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| An honest look at the Console offerings (pc's too! | |
| Posted By: Sam <sam_edge@charter.net> | Date: 11/7/01 10:23 a.m. |
In Response To: To many choices,lend your opinions please!noflames (Matt(Uh...#5)) Let's be honest here. Really. It's a damn free-for-all this holiday season. There are 4 options to go with... PC (and mac, but i'm going to stick with pc as the syn. PERSONAL COMPUTER, not the windowz syn. it appears to represent today), Xbox, PS2, and gamecube. This is going to take a bit. From the top, shall we?
::PC:: Pros: Cutting edge hardware. Multipurpose. Internet multiplayer. Good software library. Cons: Expensive at high specs. Limited or non-existent release for some titles. Expensive to keep current.
A decent PC title will cost you around a grand, slightly more or less. And a high spec machine with a good soundcard and video subsystem is an awesome thing..... but how many of the titles released are even going to begin to tap the potential of the beast? Developers have to pick a pc spec that will have a decent market, and the average pc out there right now will pale beside a beast machine. In 9 months the video card will be obsolete, and the processor is ancient about as soon as you get it. But, a good pc will probably have a 1.5 year or so shelf life, during 9 months or so which you can run pretty much everything. Lotsa good titles on the pc, many that will never hit a console; then again, lotsa console titles never get a pc port. Internet multiplayer and even MMPOG abound. But you do have the PATCH factor on pc's; most companies have turned to a release now, patch later approach to software. It sucks to by a 1 grand pc, pay another 50 bucks for a pc game, and STILL HAVE TO WAIT A MONTH FOR THE DAMN THING TO RUN RIGHT. After downloading a 50 meg patch. (for comparrison, some older (ok, really older) games take up less than 400 kb of disk space.) And sometimes the games are never patched.....
Note that the pc is an open platform, which makes it harder to develop for, as opposed to the consoles, which all have closed hardware specs. And now, on to the consoles.
::Xbox:: Pros: Console. Powerful hardware spec(most powerful console). Good 3rd party support, strong launch (Halo!). Good price point for hardware. Cons: No major license, limited library.
It's the xbox. If you're on this forum, you know what it is, and a lot of us have 'em either on preorder or in our sights. The xbox is the most powerful console on the market; it's probably more powerful than the average pc out there. It uses a standard dvd disk format, and with an addon, can play movie dvd's. Halo's coming out for it ::PS2:: Pros: Great software library, including ps1 titles. Good 3rd party support. Cons: Weakest hardware of current consoles. Price not commiserate with hardware.
If you had asked me a couple of month's ago about the viability of the ps2 versus the xbox, I'd have gone with the xbox. Now, however..... Sony has had a flurry of great games come out of the ps2. The console has really come into it's own in the last 2 months, with Devil May Cry, ICO, Soul Reaver 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3. And Metal Gear Solid 2 next week.... wow. (Metal Gear Solid X on the xbox still seems to be nebulous, for those that are curious). Plus, the ps2 runs all the old ps titles... and there are some must haves for the PS (Chrono Chross, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy _insert number less than 10 here_). Sony has had and continues to have great support from 3rd party devs. However..... both the Gamecube and xbox are more powerful than the ps2. Historically, though, the same was true on the Playstation; the system's strength was not what it could do, but what was done on it. Looking at the ps2, it appears to be the same way. Soul Reaver 2 has quite a bit of framerate loss at certain places while playing.... but it doesn't detract from the game, and the game kicks ass. And while the system has the weakest hardware spec, the games (ICO, DMC, SR2, MGS2) do look great. Not to mention that the system has been out over a year (hence why all the great titles, since the devs have had time to muck with it) and has a much larger library than the cube or the box (not including the ps1 titles). Unfortunately, sony hasn't cut prices on the ps2 to reflect the xbox and gamecube.
::Gamecube:: Pros: Nintendo licensing, good price point for hardware. Cons: Weak launch, nonstandard disk format, historically weak 3rd party support.
Then, we have the cube. Aesthetic considerations aside... it's a good system. The hardware spec on it, while not in the same caliber as the xbox, is above the ps2's offering. And the system is cheaper, too. And the big N will be releasing the flagship licenses on the cube.... just not at the launch. The Cube follows the nintendo history of having a weak launch. Zelda, Metroid, and Mario will be there.... but WHEN? (fanboys: Luigi ain't Mario. 'Nuff said). Also, 3rd party support has been historically weak for Nintendo; on the 64, primarily due to the cartridge format used. Nintendo has put dev's on a (slightly) more difficult track than the ps2 or xbox offerings by using a mini-dvd disk for games. It also means that the cube won't be able to play movie dvd's. When the nintendo license titles and good 3rd party games roll in, it'll be worth buying. Right now.....
::FIN::
PC: Wait till some must buys come out for the pc, then upgrade your system. You're better off upgrading as late as possible. When pc Halo, Deus Ex 2, Theif 3, MOO3 (etc etc etc) get released, I'll upgrade my pc. There's lotsa older titles that are worth replaying, and most can be bough at a decent price and run great. Plus their already patched. (Fallout 1 and 2 for 10 bucks. Seriously.)
Console: Lotsa great console games. If you don't have a PS2, and have a library of old ps1 games, and a ps1 sitting in the corner.... go buy a ps2. The current crop of ps2 games really do the gamer right. If you don't have a lot of old ps1 titles (or, if you're one of those modchippers)... I would say the choice is between the xbox and the ps2. Gamecube? Wait till the gamecube has some titles that can justify picking the system up. Nitendo, take note: look at the release titles for the Xbox. Now look at the Gamecube launch. Remember. However, if you're looking for a family console (have young kids) I don't think I could recomend an xbox to you, as the titles are all fairly mature, so a Cube then might not be a bad thing.
As for the xbox versus the ps2... it depends on how interested you are in the releases on the respective systems. Metal Gear Solid 2 is coming to the ps2, and the media quiet surround Metal Gear Solid X (xbox) doesn't bode well. Halo, DOA3, Starfighter SE, Oddworld.... those titles COULD sell the xbox to you. Also, long term; the xbox will be a viable platform for longer than the ps2, simple due to the hardware differences between the two. Compare the xbox titles (release) to the new ps2 games. The current crop of ps2 games are YEAR 2 titles. The devs have a year of experience working on the system. What will the xbox games look like after developers have a year of tweaking and getting to know the hardware?
Ideally? Get a box and a ps2. Upgrade the pc and pick the cube up later. I have a ps2, and I have an xbox on preorder. The xbox titles rock my world, but it's still up for grabs how good of a system it will be. The ps2 has some true must haves, and while the xbox hardware kicks its ass all around town, the ps2 is still a good system. The ps2 games look good (surprisingly good, some of them) and it's basically a system where I put in time and money and get fun out. MGS2 and Halo are both going to be competing for my playtime next week. And GOD help us all when Nintendo brings those 'must buy' licences to the Cube.
If you're undecided, go try out systems, either in retail or at a friend's. Ignore the hype from ALL SIDES, and make an informed decision based on your personal experience.
But, in order for that decision to be informed, ya gotta get in some Halo time on an Xbox. ;)
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