Choosing a new system is tough.... (PS2 vs. X-Box, merged)

[mike45]

I am buying my first game console, since I owned my Atari 2600 and 5200 many many years ago. All my current electronic gaming is played on my 2.53mhz PC. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Xbox vs PS2? Which one should I buy first?.

[mr.snowmizer]

Buy first?

If you're going to get both, there's no point to starting a conflagration of console bashing here.

The only advice worth receiving from a stranger here is to hold off for the new PS2 model with all the added extras. I think it arrives next month, but I could be wrong.

Other than that, try to check out all the videos available for download on games for each system to see what interests you most.

[Groucho]

I'm surprised nobody's compared the two consoles in a previous thread.

[Gideon68]

I agree, hold off until the new PS2 system comes out. As for the X-Box, look for the bundle package with the free Sega GT 2002/Jet Set Radio Future games, I've only seen it at a few stores now, I think it's discontinued.

[illennium]

Originally posted by mike45
All my current electronic gaming is played on my 2.53mhz PC.

I hope you mean 2.53 GHz. Otherwise, that is one slow mother.

In any event, one thing you should know is that, in the current console landscape, there are two types of games: cross-platform and exclusive.

Because current games cost so much to develop, most third-party publishers put them out on two or three of the major consoles. Many games are developed with ease of portability as a primary goal and the strengths of each individual system are compromised in the process. As a result, the differences between different console versions of the same game are generally minimal. The days of SNES-to-Genesis and PSX-to-N64 botch jobs are pretty much over.

Since you will be able to play most third-party games on either platform, an important factor in your decision should be the exclusive games. These are usually first- or second-party games, and there aren't very many of them, but they are generally designed to sell systems and as a result have huge budgets behind them.

My advice is to look at which exclusive games interest you, as you will probably spend most of your time playing these.

[prince_of_saturn]

I tihnk you should buy the GameCube system instead. Better graphics, better games, better controls, all around better system IMHO.

[mike45]

Sorry, 2.53Ghz

I will probably hold off on the PS2. Since you told me of the new PS system. Unless, the PS2 is heavily discounted. I'll be going with one of the Xbox system bundles.

[Kainan]

Ok, I'll try to do this and not get flamed.

Don't just look at exclusives but look at what you want out of a game system. Do you want to play online WITH broadband? If so then that is a BIG plus for the Xbox. If you want online and only have 56K then the PS2 is attractive for the few games it has though many will avoid your slower connection. The GC has virtually nothing online and it looks like Nintendo isn't doing much to support it IMO.

Online has sold me because ONE great online game can give you 10X the amount of playing hours than a typical game (or more).

Ok, so online doesn't matter. Next I would ask myself what I will be playing the system on. If I'm playing on a 32" or smaller TV then I feel that all 3 systems look pretty much identical in graphics (my opinion) but if you happen to have a 58" HDTV like myself then this is yet another boost for the Xbox and then for the GC. I think all but 2 games (2 slipped through the cracks) for the Xbox are 480p or higher and Xbox tends to have more Widescreen support. Also, you have to ask about the sound. If you have a DD 5.1 setup then the Xbox has yet another advantage because most Xbox games are DD 5.1 while very few are 5.1 for the PS2. The GC does have DPL2 which is pretty good though.

If you answered yes to anything above then the Xbox starts looking pretty attractive (before we look at actual games). If a multiplatform game comes out then there is a 99% chance that it will look and sound best on the Xbox even if not by much. Add the fact that the hard drive is already there so you don't have to buy memory cards and it starts sounding sweet.

Now to the games. Despite all I said above the games have the biggest significance. If you are a person who primarily plays the games that go multiplatform then the Xbox has the edge due to the power of the system. However if you are looking at exclusives then it can be much different. If you like platformers then I recommend the PS2 because it has Sly Cooper (part 2 coming soon), Ratchet & Clank, and several others. The PS2 also has the golden trophy GTA series. I personally don't care for these due to the content. I have a 4 year old son who I may let watch Halo but I'm not going to let him watch me pick up a hooker, get a BJ, and then beat her over the head with a bat. Something seems seriously wrong with that to me even as an adult but that is another topic.
For FPS games I think the Xbox rules. It has Halo, GR, Return To Castle Wolfenstein, and the ports from others (missing something here). The Xbox is very lacking in platform type games though.
Then we have the GC. This is a system for gaming basics. No fancy HD or broadband LIVE action but just a gamers system built for fun. This system gives a wide variety of must own games but not a lot of any one genre. Metroid Prime is one of the best games produced to date and some think the same about Zelda (though I don't like it). It also has the RE series and Eternal Darkness. To me this is a GREAT second system (IMO) due to the greatness of the small amount of games and lower cost but no true online support.

I'm sure plenty will disagree but this is my opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of each system. IMO you can't go wrong with any of them but it all depends on what you are looking for. If you want power, ONLINE, and the best ports along with killer FPS then go Xbox. If you want platformers and the largest game library of games (good and bad) then go PS2. Lastly, if you want the games that only Nintendo can provide then go with the GC.
I hope this helped while not looking to console bash. If the mods want to delete this due to my opinion having negative comments about each system then feel free to do so.

[Static Cling]

No, I think you actually managed to post your opinion without treading into "OMG XBOX IS HUGE + IT SUX" territory. Way to go! There's nothing wrong with negative comments... there's a definite line between having a negative opinion and bashing.

[young]

for me, it is the games. i agree w/ most of what kainan has said.

ps2 also has tekken, virtua fighter, RPGs, and winning 11 which for me, are games i've always wanted to play.

in general, if a game comes out for the xbox or ps2, i generally lean towards the xbox b/c of better graphics/sound unless the ps2 version of the control is better (NFS and SSX).

finally, wasn't it just announced that EA will only provide online services for their sports games on the PS2? so if you want to play madden 2004 online...

[Kainan]

Originally posted by young
for me, it is the games. i agree w/ most of what kainan has said.

ps2 also has tekken, virtua fighter, RPGs, and winning 11 which for me, are games i've always wanted to play.

in general, if a game comes out for the xbox or ps2, i generally lean towards the xbox b/c of better graphics/sound unless the ps2 version of the control is better (NFS and SSX).

finally, wasn't it just announced that EA will only provide online services for their sports games on the PS2? so if you want to play madden 2004 online...

See, I really don't factor in Tekken or even VF anymore. To me Soul Calibur rules them all and I'm just down right tired of the minor updates to the Tekken and VF games. As far as RPGs goes I'm not real up to date but I haven't seen anything on any system yet that blows me away. I certainly wouldn't put the Xbox in front by any means because all it really has is Morrowind but I'm not blown away by anything on the other systems either. The last FF game was more movie than game to me and I was disappointed.
You are correct about Madden and this was a great move by Sony that will bring a lot of Madden lovers (not meant as a bad thing) to their knees if they were hoping for support on another system. I personally like both Madden and NFL2K games about the same although they play so differently. If I pick Madden up at all I will pick it up on the PS2 just like I did last year. I wasn't impressed with the online play on Madden last year but it was the first football game on PS2 Online so I'll cut it some slack. I really like how LIVE has everything tied back to a gamertag because you can find the crappy gamers who cheat by disconnecting or whatever and ignore them or report them.

Since we are talking sports online, I believe that NHL2K3 will be Xbox LIVE exclusive which is just as important to a hockey fan. If I'm correct NHL2K2 took the prize for best hockey game last year and I expect the same this year. I didn't care for EA's NHL game too much.

[young]

the funny thing is i just tried out soul caliber on a ps2 at a local gamestop and i wasn't too impressed. why?

for one thing, i grew up playing virtua fighter and tekken in the arcades but not soul caliber. another reason was that i was playing this big hulking guy w/ an exposed heart beating... thought it was kind of gross for grossness' sake. if the characters are too weird, i get kind of turned off by them. another reason is that i can't deal w/ too many control schemes... i have the same problem w/ sport games
but, i'll still probably pick up soul caliber for the xbox when it comes out (along w/ doa3 online).

--
as for RPG's, yeah, i agree that the current ones are kind of more movie than games. i wasn't too impressed w/ FFX; but i'll get FFX-2 when it comes out. i haven't gotten .hack nor Xenosaga yet either. frankly, i just finished Grandia and i'm happy about it (btw, i thought Grandia wasn't that good either - i'm probably in the minority but it got really tedious for me to finish it.) i'll probably start grandia 2 soon. i do have both dark clouds lying around... as well as a bunch of PS rpgs...

i think Fable for the Xbox has a lot of potential, but the more i read about it, the more i feel like it's going to be delayed forever and then it will be disappointing cough*likeallofmolynieux'sgames*cough.

[finbogg]

Nice summation of the head to head compaison Kainan! I agree with your analysis especially the online part. If you're into online play, then it really adds to the life of your games.

[Josh H]

X-box:

Pros:

Best Specs= Best graphics and Sound
HD= No Mem Cards, great for sports games
X-box Live

Cons:

I personally don't like the controllers. The type S is ok, the original is atrocious IMO.

Game library much smaller than PS2's. Only Halo and PDO (aside from having the best ports of sports games) interest me, that will vary from person to person though.

No EA sports games online

PS2

Pros:

Largest game library. Pretty much several games of interest in every genre, so there's pretty much something for everyone.

Lots of great exclusives, FF, GTA, etc.

Dual shock is a nice controller (though I prefer the GC controllers myself).

Online EA sports games

Cons:

Least powerful of the sytems, so if you're really into graphics you might be dissappointed.

Longest load times of the three systems.

[Red Dog]

The deciding factor for me was which system could play the GTA games.

[Kainan]

Josh,

It will be interesting to see just how many exclusive games PS2 has over the Xbox. You listed the only two that most people care about enough to list and to be honest I think GTA will be getting old to gamers before you know it unless they start making some true changes. There are other games out there that mimic it and will maybe do it one better but only time will tell. I'm looking forward to Sly Cooper 2 more than the next GTA game but that is just gaming preference (for my son mainly since I like FPS games the most). If a person likes FPS games then there is no doubt what machine is the right choice in my opinion.
The key to me really is that 90% of the games will be on all 3 systems. This includes bad games and GREAT games. If you are a mainstream player then you would think you would want the best version possible.

The controller is something you have to adjust to. I used to prefer the PS2 controller for FPS games over the Xbox controller but after so much Halo and GR I find the PS2 controller being the one that suddenly feels awkward in my hands. It is all about what you are used to. I'm talking about the Type S by the way. The original was too big although I did adjust pretty well.

[finbogg]

Hey Josh,

Since when did you take such a harsh and definitive stance on Online Gaming? I know you've never proclaimed an interest in it, but from looking at your sig, it makes me think something happened to really swing your opinion.

[Jtnguyen12]

mike45

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[sararekuforever]

Being a PC gamer, I am sure you have played the best FPS and PCRPG. I am also sure, that perhaps, you have played the "wonderful" GTA series in its PC version. In this case, I would advise getting a PS2. You will be able to play games that aren't available on the PC: fighting games, Japanese RPG's, rhythm/music games, platform games, driving games, arcade games, etc. Being familiar with computers, anything more advanced for the PS2 [Linux Kit/Online Gaming] will be easier for you to configure and use. PS2 is also a DVD player, and you can never have too many DVD players: I have one in the living room, and in each bed room, one of them being the PS2. Many here will suggest a Gamecube instead, but you will be very limited to what third parties are willing to release and to what Nintendo decides to make. However, if you are not a huge Nintendo fan, you might not like the games, as the majority of what is actually GOOD on the system is Nintendo's franchises, nothing new. So..get a PS2 first, then a Gamecube, then a Xbox. I'd skip Xbox and Gamecube though, and instead get a PS2, Saturn and a Dreamcast [with Genesis and SNES emulator]..you'll pretty much be able to play any games worth playing in the past 10 years.

[illennium]

Originally posted by Kainan
It will be interesting to see just how many exclusive games PS2 has over the Xbox. You listed the only two that most people care about enough to list.

Most people on the fringe, maybe. Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and Maximo are all exclusive titles that sold well and are getting sequels. The Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto franchises may be more easily accepted by older audiences, but they're hardly the only ones that matter.

[The Franchise]

It's tough the compete with the sheer variety in the PS2 catalog. Plus so many of the games are dirt cheap now. You can get a ton of really good games for under $20 now which is amazing. I've been playing greatest hits games for months now and still have a ton to go. The great this is that by the time I'm done with them, more games will have dropped in price. Just a good way to play high quality games for cheap IMO.

[JaxComet]

Originally posted by Gideon68
I agree, hold off until the new PS2 system comes out.

When will this be?

Also, Does everyone think that the PS3 will arrive before XBOX 2 and Gamecube 2?

[kuyax]

[quote]Originally posted by JaxComet
When will this be?


I think the new version of PS2 will come out sometime this June or July. The price is $199....only $20 more than the current version. read it somewhere in gamers.com

[Josh H]

Originally posted by finbogg
Hey Josh,

Since when did you take such a harsh and definitive stance on Online Gaming? I know you've never proclaimed an interest in it, but from looking at your sig, it makes me think something happened to really swing your opinion.

It's an inside joke. I've been meaning to take it out.

I had posted about not being interested in online gaming in a couple of threads (GC mario kart thread for instance) and Gallant Pig said I should put something in my sig to save some typing, so I did to be a smart ass.

[Josh H]

Yeah, I just mentioned the FF and GTA games cause those are arguably the two most popular game series right now.

There are other great exclusives. The GT series, VF4, Jak and Daxter, Rachet and Clank, Sly Cooper and so on.