We all know about the reliability catastrophe that is the Xbox 360. There's no denying that Microsoft basically screwed everyone over by releasing a shoddy machine that breaks about 30% of the time, and further screwed everyone over by taking more than two years to fix it. And now, even if the "Red Ring of Death" system failure is out of the way, we've heard about a new nasty error that crashes 360 machines. But that's not the point of this article; it's more about the software.
Of course, I can only use evidence from my own personal experiences and the experiences of people I know. Therefore, I'm asking a question in the headline; I'm not making a statement of fact. But let me break this down: I'm currently playing Star Ocean: The Last Hope , and it has frozen up on me twice and failed to load once in a span of 14 hours of gameplay. Before that, I played Gears of War 2 , and as awesome as that game is, I remember writing a whole article dedicated to the glitchiness of the title. Grenades getting stuck on tree limbs, crazy death animations, game progression hitches (can't open a door because the robot won't move), etc. Before that, I played Lost Odyssey , which was prone to freezing in battle; it happened at least 20 times during my 50 hours of game time. And lastly, there was The Orange Box , and although it's certainly better than the PS3 version, it still crashed on me more than once as I went through Half-Life 2 . The point is this: I can't seem to play an Xbox 360 game all the way through without running into something like this at least once.
I would also like to say that I'm on my very first 360, which I bought in the summer of 2007. I'm the only one I know who has been this lucky, as most are already on their third or fourth 360 console. But how "lucky" am I? Why does this continue to happen? On the PS3, the last games I've played have been Killzone 2 , Prince of Persia , Resistance 2 , and Mirror's Edge …no problems anywhere, ever. Nearly identical experiences have been reported by most everyone I know so I want to know, quite simply, why ? Hey, I have a 360 for a reason. Those games I just mentioned are great reasons. But why can't I seem to make it through a single solitary 360 game – exclusive or not – without encountering an issue of some kind? I've got 22 games for the PS3 and I think I've had a freeze happen twice; once with Grand Theft Auto IV and once with SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation . But weird glitches in the gameplay? Frequent crashes? Other screw-ups? Never. So I suppose you know what my question will be to PS3/360 owners…
Does this sound familiar at all? Or is it just me (and everyone I know)? I used to say I'd get multiplatform games on the PS3 because I prefer the controller, and while that remains true, the primary reason seems to center on software stability. If it's a PS3 game, I can be almost guaranteed of having no problems; if it's a 360 game, I can almost be guaranteed of the opposite. Why ?
Yes the PS3 has more stable games than the 3fixme. It wouldn't be a Microsoft product if it didn't have any bugs. ie- Vista, Windows Me
Sony actually wants customers to stay with them for a very long time, that is why they have a quality product. Not like Microsoft just focusing on the 3fixme one day and then focusing on the 7whatever the next day.
Last edited by psxmax on 4/10/2009 10:26:55 PM
lol. I hate Micro$oft. My windows computer has crashed 11 times since September. I am waiting for the comparison of FFXIII. Hmmm. 1 bluray vs 3+ dvds. then there's graphics, sounds, framerate, and freezing. We'll get an estimate when ACC is released with the demo.
Of course it only makes sense 🙂
"3fixme"…first time I heard that. Love it! 😉
lol 6 discs 😛 i hope that xbox users at least get charged more for that, they could call it "disc costs" 😛 because it kinda doesnt make sence that we pay the same price that they do when they have all that extra packaging and discs 😛 its only fare that they pay more, espesually after taking our exclusive 😛
FFXIII will be the proof that the 360 wont be able to stay in the race SE is cliaming FFXIII is going to use 100% of the PS3, that being said KZ2 only used 60% and reports said that the PS3 was only console powerful enough to run it. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Jeez give the Crashbox Pleasefixme some respect for once in a while
ffrulez: I'm guessing those numbers are in terms of GB? In which case it would be closer to 10 or 11 discs since a DVD is 4.7GB. That would be funny: 10 discs. It really should cost 360 gamers like twice the price for shipping and packaging, like it was stated before.
@Abidan13
360 dvd's are dual layered…
so X2 your numbers
His DVD drive is going out on him… it's not the software
The 360 dvd only has 6.8 gb.
The 360 dvd only has 6.8 gb.
Everyone should face it. The PS3 has better software which leads to better games. It really is hard to compare "exclusives" which only appear on one system but, Ben, you are once again right. Star Ocean: the Last Hope froze up so many times it took me over a week to beat a boss. In fact, I got it day of release and have not yet beat it because of this.
Even with multiplatform, the PS3 is better, but that might be because developers release the PS3 edition after the 360, taking more time to fix flaws. I certainly noticed this with Eternal Sonata, NHL 09, Prince of Persia, Oblivion, and hopefully, with The Last Remnant (I cried when I saw the framerate and then again when it froze as often as Star Ocean)
I wouldn't say the PS3 is perfect. I have had it freeze on me, but no where nearly as common as on my 360. I have had Fallout 3 and Suikoden (PSN) freeze on me…once each. I can live with that. I only wish developers would realize that producing games for the PS3 isn't a nightmare that will spawn a monstrous debt-load.
PS3 gamers are getting frustrated and WANT to these games to come their way…on time. Why make us wait 3 more months for a game that came out on the 360 3 months ago? You are alienating the PS3. Perhaps this is why the PS3 had such a terrible start.
I wish I could answer that without just taking a shot in the dark but as it is that's all I can do: The software is just as rushed as the machine was. Box it up and ship it out, never mind all the pertinent testing; just get it out there, or just get it out there before the PS3 version is released.
I think World is right , PS3 developers are allowed time to be satisfied with the quality of their game before it is released . Prime example is Killzone 2 .
You do know that it's his DVD drive failing right? I mean if this was a wide spread problem and everyone was complaining and it happened in the same spot almost every time I could see software being the issue, but it's not. Unfortanatly MS contracted for a really shitty DVD midway through their Falcon line and it fails at the touch of a feather… or at the pounce of a dog as was my case.
Tip: dont use the browser on the ps3 to much. that thing freezes up like crazy, on me at least.
ohh and I use it as my primary browser so i use it about 3 hours a day.
Me too . 🙂
I had problems with the browser freezing up until around the 2.42(?) firmware, but it's been quite stable since unless I go to certain sites that have 'unfriendly' code (facebook, for one). The 2.50(?) Flash upgrade helped a lot too! I DO think, though, it would be nice if they would port Firefox (or a more simplified version of it) to PS3 as it's browser…even barebones w/o add-on support, etc. would be better than what it is, but it looks like the 256MB system RAM might be hurting this feature a bit.
Ive had problems with joystick for like two months now.It loads the top of the page then I cant scroll down any farther. I can close it but I have no control in the xmb and have to shut it off. Kinda sucks ive used the ps3 less and less for the internet lately.
360 = Dreamcast….OMG yes I said it
Dreamcast was beefed up N64
360 is a beefed up XBOX(original)
Oh, at least the Dreamcast didn't have insane problems/glitches like the 360.
I always hear 'bout the 360 being hacked and **** lol. Hacking and stealing gold accounts, stealing games, etc. 😀
Doesn't surprise me, I've always seen the 360 as an inferior machine, since the beginning it didn't really feel nor look like a real next-gen console.
WHAT a Sega Dreamcast a beefed up Nintendo 64, those are 2 different companies and a Dreamcast was way better than the PS1 or all the other consoles of its days, & the main reason the Dreamcast failed was because of the release date it was to late for the PS1 era and to early into the PS2 era. so in the end the Sega Dreamcast is more like the Sony PS3, if the dreamcast had released in '95 we would be playing some very different vidya games.
The N64 was was more like the wii with good games, it was directed at kids and was really cool looking.
Last edited by Morals on 4/10/2009 10:51:52 PM
"I've always seen the 360 as an inferior machine, since the beginning it didn't really feel nor look like a real next-gen console."
Touche. I lived with someone who got one right when it came out, and was not compelled to leap into the next gen at all. Wasn't until I saw a friend playing Uncharted (followed by watching a blu-ray) that I decided it was time.
Maybe he meant 360 = Dreamcast in that, M$ wrote the OS for it (based on Windows CE).
Actually I rather have a Dreamcast than 360,to me is a better system with better games.
"… Dreamcast was way better than the PS1 or all the other consoles of its days…"
Except the DC was never meant to be a competitor to the PS1, that would've been the Saturn; and by your latter statement, you seem to know the DC was a competitor of the PS2.
So, stating the DC was "way better" than the PS1 is pointless. Was the DC more powerful than the PS1? Yes. Was it better? Graphics wise… yes. And the DC had plenty of great games — I still have my DC and games.
However, don't knock the PS1. There is a reason the PS1 was number one that gen — because it had plenty of great games.
Actually the Dreamcast was a superior system than the PS2 only thing that held it back was the lack of a DVD drive. If Sega had pushed their development of their system a bit longer and made use of the said format we would all be playing a Dreamcast2 and not PS3 but the rest is history.
Soul Calibur on the dreamcast has way better effects and polish than Soul Calibur 2 on the PS2, But the lack of space on CD's as compared to DVD forced developers to keep their polycounts low hence on the surface it does not look as sharp as the sequel. Even though the DC's hardware was faster and more powerful (it renders better and effects looked sharper) lack of a DVD drive is what killed it. you could say the timing of its release or bla bla bla but I blame its development for not investing in the new format.
Short point: Dreamcast is a supperior system than the PS2 just w/o a DVD drive. God it would have been nice if it did just to watch Sega and Sony go at it again.
Ok now on the PS3, say what you will but just the fact of having Blu-ray alone gives Sony the upper hand once again. Smart move (in the long run) on a development sence. ya they applied what they learned from that war. Anyways More storage capacity=Higher Res models/textures/environments so out of the gates the PS3 has the potential to render at a higher capacity (w/ good programing. Then through in the fact that you have an amazing processor that with once again good programing can process anything in your pipeline…
Ya, Sony's statement about 10+ year cycle. Better fu**ing believe it… you haven't seen nothing yet!
Most of the PS3 games I played were fine no complaints here I just wish they fix that web browser
PSN ID Biggest_GMoney
Assassins creed used to freeze in me a lot, that game is a buggy mess. It had potential, but was overall not great anyways.
Ben I hope your Xbox never dies. I was on my first Xbox from 2007 until only a few months back actually. I guess I was a lucky one too. But the disc tray decided to shoot out and almost chop my hand off, parts flying everywhere. Well, as of now, I have a PS3 which I got last summer (MGS4 80g bundle), and honestly I can go without paying Microsoft $80 to fix my broken machine.
@ Midris7
Just an FYI here,
You can get yourself a used Xbox for 1/2 of what sending it in for repairs will cost.
Gamestop has the used ones for $49.99
My biggest problem is freezing multiples times on Battlefield Bad Company and the Internet browser all on the ps3.
the internet browser does freeze alot sometimes
but thats the only thing that i would even say is wrong with ps3
BF:BC hasn't frozen on me at all and I've been playing it non stop for the past three weeks. Of course I think they patched the game back in October.
It froze even after the october update.
Really? It hasn't even froze on me once :S
My problem with the browser is that every time I open it, the pages comes up 2 times the size of the screen, and when I zoom out to get it to fit the page, then the words are so smalll I have to get up & stand almost right up against the screen to read anything.
BTW, I'm having the same problem with tiny text commands in all the games too, I can't read any #$&$%^*&# text commands unless I get up close & personal like, tree-hugging my big 32 inches.
Very interesting question Ben. I'd never even thought about it. I had trouble with DMC4 loading, which I found out was just some weird issue about downloading stuff while you're playing (easy enough to fix), but that's the only issue I can think of.
I do recall having multiple problems playing through Dead Rising though, which is the only game I've played all the way through on a 360. Still loved that game though!
Last edited by JasperLoons on 4/10/2009 11:12:13 PM
Also, after reading all of these comments, I think a 30% console failure rate for the 360 sounds generous. At that percentage I could see a handful unlucky people going through 3 or 4. Yet it seems like the majority, or at least half, of the 360 owners on here have gone through 3 or 4 (not to mention similar stats with people I know personally). That just doesn't make sense mathematically at a 30% failure rate.
I've owned 3 360s. I don't have one anymore.
I still have my launch 60 Gig PS3, Never had a problem with it. Sony knows what the word "Quality" means.
The only game iv had freeze on me was Oblivion. Since i have the 80gb model with the b/c iv had ps2 games freeze on me but thats to be expected I guess.
Same… Ratchet:deadlock always froze when there were too many enemies on the screen. But thats about it
I hear ya Ben. I can't say much because I don't own a 360, i just hear the stories …everywhere. Umm.. the only times my ps3 has frozen up on me during gameplay, was more than a few times during Fallout3 (when it first released, so before any patches or w/e) and a couple times in NHL09 when it would try to connect online (so it could be unrelated to the actual build of the ps3) I don't know how people put up with Microsoft and their products. I was finally able to relieve myself of Windows on my pc the other day, and am now using Linux Ubuntu and couldn't be happier! I am finally 100% MS free! woooo
I think its the the good old story of Windows OS versus Linux; though Im, not sure the Sony game OS is linux based. What I do know for certain is that its not Windows. And thats good enough of an explanation for me.
I don't know if it's based on Linux, but the XMB is developed by Q-Games (yes, the PixelJunk people). It may be totally proprietary.
Interestingly, the founder of Q-Games developed STAR FOX and STAR FOX 2 for Nintendo…and STAR FOX COMMAND for the DS.
I'm a computer dummy so I don't know how easy it is to get another OS but I did find this info inside the PS3….
In the main menu, there looks to be a way that they'll allow you to change another OS(or add???, not sure which).
Go to "settings",
scroll down to "System Settings",
scroll down to "Install other OS"
then follow directions for installing OS
BikerSaint – So far, only some Linux distros are available as another OS (mainly YDL – Yellow Dog Linux 6.1). Unless you're a geek (like me), it's not really worth most people to mess around with (especially since you have to reformat the HD to do it).
No Ben you are not the only one experiencing those issues. I'm on my 4th 3fixme and I've had game after game which froze up either in single player mode and online. My PS3 has been rock solid. I too have experienced Socom freeze on me just twice, but since they have finally fixed that game through patch 1.41, the game is finally Socom as it should be and with upcoming patch 1.50, it's gonna be amazing.
I must say I have been very disappointed with the quality of XBox Live now with that new dashboard. Takes a long time to sign into Live now as well as loading up friends lists along with the gamertag pics. Online gaming has become a lag fest no matter which game you play. Disconnects are much more frequent. And downloading dlc and demo's is a lot slower than PSN. And you gotta pay for this mess. What a joke. PSN is a way better performing online experience. I never get kicked from online games. It is a very solid, rewarding experience, so all I gotta say is SONY QUALITY ALL THE WAY!!
My usage of 3fixme is down to a few hours a week if that. It's so discouraging being on there. If all my crapbox equipment craps out, I'm not replacing it anymore. And once my Gold Subscription runs out, thats it for me. I won't be renewing it anymore. Besides, Sony is a much better system, with the better games and online experience. Why do I need Microsoft junk anymore. Besides their first party titles are practically dead.
As for the PS3 browser, I have had no experience of it freezing on me. I have a 15 meg Internet cable service which is really fast. So far the PS3 browser is working solid for me. I'm so happy about owning the PS3. So long XBox.
My brother at one time had a 360 and a PS3 and the 360 froze on him many times. GeoW, GeoW2, ACred, and few others. The only problem he's had with the PS3 was Fallout3 freezing on him, once. And I never had it freeze on me while playing.
I never thought that the 360 was a nextgen machine, more like xbox 1.5.