The Console War

ziggackslam · Aug 15, 2003

Turns out they have some used Gamecubes on sale for only $89.00! I dont know if I should really buy one thats used. It is cheap and all, but then again, who knows why its there. Eventhough they assured me they check all of their used games and consoles, I'm still skeptical.

SUNSTONE · Aug 16, 2003

ifriit said:
Okay, I know of no one except the two of you who doesn't think the original XBox controllers nigh unusably large. Even the XBox Controller S is considered a little on the big side!

I guess my problem with their whole online thing is the lack of games I'm interested in. Most of them are just ports of PC games I already have. I haven't bothered to get a live setup for my XBox as there's only one live game out there I'm at all interested in (MechAssault).

Neither platform has a lot of online games yet, and speculating on which has better quality games at this point is a little premature. XBox may be technologically superior, but it's also a bit notorious for having pretty low quality games.

Most kids don't have money to play online? Kids influence the expenditure of more than 50% of the cash out there--there's no way any console manufacturer can afford to ignore them. I mean, everytime I play online, the vast majority of the players are around 12-16.

Or at least they behave like it.

Your small, and its ok there is nothing to be ashamed of, just because you have hands the size of a 12 year old boy, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
What exactly is so large about the xbox controller? Is it too heavy that it falls out of your hands, or perhaps causes cramps? Or is it too big, and you can't hold onto it?
I remember when this debate first started a women stepped in and ragged on people for saying it was too big.
The controller is a perfect snug size.

Its hard to pry a gamer off of PC. The only three things that xbox has going for it over the PC, is 1. Everyone has voice chat, its mandatory. 2. Xbox isn't as much of a hassle as PC, just stick your game in and go. Not that the PC is horrible or anything. 3. Xbox is cheaper, unless you are only playing the free games you can download, or stealing games.

Its not premature to speculate who has the better online game quality right now. Xbox does by far.
All games with voice chat.
More games online.
All games cable ready, no 56k.
And its only going to get better.

I didn't say they were going to ignore kids, I said they are going after a different market. There are kids games online. But the truth is, there is gameboy, gamecube, and PS2 that covers alot of kiddie games. That market isn't exactly dieing for some games.
But with the cable online, and kids that have grown up from playing pacman, tetris, and streetfighter, there is a wave of young adults that want online gameing without going through all of the PC trouble to do it.

Ryder · Aug 16, 2003

You don't see too many viruses on consoles!

Vylo · Aug 17, 2003

bleh, I almost never see viruses on my pc, and they never manage to do anything. The worm that just came out made me download a 5 second patch. That is the most any virus has ever affected my PC.

What I really like is that I can play a game, talk on here, do a paper, get news, weather etc., edit game maps, all on one piece of machinery.

Ryder · Aug 17, 2003

True, but I don't mind having a console and a PC. Although, I like being able to play on the PC without stealing the television from everybody (as the console requires it).

Pope Gonzo · Aug 17, 2003

I voted Gamecube because I was raised on Nintendo. I enjoy a lot of PS2 games, but nothing beats Zelda in my book.

As for Xbox, they were never big in my book since Microsoft bought Halo from Apple. But when I actually stood in a store playing NHL Hitz, or whatever it's called, I found that it felt like the controller was made to be held by my entire hand, but I had to reach back with my thumb to hit the main buttons. I've got large hands, so the big controller isn't because of that. It just felt awkward. I have yet to play with the smaller one. My roommate this year has got Xbox, and if he's got Knights of the Old Republic, it may score more points in my book(but never overtaking GC).

danath_301 · Aug 17, 2003

I voted for Xbox although in the long run I think the PS2 will win the console war simply because it is a playstation. I know many people who own a PS2 when I ask them why the bought a PS2 instead of an Xbox or a gamecube they have no reason. But it is simply because of the name on the box. I personally grew up on Nintendo and PC. I currently own both the PS2 and Xbox I have many games for both and have played them thoroughly and I just can't argue over witch of the two is better xbox just simply wins flat out. With games like Halo, Knights of the Old Republic, Splinter Cell, and Morrowind there is just no competition. Now I know you can get Splinter Cell for the PS2 but it is no where near the caliber that it is on the Xbox. Anyway enough about the Xbox. I also like the gamecube too I wish I owned one. The Gamecube has nowhere near the amount of games that the PS2 or Xbox has but the ones it does have are quality titles that have been around for a decade. There is Metroid Prime, Legend of Zelda Windwaker, Mario Sunshine, and some new ones too like Eternal Darkness. However out of all these games I just mentioned for the Gamecube NONE of them are multi player that's where the xbox wins out over the other consoles it has positively superb multi player lineup. And that's why I like xbox

ifriit · Aug 17, 2003

SUNSTONE said:
Your small, and its ok there is nothing to be ashamed of, just because you have hands the size of a 12 year old boy, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
What exactly is so large about the xbox controller? Is it too heavy that it falls out of your hands, or perhaps causes cramps? Or is it too big, and you can't hold onto it?
I remember when this debate first started a women stepped in and ragged on people for saying it was too big.
The controller is a perfect snug size.

It's just heavier and less comfortable ergonomically. In all honesty, I haven't tried using the standard controller for extended periods, just the S controller. When I used it, it seemed just too big, and the button layout was a bit annoying in how tightly packed it was horizontally. All that wasted space for their stupid logo!

SUNSTONE said:
Its hard to pry a gamer off of PC. The only three things that xbox has going for it over the PC, is 1. Everyone has voice chat, its mandatory. 2. Xbox isn't as much of a hassle as PC, just stick your game in and go. Not that the PC is horrible or anything. 3. Xbox is cheaper, unless you are only playing the free games you can download, or stealing games.

Yeah, the biggest problem that I have with the XBox (or consoles in general) is that I hate hate hate the gamepad in FPSes. Gimme a mouse and a keyboard, MS, then I'll play your Halo.

SUNSTONE said:
Its not premature to speculate who has the better online game quality right now. Xbox does by far.
All games with voice chat.
More games online.
All games cable ready, no 56k.
And its only going to get better.

Come on, I count a grand total of 19 games the XBox has online. Playstation has 20, I'm somewhat surprised to say, all of which are network capable, none requiring modem hookups. The facts don't favor your statements.

It might get better. We'll see. I'm not hopeful.

SUNSTONE said:
I didn't say they were going to ignore kids, I said they are going after a different market. There are kids games online. But the truth is, there is gameboy, gamecube, and PS2 that covers alot of kiddie games. That market isn't exactly dieing for some games.
But with the cable online, and kids that have grown up from playing pacman, tetris, and streetfighter, there is a wave of young adults that want online gameing without going through all of the PC trouble to do it.

While I can see you saying Nintendo courting the kiddie market, since they always have, Sony? I mean, come on, name the number one selling game of all frigging time that was exclusive to the PS2 (at least as far as consoles go). I keep forgetting how gunning down prostitutes is considered children's entertainment, apparently. It's not as though MS is targetting some unmined potential market, they've got the exact same target audience as Sony has. Sony's just got a broad enough range of games that, yes, they do kiddie and they do "mature."

And despite all of this, the PS2 isn't really even Sony's focussed entry into the online market. MS beat them to the punch is a way, in making their first system as net capable as it is, but Sony's got the PS3 in the works, and the PS2 is at least a year older than the XBox.

danielb · Aug 18, 2003

As a computer games programmer who has worked with all three platforms is I can tell you that all 3 of the major platforms (Xbox, PS2 & NGC) out preform the others in certain areas. There is no clear "most powerful" system as all the systems use very different system architectures and are aimed at different users.

Clearly PS2 is currently domiant as it has in the region of about 2 million installed units, but this is to be expected as it had a 2 year lead on the other two consoles and is also the latest generation of the console that wont he last console war.

After that Xbox & NGC are about level in number of units sold but are aimed at quite different markets and so are not really all that comparable to each other. The next console war will start in about 2005 with the new generation of consoles due out PS3, Xbox2 and whatever nintendo are working on.

For sheer software sales look here and you will get a big shock
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/charts_page.php

The all platform top positions are actually dominated by titles for the latest Gameboy! Thats cause the orginal had a user base of 100 million units and GBA also has a huge user base. So now you know its not a matter of which console has the most power is the best. Its the one with the most users that will attract allot of the new and creative content from developers as we want to make money so we can pay our mortgages etc...

DanielB

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

hhmm...really? I've heard that the X-box outpreforms the others with HDTV support and sheer hareware power..is this wrong?

danielb · Aug 19, 2003

on paper, in practice there are still areas where each of the consoles out performs the other. Although the xbox is the most modern and has the most built in gizmos.

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

Like what areas are the "specialites" for exact console?

danielb · Aug 19, 2003

PS2 has a higher fill rate than xbox but xbox has more rendering features.

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

what about the cube?

danielb · Aug 19, 2003

The cube has a more rendering features, than the PS2 (although less than xbox) and it also has the hardest to crack game media (discs).

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

hmm...okay, so can you tell me how the fill rate and rendering effect game play. I'm pretty sure I know but I'd rather hear it from someone whose job it is....

danielb · Aug 19, 2003

they don't particulary effect gameplay unless your having frame rate problems in a game which uses twitch gameplay (Half-LIfe, Quake etc) hence GBA sitting at top of all formats chart most of the time. I was merelly commenting that from a technical standpoint the consoles are all pretty equal in power. As it seems to be a common mis-conception that more power or advanced gfx = more gameplay = more fun

Gameplay is down to the game developers designers and dev team not down to power of consoles. But you already seem to have realised this which is good.

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

So what we are talking about here is the actual look of the game? Not the gameplay?

danielb · Aug 19, 2003

yes gameplay is a creative issue not technical its nearly impossible to design 'fun' as we woudl a gfx engine or similiar game component its very much a case of trail and error.

Allot of people have a habit of getting hung up on the fact that game/console X has better gfx that game/console Y and hence must be more fun. Some of the most fun games have the simplest gfx: Tetris, cho cho rocket, zelda, mario etc...

Outspoken · Aug 19, 2003

Hmm..I'd disagree on those being fun but gameplay usually comes down to personal opinion and seems to be linked with ease of control..primary example..Turok and halo..

Okay, so it is a safe assumption that the box seems to be better equiped for more realistic looking games? This isn't an indication of gameplay, but an indication of "eye candy"?

The Console War

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