Xbox 360 0r PS3

[opethfan]

Buy 60GB PS3s now!

New ones might have rumble, but no memory card slots, SACD support, PS2 backwards compatibility and will be missing 2 USB ports. I'm even selling my PC (I've got a laptop I can use) so I can pick one up now, before it all goes bad.

[GSZX1337]

Buy 60GB PS3s now!

New ones might have rumble,

[RadarScope1]

opeth fan - that's another option I'm keeping open. What I'd really like to do, instead of buying it new, is wait for the price to go down at retail and then buy the 60gb model used for even less (can't sell used for more than a new one, right?) Then snag a rumble controller new.

Check out this opinion article from CNET where the author straight-up calls the PS3 the new Saturn - overpriced and ultimately doomed. Hard to disagree right now.

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9794764-17.html

(Not that the Saturn is a bad console - I know lots of folks here are particularly fond of it. He's looking at it from a business perspective. Still, at least Saturn had some great exclusives, even if it didn't win out.)

[durkada]

opeth fan - that's another option I'm keeping open. What I'd really like to do, instead of buying it new, is wait for the price to go down at retail and then buy the 60gb model used for even less (can't sell used for more than a new one, right?) Then snag a rumble controller new.

Check out this opinion article from CNET where the author straight-up calls the PS3 the new Saturn - overpriced and ultimately doomed. Hard to disagree right now.

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9794764-17.html

(Not that the Saturn is a bad console - I know lots of folks here are particularly fond of it. He's looking at it fom a business perspective. Still, at least Saturn had some great exclusives, even if it didn't win out.)

For reasons other than what the author suggests, I picked one up precisely because it could become the next Saturn -- or Sega-esque console. Either that, or it will succeed and reign over the consoles like the PS2. Frankly, it looks like the machine is beginning to pick up momentum, with more titles coming down the line and some very nice exclusives -- but who knows.

I don't think Sony's situation is nearly as desperate as people make it out to be. Unlike Sega, the company is huge and their books are still -- even before the IPO -- in the black. They have money to spend and time to invest -- somewhat similar to Microsoft, although not to the ridiculous degree.

So, by Sega-esque, I mean it becomes a console filled with unique games. If Sony begins to lose third party support, that means they'll be pumping up their own development efforts to make up for the slack. Which means more projects are likely to be greenlighted, and unique games more likely to appear. This is, I believe, the primary reason why Sega consoles had so much great first and second party support.

In the upcoming games list, I was shocked to see that PS3 has more titles I'm keen to play over the XBOX 360 or Wii -- at least until Christmas.

My real concern is for the Wii. From what I've read, Nintendo still seems to alienate third party publishers, and now that they have a bonafide hit on their hands, seems to be more likely to do so out of traditional Nintendo arrogance. The only advantage for Nintendo is that they don't lose much, if any money, on the consoles -- they may be marginally profitable. So all those casual gamers, who really drove the sales of the console, are still earning them money despite -- as it has been with many I've met -- not buying a single game for the unit. For many, Wii sports is enough.

The Nintendo libraries are becoming frightening -- in an Atari 2600 sense. While there are gems amongst the shit, the game lists are absolutely filled with garbage. So much crap is forthcoming or already published for the Wii and DS, that at some point this will begin to alienate gamers.

What really surprises me, to go off on yet another tangent, is that MS hasn't created their own Xmote, to emulate the Wii. MS has no qualms about copying -- I don't know why they wouldn't have their own at this point. They would do it just to hurt Nintendo sales.

[RadarScope1]

You're totally right about Sony's great first and second party support. I once saw a great argument on a blog about why Sega was so great in the 90s - it's in house guys had to compete with Nintendo first party AND all the third party support N had. They cranked out a lot of awesome stuff.

Sony, I think, has done a lot in the way of propping up cool ideas and innovative games, right from the early PS1 days on up to stuff like SotC. I don't think they get nearly enough credit for it, probably because a lot of it is second party. Their stuff might not be as influential or beloved as Nintendo's but it's probably as good pound for pound after 12 years.

I ain't knockin' the ps3. Just weighing the cost vs content as of right now for me personally.

[opethfan]

One reason why the PS3 appeals so much to me is that I'm a media junkie. It upscales, has a nicer menu and lost of cool audio and video features. It makes the 360 look like a ghetto blaster in comparison.

And I like products that don't break every week. And don't drown out my sound system with fan noise.

Oh, and FPSes aren't my thing that much.

Unless I'm completely wrong?