Thread: The Game Oblivion

Yeah, they're fixing most of the problems. I'll consider buying one in a few years, but I've never thought it was a good idea to buy a console in the first year of production. A few reasons:
One: Inflated game cost. X-Box 360 games cost fifty to sixty dollars, relative to thirty to forty for a new X-Box game. (And under fifteen bucks for a used game. I picked up Rainbow Six 3 the other day for $2. Boo-yah.) The twenty bucks extra gets you better graphics, but typically not better game quality. Especially since the first games out on a new console are rushed to production, so they're underdeveloped. I think it's much better to go and buy a used PS2 and the top ten games for it than to buy an X-Box 360 and the top two or three games for it. It costs less, and the games you get will be better developed.
Two: Consoles usually have a few problems on release. I've heard the 360 has occasional overheating problems. Not entirely sure, but whatever. Point being, buying your console immediately upon release means that you're taking a risk. Warranty will cover it, usually, but it'll take time for it to be repaired.
Three: The Russian Roulette factor. Some new consoles flop. Bad. Dreamcast, anyone? Or even better, the Mac PipPin? If you go out and buy a console like one of those two, you're losing a lot of money on something that very few games will ever be designed for. I'm thinking that PS3 is in danger of running down this road, for price issues as well as game development problems.
Four: Small selection of games. New consoles are typically released with less than thirty games available in the first month, and only ten that you'll see in the average game store. Most aren't going to be amazing games. As I mentioned earlier, they're underdeveloped because of the rush to production, and typically they just don't compete with games released for older systems quality-wise.

Currently, I'm leaning towards 360 more than PS3 or *shudder* Wii.
Wii has a good thing going for it with the low price. It's a pretty capable system, too. What I'm worried about is that Nintendo will once again fail miserably with the games released for it. Gamecube has almost no games worth owning. Period. Zelda, maybe. Metroid, maybe. Nintendo needs to step up the number of third-party games. Get more high-powered game developers on their side. I'm also a bit worried about their controller...
It doesn't look comfortable. At all. And while the motion detection thing sounds cool, realize how annoying it'll be to have to hold your controller relatively steady for any long gaming stints.
PS3 I'm doubting will go far at all. Some people will doubtless buy the console, despite the current estimated $499 base cost ($599 for the upgraded version). But what are you actually buying for that price? Yeah, it can run some AWESOME graphics. Nobody can deny that. But right now, how long does it take, and how much does it cost, to develop games with those kind of graphics? It's going to mean a heavily inflated cost on PS3 games. Also, one big feature that the PS3 banks on is High-Definition BluRay disks and outputs for Hi-Def TV sets. I don't own a Hi-Def TV, and most of my gaming friends don't either. So we don't really feel like spending two to three hundred dollars more than the competing systems for that feature. And the Blu-Ray is a very risky feature: It holds lots of data, but the drive can't read the disks very quickly. The read speeds are in the x2 and x4 area in the new Blu-Ray machines, which is pretty slow.

Originally posted by Tsen
Yeah, they're fixing most of the problems. I'll consider buying one in a few years, but I've never thought it was a good idea to buy a console in the first year of production. A few reasons:
One: Inflated game cost. X-Box 360 games cost fifty to sixty dollars, relative to thirty to forty for a new X-Box game. (And under fifteen bucks for a used game. I picked up Rainbow Six 3 the other day for $2. Boo-yah.) The twenty bucks extra gets you better graphics, but typically not better game quality. Especially since the first games out on a new console are rushed to production, so they're underdeveloped. I think it's much better to go and buy a used PS2 and the top ten games for it than to buy an X-Box 360 and the top two or three games for it. It costs less, and the games you get will be better developed.

Definately man. I'll agree with that there's definately a drop in quality for those rushed titles. In fact, I've only picked up Call of Duty 2, Oblivion, and Condemned so far. The rest are...eh. You're right to hold off your purchase, my only quip was your previous comment (which I understand know), but your reasons are well thought out.

Two: Consoles usually have a few problems on release. I've heard the 360 has occasional overheating problems. Not entirely sure, but whatever. Point being, buying your console immediately upon release means that you're taking a risk. Warranty will cover it, usually, but it'll take time for it to be repaired.[/b]

Agreed. I feel it was better that I couldn't get the console at launch. My console, bought just over a month ago, is almost completely stable.

Three: The Russian Roulette factor. Some new consoles flop. Bad. Dreamcast, anyone? Or even better, the Mac PipPin? If you go out and buy a console like one of those two, you're losing a lot of money on something that very few games will ever be designed for. I'm thinking that PS3 is in danger of running down this road, for price issues as well as game development problems.

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PS3 I'm doubting will go far at all. Some people will doubtless buy the console, despite the current estimated $499 base cost ($599 for the upgraded version). But what are you actually buying for that price? Yeah, it can run some AWESOME graphics. Nobody can deny that. But right now, how long does it take, and how much does it cost, to develop games with those kind of graphics? It's going to mean a heavily inflated cost on PS3 games. Also, one big feature that the PS3 banks on is High-Definition BluRay disks and outputs for Hi-Def TV sets. I don't own a Hi-Def TV, and most of my gaming friends don't either. So we don't really feel like spending two to three hundred dollars more than the competing systems for that feature. And the Blu-Ray is a very risky feature: It holds lots of data, but the drive can't read the disks very quickly. The read speeds are in the x2 and x4 area in the new Blu-Ray machines, which is pretty slow.

[/b]

I'm note even touching a PS3. They've banked too much on the blue ray drive (the games are going to take forever to load, no doubt--at least the ones that actually utilize blue-ray) and their consumer-ambiguous, yet cool sounding "cell" chip. They're trying to show they can top the media features of the PS2 (in relation to when it debued), but this is iffy. Most consumers already have: Ipod, DVD player, etc. The 360 did this to an extent, but it's premium focus was reaching consumers through games and Xbox Live.

The tech demos were great, but it's all pre-rendered. Or worse, and a very disgusting deception, was the thought that although the demos were in real time (ie, Kill Zone 2), they were run at 3-5 frames per second and sped up to appear so uber.

Your thoughts on High-Def are correct. The average consumer has a digital television, but does not have a high-definition set, yet. No doubt by the time the the next generation of consoles appears in 5-6+ years most consumers will have these kind of sets, but by then it won't matter for the more high-def conscious systems (PS3, mainly). The 360 has above average support for HD, but that wasn't the true selling point.

Yeah, I agree completely on the HD bit. The 360 will definitely be the way I go when it comes to buying a new console, but I'm holding out a bit longer. Mostly because at Christmas Microsoft's likely to add some features or drop the price to increase the 360's competitiveness with the release of the PS3.

I got the 360 at launch (Europeon launch) and it works fine, even after extended play the console shows no sign of over heating.

I agree with the lack of good launch games, Dead or alive 4 is good, but short lived, for £40 it wasn't a very good deal. Condemned is also good, but again short, £40, not a good deal. Oblivion was a very good deal though, best game I've played for a long time.

The reverse compatability, allowing me to play Halo2 and Half-life2 for the first time, was the redeeming feature of the 360 at launch. At least it was for me, perhaps not for those who already owned an Xbox, or a PC good enough for the games.

I doubt I'll get a PS3, I don't see much reason to, I don't have a Hi-Def TV, and I probably wont be getting one anytime soon.

Are there any PS3 exclusive games that are worth playing?

As for the Wii, I like the idea, and I like Nintendo games. But a friend of mine who also loves Nintendo, says he doesn't want one because or the controler. It scared off a Nintebdo fan, so I doubt it will bring in new fans. I hope it doesn't fail, but the odds are against it.