Deftones

Which system would be the best to purchase (out of the 3 next gens) and why?

The reason I ask, is I'm probably going to get back into gaming. I used to manage a game store years ago, so I was pretty much into everything up to the early PS2. Then I got bored and walked away from it all. Now that I'm a bit older, and have a tad more free time, I was thinking of getting back into it.

I can think of many obvious reasons why one system might be better than the other. The Wii intrigues me because I've always loved Nintendo games (especially Mario and Zelda) as well as the cost. Right now, the Xbox 360 looks like a great system to own, but there doesn't seem to be anything to pique my interest at this moment in time, but the online play seems to really drive the system. The PS3 will obviously have alot of exclusives that are worthy of a play, but the cost just makes me shudder.

I almost pulled the trigger on an Xbox 360 yesterday, but the lack of games that suit my interests really made me hesitate. I'm not looking for a debate on why xxxx system is better than xxxxx system, and the usually crap that happens in these kinds of threads.

LiK

i'm not gonna be biased cuz i plan on getting the rest that's coming out but here's what i think

360/PS3 - if you're comfortable with the current gen systems, either one is good. the 360 plays just like the xbox with little differences in the controller and games. the PS3 will be the same. i haven't seen any significant difference in terms of games from either console at their E3 conferences. so far, the major difference with the new gen consoles will be online play. and so far, the 360 has been a winner, imo. PS3 online functionality is still unknown. so if online play is important to you, go with the cheaper 360.

Wii - if you totally lack understanding of the controllers today with all their buttons and whatnot, then the Wii will be easy since it's gonna make everything easy to play. easy is subjective but the console will be giving you quite a workout. they also have the shell for regular controller games but it's the remote that wil make or break your decision. totally unknown but it's been getting rave reviews from game journalists.

how about portables? PSP and DS have very easy controls and great games. most of the games are easy pick up and play so if you're not totally dedicated, they're perfect for short bursts of gameplay.

hope my opinion helps.

McHawkson

To remind you that there will be lot of games release for Xbox 360 at before end of 2006/early 2007. I have 360 and I'm happy with only 4 games (2 good games - Perfect Dark and Burnout Revenge).

I don't know what you planned to focus on: offline game or online game. Yes, Xbox is best online gaming. If you want to play mostly online, then 360 is for you. If you rather focus only offline game, pick one of those 3.

pinata242

If you walked away at early PS2 because you were bored, the only one that has a chance to interest you is the Wii. And even that only maybe...

Nothing's really changed since the PS2. Only the Wii has the potential to change how you play or bring in new ideas based on interface. Also, the backwards compatibility runs the gamut of your gaming life prior to walking away.

Also, since you're a casual gamer who isn't sure if you want back in or not, I can't imagine paying $300-$600 on a console is something I'd recommend if you weren't sure you'd get your money's worth. Wii is certainly going to be the cheapest of the 3.

DS Lite might be a better way to whet your whistle while you try out DS and GBA games.

Draven

Wii for casual, 360 for more mainstream gaming.

That's what I plan to purchase, in that order. The newness of the 360 has worn off and I'm less than excited about the PS3, and Nintendo seems to be the only ones doing something different with GAMES this time around.

Plus, the peripheral-based games like Guitar Hero have been getting the most play from me, mostly because they are group-friendly. The Wii looks to keep that going, so that will be my first next-gen console, followed by the 360.

Supermallet

Wii if you're only going to game casually. PS3 if you're into the exclusives AND you want to play blu-ray discs.

pinata242

I think the Wii may have exclusives as well. In fact the OP said "especially Mario and Zelda". I'm not so sure those'll be on the PS3...

LiK

indeed, exclusives are evil (or not) but they will all have them. so i guess it's the games that count. not sure what the original poster likes to play, but look for a console that has the most games you might like. i sometimes buy a system just for a few games. but my library usually ends much larger than i expect

msdmoney

I think the Wii would be a good choice for you, Nintendo seems to be aiming the Wii at gamers who have lost interest in gaming. Plus all the old classics that you used to enjoy will be there as well on the virtual console. Plus if you end up realizing you are just done altogether you won't be out that much money. It seems like you got bored with the standard games. The 360 and PS3 will likely have great games but not the different games you are probably looking for if you got bored with gaming.

I also second that you should check out the DS, it is a great little unit, with some really innovative games, and some classic style games.

I will probably have all three, but I am not really a casual gamer.

Maxflier

I don't see why any one console in particular would cater to a casual gamer more than the other ones. Whichever one has games that look interesting to you should be the one you go with.
In reality, i guess i am relegated to casual gamer status nowadays since i can NEVER find time to game anymore, and my plan is to eventually get a 360 and a PS3.

Josh H

From what you said, the Wii looks like the obvious choice. You like Nintendo games, don't see anything that appeals to you on the 360, and the PS3 is too expensive for your tastes.

Seems like a no brainer. The 360 has the same type of games the X-box had, and it doesn't look to change any time soon. PS3 will be long in waiting for it to drop down to what's probably an acceptable price for you.

The Wii will be cheap (relatively speaking anyway), offer the nintendo games you like, and downloads of games from the N64, SNES, NES, Genesis, Turbographix 16 etc. so it would seem to offer a lot of bang for the buck for you.

It's the only one I plan on buying, and I'm similar to you, fairly casual gamer, love Nintendo's games, not willing to spend a ton of money on a console.

Drexl

I would recommend the Wii. It should cost $200, and for that much you're not taking too big of a risk. $400-600 is just too much to spend for something you're not really sure you want yet.

Also, if you decide to then get a 360 or PS3 for the graphically intensive games, the Wii will be worth keeping as a companion system. (I'm not sure I would want to get both the 360 and PS3, because of their costs and similarities.) After the PS3 has been out for a little while, you can make a more informed decision on which powerhouse system to get, if you decide to get one of those at all.

GreenMonkey

These days I don't have a lot of time for gaming (baby). I let my Xbox live subscription lapse, because frankly I didn't have a lot of time to use it anymore. It's no fun getting hammered down in Halo2 or whatever playing online games when you only get a chance to play any particular game a few times every few months. Xbox live isn't for the casual gamer IMO.

And the PS3 is too expensive for the casual gamer to get his dollars' worth, unless you are both casual gamer and hi-def Home Theater nut. In which case the PS3 is perfect for you.

That means Wii territory. After all, Nintendo's focused on bringing casual gamers back into the fold.

Deftones

Well, I walked away for many reasons. I got a career instead of a job, so that took me away from my gaming supply. But, that ended up taking more of my time, so I didn't have the free time to play games anymore. The only real stuff I made an effort to play was Zelda: Wind Waker. I got bored with most PS2 stuff because it was sequel upon sequel. I loved the RE games, Devil May Cry, but the continual rehashing of shit was old. At least with Zelda/Mario games they were innovative in the fact that they tried new themes.

Deftones

While this is a very obvious answer, it's not either. Sure, I want the games that cater to me, but it seems like it ends up being Nintendo for 1st party titles, Sony systems for Final Fantasy games, etc.. There is never one system that has everything that I want to play. It's either some or none.

Deftones

I am a HT nut, but thing is, I don't trust Sony with Blue Ray discs. I think HD getting into the market early enough will eventually force Blue Ray into oblivion. Of course I'll follow where the market takes the next gen DVD stuff, but my opinion is that HD-DVD is where it'll be. With that said, Microsoft is releasing that HD-DVD drive and that might be another reason to buy that system. I can get a gaming system and a HD0DVD player for the same price as just a regular HD-DVD machine.

The Bus

I would say get a Wii, since they'll only be $199 or so. Then wait a year or two and get a 360 or a PS3.

Honestly though? Get a PS2 and pick up all the games you've missed.

xVladx

Bingo. There's just so much available for the PS2, that it's really hard to NOT find something that you'll like. Even if you don't like the more traditional racing/fighting/sports-type games, there's still such a massive variety of games out there (and cheap!) that it's hard to go wrong.

Also, buying a console at launch is a huge crapshoot. Sure, right now it's assumed that the consoles will fall into their usual places, with the PS3 having the biggest variety of exclusive titles, the 360 having the more "american"-themed games, and some runoff from the PS3, and the Wii just doing its own thing and relying mainly on Nintendo's offerings.

However, things can always change. The PS3's insane price could result in much lower sales after the early adopters are taken care of, driving developers over to the 360. The Wii could end up either doing really well or being a massive flop, being that it's such a departure from the norm.

Not only that, but the original poster didn't seem to have any specific games in mind for any of the upcoming systems that really interest him, so why bother picking any of them up? Wait until there's a game (or two, or three), that you've absolutely got to have, then take the plunge. It's just not worth it to run the risk of buying a system for its potential, instead of its actual content.

Michael Corvin

No but that is what backwards compatability is all about. Pick up a PS3 and you have 2 libraries built in while waiting for a decent PS3 game. Wish I could say the same for the 360. Or you could pick up the wii and have 7 system libraries at your fingertips.

I personally vote for the wii based on BackCompat and price. I can't see a casual gamer dropping $600 for a PS3 or even $400 for the 360. You have to love your games to justify those prices. I also have to agree with the online questions. If you have any inking for online gaming, the 360 is the only choice.

Maxflier

I keep seeing all the Wii backers refer to it as being for the "casual gamer". Besides the cheaper price, what is it about the Wii that is more casual friendly?

If the definition of a "casual gamer" is someone that doesn't have much money then i guess maybe the cheaper Wii would be the choice like others have suggested. Personally in my opinion a "casual gamer" is just someone that doesn't have as much time to play as hardcore gamers do which is why i would go with whoever has the more attractive first party games, since most games should come out on all 3 anyway.

In Deftones case, it seems like the Wii would make you happiest of the 3 since you enjoy Nintendo's offerings (Mario/ZElda,etc.) so much.


The XBOX doesn't have to be all about Halo and XBOX Live. There are lots of other good games available. Hell, i have an XBOX and have never had an XBOX Live account to this day.

Josh H

It looks like the Wii will have a lot of fun "pick up and play" games that are great for the casual gamer without much time to invest in long games or difficult games that take a lot of patience and practice.

Also for casual gamers that lost interest in gaming somewhat, the Wii looks to mix things up and might have some new types of games that appeal to them.

But in general you're right. People here are mainly reccomending it to Deftones based on what he said, rather than casual gamers in general.

But the price is a stickler. A casual gamer would have to have too much money on their hands to drop $400-600 on a console when they really don't game very much. As someone else said, you have to be really into games (or rich) to shell out that kind of cash for a console.

Michael Corvin

That one of the reasons why I recommended the wii. With NES, SNES, N64, Genesis & Turbografix (& even some wii titles), The Wii definitely has the edge in the pick up and play a quick game or two area. Ever since the PSX & PS2 it seems EVERY game has to be monumental and take ages to play & complete. I'm not just talking game length either, but overall level design. I'm not sure if it has to do with the "kiddie" image, but it seems games developed for Nintendo's consoles excel in the "quick game or two" department. But maybe that's just me.

lowenbotten

The Xbox 360 is the best system along with a PC. No doubt about it. The Wii would be a final choice. Don't even consider the PS3. That system is dead in the water and isn't going to make it. Sony messed up big time.

Deftones

I've thought about it. Kingdom Hearts interests me. But, there isn't much else (while I don't play games anymore, I still keep up on what is coming out) that interests me.

DJ_Longfellow

I really enjoy my 360. I actually enjoy the games on it. I guess it depends what types of games you like. People always say MS likes its FPS and sports games...exactly what I enjoy. There are some GREAT games out for it already (Ghost Recon, Call of Duty 2, Oblivion)

The Wii intrigues me also....I like the ability to download all the OLD games....like the NES, SNES, N64, TG16 and Genesis. How this works, not sure...but I may get one, just for that. (I have $430 credit at GameRush looking to spend it)