I'm having trouble deciding...

[BNole]

...between the XBox 360 and PS3.

Before you answer, let me just say that I'm a casual gamer. My last console was the XBox, and I had a PS (One) before that. I'm not looking for a ton of games since I'll most likely stick with only Madden 09, GTA, and perhaps some sort of FPS.

Now, the tricky part. Most of my friends have the 360, and play on XBox Live. However, I tend to stay pretty busy and will most likely not play that often. Perhaps only on the weekends? Is PSN really that bad/hard to find people to play with?

Also, I've read a TON about the 360's issues. I've heard it gets way too hot and is way too noisy. Has this been fixed in the newer models? Is it really that much worse than the PS3?

Lastly, just to double check, will the games I mentioned be the same for both? Or does one system run them better than the other? Also, fyi, although Blu-Ray is a nice feature, it isn't a selling point high on my list.

Thanks for your help.

[IceNine]

Get a 360 if that's what all your friends have.

[kickingtotalass]

If bluray's not a selling point how'd you get on HDD? LOL.

JK but i'd get the 199 arcade in that case when it hits september 7th.

Otherwise get yourself a MGS4 80 gig pack as it's a great deal.

But you're looking at 499 vs. 199.

[MrE]

Originally Posted by IceNine

Get a 360 if that's what all your friends have.

Especially if he plans to play against his friends online.


I'd also take a look at all the games for each system and decide which one appeals more to you.

I wouldn't worry about RROD unless you plan to buy a used 360.

[BladeofTheImmortal]

Get a PS3, it has awesome games and blu-ray is an added bonus that get used often in my house.

[IceNine]

Originally Posted by MrE

Especially if he plans to play against his friends online.


I'd also take a look at all the games for each system and decide which one appeals more to you.

I wouldn't worry about RROD unless you plan to buy a used 360.

Right... then you can also borrow games from your friends if you use the same system, so that's a good thing to think about too.

Xbox Live is better than PSN, in my opinion. PSN is free and Live costs $50 per year, but you get what you pay for. Still... the only thing you really need to think about is the fact that your friends all have 360s. That should be all you need to know.

I am hoping that the red ring problem is fixed now... my current dead Xbox 360 Elite was built in March of 2007, so it was before the Falcon update. My other Elite was built after the Falcon update and it seems pretty solid.

I just bought an Xbox 360 Arcade for my son, to replace the dead Elite... I put his hard drive on it and he is back in operation. Now all I have to do is get Microsoft to get the other one fixed.

[viewsonic]

Originally Posted by MrE

Especially if he plans to play against his friends online.

But he isn't planning on playing online much so the free PSN service should be absolutely fine.

Get a 40gb PS3. Its reliable, free to play online and is cheaper than an Xbox 360 of similar spec.

[MrE]

Originally Posted by viewsonic

But he isn't planning on playing online much so the free PSN service should be absolutely fine.

Get a 40gb PS3. Its reliable, free to play online and is cheaper than an Xbox 360 of similar spec.

They don't even make the 40gb anymore...

Don't get me wrong, I love my PS3... But I prefer gaming on my 360. He really can't go wrong either way. He just needs to weigh his options and decide for himself.

[Shoeless]

Well, if you're the sort that cares for numbers, then depending on who you ask around here, GTA IV on the PS3 is actually the superior version because it's overall average has now risen to a full 0.5% higher than the Xbox 360 on Game Rankings at 97.4% versus 96.9%. I personally wouldn't go by that sort of recommendation and would tell you that you should play it on the system your friends do, but as some would say, there's a consensus about this, so if you're the sort of person that believes in numbers as fact without taking any other considerations into account, then the best version of GTA IV is actually on the PS3. Make of that what you will.

[BNole]

Like I said, I most likely won't play with them that much, since we're all on different time schedules. Also, we're all in different states, so game sharing won't be happening.

That being said, I WOULD prefer the 360. BUT, I've heard so many negative things against it (noise, heat, totally crapping out).

Don't get me wrong, I would use the Blu-Ray player...but that's not why I'm buying a gaming console. Like I said, I just want to play Madden, etc when I get some free time.

[maley]

MS has been slow to fix problems but they're making the 360 system a lot better than when they launched it. The PS3 is still a more reliable product (inb4update bs).

Which controller do you like better? It could honestly come down to this.

edit: Do you intend to eventually get a Blu-ray player? This was a deciding factor for me and others. I love movies and want the best so I knew I would eventually get one and it was just one more thing I didn't have to buy by owning a PS3.

[BNole]

Maybe my TV will make a difference?

I just purchased a Panasonic Plasma -- 42PX80U. The native resolution is 1024x768. Does either system cater to that better?

[maley]

No, not really.

[BNole]

Originally Posted by maley

MS has been slow to fix problems but they're making the 360 system a lot better than when they launched it. The PS3 is still a more reliable product (inb4update bs).

Which controller do you like better? It could honestly come down to this.

edit: Do you intend to eventually get a Blu-ray player? This was a deciding factor for me and others. I love movies and want the best so I knew I would eventually get one and it was just one more thing I didn't have to buy by owning a PS3.

It's a toss-up on the controller -- although I'm more used to the PS3 (since my PC controller is the same).

I will eventually get a Blu-Ray, but it's not high up on my list, personally. My g/f on the other hand, she'd rather have one now.

Does the 30gig HD on the PS3 cause any issues vs the larger 360 HD?

Online wise, I've heard Home could be like XBox Live, or no? Also, I'm just as willing to play with random people, than my friends. I won't buy something because they did, ya know? I want what is the best, really.

I was originally leaning to the 360 but the problems have really turned me away. Since the games I'd play are cross-platform, I'm just looking for a reason (if any) to still get the 360.

[Shoeless]

Originally Posted by BNole

Like I said, I most likely won't play with them that much, since we're all on different time schedules. Also, we're all in different states, so game sharing won't be happening.

That being said, I WOULD prefer the 360. BUT, I've heard so many negative things against it (noise, heat, totally crapping out).

Don't get me wrong, I would use the Blu-Ray player...but that's not why I'm buying a gaming console. Like I said, I just want to play Madden, etc when I get some free time.

As far as the mechanical problems of the 360 goes, those do still currently exist, but Microsoft is addressing them. However, the risk is still there. The PS3 in that regard is a more reliable machine, and Blu-Ray playback is still a bonus for many, but if you're willing to get a separate stand alone BD player at some point in the future, then it's not issue. Keep in mind the PS3 is still considered one of the best players on the market right now, so depending on when you decide to get a BD player, you may just end up buying one anyway unless you're talking a year or two down the road.

If you're going to be playing games casually, then either console is fine, really. The biggest draw of one console over another comes down to the exclusive titles, and the vast majority of games are multi-platform (like Madden and GTA) so unless you really think you need to play Halo or Metal Gear Solid, that's not a factor in your decision. Reliability and Blu-Ray playback are still advantages the PS3 currently enjoys generally, but the 360 does have a better online environment and the 3 year warranty coverage if your machine gets the dreaded RROD. Gamewise, they're pretty much equal, exclusives notwithstanding. Initially the 360 was the lead platform for many multi-platform games, meaning that the 360 versions performed better than their PS3 counterparts, but even this has been changing of late so that the versions are either equal or the PS3 version edges out the 360 version in very minor ways.

So really, it comes down to this, and I only mean this for the moment, a year or even 6 months down the line the conditions could change.

Reliability + Blu-Ray playback: Get a PS3

Better online gaming + Better Warranty Coverage: Get a 360

And if all else fails, look at exclusives. If you need Halo or Mass Effect, you need a 360. If you need Metal Gear or LittleBigPlanet, you need a PS3.