Revisiting the Xbox 360 vs. PS3 debate

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I am trying to get up the courage to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the permission to purchase a console this holiday and want to make sure I make the right choice. I see that there has already been a lot of ink spilled on the subject, but most of that looks like it is at least a year old. Rather than playing necromancer, I thought it might not be an idea to bring up a new thread on the subject.

How has the console environment changed since last year and is it the right time to purchase one of these? If so, which one? If not, what other options should I consider?

And before anyone says PC, I don't want to sink $1200+ on a PC since the aforementioned Chancellor would make my life worse than Silent Hill.

I think PS3 has the advantage just because of PSPlus. But if you do a lot multiplayer 360 is where people are.

I am not terribly into the first person shooters and twitch monkey games and haven't really participated much in multiplayer environments yet. What am I likely to encounter?

Get an xbox and I will play with you. You can get some stellar deals right now on both console and games.

Multiplayer on the Xbox also requires a subscription to Live, which normally costs $60 a year. Subscription cards do go on sale pretty often, but even then it's an added expense your wife could object to.

I use my PS3 as a blu-ray player except for the occassional must-play (Uncharted, Journey, etc.) XBox is a no-brainer to me, especially if you have any interest in online multiplayer.

A reasonable PC is more like $600 than $1200, and you can get away with less than that. Just sayin'.

Of the two I only have a 360. For years and years it was the better console, but I think over the last two the PS3 has pulled barely ahead in terms of exclusive development. I can't stand the PS3 controller though, so maybe get your hands on both before deciding. Also PSN downloads are notoriously slow. Can't stress this enough though - they're grossly similar machines at this point. Maybe check out the list of exclusives, including downloadables, and go from there.

Also, "getting to play with SallyNasty" isn't a console seller, take it from me

If you have a decent gaming PC, there is no reason whatsoever to invest in an Xbox.... the PS3 has far more true exclusives than Microsoft's junkpile.

AndrewA wrote:

If you have a decent gaming PC, there is no reason whatsoever to invest in an Xbox.... the PS3 has far more true exclusives than Microsoft's junkpile.

This.

AndrewA wrote:

If you have a decent gaming PC, there is no reason whatsoever to invest in an Xbox.... the PS3 has far more true exclusives than Microsoft's junkpile.

Hmm.

Shadow Complex, Fez, Gears of War 2 and 3, various Halo games, Dust: AET, Forza 4 and Horizon, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, and Lost Odyssey all come to mind when I think stuff you can't play on PS3 OR PC. Like I said, I think Sony's first party development is a few steps ahead, but the gap's not very big yet.

But hey, hyperbole is always more convincing, right?

$600 PC and Steam. Save the money back in software! Sleeping Dogs and Dark Souls were still at least $29-$49 on consoles when I picked them up for $18 on the last Amazon sale. I don't need to remind you about the current Steam Sale, or the upcoming Holiday Sale. PC is in a very good place right now.

Shadow Complex is the only thing I actually want from that list, Blind.

Seems like a lot of other XBLA things end up on PC/Steam eventually.

While I much prefer the Xbox due to the controller and playing multiplayer, for someone who is hopping in now and doesn't want to spend a lot, it's hard not to reccomend the PS3 if you are willing to get a plus subscription. That instant game collection will keep you busy for a while and would keep you from spending additional funds.

Oh right.

Stele wrote:

Shadow Complex is the only thing I actually want from that list, Blind.

Seems like a lot of other XBLA things end up on PC/Steam eventually.

I'm not recommending it to you!

They're both great machines at this point, and he won't have time to play everything for either. Look at the exclusives and decide what's more to your own taste.

Personally I find Sony's stable admirable but not enough to warrant a second purchase when the other 95% of the libraries are identical. That makes the PS4 a strong possibility, but that's not the topic here.

If I was looking at a console now, I'd probably be looking at the back catalogue more than what will be released in the future, so perhaps a second hand one with a bunch of games. That, or the other media features.

If I was looking to the future, I'd say the 360/PS3 probably don't have too long left, although there will be a transitional period to the next-gen. The PC doesn't really have generations, and you can build what you want.

Hmm. It sounds like the advantages for Xbox are mostly in the intangibles (e.g.: better controller feel, better multiplayer experience) and that PS3's advantages are mostly offset by the fact that most folks don't bother to watch movies on disc media anymore.

At this point it may just boil down to my wife's desire to play dance games using the controllerless controller interface.

Scratched wrote:

If I was looking to the future, I'd say the 360/PS3 probably don't have too long left, although there will be a transitional period to the next-gen.

Worth noting, if you're set on a console as you said. Right now a 360 or PS3 new will run you at least $200. If they're smart the new systems won't be more than $350-$400, which isn't too much higher and will be viable for much longer. It might not be a bad idea to wait and grab one of those early.

Swat wrote:

$600 PC and Steam. Save the money back in software! Sleeping Dogs and Dark Souls were still at least $29-$49 on consoles when I picked them up for $18 on the last Amazon sale. I don't need to remind you about the current Steam Sale, or the upcoming Holiday Sale. PC is in a very good place right now.

Does that include the cost of the monitor and decent peripherals though? Every time I hear someone say you can get a decent gaming machine for cheap, they usually just mean the tower. Keep in mind, we don't have anything but laptops in the house today.

Blind_Evil wrote:
Scratched wrote:

If I was looking to the future, I'd say the 360/PS3 probably don't have too long left, although there will be a transitional period to the next-gen.

Worth noting, if you're set on a console as you said. Right now a 360 or PS3 new will run you at least $200. If they're smart the new systems won't be more than $350-$400, which isn't too much higher and will be viable for much longer. It might not be a bad idea to wait and grab one of those early.

Cost of games would be a big factor for me. You know they'll charge as much as they can get away with for the initall, limited, catalogue they'll have on next-gen. Compare that to current-gen and there's mountains to choose from, and it'll be cheaper, especially used.

I guess that's going to be an issue for some people more than others. Being an early adopter isn't something I associate with great value.

Paleocon wrote:

Does that include the cost of the monitor and decent peripherals though?

HDMI + TV?

Paleocon wrote:
Swat wrote:

$600 PC and Steam. Save the money back in software! Sleeping Dogs and Dark Souls were still at least $29-$49 on consoles when I picked them up for $18 on the last Amazon sale. I don't need to remind you about the current Steam Sale, or the upcoming Holiday Sale. PC is in a very good place right now.

Does that include the cost of the monitor and decent peripherals though? Every time I hear someone say you can get a decent gaming machine for cheap, they usually just mean the tower. Keep in mind, we don't have anything but laptops in the house today.

I think that usually assumes you have a monitor, mouse and keyboard so at the very minimum an entry level 1920x1080 IPS panel would run you another $120 on top of that. A decent keyboard - I couldn't tell you, I've always used cheapo Dell ones that I've acquired somehow over the years, and I paid $29 (Reg: $59) for my Logitech G400 which is a godly mouse.

There's always so many non-technical factors to think about though. Yes, you can technically hook up your PC in your living room, but for most of us that isn't too practical - so console gaming wins the comfy gaming couch factor.

Then again, you can use your PC do do all sorts of other stuff too, as we all know. Makes it easier to justify to the.. er.. Chancellor?

Paleocon wrote:

Hmm. It sounds like the advantages for Xbox are mostly in the intangibles (e.g.: better controller feel, better multiplayer experience) and that PS3's advantages are mostly offset by the fact that most folks don't bother to watch movies on disc media anymore.

At this point it may just boil down to my wife's desire to play dance games using the controllerless controller interface.

For all the flak Kinect gets, I've gotten loads of fun out of it from a casual gaming perspective. If she wants to dance, get her in front of a Dance Central demo, and that will probably sell it. It's a ridiculously great implementation of what Kinect can do, and that alone may be your ticket to super fun gaming land.

As a 360 guy, I'm clearly partial to that system, and a big part of that is the seamlessness of the online experience. I never really played much online prior to a few years back (Left 4 Dead was my starter crack), but I have loads of fun online, and I've had a great time playing L4D/L4D2, Borderlands 1/2, Iron Brigade, Dungeon Defenders, ME3, Dead Island, and loads of others, and, while GWJ is clearly annoyingly PC-centric, there's a really good community online and I've had a great time playing with Sally, Trophy Husband, Nel e nel, others, and I've managed to stomach Glanton and the ME3-ending heresy he spouts off, the dirty heathen. Uh . . . anyways, yeah, I could play those on PC, or I could just plug in my 360, sit on my couch, and not have to worry about drivers, downloads, patches (360 game patching takes a few seconds when it happens, it's so quick), or anything else; it just WORKS, and that's more than enough for me.

That being said, if you plan on playing single-player, find whatever's comfortable. I'm a huge proponent of the 360's controller being the best controller design ever, and the whole 360 package is pretty much exactly what I want in gaming. Plus, you know, if you get one you'll be a TOTAL DUDEBRO BECAUSE ONLY DUDEBROS PLAY 360.

I think Milkman's point is, you already found the best place on the internet and the best group of people to play games with online. So if you want to play PC, 360, or PS3, you already have the friends to join you, and won't have to suffer the pubbies.

I don't know how you feel about black Friday sales, but Target has a dandy deal on a 360 w/ Kinect plus Kinect Adventures & Disneyland for $199. The downside is its the 4 gig version, but you could add an extra hard drive later.

The $199 would keep the wife happy, but they won't last long at that ridiculous price.

I use both consoles, and am not a big multiplayer guy, but the 360 has always been my primary machine. Even with Plus, there have been too many occasions where an itch to play a game has been frustrated by updates and other problems. Loading times tend to be faster, and for little it is worth this late in the generation, cross platform games tend to suffer from less graphical issues on the 360.

Whilst the cost of a gold subscription has been mentioned, getting a PS3 without the Plus subscription service is becoming an increasingly daft idea, especially for a first time buyer. I don't know what it costs in the US, but it is less than Gold for a year over here. The cost is more than offset by the Instant Game collection that stays accessible as long as you keep the subscription paid.

Swat wrote:

Then again, you can use your PC do do all sorts of other stuff too, as we all know. Makes it easier to justify to the.. er.. Chancellor? :)

That's always a weird line of logic to me when trying to convince people to buy a desktop for gaming. If someone doesn't own a gaming PC, they probably own some kind of PC or laptop, which kinda negates the rest of the functionality. Unless I'm missing something.

Leave it to GWJ to take a thread about PS3/360 comparisons and take it in this direction.

I have both and have preffered the 360 by a pretty dramatic margin. The the punch line is that I don't even play games online. Like ever. (Though is do enjoy leader board competition.)

With new consoles coming out next year, I really wouldn't buy any current gen console right now. You'll probably feel a whole lot of consumer regret about six months from now. Plus, buying the used console back catalog is still no where near as cheap as Steam.

A mid range PC + Steam is going to provide vastly more value for the money over the medium and long term. I was tempted to say that it would be cheaper, but with my own buying habits, I'm not sure that is true.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Hmm. It sounds like the advantages for Xbox are mostly in the intangibles (e.g.: better controller feel, better multiplayer experience) and that PS3's advantages are mostly offset by the fact that most folks don't bother to watch movies on disc media anymore.

At this point it may just boil down to my wife's desire to play dance games using the controllerless controller interface.

For all the flak Kinect gets, I've gotten loads of fun out of it from a casual gaming perspective. If she wants to dance, get her in front of a Dance Central demo, and that will probably sell it. It's a ridiculously great implementation of what Kinect can do, and that alone may be your ticket to super fun gaming land.

As a 360 guy, I'm clearly partial to that system, and a big part of that is the seamlessness of the online experience. I never really played much online prior to a few years back (Left 4 Dead was my starter crack), but I have loads of fun online, and I've had a great time playing L4D/L4D2, Borderlands 1/2, Iron Brigade, Dungeon Defenders, ME3, Dead Island, and loads of others, and, while GWJ is clearly annoyingly PC-centric, there's a really good community online and I've had a great time playing with Sally, Trophy Husband, Nel e nel, others, and I've managed to stomach Glanton and the ME3-ending heresy he spouts off, the dirty heathen. Uh . . . anyways, yeah, I could play those on PC, or I could just plug in my 360, sit on my couch, and not have to worry about drivers, downloads, patches (360 game patching takes a few seconds when it happens, it's so quick), or anything else; it just WORKS, and that's more than enough for me.

That being said, if you plan on playing single-player, find whatever's comfortable. I'm a huge proponent of the 360's controller being the best controller design ever, and the whole 360 package is pretty much exactly what I want in gaming. Plus, you know, if you get one you'll be a TOTAL DUDEBRO BECAUSE ONLY DUDEBROS PLAY 360.

IMAGE(http://thatschurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr_maq77ecMHG1qejf6u.gif)

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