Console Wars: Pointless?

Scráib

You know of what I speak: SNES Vs. Megadrive, PS1 Vs. Gamecube Vs. XBox, PS3 Vs. XBox 360

I read an interesting, if a little bit kiddish, article here.

Basically it points out that the console wars are essentially pointless. After thinking about it for a while I'd agree. The differences between consoles are small, almost meaningless things.

Personally the reason I've a PS3 now is because I had a PS2, I'm a mac fanbois who doesn't like Microsoft, and the XBox reliability is something I question. Once a game is up and running is there any discernible difference between the quality of a PS3 and XBox running Fallout for example? I'd think not.

Retr0gamer

Scráib wrote: »

Once a game is up and running is there any discernible difference between the quality of a PS3 and XBox running Fallout for example? I'd think not.

Actually Fallout 3 looks significantly worse on the PS3.

Console wars are good however. Competition brings down prices. It's when fanboys start spouting that one console is better than another and forums are littered with retarded what console is better arguments every day that it gets silly.

noodler

Scráib wrote: »

Personally the reason I've a PS3 now is because I had a PS2, I'm a mac fanbois who doesn't like Microsoft, and the XBox reliability is something I question. Once a game is up and running is there any discernible difference between the quality of a PS3 and XBox running Fallout for example? I'd think not.

Agreed, nothing that would actually bother you without a side-by-side comparison.

EDIT: Bayonette and the Orange Box excluded by all accounts.`

rizzla

I just don't get people pledging their allegance to one console over the other. All the console manufacturer's care about is getting your money. Why care which is better? I've found that the most vocal on the console wars are those with just the 1 console, they need to justify to themselves that they chose the right one so will big it up and put down the other.

L'prof

rizzla wrote: »

I just don't get people pledging their allegance to one console over the other. All the console manufacturer's care about is getting your money. Why care which is better? I've found that the most vocal on the console wars are those with just the 1 console, they need to justify to themselves that they chose the right one so will big it up and put down the other.

I only have a PS3, I'm quite happy with it for a number of reasons. There are a few 360 exclusive that I'd like to play, which could lead to me buying one...or robbing one of one of the lads.

Retr0gamer

If you are really into your games and have the money you'll own all the consoles.

noodler

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If you are really into your games and have the money you'll own all the consoles.

I just wouldn't have the time.

Can't get thorugh what I have on the PS3 or PSP atm.

tonydude

I have both and prefer the ps3 more so only because ive had the others before it. When you compare the both, they are kinda the same ( 360 is too loud).

Magill

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Actually Fallout 3 looks significantly worse on the PS3.

It really doesn't, it is slightly more... 'muddy', but certainly not significantly worse... at least not nearly as big a difference as say PC vs PS3/Xbox.




Both consoles have pro's/con's. I personally prefer the ps3, free online gaming + Bluray dvd player being the main reasons, exclusives are slightly better aswel imo. And the xbox is LOUD, its louder than my PC lol.


Competition is never bad tho.

rizzla

Funny how a thread about how pointless console wars can be, apart from the benefit of competition. Is starting to turn into another console war thread with people listing the pros and cons of each.

Retr0gamer

I think this generation in particular there is very little to distinguish between the PS3 and 360, there really isn't many must have exclusives between them although on the PS3 it's starting to pick up a bit. You aren't missing much picking one over the other unlike previous generations were having only a Gamecube or PS2 or a SNES or Megadrive meant missing out on loads of top quality exclusives.

The Wii has a good few really high quality exclusive games but not many people are will to hunt them down and only see wii sports/wii fit.

Scráib

rizzla wrote: »

Funny how a thread about how pointless console wars can be, apart from the benefit of competition. Is starting to turn into another console war thread with people listing the pros and cons of each.

Krusader

Always had a PS, then got a 360, I loved it then got a 40GB PS3 and the 360 is now redundant, though this is due to all my mates having a PS3 and free online gaming, the difference in grphical features is miniscual apart from the exclusives

Grumpypants

War ? .....War never changes..... sorry been playing fallout again !!



Ive written about this before, a console war hurts the gamer. It does nothing to bring down prices of games. The shops fighting with each other or websites does that.

It hurts the early adoptors who shell out full price on release day and for the most part early adoptors will be big gamers and will buy both consoles rendering exclusives pointless.

Eventually the price of consoles will come down you could argue that, as the PS3 came down in price the xbox came down to keep beating it. As they become cheaper more people end up owning both so again the exclusives are again rendered pointless. But that brings in the casual gamer and games like MW2 sell so well taking money away from good developers making new games again hurting old school gamers.

Both console makers say they loose money on each console they sell and gain it back on the software so surely doubling your software market would be a good thing for microsoft sudios or sony?.

But looking at the other side One reason microsoft would want to keep exclusives is because LIVE is a subcription if they say they have 20 mill on LIVE at 4 euro a month thats 80mill a month ! So its worth it for them and PS3 i guess has to take market share so need big exclusives to sell PS3's.

Problem is by the time the companies reach their target the PS4 and 720 will be hitting the shelves just in time for the next war.

noodler

Grumpypants wrote: »

War ? .....War never changes..... sorry been playing fallout again !!



Ive written about this before, a console war hurts the gamer. It does nothing to bring down prices of games. The shops fighting with each other or websites does that.

It hurts the early adoptors who shell out full price on release day and for the most part early adoptors will be big gamers and will buy both consoles rendering exclusives pointless.

Eventually the price of consoles will come down you could argue that, as the PS3 came down in price the xbox came down to keep beating it. As they become cheaper more people end up owning both so again the exclusives are again rendered pointless. But that brings in the casual gamer and games like MW2 sell so well taking money away from good developers making new games again hurting old school gamers.

Both console makers say they loose money on each console they sell and gain it back on the software so surely doubling your software market would be a good thing for microsoft sudios or sony?.

But looking at the other side One reason microsoft would want to keep exclusives is because LIVE is a subcription if they say they have 20 mill on LIVE at 4 euro a month thats 80mill a month ! So its worth it for them and PS3 i guess has to take market share so need big exclusives to sell PS3's.

Problem is by the time the companies reach their target the PS4 and 720 will be hitting the shelves just in time for the next war.

I am not sure about any of that at all.

Surely console wars are good for the consumer? More choice, competition?

Everybody chooses a particular product for their own reasons but that isn't really important, what is important is that there are viable alternatives rather than a single console.

Grumpypants

noodler wrote: »

I am not sure about any of that at all.

Surely console wars are good for the consumer? More choice, competition?

Everybody chooses a particular product for their own reasons but that isn't really important, what is important is that there are viable alternatives rather than a single console.

If you can afford only one console then its less choice, If you have both then its the same amount of choice as an exclusive free world.

noodler

Grumpypants wrote: »

If you can afford only one console then its less choice, If you have both then its the same amount of choice as an exclusive free world.

?

Grumpypants

noodler wrote: »

?

Im on about chocie of software. It gives you either the same amount of choice if you are lucky enough to own all consoles or less choice if you dont.

IE (If you had no war). Then lets Say you have 10 games on the market all multiplatform then a gamer can choose up to 10 games.

(With the war) Now lets say you have 10 exclusives. 5 on each console. If you are lucky enough to own both you can choose up to 10 games.

If you only own one console then your choice is cut by 50%.

So a console war will only create two options the same amount of choice or less choice not more.

You would still have the same amount of choice for consoles. 2

rizzla

The competition though is great. As the production cost for the hardware decreases so does the price charged towards the customer. Sony only recently started to make a profit on each new console sold, the competition forced them to sell below the cost to manufacture in order for them to recieve a bigger marketshare.

The competition on the software side isn't price related though. It's more exclusive content for the game or a timed delay, for multiplat games anyway.

bryaner

Ps online can't hold a candle to X Box online end of war!

L'prof

bryaner wrote: »

Ps online can't hold a candle to X Box online end of war!

They're not as far apart as you'd imagine to be honest!

Butch Cassidy

Surely there has to be differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360? PS3 uses blueray discs which holds more datea nd the Xbox 360 uses?....

I'd echo the point about people buying both consoles - that's A) weird and alien to me and seems to put an end to console wars.


What is wrong with Fallout 3 and Orange Box on the PS3 ? Why are ANY games glitchy on EITHER console?! I thought both these machines were supposed to be the pinacle of technical brilliance and a marvelous achievement for gaming and there's massive games like these that have glitches!

Gaeldor68

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

What is wrong with Fallout 3 and Orange Box on the PS3 ? Why are ANY games glitchy on EITHER console?! I thought both these machines were supposed to be the pinacle of technical brilliance and a marvelous achievement for gaming and there's massive games like these that have glitches!

Yeah but if you write glitchy stuff for the most powerful computer in the world, you still end up with glitchy stuff. It doesn't become wonderful just because you put it on a super powerful computer. You make something bad it is bad no matter where it is put.

Helix

i have them all, and theyve all got their plusses and minuses

simple as that really, it all comes down to exclusives if youre only going to get the one console

pick the best game lineup both pre existing and forthcoming to suit your own taste and youre golden

NotorietyH

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Surely there has to be differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360? PS3 uses blueray discs which holds more datea nd the Xbox 360 uses?....

I'd echo the point about people buying both consoles - that's A) weird and alien to me

Well there are slight differences apparently. Most recently with Final Fantasy XIII which looked worse on the 360 and was spread across multiple discs. That could be more to do with the fact that they started developing it for the 360 so late in the cycle.

Why is it weird to own both console? I have both because I really enjoy gaming and when the 360 dropped to a reasonable price for me last September I picked it up to play those 360 exclusive games that I'd really wanted to play before but couldn't. Without it I wouldn't have been able to play Mass Effect 1&2, Dead Rising, Crackdown, Fable 2, Left4Dead and Alan Wake. As someone who really enjoys games and spends a lot of time playing them it would have been weird if I didn't own both consoles.

smooch71

bryaner wrote: »

Ps online can't hold a candle to X Box online end of war!

I love these well informed comments, fully backed up with facts as opposed to opinion. As usual.

noodler

Grumpypants wrote: »

Im on about chocie of software. It gives you either the same amount of choice if you are lucky enough to own all consoles or less choice if you dont.

IE (If you had no war). Then lets Say you have 10 games on the market all multiplatform then a gamer can choose up to 10 games.

(With the war) Now lets say you have 10 exclusives. 5 on each console. If you are lucky enough to own both you can choose up to 10 games.

If you only own one console then your choice is cut by 50%.

So a console war will only create two options the same amount of choice or less choice not more.

You would still have the same amount of choice for consoles. 2

You are arguing about product differentiation then? You want the exact same games on each console?

Well, to be honest the reason competition exists is usually because the new competitor is able to differentiate itself from the existing market leader in somer way.

I think that kind of situation would lead to a lack of efficiency and innovation I have to say. Just off the top of my head, I reckon there are many companies out there which are only in exisitence because Sony or MS or whoever thought "hey, we could invest in them and they could do some good for our brand in the years to come". I don't think the same kind of situation exists if there was some law (or whatever) to ensure all games are multiplatform.

Helix

today i saw the first AAA title ive ever come across where the ps3 version was so visually superior to the xbox version that it looked like a gen ahead

reminded me of this thread, because its honestly the first time ive seen that phenomenon and it might well be a turning point

also the ps3 dev guys overheard and were well chuffed about it lol

Ciaran500

Helix wrote: »

today i saw the first AAA title ive ever come across where the ps3 version was so visually superior to the xbox version that it looked like a gen ahead

reminded me of this thread, because its honestly the first time ive seen that phenomenon and it might well be a turning point

also the ps3 dev guys overheard and were well chuffed about it lol

You not going to tell us what you saw?

noodler

You didn't count FF13 as AAA obviously!

bryaner

smooch71 wrote: »

I love these well informed comments, fully backed up with facts as opposed to opinion. As usual.

Played both ps online is far too unstable end

Grumpypants

bryaner wrote: »

Played both ps online is far too unstable end

Well if its only the end thats unstable just stay in the middle. FACT

Magill

bryaner wrote: »

Played both ps online is far too unstable end

Obviously not, considering i play on it every day and the only game thats unstable is MW2 ! WHICH IS IW's FAULT FOR BEING CHEAP ASS BASTARDS !


Have fun getting mugged 5quid a month by microsoft while we enjoy our free online gaming....

Helix

Ciaran500 wrote: »

You not going to tell us what you saw?

embargoed

rizzla

Helix wrote: »

embargoed

A.K.A a c0ck tease.

Helix

rizzla wrote: »

A.K.A a c0ck tease.

soon as i can ill say

rizzla

What date is the embargo up?

Helix

we're gonna be emailed

there was an ndc we signed that had the dates for the embargoes but i cant quite remember

Vegeta

AAA title you say Helix. Interesting

I own both and love and hate features on both.

Butch Cassidy

NotorietyH wrote: »

Well there are slight differences apparently. Most recently with Final Fantasy XIII which looked worse on the 360 and was spread across multiple discs. That could be more to do with the fact that they started developing it for the 360 so late in the cycle.

Why is it weird to own both console? I have both because I really enjoy gaming and when the 360 dropped to a reasonable price for me last September I picked it up to play those 360 exclusive games that I'd really wanted to play before but couldn't. Without it I wouldn't have been able to play Mass Effect 1&2, Dead Rising, Crackdown, Fable 2, Left4Dead and Alan Wake. As someone who really enjoys games and spends a lot of time playing them it would have been weird if I didn't own both consoles.

It's weird to me people owning both because I'm still kinda attached to the child gamer in me that owned a Mega Drive and then a Playstation. Owning a MegaDrive AND a SNES or a Playstation, Saturn AND an N64 or a PS2, Gamecube AND Xbox would've been weird.

I know now we're all grown ups and have oodles of disposable income so owning even multiples of the one console is not unheard of but it's just bizarre to me. Though I haven't played those Xbox 360 exclusives and I'd like to. It won't get me buying a console to only play a handful of games though. I don't have that much disposable money!

Helix wrote: »

today i saw the first AAA title ive ever come across where the ps3 version was so visually superior to the xbox version that it looked like a gen ahead

reminded me of this thread, because its honestly the first time ive seen that phenomenon and it might well be a turning point

also the ps3 dev guys overheard and were well chuffed about it lol

Is AAA just a mark of quality ie. a big game release? What big releases are out soon?

bryaner

Magill wrote: »

Obviously not, considering i play on it every day and the only game thats unstable is MW2 ! WHICH IS IW's FAULT FOR BEING CHEAP ASS BASTARDS !


Have fun getting mugged 5quid a month by microsoft while we enjoy our free online gaming....

€30 Per a year = €5 a month back to school kido, and it's well worth it. You will be paying soon so enjoy ps muck online free while you can.

bryaner

Grumpypants wrote: »

Well if its only the end thats unstable just stay in the middle. FACT

Seriously get over it and come over to Bill's side!

krudler

Console fanboyism is something I cant stand "zomg ps3 suxxx!" and all that sh1`te that clutters up youtube and gametrailer posts. I have no loyalty to consoles, I have loyalty to whatever console has the games I want to play. I traded my 360 for a ps3 before christmas last purely because there were moer games on the ps3 I wanted to play and I wanted a lbu-ray player, simple as. I will buy a 360 again at some stage, as I want Gears 3. My flatmate has both and isnt loyal to either of them either, gets whichever game gets better feedback with multiformat releases. The ps3 is better at some things, the 360 is better at some, if you want the options pay and get them both, simple as.

Bitching about such and such is better on this console wont make the one you own any better.

laoishibee

krudler wrote: »

Console fanboyism is something I cant stand "zomg ps3 suxxx!" and all that sh1`te that clutters up youtube and gametrailer posts. I have no loyalty to consoles, I have loyalty to whatever console has the games I want to play. I traded my 360 for a ps3 before christmas last purely because there were moer games on the ps3 I wanted to play and I wanted a lbu-ray player, simple as. I will buy a 360 again at some stage, as I want Gears 3. My flatmate has both and isnt loyal to either of them either, gets whichever game gets better feedback with multiformat releases. The ps3 is better at some things, the 360 is better at some, if you want the options pay and get them both, simple as.

Bitching about such and such is better on this console wont make the one you own any better.

True Dat!

Magill

bryaner wrote: »

€30 Per a year = €5 a month back to school kido, and it's well worth it. You will be paying soon so enjoy ps muck online free while you can.

There is more than 1 payment option, 3 month's = 15 sterling on the offical site. So yeah, i was right ( even if you can get it for 30e a year).

You've obviously no idea what your talking about, the only difference between xbox live and PSN is that one is free and one is not. There is zero increase in quality between teh two, at least not when it comes to online play... which... at the end of the day is all that matters. I dont see how you can agrue with that.

Coming from a mostly pc gamer (which in fairness beats both xbox live/ psn by miles for online gaming) i should know what is good quality and whats not.... hey... maybe its your dodgy southern connection.


And no, i wont have to pay to play... maybe you should read whole articles instead of just the bold printed titles.

Ciaran500

Helix wrote: »

embargoed

I'm guessing its Killzone 3 so...


Although you probably still can't talk about it

rizzla

Ciaran500 wrote: »

I'm guessing its Killzone 3 so...


Although you probably still can't talk about it

Only if Killzone 3 is multiplatform, which I doubt it.

Ciaran500

rizzla wrote: »

Only if Killzone 3 is multiplatform, which I doubt it.

Ahh, missed that bit of the post.

Grumpypants

Cyrsis 2 is turning out better on PS3 but thats been announced ages ago so im still confussed about this game.

NotorietyH

I'm going to take a stab at Medal of Honour. Just saw the latest trailer on the PSN and it looks amazing visually. EA developers like DICE seem to develop for the PS3 first and port it to the 360.

Butch Cassidy

krudler wrote: »

Console fanboyism is something I cant stand "zomg ps3 suxxx!" and all that sh1`te that clutters up youtube and gametrailer posts. I have no loyalty to consoles, I have loyalty to whatever console has the games I want to play. I traded my 360 for a ps3 before christmas last purely because there were moer games on the ps3 I wanted to play and I wanted a lbu-ray player, simple as. I will buy a 360 again at some stage, as I want Gears 3. My flatmate has both and isnt loyal to either of them either, gets whichever game gets better feedback with multiformat releases. The ps3 is better at some things, the 360 is better at some, if you want the options pay and get them both, simple as.

Bitching about such and such is better on this console wont make the one you own any better.

QFT!


Yeah maybe it's Medal of Honour? hope it is...