Story: PS3 vs 360 In 2009
PS3 vs 360 In 2009
Published: 01/01/2009, 14:53
Category: Features
Tags: ,
Author: nofi


PS3 vs 360 In 2009

25 years ago, before the number of dimensions available to developers went up to three, gamers like me spent much of our time arguing over which computer was the best: the mighty ZX Spectrum or the blocky, ugly Commodore 64. Thankfully, we were about 6 or 7 years old, so the very notion of fighting in the playgrounds over something we had next to no control over didn’t seem so strange. Sure, Sir Clive Sinclair didn’t care about little old me individually, but word of mouth soon spreads and if I could convince just one other kid to buy a Speccy rather than a C64, then that’d be another notch in the balance books at Sinclair HQ.

Fast forward a quarter of a century, and it seems little has changed. With the advent of the internet and the newfound ability to fight the fanboy wars from behind the relative anonymity of a keyboard, the battle lines are a little more blurred. Publishers, developers and the console manufacturers can now see at a glance who’s talking about what and see precisely what the thoughts of the assembled masses really are just by registering a forum identity; and yes, we know that certain publishers like to ‘get involved’ with these forum chats pretending to just be a ‘fan’ of the game, but that’s for another post and another day.

In this feature we’re going to leave all the fanboyism at the door. Despite the fact that this is a PS3 website I do take some pride in knowing that we don’t pander to Sony and certainly don’t pretend Microsoft don’t exist: I personally keep both consoles (and a Wii) at the side of the television and of late it’s the 360 that has seen the most playtime, my recent acquisition of PlayTV notwithstanding. Why? Perhaps it’s just a case of catching up with all the Xbox games I’ve missed whilst hammering the hell out of the PS3 for the last 12 months, catching up with Gears or getting involved with the whole Community Games angle, or perhaps it’s just nice to have the option to play all the games released.

But such whimsical fence-sitting doesn’t help with this article, which is intended to do just one thing: decide the victor of 2009. Yes, there’s going to be an awful lot of educated guesswork here, because naturally we don’t know everything that the major players have planned for us this year, but we know one thing for sure: not a great deal will change from 2008. Sony will still promise the earth, extend the firmware to new realms and delay key titles beyond belief, and Microsoft will do pretty much the same - it’s the way things are in the world of consoles just now: get the kids in the playgrounds talking, get the parents buying and the rest will take care of itself.

And what gets people spending more than price? In this cash-strapped economy (thanks, America) we’re currently sinking in, the initial price ticket is the one that shouts the loudest. Sure, you can do little spreadsheets to prove that ultimately, pound for pound, the PS3 provides the better value but on the shelves, when Mum is glancing over which console to buy, it’s the one that costs £129 that’ll shift more than the one that sells £300. Personally, I bought a launch 60GB PS3 for £425. £425 I didn’t really have, and had to save up for a few months, sell pretty much everything I owned and trade-in almost every game I’d ever bought last generation, and I ran a PS2 site so had quite a few.

If the PS3 still cost £425 this article (and this website) probably wouldn’t exist. The arrogance that Sony showed when pricing the PlayStation 3 over here still beggars belief, and the whole notion that people will pay that “even if it had no games” still makes me cringe. Whether or not the ridiculous price had any effect on sales for the first two years we’re not concerned with - the PS3 now costs a penny under £300, so that’s what we’re working with. On the flip side, you can get an Xbox Arcade for £129, less than half the price and although it doesn’t come with a hard drive, it is an Xbox 360 and with that £129 purchase you can play 99% of all the 360’s games.

So, that’s the issue here. Does Sony need to offer a cut-down PS3, sans wi-fi and Blu-ray player, to compete? Sony, and in particular SCEE, have always stuck with the rule that bundles are the way forward, and continue to offer almost the same hardware and just throw in more and more accessories and games to extend the value of the purchase. To an extend this works, if you’re clued-up on what the PS3 offers then £300 with wi-fi (which costs £50 on the 360) and a HD-movie player (which we’ll come back to) is a fantastic deal, but recent anecdotal experience over Christmas suggests otherwise: people don’t understand, at all. And why would they - what have SCEE done to promote the features of the PS3 on television? Who’s seen an advert that says the PS3 plays the future of HD movies, has free internet gaming and works with whatever network you already have, out of the box? Nobody, so they expect the GAME sales staff to relay this information to the customer instead? Really?

Let’s face it, some gamers won’t even know that the bundled AV cables don’t offer the best picture; some gamers won’t have access to a HDTV and some won’t even have access to the web. These are the gamers for which price is the main factor, assuming they can play GTA IV and FIFA, and thus the low entry price of the Xbox 360 can only result in lots of sales for Microsoft, and the opposite for Sony. Round one, then, goes to the Xbox.

Much has been made recently of the New Xbox Experience. Compared to the old ‘blade’ interface it’s a huge step forward, one away from pushing the 360 as a games console and moving towards a future-proof, expandable media hub. Sure, it’s not immediately obvious how to find your way around and 75% of the menu options end up trying to get you to spend money, but the consistent look and feel as you drill down the menus works a treat, and the box-arts for everything are really neat. It’s just fast, slick and very un-Microsoft, but it isn’t going to sell consoles or decide the ‘winner’ this year, because at its core it’s just another way of navigating the menus, much like Sony’s equally (but rather more muted) XMB.

No, the reason the 360’s interface keeps gamers coming back is the way that everything on the console is superbly linked and cross-referenced. From anywhere, in any game, a simple tap of the Guide button brings up a cool sub-set of the NXE from where you can manage friends, messages and check things like Achievements, which we’ll come back to. Yes, the in-game XMB does a similar thing, but in comparison the decision to present the user with the entire XMB menu wasn’t the best idea - try showing the feature to a non-gamer, or someone unfamiliar with the structure of the XMB and even the option to quit the game requires a bit of searching around. Couple this with the somewhat clunky Trophy implementation and it’s clear that the Xbox 360’s interface is leaps and bounds ahead of the PS3s.

But, again, how does this translate into winning a console war? Well, when forced to choose between two otherwise identical versions of a new game, which do you go for: the one with Achievements guaranteed and the ability to easily invite friends at a consistent console-level or the one where you might get Trophies and you might be able to work out how to invite your buddies assuming the developers have a) coded the feature in and b) not made it almost impossible to figure it out. I’ll not mention any specific games, but you know who you are. And then we come to the one of the biggest issues I have: the title updates. If a PS3 game requires a patch, it’s usually at least 25 MB and you’re at the mercy of the PS3’s wifi as it slowly crawls across the internet to your console. The equivalent 360 update? Grabbed in seconds, literally. If you don’t think this is an issue, try unboxing a brand new PS3 on Christmas day and playing LittleBigPlanet - if it’s not the massive firmware update it’s at least one title update - we’ve heard stories of new PS3 owners having to wait an hour after first putting in the disk before playing.

These things, like everything else, spread by word of mouth. Sony needs to sort out its firmware and game update patching regulations, enforce mandatory Trophies and take a good hard look at what makes the 360’s interface so damned user friendly, and that’s without mentioning full game installs, a feature that really does silence the critics. Round two? Yep, you guessed it, 2:0.

HD-DVD is dead, thankfully. With a dual-format high definition movie war the only losers were the consumers themselves, having to either edge their bets or stay clear until somebody kicked the bucket. Clearly, Sony’s decision to include the Blu-ray player as standard will have repercussions throughout the rest of the year: the Blu-ray sections in major stores are only getting bigger, the prices are slowly starting to come down and in terms of functionality and performance the PS3 offers outstanding playback of the new format. This, out of all the things in this particular feature, stands out as being a major contributing factor to the recent sales of the PS3, yet Sony are still reluctant to advertise the fact to the masses.

With HDTV penetration on the rise (and we’ll bet there’s been a massive spike after Christmas) it’s the non-gamers that Sony should now be looking towards: push the fact that the PS3 plays this new movie format and no other console does and those sat on the fence might bite. At £300 for a Blu-ray player alone the new PlayStation is a steal, yet as a games machine alone it looks overpriced. Of course, those of us already sporting the shiny black console under our TV know all this, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Joe Average has no idea, and unless he’s blind will not only see the benefits of buying a PS3, but also will then go on to purchase the HD movies in the future.

And if you’re in the US you can also watch movies on your PS3, although it’s clearly not as developed as the 360’s Netflix option. Why we don’t have a similar function here in Europe is presumably down to licensing issues and the notion that Sony Europe need an additional six months of time to get anything done, but we will see the option soon. Microsoft is adamant that Digital Downloads are the way to go, but call me old fashioned: I’d rather have the boxed version on my shelf as part of my movie collection, thank you very much. There’s no question here, if you’re looking for a reason for the PS3 to win in 2009, the ability to play Blu-ray movies must come into play. Round three: PS3.

And, finally, we arrive at the thing that gamers want the most: games, and it’s probably one of the toughest areas to cover because whilst the above is reasonably objective discussion, games by their very nature are subjective and usually encompass much of the fanboy debate as console exclusives are used as the main weapon in the my-console-is-better-than-yours war: Is Left4Dead better than Uncharted 2? Is Forza 2 a better racer than Gran Turismo 5 Prologue? And then we have the utterly ridiculous cross-console comparison features, normally started by some bored forum member and pushed to the masses by the otherwise readable Eurogamer. Does it matter if the PS3 version of GTA has less pixels than the Xbox 360 version? Does Devil May Cry’s slightly-quicker-on-PS3 load times really push that version of the game?

Probably not. However, the recent trend of buying exclusive content almost certainly does. Microsoft’s initial gamble with Grand Theft Auto IV’s downloadable content (DLC) for a reputed $50M meant that if you wanted the definitive version of Rockstar’s latest you bought the 360 version over the PS3 version, and if you didn’t have a console and were waiting for GTA, then you’d buy a 360 to play it on. Naturally, getting hard evidence to support these notions isn’t easy, but in the content of such a feature it’s not unreasonable to assume that such decisions were made by gamers new to this generation of consoles. Sadly, we’re still to see the release of the GTA DLC, although we’re assured it’s on its way, but such pauses have long term consequences as the recent exclusive DLC for Tomb Raider Underworld don’t seem to have had much effect on sales of the game, with the initial batch of PS3 versions outing the rival 360 version.

Games do sell consoles, though, and in the war of 2009 it’ll be the exclusive games that finally decide the victor, at least in our idealistic but probably ridiculously naive world. Who had the best games in 2008 isn’t relevant here, both consoles had some absolute stormers, but looking ahead to the rest of this year is entirely relevant and we’re still ignorant about anything that Sony and Microsoft are holding back from the public eye until E3 or some other game show in the coming months. What we do know, though, is that Sony will absolutely own the first quarter of 2009. Why? Well, think Killzone 2 mainly, the first person shooter that has been at the forefront of PlayStation gamers since that movie back at E3 2005. Yes, it’s been quite a while, but the recent beta and playtests of those fortunate to have spent time with the game have been almost entirely positive, and in terms of system-sellers Killzone 2 is as big as they come.

And then the rest of the AAA titles start to roll in. In 2009, the PS3 will exclusively play host to Uncharted 2, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, inFamous, God of War 3 and Heavy Rain, and hopefully something from Polyphony Digital to test our force-feedback steering wheels. Each and every one of the above has been hyped beyond normal rational levels, with the mere mention of any of them enough to hopefully get gamers not yet on the PS3 wagon well and truly ready to splash the cash. Of course, Microsoft isn’t going to roll over and just let the PS3 walk away with all the bragging rights in terms of software: the 360 will exclusively feature Alan Wake, a follow up to Mass Effect and a new Halo title, but in my humble opinion none of these hold the same weight and we can’t see them actually selling machines.

So we’re calling this 2:2. The Xbox’s interface and pricing may make the 360 an initially attractive purchase, and one that sits happily underneath the television in TSA Towers, but long term, and where it really matters, the games, the PS3 starts to shine through and although this has been said for the last two years, 2009 really is the year of the PS3. It has to be: gaming has always been where the PlayStation brand has excelled, and it’s clear that the developers are really starting to get to grips with the architecture of the machine and that the publishers are getting behind it more than ever before. We look forward to seeing what happens in 2009, then, and as always welcome your comments on this topic.



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Comments
  1. Mick939
    01/01/2009 at 15:13
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 191

    The interface better than the xmb? Are you on drugs sir?


    proog

    He just might be, but he’s got a point. The Xbox guide thing is very compact and provides buttons for the most common things right off the bat, while the entire XMB can be a little too big while in game. Sure, the XMB does pretty much the same thing (and does it well, I might add), but it’s options are more scattered than in its Xbox counterpart, which might make it more confusing and less efficient.


    coolgr33k

    the 360 allows you to join and chat to people, even if they are in another totally different game.
    I used to have one, but the ps3 is still very good.
    Only the 360 has a better online but you have to pay £40 for something similar to PSN.


    whoelse

    I prefer the NXE interface to the XMB.

    Microsoft have stated that they will not lower the price of the 360 for a long long time however Sony are almost certainly going to drop the price in 2009 which will make the price way more balanced. Hopefully Sony will cut the price sooner than later.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Isn’t the NXE riddled with ads?


    proog

    No, but it has a category with highlights, much like you would see in the right half of the PS Store front.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Is it the XBLA store that has ads then?


    proog

    Nope.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    I’m just going crazy then lol


    andytorr

    I thought this too. I often sit in my brothers room whilst he’s on his box and there always seems to be a handful of adverts everywhere. You’re not alone dj. THEY DO EXIST :)


    3shirts

    I much prefer the XMB outside of games but I agree that when in-game we should be presented with a simpler version that only shows the things you can actually do without leaving the game. What is the point of showing me the whole XMB when about 80% of it results in “you must quit the game to do this”?


    RealBigGuns

    360 has an excellent, superior interface. If nothing else, the ability to do cross-game invites and voice chat is fantastic. Really makes it easier to organize and hop into games with your friends.

    I say this as somebody who is a proud ps3 owner…


    coolgr33k

    I used to have a 360 till it broke, it had good interface but ps3 may receive updates in the future whcih enables it to be able to join and chat friends, even if there not in the same game.


  2. commando101st
    01/01/2009 at 15:21
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 352

    ZOMG PS3 pwns XBOX is for n00bs.

    On a more serious note, 2009 had better be the year for PS3 or it’s going down the drain. There simply won’t be enough support for it to make it a viable option.


  3. djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 15:29
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    Very interesting :)


    seedaripper1973

    aye ;)


  4. cc_star [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 15:35
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    The shrinking economy may have the biggest say on matters, not only effecting console sales in 2009, but also games undergoing development now for release in 2010 and beyond as executives may be unwilling to sign off big cheques for future blockbusting development.

    And believe me when I say this, the general public are oblivious to matters like AV Vs HDMI cables, they don’t even factor in things like 3-4 years of gold subscription which evens up the price between the consoles.

    Sony or more specifically SCEE need to realise that the Sony brand name has been damaged beyond belief and is no longer enough on it’s own to shift consoles (by damaged I mean with regards to events over the past couple of years regarding their arrogance at the launch of the PS3, the exploding laptop batteries, and the whole fiasco of the court case with Immersion.)

    The world doesn’t really care about HD movies, look at the explosion of the use of lo-def movies captured on mobiles etc… and uploaded to youtube and chart that graph against Blu-ray sales.

    We are now in a world where price is the largest part of a buying decision, and no amount of apparent added value will make to much difference.


    GamerRiley

    I agree with the whole economy thing, people (in general) can’t afford the price of a PS3 when they are just thinking of buying it as a games machine. The 360 or even wii for that matter are much better value.

    Saying that though, my father in-law who is mad on getting the latest T.V. and hi-def kit went out to get a Blu-ray player and came back with a PS3. For him the games are a bonus if he ever feels like buying one, Primerily that black box is for playing Hi-Def movies.


    3shirts

    You are totally right cc. People are much more likely to be able to justify £130 now, maybe £50 for a hard drive in 6 months time, a wifi adapter a few months later, £30 for 12 months online play and so on. They wouldn’t be able to justify £300 now even if that gets them unlimited online play and all the other bells and whistles.
    I am hopeful that in a years time the economy will be recovering so if I had a choice of payments spread over time like that, I would probably go for it.


    GamerRiley

    If the PS3 was released today at £425, how many people would be buying?
    I’m thinking twice about spending £15 on a Blu-ray movie!


  5. proog
    01/01/2009 at 15:42
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 59

    Good comparison. Reminds me quite a lot of secondnature’s work ;)
    I think I have to agree with almost everything here, but is it really that hard to find the “Quit game” option in the XMB? I mean, considering it’s the default selection and all.


  6. cc_star [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 16:04
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    A Microsoft rep visits GAME stores monthly, leaves behind some sales patter/leaflets for the staffroom, puts up some display material to advertise key games to customers (Fable, Gears2 & Lips most recently) and chats to staff about whats happening in the world of the 360 in the coming month.

    Whereas over at SCEE towers, they…. errmm well actually I’m not sure

    So when you think about it;
    Microsoft advertise on TV directly appealing to customers
    They’ve wrote a huge cheque in the form of a massive price drop, appealing to customers.
    They put a live & running 360 in almost all gaming outlets attached to a small but good looking LCD HDTV, appealing to customers.
    They send reps round to visit stores and chat to staff, and provide sales literature, and point of sale display material, appealing to retail staff & customers
    Promo freebies are thin on the ground at grass roots staff level, but what little of it I have had the benefit of, has been 100% 360 related and came in the form of Gears 2 t-shirt, cap notebook and some collectors item, and separately some Fable2 stuff.
    Review copies of multi-platform games are almost always 100% shipped to review sites in the form of a 360 disk (and to some site possibly countless freebies)

    Sony (SCEE) on the other hand;
    Some rather cryptic adverts about LBP which made everybody go “I don’t get it” (I liked them, but they were preaching to the converted)

    And thats your lot!

    Can you understand why one console outsells the other 3:1
    It isn’t price alone (although it helps) it’s an all out attack on many, many fronts

    SCEE, sit up and learn!

    (and before someone criticises for being negative, I say wake up and smell the coffee)


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    I’m not going to disagree, except the outselling 3:1 sales. Where did you get that number from?


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    You think it’s more?

    perhaps it is, but since the 360 went down to rrp 129.99 (available from 99.99) it has varied between 2:1 and 4:1 so I thought 3:1 sat nicely in the middle


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    No I thought I heard that Microsoft was saying it was 3:1 but it was actually closer to 2:1. So was just curious,


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    Possibly, maybe even probably

    Either way, my point was supposed to be Microsoft have a multi-pronged attack, Sony & SCEE’s plan seems to be sit back, and our brand/blu-ray/exclusives/added value will sell itself, whereas my opinion differs from theirs.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Oh yeah I don’t disagree with that at all.


    3shirts

    I agree, it bugs me that Sony seem to be sitting with their fingers in their ears going “la la laa, we’ll win in the end” while Microsoft’s marketing machine is doing a damn fine job of making sure everyone knows everything about their product.


  7. Matt_NI
    01/01/2009 at 16:31
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 116

    That is a damn good read my friend.
    Really well constructed

    But

    We all know the commodore pwnd all


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    sorry, but my speccy was miles better


    online4ntagonist

    C64 4EVER!

    well not really forever cos mine broke eventually, but you know..


    GamerRiley

    C64 here!


    ccccc17

    ah ha, I still have my speccy so it must be better! Did your C64 RROD?


    GamerRiley

    No I had mine playing Daley Thompsons Decathlon just the other week.


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    Thank you Mr 1 star. Am I to presume you were a c64 nut?


    theshockwave

    I did my best to fix that for you cc!


    GamerRiley

    Yes I was.


  8. djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 16:38
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    Also nofi, aren’t Trophies mandatory as of today?


    3shirts

    Good point, I think read that somewhere ;)


    theshockwave

    Yeh, they are. Now all games released must come with trophies.


    colossalblue [ TSA Staff ]

    They are mandatory in all submissions from January 1st but any games that were submitted in December for a Jan, Feb or March release might not have trophies.


    coolgr33k

    Before 2009, only a few games had trophies, some got patches and some just came with them. Since the start of 2009, all games have trophies.


  9. cc_star [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 17:06
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    I wonder why anything PSN related is slow. The point about the FW updates etc… never really crossed my mind, because I usually have my laptop fired up so am distracted whilst all that PSN related stuff goes on.

    But if I d/l a 20meg file from the internet it zips along in seconds whereas a similar d/l involving the PS3 (FW update, PSN download etc…) takes much longer, and it’s interesting to hear that the 360 zips along at the same speed as the end user usually finds their Internet does.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    My PSN is only fractionally slower than my laptop speeds.


    3shirts

    I generally find I download stuff from PSN faster than on my PC, I assumed this was just due to good Sony servers


  10. xvLIAMvx [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 17:19
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    I’m with the whole 360 and ps3 thing. left 4 dead and motorstorm 2 are both fighting for my attention. I like the 360 and it’s live, installing games now and 8 way party chat ftw. But I love the quality of the ps3 and think psn is wonderful especially with no monthly fee. I wish left 4 dead was on ps3 and I wish ps3 had cross game chat and worked in the same unified manner live does. But you really do have to own both to appreciate all the games of 2008, and will be the same for 2009. Though ps3 exclusives are amazing. Uncharted, motorstorm and mgs4 are not even close to matched on the 360. So, buy both! guaranteed those who are extreme fanboys are those who wish they could have both.


  11. Paragonknight
    01/01/2009 at 17:42
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 3

    Nice comparison you made there and well written. Although on Game (online) on their comparison they had this to say for future games on Xbox 360 in 2009, “Alongside big-hitting sequels like Splinter Cell Conviction and Halo Wars (a real-time strategy title set in the Halo universe), 360 owners will get plenty of original new content.

    Long-awaited psychological horror adventure Alan Wake, should finally creep into shops, and we’re expecting several promising RPGs including exotic conspiracy drama, White Gold: War in Paradise, Medieval mystery, Venetica and the massively multiplayer superheroes epic, Champions Online”

    Champions Online is to counter DC Universe online?


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    For every exclusive there is an equal exclusive on the opposing system.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    What counters LBP?


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    Boku


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Ha don’t make me laugh! lol. We can discuss that when it comes out!


  12. BioEye [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 17:44
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    I felt happy reading that console comparison. I usually come away feeling very uptight and a need to sound like a fanboy.

    But I don’t think I will here. I’m happy. For a few minutes…


  13. GamerRiley
    01/01/2009 at 17:47
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 38

    Very good read nofi. A well balanced argument for both consoles, if only I had the money to buy a 360. Just looking back at the download times you mentioned, I recently purchased Burnout in the sales, wanted to get on it straight away when I got home so kicked the kids off the t.v. only to have to wait 2 hours while new updates were downloaded. Not that I wouldn’t want to be without the bikes they’re great fun.
    Hopefully though with a little price drop, more films on Blu-ray with a cheaper price tag, and a year of great games starting with Killzone 2, and this could be the year of the PS3. Just the same as 1982 was the year of the C64.


  14. theshockwave
    01/01/2009 at 17:59
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 699

    It IS the year of the PS3.
    The 360 came out much earlier than the PS3, so it has surely reached (or is close to) its full potential. The Playstation, needs more time before it does that.
    Killzone 2 is gonna kick arse, and there are more great exclusives coming to the PS3 than the 360 this year.
    Also, if its a price drop you’re after, there’ll almost certainly be one this year. And more advertising will take place. Guaranteed.

    Good read though!


    BioEye [ TSA Staff ]

    Advertising? Pah.
    I might just have to do it for them.


    theshockwave

    Well, any help they can get…


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    BioEye would be an advertising genius
    http://www.thesixthaxis.com/forum/general-chat/advent-calendar-2008

    SCEE- you’d struggle to do better


    BioEye [ TSA Staff ]

    lol. :)

    *looks to the right. Walks off.*


  15. ADPolicenaut
    01/01/2009 at 18:03
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 79

    Commodore will rise again.


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    Wrong!


    Spotter5

    cc_star.. that file is linked from the York College site..

    Do you go there? because i do :)


  16. Hodgi92
    01/01/2009 at 19:12
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 1046

    Very good sir. A brilliant read

    2:2…all even. I agree but try giving that verdict to the fanboys
    I must say though, I have witnessed both, and I prefer the XMB


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    I wouldn’t say 2:2 was even when what the pros on each side were.


    coolgr33k

    I prefer the XMB to the NXE, I think the old 360 dashboard was better with the bars.
    I prefer the appearance of the ps3, the NXE looks like its aimed at children, it might be good, but in my opinion I dont like it.


  17. colossalblue [ TSA Staff ]
    01/01/2009 at 20:25
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    Fantastic article nofi, that’s the best thing published on TSA so far this year…

    From what I know of the other console everything you say is spot on. It’s hard to judge the games category because it’s hard to define just what exclusives will appeal to gamers but your argument is as good as any I’ve heard so I will defer to your better judgment.

    As for where the PS3 brand needs to up its game; there has to be an increase in quality and quantity of marketing of all kinds this year or the battle is lost. That price drop I’ve been campaigning for almost as long as a remake of SWoS is totally overdue but will be completely useless if Sony fail to advertise it. Basically Sony need to make it easier for retailers to sell their products and the only way to do that is to push customers in through the doors armed with the knowledge that if they buy anything other than a PS3 they will be making a mistake.

    Sony’s marketing mystifies me completely, they don’t seem to see the point and when they can be bothered making adverts they get it wrong. The LBP ads were/are brilliant because I know what they’re talking about but my nephew thinks they’re about having a girlfriend and he still thinks girls are stinky so he hates the idea of Sackboy. He just got a Wii.

    I could ramble on about this for hours but that would bore people and detract from the fantastic article Nofi has gifted us so I won’t bother.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Have you seen the trailer for The Spirit? “One of the best films of the Year” was one of the quotes from a magazine on the advert, it came out today…. lol


    hannes_truce

    I went to see it yesterday, twas easily the best film i’ve seen this year :-D


  18. Pingu
    01/01/2009 at 20:58
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 35

    I own both a PS3 and a 360, my girl owns a PS3 and a Wii. Anyway, I agree with most of it. I do like the XMB better than the NXE though, but it’s a great idea to cut down on the “options” on the in-game XMB.

    I’m a PS3 fanboy, and I’m proud of it. I like Sony.

    I think this will be an awesome year for the PS3, and it will, no doubt, be a great year for MY PS3 as my paychecks are getting me almost 50% more. I don’t have many games for the 360. So i sense that 2k9 will be a good year for MY 360 too.

    Great article, and I almost fully agree.


  19. fredrikpedersen
    01/01/2009 at 21:13
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 31

    You know what? I’m sick of reading about the console wars. Why don’t we just all get along and play some games - there’s no need to fight over everything.


    colossalblue [ TSA Staff ]

    Yes there is and if you continue to disagree, Mr. Pedersen, I will fight you.


    Michael [ TSA VIP ]

    *giggles*


    Pingu

    I actually like reading about console wars. I get a kick out of seeing everyone agreeing, disagreeing, doing everything they can, just to make sure that their console wins. There’s no need, the PS3 one the day they started making it.

    Anyway - fighting is fun, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.


    LiquescentShadow

    Then why bother to do anything? You could say the same things about almost everything. Why do people race cars, or why does Top Gear do car comparisons? Why do tech websites or The Gadget Show do gadget comparisons? People aren’t happy with just getting along all driving our cars, or using our phones or whatever it is.

    While there are 2 (real) consoles on the market, you may as well draw comparisons between them.


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    Would you buy a new phone without checking out any other ones and comparing the differences. Like Shadow said, it happens everywhere for everything, otherwise how can you value something if it has no comparison.


  20. perot485
    02/01/2009 at 0:51
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 0

    Okay, I work at gamestop and I know quite a bit aboput ebery console. So, PS3 is better, why you ask because it has more to offer. Don’t get me wrong I love my 360, but microsofts little scheme is they make you pay for every little single thing you might need. For example: Network adapter, Live to play online, a hard drive if you have an arcade version. I could go on, but they do both have their pros and cons. I think….”think” this just might be sony’s year. Stop hating on Sony.


    LiquescentShadow

    We only hate on Sony when they deserve it, which is pretty much 90% of the time. We’re all hoping that the PS3 has a good year, but it still can’t stop someone taking an objective look at the current situation.


  21. SteveTheSkorie [ TSA Staff ]
    02/01/2009 at 1:17
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: N/A

    There are 2 stories that I find myself often telling people on the internet.
    I’ve probably told them a couple of times in the comments somewhere on TSA already, but I’ll tell them again here. You know. Just for fun! (then theres more extra at the end! For added value)

    My Mam and Dad HATE the PS3. SO much. There was no TV signal. But it was the playstations fault. The DVD player wouldnt work. It was the playstations fault. If they got divorced, it would get the blame. Im not even joking. They HATE it and use every excuse to get it out the living room and into my room. So I worked and saved a lot and eventually splashed out my new found money on an HD projector and surround sound and they got their wish.
    The other day mam wanted to watch Wall-E. I have it on Bluray though. Wheres the bluray player now?!
    Mam asked how much it would be for a Bluray player for the living room.
    “A Bluray PLAYER would be anywhere from £300 and up. I’ve heard there are some cheaper ones, but thats ussually where they are. But there is a better option! A PS3.”
    She was not impressed and decided to get back to her woman things (cleaning and such) but I interrupted her tasks and explained to her the concept of Play TV, the video rental service that they will hopefully give to us sometime before I turn 30 (im 17), Buzz, Singstar, Bluray and DVD, and the fact that it will be in HD and will actually make use of the TV which as of now is still only operating with SD items.
    OOOOOH! Maybe the Playstation isn’t just a large black box of evil after all!
    Shes seriously considering buying one as well now!
    Now why can’t Sony get this message out! Get some daytime TV programs to do a feature on the versatility of gaming machines or something!
    Even just a short and quirky TV advert would do.
    They NEED to get the message out. Now that the Wii (which is golden in Mams eyes) has shown that gameing can be more than just something for spotty teenagers and adults with no lives, sony should get out and show that gaming machines can be more than just machines that play games.
    Sony reps are ever going on about how its a media hub machine and that it can do all sorts. But whos going to read those interviews?! The housewives?! NO! US! YOUR DEDICATED CUSTOMERS?! WE KNOW ALL THAT STUFF! YOU DON”T NEED TO TELL US! YOU NEED TO TELL THEM! THE WIDER PUBLIC! Ugh! It makes me so mad!
    I just don’t get why they don’t advertise. Even games!
    Resistance 2 had much worse sales than anyone predicted and even those wern’t even close to what it deserved.
    But just a tiny 10 second advert with a clip of the leviathan in it would have shifted 2wice as many copies as it sold. People LOVE big monsters in films so being able to fight one in a game is like a wet dream for a lot of people!
    Or even if they had the San Fransisco reveal with an “Actual gameplay footage” message at the bottom would have shifted more copies. Who hasn’t been impressed by that image?!
    I show those 2 segments to anyone whos over when Im playing the game. Almost all got the game for christmas as a result.
    Why can’t sony grasp the concept of advertisement?
    Like you say. They can’t rely on the workers in Game or a simple teenage boy to do it all.
    Hell, even my little brother even found himself saying “You never see Playstation adverts on the TV, only 360 ones. That must be why it’s winning the console war” (I was surprised he even knew what the console war was, but that just goes to show! If someone COMPLETELY out of the loop can see the problem, why can’t sony!? I’m sure they have seen it, but why wont they react?)

    Sorry for the wall of text. I kind of merged the 2 stories in there. Uh Oh. Here comes more!

    I can see Sonys logic with the more for your cash thing that they do with bundles.
    Well yes thats good, but at a glance people just see a PS3 at £300. Not a PS3 with a controller and 2 games for £300. While at the same time people can look at the xbox at a glance and see one for £120 but really, if you want all the bells and whistles, you’ll have to shell out a LOT more cash. Even just for the image Sony should first of all have a price cut on all consoles and secondly get out a new bundle. PS3. 40GB (or lower). 1 controller. Thats it. £200 maximum. Then they can flash the new cheapness of it all over the place and people can go “Oooh! Isn’t that cheap!”. Then they could have their premium pack or whatever with the 80Gb HDD and other such stuff (though they NEED to get a headset in there. Seriously. If more people had headsets, online would be MUCH more fun)

    HOLY SHIT! SORRY! I could seriously go on FOREVER. I’ll stop now. I’ve probably already turned off everyone with so much writing, but if you’ve gotten here, Well done! And thanks! Hopefully you agree!

    PS. Sorry again for the wall of text.


    SteveTheSkorie [ TSA Staff ]

    Oh my god! Now I’ve posted the comment I’ve realised just how big it is! Oops.


    LiquescentShadow

    “though they NEED to get a headset in there. Seriously. If more people had headsets, online would be MUCH more fun”

    Errr, no. Have you heard what xbox live is like, just from the fact that they bundle a headset? You find yourself being abused by 8 year olds just because their mum has no idea of the functionality of what they bought their kids. The only time that headsets improve an online experience is when you know the person you’re communicating with. If you don’t know them, you may as well be talking to the wall.

    Sony just fails at advertising. No one knew wtf the old graffiti PSP ads were about, no one knows what the hell the LBP ads are about unless you’ve played it/read about it, and their early bunch of PS3 ads (you’ll never forget that baby) were just shit. They need someone or something to just crack the whip in the marketing section to get some decent ads.

    I know that nowadays its all the rage just to go for shock value and freaky shit when it comes to advertising; the guys in the board room probably thought that it would get people thinking and maybe researching…but people are too fucking lazy to do that. Sony needs a simple ad which just gets some washed up celeb to list the features of the PS3 whilst showing their most competitively priced bundle. That would shift units in a heartbeat.


    fredrikpedersen

    I have a PS3 headset, and I often have intelligent over multiplayer. You think, maybe, that because of the low price of the 360, younger people are more likely to buy it? Price matters much more for someone who’s twelve year old and have barely scrapped together some money, than a working man in his twenties or higher. And, as we all know, immature kids tend to have a much ruder use of words than us.


    LiquescentShadow

    Maybe you have had better experiences than me. All I’ve heard is people trashtalking over their headset or speaking like it’s a telephone call, including subjecting everyone to their personal issues. Not that I’m just a bastard who has no tolerance for that kind of stuff, but if there are two people in my CoD4 game that are speaking like it’s a private convo, I would prefer them to perhaps fuck off and use the PS3 internet call feature instead. ‘Normal’ conversations are fine as that’s how you make PS friends to play with online, but I’ve had people talking about their personal business like going in and out of prison, and whether their girlfriend has a ‘fat ass’ and debating over whether they need to end the relationship. I just end up having to mute them. Oh, and playing music over the headset. That’s another passtime of most people as well.

    The reason that more children own a 360 is because it’s more appealing to parents as a present. Parents only give a toss about the price.


    Paragonknight

    lol. I get annoyed with that crap as well. There’s people in the background of those who have headsets. They’re not talking but you can the people behind them and it is utterly annoying especially when they are screaming or something. Nothing of a rape or orgasm though.


    fredrikpedersen

    They hated it initially for the price, and now the hate has carried on, even with a lower price point. How much time did it take you to write that Wall ‘o text?


    SteveTheSkorie [ TSA Staff ]

    Well I bought it and so they have no control over it muhahaha! but yeah. They do hate it. A lot.
    And it took me 4 songs on itunes so about 15 minutes :P
    (I have weird ways of measuring time. eg, 9 months = 1 baby and 3 hours = 1 lord of the rings film)

    Also, the one thing I like the most about the 360 whenever I play one is the online purely because there’s a much greater sense of community in it because people are always conversing in games. But I see what your saying about the private conversations and annoying pre puberty boys yapping away with voices only dogs can hear.
    Maybe I’ve only ever had good experiences with it though.

    I completely agree with the LBP adverts. They definately got people talking though! So many people I know have spoken about them in conversation randomly saying “did you see that advert with the dog exploding?” and they quote it and everything. But nobody knows what the hell the game actually is.
    Everyone thinks its just some shit childish sidescroller. 3 of my friends thought that. But the same 3 now own the game as a result of my correcting them (it may also be down to my ridiculous persuasive skills to which only my Dad is immune. Damn his immunity! If it wasn’t for that, I would be the proud owner of a snake!)
    But yeah. The xbox adverts are hardly good though. The one with the guy with no back to his head is just weird. Very weird. But they are EVERYWHERE. I read a magazine where there were FIVE FULL PAGES dedicated to xbox advertising. It wasn’t an article, just a series of poster things. ridic!


    coolgr33k

    agree, the xbox is more dedicated to online, you have to pay £40 a year(sorry dont know $). All it has it better private chat and ability to join peoples games, killzone covers the joining games but sony still have to do a few more updates.
    Overall PSN is also very good.
    PSN - 8/10
    xbox live 9/10
    (my opinion, I had both consoles but I still prefer ps3.)


  22. mayflame
    02/01/2009 at 2:30
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 32

    You know, days like this…I’m glad to be a multi-platformer. All I need is a Wii and I’m al…………..you know what, never mind. I need the money right now. Maybe later.


  23. Cortex-Neo
    02/01/2009 at 10:01
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 3

    Just thought I would mention, that from 2009 onwards, trophies are mandatory, in fact, I read that story on this site. So I don’t really understand why you said that trophy inclusion needs to be mandatory when you should know it is. I’m sure it was just a mistake. :P


  24. joeybamboo
    02/01/2009 at 16:29
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 110

    another reason the 360 will well more is the gamer score. remember that the ps3 was released a year after the x-box.(or sumthin like that) n evryone bought a 360 n got ‘achievements’ so most ppl will get another if their console breaks. which it will so most 360 sales will still go on, on acount of the achievements nerds.(i kno im a trophy whore) wud also like to say i never have/will/going to own a 360, id rather eat my own testicles, on toast, with cheese, and a side order of foreskin!! :D


    cc_star [ TSA Staff ]

    Good point, it helps loyalty to one system over the other.
    I know for a fact that loads of 360 sales are to people who’ve already bought one, and can’t be bothered with the whole 4-8 weeks without it, just hand over 129.99 for anew one, get up and running straight away, sent their broken 360 off and then just flog it when it comes back or use it as a spare in another room in the house


    djhsecondnature [ TSA Staff ]

    I can’t say enough how much the RROD infuriates me. It’s the reason I’m not buying a 360 until they are reliable. With no other anything would people accept this. If there was a bout of TVs or computer or phones that had the failure rate of the 360 people would not buy them.


    coolgr33k

    Yes agree, check my comment below, I used to have one till it broke.
    I wodnt recommend one, if you have a ps3, its not a better choice.
    2009+ PS3 is starting to kick into action.


    seedaripper1973

    come on, you must of voted yourself up on that one ;)


  25. BStreakX
    04/01/2009 at 0:36
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 0

    I think you’re wrong about Killzone 2. Sony fanboys have been drooling over Killzone 2 since E3 2005 because they want a “Halo Killer” to brag about, but that doesn’t mean the game will sell systems. Here’s why:

    1. The developer’s track record is abysmal. Good games need talent to make, and Guerrilla Games has never made a game scoring higher than 77% on Metacritic.

    2. Most of Killzone’s target demographic already bought 360s for Halo or Call of Duty. Most aren’t going to run out and buy a second console to play Killzone 2 when they already have great FPS games on their 360.

    3. FPS games don’t win console wars. The PS2 sold 140 million consoles without any FPS games in their top selling games (the top PS2 FPS was Medal of Honor in 29th place). The original Xbox only sold 24 million consoles, even though it owned the FPS genre. Owning the FPS genre is only a matter of fanboy pride.


    LiquescentShadow

    I personally never saw Halo as something massive. Yes, the first one was alright, but they’re nothing more than an average shooter in my opinion. The only reason that Halo is so large is that it was the first proper and decent FPS for the Xbox, which itself was a new console with no franchises or exclusives to truly call its own. As xbox had it’s live service, Halo also gained popularity through the online play.

    Therefore, the popular series carried onto the 360 with the same success. As the 360 is cheaper, and more people own them, Halo is a ‘big’ game. It was lucky in how it started. If you look at it, Halo really is just an average shooter. Despite this it undoubtebly shifted a ton of 360s.

    FPSs are system sellers (can you imagine the number of people who just bought a 360 for halo 3), so if Killzone 2 even partially lives up to the hype, expect it to shift units. If it sells well, it will definately go part of the way in sticking the PS3 in the top spot of the 2009 console wars.

    I don’t think that the target demographic of Killzone 2 is really the same as halo or Call of Duty. Most will be children who have aquired a 360 to play halo or CoD online with their mates, but the PS3 targets adults (as well as kids) who are looking for more than just a games machine.


    coolgr33k

    I had a 360, I had halo 3 and I was not impressed. From all of the hype, I thought it was going to be amazing, but it wasnt in my opinion. The graphics and gameplay were not impressive. I only kept it as I bought it cheap and to play with my friends online. Its fun online for about a wekk, then you just dont play it anymore.
    (I no longer have my 360 as it broke)


  26. coolgr33k
    19/04/2009 at 18:03
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 196

    I used to have an xbox360 elite. It was a good console until after 7 months, it broke. It got 1 red ring(error code E74). Luckily the guarantee was still on so I sent it to microsoft for repair.
    As soon as it got back, I traded it in for a PS3! I prefer PS3 alot more. I had call of duty 4 on the xbox360 and also the ps3, I dont notise any difference. I recently bought KILLZONE 2! So far its my favourite game and apparently the 360s power isnt even capable of playing it. What an amazing game(change the controls to alternate 2 and aim on hold if your a call of duty fan).
    Overall I think the ps3 if a greater console, however the 360 was still fairly good.
    PS3 will unleash more power in 2009.


  27. coolgr33k
    19/04/2009 at 18:23
    Trophies: 0 0 0 0
    TSA Points: 196

    Also can I ask if anyones ps3 has broken(disk drive or something else). Im not a secret 360 fan. I just want to know if im playing it too much or not doing something. O if you have a 40gb/80gb console. Not 60gb as I know they get the YLOD.
    Has anyone ever had problems???????
    thanks


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