@Oldirtybearon said:
I like Xbox Live. It's stable, it's reliable, and I've never had an issue purchasing content or getting into games. When it comes to online support nobody else is doing what Xbox Live does. Yes it costs more than it should and there are definitely services that shouldn't be put behind a paywall, but to say that Xbox Live in and of itself is not worth paying for is fool hardy. Especially when you consider how long PSN sucked ass before Sony realized you need a paying membership to help offset the cost of maintaining servers and terabytes of data streaming over the entire globe.
But don't you feel like the online life of games on Live dies out a hell of a lot quicker then it does on PSN. I actually prefer PSN because it has that international audience that Live doesn't come close to matching, and there are tons of older games that still have their online backing while the Microsoft audience tends to play the flavor of the week then go back to the shooters. Also, you can easily find a game at any hour of the day with that global audience.
Third party games play better on the Xbox 360 than the PS3, or the Wii. I'm not including PC games in here because A) I don't like the interface and B) I have absolutely no goddamn interest in playing games on my computer. PCs are definitely more powerful and more capable, but that's not my scene. It probably won't ever be my scene. For me, the PC environment might as well not exist for as much consideration as I give it in purchasing decisions. Now, back to my point: there is an undeniable difference that between the two major platform holders that the PS3 just can't compete with the 360 in third party games. RAM limitations as well as the Cell processor generally under performing on third party software is probably the biggest reason for this. First party Sony games do look, visually, fantastic. The thing is, Sony doesn't make enough of them a year to warrant me investing in their console. All of the third party games already show up on the 360, and across the board play better. Why would I want a PS3?
They may be marginally better most of the time but to say they can't compete is a gross overstatement. Bayoneta and Skyrim are the only games that come to mind as actually being broken on PS3, everything else was serviceable and in some cases better, like LA Noir, Dead Space 2, or Mass Effect. Fuck changing discs, what is this, the 90's?
This next point is probably not going to make people happy, but here it is: Microsoft is willing to spend in order to secure DLC and other exclusives. Look at Skyrim. I got to play Dawnguard the day of release despite everyone invested in other platforms bitching (and rightly so) about having to wait a month (or in the PS3's case, still waiting). If you actually spend money on add-ons like I do, it pays to be a part of the Xbox ecosystem rather than the Sony or PC environment. Xbox customers don't, generally, get short-shafted by developers when it comes to new content or bonuses because A) there's more of us and B) Microsoft is willing to crack open a checkbook to make sure their consumers get new shit first.
That shit is gross, but Sony has lately been ponying up more cash to get exclusive DLC. As for the "there's more of us", are there really? PS3 is around 2 million units behind in global sales, but how many people bought an Xbox for Kinect and only use it for that (nobody bought a PS3 for Move, lets be honest here)? On top of that, how many people have multiple X-Box's either because one of them broke, or they upgraded when the slim came out, or they bought one of the many special edition Xbox's because it looks nice. And then there are the huge number of 360s that they give away all the time, whether in a contest at a department store or for free with the purchase of a laptop.
The biggest reason, though? The controller. The 360 controller is perfect. It's not too small like the PS3 controller, the sticks are situated beautifully to rest comfortably in your hands, and the 360 controller has a certain heft to it that makes it feel good. The PS3 Dual Shock has always felt like cheap plastic. Every time I pick one up with my bear paws (I have big hands), I feel like I'm going to break the thing. The sticks don't feel right, either. Aiming with the convex dual sticks on the PS3 just doesn't feel right. For instance in FPS games on the PS3 I can't hit a target to save my life. Contrast that with the Xbox controller where I can pull off reliable chains of headshots in first person shooters and there's definitely something to be said for concave sticks ergonomically placed on the gamepad.
That is just crazy talk. The Dualshock is the definition of a perfect controller, although I will admit that FPS games play better with the 360 controller. (Just got through the first Bioshock on 360 and that controller felt like it was made for that game.)
Also the PS3 looks like a vacuum cleaner. No, really. Look at it. Tell me it doesn't look like the head of a vacuum cleaner.
It looks nothing like the head of a vacuum cleaner. If anything the 360 is more like a vacuum in that it sounds like one. There is no reason for it to be so damn loud.
Add in a blu-ray player, the netflix for games that is playstation plus, the huge library of exclusives, and the connectivity with the Vita and you have the reasons why I prefer the Sony platform.
Microsoft probably shouldn't rush with their next X-Box though, as a sack of potatoes would be a better marketing team then the one Sony has now. As long as Microsoft is willing to put up the dough to market their console, it will always do better in the USA, which is a big enough market to allow a console to survive and thrive.
Log in to comment