Thinking of Getting a New Console

[JohnnyLi]

So I am considering getting a new console. I'm considering both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. For now, I really don't have a definite preference of one console over another, so I am having trouble deciding.

If I was deciding on a console solely based on games, then the Xbox 360 would be my choice. More of my friends play it, we could swap/borrow games, and I prefer the Xbox-exclusive games (Halo, Gears of War) over the Playstation's (not much of a fan of Resistance, Haze, MGS4). However, I can't see myself playing shooting games on a console and will be primarily playing it for basketball games, like NBA Live, NBA 2K, College Hoops, March Madness, NBA Street, etc. So I guess console-exclusive games don't matter to me much.

In addition, I would like to have features outside of gaming. I definitely like that the Playstation 3 is a Blu-ray player as well. Also, I heard that upgrading the hard drive is easy and that you can basically use it as a computer. I don't think the Xbox 360 can compare with this.

I know I sound like I am leaning towards the PS3, but I am probably going to try and get my system over eBay. By what I've seen (if you see differently, please tell me), the Xbox 360 seems to sell significantly cheaper. However, it looks like many of them are refurbished. The only question mark I have is if the console is reliable or not after being refurbished and what condition it's in.

Online-wise, I like that PSN is free. I don't think that I am willing to pay money to go online and play, like on Xbox Live, so I'll probably go with the Playstation here.

One more factor I'm considering is how the console will hold up in the future. The Playstation 2 is still coming out with new games, so I really do hope that the Playstation 3 will continue to have such a long lifespan. However, I read that Sony might have a Playstation 4 revealed or something by 2010. That's only two years from now. So that's another fear.

So can anyone think of any more deciding factors or help sway me towards one console or another?

Thanks.

[rdelizo35]

I have a PS3 and I enjoy it a lot. The Siaxis wireless controller works beautifully and the 40G hard drive is plenty of space for game saves. Plus, PS3 plays Blu-ray movies. When I had my Xbox 360, it overheated a lot, and I don't have that problem with the PS3.

I have NBA Live '08 for it and it plays great. The graphics are almost identical with the Xbox 360 and the wireless controller plays great and has a lot in common with the PS2 controller.

I've owned both and I've played games on both, but now I own just a PS3 and I absolutely enjoy it.

With that being said, Xbox 360 is a wonderful console and it's just a matter of picking the one you like best. I doubt PS4 will be revealed in 2010, but in my opinion, no matter what you choose the Xbox 360 and PS3 are great consoles.

[benji]

There is no way Sony takes a bath on the PS3 just to media-launch a new console in 2009 (which they would have to do to release in 2010) as they need to make the money back on the PS3 first.

If anyone releases a new console in/by 2010, it's Nintendo. Then Microsoft.

[Jing]

I've had pretty good success with the PS3 so far, try that, maybe cost more but hopefully will also pay off in the long run.

[Fluffy Taco]

get a WII its the bomb

[Andrew]

I have no complaints about the Xbox 360 so far. I was a bit hesitant to get one at first because of all the talk about the dreaded Red Rings and I'm still worried to a certain extent that it's only a matter of time, but I've made sure it has adequate ventilation and so far, so good.

[The X]

if you're playing mainly for sports games, go PS3....easier to download rosters & stuff on computer & use usb to transfer across to PS3....not so easy on 360 I think....not that it will matter for most big sports games, with roster sharing started by 2k becoming the norm....

I've had both consoles, but now only own a PS3....I'm happier overall with PS3, just as I feel slight more secure that it won't break down as easily, & there is not one game on 360 that would make me want that console again....

although by the sounds of it, cost is a big factor for you, so you might end up with 360....if you do get off ebay though, it might be better to go a PS3....I would only buy a 360 if it had a warranty come with the purchase....you might buy a lemon & have no recourse if it breaks down a month from now....but those are the risks you take....you could always go down the path Andrew did & buy 2nd hand, but buy from a retailer & get a warranty to get some sort of assurance that you don't buy a lemon....

either way, good luck....either system, I don't think you can lose as both are good....

[JaoSming]

if it helps, the rumored 360 pro model 50 dollar price cut for new is supposed to happen this coming week. I like andrew, have not had any issues with my 360 and I bought one of the "old" ones that are supposed to have issues back in August of 2006.

for roster updates....well, the 360 isnt too hard either, especially with 2kshare and EA locker where you can just get updates from your friends online. Manually plugging the harddrive into your computer with Xsata isn't the hardest thing to do, and it's nice to be able to back up your system incase it crashes. Also there is a memory card thing you can plug into your computer, but I've never tried that and Andrew has said he's had issues.

[Andrew]

True, I've tried just about everything to get the transfer kit to work without any success. The PS3 sounds like it's much simpler in that regard. If you're going to buy a 360 second hand though I definitely recommend doing so from a retailer like EB Games that can offer some kind of guarantee on it, providing you hold onto the necessary paperwork.

[Patr1ck]

I like andrew, have not had any issues with my 360 and I bought one of the "old" ones that are supposed to have issues back in August of 2006.

What? That's quite conflicting from when you were talking about it freezing or getting rrod.

Anyways, I bought one of the newer Xbox 360's with an HDMI port and the only issues I've had were due to the games themselves, not the console.

My first 360 was a refurbished one. I had no problems until it fell on it's back landing on the cable inputs. I had freezing and red rings ever since that. Something was rattling inside it, lol. Needless to say it was done.

If you plan on watching HD blu ray movies in the future, then getting a ps3 should be worth it.

[JaoSming]

I had that feckin nyko fan on the back of it, when I took it off like you told me to I have had no issues. The plugs on it were oxidized, all orange and shit.

[mr2ksports]

Just pick the PS3!! You're gonna love it!

[huddy187]

yea im getting a ps3 when 360 goes out of business, or if they make a new xbox system ill get that one

[JohnnyLi]

Thanks for your opinions. I definitely wouldn't mind getting more though. I'm still having trouble deciding whether the price difference is worth getting a 360.

How is the PSN though? Does it work well or is it buggy?

I'm not considering a Wii because I don't consider it "Next-Generation". A lot of my friends have it anyway, and the only good game is Brawl (not too big of a Mario Galaxy/Mario Kart fan).

I'm am still going to be mostly PC-oriented though, so a console is mostly for free time. So from what you guys say, it looks like interacting the PS3 and my computer would be easier than with the 360.

What is the "2K roster-sharing" thing though? I've never heard of it.

[Andreas Dahl]

How is the PSN though? Does it work well or is it buggy?

It works alright. They redid the design a few weeks back now (Now looks like this: http://game-warp.com/imgs/psn/psn1.jpg). But it's still often very slow to download stuff from.. Like, I remember the Skate demo took several hours. So it's not the best thing in the world, but it works ok..
(Might also be worth mentioning that the 360's marketplace often get stuff like demo's earlier than the PSN.)


And, as other has said, both consoles are great choices really. Can't go too wrong with either of them, and as long as you've got a warranty, a lot of it boils down to personal preference..

[Matthew]

As a owner of both, I would recommend the 360 because 1) its cheaper, 2) the games look better (EA's sport titles ran at 30fps for the ps3 and 60fps for xbox 360) and the online is so far and away superior on xbox live its not funny.

I have a PS3 and I enjoy it a lot. The Siaxis wireless controller works beautifully and the 40G hard drive is plenty of space for game saves. Plus, PS3 plays Blu-ray movies. When I had my Xbox 360, it overheated a lot, and I don't have that problem with the PS3.

The 40 gig is actually very small with the game installs you have to do. And what? The sixaxis "works beautifully"? You have to be kidding me. It's horrible! And yes the ps3 is a cheap blu ray player, but the OP never mentioned this as a determining factor. If he wants a blu ray player that also plays current gen sports games, then yes, the ps3 is the way to go.

I've had pretty good success with the PS3 so far, try that, maybe cost more but hopefully will also pay off in the long run.

So consoles appreciate in value now? Awesome!

if you're playing mainly for sports games, go PS3....easier to download rosters & stuff on computer & use usb to transfer across to PS3....not so easy on 360 I think....not that it will matter for most big sports games, with roster sharing started by 2k becoming the norm....

The only advantage the ps3 has for sports games is the region free games, but I'm guessing the OP is from america so he doesn't need to worry about not being able to play a NTSC game.

I've had both consoles, but now only own a PS3....I'm happier overall with PS3, just as I feel slight more secure that it won't break down as easily, & there is not one game on 360 that would make me want that console again....

Um, this was a topic about which console for him to get, not what makes you buy consoles. If this was the case:

OMG HALO 3!!! GEARS OF WAR1!!! NINJA GAIDEN 2!! YES YES YES!

see? it's irrelevant.

although by the sounds of it, cost is a big factor for you, so you might end up with 360....if you do get off ebay though, it might be better to go a PS3....I would only buy a 360 if it had a warranty come with the purchase....you might buy a lemon & have no recourse if it breaks down a month from now....but those are the risks you take....you could always go down the path Andrew did & buy 2nd hand, but buy from a retailer & get a warranty to get some sort of assurance that you don't buy a lemon....

Er, all new 360's come with a 3 year warranty on the 3rrod and all new 360's have the falcon motherboard which is alot more reliable.

How is the PSN though? Does it work well or is it buggy?

The psn is the most useless POS ever made. There is no cross game messaging. This is a huge deal because if I have a friend who wants to play Madden, and I'm in MGS4, and he sends me a message, I won't get that message of "hey lets play madden" until I finish MGS4 and go back to the dashboard. It's useless. Add to that 90% of people on the psn have no mic's and that equals some boring matches. Also on top of all that, you can't even access your friends list while you are playing a game. It's junk.

So it's not the best thing in the world, but it works ok..

You have got to be kidding...

[Andreas Dahl]

How is the PSN though? Does it work well or is it buggy?

The psn is the most useless POS ever made. There is no cross game messaging. This is a huge deal because if I have a friend who wants to play Madden, and I'm in MGS4, and he sends me a message, I won't get that message of "hey lets play madden" until I finish MGS4 and go back to the dashboard. It's useless. Add to that 90% of people on the psn have no mic's and that equals some boring matches. Also on top of all that, you can't even access your friends list while you are playing a game. It's junk.

All those things work now, since the 2.40 and 41 firmware update


And JohnnyLi: Instead of the old Sixaxis, try to get the new Sixaxis Dual Shock 3. As as Matthew said, the Sixaxis alone is pretty damn useless..

[Andrew]

I have to admit, the Xbox 360 not being region free is a bit of a drawback if you're in a PAL region since you can't import games like March Madness or any other NCAA title. I'd certainly like to be able to do that. Of course, that won't be an issue for you JohnnyLi.

[JohnnyLi]

Well, I'm not going to be playing Japanese games or anything, so region-free is not a big deal for me.

Matthew, you seem to have some good points. Again, I am thinking of getting my 360 off eBay, and I'm thinking it's better safe than sorry regarding warranties included (that's what The X was talking about). I am doubting that I will buy a 360 new though. If I did, I would go for the Premium, and the PS3 is just a little more expensive, so I might as well get that instead. That's why I am having trouble deciding whether the money saved is worth a seemingly more future-proof PS3 (judging by Sony's past track record).

Thanks for the information though, I really appreciate it. Do you guys think it would be better to hold off and hope the price drops more?

[rdelizo35]

If you want the 360, I'd go with that one. However, despite what Matthew said,
the Sixaxis wasn't that bad of a controller, although I am likely going to get a Dual Shock 3 one in the near future.

[Matthew]

How is the PSN though? Does it work well or is it buggy?

The psn is the most useless POS ever made. There is no cross game messaging. This is a huge deal because if I have a friend who wants to If you want the 360, I'd go with that one. However, despite what Matthew said,
the Sixaxis wasn't that bad of a controller, although I am likely going to get a Dual Shock 3 one in the near future.play Madden, and I'm in MGS4, and he sends me a message, I won't get that message of "hey lets play madden" until I finish MGS4 and go back to the dashboard. It's useless. Add to that 90% of people on the psn have no mic's and that equals some boring matches. Also on top of all that, you can't even access your friends list while you are playing a game. It's junk.

All those things work now, since the 2.40 and 41 firmware update

Not all games support cross game messaging, which sucks balls and theres still no custom music tracks or achievements (trophies dont count because they dont work for all games)

And while its good they are trying to fix these problems, the thing is xbox has had them running since 2005 when the 360 launched and ps3 still hasnt caught upto even that level.

Matthew, you seem to have some good points. Again, I am thinking of getting my 360 off eBay, and I'm thinking it's better safe than sorry regarding warranties included (that's what The X was talking about). I am doubting that I will buy a 360 new though. If I did, I would go for the Premium, and the PS3 is just a little more expensive, so I might as well get that instead. That's why I am having trouble deciding whether the money saved is worth a seemingly more future-proof PS3 (judging by Sony's past track record).

What do you mean by future proof sorry?

Thanks for the information though, I really appreciate it. Do you guys think it would be better to hold off and hope the price drops more?

There was a recent pricecut for the 360, so I don't think there'll be another one anytime soon.

If you want the 360, I'd go with that one. However, despite what Matthew said,
the Sixaxis wasn't that bad of a controller, although I am likely going to get a Dual Shock 3 one in the near future.

How? It was lighter then an original playstation controller, there was no rumble and the motion sensor has yet to be used in a positive way by developers. It was the worst controller since the original xbox one.

[CMJ3]

I'd get the 360, i got mine from near launch *about 1 month after* and have had zero problems (touch wood) so it depends how you look after it. It might be dodge if you get it second hand though, so be careful.
I got the 360 for mainly two things 1) a big variety of games 2) online capabilities. I'm satisfied with what i have but to be honest i havent even played a PS3 properly so i cant judge on which is the better of the the two but in my view the 360 was worth the buy i can tell you that much.

[The X]

although by the sounds of it, cost is a big factor for you, so you might end up with 360....if you do get off ebay though, it might be better to go a PS3....I would only buy a 360 if it had a warranty come with the purchase....you might buy a lemon & have no recourse if it breaks down a month from now....but those are the risks you take....you could always go down the path Andrew did & buy 2nd hand, but buy from a retailer & get a warranty to get some sort of assurance that you don't buy a lemon....

Er, all new 360's come with a 3 year warranty on the 3rrod and all new 360's have the falcon motherboard which is alot more reliable.

I was referring to the fact that he said if he was going to purchase 360, he alluded to the fact that he was likely to do it on ebay, meaning he might get a dodgy machine or he might get one of the older, less reliable 360's....as far as I'm aware, purchases on ebay don't come with warranties, provided it works when you get it, although I'm not an avid ebay user, so I can't say for certain....

by all means if he is going to buy a new 360, then he should go for it....I was just trying to say to him to be careful if buying a used one off ebay that may or may not have a warranty & may or may not be an older version motherboard....

[Tupik]

I am also thinking of buying an xbox, but I'd just like to know one thing : Can you download roster updates (NBA Live) with a silver account, or do you have to get a gold account in order to do so?

Thanks!

[JaoSming]

gotta getta gold