I think this topic has been going back and forth for long enough, it’s time for me to jump in with my opinion since I have been holding back getting caught up in the argument for some time now. The topic only becomes an argument when gamers get way too caught up in which side they play for, seriously people it is just a gaming console not the next presidential candidate. Obviously I work for an Xbox 360 website, I have done so for the past four years, does that make me bias towards Microsoft? I think not because before the Xbox 360, the PS2 was my console of choice, over the past year I have come to like what the Xbox 360 has to offer and to be honest what else has there been to choose from? I could include the Nintendo Wii in this editorial but seriously, what is the point? The Wii is a great machine and many fans out there will line up on launch day to grab one, but for all gaming purposes (graphics, games, etc.) there are only two major consoles to fight for you attention (Nintendo has already admitted that it’s purpose is not to go after Microsoft or Sony). If you want to find out what my number one recommendation is for the console to own come Christmas read on! Let’s start off with a quick overview of what each console offers in terms of graphics, connectivity (online), audio, media, etc. before we move onto the games that are offered.
The Xbox 360 has been out for a year now and I can honestly say that it is most definitely next-generation gaming at it’s best. Anyone that tells you differently is only trying to get you to buy their product. First up is the look of the machine; Microsoft really won some points with me by making the 360 aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. After failing miserably with the original Xbox, Microsoft learned from their mistakes and made the 360 smaller, whiter, and more futuristic looking. I have had a 360 inside my media center since release and have yet to get bored or disgusted by looking at it (See the Xbox 1 or Gamecube for examples).
So, it looks good, but what can the Xbox 360 do? I am not going to get all technical here and will just keep it simple. The 360 has plenty of power to make games look amazing. I have heard time and time again that the PS3 launch titles look better than the Xbox 360 launch titles, is there a statement out there that makes less sense? Obviously Sony and it’s developers have had more time to tweak the PS3’s launch games on the graphical end of the spectrum. In terms of graphics the 360 is here to stay, it will not be outdated by the end of 2007 so no need to worry if you adopted Microsoft’s console early on.
Turning to the PS3, the look that Sony went for is a bit different. First off this thing is a beast, recently I had a chance to pick one up and let me tell you it is heavy. Having the ability to stand it upright or lay it down saved it for me because I just had no space to put that behemoth when it is in its normal resting position. The PS3 has a much more futuristic look to it and really screams “next-generation”. It keeps the trademark black color and will undoubtedly look great next to my stereo receiver and plasma television. In terms of storage the Xbox 360 offers (at this time) 20GB, which in my opinion is plenty. The 60 GB drive of the PS3 is nice to have, but seriously until downloadable movies, retail games, etc. become available I think 60GB is overkill. Also Microsoft can upgrade their storage at any time by releasing a larger hard drive add-on. The Xbox 360 games are only printed on DVD’s, the new HD-DVD accessory will be great to have for movies but unfortunately no games will be made on these discs. This is a spot that Sony’s PS3 does have the upper-hand in, having the ability to make Blu-Ray games that hold a ton more information will allow PS3 games to be larger and have more extensive details on them. Is this to say that 360 developers are cutting out information to fit their games on a DVD? We have not heard anything of the sort so my guess would be at this time developers are doing just fine with the DVD media. Other things like built in wireless, HDMI, web browsing, etc. are all nice additions but do not make or break a console. In the insanely fast moving market of today’s technology anything can be upgraded and anything that is released a year after it’s competition is going to include new technology. At the end of the day both of these machines are great gaming consoles and will keep their owners happy for at least a few years to come.
Another huge part of gaming in today’s world is multiplayer and the ability to square off against someone across the country or even the globe. Microsoft obviously has this part of gaming down tight. Over the past 4 years the Xbox Live system has been tweaked and is now easily the best online platform available to play console games. Sony is catching up and is surely going to reveal something great (and free) with it’s upcoming PS3 but only time will tell if they can handle the online portions of games as great as Microsoft can.
With the launch of the Playstation 3 only a month away and Gears of War being released on the Xbox 360 in three weeks, what might you ask is my recommendation? Unfortunately for you I am not a fan boy so my advice is both (for me at least); or whichever one has the exclusive titles that you are most looking forward to. That may be a cop-out answer but honestly it is the only answer that makes sense. Both of these machines are amazing in terms of graphics and gaming capabilities and both systems have the potential to be the king of next-gen gaming. I am so sick and tired of everyone hating on each-other and starting arguments over which system is better, blah blah blah. Go out there and buy whichever machine fits your style the best and gives you, the gamer, the games that you want to play. At the end of the day no one knows what is going to happen with this beast we call a “console war”, but my guess is only time will tell.
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