Which systems do you own and why? 360/PS3/Wii?

[DukeDawg]

I personally own a PS3.

I bought the PS3 because I really wanted a Blu-Ray player and I am content with the games that are on the PS3 and the ones coming out soon. Plus, I like the free online status and the reliability that comes with it. My PS2 lasted for damn near 5-6 years without a flaw until a few months ago when it finally gave in so I got the PS3

Good amount of my friends got 360's and all love them especially their online service but all but one have had to send their systems in for repairs AND 3 of them are on their 3rd 360 due to sending it in twice....just too make hassle for me right now to do that.

[colchar]

I'm still using my PS2 as I don't play games enough to justify buying a new system.

[DukeDawg]

PS2 sales are still quite strong from what I read. That is ridiculous.

I loved mine until it broke. Ashame too as I can't even imagine the hours I played on it.

If it wasn't for the PS3/Blu-Ray connection, I would never have gotten it. Too much money.

But, I am very happy with the Blu-Ray player. No problems so far on my HDTV

[hc5duke]

I still have a PS2, but I got a Wii for my birthday (last month). PS2 is great for playing by myself (Madden, Gran Turismo 4) but the Wii is awesome when we have company. This game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed) really makes me wish I owned a console with better GPU, but my brother-in-law has a 360, so I'll get to play it over thanksgiving :) When Gran Turismo 5 comes out, I'll probably give in and buy a PS3 and upgrade to this wheel (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104028) (i have this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879212002) now, I think)

[dukemomLA]

I'm not a video game player -- rather read a good book. BUT I can't wait to get Wii -- it's going to be my Xmas gift. Yahoo. Boxing, bowling, baseball, golf, etc. etc.

Can't wait!!

[Tommac]

Showing my age, I enjoyed Galaga in the video arcades back in the 80's. I haven't gotten into home video game players though. My thumbs and fingers just don't seem to work. My 16 year old son started with Nintendo 64, then upgraded to a Playstation 2, and now is stuck on the Xbox 360 for the past year or so. I sometimes think he is obsessed with it.

[YmoBeThere]

My cousin's husband works for Mister Softee...he can get rock bottom pricing on the 360 so I will probably get one this Christmas. As I am not in love with any particular game, I will minimize my costs and just find a few for whatever platform I do happen to get.

[YmoBeThere]

I still have a PS2, but I got a Wii for my birthday (last month). PS2 is great for playing by myself (Madden, Gran Turismo 4) but the Wii is awesome when we have company. This game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed) really makes me wish I owned a console with better GPU, but my brother-in-law has a 360, so I'll get to play it over thanksgiving :) When Gran Turismo 5 comes out, I'll probably give in and buy a PS3 and upgrade to this wheel (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104028) (i have this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879212002) now, I think)

How do you like your wheel? I had a MadCatz wheel from 3-4 years ago and never got enough feedback from it. So I would constantly oversteer...

[bluebutton]

has a
wii
ps2
game cube
sega saturn & genesis

At my bachelorette party. I was supposed to number and name all the consoles my game programmer husband had owned--fat chance.

not 360 or ps3--husband claims there aren't enough games he's interested in on those platforms to make it worth picking up. Probably would have siad the same about the wii, but I got that for him for his birthday.

[billybreen]

360 and Wii. I had a PS2 for years, but I can't justify moving to PS3 because I don't feel compelled to follow the last ever increase in physical media capacity (HD-DVD / Blu-Ray). I've already switched to DVRs and computer connections to my HD TV, and screw buying all my DVD movies again in HD formats. Also, Sony is an evil company that hates its customers, so screw those guys.

The 360 and Wii are awesome for very different reasons. The 360 has a great stable of games and scratches the itch for graphics and whizz bangy effects (in much the same way a PS3 would). The Wii is just fun.

[hurleyfor3]

I'm still mad at my parents for never getting me an Atari.

[YmoBeThere]

I got an Odyssey 200 instead of an Atari. I think that explains a lot about the adult I am today.

[hurleyfor3]

I got an Odyssey 200 instead of an Atari. I think that explains a lot about the adult I am today.

You think that's bad? My family got an Apple /// instead of a ][!

[dkbaseball]

Oh yeah, I meant to put video games on the don't get it thread. I remember first seeing them in malls in 1981 and thinking, "why in the world would anyone ever want to do that?" Still curious.

[alteran]

Got a Wii. Love it, but by far the best game with it is the one that comes in the box. I sure hope some companies master the paradigm shift this console requires.

I've held off on the whole Xbox thing. No reason in particular, just nothing on it appealed to me QUITE enough.

I am hopelessly addicted to a series of games called Wipeout, made under the Sony banner. Sony intimated that they were done with Wipeout, but apparently they reconsidered and will come out with it soon-- which means I'll own a PS3 shortly thereafter. Having BlueRay will be nice as well.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Wii all the way and loving it. I also have a PS2 (which broke shortly after it came out of the box. Grr, hate Sony) and a host of older consoles.

I'm a pretty hard-core gamer, but I agree with others that have observed that there just aren't enough good games to justify the $500-$700 for one of the other two. Game designer/big deal visionary Will Wright noted that the Wii is the only real "next gen" console since it is the only one that is actually doing something new, rather than just pumping up the graphics. Anybody who doesn't like games generally still owes it to themselves to try out WiiSports or WiiPlay.

I do agree that Assassin's Creed and a few other games on the horizon look REALLY good and may entice me to pick up one of the behemoths. Until then, WiiSports, Zelda, Paper Mario, and Resident Evil are doing fine for me.

[billybreen]

I do agree that Assassin's Creed and a few other games on the horizon look REALLY good and may entice me to pick up one of the behemoths. Until then, WiiSports, Zelda, Paper Mario, and Resident Evil are doing fine for me.

Assassin's Creed looks great, and I must have GTA for the 360. Saints Row was a competent substitute.

[knights68]

Oh boy, how timely a thing as I have been considering getting a PS2 or perhaps a Wii within the next six months as I will be having company in the summer and I must get ready for them (or atleast that's my excuse :D )

I shall be taking notes!!!

[DevilAlumna]

I'm sure it will come as no surprise to many of you that we're an Xbox360 family. (Though a brother-in-law used to work in Nintendo support.)

I'm an occasional gamer (good target practice for others in Halo; capable farmer in Viva Pinata); I'd love to get a Wii, but practically, I recognize I'd only play it 2-3x per year.

I like the Xbox more for its media extender capabilities, and we use it to stream music into the living room, view pics on the big screen, and catch up on bittorrented TV and movies (yay Vista Media Center capabilities).

And Ymo, Odyssey? This thing? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnavox_Odyssey%C2%B2

We were an early Timex family; my brother and I fought over whose tape recorder would serve as the 'storage drive.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Sinclair

[Cavlaw]

360 and a Wii.

No interest in the PS3, as it is lacking in any exclusive titles that interest me. I slso have a DS, a gaming rig PC, and most of the historical consoles.

[juise]

I used to have all the systems when I was growing up and then I was Duke's campus rep for Electronic Arts (EA Sports' parent company, the biggest publisher in the industry by a wide margin). Then, after I got out of school, I had been spoiled by free games and the real world took up so much time, that I never play my consoles anymore. My dad has a Wii, but I haven't played it yet.

This is what I have, or have had:
-Playstation Portable (PSP)
-Nokia NGage (free from EA, never played it)
-Xbox
-PS2 (the favorite)
-Sega Dreamcast
-Playstation (sold and gone)
-Panasonic 3DO
-Sega CD
-Super Nintendo
-Sega Genasis
-NES (still in my living room with TecmoBowl and Mario 3)
-Sega Master System (sold and gone)
-Coleco with Atari Adapter (sold and gone)


I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've probably only played any of them for an hour or two in the last year.

[Dukiedevil]

PS3 here. I bought it for a couple of reasons:

1) At the time, I thought Blu-Ray was going to win the next format war. That's still up for debate and it may actually lose now...

2) I like several of the playstation exclusives... Final Fantasy series, Gran Turismo and others

3) It's a really capable media server. I have the wireless one that can link to music and movies over the wireless network.

So far no complaints. Picture is amazing and it even makes some of my PS2 games look a lot better. I have a 65" TV and the PS2 games were unplayable on it before I got the PS3... As others have noted, the selection of "must have" games has been really slim. Several games upcoming look great, so we'll see what happens... Heavenly Sword was fun, but pretty short as far as games go.

[Tommac]

1) At the time, I thought Blu-Ray was going to win the next format war. That's still up for debate and it may actually lose now...



What are some opinions regarding the Blue Ray vs HD-DVD war? I bought an HD TV last January but I've put off getting an HD player until the eventual winner seemed more obvious. A year ago most retailers thought Blue Ray would win, but recent announcements by two studios about exclusive HD-DVD deals has put that opinion on hold. Thoughts?

[mpj96]

Don't have any of them at home. My wife calls them "devil boxes" and refuses to speak their proper names. She has an idea of how easily I can be drawn in to simple games like spider solitaire and has no desire to see that weakness exponentially exploited by a more sophisticated gaming system.

That said, we did just buy our employees a Wii a month or so ago to use in the break room. Everyone seems to love it. So far, I have yet to cave in and use it.

[blazindw]

I used to have all the systems when I was growing up and then I was Duke's campus rep for Electronic Arts (EA Sports' parent company, the biggest publisher in the industry by a wide margin). Then, after I got out of school, I had been spoiled by free games and the real world took up so much time, that I never play my consoles anymore. My dad has a Wii, but I haven't played it yet.

This is what I have, or have had:
-Playstation Portable (PSP)
-Nokia NGage (free from EA, never played it)
-Xbox
-PS2 (the favorite)
-Sega Dreamcast
-Playstation (sold and gone)
-Panasonic 3DO
-Sega CD
-Super Nintendo
-Sega Genasis
-NES (still in my living room with TecmoBowl and Mario 3)
-Sega Master System (sold and gone)
-Coleco with Atari Adapter (sold and gone)


I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've probably only played any of them for an hour or two in the last year.


I used to help Juise out when he was a Campus Rep for EA...he got me spoiled too, the job was awesome to have. I still have my PS2, but I am looking to upgrade to a PS3 soon (once I get my HDTV). My brother has a Wii, and it's incredibly fun to play. My friend lives across the street and they have one, so the PS3 will be bought first, then then Wii.

Oh, and at my parents house, somewhere deep in the dungeons of the basement, we still have our Atari and our Commodore 64...now THAT's old school!

[hurleyfor3]

What are some opinions regarding the Blue Ray vs HD-DVD war? I bought an HD TV last January but I've put off getting an HD player until the eventual winner seemed more obvious. A year ago most retailers thought Blue Ray would win, but recent announcements by two studios about exclusive HD-DVD deals has put that opinion on hold. Thoughts?

Whichever one has more porn has already won.

What is with Sony and consumer electronics format wars, anyway? They're like 0-for-4.

[billybreen]

Whichever one has more porn has already won.

What is with Sony and consumer electronics format wars, anyway? They're like 0-for-4.

Again, it's because they hate their customers.

[alteran]

What are some opinions regarding the Blue Ray vs HD-DVD war? I bought an HD TV last January but I've put off getting an HD player until the eventual winner seemed more obvious. A year ago most retailers thought Blue Ray would win, but recent announcements by two studios about exclusive HD-DVD deals has put that opinion on hold. Thoughts?

Here's my thoughts-- the current format war is moronic.

You will hear conflicting stats about whether there are more HD-DVDs in the US or BlueRays. The bottom line is that there are more component HD-DVD players, but there are technically more BlueRays because Sony includes one when you buy a PS3. Winner: neither.

HD-DVD players are cheaper to make, sell, and buy. They can be made on existing production lines for DVD players, as opposed to BlueRays, which require expensive retooling. Winner: HD-DVD.

BlueRay had the edge in locking up all the big movies for awhile, but HD-DVD has fought back on that front and the numbers are getting even. BlueRay will ALWAYS have an edge on exclusive content because Sony owns a lot of movie content. I think that is the primary reason people thought they would win. Winner: BlueRay.

This is politically incorrect to mention, but BlueRay refuses to license to the porno industry, unlike HD-DVD. Something like 40% of all DVD sales are porn.

Porno always wins. Mark it down. Winner: HD-DVD.

Long term, I believe the movie industry will remember which side their bread is buttered on, and also remember that Sony is a competitor. They will quit accepting bribes for exclusivity, and start releasing in both formats. Still, Sony controls a lot of content. Winner: neither.

As a consumer, you will have to decide when it is "worth it" to you to pick one over the other. Both systems are pretty pricey right now, particularly BlueRay. I personally think when the exclusive format deals stop, it's time to buy. That's going to be awhile. Loser: everyone-- industry and consumers. Did I mention the moronic part yet?

If you're stuck buying one, you're gonna be screwed on a large subset of movies for years to come.

[alteran]

Whichever one has more porn has already won.

What is with Sony and consumer electronics format wars, anyway? They're like 0-for-4.

Good point!!!

Sony has lost or had a draw on every format war they've engaged in.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Again, it's because they hate their customers.

Quoted for truth. Probably should be bold and underlined.

That said, I agree with Dukiedevil that if there is one thing that will get me to buy/borrow/steal a PS3 it is Final Fantasy XIII (and the 85 tie-in games). Square has been good to me for several decades now (still have and treasure my Nintendo Power FFI strategy guide). Heck, the new FF Tactics game has me sniffing around the PSP even though I have a GBA and a DS as well as the original FF Tactics. If FFXIII stops being exclusive (or if Mistwalker keeps coming out with great games like Blue Dragon) I will definitely pick up a 360 and never deal with Sony again.

[billybreen]

Quoted for truth. Probably should be bold and underlined.

That said, I agree with Dukiedevil that if there is one thing that will get me to buy/borrow/steal a PS3 it is Final Fantasy XIII (and the 85 tie-in games). Square has been good to me for several decades now (still have and treasure my Nintendo Power FFI strategy guide). Heck, the new FF Tactics game has me sniffing around the PSP even though I have a GBA and a DS as well as the original FF Tactics. If FFXIII stops being exclusive (or if Mistwalker keeps coming out with great games like Blue Dragon) I will definitely pick up a 360 and never deal with Sony again.

Yeah, exclusives suck. I definitely miss Ratchet and Clank. Given that the PS3 is such a distant 3rd, I'm hoping that more games will be ported. And as long as GTA is coming to the 360, I'll be fine.

[alteran]

I definitely miss Ratchet and Clank.

Coming out only the PS3. Argh. Between that and Wipeout, it makes me feel unclean.

[billybreen]

Coming out only the PS3. Argh. Between that and Wipeout, it makes me feel unclean.

Oh well. Something to look forward to in 3 years when the system is $150 and games are $10.

[hc5duke]

How do you like your wheel? I had a MadCatz wheel from 3-4 years ago and never got enough feedback from it. So I would constantly oversteer...

Has excellent feedback - I think the wheel I bought was supposed to be designed for GT4, so it works great with that game. I don't play anything else with the wheel though. The only problem is I don't have a good place to put the damn thing, but I guess you have the same problem with any other wheel.

[Jfrosh]

Still have a PS2, mostly my son's. But just purchased a Wii for the kids for Christmas mostly because I also have 3 girls and they like the more interactive games.

[Dukiedevil]

What are some opinions regarding the Blue Ray vs HD-DVD war? I bought an HD TV last January but I've put off getting an HD player until the eventual winner seemed more obvious. A year ago most retailers thought Blue Ray would win, but recent announcements by two studios about exclusive HD-DVD deals has put that opinion on hold. Thoughts?

Something to keep in mind is that both the Blu-Ray AND HD-DVD movies look fantastic. Also, my PS3 (and I assume most HD-DVD players) do an excellent job "upconverting" standard definition DVD's so your regular DVD will actually look better than before.

I agree with what was said previously about the format war. The consumer is the big loser here. Right now there is no obvious frontrunner. The recent sales on Toshiba HD-DVD players (I've seen them as cheap as $200) may push them ahead in the race, but I suppose that remains to be seen. If the HD-DVD players get much cheaper ($100 range), I could see myself picking one up just for the heck of it.

Long and short of it. If you don't mind spending the money on a product that may go the way of the laser disk, pick one up. The increase in picture quality (especially on large screens), for both DVDs and the HD formats is great. if you are looking to make a long term investment in future technology, I would wait. I bought a PS3 because I like gaming systems and Sony's in particular. It happened to have Blu Ray, which helped justify the cost, but was far from my only reason to buy it.

[DevilAlumna]

As if on cue...

What does a guy's gaming machine say about him:

http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=8932&TrackingID=516311&BannerID=544657&menuid=6&GT1=10582

Not that I buy any of the stereotyping....

[colchar]

That said, we did just buy our employees a Wii a month or so ago to use in the break room. Everyone seems to love it. So far, I have yet to cave in and use it.

Can I come work for you? Or maybe Earljam should as he is currently looking for a new gig.

[Clipsfan]

I have an XBOX 360 (my first one went RROD a couple months ago, and I got a replacement about a month later, but haven't really played it much). I also play a couple computer games, but don't really have time for them.

As for the next-gen DVD format war, things are still uncertain. Blu-Ray was winning until Toshiba started paying large sums of money ($250 million) to studios such as Paramount to drop Blu-Ray (if you don't know, Toshiba is the company behind HD-DVD, while of course Sony is behind Blu-Ray). As was mentioned above, a large part of this was due to PS3s coming with a built-in Blu-Ray player. I'm thinking about buying a PS3 for that reason as the new $400 (40GB) ones aren't a bad price, especially as you can find some packages that include a good game at that price. I'm not sure that porn will be the deciding factor, as people may realize that seeing that stuff in better resolution is actually a bad thing, but HD-DVD is cheaper to make (and slightly worse quality in my opinion). I looked at a lot of comparisons side by side at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January and liked the Blu-Ray pictures better.

I don't know if people saw, but Wal-Mart sold a bunch of HD-DVD players for $99 over the weekend (and some movies for $15). As you can guess, these sold out and should lead to HD-DVD closing the gap. I would guess that Toshiba subsidized this as well and they are obviously willing to invest a lot of money in closing the gap.

[hurleyfor3]

OK, so the evidence says

1. HD players are cheaper
2. HD has more porn
3. Toshiba is throwing tons of money around to make HD the standard
4. Sony isn't
5. Sony has never ever won a format war in a million billion years

Looks like the jury's in.

[hc5duke]

OK, so the evidence says

1. HD players are cheaper
2. HD has more porn
3. Toshiba is throwing tons of money around to make HD the standard
4. Sony isn't
5. Sony has never ever won a format war in a million billion years

Looks like the jury's in.

Shush, you're making my minidisc player cry :( Though technically, it did beat out its main competitor (DCC)

[GDT]

The definitive console war summary:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1383-Zero-Punctuation-Console-Rundown

Or at least one. If you like the style, the other reviews are equally caustic.

[alteran]

Again, it's because they hate their customers.

Like DevilCastDownfromDurham, I think billybreen's sentiment bears repeating.

Speaking of hating customers, Major League Baseball changed copy protecting (DRM) schemes a while back, and guess what? It turns out that when they went to the new scheme, they shut down the old license server.

All the games people bought with the old copy-protection scheme? SOL.

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/07/mlb-rips-off-fans-wh.html

Apparently, the games check the server EVERY SINGLE TIME the game is watched, contrary to what MLB said when it sold the games (one check, then works forever).

On the other hand, any games downloaded illegally work fine.

[DukeUsul]

We picked up a Wii a few weeks ago. It really is revolutionary. I've played Madden on the playstation and it's very tough to master the contortions of button pushing required to run a play. It's great on the Wii. Want to snap the ball? Ok, snap your wrist back with the remote. Throw a pass? Ok, throw your arm forward. Barrel through a tackler.... shove both your hands forward. Stiff arm? Throw your arm to the side. It rocks. I might pick up a 360 eventually.

I also just picked up a HD-DVD player. I had planned on holding off, but when the prices on the Toshibas got slashed last week, I had to jump. Wal-Mart was selling the A2 model for $99.... however it was sold out everywhere quick. It came with the standard 5-disc rebate Toshiba offers. You can pick 5 discs of this lists of semi-crappy HD-DVDs. So I decided to pick up the A20 model, the next step up. It was $199 at Best Buy. It has a few more technical gizmos, but it's not all that much more of a player than the cheaper model. However Toshiba also throws two HD-DVDs free into the box with the A20 (300 and Bourne Identity) and Best Buy also gives you two free HD-DVDs (you could pick any two from their collection under $35). So for $199 you get a HD-DVD player and 9 (yes NINE!) free movies. How could I not do it? My old DVD player was dying and I needed to nice progressive scan/upconverting player anyway, so this made total sense.

I can't see how BlueRay will win the war without cutting prices. With players at $99-$199, HD-DVD is bound to get the market penetration, and as that happens more and more studios who are exclusive on BD now will switch (and at a least go with both).

[Clipsfan]

Yeah, hard to argue with those deals. As of now, more of the big new movies are on Blu-Ray, but if people start buying really cheap players the Blu-Ray consortium may start disintegrating. The deal you got ($199) must have been just for the weekend, as the player is back to $399 but still comes with all those free movies. Crazy.

[DukeUsul]

Yeah, hard to argue with those deals. As of now, more of the big new movies are on Blu-Ray, but if people start buying really cheap players the Blu-Ray consortium may start disintegrating. The deal you got ($199) must have been just for the weekend, as the player is back to $399 but still comes with all those free movies. Crazy.

My bad I got the Toshiba HD-A3 which is currently listed at $299 (i got for $199). Glad I jumped on it.

The only problem with the low end Toshiba HD-DVD players is they output at most 1080i, they don't do 1080p. However, after spending way too much time on A/V forums, I think for film, since it is recorded at 24 fps and is usually played back at 60 fps, there is no difference between 1080i and 1080 p since the 24 frames need to get stretched across 60 frames - so there isn't even enough content there to do 1080p@60fps.

[Cavlaw]

My wife and I picked up the Xbox360 HD-DVD player, which is relatively cheap. I have to say that Serenity in HD with surround sound is awesome. Transformers will be playing tonight, i think.

[Clipsfan]

My bad I got the Toshiba HD-A3 which is currently listed at $299 (i got for $199). Glad I jumped on it.

The only problem with the low end Toshiba HD-DVD players is they output at most 1080i, they don't do 1080p. However, after spending way too much time on A/V forums, I think for film, since it is recorded at 24 fps and is usually played back at 60 fps, there is no difference between 1080i and 1080 p since the 24 frames need to get stretched across 60 frames - so there isn't even enough content there to do 1080p@60fps.

I'm willing to admit that I'm about to make this up as I go along, but I thought that the FPS didn't impact the resolution. The fact that there are twice as many lines of resolution at 1080p as 1080i leads to a better picture. Also, isn't TV 30 FPS, not 60? Most TVs are 60 hz, but DVDs are only 30 FPS so the TV flashes each frame twice.

[billybreen]

Yes, it's only for one week and by the slimmest of margins, but it's still quite surprising that the 360 outsold the PS3 (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/xbox-360-outsells-ps3-in-japan/). The Xbox line has had abysmal uptake in Japan, so this can't be good news for Sony.

[hc5duke]

Yes, it's only for one week and by the slimmest of margins, but it's still quite surprising that the 360 outsold the PS3 (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/09/xbox-360-outsells-ps3-in-japan/). The Xbox line has had abysmal uptake in Japan, so this can't be good news for Sony.

dammit I just saw that on digg too...

[JasonEvans]

How is the XBox 360 as an HD-DVD player? anyone use it to play their DVDs or HD-DVDs? Does it upconvert regular DVDs to look a little like HD? Does it automatically play HD-DVDs or do you have to get a separate piece to do that?

-Jason

[JasonEvans]

The definitive console war summary:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1383-Zero-Punctuation-Console-Rundown

Or at least one. If you like the style, the other reviews are equally caustic.

That guy is freaking hysterical. He'stalkingamileaminutebuthe'shysterical.

--Jason

[YmoBeThere]

Yes, but he got one thing wrong...the best game ever made was Wizardry for the Apple II platform.

[YmoBeThere]

Just bumping the post count? Well, the Ultima franchise for Apple II was pretty good also.

[mpj96]

Yes, but he got one thing wrong...the best game ever made was Wizardry for the Apple II platform.

Ymo, we don't agree on much but I can agree with that.

[YmoBeThere]

:) See everyone has some redeeming values!

[GDT]

That guy is freaking hysterical. He'stalkingamileaminutebuthe'shysterical.


I have to admit, his love for the admittedly flawed, but brilliant, Psychonauts had me at the word 'bollocks'. Or maybe it was 'rubbish'. Or maybe that came from the Tottenham announcers.

The designer of said Psychonauts is apparently finishing a game based on heavy metal music, featuring Jack Black, perhaps revising his role (or the spirit thereof) in School of Rock. And the legend of the rent was way hardcore...

[Dukerati]

No option for all three? I own all three systems because I am a gadget freak and I like games. Here are my general thoughts:

1) I regret buying the Wii. I loved Wii Sports and Zelda but the games are faddish at best and do not have long term value. Unless third party support amps up for the Wii, I'll be left waiting for Nintendo to churn out content which will take FOREVER.

2) PS3 has amazing graphics but no good games. I can not wait for Final fantasy 13 to come out but there are no real cornerstone games coming any time soon and I fear that the Xbox will have too established a customer base by then...

3) Xbox 360 is definitely my favorite because of the strong titles. It broke on me once which was super annoying but Microsoft refunded my money so I'll let them go just this once:)

As for the format debate, HD-DVD will win. They have more money to throw around as the recent switching of Paramount and Dreamworks to exclusively HD-DVD was the result of a 150 million dollar payout-- a tactic that the Bluray camp can not afford to match.

[YmoBeThere]

the Wii ... but the games are faddish at best and do not have long term value.
Yes, there was quite the fad of playing "Shake the Can"...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I have none of the systems and have never played on any of them. In fact, the last video game I played was pong ..... back when it was new.

[snowdenscold]

The only two systems I've ever owned are NES and Nintendo 64 (skipped the sega/snes generation - had to play Genesis at my neighbor's). I have absolutely no problems playing old games again and again and again (and again). My NES has pretty much given out, but thank goodness there's emulator. Well, at least for RPG's. It's hard to play Contra and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest with my keyboard...


Speaking of RPG's - if you like them and are familiar with many of the classics (I derived a lot from Final Fantasy series, Dragon Warrior series, Shining Force, etc.), make sure you've read this -
The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés (http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html)

[billybreen]

This discussion reminded me of a great article about the quality of modern games (http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/games/manifesto.html) (note: some NSFW language). It was written as this hardware generation was preparing for release and is a scathing and hilarious indictment of the derivative and unimaginative state of gaming.

From the first section on the sorry state of game AI:


We get so overjoyed every time an enemy actually shoots from cover in a game that we forgive the fact that real, advanced A.I. is as much an unfulfilled promise as the flying car. Where are the FPS bad guys who can adapt their strategy on the fly? Enemies who themselves have six different guns and switch up according to what the situation calls for? Bad guys who work in teams, who strategize, who create diversions to distract you? Where's the enemy Solid Snake who sneaks up on you with the silence of a ninja's church fart?

[allenmurray]

1) I regret buying the Wii. I loved Wii Sports and Zelda but the games are faddish at best and do not have long term value. Unless third party support amps up for the Wii, I'll be left waiting for Nintendo to churn out content which will take FOREVER.


What abour for folks younger than you (meaning in the 9 - 12 year old range)? I'm considering one for my kids - they already have a PS2.

[Cavlaw]

Ok, I now feel compelled to respond with a little more depth than my earlier post. I post from the perspective of a Gamer (capital G, no "casual" modifier), and in my opinion, the Wii is awesome.

I have both the 360 and the Wii. I did not invest in the PS3 for 3 reasons: (i) it costs way too much, (ii) until recently, it really had no exclusive titles (and the current batch does not excite me) and (iii) I view the X360 and the PS3 as relatively interchangeable, and the X360 has a better online setup and exclusives I really wanted.

The X360 has had a number of games I have picked up and really enjoyed and traded in. It's greatest strength at the moment appears to be FPS games (Rainbox 6, Ghost Recon, Halo 3, Bioshock, etc.). It also has the RPG Mass Effect from Bioware (creators of Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, NWN, Jade Empire, etc.) coming down the pipe next week, which will be a must own. The showing in the sportsgame category is fairly strong, as well, with all the usual titles from EA Sports that the PS3 shares. On the kids front, Viva Pinata is an excellent title (but not the follow-up "party animals").

Assassin's Creed recently came out on both the X360 and the PS3. It is a solid game and I enjoy it alot, but once I've beaten it it will be going to the trade-in shop for something else, as I don't foresee a lot of replayability. This has been true across the board on X360 games for me, and the only one I've been holding onto is Rainbow Six because I play online with friends.

So, here's the list of X360 titles to try, in my opinion:

Mass Effect (available Tuesday - if you can find it)
Assassin's Creed
Bioshock
Rainbow 6: Vegas
Halo 3
Viva Pinata
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1
Call of Duty 3
Forza Motorsports
Any variety of College Football/Madden and a few other sports titles

I've also heard good things about Eternal Sonata

On the Wii:

This system is completely different from either then X360 or the PS3, and has a great price advantage. It's launch titles have been the strongest to date, with Wii Sports, Zelda, and Rayman Raving Rabbids leading the way. If you don't have either of the latter, get them.

The Wii's greatest strengths are innovative gameplay, intuitive controls, and easy accessibility. It also has a bunch of great games that are NOT trade-in when you're done. The problem is that is also has a bunch of games that are crap, and if you pick up the wrong ones, you will regret buying a Wii. Most of the better games are first-party software, but expect to see some great new third party titles later next year.

In the meantime, these are the titles to own:

Super Mario Galaxy (just released, this game is amazing)
Wii Sports (free in the US with the Wii)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 (& 2 which was just released)
Mario Strikers Charged! (Awesome in multiplayer, so-so in single)
Link's Crossbow Training (free with the new Wii Zapper next week)
Super Smash Brothers Braw (February)
MarioKart (Q1)
NiGHTS: Journey into Dreams (December)

Some of the sports games just work due to the wiimote dynamic, as well. Beyond this, I don't recommend spending on money on Wii games, but these are all GREAT titles (or I predict will be, if not yet released, based on the things I have seen and read).

[Channing]

I still have a Nintendo Gamecube. I am a big Madden and College Football fan, and those are generally the only games I play. However, Super Smash Borther Melee has to be one of the most fun games I have ever played on any console.

[DevilAlumna]

What abour for folks younger than you (meaning in the 9 - 12 year old range)? I'm considering one for my kids - they already have a PS2.

I don't know what platforms support it (beyond XBOX360), but the Lego Star Wars game is HILARIOUS for any fan of the movies. The Simpsons game (also on XBOX360) was pretty amusing too.

[billybreen]

Super Mario Galaxy (just released, this game is amazing)

Just to follow up on that point, SMG is now officially the highest rated game of all time (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/915692.asp) according to review aggregator gamerankings.com. The previous champion was another Nintendo title, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, and its record stood for 10 years.

Also, while your 360 list is a bit too heavy on the FPS side for my taste, it's a good example of how strong of a library exists. Get a Wii. Get a 360. That should suffice for this generation of games.