So we’re sticking with E3 themed discussions this week, and for the second year in a row we’ve had updates to two consoles announced. Last year we had the PS3 ‘Slim’ and the PSPGo announced and this year we’ve got the 3DS and the Xbox 360 ‘Slim’. Of course whilst these kind of upgrades seem relatively new, we have to remember that there was both a Master System and a Master System II with the second incarnation mostly being a case of redesigning the casing, and Nintendo have been doing incremental updates to their hand held consoles since the start of time.
However the real question is do we like them? I can see some of the reasoning behind the updates to consoles that are becoming more and more prevalent now. Of course there’s the major issue that this generation the life cycle seems to be being stretched further than it has been in recent memory. The manufacturers need to some how keep sales of their consoles up, and an update is a good way to resell the same hardware to some of their existing user base, as well as giving a solid base to launch a new advertising campaign from.
So what is our reception to this? Well it, oddly, seems to be generally positive. Whilst they may include a few new features, such as more USB ports or something along those lines, their isn’t any real upgrade to the console. You can’t play games on the new models that you couldn’t on the old machines, and yet people still will upgrade. Of course part of this is the fear that the original console will die at some point, something we’ve only really had to worry about in this generation. Releasing updates to consoles that attempt to fix the issues existing in the original batch doesn’t really seem like fair play, but that may just be my lack of cash.
So did you upgrade to a new PS3 Slim? Will you be buying the new 360 when it hits our shores? I have to say whilst I don’t really like the idea, I am tempted to pick up the 360 update, apparently it doesn’t actually sound like a jet engine now. How do you feel about the issue as a whole? Let us know.
Chogoria
After my PS2 broke, I decided to take the plunge and buy an Xbox 360, partly because PS3s were too expensive then and partly because my local Currys made a mistake pricing up one of their 360 console deals so I saved an extra 50 quid and got a free game. The thing sounded like Concorde and I felt like I was cheating on Sony, so when PS3s finally hit that £299 price point, I sold the 360 on eBay and traded up for a snazzy 40GB PS3. I then got a PS3 Slim when they were released but I’ve never gotten round to selling my old 40GB yet, so I’m thinking of trading in on GAME’s deal.
I’m glad we’re not talking about PS4s and Xbox 720s just yet. The price of consoles just after they are released stretches many peoples budgets a bit too far. I’m also guessing the software developers are part of the reason as well, due to the current expense of developing a AAA title. That cost is only going to rise when new hardware comes out and tbh I’m pretty happy with the graphics we’re got for the time being.
Severn2j
I did buy a PS3 slim when they first came out, but that was purely because my 60G PS3 had died from YLOD and I’d just recieved a refurb replacement. Rather than risk another dead PS3, I spent £75 and traded it for a Slim, and also got a extra DS3 and a free game, that I traded for something else.. So if the build quality is improved and design faults are ironed out, then I totally see the point of the new models. Having said that, I wont be trading my old arcade for a new 360 slim, preowned 360’s are so cheap now, I can just buy another one if this one dies. Yeah, the new one is quieter, but since you can install games to your HD now, it makes things quieter anyway..
djhsecondnature
I was surprised how little MS spent on the new 360. Why not tell us it uses less energy, how much smaller it is, how quieter it is, etc. I won’t be upgrading my current 360, and unfortunately for MS, I’m a little sceptical of buying a first generation of one of their consoles.
Paranoimia
I bought a PS3 Slim last year, even though my original 60GB still works perfectly well.
I’ve been thinking of getting a 360 for a while now, just for the exclusives, but haven’t taken the plunge yet. Given the 360s horrendous reliability issues (I read recently that even the latest ‘old’ models are having RRoD issues), I’ll be giving it at least 3 months before considering buying the new model.
My mum has a DSi, and I love the system itself; I nearly bought one for myself, but tried out some games my younger cousins had and found it to be woefully under-powered. The best games were Nintendo’s first-party stuff, but their games have never done anything for me, even when I was a kid.
But the 3DS looked good, more powerful (still not quite PSP-powerful, but that may just be the type of games they showed), and appears to have some major 3rd-party support. As someone who wears specs, the glasses-free 3D is also appealing to me, and initial reports suggest that it works really well. So I’m definitely interested in getting one.
Lanselta
I bought my PS3 launch day, then got a refurbished 60gb after a YLoD 1.5 years later. I still have it, and will not part with it! I also have a 360 Elite, which I will only upgrade if my ring goes red. So, Old hardware here, and making regular backups!! None of the new features on the newer models appeal to me as i have everything ethernet’d, and in the case of the slim, its actually LESS feature packed.
Shalashaska
I don’t see the point in buying a new “slim” version of a console I already own, still have my original ps3 and I’m on my second xbox 360. However i don’t see the 3ds as another model of the DS its a next gen DS. It has far better graphics and processing plus the glasses free 3D, as much as it pains me i think it could kill off the psp.