Which one is the console to buy this generation?
This console generation started with the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in late 2005. Now that several years have passed, comparisons between the three systems (PS3, 360 and Wii) are much easier to make than in the beginning because so many games have already been released and it’s not necessary to speculate on potential anymore. Since this article is written first and foremost for gamers, PlayStation Move and Microsoft’s Natal won’t be mentioned from here on out. They really don’t matter and won’t have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick. Likewise, there’s not much of a reason to talk about the Wii, because Nintendo’s console got the short end of the stick when it comes to quality third party support. The vast majority of must have games are only available on the HD systems, so this really is about the PS3 vs. the 360.
Get a Wii if you adore Nintendo games and only that. Otherwise read on.
The primary reason to buy a video game console is obviously the games. So the first thing to do is to find out for which games specifically other gamers already bought either a PS3 or a 360. Logically speaking, the higher a game’s sales are, the more likely it is that it was the reason why the system was purchased in the first place. In other words, a look at the top sellers lists of the PS3 and 360 should give us a good idea on which games are the hottest titles to get this generation. Some still say that VG Chartz numbers are all made up, but the ones used for this article are definitely good enough because best selling games usually get press releases on their shipment numbers fairly often. There’s not much room for error here.
The definitive FPS of this generation.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the best selling game on the PS3 and it’s only a matter of time until it surpases Halo 3 on the 360 to claim that title on Microsoft’s system too. The first Modern Warfare and World at War rank very high on these lists as well. Then you have hits like Grand Theft Auto IV, the two Assassin’s Creed games and Resident Evil 5 on both consoles.
The most successful new IP on the PS3 and 360.
Going down further on both lists we find numerous Madden, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer titles among more third party multiplatform games. Exclusives, first or third party ones, are few and far inbetween, leading to the conclusion that they don’t play a major role in this generation and act more like fillers until the next Call of Duty title is released. More often than not, multiplatform games outsell exclusives, even on a single platform (example: Modern Warfare 2 on PS3 vs. Metal Gear Solid 4). The see-sawing of the hardware sales momentum between the PS3 and 360 whenever there was a price drop for either one of the HD consoles further drives this point home. With games being pretty much equally distributed between the PS3 and 360, this means that the purchase of a system was mainly driven by one of the following three key reasons throughout this generation:
- Price
- Reliability
- Brand loyalty
With the Wii it’s obvious that Nintendo games are the main reason for the system’s sales and nothing else. If you like those games, you don’t have any other choice than to buy a Wii. But when looking at which console to get out of the two HD consoles, chances are high that it comes down to a question of price, reliability and brand loyalty. The 360 obviously wins in the price category while the PS3 has the advantage on the other two points. The games are actually a secondary thought at best, because nearly all of the top selling games are available on both platforms.
Vaio - "Bury me at Milanello" R.I.P AC Milan
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
If laughing is the best medicine and marijuana makes you laugh
Is marijuana the best medicine?
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
“If any creator has not played Mario, then they’re probably not a good creator. That’s something I can say with 100 percent confidence. Mario is, for game creators, the development bible.
