I am finally getting fed up with upgrading my PC every two to three years to play the latest (buggy) PC games so I was thinking of buying a game console. The worse part of upgrading a PC is that it never really works: something crashes, or files or lost, or I have to reinstall XP, or I have to reformat the hard disk.

So I'm thinking of separating my gaming from my PC. I know nothing about game consoles except that the XBOX 360 has the latest graphics but the fewest games. The PS2 has the most games but somewhat dated graphics.

Would now be a good time to buy since the Playstation 3 and SONY Wee (?) are coming out at the end of this year? Does anyone know anything about these upcoming consoles? Will they be compatible with the PC?

I read the Amazon.com reviews and it seems every existing game console is nothing but a bunch of compromises. No one is happy.

Is it true that game consoles require a HDTV to play them? Would a game console ever match the graphics or horsepower of a dual-core PC? I'm wondering if I need an XBOX 360 when I already have a PC.

Opinions, info, comments welcome. Thanks.

Oh, sorry, I forgot to say, "PLEASE educate... :-)"

I'm a PCer too, but I switch back and forth. Honestly, I'd go with an XBOX, but like Mac and PC users, there too is a nice little war between Xbox and Playstation users as to which is best. Unlike in computers where it is getting the best usage out of it, in the console world, it is more of control layout and how best it fits.

BTW the Wee is Nintendo. It is coming out at about $175 (?) but I know its less than $200. The PS3 is coming out at about $600 and they are going to be in such high demand, don't expect to see one for a while. XBox 360s ARE awesome and have stunning graphics, and with Halo 3 coming - tentively - in the Spring, that looks like a sure hit, plus its adaptable to XBOX games with a hard drive, but that all comes at cost, something like $300+ for a new console, $100 for the Xbox game converter hard drive, plus costs for extra controllers. Most of these fees are one time things.

So cost is one thing. Another is available games. You touched on this a little. I'd look at reviews of the newest as well as older games between the Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS2 and see which games might interest you. There is no point in buying a console if you have no inclination to buy any of the games provided.

Most consoles now also have the added function of being a DVD player too, so they got that going for them.

Nintendo Wee looks like it'll be decent to cool, but don't even think of a Gamecube, unless you are into cute games.

For the HDTV requirement no. XBox 360 is tailored to HDTV as that is the new thing and Microsoft, realizing this, worked the console to this newest of innovations. And like I said, the XBox 360 graphics are stunning, and they are the equivilent to a really good processor now, but that is now. You can't really upgrade a console and that is all consoles biggest downsize. You can't upgrade, you can't mod a game - you can't update a game, but they tend to have fewer bugs too. I have noticed that XBox 360 has/had a tendency to crash a little. Something about the power supply overheating. I am not sure if they fixed it. I'd go into a BestBuy or something like that and strike up a conversation with one of the staff.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference, not just between PC and console, but between different brands. If it were me in your position knowing what I know, I'd buy a second hand console (you can get one for less than a $100 if you look around) and buy a couple games and try it out. Your right, it is a bunch of compromises, but so to do you compromise when you buy a computer. You sacrifice the trouble of dealing with bugs for the ability to upgrade.

Hope all this helps, let me know of any other questions.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the great info!

===>>>Is it true that XBOX 360 and PC games of the same title are different? For example, "Ghost Recon Advanced Warrior" seems slightly different for PC and XBOX 360 even though they're made by the same company. One can use cheat codes in GRAW XB whereas one cannot in PC GRAW.

I know "Rainbow 6 Vegas" will be XBOX 360 for now...

===>>>Also, why is it that game console games almost always seem to lack praise on their packaging? PC games have lots of adulations, even some ratings, but console games don't have descriptions, ratings, praise, comments, or talk about game features on the back.

===>>>Do you know of any decent console game review magazines?

PM me if you want to take this offline...

I have both the original XBox and PS2. Actually I bought them on the same day when I decided to take a severance at my old job 3 years ago, and I knew I would have a paid year to play. I find that graphics on the XB are way superior to that of the PS2. However very few games on the XB had good gameplay. Halo and Halo2 are superior to any FPS(First person shooter) style game from PS2, but many others like the first Ghost Recon were sluggish.

The PS2 has a much greater variety of titles of the sports and what I call fantasy categories (like Mario Bros, Oddball, etc type games). The graphics are much more cartoonish but gameplay is pretty smooth.

On the XB360 the graphics are awesome. Madden rocks.

One aspect that hardly anyone ever discusses is the actual accessories. I find that I wear out the PS2 controllers much faster. It appears eventually even leaving the joysticks in the center position they tend to continue to make the character move and drift. The PS2 controllers are much smaller and while they are egonomic, they just don't have the same comfort level as the XB controllers, at least for me. I still have my oriignal XB controller and have no issues. I laready replaced both PS2 controllers with new ones.

XB comes with an internal network adapter where as the PS2 requires a separately purchased adapter. The XB has an internal harddrive where as the PS2 requires memory disks.

THe XB Network adapter only accomodates broadband connections where the PS2 handles both dialup and broadband. However the XB seemed to be just a little slower over the net than the PS2, but everyone seems to be slow at the same time so at least everyone is on the time frame even if reaction speeds are slow. The PS2 has a lot of frag lag due to the variety of connection speeds. You may have shot up the badguy and moved on while the PS2 at the other end is still processing the data and the badguy really wasnt where you though they were.

I do not know how the XB360 net play has been upgraded

Hope that helps

Some are and some aren't. I haven't played either GRAW much to my disgruntlement, but Call of Duty 2 is identical and equily awesome. It depends on the game and there doesn't seem to be any way to identifiy whether the game will be identical or not. However, you have been playing PC games for a while, so you know that some games have a gazillion controls - good or bad based on personal preference. One a console game, a console games has relatively simple controls. Exceptions to this are usually fighting games (Mortal combat and the like)




You can probably expect it to come out for PS3 too, but at a later date.




I don't know. Different culture.




I don't know of a good game review magazine basically because I don't look at them due to time constraints. Go to your grocery store and look in the magazine aisle and you see plenty. Both Xbox and Playstation have magazine dedicated to games solely for their games. Gamespot.com is also a great site for comprehensive reviews/previews of all games (PC, Xbox, PS).

Further, I don't like the online play of either Xbox of Playstation, mostly because it is full of 5 year olds and [self-censored], though you can find a good game online every now and then.

Jeff

Hi Peter,

I was an avid X-box gamer, with more than 70 titles in my possesion, until I quickly changed over to the 360 when it became available, and am now wondering if the upgrade was worth it. The graphics on the 360 games I have are better than on the old X-box in most regards, but the game play in most of the new 360 games seem gimicky and game progress funnelled. With the exception of Oblivion and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, I've found that the rest of the (non sport) titles available have been rushed releases, and play as such. PGR3 is but a shadow of it's former self, failing to improve in either game play or graphics. The selection of cars are horribly dismal. Chrome Hounds is similarly unimpressive in its game play with a horrid story line. I've rented most other titles for weekend play, and continue to be disappointed with them.... I'm really hoping that X-box doesn't screw up the new Forza MotorSport 2, because If they do, It will cement my fears that Microsoft doesn't care what the quality of its console titles are, as long as they continue to sell the consoles.

buyer beware!

Frank

It's only been six months since the release and so I am more than willing to give them some time to develop games. As a marketing tool, I would hope that Microsoft would get companies to make better games with the PS3 coming out in order to compete with them. Call of Duty 2, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Ghost Recon, and a few others are great from what I've seen and played. But I don't think Halo came out within six month after the original Xbox was released.

Jeff

I'm assuming you all have pretty decent PCs.

So do you find yourselves supporting your game consoles more than PC gaming over the years, meaning the consoles have replaced the PC as your primary gaming platform? Or do you still find PC games rock over any game console? How often do you upgrade your game consoles...once every 4-5 years?

Those are the $1 million dollar questions I have. I'm wondering how successful it is to separate gaming from the PC to prolong the life of my PC since gaming has such huge system requirements on PCs like every two years.

Thanks for the answers. I am getting an idea of the gaming console world by reading this thread.

Heck no! You upgrade XB, PS and PC!!

Well, like I said, I am a PC gamer. I don't even own a console game, but most of my friends do, and since I live in a dorm...I get to study games.

No, I like PC games over most console games, just because I like complexity. I like the control and precision afforded by a mouse and the game selection in my opinion is by far better. While console games have games that have high replay value, PC games get expansion packs to lengthen games, and there is something to be said about new levels.

As for my computer, I actually run off a laptop, something it doesn't like, so I mostly stay with classic RTSs like Starcraft, Red Alert, Rise of Nations, and FPSs like Delta Force series, Half-Life and Half-Life 2 among many others. My laptop is about two years old and is reaching its limit in terms of processor and I am almost running the latest games on their lowest settings, if at all. Half-Life 2's recent expansion pack and Ghost Recon AW didn't want to work on my laptop, plus textbooks cost a lot, so my purchasing of games has gone to the same path as my models.

Jeff

PC games allows me the thrill of a good wargame without the mental strain needed to see a board game through to its completion. (I'd have to spend about two weeks, relearning the ASL rulebook before I could even push a counter one hex!) The problem with PC games, as stated already is the constant upgrades to your PC necessary in keeping up with the latest games. Not to mention the compatibility issues of certain games, I love playing IL2 Sturmovik, and it's add-ons, but my computer tends to crash and or freeze on me constantly. So the final link in this gaming chain is the gaming console, no compatibility issues, no wasted time learning rules.... just mindless fun.......

Frank

I have pretty good luck keeping at least on top or ahead of the wave of PC technology requirements since the Pentium II and 386 days.

Jeff, I agree. I see a whole host of upcoming PC games that should keep me occupied for years to come. The games for XB 360 are very limited so far.

I also don't like the game console magazines reviews compared to the PC game reviews. The PC game reviews and reviewers are a nitpicky bunch so a highly-rated PC game will most likely be a very good one.

Thanks for all your feedback. I think I'll keep to my PC until at least next year and then see how the console market shapes up.

Glad to be of help. That is probably the best choice to make.

Jeff

As I play mostly net games I find that an up to date PC is a must. Lag Frag always occurs to the guy with the smallest video card. With game consoles everyone will be even as far as equipment. Even with a cable modem I can't keep up and i consider my PC rather up to date