The Great Console Debate

[Wolfie]

Well, i'm in line for getting a console next month, so the obvious question arose 'Which one?'

I've looked over the threads in the past and most of them are a little outdated. So i thought i might raise the question again and get peoples opinions now (at the end of 2007).

The XBox360 was plagued with faulty hardware, over heating etc... how is it now, still an issue? Cooling options are available, do these help? Whats the game selection like these days?

The PS3 was the late arrival, with a shortage of good titles to support the superior hardware... is that still the case now? Any hardware issues with this beast?

The Wii was being raved about, the Wiimote being the key element in peoples choices to go to this console, but has the novelty worn off yet? Is the hardware solid for the this system? What about game selection?

Prices are approaching a more normal level now, what are the 'on the ground' prices in bangkok these days?

In reflection, did you regret buying your PS3/XBox360/Wii and would you have chosen something else with hindsight?

Enlighten me.... thanks in advance!

[Jockstar]

I bought a Xbox 360 here in Sydney. I looked at the PS3 but the price and lack of games put me off. The 360 did have issues as you said. But i believe that most of these have been sorted out. My vote would go for the 360. Never played the Wii. though it looks fun and does have quite a few games.

[TopDogger]

The PS3 was slow out of the blocks, theres some very good games coming out for it now though so it'll slowly creep up on the other 2 sales wise imo.

[LivinLOS]

Ps3 has a bad set of games and I just read capcom are pulling PS3 support after being previous exclusives.. Very bad sign !!

Wii.. Interesting controller.. But I just dont see the games I like..

360.. HUGE lineup of titles.. Plus pirate games available.. x-clamp mods seeming to work for those effected.. Basically I am very happy with my 360..

[Prudent_rabbit]

360....huge amount of fun, nearly decided to wait for the PS3, glad that I didnt and like the man says above, I just dont like the games for the Wii, I believe you get a better selection on the 360, Ghost Recon is just the best for wasting days and I mean days of time!

[solo siam]

Another vote for the 360, best multiplayer experience, best selection of games, some people have complained of overheating consoles but of the many people I personally know with a 360 none have had problems, I have had quite a few myself, also with no problems.

[Peteinbkk31]

As I own all 3 I can give an unbiased and fair judgement.

The X-Box 360 has the better games, more selection, it's been unlocked so you can play copy games on it, so this should be the number 1 right .... well, seeing as I haven't been able to play my 360 for like 5 months now cos of the Fuc%$#@ 3 red lights of death, I'm not that pleased with my 360 .... I can't beleve that it took Microsoft so long to admit their fault, and they are now paying for it by giving the extended 3 year warranty. Of course this doesn't help us with our flashed 360's in a country where the 360 isn't officialy released yet. Everytime I get my 360 back from repair it's scary, I'm scared to play longer than 30 minutes, I've got about 3 fans blasting on it. Really you shouldn't be afraid to play your 15,000 baht machine cos yu're scared it's gona break down.

My girlfriend bought me another 360 for my birthday, but I took it back the same day and exchanged it for a Playstation 3, I saw the 360 was an old model, so it was very likely to get 3 rod again. I will buy a new 360 when the new Heat sinks are implemented and the failure rate goes down.

So the 360 should be my number 1 but the failure rate is ridiculous.

So on to my Playstation 3, it cost the same as my 360, it also cost 7,000 b less than my Playstation 2 which I bought pretty much at launch from MBK. It's the first console I've bought where it hasn't been cracked yet, I bought my first original game in about 15 years, lol.

The cost is a lot, but you d feel like you're getting a quality made machine. I admit after my 360 I was scared to run my Playstation 3 for too long, but now I've kept it on all day, downloading demos and not a problem. Of course I hope in the near future that it gets cracked, as 1,500 baht to 2,000 baht a game is a lot ...... but in saying that, the 1 game that I did buy, I have played that game to death and paying the price I do appreciate it more .... the amount of times I bought a PS2 or 360 Game and tried it for 5 minutes and never played it again. Now I download the demo and make sure I'm gonna like it, and I play the game to I unlock everything.

Also I'm more into Japanese RPG's and Japanese games, so hopefully more of these kind of games will come out for the PS3. I loved a lot of the games on the 360 but I did get sick of playing the 473rd FPS on the 360, not being a FPS fan, the games I realy like on the 360 weren't so many, but again I wil say the 360 currently has a better library than the PS3.

So at the moment the PS3 is my favourite machine.

As for the Wii, what can I say I fell for it hook, line & sinker. It's not a console for gamers, it's a family entertainment machine. Even the big games like Zelda & Paper Mario didn't hold my attention for long. I have to admit I started Metroid last night and that seems good, so it might be time to dust off the Wii ........ Saying that tho, the most popular machine when people or family visit is the Wii hands down. So as the games only cost 80b it's not a bad machine, just hope that developers can think of original ways and inventive ways to use the remote and not make the 354th party game.

So in conclusion the 360 would be my favourite right now, but it has serious problems, and my one has been dead for 4 to 5 months, so my PS3 is my top machine now, lets just hope that someone Paradox most probably crack the machine so we can play copies ;P

As for the Wii, it will get used when family or kids are visiting !!

[cowman1]

Likewise, my 360 overheated and I vowed not to get another, so i bought a ps3. The money isn't an issue anymore cause you can get the 20gb one for 14000(ish) baht. To me the ps3 just seems better put together, ad feels more classy (like owning a ferrari or something). But I think it depends what games you want, fp shooters then go for the 360, i like to play football games, so for me the pad is important,so i am happy with the ps3, but had my 360 not broken after 3 months of moderate playing then i still would have been happy with it. I'm happy to pay for games too, 1500 baht is reasonable to me for a good game. And you dont need to worry about being banned online.

[Turok]

Wolfie:

Wii hands down! My choice for a console was easy. And stay away from the chipped consoles and buy an untampered product. Why some of these people complain when there modded Xbox, PS3, or Wii breaks down is beyond me. What do they expect!

Why the Wii? Simple.... Mario, Zelda, Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros, these are the old stand bys that never fail. In addition, a library of old games and Gamecube games. They also have the party games but that is a good thing. The variety of games is unmatched by the other consoles, People whine about the Wii having too many party games but honestly do we need another FPS, football, or driving game game for the PS3 or Xbox?

If I had to chose a second console it would be the XBox but the original version. No tampered product just so I can play cheapo games that might contain the whole game. I love Unreal Tournament coming out and of course.... Turok!

Handheld- The DS. No comparison. Lite and fun. PSP is bulky.

Happy Shopping

[LivinLOS]

Wolfie:

Wii hands down! My choice for a console was easy. And stay away from the chipped consoles and buy an untampered product. Why some of these people complain when there modded Xbox, PS3, or Wii breaks down is beyond me. What do they expect!

360 failures Has absolutely nothing to do with any machine tampering and everything to do with manufacturing.. Failure rates are the same with unmodded consoles..

In fact if anything those that do open thier machines can actually apply fixes to make up for the failures..

Add in the grey market and lack of warranty is the worry for many.. Me I am happy and would buy another immediately if it failed.

As for the wii.. I just havent seen a single game I would play for more than a casual interest 1/2 hour.. Theres an instant pick up and burst of fun but no depth and I have to say I am a sucker for hidef games on a 120 inch HT screen in full surround..

Itching for assassins creed..

Edited October 16, 2007 by LivinLOS

[solo siam]

Must admit that the tampered with xbox360's do seem to be the ones I hear about failing.

[Ian_B]

Since I got my 360's fixed they have worked flawlessly - they were all unmodded 360's (but got them flashed during the repair)

I too have all 3 consoles and my favourite depends on the game(s) I'm playing at the time

Right now I'm having a blast with Team Fortress 2 on the 360 - near "Pixar" graphics and heaps of fun

Come end of October Ratchet & Clank comes out for PS3 and then I'll switch to PS3 as my fave, then Wii for Mario then 360 for Mass Effect.. Talk about being spolit for choice this winter!

[Firefoxx]

As always, the real deciding factor is not the console itself, but the GAMES. You don't buy a console just to stare at it's curves. You buy it to play games. If it doesn't have the games you want to play, then it's a paperweight. You can rave all you want about the technological advances, and rant all you want about all the nagging problems, the final word is that if you don't enjoy the games it has, then it has no worth, and you'll be left wishing you had bought the "other" console.

Granted, there are some cross-platform games, but the games that make a console popular (like Halo, Final Fantasy, Mario, etc) are usually tied to a single console. So just look at what games you like, and what console they run on. Then you've got your console.

[Wolfie]

Well the 360 is edging ahead on my radar at the moment, just concerned about the over heating problems... how real are they and whats being done about them? What can be done about them myself? (i.e. sticking it under the aircon unit, putting a full sized desk fan on it whilst playing etc)

The game selection is whats pushing me that way right now, as Firefoxx said theres little point getting something without the games there.. i'm looking for a wide selection of games, not a specific genre. The second choice would be the Wii right now with the PS3 brining up the rear.

Still interested to hear about peoples experiences with the consoles... keep em coming!

[Etrigan]

The next gen 3!

I own two of the three systems, so I can't really comment on Wii except to remind you that this console is not next generation, it is quite primitive in comparison, but the Wii's selling point is unique game play.

The xbox 360 - A lot of games! Pirates too! In theory the 360 beats all the competition. Sadly, the reality is another story. The current model does have design faults whereby the board warps under the x-clamps due to the inefficient heatsinks. Look in my other posts and you can actually see a 360 board with the offending heatsinks. If you really want a 360 then wait until the new models are released. Still not sure at this point if the new 360 Elite incorporates the newer tech and heatsinks. I would also install extra fans to any 360 that you buy.

The ps3 - Not many games! No pirates! It doesn't suffer reliability issues. The machine runs hot, but not as hot as the 360. Speaks volumes for microsoft quality control when compared to sony! There are some good games, but nowhere near as many as 360. This may change in the future as the PS3 was a little slow in entering the 3rd gen race.

The PS3 (19,500) is a lot more expensive than the cheapest 360 (12,500 baht), but the extra money equates to reliability, which the 360 lacks.

There will always be a chorus trying to convince you that the 360 is fine and that people like me are simply "fanboys". You will also discover that such people contribute little to console discussions as all they do is play schadenfreude: "your machine broke ha ha coz mine are over 1 year old and i own umpteen 360's so what i say must be true ha ha". Of course, such people should be ignored.

Good luck with your purchase and enjoy. You won't believe just how good some of these 3rd gen games really are!

[stumonster]

I have had a Wii now since april and it is the first console I have ever purchased.

it is a fun console but I don't give it that much use - if I want to play a game I will use the computer.

you do need a bit of space to play some of the games on the Wii as you are swinging the controller around.

I mainly bought the Wii because of the innovative controller setup which is nice to use.

I don't have a large screen television ( I think I have a 25") so I can't comment on what it is like on the bigger screens.

for non serious gamers the Wii is instant fun .

I am still happy to have bought the Wii because as I say it is good for parties , but I will use my computer for serious gaming.

also there are some cool things that can be done with the Wii and controller because of its WiFi , Bluetooth and IR integration. http://wiihacks.blogspot.com/

[Ian_B]

Well the 360 is edging ahead on my radar at the moment, just concerned about the over heating problems... how real are they and whats being done about them? What can be done about them myself? (i.e. sticking it under the aircon unit, putting a full sized desk fan on it whilst playing etc)

The game selection is whats pushing me that way right now, as Firefoxx said theres little point getting something without the games there.. i'm looking for a wide selection of games, not a specific genre. The second choice would be the Wii right now with the PS3 brining up the rear.

Still interested to hear about peoples experiences with the consoles... keep em coming!

I have had 3 PAL 360s (all imported from UK) fail since launch

Around 4 months ago I found a place to have them fixed her in Bangkok and sicne then they have all worked flawlessly - I had 2 of the 3 flashed for copied games and left 1 unflashed

I think MS have fixed the console reliabilitiy issues a lot but the failure rate is still much higer than PS3 or Wii. If you get one try and get it from a shop that can fix it when it RRODs

Also please be aware that once the Winter Xbox360 dashboard update comes out (next month probably) they might ban more modded consoles from playing online. They did the exact same thing during the last update and I'm sure they have been working on their detection methods. This is why I also buy the AAA original games and have one unmodded 360

[Firefoxx]

If you don't have any previous preference for a game (like Halo), then the three consoles can be categorized roughly thus:

Xbox360: Mainly mature English games with great graphics and good network (online) play. Ability to play pirated games. Very close to a computer. Significant game library.

PS3: Mature English/Japanese games with awesome graphics. Network is questionable. Can't play pirated games. Has not realized its full potential yet. Small library. Expensive.

Wii: Very wide audience, basically covers 0-100 years old. Networking is good. Can play pirated games. Graphics not so hot. Significant game library. Can play older gamecube games.

Newer Xbox360's come with a new heatsink, but it's hard to tell whether you're getting it or not.

[Peteinbkk31]

Firefox, I agree in the past it has always been the deciding factor on which console has the better games, for me

Spectrum >>> Commodore

Amiga >>> Atari St

Sega Master System >> Nintendo NES

Super NES >> Mega Drive

PS1 >>> Nintendo 64

Ps2 >>> X-box

But it dosn't really matter if a console has the best games if when you buy the console it's an actual lottery if yours is gonna last 6 months. Then I think you have to take other things into consideration.

360 > Great game selection, Can play copies, Cheap, but has a major flaw in design that is likely to kill your machine in less than a year.

To all the fanboys that say it hasn't happened to me so it can't be a problem, well I've had unprotected sex and so have some of my friends and we haven't caught HIV+, so HIV must be a myth, I don't care about the many reports saying it's true cos me and my 5 friends haven't caught it, think about your mentality.

To Ian_b where did you get your 360 fixed ??? Cos I have been having my 360 fixed for about 5 moths now and everytime it comes back it works for about 4 hours max !!! I'm sure they are fixing it the towel trick way or reheating the solders, and not by removing x-clamps which I have tried to tell them to do ..... Please tell me so I can get it fixed.

[Khun Jean]

One thing in favor and for me the reason to buy a 360 is that it works very smooth as a media extender to my windows vista box.

So i have my games and my movies/music all coming from the xbox.

Very easy to navigate with the remote.

I like racing games. The microsofts racing wheel is in my opinion the best ever.

[LivinLOS]

To all the fanboys that say it hasn't happened to me so it can't be a problem, well I've had unprotected sex and so have some of my friends and we haven't caught HIV+, so HIV must be a myth, I don't care about the many reports saying it's true cos me and my 5 friends haven't caught it, think about your mentality.

I dont think anyone is saying it cant be a problem.. But I do feel the 360 failure rate is no where near what some present as 'facts'..

And comparing your 360 dieing to catching HIV.. lol.. Your not taking your console selection a little seriously ?? Its about speedning <12k to replace should it happen, not a life ending event ??

I have a 360 and enjoy it.. My thinking is that 10 legit games would be the value of a replacement box so that does weigh in heavily.. I also like the media features on a home net as mentioned.

I hope anyone enjoys the console they own, I consider myself totally platform agnostic, I will happy play on whatever is available or the best deal. For me thats the 360, for others it may not be.

[LivinLOS]

One thing in favor and for me the reason to buy a 360 is that it works very smooth as a media extender to my windows vista box.

So i have my games and my movies/music all coming from the xbox.

Very easy to navigate with the remote.

I like racing games. The microsofts racing wheel is in my opinion the best ever.

Not to be forgotten.. Also tho its not for everyone, the ability for distributed media throughout a home via a few 360's as nodes is very appealing and cost effective compared to similar solutions. I am considering a 2nd bedroom console that would probably never play games but just was a music / DVD / Media extender.. Only thing I am delaying about is running more CAT 5 trough roof spaces and walls.

Still hanging back on a wheel.. Really should tho.

[quiksilva]

If you buy a 360 be sure to get one that was manufactured since June this year and you should not have any problems.

In fact since then they changed the manufacturing process again (since the 120gb hdd Elites were made) and the new models have changes in the design that should eliminate the rrod problems that have been highly popularised.

To be sure, pick up the Halo 3 special edition box that uses this cooler running chipset with 65 nm technology, codenamed: 'Falcon'. Also both the Elite and this version have an HDMI lead as standard.

The link below provides more details.

Good news for folks craving working 360's

A friend of mine had this to say about streaming media to the 360 which I felt might be of interest to you too:

WMV formats stream natively to the 360. For all other file types you will need to use Tversity which doesn't use media extender and is like the WMP streaming option but supports all formats via transcoding through the dashboard.

Windows Media Center is the option to use the Extender portion of the 360, using transcode360 to transcode the formats that are not WMV.

Personally I like the extender route as transcode360 supports DD 5.1 and tversity does not.

Codec Packs youll need to install are FFDSHOW and Haali Mediasplitter.

Oh and I will probably buy a Wii too.

Edited October 17, 2007 by quiksilva

[ozymandious]

The next gen 3!

....

Good luck with your purchase and enjoy. You won't believe just how good some of these 3rd gen games really are!

Just curious how do you arive at 3rd Gen?

could you explain?

Sony sure! but this is MS's 2nd gen and if we go back to the original NES then nintendo is on it's 5th incarnation as a consule.

[LivinLOS]

If you buy a 360 be sure to get one that was manufactured since June this year and you should not have any problems.

In fact since then they changed the manufacturing process again (since the 120gb hdd Elites were made) and the new models have changes in the design that should eliminate the rrod problems that have been highly popularised.

To be sure, pick up the Halo 3 special edition box that uses this cooler running chipset with 65 nm technology, codenamed: 'Falcon'. Also both the Elite and this version have an HDMI lead as standard.

The link below provides more details.

Good news for folks craving working 360's

A friend of mine had this to say about streaming media to the 360 which I felt might be of interest to you too:

WMV formats stream natively to the 360. For all other file types you will need to use Tversity which doesn't use media extender and is like the WMP streaming option but supports all formats via transcoding through the dashboard.

Windows Media Center is the option to use the Extender portion of the 360, using transcode360 to transcode the formats that are not WMV.

Personally I like the extender route as transcode360 supports DD 5.1 and tversity does not.

Codec Packs youll need to install are FFDSHOW and Haali Mediasplitter.

Oh and I will probably buy a Wii too.

Problem with transcoding is my machines cant on the fly transcode Hidef files..

I am having more success playing HiDef WMV files over the 360 than my media PC (needs an upgrade to keep up with h264 hidef files).. Big draw for me having a hidef player and I can get most 720p WMV's on a single layer DVD for archival.

Just wish I could get a really fool proof encoding option working.. A lot of my converts dont work and eat major processing time.

[Etrigan]

Just curious how do you arive at 3rd Gen?

could you explain?

Sony sure! but this is MS's 2nd gen and if we go back to the original NES then nintendo is on it's 5th incarnation as a consule.

Sorry mate, I didn't mean 3rd generation, it was more like the 3 consoles of the next generation!

[ozymandious]

Just curious how do you arive at 3rd Gen?

could you explain?

Sony sure! but this is MS's 2nd gen and if we go back to the original NES then nintendo is on it's 5th incarnation as a consule.

Sorry mate, I didn't mean 3rd generation, it was more like the 3 consoles of the next generation!

gotcha Thanks man!

[Wolfie]

They are termed as the third generation consoles though... but your right, three isnt strictly the correct number

I've kinda discounted the Wii now, the game selection (whilst larger) doesnt seem to appeal... the sports games, the wiimote based games will be fun for a while but not a long term thing... fun for parties/drunken evenings but it will wear off fast.'The only ones that really appeal are the Tiger woods golf and the new star wars game due out in the spring (light saber battles! I'm 12 again! wooohoo!)

That leaves me the PS3 or 360. Both appeal, nervous about the 360 due to reported problems (even if exaggerated theres got to be an element of truth to them) but it does have a broader selection of games, performance wise its reportedly the lesser of the two choices, as the PS3 is capable of out performing it. The PS3 hasnt got the selection of games yet, but its still the baby of the options so you expect less games for now. That can only grow. The mod/dont mod isnt the issue, just means i will have less games to start with until my collection grows to cover all moods. Originals seem to be able to be bought for 1500-4000b (the top end involving a new controller of some kind, gun, guitar etc)

If the technical problems of the 360 are going to be resolved soon (or already have, just have to find the newer model in the shops) then that brings it back into the running...

... I used to be indecisive, im not so sure now!

Edited October 17, 2007 by Wolfie

[Ian_B]

Wolfie,

just have to say that Warhawk on PS3 is the smoothest and completly lag-free console game I've ever played even with 32 players

Plus Eye Of Judgement is out next week and I can't wait for this game and think it might also appeal to you - check thsi out

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/827/827260p1.html

Eye Of Judgement will bring out all the inner geek in me!

So get a PS3 so we can battle online

[Turok]

Fellas:

I think you must be a long time Nintendo fan to enjoy the Wii. What I mean is if you are new to gaming then you probably have no idea who Mario, Link, Zelda, Samus Aran, Yoshi, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Kirby, Fox, Pikachu, .... are. There are otehrs but these characters are Nintendo! Thus, if you don't know these characters then I wouldn't get the Wii either. But I happen to love the characters and their adventures and all the offshoot games that are made for each character. The selling point for Nintendo are these characters. The games are fun and yes sometimes immature but that doesnt make them any less challenging than your so called grown up games. Granted the graphics of the Wii are far below the other consoles but gameplay should be your decision in buying a console not graphics. Great Graphics and poo gameplay = bad game. Inferior graphics + excellent gameplay = still a great game. Examle: Paper Mario. So again make teh right decsiosn and choose gameplay over graphics. Oh yea and when Super Smash Bros Brawl with online play comes out you'll be real sorry you don't have a Wii.

Turok