The Power of X

The Second Volley in the Geekcentricity Console Wars…

About a week ago, my friend and fellow Geekcentricity writer Jonathan wrote a nifty little post about the gaming consoles he owns and why he chose them.  He had some excellent things to say about his chosen systems.  He also had a few things to say about the consoles he chose not to purchase.  His post was informative and well written.

It also started a bit of a “console war” here at the offices of Geekcentricity. (Note: When I say “offices” I mean my living room, Jason’s computer room in his house a few miles away and an apartment in New York City where Jonathan lives.  Geekcentricity does not have any offices and there was not actually a war of any kind. But that just doesn’t make for good reading, does it?)

When he was contemplating his console purchase, he did research.  He talked to friends.  He may have even flipped a coin.

My foray into the current generation of game consoles was much more scientific.

It started a little over 5 years ago.  The original XBOX gaming console, manufactured by Microsoft (cue the Imperial March), was a huge success.  Halo: Combat Evolved was inspiring folks to hook their XBOX consoles together via LAN (local area network for the non-geeks among us) and spend hours killing each other.  I didn’t own an XBOX, but I desperately wanted one.  I just couldn’t justify the expense.  I was, after all, living on a teacher’s salary.  I was also about two years removed from selling my beloved Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System (both with lots of games) on Ebay.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like them anymore.  They were just starting to require work whenever I wanted to play them (those loyal owners of venerable consoles know exactly what I mean).  I convinced myself that my computer was the only gaming system I needed.  For a few years, that went well.  Then Halo came along and ruined everything.

Damn you, Bungie!

After I resigned myself to the reality of not being able to own an XBOX and invite my friends over for LAN parties, I received an incredible surprise for my 35th birthday.  About 40 people (I’m not exaggerating) got together and purchased an XBOX and presented it to me as a gift.  They also gave me copies of both Halo games.  It was one of the greatest gifts I’d received in a long time.  My friends and I got together for LAN parties.  I got hooked on Halo multiplayer, though I never really got good at it (I knew people who could defy the laws of video game physics and bend virtual reality with grenades).  I became, as Jonathan puts it, a fanboy (GASP! OH NOES!!1!)

Not long after that fateful birthday, Microsoft released the XBOX 360.  Once again, I could find no way to justify the purchase of this newer, more expensive system.  Also, life was in the process of throwing me some wicked curveballs.  Eventually, I left my teaching career and found a job at… a video game store.

What diligent video game store employee could possibly, in good conscience, recommend games to customers without owning a single new-generation console?  Not this one.

Thorough research without bias…

I’d like to tell you that I thought long and hard about which console to purchase, did lots of research, talked to proponents of each system, conducted straw polls, consulted star charts, threw runestones and even watched the patterns of blood dripping from goat entrails.  But I can’t.  Except the goat entrails.  That really happened.

My research consisted of walking into the store and purchasing the system that was blessed by Saint Bill of Gates.

I said, “Give me the one that plays Halo.”  It also helped that it was, at that time, about a hundred dollars cheaper than a PS3 (prices have since equalized).

Several years have now passed since that impulsive purchase.  I’m much more well-rounded as a gamer now.  I have my one-year chip from HFA (Halo Fanboys Anonymous).  Still, I’m happy with my XBOX 360.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the PS3 is a good system.  There are some exclusive titles that I’d love to play on PS3 (the Uncharted games, Infamous, Heavy Rain).  However, I am happy with the exclusive titles that I’ve been able to play on my XBOX 360 (most recently Alan Wake and the Mass Effect games).  I’d love to have a console that doubles as a Blu-Ray player, but I probably wouldn’t convert my entire DVD collection to Blu-Ray anytime soon, as that requires this thing called money that I’ve heard of, but rarely get to see.  I’m fine with watching the majority of my movies on DVD and streaming Netflix on my 360.

In his post, Jonathan brought up the issue of paying to play games online.  Sony’s Playstation Network is a free service (for now).  Microsoft’s XBOX Live requires a monthly fee (that is set to increase).  I’m fine with that.  I would much rather pay for my online play.  This ensures that my servers are fast, the cheaters are hit on the head with the weight of a ten-ton banhammer, and upgrades to the system are regularly made.  After all, thousands of people pay for the service who will not continue to pay if those things don’t happen, right?  I know, it isn’t always that simple, but the logic rings true to me anyway.  Besides, DLC packs often hit XBOX Live before they make it to the Playstation Network.  I feel that the service is well worth the nominal fee.

What is the difference between the consoles, really?

The PS3 has a cell processor that renders fine detail graphics with a bit more precision than the XBOX 360, but the 360 boasts a slightly better frame rate on most games, which makes the graphics differences a wash.  The PS3 features a wireless connection to the net, while until recently the 360 was only wired.  I like the wired connection for less lag.  The PS3 has controllers with built-in batteries that recharge from the console via cables.  Since the XBOX 360 controllers are slightly cheaper, I purchased a battery pack that recharges from the console via a cable.

There are more games currently available for the XBOX 360 than for the PS3.  That is a huge bonus for the Microsoft system.  Sony is starting to catch up, but I like that (for now) larger game library.  In his post, Jonathan mentions that the PS3 is the system for RPG’s.  This is a bit of a fallacy.  There are more RPG’s available on the XBOX 360 than on the PS3 by almost a half-dozen titles.

As for much-maligned malfunctioning consoles (and an awesome array of alliterative adjectives), the 360 has mostly beaten the “Red Ring of Death” problem, while Sony’s latest consoles have nearly eradicated the less-publicized “Yellow Light of Doom.”

What’s all this about visual and tactile immersion?

While it’s currently true that Nintendo’s Wii system has more tactile immersion into the games through its use of motion controls, the visuals of that console are sorely lacking the high-definition graphic intensity of either the PS3 or the XBOX 360.  By not owning a Wii, I am missing out on some great games in the Mario franchise (though we have a DSi, so we get to play some of them), but the motion control playing field is about to get a bit more competitive, with the launch of Sony’s Move and Microsoft’s Kinect.  I’m willing to give Kinect‘s controller-free gaming a shot.  It promises to at least match the tactile immersion of the Nintendo Wii, but without the remote and without the ability to sit on my couch and barely move while dominating games like Just Dance.  It also promises to have fewer components for me to purchase than Sony’s Move system.

What’s it all about?

What is all boils down to is how you plan on using your gaming console.  To be fair, Jonathan admitted this already in his post.  If you want a home entertainment system with Blu-Ray capability, go buy a PS3.  If you want a system for pure gaming, heavy on RPG’s and FPS’s, with good online play, then give your bills to Bill (Gates) and pick up a 360.  If you want old school gaming and Italian plumbers for the entire family, then purchase a Wii.

Do you have any further thoughts and/or opinions, world-wide net tubes readers?

A final note…

Just don’t suggest that I go outside and get some fresh air.  The sun, it burns our skin.

Also, I need to practice.  Halo: Reach launches next week.