I'm amazed how calm this thread is so far... I bet when I check back later its turned into a bloody, chaotic mess of furious opinion.

OT - I'd say from what I've picked up the two platforms have different strenghts and weaknesses such as:

PS3 has more processing power (theortically at least) but 360 processing power is easier to harness for games

360 has easier to use SDK and is more familiar to a lot of developers (particularly for games based on PC like tech such as Unreal Engine and other common middleware)

PS3 has HDD so it doesn't have to rely purely on streaming from the disk (whatever you say about BR vs DVD a HDD is best of all) - the downside is this changes game from tradition console 'stick in the disk' mentality to installs and manging disk space

360 has better online MP community capabilities

PS3 has 'slightly' better media centre capabilities in general and for sure if you count BR - I'm basing this of a number of reviews which all felt the 360 was great for streaming content from somewhere else (such as a PC) while PS3 was good at both streaming and having content on its HDD


I'd say both consoles are pretty even currently but that if devs really use the additional processing power meaningfully (i.e. not necessarily for graphics but better AI, better physics, etc) and use the HDD advantage they should be able to squeeze more out of PS3 than may be possible with 360.

Of course I don't think the 360 is topped out either and you've got to wonder when we're going to see each machine start to peak both graphically but also game complexity (AI, etc).

The problem with the current PS3 install base is that it not very economical to make a game specifically for PS3, unless it's really big like MGS that sells anyway.
Making it for PS3 and 360 combined is of course much more efficient, as the combined userbase is around 30 million.

Furthermore I'd like to agree with rocketpig that last generation all games were made for PS2, so Xbox and GC (which were significantly stronger than PS2) received games that didn't max that consoles.

In order to get most out of PS3 devs have to start making exclusives, but that will only be done if PS3 sells significantly more than 360. Until then it's lucrative to make a game for both systems at the same time.

if you guys think thats a report of epic proportion, then take a look at this newly found qoute about Mercinaries 2 on the PS3 compared to the 360:

''The world is going GTA IV crazy - and quite rightly so - but we've also been catching up with another anticipated open-world action game, Mercenaries 2. Developer Pandemic were on hand at a recent EA event, with senior producer Jonathan Zamkoff ready to update us on the Venezuelan bang-fest.
But it sounds like PS3 might actually get the better looking version in the end. Zamkoff reckons that PlayStation 3 is better than Xbox 360 at anti-aliasing, which suggests to us that Sony's version will be a sharper and perhaps more pleasing visual experience. We'll have to wait until our own eyes see the evidence to get excited, but it's interesting nonetheless.''

...yeah, its Gamesrader, but if this comes from the horses mouth then I be damned.

There's definitely a ton of potential in the machine, I just wonder whether anyone outside of first party devs and massive franchises like MGS4 will ever really take advantage of it.

Radically different architectures lead to radically different design approaches. Each console has its strengths and weaknesses. The differences have been highlighted multiple times. Perspective matters but in reality it is a game of trade offs. Having or doing something one way comes at the expense of doing something another way. Doing one thing well usually means you are doing something poorly.

In deference to the article is sound a major feature to me. The answer is no it is dead last in what I consider important. Recently someone posted a survey for a friend on these forums. That asked what gamers considered most important in a game sound was dead last. Perhaps we are jaded by the music experience in gaming, and generally turn down the games music and the effects volume, and jack up our stereos, or play the music through the console.

I actually think the last game I played that I really cared about the music was Grand Theft Auto Vice City. I have enjoyed some music in games recently like Lost Odyssey which had a very good sound track, but it never demanded my full attention like playing with the radio in Grand Theft Auto has.

That really begs the question as to how much energy any manufacturer should direct to audio quality since it is what consumers consider dead last in priorities. What is being seen as a plus for Sony is probably very unimportant on the whole. You could have lost a dedicated core and saved some cash and had a lower price point.

I wouldn't say the other consoles are holding Sony back. I would say that Sony was overconfident, and thought they could dictate to the industry where architecture would be going. While Microsoft and Nintendo were conservative. Which makes them port friendly. While it makes the PS3 a bear to code for. I think if Sony had it all to do over again they would have incorporated more common components rather then going with such a strong approach counter to the industry.

I would like to say it is nice to see developers are finding the nuances in the PS3 hardware, and thinking of ways to make exceptional gaming, but if its only going to be a look but do not touch philosophy then it is just hot air. After all it is so easy to make brownie points with a manufacturer or with a console users base. What is hard is doing right by them, and using a little something on the side to deliver a console specific shine.

In reply to games on ps3 having more stuff happening on screen.

I think it really depends on the developer.

Now Epic at GDC showed off hundreds of horde locust at GDC!

Just thought i would say to defend the 360 as this thread actually hurts it quite alot.

@Toasty, Heavenly Sword had a whole lot more on screen than that demo did :) Heavenly Sword was processing literal THOUSANDS of on-screen characters. Games like Super Stardust HD have an INSANE amount of on-screen particles managed with the physics engine, then if you've seen the background and environments in Ratchet and Clank it's just an entirely different ball game unfortunately :(

 I know lol it's no secret the ps3 has greater processing power and the games clearly benefit.

Hehehehehe, this thread is rapidly becoming my favorite thread in a long time ^^
No, I don't own a 360 ;P

Anyway, I hope we'll see more developers who can put this to the test. The only title I can think of right now that should be able to showcase this difference is Resistance 2.

Choosing to put games on the PS2 held back the GC and the Xbox. This is no different: it's important to be the dominant, not the most powerful, console. This should be no surprise.