Buying a Console? Nintendo Wii, XBox360 or PS3?

Right! Which one should I buy?

I haven't owned a console in a long time so thought it would be nice to get one of the Next Gen ones.

I don't really mind which one it is but would most likely like the one with the best kind of games.

The Nintendo Wii is out soon and the 360 is available now, the PS3 is out in March so which one would you guys buy?

I am going to be purchasing a Wii. I have only owned Nintendo systems aside from the one time I broke down and bought a Playstation to play FFVII, and I have always been happy with my choice in the long run. The reasons that I am buying a Wii as opposed to the other systems are the price, the games, and the innovation. When I decided to get a DS instead of a PSP for the exact same reasons, that turned out to be the right choice in my mind, so I'll continue to trust Nintendo and invest in their vision of gaming's future.

Besides, you get a game for free (Wii Sports) with the system and Zelda on launch day, what could possibly be better?

I'd choose Wii too.

I'd go over to Gamespot, see which one had the games I wanted to play and buy that. "The best kind of games" is entirely subjective so this will essentially become a "buy the one I bought/will buy, then I won't be the only one who messed/s up if it all goes to crap."

In fact, that's precisely what I did do. I looked through all the games that are coming out, judged which were exclusive to one or the other, dismissed all the games which were on all formats ( since they don't help me decide ) and found that the vast majority of the games I wanted that weren't available for all three were only available on one console. So I decided to buy.. nothing. Not yet anyway, there's nothing out on X360 that I would play if you gave it to me for free ( possible exception being the new Splinter Cell, but I haven't seen that yet ) and there's nothing much in the launch list of PS3 that I'm likely to want. I know I won't buy a Wii, I can't abide all of Nintendo's own kiddy-games ( yes, I know comments like that annoy a lot of people, that's why I enjoy saying it so much! ) and Nintendo have failed to attract the Japanese developers I do like ( Square Enix, Atlus, Konami, etc ) to a large extent.

But like I said, doesn't matter what I decided. There are a few people around here ( Flameduck, Enay and MadJack, to name three off the top of my head ) where I know their taste in games pretty well and I have a shrewd idea what's going to appeal to them, but I don't really have that sense about you. Probably you just like different games to me so I don't read the threads where people are discussing the games you're saying you liked.

I vaguely recall you tend to like the highly graphical, action-oriented games, things like FEAR and that, in which case you're probably going to end up with either X360 or PS3.

Wii Wii ho ho (stereotypical french accent)

Well, when it comes to FPS games the PC is King, so I'm not really looking to buy a console for FPS games.

Having looked at the Games for the Wii it looks to have the types of games I would want to play on a console. I'm especiallly interested in the Metroid Game, Super Mario and Zelda. I've read also the you can get access to 20 years worth of Nintendo goodies online with the Wii Console.

Buy the one with the most advertising - Yaaay!

I'd go with the wii, matter of fact - I did go with the wii

If the controller works well enough then I may be playing my FPS games on that machine too.

It just depends on the type of games you like.

I have a 360 but I haven't really liked many games on it apart from Oblivion.

The Wii looks like the best bet for me. I've pre-ordered one with 4 games. Which is 3 more than I bought for my 360.

allmost all the console games I play lack any depth and are over simplistic. Right now I can't really feel any enthusiasm for any of them.

Of the three out there, I'd probably pick the 360, but only once bioware release something good for it. Seems like the PC is still best for the kinds of games I like to play.

I'll be gettin' a Wii. I'm hardcore Nintendo.

I'm getting a Wii but might end up picking up a 360 down the road, especially if the price drops.

I'm not a big FPS fan, but I do like them from time to time. Gears of War looks pretty damn amazing. Bioshock looks like it might be a real winner as well.

I honestly haven't really looked at the PS3 much once I found out it's price. At that price point I'd be much better off with a decent laptop.

Wii here aswell.

Wii Wii Wii all the way home

Wii :)

Also, if I get sick of it, it has the most possibilities for homebrew.
(And, from the looks or it, it's probably the most easily accessed by homebrew).

It's a shame they pulled DVD playing support, though. It would have been great if such a tiny thing could replace those enormous DVD players and given it a completely solid library of features.
Nintendo always does weird and dumb things like that, though. (Eg: Ridiculous per-game friend codes).


The problem with the 360 is that I can play almost all those games on a meaty PC so there's little incentive to bother with it. (Especially considering that my multiplayer gaming bill is $0 on top of my broadband connection).
I've never been much into consoles since it requires that I actually purposefully decide "alright, instead of doing something productive I'm going to waste incredible amounts of my time". They have to be noticeably different to be worth it, in my books.

x360 may have the better hardware but most of the games I can play on the PC with no extra charge for mp.

Will wait for the wii and then decide. Hopefully it will work well with my new plasma TV. Cause that is the only reason I'm buying a new console.

Hello.

I've always liked the PS2 but mainly because I think the SSX series is just like the best ever. I'm going to hold off a while as there's plenty of life in the PS2 at the mo', I've a fairly decent PC and I don't play that many games anyway.

Except for mind games with my neighbours hamster.

Goodbye.

I've bought a 360, however, i've got two games for it and
haven't seen another that I want to buy really.

I did buy Dead Rising which was awesome but on my standard def TV you couldn't read what was on screen.

One thing that really did p*ss me off with the 360 was that the *single day* after I bought it, they put on a half price sale....

I will also prob get a Wii, it's always been my fave, but recently I'm wondering if it's up to scratch....

Naturually I'll get a Wii in the Jan sales.

I would buy none and make some new friends: One with a PS3, one with a Wii, ... and visit them from time to time... ;O)

I preordered a Wii at EB, with Zelda, an extra controller + nunchuck, and a memory card.

I wasn't sure I wanted to get a Wii after seeing the lineup of games and noting how almost none of them except the sports games that come with it really took advantage of the controller, but I decided I didn't have time to ponder how much I wanted it, and I could always shill it on ebay for a profit if I ended up not liking it.

Of course I'm sure I will enjoy it. And it's the only way I'll get to play the new Mario game. Hopefully it isn't a dud like Sunshine was.

I'm looking forward to see what platform Shenmue 3 comes out on. The trailer looks ace (see youtube).

Shenmue Online looks and sounds ace too; shame I'm not using Windows.

Game Boy: Do you have a direct link for that shenmue 3 trailer?

I'm disappointed with the PS3 launch line up, 20 sequels/conversions, and 1 original game.

I'm considering a Wii, or maybe an x360....I have no plans to ever buy a ps3.

I've not owned a console for ages but will most certainly buy a Wii. It looks like the right machine for simple immediate fun, that's what I expect from a gaming console.

I'm sure all of the three consoles will end up with some truly excellent games unique to that platform, at some stage, but I'm putting my money on the Wii since it will simply allow for games the other two consoles flat out can't do and more importantly have never been experienced before.

I may buy a PS3 too, but much later down the line when it makes reasonable sense to buy one, by that I mean it has a reasonable price. I'll never buy a 360 on principle. I don't like Microsoft and I sure as hell don't want them controlling the console market like they control the PC market so I'll just have to miss out on those few excellent games on the 360 for the future good of games and I urge other people to do the same.

You mean 20 sequels/conversions, and 1 knock-off of God of War. on the ps3.

everything good on the xbox 360 will be on the pc anyway..

my vote goes on the wii..

interesting note.. there have been about 5,000,000 xbox 360s sold. and the games cost $60 a pop. if everyone bought one, that is $300,000,000 guess what doesn't add up with that figure?

*Thanks for noticing Cyg*

you mean 5,000,000 units sold and $300,000,000.

*No Problem ;)*

I'll get all three, a console is pretty cheap if you even it out over its lifespan. And the earlier you get it, the better value it works out as.

Shenmue Online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iXPzWX-N0U&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyaUvDUYRsY&mode=related&search=


Shenmue 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbFqH1ZpzPw

The "shenmue 3 trailer" is made from shenmue online footage... Damn, I really want Shenmue 3!

It looks like Shenmue Online allows you to take the role of a character in the world that Shenmue 3 takes place as you will be able to experience and take part in the events and meet the characters of Shenmue 3 in Shenmue Online.

I have a Xbox 360 and I am pleased with it. Splinter Cell Double Agent, Oblivion, Ghost Recon AW, and the upcoming Gears of War are reason enough for me to be happy with it. But nothing will keep me from getting a Wii!

Consider me a XBOX Wii60 kind of guy!

Wii

Wii

Wii all the way home!

Thinking Wii at the moment.

Also thinking Wii, mainly because it's the only system I actually *have* the money to purchase at the moment, with both an additional controller, and a game.


Would also consider either the 360 of PS3 down the line when it becomes more affordable for people like I who just can't shell out for another computer that's limited to only gaming with a 2-handed controller.

Wow, lots of Wii support. Well, I'm also a Wiiboy, myself. Pretty stoked about the crazy things they'll come up with to
take advantage of it. Though we'll probably only start seeing the truly innovative, less-gimmicky ideas flourish a year or
more (or less) after release.

I'd probably go with the Xbox360. It's not perfect, but price and performance wise it seems to be a nice compromise between the PS3 and the Wii.

The PS3 will be overpriced and the performance leap over Microsoft's console won't justify this or result in significantly better (visually) games. However, if you like Japanese RPGs then this is the console for you.

The Wii looks poor. As usual, Nintendo excuse their inability to compete on a technical level as innovation and bundle their console with a gimmicky controller. However, if you like Mario or Zelda games (but very little else), waving your arm around like a lunatic, referring to Miyamoto as Miyamoto-san (Just stop. You're not Japanese and it sounds nerdy and sycophantic), or telling people that they just don't get it in a self-satisfied, snooty way if they dare to criticise Nintendo products, then this is the console for you.

But to be honest, I don't plan on getting any of 'em.

Sounds like somebody has something to get off their chest! Miyamoto-san? Can't say I've ever heard anybody say that other than Japs but if I did, I'd probably hate it too, and I can speak Japanese.

"As usual, Nintendo excuse their inability to compete on a technical level as innovation and bundle their console with a gimmicky controller"

That's absolute rubbish. Do you seriously think Nintendo don't have the ability to make something as powerful as a PS3 or 360? Of course they do. The direction they have taken is quite deliberate. They've chosen to opt out of the arms race and release something very different. And this is why people are getting excited.

I'm not sure where your 'as usual' bit comes from. Nintendo consoles are traditionally technically competent and very well designed. The GC was significantly more powerful than the PS2 whilst being easier to code for and cheaper to make. In other words it was a superior bit of design all round.

Nintendo introduced most of the standard features of current controllers first - this is one area where they know what they are doing. You might find the motion stuff gimmicky but it genuinely introduces new gameplay possibilites and that's the point. Also the pointer feature (something not replicated by the PS3) is very very significant. It makes mouse-style games viable on a console for the first time ever.

John: No we don't think Nintendo is not able to, we know it. On graphical side, Nintendo did only bad decisions for 3 generations now, starting out with N64 and catridge.

But Nintendo is actually good at redefining console gaming and they've done that since they entered console gaming long long ago.

I preordered my Wii on Nov 05 and even kept the preorder alive after I got hit by the exorbitant price of Wii and its controlling peripheries ...

Like the majority Wii

tactic on buying (for any console for that matter)

Wait...Wait...Wait, later, price dropped to x amount of dollars then charge towards the game store!!

"John: No we don't think Nintendo is not able to, we know it"

Nonsense. It's perfectly valid to question some of Nintendo's decisions over the years but I'm responding to the idea that Nintendo somehow don't know how to build a machine as powerful as the PS3 or 360. That's just silly. Nintendo have made a strategic decision to go with a lower specced machine and a radical new controller.

Whaat? The rest of what you said is all a matter of opinion, but Nintendo's hardware has never been below par.

The gamecube was noticeably more powerful than the Ps2 and the N64 was slightly more powerful than the original Playstation.

It's cool to like this, or to like that, just make sure you avoid false information and straw-man arguments. (You used both)

I choose things via elimination; since theres so much crap floating around these days. Definitely DO NOT buy a 360, we all saw what happened with the xbox. There for a few years, marketed to idiots with few good titles and eventually died when ms dropped support and came up with the 360 when they could have supported xbox for longer. They've just created a need for the 360 by killing xbox. To begin with, was the xbox there for customers? Of course not! It was just their opening into gaming - a chance to make more money. Thats why they made the stupid decision of giving it good specs and poor everything else - there was no plan and no support from developers. Whats to say the 360 isn't another temporary fix while they come up with more consoles to waste your money?

ps3: costs more than the 360, but with sonys long-term support it would be worth your money in comparison to the 360. I bet ms is making a new xbox right now. ps3 is bound to last.

wii: I have no idea. At least they have a different plan from sony and ms; making gaming affordable. Although nintendos idea of gaming is very different.

Wii, for so many reasons.

And also I don't have to pay, so thats always a big bonus.

Well, got an X360, upgrading my GameCube to a Wii sometime during the holidays, not even THINKING Sony, at this point. I could care less about touching ANY Sony product, if I had a choice.

Is it just me, or is PS3 starting to sound like what happened with the Saturn?

Nah. It'll be the most popular next generation console.

Globally speaking, the PS3 will be really popular, the Xbox360 less so but still popular, and Nintendo's Wii will, after initially decent sales, dwindle away to nothing.

I think the price of PS3 will turn a lot of people off. There's nothing much extra that the PS3 offers more than what you get with PS2.

Nah, I'm still staying away from Sony at all costs. Of course, since PS3 has Blu-Ray for $600, vs. a Samsung Blu-Ray player at $1,000, then it can't be TOO bad. Well, after seeing that, it may not be TOO shabby, but I'll stick with X360, and probably have an HD-DVD addon drive, that's probably the way for me to go.

i am getting a Wii and later after the price goes down a X360

i have no reason to go with the PS3, no games i care about on it. i am tired of the final fantasy games they keep putting on sony's systems and i am fine with my PS2 and PSP

i really want halo 3 and halo wars, i am getting either a X360 or a new computer, might go with the X360 because most of the games i want on the PC are also going to be on the X360

Here's a question for you, the Wii Dev Kits are said to be under £2000 so everybody is saying that the Wii is cheap to develop for in comparison to other consoles. But other than the cost of creating a game, is that it? Is there no pay Nintendo to test it and then stamp it with their 'Seal of Quality' or whatever?

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

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.videoplay.ru/imgp/PS_Mouse_for_PSX_Topway.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.videoplay.ru/description.php%3Fid%3DPS_Mouse_for_PSX_Topway&h=293&w=270&sz=20&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=AFq_bdlmoKXF1M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522PLAYSTATION%2BMOUSE%2522%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN ]

..Woah thats one large link!

Yes I know there have been mice. I even made a game for the SNES mouse.

http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/games/oldgame.php?game=tinstar&parent=softography&state=1st=n%imp=Any%ord=Newest%ji=Ignore%si=Ignore%pl=Any%te=Any%dv=Any%rs=Any%ds=s%res=5%ft=y

But mice are totally impractical for consoles. The wiimote is the first *practical* console pointing device.

To publish a game on a console you generally pay a licence fee which is several dollars per copy. In practice, you submit the code to Nintendo they actually manufacture the disks which you buy from them at a premium price (probably $8-$10 or so).

Wii has a really nice concept going with there full motion sensing controller, might be good for flight simulator or sword fighting games but I'd rather the 360 for FPS -- which is my favourite genre.

Wouldnt you rather have a PC for FPS ?

As for which console, I am going to go Wii, and possibly a 360 later.

> Wouldnt you rather have a PC for FPS ?

I would, but keeping them up to date with the latest video cards and processors is getting darned expensive.

I use both a PC and 360 for FPS. Both have their advantages, PC with easier control, better quality gfx -- at a cost, and the 360 which can be used for multiplayer, and in the family area so you dont become like Noel Cower and hide in your room lots.

I have a 360. It's all right, I guess. More of the same sorts of games I've been playing for the past 10 years, but very pretty. I tend to play the downloadable console games more than the disc ones. (I WILL make three black pearls and complete a game of Hexic. I WILL. *twitch*) It's also started making odd clicking sounds and freezing occasionally when I play disc games. Dead Rising is a lot of fun ... for the 20 minutes I can make it run at a time.

Anyway. I'll be buying a Wii on launch day, because (a) the very concept of making Mii charicatures of my friends and family is a gigantic hoot, (b) it's backward compatible with the Gamecube so my old game library won't go to waste, and (c) Zelda, baby. Oh yeah and the controller creating a whole new paradigm and all that stuff.

I'm excited about the Wii to the point of being giddy. At age 40 that doesn't happen very often. (Insert joke about middle-aged men and their Wiis here.)

The only thing I dislike about the Wiimotes is that last time I checked they didn't have built-in rechargable batteries. Please tell me I'm wrong.

They don't.

Nothing stopping you putting rechargables in there. Real batteries last ages in Wavebirds (100+ hours active use) if that's anything to go by.

How is that game? It looked like to be the only game I was interested in. That is the one they previewed some dead woman on the ground with zombies or something right?

Yeah the game was awesome BUT i was crap at it, and the fact I couldn't really read the instructions made it even harder, though i beleive games shouldn't need instructions past "Objective:".

Go figure. All that work for a game that looks great, and then cant read instructions. I agree, not needing instructions past Objective. That just as anoying as Full Metal Gears' storyboard. I read more than played. Did get agravated quick. A quick kill of a game. But I think Im going to take a look at Dead Rising. The previews and ranking looked good.

Yeah thats one pain in 360. They assume you have a high def TV capable of the 1080dpi thingy. Alot of text is quite hard to read and I dont see why they dont just have the game detect the display mode and adjust text size according to that.

That's just very poor design to release game that cant be read on a normal TV, considering only a minority of people have HDTV.

heh and the 360 took on some Windows flaws with it:

You set the screen resolution via the system menu and if its not set correctly the games wont start saying that you "need to be in <x> mode to run this game."

nice! and whats the point?? :)

That's never happened on my 360. Are you sure about that?

yes.

test drive unlimited requires a standard 60hz resolution.

if the system is set to anything else it refuses to run.

60hz framerate?

Presumably that's because its a multiplayer game and everyone has to be running at the same speed.

xbox360 all the way baby!!

Gears of Wars, Halo3, Halo wars.

Not to mention that I'm able to program games that runs on the thing with MS XNA and C#!!! That is sooo cool!

MS is releasing DIVX support for it, plus it will be my HD-DVD system for my TV.

I'm getting so much out of this thing it's unreal!

Aha! that might make sense. I used the same technique in our racer.

it forces the same framerate and resolution and the X360 menu itself chucks up the error.