I should get my copy of battlefield: bad company sometime around this weekend
the demo of bad company surprised me how good playing an fps with that controller can work.

[Craterus]

PS3, Sigurd.

If only so you can play MP games with us.

But also because it's the better console.

[Fragony]

PS3 is soooooo quiet while the xbox360 sounds like it wants to lift of and fly away, no matter how good a set you got the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz penetrates everything, and worst of all they are very prone to hardware death. Graphics look better on the xbox360 but the ps3 is (supposedly)more powerful. Ps3 all the way if you ask me, especially as a long-term investment.

[TB666]

As a owner of both consoles I say the Xbox360.
Large library of games most of them better then on the PS3 were the common problem is long loading times and frame rate issues.
The controller is nicer on the Xbox360 even tho the sixaxis is pretty sweet when implemented right.
The main thing that the PS3 has going for it is that it's "live" is free which is very nice indeed but Xbox live despite the price(which is cheap if you compare to let say MMORPG monthly fees) is better then PS3.
Just downloading DLCs is just such a difference in speed. It took me 10 minutes to download a 10mb patch on PS3, the same size would only take a minute or 2 on Xbox live on the same connection.
Of course you can't argue with the actual price of the console where the Xbox360 goes for the same price as a Wii and the PS3 costs almost as much as 2 Xbox360s.

Reliability of course is still a problem with the 360 but with the latest hardware it is more quiet, cooler and more reliable(PS3 is of course more quiet, cooler and reliable).
Problem with RRoD is there still but they have increase the lifespan of it and the latest hardware that should come out in august or so should get rid of the problem for good(well according to guesses by the experts).
Naturally this is provided that you take care of your Xbox, keeping it in a unstable and enclosed area is a one way road to RRoD or other issues.
Keep it on a stable table where air can flow freely and you should have no problem.

If you are short on cash then Xbox360.
Got lots of money ?? Get a xbox360 and buy more games to it.

[Sigurd]

All good advice there friends...

Just to pinpoint the choices I have.
It is between the Xbox 360 Elite with 120GB HDD
and the only version they sell here which is the PS3 40GB version.

The price difference is around €100 EUR in favour of the Xbox.

And I saw a flick on youtube about the graphic difference. The uploader changed some display settings on the PS3 and showed us the difference (before changes and after). It looked like a redux of Assasins creed Xbox360 vs PS3.

[TB666]

AC is a good example of what the PS3 has going against it.
It's dev tools are very difficult to work with causing long dev times(which means developers loose more money), various problems or in worst case scenario, scrap the whole project(Frontlines fuels of war was suppose to come out on PS3 but the devs decided to scrap it since they found the dev tools to be a nightmare to work on).
Long loading times or frame rate issues are another common problem as mentioned before. Now the loading times and frame rate issues aren't the fault of the actual machine, it is once again the dev tools forcing the developers to release the port before it's fully optimised(PS3 exclusives are fine on this area no doubt since Sony pay the devs extra so they have time to fix it). Loading times seem to be fixed by allowing the game to install certain files on your PS3.
MGS4 for example has to install each time you enter a new act. Now the first act takes around 10 minutes to install(seeing Snake smoke gets boring I tell you) but thankfully the other acts are faster, around 3-4 minutes.
AC is different, the PS3 version actually has a more stable framerate compared to the Xbox360 which can take a dip when in a large crowds.
But they did this by turning down the graphics a tad, same with Oblivion.
So when it comes to multi-port games Xbox360 is easily the winner leaving PS3 to survive on it's exclusives.
And the loss of Final Fantasy exclusive no doubt damaged the PS3 severely.

[Fragony]

Well it comes down to this, xbox has the goods, ps3 the potential, if you own a good pc there is no reason to buy an xbox, but all the more to buy a ps3 because you will get your hands on all these crazy japanese titles comming from the over 20 softwarehouses that are owned by Sony, softwarehouses that produced more then a few gems for the ps2, just about everything that appears on the xbox will eventually make it to the pc. I take it you want to buy a console because you want a different taste of gaming, the same on your tv with awkward controls won't deliver if so.

[Husar]

If you get a 360 I will see that as a personal insult Sigurd, do you really hate me that much?

I mainly bought the thing because upgrading the PC means I spend about as much for the graphicscard as I did for the whole console. That also means I will get FarCry2 etc for the PS3.

And you all ignored the BluRay, the 360 only offers HD-DVD which is pretty much dead by now and the downloadable content is mostly for the USA and offers worse quality than you should expect when it's labeled HD. So even the wifey should appreciate watching BluRay movies in 1080p, provided you have the TV for it.

[Fragony]

And you all ignored the BluRay

Payed 1200 (well something like that) guilders for the PS2 because it also had a dvd player 2 months later it went for 600. You get a free DVD player with cornflakes nowadays, which are much much better then the whiny piece of crap that's build into in the ps2. First generation blu-ray player hurray for nothing.

[Husar]

I watched a BluRay already and it wasn't loud and it looked good, why would you need a 16x BluRay player when a 2x one is already sufficient to watch all those BluRay movies?

Concerning hard disk space, you can replace the Ps3s HDD with any 2.5" HDD (I'd like to do that once a 128GB SLC HDD is somewhat affordable).

[TB666]

And you all ignored the BluRay,

No not really.
Just that when you buy a gaming console you generally talk about the games.

[Fragony]

I watched a BluRay already and it wasn't loud and it looked good, why would you need a 16x BluRay player when a 2x one is already sufficient to watch all those BluRay movies?

Only the newest tv's are ready for full HD, and these newest tv's are going to be outclassed in a year. Bluray in the ps3 is good because it can hold and stream a lot of information but for the pixelmaniac it's a novelty that's going to be stinging because of a lack of blingbling very soon.

[Husar]

Only the newest tv's are ready for full HD, and these newest tv's are going to be outclassed in a year.

Going by that logic you would never buy any technical gadgets, despite that it's hard to outclass the cureent TVs using a similar technology, once you have good colours, no lag and a sufficient resolution the only real improvement can be in the price, but yet again, that goes for almost everything technical and it's worse with PCs for example. Despite that you connect a 360 to a TV as well and my PS3 is connected to a 24' PC monitor with full HD for 334EUR, the colours aren't perfect because it's a TN panel but the same goes for DVDs and BluRays still look a lot better on it than DVDs.
the quality of a Tv doesn't have a lot to do with the console you choose, either picture will look better on a decent HDTV, simply because they outclass older TVs as you say.

Bluray in the ps3 is good because it can hold and stream a lot of information but for the pixelmaniac it's a novelty that's going to be stinging because of a lack of blingbling very soon.

What blingbling? I seriously don't get it.

[Sigurd]

Concerning hard disk space, you can replace the Ps3s HDD with any 2.5" HDD (I'd like to do that once a 128GB SLC HDD is somewhat affordable).

Really? Didn't know that. Anyone know how fast the current 40GB HDD in the PS3 is?
5400 or 7200rpm?
And I only have a HD ready TV, so no full HD for me yet.

When it comes to a gaming PC, it has been years since I bought one. I just bought a cheap Acer L5100 machine as a desktop upgrade. It is fairly good, but can't run decent game graphics. It runs BF2 on full settings, but it still doesn't look right. I think there was an extra level of quality when I had my über laptop from my last job (Nvidia 512MB FS quadro) which is missing on this one.
It is my first machine with Vista and it is smaller that a A4 sheet (thicker but smaller) and the Vista Aero look is just sweet.

So basically I am looking for a console that will replace the absence of a decent gaming rig.

[Kekvit Irae]

Copied from another forum:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Well, it's no doubt that the industry is really improving, and the games are getting better, and so are the graphics and the media. So, you want to get yourself into one of these, or all of these systems? Well look no further as this guide may help you out decide what you want. Keep in mind, I just made this up today, so if you see any problems here, let me know.


X-Box 360
Microsoft, known for the infamous OS known as windows and has been started by the richest man in the world: Bill Gates, who came out with their second gaming console. Their first console was the X-Box, which seemed like it didn't have the potential at first, in fact people claimed that the system stayed online only because of Halo. While a lot of ass-holes got their desu handed to them, the X-Box showed how Online gaming on consoles should be done, and now we see the follow up that is the 360. With better hardware, which also means better graphics, the system launches in November 2006 (The year I moved to Texas), and it proves to be successful so far. While it seems the 360 has a bright future, does it have the potential to be awesome?

List of System Models:

Core (No longer in production)
-All White
-No HDD
-Wired Controller
-AV Composite
-$299.99
-Non-backwards Compatible

Premium
-White w/ Reflective DVD Lid
-20GB HDD
-Wireless Controller
-Headset Included
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV/Component (HD)
-$349.99 (Was $399.99)
-Early Models included an X-Box 360 Media Remote.
-Now may come packaged with two games: Marvel Ultimate Alliance & Forza Motorsport 2.
-Backwards Compatible for most X-Box games.

Elite
-Black w/ Reflective DVD Lid
-120GB HDD
-Wireless Controller (Black)
-Headset (Black) Included
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV/Component (HD)
-HDMI Compatible
-$449.99
-Backwards Compatible for most X-Box games.

Arcade
-White w/ Reflective DVD Lid
-256MB Memory Card Included
-Wireless Controller
-AV Composite
-$279.99
-Includes five Live Arcade games

Halo 3 Special Edition (No longer in production)
-Green w/ Reflective (Tan) DVD Lid, and markings.
-20GB HDD (w/ Tan Reflection)
-Wireless Controller (Green)
-Headset (Green) Included
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV/Component (HD)
-HDMI Compatible
-Play & Charge Kit Included
-One Month of X-Box Live Included
-$399.99


Notable Features
-Great Online service (with a fee).
-Able to play MP3 or WMA music files from a CD, or Portable Player sources. Able to rip a CD.
-Able to play Movies on DVD format.
-Able to download games and movies from X-Box Live to play at any time.
-Able to upload/view JPEG photos taken from a digital camera or a portable device.
-Download game demos for free to try out before purchase.
-Connect up to Four Controllers (three wired using USB)
-Three USB Ports. Two in front, and one behind adjacent to the Ethernet Port.
-Can run up to 1080p. Most of the games can run up to 1080i.
-Some 360 Hardware can be used on the PC (such as the X-Box Live Vision, X-Box 360 Wired/Wireless Controllers, etc)
-Connect your 360 to a Windows Media Center based PC to use it as some kind of Tivo or something like that. Or you could just view photos, video clips, and music on any XP or Vista based machine.
-Earn achievements and gamer-points for your Gamer Profile, giving you every reason to go back to your games to play for more!
-Listen to music, view your gamer profile, look at your friends list and send messages or invites any time during any game!
-Supports a USB Keyboard, allowing you to type in anything faster and more effectively.

Notable Accessories
-Wired Controllers (Connect to your 360, or to your PC via USB. $29.99)
-Wireless Controllers (Connect wirelessly to your 360. Use the Play&Charge USB cord to play wired. Comes in different colors. $39.99)
--White, Light Blue, Pink, Black, Halo 3 (two versions), and Green (Halo 3 SE System exclusive).
-Rechargable Battery Pack (Charges up to two rechargeable battery packs. Includes one Rechargeable. $29.99)
-Play&Charge Kit (Turn your Wireless 360 controller into a wired, and charge the rechargeable battery at the same time. Includes one Rechargeable. $19.99)
-Wireless Gaming Receiver (Use your Wireless 360 hardware on your PC. Includes the necessary software to install. $19.99)
-Universal Media Remote (Program your remote to use with the TV. Use it to surf your 360 outside a game, or to control the in-game music player. $19.99)
-Live Vision (A basic web cam. Can be used with the PC. $29.99. Purchasing a kit includes Uno and One month of X-Box Live Gold. $39.99)
-Messenger Kit (Plugs in a mini-keyboard on the 360 controller. $29.99)
-Wireless Network Adapter (Connect to your Wireless Router wirelessly. $99.99)
-20GB HDD (Store up to 20 Gig of memory. X-Box 360 Premium includes this. $99.99)
-120GB HDD (Store up to 120 Gig of memory. Includes a transfer kit to transfer data from a 20GB HDD to this. $179.99)
-512MB Memory Card (Store up to 512 meg of memory. May include a specific X-Box Live Arcade game, being either Worms, or Geometry Wars Evolved. $49.99)
-HD-DVD Player (Allows you to play Movies in HD-DVD format. $199.99)
-Wireless Racing Wheel (Best used for Driving-based games such as Forza or PGR3. $99.99)
-XBL Communicator (A basic headset for talking to others online. $19.99)
-XBL Blue-Tooth Headset (A wireless version of the Communicator. $39.99)
-Pelician Inter-cooler (It's a basic intercooler, but it mounts onto the 360 by the USB and AV port. It has a basic Composite and Component output (as in you can use whatever cables you got instead of 360 official cables) and a VGA port (you can play on your computer monitors now!). Only works with early Premium, Core, and Arcade 360s. $14.99)

My Game Recommendations
-Bio-Shock (An original FPS with awesome graphics and excellent gameplay. Also available on the PC. $59.99)
-Mass Effect (Made by the creators of Star Wars KOTOR. Also for PC. $39.99)
-Lost Oddesy (A fun and original RPG. $59.99)
-Dead Rising (Very enjoyable SP in this game! $19.99)
-Gears of War (It's a fun game to play, despite the repetitive single player. but the multiplayer may hold you over for a while. Also for PC. $39.99)
-Forza Motorsport 2 (A realistic racing game. $19.99)
-Saint's Row (A GTA-inspired game. $29.99)
-Crackdown (Think GTA but with Cops and with steroids involved. $19.99)
-Halo 3 (What could I say, it's a basic FPS that was WAY over-hyped. But whatever, it's an okay game, and it was one of the main reasons people bought the 360 to begin with. $59.99)

Other's Game Recommendations
-Blue Dragon (The storyline doesn't really take off until the 2nd half, but overall, it's a fun JRPG. -starwars64

Other things to consider
-Shopping on X-Box Live
--You are required either a credit card or a retail card in order to purchase anything from Live.
---For Live, you can use your credit card, which will automatically pay for the service after the time expires, or a retail card which will only go until time expires, and then you can use another retail card, or switch to using a credit card.
---For Everything else, you need Microsoft Points (MP), and you'll have to use a retail card ($20=1,600/$50=4,000), or withdrawal funds from a credit card and exchange them for points. The points are not redeemable for cash or anything else, but only acts as credits for anything you want to purchase on live.
-X-Box Live Silver service
--Provides access to downloadable content, including maps, movies, etc, as well as exchange messages to friends and other players.
--Free.
-X-Box Live Gold service
--Provides the benefits of Silver, plus the ability to play games online.
--1 Month: $7.99
--3 Months: $19.99
--A year (plus 1 month if you purchase a retail card): $49.99
-A typical Live Arcade Game
--$5 (400MP) for Greatest Hits (about ten available), $10 (800MP) for everything else.
--Takes up about less than 500MB, depending on the game.
-A typical X-Box Original
--$15 (1,200MP).
--Takes up about less than 3GB, depending on the game.
-A typical Movie
--About $5-$20 (400MP-1,600MP), depending on the movie.
--Takes up about less than 3GB, depending on the movie.
-Possibility of your system bricking, or receiving the "Red Ring Of Death"
--If such a scenario occurs, either get the system fixed or replaced by Microsoft, get it repaired by a local electronics store (such as the FORUM TV, my local place), or try the towel trick as done by ScrewAttack.com, who has learn from some other source.
-X-Box Originals (Disc-based or Downloaded)
--The X-Box 360 plays all X-Box Originals through Software Emulation, and it's only compatible with a selection of X-Box Titles. Visit the link for a list of supported games along with some notes of possible problems (as a result of emulation): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._with_Xbox_360


Personal Opinion/Criticism
-I enjoyed the system for two years, and I even thought this system would stand out against all other systems in the race. However, there's a lot of bullshit going on here. I mean when the RROD appears, that means you'll have to send in your 360 and wait a few weeks before you get your system back, or replaced. As a result, the Live Arcade games I purchased can only be played when I'm connected on Live (in other words, I cannot play those games offline. Plus, you throw in the annoying folks (mainly five year olds and drunken idiots) that play this game, trust me, I know quite a few of them personally, and your experience with the system is pretty much done. So now I think the system is on a decline right now. That's just me though.


Nintendo Wii
Nintendo's sixth home console so far. Nintendo was known for bringing the industry where they're at today, thanks to the original NES, and has brought forth a lot of innovations on the N64. Back in the 80s and 90s, Nintendo was just amazing as they revolutionized the whole gaming industry where Atari left off. Nowadays, after their "meh" Gamecube, Nintendo is starting to show some decline, and they're really taking a huge risk with their Wii, not making it as powerful as the PS3, or even the 360. However, the Wii is the hottest system out there, but is it as hot as people think it is?

List of System Models (lol, there's only one XD ) :

Basic
-All White.
-Built-in HDD
-Basic Wii-Mote
-Nunchuk (Wii-Mote attachment) Included
-Sensor Bar Included
-AV Composite
-Wii-Sports Included
-$249.99
-Backwards Compatible with Gamecube Games.

Notable Features
-Play your Wii using the fully motion capable Wii-Mote, and add on to the motion capability with the nunchuk.
-Four Ways to play for certain games. A Wii-Mote (Pointing, or act as a basic controller by holding Vertically), Wii-Mote+Nunchuk (For additional Motion actions and controls), Classic Controller (To connect to your Wii-Mote to act as a basic wireless controller), and a Gamecube Controller (To use to play Gamecube Games or as the Classic Controller alternative).
-Play all your favorite Gamecube Titles flawlessly on your Wii, with support for Gamecube controllers and memory cards!
-Play some of the old classics by downloading from the Shopping Channel to use on the Virtual Console!
-Free Online play using the Friend-Code feature.
-Use SD Memory Cards to view JPEG photos on the Photo Channel, or listen to MP3 music files (MP3 format is replaced by the AAC format if you update the channel to v1.1).
-Create your own Virtual Avatar with the Mii feature. You can even use your Miis for some of your games.
-Access to the internet with your Wii with the built-in wireless Wi-Fi adapter
-A trial version of the Internet channel is included, so you can surf the web on your Wii with limited features.

Notable Accessories
-Wii-Mote (The basic controller for your Wii. $39.99)
-Nunchuk (The attachment to extend the Wii-Mote's capabilities. $19.99)
-Classic Controller (Connect this to your Wii-mote to turn it into a wireless controller. Compatible with all VC games. $19.99)
-Wii Zapper (A hunk of plastic to attach your Wii-mote and nunchuk on to make it feel like a light gun. Feels okay to me, but feels rubbish to everyone else. Includes Link's Crossbow Training software. $19.99)
-Nyko Perfect Shot (A way better Alternative to the Wii Zapper. Attach your Wii-mote, and use the iron-sight and the pistol grip to dominate the light-gun games. $14.99)
-Nyko Wireless Nunchuk (A wireless alternative to the Nunchuk. $29.99)
-Lan Adapter (Connect to your Wii with a wire. $19.99)
-Wheel (A hunk of plastic to attach your Wii-mote on to make it "feel" like a racing wheel. $9.99)

My Game Recommendations
-Super Paper Mario (A very exciting Single Player experience. $29.99)
-Super Mario Galaxy (Great looking graphics, ear pleasing music tracks, and great controls. $49.99)
-Metroid Prime 3: Corruption ($49.99)
-Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (A Great SP experience. Also available on the game cube. $29.99)
-No More Heroes (A great storyline and exciting game play from the creator of Killer7. $19.99)
-Warioware Twisted ($39.99)
-Zach & Wiki (Fun, original, very enjoyable, and what a bargin! $19.99)
-Super Smash Bros Brawl (A fun multiplayer game to play with your friends. Despite the gameplay being inferior to Melee, the flawed online mode, and some other flaws, it's a pretty enjoyable party game. $49.99)
-Mario Kart Wii (It's an okay racing game in my opinion. Nothing too much to it. Includes a hunk of plastic to put on your Wii-mote, also known as the Wheel! $49.99)
-Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Said to be the superior version. Play the game that basically reinvented itself with a new way to control! $19.99)
-Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles (If you're into on-rail shooters/light-gun games, and you want to discover more of the plot in the RE series, this game is for you. $29.99)
-House of the Dead 2&3 (You get an awesome game, coupled with a not so awesome game. $29.99)

Other Game Recommendations
-Boom Blox (A very fun puzzle game that shows that EA can make good 3rd-party titles on the Wii. -starwars64)
-Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (A FPS with amazing controls and with a fun campaign, awesome arcade mode, and great online options, it's truly worth the price tag. -starwars64)

Other things to consider
-Shopping on the Shopping Channel
--You are required to either have a credit card or a retail card in order to purchase anything on the Shopping Channel.
---To redeem Wii Points (WP), you'll either have to purchase a retail card ($20=2,000WP) or use a credit card to exchange funds for points. You can then use those points to purchase Virtual Console games, Wii-Ware Games, or Wii Channels.
-Virtual Console
--The Wii plays all games downloaded from VC through Software Emulation, which means there might be some problems during emulation such as control lag, audio disoriention, etc. For a list of games that are currently on virtual console, go to this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...rth_America%29 For some games, there might be some alteration as a result of emulating the game. Browse an article about such game and find information about the VC Port. Example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch-O...ring_Mr._Dream
--Typical Game Prices
---Nintendo Entertainment System/Sega Master System=$5 (500WP)
---Turbo Graphix 16=Varies $6-$8 (600WP-800WP)
---Sega Genesis/Super NES=$8 (800WP)
---Nintendo 64=$10 (1,000WP)
---Neo Geo=$12 (1,200WP)
-Wii-Ware games
--Like X-Box Live Arcade and PSN Games, the Wii now has a set of downloadable games on the Wii. I don't have any clue about it, but I heard that these games take up a lot of hard drive space on the Wii. Nintendo is currently making some kind of expansion to fix this problem.
-Wii Channels
--All, except for the Internet Channel, are free for download. Nothing much to explain about them, except the Internet channel is only $10 (1,000WP), and it's very well worth it if you plan on surfing the web on your Wii.

Personal Opinion/Criticism
-It's a pretty fun system, and good to bring to Parties, and also fun if your a retro gamer. However, besides it's controls, the Wii isn't really pushing any envelopes here and it all comes down to this system looking like a last-gen system. Also, the craptastic third-party games that keep coming out day after day, made by some companies who don't know how to work the controls (like EA), and other companies we don't know about, nor do we give a flying desu for, are pretty much just killing my appreciation for the Wii. I mean you have to literally dig your way through the shelves to find a good Wii game that isn't made by Nintendo. With the out-dated hardware, and the mountain-loads of shit (aka Third-party games), I have bad feelings for Nintendo that they probably won't survive this generation. In fact, I think they should quit the console race and stick to the handhelds for now until they're ready to put their asses in gear next time.


Playstation 3
Ah, Sony, the company that made gaming even more popular than it was before with their Playstation, hell, gaming became THE pop-culture pheonamana (however you spell that term). Their Playstation 2 was a worthy successor, being the best selling game system, even TODAY! However, they bring about the Playstation 3. Everyone was excited and all knew that this system would crush all it's competitors, until the price tag came out ($599.99), which that alone made everyone cringe. However, despite the price tag, this system actually shows a lot of potential, but does it really?

List of system models:

20GB HDD Model (No longer in production)
-Black
-4 USB Ports
-AV Composite
-Six-Axis controller w/ USB Cable
-$399.99 (Was $499.99)
-PS2 Backwards Compatibility by Hardware.

60GB HDD Model (No longer in production)
-Black w/ Chrome Trim
-4 USB Ports
-Flash Drive Ports for SD, MSD, and Flash Cards.
-Built-in Wi-Fi Wireless Adapter.
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV Composite
-Six-Axis controller w/ USB Cable
-$499.99 (Was $599.99)
-PS2 Backwards Compatibility by Hardware.

40GB HDD Model
-Black w/ Chrome Trim
-2 USB Ports
-Built-in Wi-Fi Wireless Adapter
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV Composite
-Six-Axis controller w/ USB Cable
-$399.99
-Did came with Spider Man 3 on Blu-Ray

80GB HDD Model
-Black w/ Chrome Trim
-4 USB Ports
-Flash Drive Ports for SD, MSD, and Flash Cards.
-Built-in Wi-Fi Wireless Adapter
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV Composite
-Six-Axis controller w/ USB Cable
-$499.99
-Did came with Motor-Storm
-PS2 Backwards Compatibility by Software Emulation.

80GB HDD MGS4 Gun-Metal Model
-Gun Metal
-4 USB Ports
-Flash Drive Ports for SD, MSD, and Flash Cards.
-Built-in Wi-Fi Wireless Adapter
-Ethernet Cable Included
-AV Composite
-Dual-Shock 3 controller w/ USB Cable
-$499.99
-Comes bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots!
-PS2 Backwards Compatibility by Software Emulation.

Notable Features
-Great online mode, provided for free!
-HDMI Compatible.
-Able to listen to MP3 or WMA music files, and rip them out from a CD, Memory Cards, or any portable device!
-Able to play Movies on DVD or Blu-Ray format!
-Able to download games and movies from X-Box Live to play at any time.
-Able to upload/view JPEG photos taken from a digital camera or a portable device.
-Download game demos for free to try out before purchase.
-Connect up to Seven Controllers (four wired using USB)
-Can run up to 1080p. Most of the games can run up to 720p.
-Connect your PS3 to your PC to view photos, movie clips, and music from your PC.
-Connect your PSP for use for certain PS3 titles, to transfer save data, or to upload downloaded PSP or PS1 games.
-Backwards Compatible for all PS1 games by Hardware. PS2 Backwards Compatibility varies depending on the Model purchased.
-(Coming Soon) In-Game XMB. Listen to music, view your gamer profile, look at your friends list and send messages or invites any time during any game!
-Tilt-sensoring! Tilt your Six-Axis or Dual-Shock 3 controllers for more twist in controls during game play.
-Blu-Ray player! The PS3 is the cheapest Blu-Ray player available. Watch all your Blu-Ray movies on Hi-Definition!
-A built-in web browser, allowing you to browse the web straight from your PS3. You can even download almost anything off the web onto your Hard-drive or your portable devices.
-Supports a USB Keyboard and Mouse, making browsing the web, and typing in anything easier than breathing. Some games (like The Darkness or UT3) may support a Keyboard and Mouse!
-The ability to install a Linux-based OS onto the PS3 (go here for more details)

Notable Accessories
-Six-Axis Wireless (The basic wireless controller for the PS3. Has a built-in rechargeable battery. For some games, you can tilt the controller for additional controlling. $49.99)
-Dual-Shock 3 Wireless (Same as Six-Axis, only without the Solid-Black instead of Transparent, and being heavier due to the built-in vibration technology. $54.99)
-Playstation Eye (A follow-up to the PS2 Eye Toy, with improved web-cam technology, along with a built-in microphone. Most notable for it's use with Eye of Judgment (it comes packaged with that game). $49.99)
-Logitech USB Headset (A basic headset used for talking to others online. Has a Mute button. $19.99)
-Mad-Catz Blue-Tooth Universal Headset (A common PS3 blue-tooth headset. $49.99)
-MGS4 Blue-Tooth Headset (An MGS4 themed wireless headset. $59.99)
-Official PS3 HDMI Cable ($49.99)
-BD Remote (The official PS3 remote. Used to browse on the PS3, and useful for watching Blu-Ray and DVD movies. $24.99)
-PS1/PS2 Memory Card Adapter (Transfer all your saved data from your PS1 and PS2 Memory Cards onto your PS3 for use with the MC Utility, and to make back ups. USB Cable Included. $14.99)

My Game Recommendations
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Amazing single player, amazing graphics, amazing audio, everything about this game was just simply amazing, and please don't get my started about the awesome multiplayer! $59.99)
-Resistance: Fall of Man (A basic FPS that combines different elements from other famous FPSes (such as Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, etc). Not very original, but it is very entertaining, and the plot is quite good, and so is the multiplayer. $39.99)
-War-Hawk (I personally didn't enjoy this game, but I must admit, this game has a lot of things going for it, such as huge maps, 32-player multiplayer, great visuals, a lot of vehicles, and split-screen multiplayer. As long as you don't mind the lack of SP, you'll have a good time with this game. Hell, I'll probably give this game another chance. $29.99)
-Folk-Lore ($59.99)
-Motor-Storm (A fun racing game with awesome visuals, a wide variety of vehicles, and great physics. A great racing game that, while lacking a lot of tracks, makes up for it in the online. Tons of fun. $29.99)
-Unreal Tournament 3 (Okay, it's not exclusive, but the thing that makes this game better than the 360 is due to the fact that you can apply Mods on this. Then you throw on top-notch multiplayer, and you got a solid game right here. $29.99)
-Haze (At first, I thought it was a simple Halo clone with an uninspired plot, but Armake21 and PlayitBogart seems to say otherwise. It's also one of the only games to have a split-screen mode. $59.99)

Other Game Recommendations
-Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom (Not for the graphic-whores. -TNG)
-Heavenly Sword (This is how God of War should be ripped off. -TNG)
-The Eye of Judgment (Okay, you'll have to like cards for this one. -TNG)
-Ratchet & Clink Future (The best platformer on the PS3 and truly shows what the system is capable of. Also the best one in the Ratchet & Clank series. -Starwars64)
-Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (-xdgen84)
-LAIR

Other things to consider
-Shopping on the Playstation Network
--If you wish to purchase games and add-ons from the PSN, you'll have to have a Credit Card handy. Unlike the 360 and the Wii, there are no points to redeem, and you can pay for your purchases at the exact prices without having any cash left over. In other words, instead of playing $10 worth of points, and having $4 worth of points left to spend, but you cannot afford anything with that much points, you can now pay that $3.59 game at the exact price without leaving anything left out.
-A Typical PS One Game.
--You can download PS1 games to play on your PS3, or upload onto your PSP to play at any time!
--Cost about $2.99-$9.99, and takes up less than 800MB of space.
-A Typical PSN Game.
--Cost about $1.99-$19.99, and takes up less than 1GB of space.
-A Typical PS3 Downloadable.
--Basic PS3 game that you can download instead of purchasing from a retail. So far there's War-Hawk and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
--$39.99, and takes up less than 3GB of space.

Personal Opinion/Criticism
-At first, I was very skeptical about the PS3, mainly due to ridiculous claims and the flaws present in it's early versions, and it was also due to the idiotic fan-boys that prevented me from ever considering to buy a PS3, but there was one reason why I wanted it, Metal Gear Solid 4. The fan-boyism kind of died down, and I was considering to buy the PS3 as time went on. I eventually got my own PS3 as a Christmas present, and man, call me a hypocrite, but I actually like the system. I mean I don't really understand why L2 and R2 had to be trigger-like buttons (they don't feel right to me when playing FPSes if either one is for shooting), but other than that, the system itself is actually pretty awesome. Sony is getting their shit together, they seem like they're going to stop with the desu that's been going on, and as long as they're going to stop treating their fans like ass, then I'll be a happy customer.


Are you looking for games on multiple consoles?

My Game Recommendations
-Lost Planet (A fun little third-person shooter with good online options. On the PS3 with all the features, and on the 360 Platinum Hits w/ Colonial Edition, also having all the features. $17.99-$39.99)
-Alone in the Dark (An underrated Survival Horror game with next gen features and a great AITD game we've seen in a while since the first. On the 360 and PC, and also on the PS2 and Wii with downgraded graphics. $49.99-$59.99)
-The Orange Box (Includes five games: Half-Life 2, HL2 Episode 1, HL2 Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. The PC version includes Peggle and HL2 Deathmatch to go along, while the 360 and PS3 versions are just as it is. $49.99-$59.99)
-Rainbow Six Vegas (A fun game with a unique cover system. I wouldn't say it's as good as the first or third game, but this one is a lot of fun, especially due to the 4-player co-op. On the 360, PS3, and PC. There's also a PSP spin-off. $19.99-$29.99)
-Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (A good follow up with a couple of new features and more balanced game play. On the 360, PS3, and PC. $59.99)
-Peter Jackson's King Kong (It isn't Bio-shock, nor is it the Darkness, but it's a solid SP game to say the least. $5.99-$18.99)
-The Darkness (Amazing Single Player experience, along with nice looking graphics, coupled with great game play. Just as long as you ignore the multiplayer, you'll have one hell of a blast! On the 360, PS3, and PC. The PS3 version supports Mouse & Keyboard. $19.99)
-Metal Slug Anthology (If you're into Contra-style game play, or if you're a Metal Slug fan, consider this game worth a purchase! On the PS2 and Wii. $19.99)
-Call Of Duty 4 (If you like FPSes, you'll love this game. A unique, yet short, Campaign mode with a lot of options in multiplayer. There's a GOTY edition that includes four new maps. $39.99-$59.99)
-Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. An excellent WRPG with many things to do, and hours upon hours worth of game play. Regular versions are $29.99, but GOTY editions include the expansion pack, Silver Isles, for $59.99)

Other Game Recommendations
-Guitar Hero III (The third game in a series where you feel like you're playing an actualy guitar, except this one now has online play and boss battles. On 360, Wii, PC, PS2, and PS3. -starwars64)
-Rock Band (Instead of just a guitar, this game allows you to make a band and use all instruments. On 360, Wii, PC, PS2 and PS3. -starwars64)
-Baroque (A weird but interesting dungeon crawler that should appeal to retro gamers. On Wii and PS2. -starwars64)
-Devil May Cry 4 (On PS3 and 360. -xdgen84)

-----------------------------------------------------
Well, I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I hope you found it very helpful. If you have any suggestions to make this guide better, or anything you want to say, just leave a comment. Oh, and my opinions, and whatever I said here that isn't an official fact doesn't necessarily reflect the opinions of others as whatever I said is based on my own experiences.

tl;dr version: Wii sucks, Xbox 360 still the king, PS3 soon to dethrone the 360.

[Husar]

So basically I am looking for a console that will replace the absence of a decent gaming rig.

That's more or less what I did and I obviously went with the PS3, all the good games are coming for it and the 360 anyway with a few exclusives on both sides, it's quieter and the online service is free. And even if BluRay is as superfluous as some say, you still get the capability and it works.

Oh and we can play online.

[Leet Eriksson]

Well the 360 is much more superior to the ps3 in several ways, but consider this:

Downloaded games can be shared on the PS3, there are dedicated servers for online gaming(not available on xbox, have fun playing with whatever guy hosting his game in some god forsaken land), it does not require a monthly payment, and the media center is very simple to use and doesn't require much of a setup like the 360.

Library of games is a bit limited, but as far as i'm concerned most of the good games are multiplatform anyway and you won't miss a thing with the slightly poorer graphics performance.

[drone]

Penny Arcade's take based on the E3 presentations for the 3 consoles. You try to guess which panel belongs to which console (warning:language):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/7/16/

[TB666]

Copied from another forum:

That contained alot of bad info.

1. Xbox360 premium is no longer in production
2. All new Xbox360 has HDMI
3. Very few games if any supports 1080i/p on the 360. The PS3 have a few.
4. Downloading movies on Xbox Live is only in the US. Europe has no such feature.
5. Lair sucked
6. Lost Planet is without a doubt far superior on the Xbox360
7. Alone in the dark oh come on. Sure it is taking alot of heat at the moment and personally I didn't think it was that bad but to recommend it is just sick.
8. If he didn't like Halo 3 then why is he recommending it ??
9. Guitar Hero 3 sucked.

[Kekvit Irae]

7. Alone in the dark oh come on. Sure it is taking alot of heat at the moment and personally I didn't think it was that bad but to recommend it is just sick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLk_1mrSmeM
Needless to say, language warning.

[TB666]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLk_1mrSmeM
Needless to say, language warning.

Well it seems the PC version got the worse end.
The spoony experiment bashed the game to no end and reported issues that I never had and he played the PC version.
Still it is not game that you would advise people to buy.

[Fragony]

Thinking of getting it, I can live with a few mistakes if a game is that ambitious, probably be getting it for the Wii.

[TB666]

Thinking of getting it, I can live with a few mistakes if a game is that ambitious, probably be getting it for the Wii.

Well the problems I have are the little things.
The controls are a bit weird, swings doesn't always work etc.
Just the little things that after a while will start bother you.

[frogbeastegg]

There was a thread about this before; I can't find it so I can't copy my thoughts over from it. To give a summary:

My advice is to forget the hardware. It doesn't matter that much when it comes to consoles. Look at the games, then choose based on the console with the most appealing titles. It's the games which make or break a console.

My own feelings on the consoles as I own all 3:
The PS3 is a fantastic piece of hardware. It makes DVDs and PS2 games look beautiful on my HD TV, however the PS2 backwards compatibility is gone from newer models. It really is a quality piece of kit, and I think that each and every time I use it. However it fails for me as a games console because there are very few exclusives on it so far that I want. The multiplatform games are frequently cheaper on the 360. My PS3 gets most of its usage upscaling PS2 games; it's a PS2.5. There is no way I'd swap mine for a model without BC, and I wouldn't part with it and go back to my trusty old PS2.

The 360 is a piece of junk. It's noisy. It's the only console I have ever had break in my entire gaming life. It feels cheap, especially in comparison to my PS3. It gets more play time than any other console purely and simply because it has lots of games I want to play. This generation the 360 is the RPG box, not the playstation. Don't be misled by the console's reputation for being a FPS and racing box with little else; it has far more available.

The wii is an excellent support console. It's a poor primary console. Games like Metroid Prime 3 keep me riveted to the system, then I finish them and it's weeks or months before something else tempts me to play. This is in part down to the control system. When I sit down I'm on the very edge of the pick up zone for the wiimote's pointer functions, so control fizzes out. I have to stand up in order to get close enough for it to pick up reliably. Standing up is the last thing I want to do after a day at work as I stand for upwards of 8 hours and walk an average of 6 miles in the line of duty!

Look at the games. Go read a bunch of reviews, get some recommendations, and make a list for each console. Then see how you feel.

Thinking of getting it, I can live with a few mistakes if a game is that ambitious, probably be getting it for the Wii.

Noooooo! Don't get the wii version if you have anything else you can play it on! Like you I'm interested in giving the game a go, and I did some reading to see which version was the least problematic. Everything I have read says that the wii version by far the worst, and it's actually a different game to the one on 360 and PC. Handy review here. The 360 version is the version of choice. The PC one is a flawed port; it still refers to the xbox controls no matter what set up you have, for example.

I'm kind of tempted to wait for the PS3 version. They might fix some of the problems. Although the 360 version's price is dropping rapidly, so I may be tempted to be impatient.

[Fragony]

Many thanks, noisebox version it is but I want to love my wii

[Lehesu]

Buy the console for the games, not the hardware, not as a pocket DVD player. Do you really, really, really need that extra graphical oomph that a PS3 will give over the 360? If you have a TV that is good enough to tell the difference, well, you should have enough money to buy both consoles if you want ;). In my experience, I feel the Xbox 360 still holds the edge over the PS3, both in price point and catalogue of games. The PS3 just isn't commanding as many exclusives as Sony traditionally has (FF XIII being a great example).

[Xiahou]

The wii is an excellent support console. It's a poor primary console. Games like Metroid Prime 3 keep me riveted to the system, then I finish them and it's weeks or months before something else tempts me to play. This is in part down to the control system. When I sit down I'm on the very edge of the pick up zone for the wiimote's pointer functions, so control fizzes out. I have to stand up in order to get close enough for it to pick up reliably. Standing up is the last thing I want to do after a day at work as I stand for upwards of 8 hours and walk an average of 6 miles in the line of duty!

Sensor bar problems should be easily resolved. Did you try moving it to the top/bottom of the TV? Also bear in mind that the sensor bar need not even be directly on the TV- it could be several feet away. If need be, you could get one of the battery powered sensor bars and put it anywhere you need to.

My biggest problem with it is that when sitting on my couch, the IR partially reflects off the top of my coffee table, making the pointer very jumpy in the bottom corners of the screen. I have a Sumo beanbag chair though, and usually play from there instead.

Only slightly more on topic, I think the best game system is really the DS. It has a huge library of games, and the ability to be played anywhere. Between just the PS3 and the 360? I'm not sure how I'd go. The 360 has the better library, but otoh, most of it's smash hits seem to make their way to the PC eventually. The PS3 has more promising hardware, but outside of a few standout titles, there's not much to get excited about.

For my part, I decided not to lay out funds for either of them right now. Between the PC, Wii, PS2, DS & PSP I really have more games than I know what to do with.

[Fragony]

I am with Xi *checks again* yes ' Xiahou' I am with Xiahou. The DS is currently where the good stuff is. Using the stylus never gets old and with good headphones the sound is exceptional, laying in your bed in the dark with your DS is like being at the movies because you hold it so close to your face and the amount of awesome games is almost unlimited, and you get a GBA for free with it on tops. Such an exceptional piece of hardware. The wii is a huge dissapointment and my 360 is only there because I like to use an apple because I am a snob.

[Sigurd]

Thank you people for interesting replies.
I am however only considering the Xbox360 Elite or the PS3. Even though Wii is fun and ... well ... cheap, fun and peppy.

So which one would be the best choice today?
I don’t quite agree that you choose hardware based on existing games. You need to consider hardware with future games in mind.
What you have said made me consider the actual specs.

Processor
PS3: CBEA 8 cores at 3.2 GHz (1 core for managing the other cores and 1 disabled) with each having 512KB L2 cache producing 204 Gigaflops.
Xbox360: IBM Xenon 3 cores at 3.2 GHz with 1MB L2 cache producing 116 Gigaflops.

Combining the CPU and GPU power gives:
PS3 : 2 TFlops , Xbox360 : 1 TFlop.

Memory:
PS3: 256 MB XDR Main memory and 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM dedicated video memory. Memory bandwidth : 25.6 GB/s.
Xbox360: 512 MB GDDR3 SDRAM shared memory. Memory bandwidth : 22.4 GB/s.

Graphic:
PS3: nVidia RSX chip runs at 550MHz with 10MB eDRAM, 24 pixel pipelines + 12 vertex pipelines.
Xbox360 : ATI Xenos runs at 500MHz with 10MB eDRAM, 48 unified pixel/vertex pipelines.

Combining the CPU and GPU power gives:
PS3 : 51 Billion DPO/s
Xbox360 : 34 Billion DPO/s.

As I understand it, current developers are not utilizing the full potential of the PS3 yet whilst on the Xbox360 they are at the maximum of visual capacity.

Right now I am leaning towards the PS3 whilst when I started this thread I was leaning towards the Xbox360 Elite.

I must say though, that I like the Xbox controllers. How would you rate the controllers? And we are talking about its feel and function, not the wireless or battery issues.