5 or so odd years later , has your opinion changed on ps3?

[Richter Belmount]

honestly I dont think the exclusives arent as bad as people make em out to be im actually enjoying the console this year.

[buzz_n64]

Think I'll skip the PS3 and wait until the PS4, unless they go real cheap, like Wii prices, $149.99.

I actually think the PS3 has become worse, no Linux option, no PS2 support, and not too many exclusives that I'm dying for. Maybe I'll pick up Little Big Planet 1 and 2, and 3D Dot Game Heroes.

[PapaStu]

Nope. Downloads still brick the system from doing anything else while they are processing, I still don't boot it up and even though I tend to buy almost all the exclusives for it (save the Move stuff) I still don't play them. 4 years of PS3 ownership still = me having played Beautiful Katamari, and a few DLC games (Pain, Noby Noby Boy, Fat Princess), despite owning 30 or 40 games.

Give me mah 360.

[JSoup]

I was looking into getting a PS3 five years ago, but the price drove me away. Jump ahead three years and I learned that I could get near new systems for a tenth of the cost on Craigslist and it's now the most used gaming console in my home.

[substantial_snake]

I didn't find the PS3 too impressive for the first few years after launch and I ended up getting into PC gaming around the same time so I saw little point in getting another console. This was also still around the time when many of the games coming out for both 360 and PS3 were still available on their respective previous gen incarnations and frankly didn't looks much different outside of some lighting effects so I was unconvinced for a while. The 360 was the more likely console to get my cash because early on it seemed that many of the PS2 exclusives I enjoyed like Ace Combat were jumping ship to the new console or at the very least were going multiplatform.

The only thing that really pushed me into picking up a PS3 was in the later half of 2008 some new friends of mine were messing around a recently acquired PS3 and a bunch of games. In among those games was COD4 and I haven't had as good of time playing a console FPS since Red Faction. The original intent was just to play COD4 to play with friends but then remembering things like the recently released MGS4, and upcoming GT5 and Final Fantasy solidified my purchase.

Overall I've grown to really like the PS3, despite some of its issues. What it really comes down to for me are the games and the PS3 simply has more and IMO better exclusives then the 360, which is something I would of regretted had I invested in a 360 instead at this point. The differences in online experience between the PS3 and 360 do not justify the 360's live subscription from everything I've experienced from both services.

I used to recommend to people that the 360 was a better gaming machine and the PS3 was a better media center a few years ago if they would ask me what to get. I honestly don't feel that's true anymore and I think that the PS3 is now the better overall console. The fact that its now practically neck and neck with the 360 despite all of its missteps early on in this console generation speaks to that. The PS3 is no PS2 by far but its still a damn good gaming machine.

[Damaramu]

5 years later, I'm still not too impressed with it. The Wii/360 combo has served me well this gen. The ONLY reason I'm even remotely interested in a PS3 is to get all those JRPGs my wife wants to play.

[Game Hoarder]

I've enjoyed the ps3 more than the wii and 360, but I am disappointed overall. Personally I miss the way things were last gen. I don't like short single player and I hate unfinished games, that require constant patching and firmware updates make me want to :puke:

[StealthLurker]

I started out liking the PS3 as a universal media device. In addition, it was a very nice, fast bluray player that happened to do other things as well. I liked it so much that I got a PS3 for each home theater setup around the house instead of a stand alone bluray player. Sure you can get better players now, but for the price it can play games too. So I picked up a 60gb JPN, 60gb US and a 250gb US slim a while back.

However, I added a dedicated PC capable of playing PC games at very high settings in every TV setup around the house. So now I don't care about the other functions of the PS3. I simply use them for blurays or dvds now. I occasionally play a game on them. Now I just do my web browsing, video files/streaming, music, etc etc on a PC via a wireless keyboard with mini trackball. No need to convert video files and all that BS with the PS3. VLAN media player plus the k-lite codec pack plays anything. In addition, for cross platform games... I prefer going with the PC version due to superior graphic capabilities. Just slap on a wireless 360 pad and it feels like I'm playing on a console.

In terms of console only games, a couple games I wanted looked superior on the 360. The more time I spend on the 360, I'm finding that I like it more than the PS3. I got on the 360 train a little late due to all the red ring stuff. However, once they started churning out shmups I like on the Japanese 360 I hopped aboard. Now I've got 3 360s around the house too (JPN Elite, US Arcade, US Slim).

As for the Wii, it's the platform I like the least. Only got 1 US which I hardly use. I actually prefer to play Wii games via emulation. Once you play Wii in NATIVE HI-DEF, it's hard to go back to a real Wii. For certain games, the results look like you're playing a PS3/360 game.

In terms of games, I find that there are few PS3 exclusives that really interest me. Overall I would recommend a 360 to someone that wants to enter the current gen. I also prefer the 360 analog nubs. Certain games also look better on the 360 vs PS3 due to anti-aliasing. This is surprising to me because the 360 came out first and the PS3 was always being touted as having the powerful cell processor. So it's funny that older hardware is able to compete. However this can be simply be due to ease of programming, more robust/further evolved tools, more time to have learned the system, etc...



I actually think the PS3 has become worse, no Linux option, no PS2 support, and not too many exclusives that I'm dying for.

Yup.


I've enjoyed the ps3 more than the wii and 360, but I am disappointed overall. Personally I miss the way things were last gen. I don't like short single player and I hate unfinished games, that require constant patching and firmware updates make me want to :puke:

Say good bye to the good ol' days. Consoles from here on out are going to be simplified PCs with fragile hardware. Gone are the days of simple, built like a tank consoles. Fortunately none of my current gen stuff has broken (though many of my friends have had problems). However, I did go through 5 different PS1s due to hardware problems... I hear you on the overly frequent, lengthy updates.

.

[Rickstilwell1]

I started out liking the PS3 as a universal media device. In addition, it was a very nice, fast bluray player that happened to do other things as well. I liked it so much that I got a PS3 for each home theater setup around the house instead of a stand alone bluray player. Sure you can get better players now, but for the price it can play games too. So I picked up a 60gb JPN, 60gb US and a 250gb US slim a while back.

However, I added a dedicated PC capable of playing PC games at very high settings in every TV setup around the house. So now I don't care about the other functions of the PS3. I simply use them for blurays or dvds now. I occasionally play a game on them. Now I just do my web browsing, video files/streaming, music, etc etc on a PC via a wireless keyboard with mini trackball. No need to convert video files and all that BS with the PS3. VLAN media player plus the k-lite codec pack plays anything. In addition, for cross platform games... I prefer going with the PC version due to superior graphic capabilities. Just slap on a wireless 360 pad and it feels like I'm playing on a console.

In terms of console only games, a couple games I wanted looked superior on the 360. The more time I spend on the 360, I'm finding that I like it more than the PS3. I got on the 360 train a little late due to all the red ring stuff. However, once they started churning out shmups I like on the Japanese 360 I hopped aboard. Now I've got 3 360s around the house too (JPN Elite, US Arcade, US Slim).

As for the Wii, it's the platform I like the least. Only got 1 US which I hardly use. I actually prefer to play Wii games via emulation. Once you play Wii in NATIVE HI-DEF, it's hard to go back to a real Wii. For certain games, the results look like you're playing a PS3/360 game.

In terms of games, I find that there are few PS3 exclusives that really interest me. Overall I would recommend a 360 to someone that wants to enter the current gen. I also prefer the 360 analog nubs. Certain games also look better on the 360 vs PS3 due to anti-aliasing. This is surprising to me because the 360 came out first and the PS3 was always being touted as having the powerful cell processor. So it's funny that older hardware is able to compete. However this can be simply be due to ease of programming, more robust/further evolved tools, more time to have learned the system, etc...



Yup.



Say good bye to the good ol' days. Consoles from here on out are going to be simplified PCs with fragile hardware. Gone are the days of simple, built like a tank consoles. Fortunately none of my current gen stuff has broken (though many of my friends have had problems). However, I did go through 5 different PS1s due to hardware problems... I hear you on the overly frequent, lengthy updates.

.

What kind of PC do you need to emulate Wii???? An i7 intel core or something????

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

no PS2 support


yup

That's not a completely accurate statement.

While all PS3s post 80Gig Software compatible BC units don't play physical PS2 software, BC PS3s are still BC, they didn't strip that out in a firmware update like they did with Linux.

Those of us who got in on PS3 year one can still bust out a PS2 game whenever we feel like it, and currently Sony guarantees that a BC unit sent in for repairs will be replaced with the same make/model.

Also, ALL PS3s now have access to buy & play PS2 Classics (which are pretty much just 1:1 emulated roms in a container that runs the game appropriately) from the PSN store and the list of games in that section grows on a pretty regular basis.

So: there is SOME measure of PS2 support for all PS3 systems.

[StealthLurker]

That's not a completely accurate statement.

While all PS3s post 80Gig Software compatible BC units don't play physical PS2 software, BC PS3s are still BC, they didn't strip that out in a firmware update like they did with Linux.

Those of us who got in on PS3 year one can still bust out a PS2 game whenever we feel like it, and currently Sony guarantees that a BC unit sent in for repairs will be replaced with the same make/model.

Also, ALL PS3s now have access to buy & play PS2 Classics (which are pretty much just 1:1 emulated roms in a container that runs the game appropriately) from the PSN store and the list of games in that section grows on a pretty regular basis.

So: there is SOME measure of PS2 support for all PS3 systems.

Oh you know what we mean by the "no ps2" lol. Actually I don't use my hardware BC ps3s anymore for ps2. The upscaling is actually pretty disappointing. Since space for an actual ps2 isn't an issue I just just use a real ps2 and feed it to a stand alone video processor. Does a much better job at picture quality and number of tweaks/options that can be done.


What kind of PC do you need to emulate Wii???? An i7 intel core or something????

Nope not at all. Sure it will help but even a Core2Duo 3Ghz with only a Radeon HD5570 (low profile, low power card) can run most games at 1080p with high frame rate. The only game I've had to crank down to 720p with lower levels of interlacing in order to get a good framerate is Sonic Colors. I know it's surprising because ps2 emulation is still pretty hit or miss. However Gradius V in 1080p is jaw dropping.

Dolphin is the Wii emulator I'm talking about and it also does Gamecube games. Mario Kart Wii, House of the Dead 2&3, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, etc etc look amazing in 1080p w/ x4 anti-aliasing.

Here's a side by side comparison of gamecube emulation in Dolphin. What's surprising is that even though the target resolution of the real hardware is low, the textures look amazing at a much higher res. I was expecting the textures to look pretty bad like in ps1 or n64 emulation.

http://h-1.abload.de/img/guesswhicho6lk.jpg

.

[BHvrd]

No, still think it's great.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Oh you know what we mean by the "no ps2" lol.

I do, but as much as you may know what the PS3 can do, and I know what the PS3 can do, I didn't want any casual onlooker to read "no PS2" and go about their business thinking that they've got no options whatsoever.

Since a majority of people don't like getting a pay-to-play bone thrown at them, while it may not be what any of us wanted for a BC option on a modern PS3 - PS2 Classics is undeniably something.

That, and I run into people all the time that need to be corrected about the universal PS1 compatibility with all PS3s based on them spouting some misconstrued notion that non-PS2 BC PS3's also lack PS1 compatibility.

[heybtbm]

I fire up the old PS3 once every few months when I want to play a new or interesting exclusive (love Uncharted, really enjoy Resistance and Killzone). That's it. I've even gone back to playing PS2 games on a PS2 (since the PS3's graphical enhancements are largely in the eye of the beholder IMO).

I prefer the 360 and Wii so much that I already have no desire to buy a PS4 when it come out. Unless it releases a year or so before Microsoft, I'm completely non-interested. That's something I haven't felt since the original Xbox came out.

[Dangerboy]

5 Years ago, with the 60g model, the PS3 was an overpriced, under performing, losing all its 3rd party exclusives, Jack-Tretton needs to shut-the-fuck-up, slow-ass-downloading, constantly-needing-updates, portable heater with piss poor backwards compatibility options.

Cue home burglary and replacement.

At present, with the 160g model, the PS3 is a decently priced, same as 360 visuals, no 3rd party exclusives I care about, Jack-Tretton-thankfully has shut up, slow ass-loading, constantly needing updates, over-sized paperweight with really shitty backwards compatible features and missing functions from the 60g.

If it weren't for the once a year Uncharted Christmas gift, I would have a blu-ray player that can sometimes remind me it has games.

At least they have Kevin Butler.

[Dangerboy]

I do, but as much as you may know what the PS3 can do, and I know what the PS3 can do, I didn't want any casual onlooker to read "no PS2" and go about their business thinking that they've got no options whatsoever.

Since a majority of people don't like getting a pay-to-play bone thrown at them, while it may not be what any of us wanted for a BC option on a modern PS3 - PS2 Classics is undeniably something.

That, and I run into people all the time that need to be corrected about the universal PS1 compatibility with all PS3s based on them spouting some misconstrued notion that non-PS2 BC PS3's also lack PS1 compatibility.

Quote Jack Tretton: ""We will not have 2 SKUs- Xbox 360's 2 SKUs are a mistake.""

As this point trying to defend the various hardware mistakes and releases Sony has done (against their own statements) is like a battered wife trying to defend her abusive husband.

[98PaceCar]

Considering I've bought more region locked Japanese 360 games than I have domestic PS3 games, I'd say my original thoughts haven't changed a bit. Great Blu Ray player that happens to play games. I think the only 2 titles that really got me interested for any length of time were Demon Souls and 3d Dot Game Heroes. It was an ambitious product when it was released, but that isn't always a good thing.

[Robocop2]

I still view my PS3 as a nice Blu Ray player that also has the ability to play video games. My 360 is still my primary current gen system of choice save the occasional Sony exclusive or multi platform game that has additional features.

[kupomogli]

The first year the PS3 was pretty crappy with pretty much no good exclusives. Since then, the console has quickly risen above the 360 when it comes to having better exclusives.

Keeping only the PS3 wasn't a very bad trade off, since it saves at most $50, now $60, a year to play games online. There are very few games on the 360 that are exclusive to the console that I want to play. With out paying an additional yearly fee I can use features such as Netflix as well. Even though PS3 has no cross game chat, neither does the 360 when you don't pay for Xbox Live, and that's really the only thing I'm missing. So I've saved a potential of $250 by doing online gaming on the PS3 which works just as good as the 360. The only problem was that it was a full month that the service wasn't available due to the PSN being hacked.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Quote Jack Tretton: ""We will not have 2 SKUs- Xbox 360's 2 SKUs are a mistake.""

As this point trying to defend the various hardware mistakes and releases Sony has done (against their own statements) is like a battered wife trying to defend her abusive husband.

I'm not defending any bad PR or negative consumer reception, companies put their feet in their mouths all the time, I have nothing to do with that and I don't view it any differently than anybody else.

Loss of BC sucks, I hated it when it happened and I hate it now, but as much as it pisses some people off I don't throw my hands in the air and write companies off when they make bone-headed moves. Not Sony, not Nintendo, not Microsoft, not Sega, not Atari, none of them.

My only intention was clarifying that a definitive statement "no PS2 support" where no=zero was not accurate.

You can still play PS2 games on BC units, and now non BC units have the option to buy a growing library of PS2 games on the PSN store. That's a fact. Period.

[Gamevet]

I paid $500 for the 60gig (BC) PS3, right before the 80gig models came out. I enjoyed Heavenly Sword and Modern Warfare on the console, but the software selection was pretty slim back in 2007. I eventually cracked and bought a 360 Elite about 5 months later.

The 360 became my go to console from 2007 to 2009, but as the PS3 library grew, it started getting more of my playtime. I prefer the trophy system over the acheivement points with the 360. The 3rd party games are pretty much identical, since they finally figured out how to work with the PS3 hardware. And I really haven't played online games in the past year, so I feel like I've wasted $60 for a service I haven't been using.

I also have a really nice gaming PC, but I still play it less than the 2 consoles. I even bought Skyrim on the PS3, since I can sit on the couch and play with surround sound in the livingroom. Yeah, I could drag my PC out there, but it's too much of a chore to move it around and then put it back.

Right now, the PS3 is my favorite source for gaming. It doesn't hurt that I can pop in a Blu-Ray movie from time to time either.

[YoshiM]

There was a bit where I was into the PS3 more for gaming than movie viewing but that's ebbed a bit. I have the fewest games for it, most being exclusives save for Mass Effect 2, Burnout: Paradise and Battlefield 1943. Then again, my modern consoles haven't seen too much use as of late anyway.

As for the comment on fragile hardware, I have to agree I haven't been too fond of this gen. Going through two replacements of two of my consoles (360 and PS3), I don't look forward to the future.

[Emuaust]

5 Years ago, with the 60g model, the PS3 was an overpriced, under performing, losing all its 3rd party exclusives, Jack-Tretton needs to shut-the-fuck-up, slow-ass-downloading, constantly-needing-updates, portable heater with piss poor backwards compatibility options.

Cue home burglary and replacement.

At present, with the 160g model, the PS3 is a decently priced, same as 360 visuals, no 3rd party exclusives I care about, Jack-Tretton-thankfully has shut up, slow ass-loading, constantly needing updates, over-sized paperweight with really shitty backwards compatible features and missing functions from the 60g.

If it weren't for the once a year Uncharted Christmas gift, I would have a blu-ray player that can sometimes remind me it has games.

At least they have Kevin Butler.


This.

I bought my BC PS3 as a HD PS2, Blu Ray, Media streaming player and that's pretty much how it has remained, the first couple or years of really sub par ports of cross platform games was a turn off to me at the time and as I invested more time in the 360 I continue to use that as my platform of choice. That's not to say I haven't enjoyed some gaming on the PS3, ie. MGS4 and the Uncharteds but I suppose the rocky start left me hooked as a 360 gamer.

[Aussie2B]

Five years later, I still don't own one. :P There are some exclusives that interest me, but none had me excited enough to run out and buy the system immediately, especially not for the ridiculous price it used to be (and it's still too expensive for me; I got my 360 for under $200 YEARS ago).

While I haven't exactly been using my 360 heavily either, most home console games this generation that I wanted to buy right away have either been exclusive to it, came out on it first (like Star Ocean 4), or were multiplatform. That doesn't leave much reason to make getting a PS3 a priority. I'll pick one up eventually and I'm sure I'll enjoy it then, but for now, meh.

It's quite an amazing switcheroo too. I still haven't bought an original Xbox because it has so little that interests me, and I have a mountain of PS2 games that I don't even know how I ended up with (just buying games here and there that were interesting) and lots more I'd like. How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

[Gamevet]

How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

MS must have spread some cash around for that to happen. The 360 bombed in Japan and even its best selling titles over there barely cracked 80k.

[G-Boobie]

How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

It's much easier to develop for than the PS3. No Cell!

I'm one of those guys who got badly burned by the Xbox 360 red ring fiasco early in the life of this console generation, so my perspective is tainted. I play (most) multi-platform games on the PS3 purely from habit. The exceptions are the rare FPS I play and Elder Scrolls titles.

The PS3 is fine I guess, but there's little to distinguish it from the 360 at all other than Blu-Ray playback. I mean, it's fine. You know?

[98PaceCar]

How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

The rumor in the SHMUP world is that Sony does not allow letterboxing of any kind. That seems a bit suspect, but pretty much all of the devs went to the 360 with just a couple of PS3 releases.

[The 1 2 P]

The fact that its now practically neck and neck with the 360 despite all of its missteps early on in this console generation speaks to that.

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.


The rumor in the SHMUP world is that Sony does not allow letterboxing of any kind. That seems a bit suspect, but pretty much all of the devs went to the 360 with just a couple of PS3 releases.

I was told that as early as last gen Sony didn't really want that many 2D games on their systen, specifically shooters. This is why the 360 (and original Xbox before it) got more of those games, Microsoft welcomed them with open arms. Of course I have never had this officially confirmed but assuming it's true I've always wondered why Sony wouldn't change this stance when the 2D shmup genre is still very popular in Japan. And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

As for my opinion on the PS3, it's come a long way from being an overpriced paperweight with a pretty weak launch line up, horrible marketing and some of the worst PR sound bites ever. Today they have a fair amount of first party exclusives, the system is much more reasonably priced and Kevin Butler deserves an award for helping turn the companies image around. He's much more amusing than a creepy laughing baby in a white room.

Having said all of that, I still seldom find myself turning the system on. Despite having three fully working PS3's, the last time I turned it on was to get free Home swag during the relaunch. The exclusives are nice but they just haven't resonated with me. I tried MAG and stopped playing after two days because it was just so generic. Then I found Resistance and was really getting into it until the flood of holiday games hit.

So today I don't see the PS3 as a bad system at all but despite the bluray player, exclusives like Uncharted and free online multiplayer, it doesn't do nearly enough to pull me away from my 360. My opinion from when it launched has definitely changed but not enough to make it the most played current gen system in my house.

[Game Hoarder]

Say good bye to the good ol' days. Consoles from here on out are going to be simplified PCs with fragile hardware. Gone are the days of simple, built like a tank consoles. Fortunately none of my current gen stuff has broken (though many of my friends have had problems). However, I did go through 5 different PS1s due to hardware problems... I hear you on the overly frequent, lengthy updates.

.

My first 360 damaged the discs from heat and my ps3 60gb got ylod from overheating. I decided to fix the ps3 myself, because the warranty expired. After I disassembled it and replaced the thermal compound, I had it working again. I played it for about a month and then a firmware update bricked it.

It's depressing to think about the future of consoles. So far I'm not interested in buying a wii-u, 3ds, or even vita. There's a good chance that I'll just skip 8th gen altogether and just collect for the consoles I already have.

[98PaceCar]

I was told that as early as last gen Sony didn't really want that many 2D games on their systen, specifically shooters. This is why the 360 (and original Xbox before it) got more of those games, Microsoft welcomed them with open arms. Of course I have never had this officially confirmed but assuming it's true I've always wondered why Sony wouldn't change this stance when the 2D shmup genre is still very popular in Japan. And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

I've heard that as well, now that I think about it. Perhaps both are part of the same desire for HD games to make the system look impressive. <shrug>

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave. I don't follow any of the ones on XBLA though, just disk releases, so that may be where I'm unfamiliar with the titles in the library. Even the ones released in the US on disk are just ports of JPN titles.

[LiquidPolicenaut]

I like both systems and my opinion of the PS3 has not changed since launch. I still enjoy it as much as I did back then and find myself using it more than the 360 as of now. I use it mostly to play dvds, blu-rays, store/watch videos and music on it and some PS3 exclusives on it (MGS4, GoW 3, Collection and Origins, Yakuza 3, 4 and Dead Souls). While I like the 360 as well, I realize I'm not that crazy about this generation of games. While I have found many I DO love (besides the ones I listed), I'm just not loving it as previous generations. I actually find myself playing or replaying many more classic games now...

[substantial_snake]

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.

I won't deny that the Japanese public seems to be unreasonably disinterested in the 360, however that doesn't change the fact that the PS3 is now close to the 360's total sales numbers despite all of the stupid moves made in the first few years of this console generation.

The US market is the only major market that the PS3 is lagging behind in. Its not just the Japanese being Japanese. :roll:


I've heard that as well, now that I think about it. Perhaps both are part of the same desire for HD games to make the system look impressive. <shrug>

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave. I don't follow any of the ones on XBLA though, just disk releases, so that may be where I'm unfamiliar with the titles in the library. Even the ones released in the US on disk are just ports of JPN titles.

Its not an unreasonable assumption, I've heard that both Sony and Nintendo discouraged 2D games on both the PS1 and N64 initially.

[The 1 2 P]

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave.

You misunderstood me. I'm saying that Japanese gamers won't buy them because they are on the 360, an American made console. I know that the majority of them are made by Japanese developers but in order for the Japanese to buy them they would have to be on a Japanese made system(PS3 or Wii), hence the "made in Japan" sticker reference.

[The 1 2 P]

I won't deny that the Japanese public seems to be unreasonably disinterested in the 360, however that doesn't change the fact that the PS3 is now close to the 360's total sales numbers despite all of the stupid moves made in the first few years of this console generation.

Nobody said it changed the fact, I was just putting it into perspective. If one system only sells well in two regions and one sells well in three regions, eventually the one selling well in three regions will catch up to the one that only sells well in two regions, regardless of any head start. And for the record, both console makers had their share of stupid moves.

[Oobgarm]

Mine has been and likely always will be a movie player first and a gaming console second.

I have over 100 Xbox 360 games and just 12 PS3 games, all exclusives except Dark Souls.

I think my perception of the machine is still the same as it was 5 years ago. I don't like waiting for updates, so my machine is normally offline.

[Aussie2B]

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.

And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

Uh, you do realize that there are countless products from the US and elsewhere in the world that the Japanese adore, right? And if you want to open up that can of worms, suggesting that Japanese gamers are isolationist or close-minded or whatever, then you have to acknowledge the large percentage of the American gaming populace that would never consider playing that "gay ass Jap shit" (sorry for using such vulgar language, but that's honestly how they would put it).

The real problem with the Xbox line in Japan is that Microsoft isn't remotely in tune with the wants and needs of Japanese gamers. They've gotten a lot better in that regard, but when they started out, it was just laughably bad. They basically had an approach of "Well, if this works in the US, it must work in Japan too." So with the original Xbox, they release a monster of a system in a country that's tight on living space, with that Duke controller that they can barely wrap their smaller hands around, with a library of games that's loaded with FPS titles, in a country where a large percentage of gamers report having motion sickness from FPS games, and other completely American-centric games and almost no games representing the favorite genre in Japan, RPGs (and not of the Western variety unless it's something like Wizardry). So even though Microsoft has learned a lot about what appeals to the Japanese, they basically left a legacy of awfulness in the eyes of the Japanese with their first video game system, and I'm sure that has hurt the 360 a lot over there.

[The 1 2 P]

I agree that the original Xbox didn't appeal to the taste of Japanese gamers at all. But after this gen I don't think theres anything they could have done to win Japan over. And I don't mean be a huge success, just sell on a level that would be simiiar to the other systems selling there. But I don't want to derail the thread. I was just pointing out that Sony's three region advantage will always mean they will sell more units world wide.

[JSoup]

Uh, you do realize that there are countless products from the US and elsewhere in the world that the Japanese adore, right?

You realize that games aren't one of those countless products, right?

[The 1 2 P]

I'm sure she knows. She was just pointing that out because I made it appear that the Japanese won't buy any American made products, which is absolutely not true. I hear apple(among others) does quite well over there.

[kupomogli]

Nobody said it changed the fact, I was just putting it into perspective. If one system only sells well in two regions and one sells well in three regions, eventually the one selling well in three regions will catch up to the one that only sells well in two regions, regardless of any head start. And for the record, both console makers had their share of stupid moves.

The same could be said about the 360 and the US. In the US the 360 has 36 million and PS3 has 22 million. In Japan the 360 has 6 million and PS3 has 13 million. Three times the amount of PS3s in Japan would almost equal the amount of 360s in the US so if you were to multiple both by three it'd be 39 million and 18 million. Or if you divide the US numbers by three you'd have 12 million and 7.3 million.

When you either multiply or divide the sales figures to be similar, the end results really aren't all that different. It shows that the US favors the 360 almost as much as Japan favors the PS3.

Europe is the only region which sales are almost equal, the PS3 only ahead by a few million.

[The 1 2 P]

The same could be said about the 360 and the US. In the US the 360 has 36 million and PS3 has 22 million. In Japan the 360 has 6 million and PS3 has 13 million. Three times the amount of PS3s in Japan would almost equal the amount of 360s in the US so if you were to multiple both by three it'd be 39 million and 18 million.

When you multiply the sales figures to be similar, the end results really aren't all that different. It shows that the US favors the 360 almost as much as Japan favors the PS3.

Europe is the only region which sales are almost equal, the PS3 only ahead by a few million.

Kupo where did you get your numbers? The 360 hasn't even sold 2 million units in Japan despite being in the market for over 5 years. I think they have barely sold 1 million units there.

[kupomogli]

Kupo where did you get your numbers? The 360 hasn't even sold 2 million units in Japan despite being in the market for over 5 years. I think they have barely sold 1 million units there.

While VGChartz isn't entirely accurate and wait for the NPD to post the newest numbers, I go there because it's correct up to a point and gives a good general idea.

The consoles can only be broken down by US/Europe/Asia-Pacific. While Asia is a pretty big continent, you have to assume most of the people purchasing and playing games in that continent are the Chinese and the Japanese and they're practically the same race. Kidding about that last sentence, but I don't think the console is released outside of those two areas in that region. Maybe Korea.

[Aussie2B]

There are Western games that are successful in Japan. The aforementioned Wizardry is a good example, which was probably even more popular in Japan than elsewhere. Check out the info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizardry

[shopkins]

When they first came out I figured they were overpriced and my Xbox360 was all I would need, but I got a good deal on one a couple of years ago and now I love mine. I play games on it all the time, as well as Blu-Rays, DVDs, Netflix, PSX games and PSN games. The 360 is clearly superior for certain titles, but for the ones where it doesn't matter so much I just get them on PS3. I've enjoyed the Uncharted series, God of War III and some other PS3 exclusives. And for some reason I like the way the PSN store is set up better than the Xbox Live, I even subscribed to PSN Plus for early access to a beta and then just kept it.

[swlovinist]

Five years into the systems cycle, I can say that I have mixed feelings about the PS3. I think that the company has done a good job recovering from a terrible start, a horrible starting price, and corporate blunders in both advertising and direction of the console. As much as the PS3 BC issue totally pissed people off, I think that seeing the PS2 HD collections come out as a nice way for them to recover. Here are my thoughts

Pros:
Blu Ray Player
All in one media streaming device
Console Exclusives are OK...they have gotten better
Free Online Play
PSP ad hoc is awesome


Cons:
Price is still $250...not really making me want to jump out and buy one.
Many of my friends still dont have one...making multiplayer with them a no go
Move is stupid

Again, I think that the system is decent, and probably has a good couple of years left before it starts to be phased out. I currently have a 20GB and really would like to get another updated model with wireless. I think that when new systems hit the $199 mark I think I will spring for another one. I currently have been playing my 360 and Wii more, but still think that the PS3 is a sold choice for gaming...even with its flaws.

[frogofdeath]

Five years later and I still don't have a PS3. Of course, I didn't have a 360 until getting one as a gift a year and a half ago, so I'll just wait for the same thing to happen for the PS3. I could be waiting for a while...

[RPG_Fanatic]

My PS3 is only a Blu-ray movie player as for my Xbox 360 is played everyday.

[duffmanth]

My opinion on the PS3 hasn't really changed from 5 years ago. I knew that it would eventually have a solid lineup of games, and probably the best exclusives on the market. I still think launching the console at $599 was a colossal fuck up on Sony's part, and I still think that's the biggest reason why it remains in 3rd place to this day even though it's down to affordable prices now. The BC was never an issue with me, if I wanna play PS2 games, I'll play them on my PS2. The PS3 has come a long way from it's disasterous launch though.

I've never been disappointed with the PS3 as far as the machine itself and the games. I've had mine for 4 years with no problems, it does everything you could possibly want a modern gaming console to do, and it has the best exclusives around. The way Sony went about launching it with its high price tag, the arrogant attitude they had at the time, and the way they marketed it as a computer and/or entertainment center instead of a gaming console first and foremost were all factors that caused it to get off to a sluggish start.

[RCM]

My opinion hasn't changed much. It's the very best PS2 on the market (at least mine is), and Sony has done a great job supporting Blu Ray on the system.

I like PS3, but it's not my main system. When people ask which system they should get I still recommend 360, unless you just have to one of Sony's exclusives. They get my vote for "most improved system" of this generation, but it still has more to do to measure up to the experience 360 provides.

[thegamezmaster]

When they first came out I said no way, too rich for my blood! Then when they came down in price and were more affordable, I happened to be in Walmart and they had Batman Arkham Asylum you could play, and from that moment on I was hooked! Love both Batman games, all three Uncharted games, and the Infamous games. Glad to see Rayman Origins, just not sure which platform game is best.

[duffmanth]

Five years into the systems cycle, I can say that I have mixed feelings about the PS3. I think that the company has done a good job recovering from a terrible start, a horrible starting price, and corporate blunders in both advertising and direction of the console. As much as the PS3 BC issue totally pissed people off, I think that seeing the PS2 HD collections come out as a nice way for them to recover. Here are my thoughts

Pros:
Blu Ray Player
All in one media streaming device
Console Exclusives are OK...they have gotten better
Free Online Play
PSP ad hoc is awesome

Cons:
Price is still $250...not really making me want to jump out and buy one.
Many of my friends still dont have one...making multiplayer with them a no go
Move is stupid

Again, I think that the system is decent, and probably has a good couple of years left before it starts to be phased out. I currently have a 20GB and really would like to get another updated model with wireless. I think that when new systems hit the $199 mark I think I will spring for another one. I currently have been playing my 360 and Wii more, but still think that the PS3 is a sold choice for gaming...even with its flaws.

I don't think $250 is too much for the PS3 at all. Everybody seems to want everything for nothing these days.

[Aussie2B]

$250 is good at launch, but it's WAY too much 5 years later when the system probably doesn't even have that much left in its lifespan. Like I pointed out earlier, I got my Arcade model 360 for $160 three years ago. Granted that was on sale so the standard price was $200, but even that's less than what the PS3 is three years later. That's just sad. I remember the days when after this many years a system would be down to $100.

[kupomogli]

$250 is good at launch, but it's WAY too much 5 years later when the system probably doesn't even have that much left in its lifespan. Like I pointed out earlier, I got my Arcade model 360 for $160 three years ago. Granted that was on sale so the standard price was $200, but even that's less than what the PS3 is three years later. That's just sad. I remember the days when after this many years a system would be down to $100.

Okay. You got a arcade model of a console that doesn't have integrated wireless, doesn't have a bluray player, and doesn't come standard with a hard drive, and only 256mb of memory. Let's not forget that you got that console "on sale." Three years ago the PS3 would have been $349. Three years ago Bluray players would cost more than the $70 you can get them for right now.

When people say they got something on sale and use it to justify a lower price, it's just stupid. It's not like the items you're complaining about can't go on sale or haven't went on sale.

The 360 Slim has been released and it's priced at $199 with 4GB flash memory. Better reliability and integrated wireless. So for $50 more you can get one of the best, if not the best Bluray players out there, plus a 120GB hard drive. The extra $50 is more than worth it.

So pricewise, it's not very expensive in comparison to what else is on the market. Unless you want to pay $149 for a Wii, or rather "throw $149 away."

[Aussie2B]

I didn't use the sale price to justify anything. I said myself that the full price was $200 back then, which was still cheaper than the PS3 now.

It really doesn't matter what extra features one has over the other if you don't care about those features. If you're only buying them as game consoles to play physically released games, you don't need a lot of memory for your save files and such, and you don't need anything else either. The graphics of the two systems are comparable, so if I had bought a PS3 three years when it was $350, I would have been paying an extra $150 (that's not counting the sale) for jack (besides PS3 exclusives).

[kupomogli]

The graphics of the two systems are comparable, so if I had bought a PS3 three years when it was $350, I would have been paying an extra $150 (that's not counting the sale) for jack (besides PS3 exclusives).

Not sure if you play games online, and if you don't then it doesn't matter, but if you do, the $150 you saved by purchasing the 360 would have been used on Xbox Live Gold.

[Aussie2B]

I don't, which is why I also don't care about it lacking integrated wireless. The types of games I typically play either don't go online or aren't worth taking online. I think I got a free trial of Xbox Live Gold, but I did nothing with it when I had it.

Actually, I don't think I've ever gone online with a game period, not on a system at least. I have gone online with some emulators.

[swlovinist]

I don't think $250 is too much for the PS3 at all. Everybody seems to want everything for nothing these days.

I dont want something for nothing, I just dont see the current prices for the PS3 as motivating anyone on running out and buying one. I also think that by 5 years into the cycle...Sony blundered an opportunity to sell a "value PS3 for the holidays for sub-200. Instead they bundled in bigger hard drives and game bundles to up the "value"...and the price. Xbox does this too but at least offers and has offered an Arcade system that is very reasonably priced and has done so for a long time.

Blu Ray players are down to $50 to $75 and can even offer apps. For the PS3 to complete, they are going to have to do better with their system price. The truth is that currently the Xbox is doing a better job showcasing itself as a gaming device. Sales numbers speak volumes.

[duffmanth]

I dont want something for nothing, I just dont see the current prices for the PS3 as motivating anyone on running out and buying one. I also think that by 5 years into the cycle...Sony blundered an opportunity to sell a "value PS3 for the holidays for sub-200. Instead they bundled in bigger hard drives and game bundles to up the "value"...and the price. Xbox does this too but at least offers and has offered an Arcade system that is very reasonably priced and has done so for a long time.

Blu Ray players are down to $50 to $75 and can even offer apps. For the PS3 to complete, they are going to have to do better with their system price. The truth is that currently the Xbox is doing a better job showcasing itself as a gaming device. Sales numbers speak volumes.

I'm not saying you specifically, but it just seems like any price drop for the PS3 is never good enough for anyone? I still walk into game stores and hear people bitching and complaining that it's too expensive. The 4GB Xbox 360 that's $199 is a complete joke, I would gladly pay the extra $50 and have a 160GB PS3 w/ Blu Ray.

[jonebone]

5 years later and I still don't have one either. I've thought about it though, and I'll probably get one at some point.

I haven't bit at $250 and I wasn't biting at $199 on Black Friday with those bundles either. I'll probably eventually have to get it around $200 through some slickdeal / fatwallet ad, but I'm ideally waiting for $150.

However, if the new Twisted Metal gets 8.5 reviews or better, I may finally be forced to take the plunge.

Blu-Ray might mean something to some of you, but absolutely nothing to me. I don't watch a ton of movies, so that doesn't influence my buying decision at all.

[Kyle15]

Unless you want to pay $149 for a Wii, or rather "throw $149 away."

You give me the giggles.

[icbrkr]

Wife bought me a PS3 in October. So far, I've yet to play a single game on it.

The first night I had it, I hooked it up. It had to download updates so I let it run and came back the next day.

I thought I'd check out the store. That required an update. I let it update and went and did something while it updated. When I came back, I browsed the store and clicked some demos and bought a few games. While it was downloading, I apparently couldn't do anything else so I went to check on it the next day.

I fired up the game I bought the next day, and it told me it had a few hundred meg update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went and did something. When it was finally done, I shut down and boxed up the PS3 since I was in the process of moving.

So now that I'm at the new house, I figured I'd give it a shot. When I turned it on, it told me it had an update and it went to do that. I left and found other things to do.

When I finally returned, I fired up the game I bought originally from the store. It had an update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went to do something else. When it was done, I was out of time to play games so I turned off the PS3.

I seriously haven't played a single game on it yet...

[swlovinist]

I'm not saying you specifically, but it just seems like any price drop for the PS3 is never good enough for anyone? I still walk into game stores and hear people bitching and complaining that it's too expensive. The 4GB Xbox 360 that's $199 is a complete joke, I would gladly pay the extra $50 and have a 160GB PS3 w/ Blu Ray.

Please explain yourself into thinking why a sub $200 gaming console is a complete joke. I have owned all three systems for years(and much much more), and think that all three systems offer different things.

[StealthLurker]

So for $50 more you can get one of the best, if not the best Bluray players out there

Definitely not the best bluray player anymore in terms of sheer performance, pull down handling, video related options and picture quality. But for most people, especially gamers... spending 400 to 500+ for a stand alone bluray player doesn't sound appealing. Especially now that there are quite a few low end players in the sub $100 range. PS3 may be best bang for the buck for a gamer that wants to see some bluray movies, but for videophiles in the home theater world its not the go to player anymore.


.

[Gameguy]

Wife bought me a PS3 in October. So far, I've yet to play a single game on it.

The first night I had it, I hooked it up. It had to download updates so I let it run and came back the next day.

I thought I'd check out the store. That required an update. I let it update and went and did something while it updated. When I came back, I browsed the store and clicked some demos and bought a few games. While it was downloading, I apparently couldn't do anything else so I went to check on it the next day.

I fired up the game I bought the next day, and it told me it had a few hundred meg update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went and did something. When it was finally done, I shut down and boxed up the PS3 since I was in the process of moving.

So now that I'm at the new house, I figured I'd give it a shot. When I turned it on, it told me it had an update and it went to do that. I left and found other things to do.

When I finally returned, I fired up the game I bought originally from the store. It had an update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went to do something else. When it was done, I was out of time to play games so I turned off the PS3.

I seriously haven't played a single game on it yet...
I miss the days when home consoles weren't just underpowered computers.

[The 1 2 P]

Wife bought me a PS3 in October. So far, I've yet to play a single game on it.

The first night I had it, I hooked it up. It had to download updates so I let it run and came back the next day.

I thought I'd check out the store. That required an update. I let it update and went and did something while it updated. When I came back, I browsed the store and clicked some demos and bought a few games. While it was downloading, I apparently couldn't do anything else so I went to check on it the next day.

I fired up the game I bought the next day, and it told me it had a few hundred meg update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went and did something. When it was finally done, I shut down and boxed up the PS3 since I was in the process of moving.

So now that I'm at the new house, I figured I'd give it a shot. When I turned it on, it told me it had an update and it went to do that. I left and found other things to do.

When I finally returned, I fired up the game I bought originally from the store. It had an update. Since I couldn't do anything else, I went to do something else. When it was done, I was out of time to play games so I turned off the PS3.

I seriously haven't played a single game on it yet...

I've never understood why PS3 updates take so long when the system is suppose to be so powerful. Granted, all current gen systems have updates. The last two games I played on my Wii were Metroid: Other M and Sin & Punishment 2 and they both had updates because I had bought them well after they originally came out.

The 360 isn't immune from this trend either. It would be pure luck if I could play Gears of War 3 or MW3 without a daily update. If I play Gears 3 or MW3 for 7 straight days I am almost guaranteed to have 7 straight days of updates. But atleast with the 360 those updates and installs take an average of 8 seconds to finalize. Thats another reason why my PS3 will never be my main gaming system: I like to spend the majority of my time actually playing my games as opposed to watching update/install screens. According to Sony I'm suppose to be making a sandwich during this downtime but how many damn sandwiches do they expect us to scarf down?


I miss the days when home consoles weren't just underpowered computers.

Well look on the bright side. Instead of the days where getting buggy broken games like Gran Turismo 2 meant you had to take another trip to the store to get a replacement copy, you can now skip that entire trip and save gas by just downloading the update:)

[duffmanth]

Please explain yourself into thinking why a sub $200 gaming console is a complete joke. I have owned all three systems for years(and much much more), and think that all three systems offer different things.

The 4GB Xbox 360 specifically is a joke, 4GB of storage for $200...really!?

[jonebone]

The 4GB Xbox 360 specifically is a joke, 4GB of storage for $200...really!?

If that's a joke, then what's the Wii? (512 MB storage...)

[Bojay1997]

I don't know, I bought a PS3 at launch and recently bought a slim to replace it (I also bought the Wii and 360 at launch and have a slim 360 as well), so I don't suppose my opinion has changed much. I do have to say that my opinion of what console would have the best games this holiday season following the announcements at E3 has changed. I was pretty sure Sony would dominate this year, but I really found very little compelling on the PS3, the 360 or Wii unfortunately. I guess I am most looking forward to the Vita and whatever comes next from the big three console wise as everything for 2012 seems like sequels.

[duffmanth]

If that's a joke, then what's the Wii? (512 MB storage...)

The Wii is just a joke period.

[jdc]

I've liked the PS3 since the day I laid eyes on it. I began a library of bluray movies without needing to buy a standalone bluray player, it upscales my other stuff, and I knew that the Final Fantasy and Gran Turismo franchises were destined to arrive on it.

[Robocop2]

The Wii is just a joke period.

Yeah one that Nintendo's been laughing about all the way to the bank

[BHvrd]

I miss the days when home consoles weren't just underpowered computers.

What are you talking about, consoles don't use a keyboard and mouse! ;)

[Gamevet]

Yeah one that Nintendo's been laughing about all the way to the bank

Obviously, Nintendo went for the demographic that didn't have a clue.



I've never understood why PS3 updates take so long when the system is suppose to be so powerful. Granted, all current gen systems have updates. The last two games I played on my Wii were Metroid: Other M and Sin & Punishment 2 and they both had updates because I had bought them well after they originally came out.



You'd really hate PC gaming then.

After waiting a good 30-45 minutes for your game discs to download onto the HDD, it takes another 5-15 minutes to install updates.

Here's a few examples of HDD space required to play these PC games.

Mafia II = 8-10 GB
Crysis 2 = 9 GB
Crysis: Maximum Edition = 26 GB
Driver: Parallel Lines = 4.8 GB
Metro 2033 = 6 GB
Starcraft II = 12 GB
Bioshock 2 = 11 GB

Try not using your PC for a month or 2 and you'll realize it has a crazy amount of updates just for Windows.

[The 1 2 P]

You'd really hate PC gaming then.

As I already stated it's a known fact that all systems have updates. But I don't play games on my Pc so that point doesn't matter to me. As far as consoles go the PS3 has ridiculously long load times and after 5 years I'm wondering why they haven't improved upon them any. Does anyone know any specific reason? Is it the hardware, the bluray or perhaps a combo of both?

[Dr. BaconStein]

Didn't want one then, don't want one now (especially after discovering the wide array of exclusive scrolling shooters on the 360). Personal preference, really. I don't want a blu-ray player and the PS3's exclusives don't really interest me. I don't have Live, but I've been able to enjoy most games fine without it.