End of an Era: PS3 v.s. 360

As the next generation of consoles looms I still can’t decide which system I like better.  They both outshine each other in different regards and they both have some serious flaws that may or may not be addressed in the newly announced systems.

 So here’s a break down of the issues that I find important as a gamer.

~~Online Play~~~

*PS3
It’s free!  Unless the game you are playing requires a subscription.  Since the PS3 firmware architecture is closer to the open nature of a PC than the Xbox is, the PS3 is opened up to various MMO games like DC Universe Online.  The PS3 dashboard will tell you when a friend is online and what game they’re playing, but it will not tell you if they are in a joinable multiplayer session. There is no open voice chat option to click over too and ask them and if they’re in a game.  And because of the messaging interface they probably will not see that you’ve sent them a text message unless they actively check during their play.  In essence you are at the mercy of whatever multiplayer and chat support a given game has.

*Xbox 360
You have to pay for it. But…  You have “Party Chat” that allows you to talk to friends no matter what you (or they) are doing on their Xbox.   On the PS3 you can only chat when/if the game supports it.  Joining and finding your friends online is seamless on the 360 and easy.   From the dashboard (assuming you already have the game disc in or the game installed on your hard drive) all you have to do is go to your friend on the friends list and click “join game” assuming they are in a joinable game place.  Or you can easily send an invite.  At this point the Xbox takes over, loads everything up and puts the player into the place needed to join the game (or strait into the game if the option is available).

***Winner: Xbox (You get what you pay for)***


~~~Premium Accounts~~~

*PS3

Playstation Plus is relatively new.  It doesn’t change the online play experience much.  What it does offer is cloud saving for games and data, automatic firmware updates for your PS3, (without it you have to update manually as needed), heafty discounts on games and add-ons.  (seriously. I picked up Hot Shots golf for $6.25 because of the Plus discount, usually $15 to $25 game depending on the sale and where you get it)  Timed Trials and Free Games.  

Time Trials let you download the FULL game and play it for the entire trial, (kind of like a rental) and if you end up buying it you get all of the Trophies and other things you might have unlocked during the trial. 

The Free games are full games with all the bells and whistles and are 100% playable as long as you have your Plus account.  PSN seems to rotate the selection once a month or so but once you download the game you have it as long as you keep your account.  Free games include Vita and PSP games that can be downloaded and transferred over to you hand held.  And the titles, so far, have been pretty well worth it.  Quantum Conundrum, Little Big Planet 2, and Spec-Ops: The Line being amongst my favorites. 

*Xbox 360
In essence you’re paying for an Xbox Live Gold Account to play online multiplayer.   Your dashboard is inundated with ads to the point that you don’t really notice if you have a theme or background up.  The monthly deals offered through the marketplace are…maybe $5.00 or $10.00 off of retail for a game.  If you’re lucky you might find an arcade game for half off but rarely does content on Xbox Live drop under $5.00 even for Gold Members.  You must have a Gold account to use things like Netflix and other services.  The only things that you can access without a Gold account is; the marketplace to buy things, the party chat and messaging.  And since fewer games are supporting couch co-op or LAN play this is becoming more and more noticeable. 

***Winner: PS3***

 

~~~The Hardware~~~

There is a negligible difference in graphics quality between the two systems.  It all boils down to whether or not the developer took the time to program the game for that particular system to take advantage of it’s processor and graphics setup.  And since there  have been aesthetic and  functionality fixes on both sides it really boils down to the controller. 
Both controllers are pretty solid.  The Xbox controller feels a little more comfortable in an adult hand and the triggers for the top buttons feel like triggers.   The PS3’s controller is a little lighter and smaller, and if you grew up playing either the PS1 or PS2 it feels a little like coming home. 

The PS3 controller is rechargeable out of the box. Where as you have to buy the rechargeable battery packs separately for the Xbox   But the Xbox controllers either/or ability is nice if you’re in the middle of a game and don’t want to plug in.  Just swap out battery packs. 

 ***Winner: Draw***

 

 

~~~~Game Selection ~~~~

In the age of multiplatform games game selection is similar across the board.  So we’ll bust it down to brass tacks and talk price.  

Xbox versions of games initially came out faster, and since the xbox has better multiplayer support more copies of those games were purchased than the on the PS3.  So there are many more used Xbox games in game stores which drives down the prices. Also, because of the processing structure of the PS3 some games that were ported from other systems got bad treatment resulting in poor graphics or game freezing.
On the other hand, if you invest in premium accounts the Plus account offers so many discounts and free game options for both “Triple A” titles and smaller indy titles it can very easily offset the difference. 
Which one has the better exclusives?    Depends on what you’re looking for.  They each have racing games and licensed titles that need little mention.  But for the series that you’ll continue to see it breaks down to the Notables

Uncharted, Sly Cooper, Killzone, Resistance, and Little Big Planet

V.S.

Halo, Gears of War, and Fable

***Winner: With a very slight edge due to diversity of exclusives, the PS3****

 

Even after thinking these things over, there is no clear winner in my mind between the two consoles.  Much like the Genesis/SNES battle of the 90's it breaks down to how well the games were made for their system.  In the end, the gamers win because we, for now, have two systems worth owning and keep each other in check with regards to both the price of hardware and launch price of games.  Let’s hope that the next generation of consoles sees as much on our end. 

 

 

*Side Note Why didn’t I include the Wii or WiiU?*

Where PS3 and Xbox are both vying for the same demographic of gamer Nintendo’s focus has been much more towards finding innovative ways to play games. And when I refer to demographic I do not refer to Age or Gender, but more the style of game play.   In this case: the hardcore multiplayer gamer and the big budget blockbuster gamer. 
Yes the PS3 has the Move and the Xbox has the Kinect, but both of these things were reactionary additions to their systems.  After the little Wii came along and carved out a whole new niche in gaming with its Wiimotes, both Microsoft and Sony saw this and wanted a slice of the pie as well.  

 

 Look at all of the utilities that have become staples of modern gaming.

 Hand Held to Console connectivity?  Nintendo.
4 controllers?  Nintendo had a multi tap for the NES and SNES
Motion Controls, Voice commands, and now touch screen controllers.  All tried first by Nintendo consoles. 

So, in my mind,  Nintendo doesn’t really belong in a showdown between these two systems.  Because Nintendo (and Sega), through the 80's and 90’s, pioneered and established most of the main stays for modern console gaming and continue to push the boundries and try  new ideas, even if they don't really work. (I'm looking at you virtual boy)

Why not PC?  Because PC’s are where the games are made, taken apart, and put back together again.  Not simply played.