ViewAskewbian

So, as previously posted, I am looking to get back into gaming but it has been some time. The last system I owned was a Nintendo 64. I've always been a Nintendo supporter. My brothers jumped ship to Playstation when that first game out and later Xbox and I just stopped altogether. Now, with the three consols out there, I am having trouble choosing because each has something I want. Before I get into those pros, here is what I am looking for mainly:

I want to play online with people sports games and other multiplayer games. I love the idea in, say, a wrestling game that you can create titles and tournaments and such with people online over the system. That said, the main games I used to play back in the day were hockey, Final Fantasy, Zelda and Mario Bros. I am also seeking games with longevity and replay value.

Wii:
Has the Mario/Zelda/Metroid Games not on other systems
Online is free
You can download classic Nintendo games (big plus)
However no EA Sports NHL Game, games seem more kiddy
Cheapest consol out there now

PS3:
Online gaming is free
BluRay (which I don't have)
However, I don't have an HD TV

XBOX 360:
Nice range of games like Final Fantasy and NHL
However online is not free
I've read a lot about technical problems with this system (red ring)

I also like the idea of systems allowing you to download content people have created online for your own games so I imagine I will need a medieum range ammount of memory. The Xbox Arcade was just on sale but seemed like it wouldn't have enough memory.

So, yeah, suggestions?

PopcornTreeCt

I think the overwhelming response on this forum will be the Xbox 360.

I recommend it.

Decker

If you're into online gaming, forget the Wii. It's technically an online console, but not really. The 360 certainly has the most active online community as well as by far the best friend management system, but yes, online will cost you $50 (or less) per year. The PS3 is getting considerably better with its online, but it's still not as robust as Live. The hardware problems for the 360 are far less than they used to be and are usually handled well by MS (unlike the problems seen sometimes with the PS3 and Sony's lack of help). With either a functional 360 or a PS3, you're looking at $299. There's a deal right now where you can get a new 360 Elite bundle with Halo ODST and Forza 3 and get a $50 gift card at Best Buy this week. That would probably be your best bet. Unless you just have to play Mario and Zelda, that is.

xmiyux

Bear in mind - i am an avid 360 gamer so obviously my slant is towards that console.



If you are wanting online then i really think the 360 is the way to go. Live simply can't be beat for everything from streaming Netflix, demos for every Arcade game, demos for many disc titles, 1 vs. 100 Live, cross-game chat, party system etc. It is, again imo, the biggest strength of the console.

You can typically find a 12 month card in the neighborhood of 35$.

TheBigDave

I have all three systems.

If you want a gaming console, get the 360.
If you want a blu-ray player, get the PS3.
If you want to collect dust, get the Wii.

Regarding your 360 notes:

Yes, the 360 charges for online. But the online experience is much better. You'll usually find more players online (than on the PS3). You can usually get annual cards for $35-$40. It's definitely worth paying $3 a month.

Yes, there's the RROD. It just happened to mine. But it was fixed for free and the replacement process was pretty easy. Actually, the RROD fiasco is a testament to the 360's greatest. Even though the problem is so widespread, everyone still loves the console. I can't think of another product so defective and still so popular.

And even though the 360 Arcade has limited memory, I believe they're adding the ability to use USB flash drives (up to 16GB).

Finally, let me add that games are generally cheaper on the 360. Browse through Amazon and check out all the great titles under $20.

nickdawgy

The Wii may not get as much play as the other two, but it hardly collects dust. At least mine doesn't.

There's pros and cons for each system.

The Wii and the Xbox 360 are the cheapest, both at $199.

The PS3 controllers have a built in battery and tend to last longer while the 360 and Wii need their own batteries.

PS3 online is free, but I think they let any connection online. With the 360, I think it's broadband only. I could be wrong, but generally I get better connections with the 360 anyway. Plus, there are so many deals for a year of Live for under $30, it's almost free anyway.

It's easy to transfer files from one system to another with the PS3. With the 360 (at least right now) not so much.

The 360 generally beats PS3 in graphics and frame rate, with the exception of games like FFXIII. Final Fantasy XIII was the first game I ever got that wasn't an exclusive that I chose the PS3 version of.

The PS3 forces you to install games to the hdd, and then still takes forever to load. The 360 lets you choose whether or not you want to install to the hdd, and the loading times are quicker.

The PS3 has Blu-Ray, which is awesome. The 360...welll it can play DVD's. That's kind of cool I guess.

The PS3 has wireless built in. The 360 forces you to buy an overpriced add-on.

The 360 RROD problem is less of an issue now. The PS3 has been seeing more launch systems crap out, though. The Slim systems seem to be fine.

I play all my systems, but I always put the 360 first despite some of the flaws.

Michael Corvin

I'll stay out of the 360 v PSN debate this time, opting to point out that anyone buying a Wii at this point has 3 years worth of games to catch on so collecting dust likely won't be a factor. The rest of us are jaded since we play all the big games as they come out, but the Wii has a decent little library at this point. Not to mention new Mario, Metroid, Zelda and Pikmin games on the way. One other big factor is an entire Gamecube library waiting to be delved into since the OP missed out on that generation.

But yeah, online is crap on the Wii.

xmiyux

Other perks i thought of:

PS3: You can buy your own off the rack HDD and upgrade easily for a reasonable price. The 360 uses proprietary expensive stuff and the Wii uses SD cards (iirc).

Wii: Wiiware appears to have some pretty neat old-school kind of downloadable games. I imagine if you sent Pixie a PM he could probably list off a ton of retro style games on that system.

Groucho

Based on your situation, your best bet is to go with Wii+one of the other consoles. If you must only buy one console, then I suggest you start with the 360. It currently has the best lineup of next-gen games, and the online play is years beyond what the other consoles give you.

You get what you pay for with Xbox Live. Better matchmaking, faster downloads, etc. And just last month there was a bug in the PlayStation Network that bricked several consoles until they put out a patch a couple days later.

Obi-Wanma

Actually, they didn't patch anything. They just waited for the date to roll over and the glitch fixed itself.

foxdvd

I have all three systems....I would get the 360....

If you don't have an HD tv, don't worry about the Blu-Ray player now...chances are they will be under 50 bucks by the time you get one.

smashthesymbols

Fix that first.

Beyond that, I'd recommend a PS3 along with a Wii if you want to play Mario, Zelda, etc.

Dan

As yet another person who has all three...

Wii - I barely play it at all. Haven't touched it since about a week after getting New Super Mario Bros. Still need to open my Metroid Prime Trilogy, even.
PS3 - Been playing it lately, but only because MAG is a PS3 exclusive. I use it for Blu-ray occasionally, but I prefer my HTPC for that.
360 - The best of the three. As others have said, you get what you pay for with XBOX Live. Hell, for $50/year, 1vs100 played once a month is worth the price alone (but you can play daily if you have the time!), not to mention all the other benefits already mentioned by others.

My vote: 360.

Decker

I must say that though I'd vote for the 360 (and again to reiterate this week's sale : 360 + 120 GB Hard Drive + Halo ODST + Forza 3 + $50 Gift Card for $299 is an INSANE deal), the PS3 has made up a LOT of ground. It used to be the joke that there was a lot to play on the system, assuming you wanted to watch blu-ray movies. Now I'd go so far as too suggest that the line of PS3 exclusive games such as God Of War III, Heavy Rain, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Killzone 2, Demon's Souls and LittleBigPlanet are actually superior to the full complement of 360 exclusive games. The same might be said of the PSN games over the XBLA ones (though not by me). The wide chasm between the two consoles has narrowed considerably in the past 12-18 months.

And one other thing about the 360 : It's still rumor, but it looks pretty likely that a new slim 360 model is just in the wings and will probably be out pretty soon.

WMAangel

This is my easy two-step recommendation whenever someone asks for my opinion on which system to get:
1. Look at what games are exclusive to each system.
2. Buy the system that has the most exclusive games you want to play.

spamurai

My favorite out of the three is the PS3. But, from what you've written, 360 seems to be the logical choice.

When/if you get get an HDTV, get a PS3 for the amazing exclusives and blu-ray.

nickdawgy

I dunno about it being an insane deal. Amazon has it for the same price and free shipping and no tax in most places. So you'd spend maybe $328 or so (for me at least) after tax.

Sure there's no gift card, but since you pay tax at Best Buy, it's what a $20 or so gift card?

Drav3n

I preferred xbox over ps2, but the 360 really dropped the ball for me. The problems at launch and then the whole RROD really turned me away. I still know ppl that are gettin the RROD even w/ the Elite system!

It really comes down to mostly the games you wanna play. IMO, the PS3 has the better exclusives: Uncharted, MGS, God of War, Heavy Rain, Gran Turismo, MAG, MLB The Show and Im sure theres quite a few more. The 360's exclusives dont really stand out to me (Mass Effect, Forza, Halo, Crackdown, Left 4 Dead). But again, thats just my opinion.

I say go w/ the PS3.

foxdvd

Since you seem to like shooters and rpg games, I have to say that the xbox does have the second best games on the current generation of systems (behind Fallout 3)...Mass Effect 1 and 2....

maxfisher

If online is one of the most important things to you, go with the 360. Hands down. Live subscriptions go on sale for $30 at least a couple times a year. You can buy an arcade real cheap. Dell recently had them for $129 after discounts. Assuming you don't care about putting massive amounts of stuff on a hard drive, you can pick up a used 20GB for $20 - $30 on ebay or just wait until they launch the USB support and throw a couple cheap thumbdrives on it.

That said, there are definitely benefits to each system. Wii is the most kid friendly and most fun for a group of people playing in the same room. It's also got all the great Nintendo exclusives, along with a handful developed by other parties. PS3 has built up quite a nice library of exclusives with Resistance, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, God of War, etc. It also is nice to have a blu-ray player, though that's not going to be much of a benefit without a HDTV.

Rob V

Perfect Summary.

TheKing

I think in the end it comes down to exclusives and their importance to you. Since wrestling is one of the games you want, you don't have to worry about that too much since Smackdown Vs. Raw is on all 3 consoles and the 360 and PS3 versions are virtually identical. The Wii version is closer to the PS2 version, and lacks the extensive online features, such as the ability to download user-created wrestlers. Also, the game doesn't have create a title, and I don't think you can have online tournaments, though I don't really play online all that much.

If you wanted to play baseball, the PS3 has the superior MLB 10 The Show. All 3 systems have MLB 2K10, but that is considered an inferior game. Better than 2K9, but still inferior.

Also, when considering cost, don't leave out the hidden costs of each system. The Wii may seem cheap, but there's a lot of upsale involved. the various snap on plastic pieces for certain games, the fact a full controller needs a Wiimote and a Nunchuck. Now there's Wii Motion Plus. Plus there's the classic controller if you want to play those classic Nintendo games with something other than a WiiMote.

As others have mentioned the 360 doesn't have built in wireless and its controllers require AA batteries or you can buy rechargeable packs. There's the previously mentioned XBOX Live subscription.

The current PS3's only have 2 USB ports, so a USB Hub can come in handy. The system comes with a USB cable for the controller, but it's short and any other controllers you buy won't have one. So it's usually a good idea to buy a couple of longer cables for recharging. Also, since the PS3 uses Bluetooth, if you want a remote control for it its best to buy Sony's. If you have a harmony remote, you can buy an adapter for it, but the adapter is much more expensive than the remote.

All 3 systems come with nothing better than a Composite cable connection. Since you don't have an HDTV, that might be sufficient for you. If you want a Component cable, that's another factor. They tend to be pricey as they involve proprietary connectors. The XBOX and PS3 both have HDMI, which can be found cheaper should you get an HDTV down the line.

chess

This is the best advice I've seen thus far.

I personally find Sony's exclusives more compelling and they have a much larger stable of first and second party developers (Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Sucker Punch, Insomniac, Media Molecule etc.), but it's very much a matter of taste.

If you're getting a 360, I'd wait to see how this "360 slim" rumor shakes out.

Ginwen

When I got my PS3, I almost never played games on it, and ended up getting an XBox pretty quick. Now, though, it has a few good exclusives. Usually if something comes out for both, I buy it on the 360, I like how the achievements are done there as far as motivating to explore the game more, plus I have people I know on my friends list so I can compare our progress which is mildly entertaining. I don't really play online so I've let my 360 go to silver for now. The main thing I used the gold for was netflix streaming, but I get that free on PS3 anyway.

For online I think the XBox is better in spite of the cost, it's just not a factor for me as I have not found online play to be very fun due to the people found there (along with my general suckitude). It is really easy to use the XBox online features. On the other hand, you mentioned your brothers jumping ship to PS3, if they are who you want to play with, you'd probably enjoy more if you have the same system as them.

OldBoy

i was like you View not too long ago. really wanted to get back into it and was always a Nintendo-boy. but, had no desire for Wii as when i play games i want to relax, recline and enjoy, not do work to play. i've had Gamecube for the longest and was playing that avidly with Resident Evil 4, but there is just so many times i can beat it on every level. got bored and let it gather dust.

felt the tinge to play something again...

i really didn't think i would use all the bells and whistles with 360 and thought it would be cumbersome to hook up, get online, etc...

received it over X-Mas and haven't regretted it for a single day. been absolutely loving the experience.

started with some games i wanted, like Halo and Panzer Dragoon Orta (original XBOX games i always wanted to play).

slowly but surely, i am getting into more of what it has to offer. some light online play. then, recently discovered the Netflix capabilities. streaming old "21 Jump Street" episodes and movies i wanted to see that i can now watch instantly. just great.

all together, i am lovin' the complete experience. playing, watching, talking about...

all of it. gives me that urge to play when i have a few minutes and watch stuff i never thought i could without buying the farm. just more than i could have hoped in a very accessible, easy-to-use package that lets you casually do stuff, have fun doing the stuff when you have the time to do it.