I will post it here for people too lazy to open the link:
Which next-gen console should you buy this holiday season and beyond?
All three are decent choices but one edges ahead. It's the only console of the three that was built to be future-proof: the Sony Playstation 3.
It's a truly remarkable set of events when one company is seen as evil in comparison to Microsoft. Sony shot themselves in the foot by being too ambitious and lacking foresight, but that doesn't mean their wrongs in 2006 can't be, or weren't corrected. Yes, the price point of $600 was ridiculous for a gaming console, as was denying consumers one must-own, exclusive AAA title.
Yet, the Xbox 360's rabid fanbase seems to forget about the fact at least 16% of their systems were defective, and yet not a whimper comes out of that crowd comparatively to Sony's negative brand image. Perhaps Xbox fans are adrenaline junkies and risk takers who enjoy the rush of not knowing if their system will be functioning after some extensive gaming.
But, how does Sony edge out the competition?
The controller(s). The Dualshock 3 (or its rumbleless ally the Sixaxis) is a better choice than the 360 controller. They contain integrated, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that charge with any usb 2.0 cable. This is a great convenience compared with the clunky and intrusive AA battery slot on back the 360's controller. If you want Microsoft's Play-and-Charge kit expect to pay an additional $20 each.
This aside, the 360's d-pad is about as responsive as using a pizza as a steering wheel. It's not accurate, while accuracy is the only reason to use a d-pad over an analog stick. The LT and RT (trigger buttons) will leave your fingers in awkward positions unless use your index finger for all four shoulder buttons, in which case the the controller doesn't make use of its ample size. The placement of the Dualshock 3's analog sticks also provide a much needed sense of symmetry that the 360's lack.
Bluetooth. For keyboards, wireless headsets, and controllers- up to seven at once. They're not limited to propriety hardware, either.
Wifi access. This is a big one. The Wii has it, even the Playstation Portable and the Nintendo DS have it. The ability to use your console with a wireless router is a great convenience, as not everyone's router is in an accessible spot. If you want it on your Xbox 360 just shell out an extra $99.99 for a wireless network adapter.
The hard drive. Because every Sony PS3 has a hard drive, developers can specifically develop games with this in mind. The benefits are shorter load times, quick saves, and less pop-in. If you buy Microsoft's Core or Arcade model you will only get a memory card, and will be unable to download most demos, video, add-ons or other virtual content. Alternatively, Microsoft sells expensive proprietary hard drives. If you ever want to upgrade a 360 hard drive to 120GB it will cost you around $150. Meanwhile Sony's system accepts any 2.5" hard drive and you can get one 250GB in size for less than half the price.
Peripherals. In Sony's seeming effort to cut down additional consumer spending they allowed you to use 3rd party peripherals and other industry standards including usb storage devices, cameras, internal and external hard drives, and even the power supply is the common one found with most computers. It may be a nitpick but Xbox's system comes with a gigantic power brick that could double as a weapon.
Playstation Online is free. A 12-month subscription to Xbox Live costs $49.95. To add insult to injury Xbox Live users must endure advertisements. You get what you pay for.
Blu-ray. Even if high definition movies aren't your thing, it matters.
A DVD can store about 8.5GB of data, meanwhile a BD can store up to 50GB. More size means more content, and less compression means better sound and graphics.
Future-proof. With firmware upgrades and downloadable content, the lifespan for this system can be quite long. All the necessary functionality is there. Meanwhile Microsoft all but forced obsolescence upon the original Xbox after four years. The PS2 is on its eighth year and didn't seem as ambitious as its successor.
Hardware. 16% to some reports of 30% (or more) of original Xbox 360's got the Red Ring of Death. Three red lights that appear to recognize your hardware as faulty and rendering your console useless. When you get the RRoD you must send your system in to Microsoft for repair. They were rushed to market, and hence designed and constructed poorly in comparison to the Wii and PS3, both which have low, average-for-electronics rates of failure. That explains the class action lawsuit against Microsoft. On the positive side it appears newer Xbox 360 systems are much less prone to failure.
Additionally, the Xbox 360's DVD drive is loud as hell. Basically, the hardware's more menacing than HAL 9000.
Exclusives. This is where the most subjective battle lies after the righteous facts just dropped upon you by yours truly.
Microsoft for the longest time was a one-trick pony. They had first person shooters. Now they have FPSs and three B-rate J-RPGs. Gears Of War 2, Halo 3, and Fable 2 are the only truly AAA exclusive games when you factor in most of their games get ported to PC.
In addition to shooters Sony has a wide variety of unique games and promising prospects. Their general line-up consists of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 4, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance 2, Wipeout, Motorstorm, Warhawk. Also, the recently released, stellar and much-approved-by-me LittleBigPlanet and great, unique Playstation Network games (e.g. Echochrome, Pixeljunk Eden). Sony's up-and-coming line-up provides the same variety and sophistication. God of War, the next Team Ico project (makers of Shadow of the Colossus), Infamous, Twisted Metal, Killzone 2... the list goes on and stops somewhere by Afrika.
The 3rd party stuff is all nearly identical. What mostly matters after the games is the value, which treads in Sony's direction.
Now, in order to be fair (and rampantly cynical)... reasons to get an Xbox 360 over a Playstation 3:
All of your friends were duped into getting a 360. Lets face it, online is a huge part of the current-generation gaming community and Sony dropped the ball earlier on in this department. The social and spontaneous aspects of gaming are amplified online; NPCs don't cut it anymore. If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it? If you're a good friend, hell yes you would. If this is the case you should consider a 360 and then you can chat about your Red Ring experiences at the local public shower or whatever your kind do.
It comes with component cables (not the $200 model). You can get decent hdmi or component cables for your Playstation 3 for around $7 shipped, but still, HD cables should come in-box.
Headset. Down side is every somehow-slipped-out-of-special-classes-kid with one will be able to chat with you. Hey, a free mic is a free mic.
The 360 is hip. Soulja Boy owns one.
Netflix.
Third party plague. Unfortunately, a lot of 3rd party games are developed for the weaker system first, and hence the more complex system that may require more complex coding can sometimes suffer for it. It's a problem that programmers may be lethargic or uneducated in Sony's software causing some games on multiple platforms to have slow frame rates or other problems. Still, there's few PS3 games I can recall encountering this as of late. The now-patched Orange Box comes to mind.
Backwards compatibility. The BC emulation is a joke on both consoles. My copy Chrono Cross would not fully work on Playstation 3.
Wii. Another competitor is Nintendo's Wii system. It's unfortunately neutered by Nintendo's Play It Safe campaign. Each system has a unique 16-digit console code, that to my understanding must be entered individually by both parties if you wish to communicate with others, while most online games have another, separate friend code for playing with friends in-game. It's hampered by the lack of a substantial hard drive (512MB) or alternative means of space for their digital content. This is sad, as virtual console and backwards compatibility are two things they're doing right.
It's not worth comparing in depth, as the audience for each system is vastly different, and their respective company's approach to their console is as well. Still, the online is restrictive, it uses AA batteries, and 3rd party companies appear to avoid it for fears their more-than-casual games will flop on the system.
The controls are fun, intuitive, and exciting to try when compared with standard console controls, yet it gets hard to justify the purchase of a console that may only see a few great first party games without the ability to demo any prospectively good new apps. You can look past the outdated graphics but some archaic hardware design choices and the online impediments are a tougher sell.
In closing, these words were motivated by a perceived unawareness in regards to the Playstation 3's console value and price, but also by an ad I saw on Cheap Ass Gamer listing the system for an incredibly reasonable $249.99 ($284 shipped) through Sony Rewards when you sign up for a Playstation Card and are auto-approved. Here is a link to that offer. No, that is not my referral code. (I tried to get one to no avail.) It's merely the "hook up" I'm passing along; a seemingly good deal I'd be all for had I not already bought the thing.
The other two consoles are surprisingly alike with a some key differences that make Sony's product cast a shadow over its competition in the light of research and reason.
Hey, all this and a year behind.
Thanks for reading,
lolhead productions.
