Next-Gen Consoling whoring analogy.

[Narcissistic Nihilist]

So true. :(

http://godmodeonline.com/comics/gm20070108.jpg

[Herr Lipp]

one of my friends bought a PS3 on release day. I haven't played it yet, but it is meant to be good, even on a regular screen TV. I wont be considering getting mine until at least christmas.

[vaya con dios]

I was pretty disappointed at the graphics on the PS3 compared to the one on Xbox360. I wish I had the screen grabs I saw to compare it, but it was incredibly different. The PS3 stuff looked all blurred.

[Herr Lipp]

is that on a HD telly? what did you play? even if it was HD, the groundwork is there for some incredible looking games in the next few months/years. Developers need time to get their fingers out.

[Zen Acolyte]

Developers need time to get their fingers out.

yea man, you couldn't be more correct. Two good examples are COD2 & COD3 and GRAW & GRAW2. Graphics wise, both of the initial releases looked great but the second versions of each game looks better. The devs need time with the consoles to squeeze every bit they can out of them.

To me, the XBOX360 & PS3 are both really powerfull machines. It's just like the last gen console war but flipped, now MS has the advantage of being on the market longer but will that hold up in the long run? There was a really good comparison on gamespot.com (cannot find the link, it was a while back)that showed different screenshots from X360 & PS3 games side by side. Honestly, they looked about the same. Some textures on the 360 where a bit sharper but then again on the PS3 some colors were a bit richer. The fact that the PS3 doesnt appeal to me YET is that no games are being developed with Blu-Ray tech... I don't need to spend $600.00 for a video game console with a high-end DVD drive as its center force. But like you said Fras, I may wait to see what the future brings. Sony's online service called "Home" sounds like a really good idea but on the flipside, see there's always a flipside, Sony's losing a lot of first party games to be released multiplatform: games such a Devil May Cry 4, Ace Combat 6, and Armored Core 4 which have always been past Playstation exclusives. Hell, the PS3 community is all twisted about DMC4, even having a on-line petition some 7,500 people strong that has Capcom's senior officials replying.


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6168044.html?tag=latestnews;title;1


...and supposedly a new black X360 with HDMI output & 125Gb HDD are comming. Saw that over at teamxbox.com but the images could be photo-shopped, MS ain't saying shit tho.

[Narcissistic Nihilist]

Well, of course. The future is where it is at.

[Dave McDonald]

I bought an Xbox 360 about a 2 months ago and Iam not very impressed. Ive got an LCD EDTV which looks quite pretty but this system is very unstable. I have a NES system from like 1990 which is more reliable then my Xbox 360. In case you are wondering Im not some diehard Sony fan or anything like that. I dont really favour one company over another. I just like video games and will play whatever system has the most fun games. I had a ps2for years and loved it. Before that an N64 & PS1. This year I thought I would give the Xbox a try(not such a good idea). After paying $600 for the system and a game or 2 you can feel quite ripped off when getting a Dirty Disc Error within the first 20 minutes of playing. Apparently lots of players get those errors. I read lots of reviews but honestly thought they were probably just ps3 freaks talking shit about xbox, but I guess not. Oh well... what can you do about it?

[Zen Acolyte]

I bought an Xbox 360 about a 2 months ago and Iam not very impressed. Ive got an LCD EDTV which looks quite pretty but this system is very unstable. I have a NES system from like 1990 which is more reliable then my Xbox 360. In case you are wondering Im not some diehard Sony fan or anything like that. I dont really favour one company over another. I just like video games and will play whatever system has the most fun games. I had a ps2for years and loved it. Before that an N64 & PS1. This year I thought I would give the Xbox a try(not such a good idea). After paying $600 for the system and a game or 2 you can feel quite ripped off when getting a Dirty Disc Error within the first 20 minutes of playing. Apparently lots of players get those errors. I read lots of reviews but honestly thought they were probably just ps3 freaks talking shit about xbox, but I guess not. Oh well... what can you do about it?

man, tell me about it. I'm on my 2nd 360 in a year. My first one, made back in late 2005 crapped out on me & I got the dreaded "Red rings of death". My second one now seems to play games/DVD's just fine but the disc tray often gets stuck.. a friend of mine is on his 3rd 360 in almost 2 years, what a rip! I think MS is starting to realize how many problems there are with the console and they are now fixing them free of charge, finally.

But you're right, it's a very unstable/unreliable machine. The new spring update is coming in April and I'm afraid it's gonna brick my console, like the fall update did with so many others. :/

[Dave McDonald]

man, tell me about it. I'm on my 2nd 360 in a year. My first one, made back in late 2005 crapped out on me & I got the dreaded "Red rings of death". My second one now seems to play games/DVD's just fine but the disc tray often gets stuck.. a friend of mine is on his 3rd 360 in almost 2 years, what a rip! I think MS is starting to realize how many problems there are with the console and they are now fixing them free of charge, finally.

But you're right, it's a very unstable/unreliable machine. The new spring update is coming in April and I'm afraid it's gonna brick my console, like the fall update did with so many others. :/

Ive pretty much stopped playing it, I just dont like using things that are half broken. Been like a week and a bit since I last played the Xbox 360 of mine.

[Hi There, Am Pam]

I am definitely not in the market for a PS3 or 360, largely because I don't have the cash, but also because I don't have the A/V equipment to really take advantage of it.

I think if I was in the market, I'd wait and see which of the two powerhouse systems takes off. The PS3 is definitely off to a slow start, but they're planning on dropping the price by a $100 (rumored), and the developers need time to learn how to best take advantage of the capabilities... assuming that the PS3 is really that much more powerful. Not that it isn't, necessarily, but it remains to be proven in screenshots. I'd imagine that by the end of the year, we'll know one way or the other.

One of the dangers facing the PS3 is if they don't pull off what people are waiting for in time. That is, price, graphics, exclusives, and how well Blu-ray becomes established. Sony has the potential to pull it off, it's just a question of if they will.

Microsoft seems to have a good thing going, but the reliability (I've heard mixed things) is always important. Not to mention that it would take a miracle for the 360 to have any kind of following in Japan.

The Wii, well, I obviously bought it early in, and while it's selling really well, it does have some potential downfalls. One of the major issues is whether third parties will be able to really make proper use of the controls. So far, it's largely been old ports with Wiimote controls tacked on, or fairly flaky controls. Not that there aren't great 3rd party titles, but it's rather mixed. I think for Nintendo to maintain the kind of impressive sales they have had, they need 3rd parties to publish titles the way Nintendo has. There are some big names publishing for the Wii, but it won't mean anything if they can't get the controls down.

There is also the online multiplayer question. Nintendo has touted the 24/7 connectivity, but the full potential remains to be seen. Nintendo needs to make sure that they do a good job on the online multiplayer stuff.

The graphics are also an issue. Nintendo was wise to avoid focusing media attention on the graphics, but it doesn't mean that players won't. Nintendo has really expanded the videogame market, and I'm willing to bet most people don't know what HDMI actually is... but the market has historically been gamers, who tend to care about graphics. I guess the question is whether gamers will overlook the graphics, and whether the non-traditional video game buyers will keep purchasing Wiis & games for it.

It's a pretty weird generation. I've never seen anything like it. I don't think anyone really knows how it will pan out, but it is interesting to speculate.

[Suede]

no way im paying £425 for a ps3. fuck that. I'll just wait about a year and a half and see how much it is then.

[Narcissistic Nihilist]

no way im paying £425 for a ps3. fuck that. I'll just wait about a year and a half and see how much it is then.

I would pay £425 for the best console avaliable if, you know, it had any games.

Looking at the launch titles, there is 2 that I might quite like. A little bit.

That clearly isn't enough. Yet I am totally underwhelmed by the competition.

Whe the PS3 gets the games, then I will buy one. Simple as.

[vaya con dios]

Really, there's no reason to get any of these systems. At all. At least until 2008. Sales don't really mean shit this year, nor the titles, nor the graphics.

I predict 2009 being a massive year for console technological advancements. It's a feeling.

[Zen Acolyte]

it's official, the Xbox 360 ELITE will be here in April. HDMI output and 125GB HDD. Given my current setup I don't need this system. The bigger HDD is nice but I'm not one that DL's tons of movies/vids from the Video Marketplace so the 20GB HDD does me fine. I may have to pick up one of these black controllers tho, a la The Duke. The price is quite nice too, 479.99 which is still $120 less than the current PS3 who's HDD is not as big, but no Blu-Ray in the 360.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/xbox360elite/default.htm?WText.camp=TS3-Xbox360Elite&WText.campSrc=Home

[Chopstick]

it's official, the Xbox 360 ELITE will be here in April. HDMI output and 125GB HDD. Given my current setup I don't need this system. The bigger HDD is nice but I'm not one that DL's tons of movies/vids from the Video Marketplace so the 20GB HDD does me fine. I may have to pick up one of these black controllers tho, a la The Duke. The price is quite nice too, 479.99 which is still $120 less than the current PS3 who's HDD is not as big, but no Blu-Ray in the 360.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/xbox360elite/default.htm?WText.camp=TS3-Xbox360Elite&WText.campSrc=Home

God, why did they have to go and change the color scheme? Now we're forever going to have to deal with digging through piles of black battery packs to find that one white one, or visa versa. I LIKE the white.

But... this is definitely good news because everyone thought the Elite would cost as much as a PS3. This is just a few bucks more than the premium version I bought. But then, what is your source on the price? I didn't see it on that website.

[vaya con dios]

it's official, the Xbox 360 ELITE will be here in April. HDMI output and 125GB HDD. Given my current setup I don't need this system. The bigger HDD is nice but I'm not one that DL's tons of movies/vids from the Video Marketplace so the 20GB HDD does me fine. I may have to pick up one of these black controllers tho, a la The Duke. The price is quite nice too, 479.99 which is still $120 less than the current PS3 who's HDD is not as big, but no Blu-Ray in the 360. [/URL]

I think you're looking at it from a different angle. I'd want it to tinker with. I already have a modded Xbox... hell, there's a 100gig in mine, but yet I have 30 movies, 42 music videos and long-form concerts, 52 TV episodes -- ranging from Aqua Teen to Sarah Silverman -- plus the entire NES, SNES, Sega and N64 libraries, not to mention 15 original Xbox games, all stored on it. I love it. I'll put pictures up of some screens if anyone cares.

Of course, all this means shit when you can put a bigger HD in than a 120, but it's nice that they actually put a drive that big in there in the first place, for once.

The Xbox is essentially a PC. That's why I like to treat it like one, even though I'm using a controller.

[El Loto]

I work with a guy who's mate won a Pro Evo competition in Edinburgh. He won a PS3 and he's selling it for muchos dosh.

[Zen Acolyte]

But then, what is your source on the price?

over on ign: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/776/776448p1.html



"Dubbed the Xbox 360 Elite (not the "Zephyr" as had been rumored), the new black, $479.99 Xbox 360 comes bundled with a 120GB hard drive, has an HDMI port, and will ship to the US and Canada Sunday, April 29, 2007, Microsoft told IGN today in an interview over the phone."

[Narcissistic Nihilist]

Really, there's no reason to get any of these systems. At all. At least until 2008. Sales don't really mean shit this year, nor the titles, nor the graphics.

I predict 2009 being a massive year for console technological advancements. It's a feeling.

Bang on. Except I would probably say 2010 would be more the key year.

[vaya con dios]

Yeah. I hope for another game to become the new GTA III. Breakthrough-wise, that is. I just am not that huge on FPS games...

[Nak Nak]

PC...Direct X 10. That is the next breakthrough. I can see the technology filtering down to the next gen consoles perhaps, although the PS3 and X360 don't have DX10 technology in them - yet.

Nice article about the potential of the technology:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/what_direct3d_10_is_all_about/index.html

Pic of a render from Crysis (semi-sequel to Far Cry)
http://images.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/what_direct3d_10_is_all_about/crysis.jpg

[Narcissistic Nihilist]

I just am not that huge on FPS games...
Me neither. For the most part, they are fairly one-dimensional. 90% of 360 games seem to be FPS'ers.

[Chopstick]

over on ign: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/776/776448p1.html



"Dubbed the Xbox 360 Elite (not the "Zephyr" as had been rumored), the new black, $479.99 Xbox 360 comes bundled with a 120GB hard drive, has an HDMI port, and will ship to the US and Canada Sunday, April 29, 2007, Microsoft told IGN today in an interview over the phone."

I just saw it on the official xbox site, too.