Originally as was going to get a Wii. But lately I have been reconsidering getting a PS3 thanks to some conversations I have had with Jeff. Anyway, me being me, I feel like writing down the various reasons I am interested in the PS3 and Wii, and why I won't get an XBox 360.
PS3
Pros
- Cool technology. The console has some rather neat pieces of tech in it. Suffering from technolust like I do, I appreciate it when a device uses great tech for the right reasons. The controllers are Bluetooth, for instance, which is great since I have been complaining that all remotes for devices should be Bluetooth for a couple of years now. It might also let me use my Bluetooth devices that I have for my cell phone. And the Cell processor in the PS3 seems well-designed.
- Linux. The bloody thing can dual boot with Linux! Sony supporting Linux and alternative OSs on the device really hits home their desire to make the PS3 the center of your home entertainment system. Plus it allows for easy browsing of the web in the living room. Handy after you have watched a movie and you want to look stuff up on IMDb.
- PS2. The system supports backwards-compatibility with the PS2 which helps to flesh out its gaming library. Since I have never owned a PS2 I can easily look up what the classics are and start playing them at reduced price. I can finally find out what all the hub-bub about God of War is about.
- Networked games. A key thing with this interest in gaming again is to be able to play my friends down in the States. Both Bryan and Jeff game and I know Bem does on occasion. Channing does as well. To be able to do something with them while I am up here would be wonderful (assuming they got PS3s; Jeff at least has one).
- Blu-Ray. I have an HDTV. I want some HD content. With Canada not switching over to digitial TV broadcasting I really don't have anything to watch on my TV that truly makes use its resolution. Blue-Ray movies would let me. Plus I enjoy movies enough that I know I want an HD movie format.
- Blu-Ray. This is a pro and a con. With Blu-Ray competing with HD-DVD still, I don't know which format is going to win in the end. I think Blu-Ray will win the format war, but there is no guarantee. It would suck to have a machine that they stopped making discs for.
- Expensive. The thing ain't cheap. I know Sony has tried to justify the cost by pointing out that the system includes a Blu-Ray player and that it is designed to be the center of your home entertainment system. But it's still expensive. =) I have the money in the bank, but I always have to fight with myself while I am a college student to spend US$600 on something like this. Granted it should last me several years, but still.
- Cell. The cool piece of tech is also a painful one. Because the system is multi-processor it makes developing for it difficult. That means that it will take a while for developers to learn how to program for the machine. Heck, they may never learn until the system is obsolete. But then again, the entire computing industry is being forced into this kind of development thanks to Intel and AMD, so I suspect the game developers will learn fast.
Wii
Pros
- Cheap. $250 is definitely less than $600.
- Active. The system promotes movement. That's a good thing in a town like Vancouver where you are stuck indoors most days for half the year.
- Networked gaming unknown. No one knows how well the networking support will work out on the platform. I am sure Nintendo will have something, but who knows when.
- Not a hardcore gamer's platform. The Wii just does not have games like Resistance and F.E.A.R. on it since it is meant for the family. That's kind of a bummer.
- Carpal-tunnel. Things changed for me when I got carpal-tunnel two summers ago. I worry that the added motion that the Wii asks for with the remote might aggrevate my carpal-tunnel. Now I really doubt this as the system seems to promote full arm movement but you never know. I do know Bryan has told me that you can't play the system for more than 40 minutes until you get tired. But having an artificial restriction placed upon me like that just seems crappy.
- Lack of HD support. The Wii only supports 480p as output. That's a bummer when your TV supports up to 1080i. As I said in the pros of Blu-Ray, I want some HD input for my TV.
- You can't find the bloody thing. Nintendo really screwed up by not manufacturing enough of these things. And at least in Vancouver stores have gone weeks without a shipment. And when they do come in there are only like 20 units and they sell out in under an hour. If you are not in the stores just plain lucky with when you call to check stock levels you are out of luck. And I have been out of luck since January. This has gotten really old.
XBox 360
Con
- It's an MS product. No matter how badly I would like to consider working for MS Research, MS products still morally upsets me. With the amount of crap info they spread about open source and Linux along with their anti-competitive practices, I still can't bring myself to be willing to work for the company (at the moment; hopefully they will change). And if I am not willing to work for a company I don't think I should buy their products.
So the Wii has its scarcity and carpal-tunnel threat holding it back. The XBox 360 has its creator as a drawback. The PS3 has its price as its troublemaker. In other words the PS3 is winning and now I just need to see if I can convince myself to spend the cash. =)
3 comments:
Hey you wanna buy my PS2 from me? Don't use it and Whit and I want to get the Wii. I have some guys at work that play it and the physical aspect of it is far more attractive that sitting on my arse for a few more hours. Besides if you get tired after 40 min of play keep playing anyway, it builds character. :) Plus, you're telling me that playing Metroid, original Zelda, Excite Bike and Duck Hunt wouldn't be awesome to play especially since your movements control the game. Besides when was the last time you sat still when you played a video game anyway?
Movement doesn't control classic games on the Wii, you use a 'classic' controller that is more or less a snes controller with 2 additional analog sticks.
Depending on the game, you may or may not need to take a break after 40 minutes. Wii sports? Yeah, take a break. But Twilight Princess? You can spend hours playing it, the motions are all fairly easy to do (if not a bit unintuitive, but that is to be expected of one of the first gesture controlled games).
One issue with the Wii is that it only comes with one controller and nunchuck. Other controllers and chucks run $20-30 each, so if you want to go multiplayer be prepared to drop some extra bank. The same argument applies to the PS3, only at a higher price point.
From what I understand, the reason that the PS3 is so hard to program for is the same reason why older 64k processor parallel machines were hard to program for; the processors aren't general purpose like the main processor, they are specialized vector processors. The XBox 360 has a uniform architecture across the 3 cores (two threads per core), which makes programming it a breeze (if one can handle the tools provided my Microsoft). You can also get the HD-DVD drive for the 360, which is hackable for use on your desktop.
One thing to remember is that while certain people (Amazon and others) claim "Plays All PlayStation Games", maybe 1/2 of PS2 games actually play on the PS3. Check the compatibility lists. Same thing goes for 360 and its support for older XBox games; though it tends to do better than 1/2.
I would actually suggest buying a new slimline PS2. It runs about $140US retail, you can get new (Sony brand only) controllers for $20-25US, and there is a huge library of great games (plus some amazing PS1 games that basically all still play, if you can find them).
If you want to get your classic gaming on, you can install some emulators on your desktop and get a PS2 to USB adaptor (or a newer USB XBox controller) and go for it. Or you can pick up an original XBox, mod that bad boy, and put all the emulators on it.
I think I'll end up getting a PS3 and a Wii.
Promised someone that I would get a PS3, and plus getting the BD player (that is rated well) is a big plus. There doesn't seem to be a shortage at Amazon now (yay for Amazon points). For fun I need a Wii, hands down (if you can find one without camping out at stores every weekend).
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