Too often, analysts and journalists forget that with the sheer amount of information available these days, it can be difficult for a consumer to make a decision. I can distinctly recall working down at EB during the launch of the PS2 (yes, I'm that old; just shut up), and it became painfully clear that most consumers, even some who considered themselves gamers, were dazed and confused. "Just too many conflicting reports," or something to that affect, is a commonly heard comment. So, how did you decide upon your console purchase?
Bear in mind I'm only talking about this new generation, so if you've purchased a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Wii, I want to know why. How did you arrive at the conclusion? None of these, even the relatively inexpensive Wii, is cheap enough to be considered an "impulse buy," so obviously, one would assume a great deal of thought went into your purchase decision. I am well aware of the fanboys who plunked down their money without doing any research whatsoever, but if they bothered with responsible research, they wouldn't be embarrassingly biased, now would they? Any who, I suppose I'll start; I own a PS3 and a 360, and here's why-
The Xbox 360 Purchase
I had an Xbox, and although it turned out to be a far less reliable machine than my PS2 (and I had far fewer games for it), I figured there would be a few gems on the 360 that I couldn't afford to pass up. I had the Xbox for the likes of Halo and Ninja Gaiden , early awesome stuff like Deathrow , and the fact that multiplatform titles were almost always best played on this console. I wasn't convinced the latter would happen in the new generation, given the rumors of the PS3's impending power, but I knew there would be a few 360 exclusives I absolutely had to play. I worried about the reliability, and although it's clear that the numbers have proven it to be the least reliable system in history, mine is still fine. The one I got in mid-2006 still works great; even better than the original Xbox (which constantly gave me DRE errors).
I don't go online much so Live was never a big draw for me, but the revamped S Controller – after the debacle of the original Xbox controller – made me satisfied with the gamepad I got with the 360. I didn't have a HDTV then so that didn't really factor in, and while the game selection was thin, it's always thin during the first year of a console's existence. So, I made the purchase, and although I'm playing on the machine a little less than I expected, the vindication is just about here. The two Gears games alone have already come close, but I do want more.
The PlayStation 3 Purchase
I got this on launch day as I did the PS2, but to be 100% honest, it was only for work-related purposes. I had just started full-time here at PSXE and I needed the thing to help the site. Really, if I didn't need it for that, I most certainly wouldn't have bought it for quite a while. $600 was crazy pricey, I didn't have a HDTV yet to enjoy the Blu-Ray option, and because I remembered the horrid reliability issues the PS2 faced during launch, I was nigh-on convinced the same thing would happen to the PS3. And besides Resistance: Fall of Man , there really weren't any games at launch that interested me. So I guess we have to bypass the actual purchase decision (because it wasn't really a "decision") and look at whether or not I'm happy with the system at this point in time. Well, the short answer is "yes."
Being a huge RPG fan during the PS1 and PS2 days, I figured I'd at least get the same from the PS3, but it hasn't turned out that way. I've actually gone to the 360 for my RPG fixes so far ( Lost Odyssey was great, IMO). But the PS3 surprised me in more positive ways: first, the reliability has been perfect (I still have the original 60GB machine I got on launch day), Blu-Ray on my new HDTV is brilliant , due to the free Network I'm online more often, and I've watched in fascination as the software roles have apparently shifted this generation. Once we get Killzone 2 , and now that Resistance 2 is already out, it's hard to say the PS3 isn't the king of FPSs this generation, whereas the Xbox most certainly was last generation. That's just one "for instance," but I remain happy with the exclusives we've already had ( Warhawk , Heavenly Sword , Uncharted: Drake's Fortune , Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , LittleBigPlanet , Resistance 2 , Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction , etc.), and the upcoming exclusive list is bad-ass. I'm already salivating for GoWIII, KZ2, GT5, Uncharted 2, and FF Versus XIII.
I still think the Sony controller is the best one ever made, and having backwards compatibility on the console, which I really loved at first, is still a bonus. I just got a sleek silver PS2 so I don't really use it as much, but b/c on the PS3 is still worth mentioning. That, and I see PS3 versions of multiplat games becoming superior on the PS3 as developers start their development plans on Sony's machine. At the very least, the games will be mostly identical across both platforms whereas last generation, the PS2 version rarely equaled the Xbox version. So yeah, I really do love everything the PS3 has offered and will offer in the future.
As for the Wii, I won't ever consider purchasing a gadget that isn't really a game console. Now, what about you ? How'd you end up with the system(s) you have this generation?
I got my 360 to play with friends and family 2 years after it came out and now i'm on my 3rd one. As for the Ps3, I got it 3 weeks ago out of spite to my friends who knocked it. It's a pretty cool system and reliable and now their angry with me because i barely sign into XBL anymore. =D
Welcome to the PSN. Still a strange reason to spend $400-$500.
Welcome to the dark side my friend 🙂
i bought my PS3 because ive always been SONY fan, and wanted a true next gen system lol
and just like everybody else i bought my elite because my friends had a 360 o and bioshock n mass effect (which wasnt more than one play through)IMO
Got the Wii first bc I was a huge Nintendo fanboy.. actually was one of those people who got in line at 4 am at Toys R Us. After a few months, the "Wii hype" wore off, and I realized there were no more good games to play on the Wii, and I found out that RE5 wasnt gonna be on the wii, I got a PS3. I chose PS3 over Xbox 360 bc of Blu Ray. about a year later I reluctantly got an Xbox 360 just for the exclusives i wanted to play.
PS3 is my main system now. I barely play the Wii or Xbox 360
Last edited by zerostar39 on 1/17/2009 11:22:34 AM
Poor zero, Had to wait in the cold for a wii? I feel your pain, I brought my wii and sold it a week later because the graphics were so shyte even my sister didn't want it as a present(for free). Shall I cry for you now or later?
yeah it was freezing out. I think I've cried enough for the both of us, haha!
I based my whole PS3 purchase around 3 games
1.God of War 3, I missed GoW 1 when it launched but got it when it hit the Greatest Hits for $20 and LOVED it and immedeatly went to purchase GoW2, now I patiently await 3 🙂
2.My RPG's which at this point im highly dissapointed in Sony in not having enough of, but hopefully they will start strong as seeing Fallout 3 was great(Besides the many bug that annoyed me, like when I went to get the G.E.C.K and the supermutant helping me get past the radiation got stuck and I had to go in….ouch)
3.Kingdom Hearts 3, I dont care whatever you say KH had a fantastic story line and great plot twist, hell i even still quote a saying from KH1 "One who knows nothing, can understand….nothing" :0 D33P lol
Honorable mentions are
*Rumor of FF7 Remake and trailer
*Rumor of Legends of Dragoon 2 (I played the mess out of that game, I have a modded PSP with it on there)
*A New Twisted Metal (Do i need to say mome lol)
*And PS3 backwards Compatability (Yep got me an Original 60gig )
Also I got my 360 befor my PS3 (Befor it launched in 2006) and had a great time with that with Lost Planet (The first online consule game I ever played and got addicted to) which everyone on Live told you to download the online demo of. Played the ish outa Gears of War but online was a little buggy with host advantage(Damn you overpowered host Shotgun), and a little Test Drive Unlimited, which was the Burnout paradise of that time frame, but it came to an end in 2006 when i got my RRoD and took it back and 6 months later it happend again so I finnaly got my PS3 with my 360 money.
Last edited by MirrorSoul on 1/17/2009 11:35:02 AM
despite that, Fawkes is an effing PIMP! Oh yeah, and My old Xbox is so modded that I play Legend of Dragoon on that mothereffer too, love the hell out of that game.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/18/2009 4:06:14 AM
I purchased my PS3 for rpgs. But like you said Ben, it really hasn't turned out that way. BC is holding me over right now as it allows me to catch up on some games I missed.
I purchased the 360 at launch because I enjoyed the Xbox and had no problems with it. I'm on my second one now and am not very happy with it's quality.
I purchased the PS3 because I wanted a Blu-ray Player and Home theater Mag gave it high marks as a Player. After having it for a while, I have become a convert, I love the reliability, and I replaced my HTPC with it. I also because if reliability issues I only buy exclusives for my 360 now, if they are multiplat I only get them for the PS3.
I bought a 360 a few months after launch, when it was readily available on store shelves. I did love it, though I've never enjoyed Halo. I love the controller but was annoyed at how much it would cost to upgrade my HD, add WiFi, play hi-def media. And the darned thing was sooooo loud, I could never enjoy my HD-DVD drive as much as I should have simply due to the noise coming from it. Add the RROD hanging over it like the sword of Damocles and I began looking elsewhere.
I had initially berated the PS3 for its cost and lack of games, but I knew it would be the only way for me to play GoW3. I was also intrigued by Heavenly Sword and MGS4. Once I realized that its cost was no different than what I'd pay to get the same features ADDED to my 360 (cost of the console itself excluded), I relented and bought my PS3. Once I fired it up and heard . . . nothing, I was sold. I delved into Blu-ray (now blessedly silent HD playback) and began to love my new console. It wasn't long before the 360 went on the chopping block. I do miss Mass Effect and would like to try Fable, but there is nothing else on the 360 that appeals to me and I couldn't be happier. Now that Blu-ray is the HD standard, my choice has been proven to be even better. I also have Heavy Rain, GoW3 and Uncharted 2 to look forward to in the next year (give or take) which won't be appearing on the 360, and only Mass Effect 2 to draw me towards the competition.
But, Bioware's games always go to PC…ALWAYS. So why not play it on PC like I do?
Because I don't have a PC that will run them, and to buy one would be more than the 360 and PS3 together. Besides, I'd rather use a controller than keyboard/mouse. Not to mention the advantage of playing on a much larger screen.
Last edited by Buckeyestar on 1/17/2009 4:39:07 PM
they have controllers for pc's.
They only have controllers for some games. But yeah, name any game for the PC and the 360, I would rather play it on the 360, especially since a good gaming PC can cost over $2000, which to me is just insane, especially when you consider the fact that I f*ckin hate searching for buttons on a keyboard when I play a game like Call of Duty 4 or Mass Effect. I definitely prefer playing on my new 37" Sony Bravia that I won in a raffle, and though it has DVI and VGA input, PC picture on a TV always looks a little fuzzy.
i spent ages looking at the 360 and ps3, comparing
wii was out of the question because it offered nothing to me
360 pros- great online, cheap, all my mates have one
cons – not much to push gaming wise, faulty hardware, expensive in the long run
ps3 pros – blu ray, great games from ps2 (mgs, gran torismo exc), free online, all in one hardware, i wanted a next gen just for gta, i could have gone with 360 for the dlc but i have a feeling sony will get something, plus all gtas being on playstation before i thought it would be the superior version
cons – didn't no many people with one, didn't have the best line up of games when i got it, bad ports, very expensive
but i'm glad i took the risk to get it even though none of my close friends had one, because one by one they are gettin a ps3
also made me become friends with people i hadn't spoken to in ages
PS3 for the win
i never really liked the original xbox, so when the 360 came out i wasnt that fussed as the ps3 was close, however as the system got put back i was heavily tempted to buy as a few of my mates had one and was playing online every night.
In the UK the ps3 came out at the end of march and my birthday is first week in april so i preorded one and used my birthday money to get one, i did lots of research and i figured i had my ps2 for about 6 or 7 years and i thought the ps3 would of have a similar run, therefore i factored in 40 pounds a year for xbox live along with the 60 pound wireless adapter and thought it would be much cheaper in the long run to have the ps3, along with blu ray.
Also i have never got on with the xbox controller, there is a reason why sony has never changed the design of the ps controller, just fits perfectly, granted the sixaxis felt too lite, but as soon as the DS3 came out, the system was perfect for me.
so much so that my mates who had originally bought 360's, all but one have swapped for the ps3, mainly because between the 5 of them, they have had 13 xbox's between them, only one of them are still on their original one, and he's the one who use's it least.
Overall couldnt be more happy with the choice i made, i respect the 360 a hell of alot as it has some great games but for me the ps1 and ps2 did such a good job i had no reasons to doubt that the ps3 would let me down, and it hasn't yet.
Well I've been a Northern Irish Playstation gamer since 2000 in between 2000 & 2005 The Offical Playstation 2 magazine and PSW had great stuff like Warhawk,MGS4,GTHD,heavenly sword and special features on Playstation 3. I would've bought the X360 in 2005 but to honest the controller completely failed on the original Xbox so it completely put me off the 360.
So has I escaped the evil whispers of Microsoft till March the 23rd 2007 where my father ordered the Playstation 3 at Argos for £425 the Playstation 3 had become the greatest and most enjoyable games system that I've ever owned since Playstation still the only thing that pissed me off with the PS3 is the lack of a new Legacy of Kain game WTF! EIDOS & CRYSTAL DYNAMICS!?!
Eidos is too focused on make Tomb Raiders with crappy cameras.
XBOX 360: For Xbox Live and all my mates owning it.
PS3: Just because I'm a die hard Sony fan I had to purchase it to support them.
I bought a PS3 mostly cause exclusives. Sony can make good games. The Blu-ray was a must and lets not forget about blue-tooth, so classy. It's reliable. You just cant go wrong with the Playstation. No red ring of death here.
I have 360 and got it for the jrpgs…Jrpg's are favorite kind of game…I bought a PS3 in september I bought it for the FFXIII duo and of course others WKC,Heavy Rain,uncharted.. etc…PS3 has become my main system…..My only complaint about the PS3 is why didn't they make L2&R2 triggers other than that I really do like it…I still have my PS2 for the old games…I do hope new jrpgs will be announced this year for the PS3…
i got a ps3 for mgs4, kz2 and gow3, simple as.
the only xbox game that i would like would be gears
I took a Wii on my Xlax 360! PS3 is my weapon of choice. I bought the PS3 because of GoW3, RE5, Tekken, Gran Turismo, Twisted Metal, Final Fantasy, Burnout Paradise, GTA.
Last edited by psxmax on 1/17/2009 12:26:05 PM
LOL! Xlax!…thats a new one for me!!
lol…xlax.
I decdied to get the PS3 due to the PS1/2s past, and becasue of the exclusives, too bad most exclusives turned out on the xbox…… but the PS3 to me is still the superior console. ist just to be, when i think of a coinsole the plystation brand instantly comes to mind, to me Playstation just seems official.
I bought my PS3 because I've always thought Sony was topnotch as far as quality of consoles.
I looked at how much I enjoyed my PS1, then how well the PS2 did (and how many games it now has), and felt the PS3 was a nobrainer.
I figured the PS3 would follow the same path as the PS2 did, and that's something I'd want to be a part of.
Plus I had to have Uncharted and MLB: The Show, two of my favorite games ever.
I've thought about getting an XBOX 360 now also, so I could play Gears, Mass Effect, and Fable, but the unreliability scares me away, and so for now I'm sticking with my PS3. I'm looking forward to the 2009 lineup. (Can't WAIT for Resident Evil 5!!!) 🙂
Before I was on either side of the fence I did my studying. I had just bought a 40" $2000 Samsung 1080p HDTV and wasn't satisfied with the HD cable programing.
I was soo into Halo that I almost bent. I liked the 360 but at the time my friends got lost in the mail after his 3rd time! It was hard going against the flow at the time but I did the nit-picking: Wi-fi, Blu Ray, Free Online. The online was what got me. I did the calculations and I knew I'd of been purchasing 2 PS3's in the form of LIVE if I went 360.
So I got a $600 original 60gb. I played soo much Resistance I don't think I had gripes about lack of software. When I got Cod4 I became a Software Camel!
Now that my TV is worth $1000 and my Ps3 is valued at $400 I am still happy. Blu Ray is KILLER and Im glad I can say I thought for myself when it counted.
Last edited by Wage SLAVES on 1/17/2009 12:32:23 PM
P.S. The controller on the PS1 and 2 were ok but the PS3 controller, for some reason, feels like Heaven. I don't know if its JUST the triggers. I used to agree Xbox had a better FPS controller but Im not so sure anymore…Who the Hell Has Offset Thumbs!!!
Last edited by Wage SLAVES on 1/17/2009 12:38:59 PM
I understand what you mean, it feels so right the way it curves to your palms every need. Unlike the 360 controller, I pick that up when I haven't gone to the gym that week.
lol.
I know i don't have offset thumbs.
I have all 3 consoles.
The first one I got was the wii for Brawl, Twighlight princess, and Super mario galaxy. Plus the new kind of gameplay. Also just because it doesn't have HD graphics doesn't mean it's not a gaming console.
The second one I got was the 360 for Halo, it's online play, and none of my friends had a PS3. As for RROD I've had my 360 for over a year now and luckily haven't had any problems but just in case I got an extended warranty at best buy.
Then I got a PS3 for MGS4 and Ratchet and Clank Future.
What??? U didn't get ur Xbox for any of those RPGs u mentioned earlier? That's surprising.
Last edited by King James on 1/17/2009 1:11:58 PM
Well at that point it was mainly Halo.
fa sho. Hence the name, right?
When i bought my PS3, i had a slim PS2(my second PS2) and an Xbox1. Xbox was good, and i knew 360 was a very good system however i knew the PS3 was going to be better so i shelled out 580$ CAD for my launch console. On top of it, it was an opened box and returned PS3 and shes still going strong. Love the thing.
580$ with an optional 3 year warranty
That sounds like a great deal. Was the CAD stronger than the USD when u bought it? Or at least as strong?
Last edited by King James on 1/17/2009 1:14:07 PM
Nahh this when it was about 80cents/$1'00 USD. It was 500~ for a 20GB, the other 80 was for the warranty. I was lucky though it was the DEAD last PS3 in-store and just after i "picked it off the shelf" a family with 2 kids asked for a PS3. I felt like a jerk but first come first serve lol.
Capitalism at its finest bro. Those 2 kids gotta learn that the early bird get the worm, just like u did, right?
Amen King, i scored it literally by 60 seconds. Can't blame the kids for that, too young to know, parents were young enough to have learned that lesson a LONG time ago.
I bought my PS3 because I have enjoyed the brand since the first version came out. I still remember unwrapping the box in ecstasy and then finding Parappa the Rapper in another gift. Best birthday ever! When the PS2 came out, I actually rented a machine for a week, just to play SSX, then I got my own for christmas about a month later. I loved the fact that I had my own DVD player, and the games were amazing. I used to love RPGs and there were tons of them for the PS2. When this generation of consoles came out the choice for me was easy, Playstation 3 was the way to go. I bought one about a month after release (I couldn't get a hold of one earlier), and I've been nothing but happy about my purchase. Sure, it was quite expensive, but I've used it so much that I could've payed double and still thought it was a great value.
I also have a Wii, the reason I bought it was because the idea of motion sensor controllers intrigued me, it's a whole new way of playing games. I've had a lot of fun with it, usually with a group of people though, I tend to play my PS3 by myself and my Wii with my friends.
I've thought about buying a 360 because there are a few games that I would love to play (some RPGs, Halo 3, Fable II, etc.), but I would never buy a product with such a high failure rate. And the fact that online gaming isn't free is a big problem for me, I payed for the machine, and the game, the rest should be free. (that's something that urks me with mmorpg's too, how much does blizzard make every month??) So it's a no for me for that console…
"I payed for the machine, and the game, the rest should be free. (that's something that urks me with mmorpg's too, how much does blizzard make every month??)"
…so I guess u won't play a MMO that requires a subscription fee, right?
P.S. Oh, Blizzard makes MILLIONS. But they put that money to good use b/c WoW continues to improve. And Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 is gonna be EPIC!
Nope, I never play MMO's with subscription fees.
That's something I noticed with the whole "netflix on 360" thing too, you have to pay double in order to get the service. First you need a gold membership to Live and then a membership to netflix, where on PS3 you have all the movies you can choose from already there and just pay a one time rent/buy fee.
I don't wanna pay for internet services, I can get everything on my PC for free (except for MMO's), why should I pay on my gaming console?
I personally don't mind a small subscription fee. As long as I feel that it's worth it, u dig? So I will be paying fees for Bioware's KOTOR mmo. And I may pay some fees for The Agency. Maybe.
I got a PS3 for a couple of simple reasons, and amist all of the hundreds of thousands of reports about each console, I know tons about all 3, but choosing a system was pretty easy.
1. My loyalty to the brand PS
2. Most of the games I want are either migrated to the PS3 (ratchet for ex.) or completely new games but from developers that I am loyal to (uncharted for ex.)
3. I got an HDTV, so convenience was behind my back.
4. I wanted to move on Blu-Ray, but I will only get Blu-Rays for the movies that I wil watch at least 10 times (Dark Knight for example)
The rest below are little cool things that I've learned ever since I got a PS3 =)
A lot of my friends in school mostly have 360 but they come to me to ask should they buy it or not, and I am completely unbiased. Then (is this a compliment from them, I don't know but it was a little flattering lol)they say that they admit that PS3 is a little better than 360 here and there.
Laslty, when someone from school says "Victor, what system did you get?". Before I finish saying "PS3" (I say PS before I get interrupted) they make a scene screaming "OMG PS Fanboy! 360s better it's got more games."
Me, all calm lol, says "I got my PS3 because I am loyal to PS and the games I want are on PS3." Then surprisingly, he shuts up (he ain't a friend of mine, jus someone I know) and half-expectedly, comes the "ohhhhh" from the crowd. I wasn't even dissing him (was that consiered a diss?)!
So, I hope that next-gen (2014-2015 in my opinion, I got my PS3 Oct. 2008, want to enjoy it to the fullest) is a mor lighter gen, in terms of arguments.
P.S. Ever since I got a PS3, I've known lots more people that have one too. 40% of my school has it, that's kind of cool.
I first heard about a game called Skate back in September 2006, and I knew it was only coming to next-gen consoles. I had to buy a PS3, it was a natural choice. I got both the PS1 and PS2, so the Xbox was not an option. Plus, my brother already had a 360 so… I got the PS3 11 days after the European launch date (which was March 23rd, 2007), on April 3rd 2007. I am very happy with the purchase, and it's a launch 60GB unit upgraded to 250GB and it still works perfectly fine.