Considering move to console

To my way of thinking, such a consideration has always been tantamount to blasphemy… that is, up until now.

I'm just gonna say it: I'm fed up struggling with pc games where the devs have to contend with getting their games to run smoothly on about a gazillion and one different configurations of pc hardware. I don't blame them when they fail because there's just too much variety of hardware out there.

So, I'm wondering of you console gamers out there, if, when a game for console is patched to the point of general stability, (so that all blatant software/programing bugs are squashed), are you then assured of a smooth gaming experience without worrying about crashes or just getting the damned thing to run? If I buy an xbox, will I then have the same exact equipment as everybody else with an xbox? I mean, is this console equipment standardized so that once a program runs on one, it runs on all?

Thanks.

I have a PS2, PS3, PSP and a GameCube and will probably grab a XBox 360, a Wii and a DS within the next two years. I play a lot of PC games from many genres and many eras. I see no reason to "move" when you can have it all.

But yes to your questions. A console is a standard configuration that always (almost) work, no upgrades required, except they start to have obviously outdated graphics in a couple of years, then you need to buy a new console.

Don't think that playing on a console automatically means smooth framerates though, that's not always the case.

Nor bug free gameplay.

Are you then assured of a smooth gaming experience without worrying about crashes or just getting the damned thing to run?

You'll never have a problem getting the game to run. Pop it in and go.

You will get an occasional freeze during gameplay. I get a couple a year.

As JDR and Thrasher said, you'll still get occasional framerate slowdown and the odd glitch. Most of the games run fine, though.

If I buy an xbox, will I then have the same exact equipment as everybody else with an xbox? I mean, is this console equipment standardized so that once a program runs on one, it runs on all?

Yessir. That's the idea.

I'll second Anderson's post.

Almost two years ago my gaming computer died (which I had thrown a couple thousand dollars into) so I completely gave up on pc gaming. Most of my gaming is now done on my 360 and I occasionally use my Wii. The stability of the 360 has me questioning why I ever spent so much on my pc. There is zero fooling with settings to get a game to run, zero finding patches because they come to you, and almost no problems with crashing. I think the game that has performed the most poorly on my 360 is Risen. And that is after playing a hell of a lot of games…

I will add, though, that I am now on my 4th 360. I assume you've heard of the three red ring issue? It was all paid for by Microsoft, but it's still an annoyance. The RROD issue (red rings of death) seems to be more-or-less fixed in the newer models, so you should be all right if you get a 360, but it's still a good idea to get an extended warranty.

If you're going to be playing on PC as well, you'll probably want to go with a PS3, rather than a 360 (unless you really like online gaming). 360 console-exclusive titles often appear on PC, whereas PS3 exclusives do not. That means that the PC + PS3 combo gives you a broader selection of games than the PC + 360 combo. Also, PS3 hardware has been more reliable than the 360's, and it has better somewhat better graphics capabilities (though this can be exaggerated, since it is often not evident or even reversed in cross-platform titles).

I'm still on my 1st 360. I bought it in 2006 and even while I had my gaming pc it saw considerable use since it has a lot of co-op titles that I played with my roommate.

I did get a RROD on it once but my christian friend came over and laid hands on it. Heh, well, all he really did was take off the 3rd party external fan. I'm not sure why it worked, but it did. So, I think my 360 is like the Jesus of 360s or maybe more like a zombie because it's back from the dead.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot the reason I wanted to make this post in the first place… If you're thinking of getting a 360, you may want to wait until the holiday season. There are rumors that MS may release a "slim" 360.

I definitely recommend a PS3 over the 360. Every single one of the people I know that had a 360 has had to return it or buy a new one.

But having said that, it doesn't have to be a 'move'. There are good games for consoles and good games for the PC. I may be lucky but I haven't had any major problems with any games (PC or console). I just play console when I want to play a game that only comes for consoles, but if a game comes for the PC and consoles, I always choose the PC version.

Originally Posted by wolfing
I definitely recommend a PS3 over the 360. Every single one of the people I know that had a 360 has had to return it or buy a new one.

I think PS3 is the clear choice if you are also playing on the PC. If you're going to play only on a console (no PC), then I think 360 vs. PS3 is a toss up which depends on the exclusives you would prefer to play and the feature set you like. The RROD issue seems to have been addressed, and so it shouldn't affect new adopters.

A couple of random comments:

- Console games are more expensive. The cheap hardware gets subsidized by the "console tax" (ca. 10$ +/-) on each game. Each of the 3 console manufacturers is a monopolist in his own market. This also helps to keep the prices up.

- The current console generation is outdated. A carefully configured 500$ PC completely blows a console away. It's normal that the graphics on a good PC are better. The PC will never have the plug&play experience though.

- The software choices are better and will always be better on PC. Each console monopolist carefully manages its games portfolio. Every game has to be approved before production starts (-> content censorship to avoid trouble in countries like Germany and Australia; -> limited competition within the genres). Generally speaking they are only interested in mass market stuff selling upward of several 100k units. This loosens up as the audience grows, though.

- Not only look at the console, also look at the additional hardware you may need. For example the XBox is cheaper, but you have to buy overpriced MS hard disks, while Sony allows you to plug in standard USB PC HDDs. Or certain cables or controllers may or may not be included in the standard bundle. You cannot assume anything - a HD-enabled console doesn't necessarirly mean the correct cable to use HD is included.

- Also examine the bonus features. The PS3 is a rather good Blu-Ray player, for example, and it is compatible to many data formats by certain DVB-S2 satellite receivers (which use the same sort of USB HDDs ). This makes it the clear first choice for film fans. The XBox is stronger in anything involving downloads. There are probably other differences.

- The pure hardware quality is totally clear: The PS3 is far more reliable, slightly more powerful and clearly less noisy than the XBox 360. Plus it has Blu-Ray.

Actually, MS is going to be updating their firmware to allow for usb hard drive use.

But, other than that, Gorath is correct.

Originally Posted by Korplem
Actually, MS is going to be updating their firmware to allow for usb hard drive use.

Limited to 16(!) GB. Which makes it practically worthless. On the PS3 you simply buy the 500+GB HDD for sale at your local shop.

Thank you all for the informative feedback! I've got some direction now on how to direct my research… if I decide to take the plunge.

I knew you guys would be helpful

Originally Posted by Gorath
Limited to 16(!) GB. Which makes it practically worthless. On the PS3 you simply buy the 500+GB HDD for sale at your local shop.

Oh, wow. I hadn't heard that. That is only good for a thumb drive. You could only store about 2 or 3 games on that. So, yeah, worthless when compared with a 500gb external.

Damn it, MS, loosen thy death grip!

I bought a PS3 a couple of months back and have enjoyed it so far for what it is. I plan on buying those occasional AAA action blockbusters I'm interested in on PS3 in the future.

That said, do you really have that much trouble with your PC set up? I haven't had a major compatibility issue (or a minor one, for that matter) for years - and I use a 2-year old laptop, which should be a recipe for more trouble. If you have any interest in niche genres, the PC reigns supreme. I play - and always will - RPGs, indie games, space simulators and so on PC because they just don't exist on consoles. Smaller budget gems will always exist on the PC, because consoles are just too expensive for some developers. The Witcher and Drakensang come to mind.

Every console game I've bought has downloaded a patch before I could play, by the way. It's seamless and easy, so I can't complain about it but they aren't flawless. Framerates can vary, bugs (albeit minor) still exist and sometimes the graphical gulf is enormous. I don't have to worry if something can play, but boy are some of the textures shocking, even compared to my two-year old laptop.

Anyway, consoles are worth looking at but if you really love this genre (and not just the big BioWare titles), you still want a PC for the full breadth.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
I bought a PS3 a couple of months back and have enjoyed it so far for what it is. I plan on buying those occasional AAA action blockbusters I'm interested in on PS3 in the future.

Any advice of getting a decent console system setup without breaking the bank?

I have been in PC gaming for about two decades and recently considering the console gaming especially the PS3 system.

What kind of speaker configuration you chose for your PS3? what cable(s) are required if we just using the computer LCD? How important is the HDTV and size?

Not much advice from me, sorry. I just plugged it straight into the main TV with a HDMI cable.

The PS3 has HDMI, Scart, S-Video, component and composite video, so you might need a converter for your computer LCD, depending on the inputs. Ideally, you'd want a true HD res - 1900x1080.

I don't even have an HDTV at the moment, I have my PS3 hooked to my 24" Samsung LCD through HDMI. The games look great, although PS1 and PS2 games look worse than they would on a 480i TV imo.

my HP w2207 has the DVI (not HDMI), VGA and USB-in connections. Would the PS3's DVI cable deliver both video and audio to my monitor? (the monitor has built-in speaker). How is image quality on a 1680x1050 resolution?