Which should I buy? A PS3 or XBOX 360?

[Final-Fan]

puffy said:

With the HD systems lower price points I'm now considering buying one but I'm not 100% on which one I want..

I am interested in the PS3 more than the 360 right now due to (1)Uncharted 2, (2)free online and (3)Blu-Ray but I'm not sure if those three items really outweigh (4)the 360's price advantage and I'm not sure how viable the PS3 is in the long term compared to the 360. (5)I see Natal as much more likely to get meaningful support than Sony's Wand and I own a Wii so Sony's Wand looks like a downgraded experience to me in that respect where as Natal looks different. I must add though that Natal/PS Wand aren't big reasons to pick one over the other as I already own a Wii and I'm not looking for a 'Wii HD' or anything like that.

(6)XBOX 360 hardware failure is another issue I have on my mind and I'm not a fan of Halo so that won't sway me. Also as much as I don't want this to turn into a (7)Forza 3 vs. GT5 debate, these are both titles that I'm highly interested in and so those should be considered.. There aren't that many exclusive titles and I'd like to pick up MW2 and NFS: Shift on whatever console I choose.. 

You guys know more about each console than I do so what do you think?

 

PLEASE DO NOT TROLL OR FLAME!! If somebody says something that you disagree with then politely correct them with your reasoning.

For the short version IMO, check the bolded portion.  But if you want details, I think this will help you make an informed decision:  

(1) Games are definitely a big part of deciding the game console you want to get, no sarcasm!  People sometimes understate this fact.  And there might be more exclusives than you think -- even ones that may interest you -- on either side, or both.  

(2) For me, I don't play enough online to justify paying for Live, but I do play enough to be annoyed that I don't have it on my 360.  So that would be a push to the PS3 if you are not OK with (or would really prefer not to) pay for online play.  

(3) Obviously if you do want a Blu-ray player getting a 360 would make you pay much more for a separate player.  

(4) IIRC the 360 doesn't actually have a price advantage anymore unless you're happy with just the Arcade.  If you are happy with an Arcade, get that.  If you want an HDD, then the PS3 and 360 are on an equal price footing, with 360 paying extra for online (or will be soon if the channel hasn't emptied on the $250 Premium -- and even then, your first year of paying for Live pretty much cancels that out).  

(5) Prepare for disappointment if you are counting on either of these.  (I am personally even more skeptical of Natal, partly for the very reason you dismiss the Wand -- crossover with the Wii will give it games, while Natal might wither on the vine.)  

(6) Honestly, I don't think you need to worry about this in 360s of recent manufacture.  Even if the 360 still has failure rates higher than the competition, it's not anything like it used to be.  

(7) I doubt either game will be less than great.