View Full Version : PS3 + a PC, what does that leave for the 360?
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 21:28
I've been finding myself glancing over websites recently, looking at the best prices for xbox 360s, i guess the fact i've wanted Lost Odyssey for two years now but finally have some spare cash has got me curious.
Thing is though, the one thing that is stopping me, what is there really that will interest me? I'm not the type that's fussed about the small differences between multiplatforms; most of my friends own PS3s so it's the one i'll always choose for multiplayer games. But then there's also the fact that a large portion of the 360 games i seem to want either come out on the PC at the same time or have a staggered PC release. What have i missed? I'm a cynic so i'm most likely overlooking the stuff i do want and focusing on that which doesn't appeal to me.
Oh and how much is the cheapest a years gold sub will set me back?
Help me out guys, persuade me to get a 360 :p
I've just got one and I'm enjoying it mate, fanboy bullpoop to one side, games, in general, do look slightly better on the 360 (more AA), it's minor, but it is there. I still stand by it though that games written exclusively for the PS3 look and perform better than anything I've seen on the 360 yet, though Gears 2 does look bloody gorgeous!
Having said that, if your PC is up to it they will look 10x better than any console, so if you enjoy PC Gaming then that could be the way to go, I prefer gaming on the consoles these days, I just find it more relaxing and enjoyable overall.
There are also the handful of games and DLC that appear only on 360, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey to name a couple.
I'm not being much help here, I guess it all depends how much you enjoy playing on your PC.
A couple of things I prefer on 360 over PS3 is Live (it is better than PSN) and Demos... Everything has a trial version or a demo, something I really wish Sony would offer...
Controller wise I can take either, both are great controllers imo, have no problems with either of them.
So yep, not been much help and I'm rambling now, just trying to point out a few bits from someone who owns all three systems.
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 22:08
Basically you're of the same mindset as me but have more money/are more decisive? :p
Wouldn't say I have more money or are more decisive, I just impulse buy stuff without thinking about it lol
I'm enjoying it mate that's for sure :)
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:17
Well I have a PS3 and a PC and Xbox360 is always my first port of call.
For a start, the whole Xbox Live experience, everything being so connected and quick is just the best system I have ever used by a mile. It's just brilliant, check your friends, messages, recently played players all take seconds, no syncing, no separate applications, everyone has the same thing and it's quick, so seeing your friends, communicating with them, whether video, audio, pictures, text or voice messaging it's all quick and easy and just works.
Comparisons of games with fellow users, no errors, no syncing, great presentation. I just find that using a PC now is so backwards as it's in the past and the PS3 is such a catch up job that even 3 years later it's not where Xbox360 was at launch.
Then there is the performance, everything just works and almost every multi-format game DOES perform better on Xbox360, on very rare occasions it goes to PS3 like Colin McRae DiRT (released much later) or Burnout Paradise.
There are the games, many times the games are on PC, but you wait for ages and inevitably there will be complaints about it being "another ****ty console port", or that it "needs a patch" or, quite laughably "Needs an Xbox360 pad to be played properly" as almost all games are made for consoles as the primary market and it's got to the point where only RTS games and MMO (this could be set to change, albeit on PS3) are better on PC.
There is also the matchmaking system, voice comms for individual chat or party chat, or of course those you're with, everything automatically separating on teams etc.. It's just so effortless and so... perfect.
There are the exclusives, I hate it when people compare it to PC, but for a start off the top of my head without even researching there is Dead Rising, PGR3, PGR4, Gears of War 2, Forza 2, Forza 3, Star Ocean, Lost Odyssey, Halo 3 and all of those are amazing games bar Star Ocean which simply isn't for some.
The best Arcade system on any system ever, XBLA which is updated ALL the time with offers, great games and they all feature Xbox Live features like Achievements and Leaderboards etc...
Game patching which doesn't require you to exit right out a game to download it, doesn't require ridiculously massive, rolling patches, the longest any update has taken for me is 10 seconds, it's automatic and it just works every time. There are add-ons which are automatically picked up when it picks up the game in your drive so you can see exactly what is available, what it costs and a description of it.
There are great updates on the dashboard with the Xbox Live team of Acey Bongos, SuperKaylo and MrPointyHead and they're all very talkative on Twitter too, which is great, the former actually follows me *smug* and they answer questions and give codes away. They also do weekly informative videos such as "The Insiders" and "SentUAMessage" and you also get IGN insider guides, information on latest downloads etc... It's just a great set up, again, leaving everything behind.
There is Last.fm, Twitter and Facebook all coming as well as MSN. Avatars which are having customizable clothing and props depending on game unlocks so you can make your friends jealous on the friends list (this will be awesome). Then there is Xbox.com which I must click on about 10 times a day to read/write messages, check friends achievements out and see what they're playing. Again, it's all about interactivity and Xbox360 has it covered in every area.
You can get Gold Subs for around £28 which is an absolute bargain, I would happily pay it on all my formats to get the same level of service.
I can only think cynics or fools don't own Xbox360's if they are gamers. It sounds harsh, but I genuinely feel that way. I just think it's marvellous.
I see this argument all the time. The 360 has plenty of console exclusives.
Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Crackdown, Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean 4, Dead Rising, PGR3, PGR4, Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, Fable 2, GTA IV: L&D & Ballad of Gay Tony, Halo Wars, Last Remnant, Kameo, Lips, Scene It, Tales of Vesperia, Beautiful Katamari and as far as I know Forza 3, Crackdown 2 and Halo ODST haven't been announced for the PC. I'll be missing quite a few too as this off the top of my head :)
I haven't even started with XBLA or Community titles like Pac Man CE, Castle Crashers, Braid (is this out yet for the PC?), Geo Wars 2, The Maw etc. Also add the new live show channel which is coming soon and includes 1vs100 etc.
There's plenty of stuff tbh :)
There are great updates on the dashboard with the Xbox Live team of Acey Bongos, SuperKaylo and MrPointyHead and they're all very talkative on Twitter too, which is great, the former actually follows me *smug*
I can beat that smugness and you know it :p
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 22:27
Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Crackdown, Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean 4, Dead Rising, PGR3, PGR4, Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, Fable 2, GTA IV: L&D & Ballad of Gay Tony, Halo Wars, Last Remnant, Kameo, Lips, Scene It, Tales of Vesperia, Beautiful Katamari and as far as I know Forza 3, Crackdown 2 and Halo ODST haven't been announced for the PC. I'll be missing quite a few too as this off the top of my head :)
Good list there, quite a few that interest me too actually.
I can beat that smugness and you know it :p
Yeah you have me following you :D
Oh wait.. so does Nokkon :lipsrsealed:
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:30
She's smug because she played Resident Evil 5 with him :(.
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:33
And on top of the argument, people really shouldn't underestimate Achievements. Getting that little extra achievement on a game over friends really is great fun, especially if it's not easier. I know you actually like this because you platinum games on PS3, but the achievement system is so set up for instant comparison with anyone, any time, no syncing, instantly and can also be done online.
The reason it's done is because Xbox360 has implemented this from the very start, so it's involved in every way, this is, as I mentioned briefly above, moving into avatar clothing etc... now. Very exciting times.
Oh, and one more thing. Natal.
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And I assume it's going to be implemented on some old games as it's currently set up and working with Burnout Paradise, which SuperKaylo was shown playing in this weeks "SentUAMessage"
She's smug because she played Resident Evil 5 with him :(.
And I have him on Facebook :D That day was good :)
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 22:37
Achievements, certainly, i'll never be able to catch up with people who go for the high scores as, as i said previously, all multiplayer games will go on the PS3 as that's where my mates play so my achievements will be split between consoles. But games like Assassins Creed which i basically just quickly played through i will be redoing for achievements just because i like that '100%' feeling and the PS3 version never got trophies patched in (this applies to many of the older games).
Natal really doesn't interest me i'm afraid, but then neither does Wii motion plus or that weird Sony day-glo motion detecting sex toy. Had my fill of motion sensing crap. I've been watching it closely and frankly, i just like a control pad.
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:40
It's not about the high scores, it's about the 1k's.
I too am not a fan of motion sensing, but Natal really looks to have so many possibilities outside of gaming.
Justsomebloke
24-06-2009, 22:40
FORZA3
Nuff said.
Who cares about 'outside of gaming' when it comes to a games console? :p
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 22:43
Right, well, i'm convinced. Problem is i nearly bought a second hand 60GB for £115 off of a certain market for members (is that a good deal?) but realized i've got my car service due early on next month so i've got to wait and see how much that'll end up costing me before i go and fork out for another console. If the missus would let me sell the dusty box of crapness known as the Wii i would get it now, but she has to have access to Wii fit, damn that stupid game to hell.
Stupid car.
Blighter
24-06-2009, 22:45
^^^ O M F G THAT LOOKS AWESOME!! \0/
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:45
Who cares about 'outside of gaming' when it comes to a games console? :p
PS3 owners? :evil:
It's becoming the center of a media set up now, Twitter, Last.fm, Sky TV, Facebook, MSN and now you can use it as a video phone set up. Have you seen the one where they are scrolling through clothes, or where you can photo your own texture onto something like a Skateboard etc... Or how you can use it for social aspects like quiz games or pictionary (which looks AMAZINGLY cool), and that Milo tech demo is simply fantastic.
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:46
Right, well, i'm convinced. Problem is i nearly bought a second hand 60GB for £115 off of a certain market for members (is that a good deal?) but realized i've got my car service due early on next month so i've got to wait and see how much that'll end up costing me before i go and fork out for another console. If the missus would let me sell the dusty box of crapness known as the Wii i would get it now, but she has to have access to Wii fit, damn that stupid game to hell.
Stupid car.
Seems a more than fair deal to me. Does he not have any games? Is he trustworthy?
PS3 owners? :evil:
It's becoming the center of a media set up now, Twitter, Last.fm, Sky TV, Facebook, MSN and now you can use it as a video phone set up. Have you seen the one where they are scrolling through clothes, or where you can photo your own texture onto something like a Skateboard etc... Or how you can use it for social aspects like quiz games or pictionary (which looks AMAZINGLY cool), and that Milo tech demo is simply fantastic.
I guess :/
I suspect I'm becoming a minority. I don't care about the media set up stuff, being able to twitter, facebook, msn, whatever on my 360.
I play consoles for games, simple as that :) And games I play with a control pad, if I'm leaping about, I'll go outside. Guess that's why I found E3 quite underwhelming this year though, at least MS wise. :/
Right, well, i'm convinced. Problem is i nearly bought a second hand 60GB for £115 off of a certain market for members (is that a good deal?) but realized i've got my car service due early on next month so i've got to wait and see how much that'll end up costing me before i go and fork out for another console. If the missus would let me sell the dusty box of crapness known as the Wii i would get it now, but she has to have access to Wii fit, damn that stupid game to hell.
Stupid car.
On Saturday, I paid £220 for the following from Argos:
60GB XBOX 360
Gears of War 2
Sega Superstar Tennis (Don't ask it was free)
Project Gotham 4
HDMI Switcher
2 x HDMI Cables
I thought that was a pretty good deal myself.
I guess :/
I suspect I'm becoming a minority. I don't care about the media set up stuff, being able to twitter, facebook, msn, whatever on my 360.
I play consoles for games, simple as that :) And games I play with a control pad, if I'm leaping about, I'll go outside. Guess that's why I found E3 quite underwhelming this year though, at least MS wise. :/
Whole heartedly agree, I'm only interested in the games, though I do use my PS3 for streaming media and blu-rays, it's really the games that are no.1 and motion controls ... eughh!
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 22:51
Seems a more than fair deal to me. Does he not have any games? Is he trustworthy?
He has games but they're rubbish (kung fu panda, lips and PES) so i got him to knock £25 off of the price and just sell the console on its own. He's got *some* feedback in his trust but i used to play SF4 with him quite a lot and he seems like a nice guy so i'd say he's trustworthy.
I guess :/
I suspect I'm becoming a minority. I don't care about the media set up stuff, being able to twitter, facebook, msn, whatever on my 360.
I play consoles for games, simple as that :) And games I play with a control pad, if I'm leaping about, I'll go outside. Guess that's why I found E3 quite underwhelming this year though, at least MS wise. :/
I like media stuff within reason, so media playback and the free music videos apps on the PS3 really appeal to me, as do their equivalents on the 360. However social networking doesn't matter in the slightest to me on the PC, let alone on a console (but twitter is stupidly popular so who am i to judge). Also, pay for Sky TV? Pff, that's what newsgroups are for! :p
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:52
I've said this before, if it comes to playing games I want a pad. This is why the Wii doesn't get played (still), and the Six-Axis was the reason I totally refused to play PS3 games that I could get on Xbox360 (sadly they kept the shape for DS3, but it's MUCH better than SA) and even though I don't like it, I would rather use that pad than any Motion Controlling wand/pad.
Saying that, I do love my PS3 for media side things like Blu-Rays or TV shows and use it all the time for that, it does it brilliantly. I would rather consoles added all these things and had brilliant gaming too than simply be gaming :).
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 22:55
He has games but they're rubbish (kung fu panda, lips and PES) so i got him to knock £25 off of the price and just sell the console on its own. He's got *some* feedback in his trust but i used to play SF4 with him quite a lot and he seems like a nice guy so i'd say he's trustworthy.
Kung Fu Panda isn't actually a bad game and Abooie really likes Lips IIRC, but worth getting £25 off.
Also, pay for Sky TV? Pff, that's what newsgroups are for! :p
The Sky thing seems really good, you can host group parties where your friends watch it and can talk about what's happening in a football match for example. I think it's a competitor for PlayTV but with Sky rather than Freeview.
I hope someone will make Natal really appeal to the core by combining it with a pad somehow. The pad must be the primary, but Natal could bring some interesting periphery, while providing the obvious casual appeal.
I hope someone will make Natal really appeal to the core by combining it with a pad somehow. The pad must be the primary, but Natal could bring some interesting periphery, while providing the obvious casual appeal.
Nah they'll go for the easy money of casual gaming and not bother with a good idea like that :p
/cynic
Sorry, must be in a very cynical mood tonight ;D I am rather opinionated about Natal though :o
Streeteh
24-06-2009, 23:05
Oh, one last thing!
The guy who i was gonna (and still might) buy the second hand 360 off of said he's lost the reciept. Does this matter? It's never failed and thus not been registered with MS, am i right in assuming that they do things the same way as Sony in that they use the serial number to work out the manufacture date if it fails?
Yeah, serial number is fine :)
Snip........
For me Nokkon I would go PS3>PC>X360 whilst owning them all.
As I said in the other thread no issue with Xbox, the platform or the console but for some reason, it just hasn't grabbed me like the other two. The thing that puts me off is the whole achievement whoring that seems to accompany the Xbox scene, Games must be played to the absolute death in order to achieve the the mythical 1000 points and that just does not appeal to me. I play games on Steam and if I get an achievement in TF2 then great but I don't get on the boat of "MUST GET 1000th headshot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
There are the games, many times the games are on PC, but you wait for ages and inevitably there will be complaints about it being "another ****ty console port", or that it "needs a patch" or, quite laughably "Needs an Xbox360 pad to be played properly" as almost all games are made for consoles as the primary market and it's got to the point where only RTS games and MMO (this could be set to change, albeit on PS3) are better on PC.
Console games require patching no :s.
The majority of my PC games are purchased through Steam nowadays and patching (be it valve or 3rd party) simply is not an issue. If my PC is on all day then my games are patched, I play and it really doesn't get any more complex than that for me.
There is Last.fm, Twitter and Facebook all coming as well as MSN. Avatars which are having customizable clothing and props depending on game unlocks so you can make your friends jealous on the friends list (this will be awesome). Then there is Xbox.com which I must click on about 10 times a day to read/write messages, check friends achievements out and see what they're playing. Again, it's all about interactivity and Xbox360 has it covered in every area.
Last FM, Facebook & Twitter I could care less about and certainly not a compelling reason for me to get an Xbox if I didn't already have one. I mean how many devices do I need to be socially networked to.
'Yay I am twittering from Xbox, I am now twittering from my PC, I am no longer on Xbox or PC but am twittering from my phone'. Sometimes it's just really nice to disconnect from the virtual world without it being an ever present on all technology platforms.
I know your very Xbox orientated but the whole PC gaming experience you talk about, I would have agreed with a good few years ago. I would concede that Xbox is undoubtedly a polished experience. I would say that it is a different experience to the PC and PS3. However, I think to suggest that it is years behind Xbox says to me it is someone who really hasn't given PC gaming a good chance over the past two to three years.
A lot of what you say about match making I get on Steam no problem. Company of Heroes, I can dive in against people of my skill level and experience. No messing about, no patching, no sync issues.
One thing that Console centric gamers always seem to forget as well is that when they wax lyrical about the 'perfect system that just works off the disk' is that invariably it is an entirely closed system of gaming. Many Many games I have purchased for PC 'just work', they are cheaper and I get a lot more bang for my (usually lower RRP) buck due to the addons, mods, skins expansions and maps ( in most cases) free of charge developed by the community.
NokkonWud
24-06-2009, 23:33
What I mean by patching is that on PS3 for example, the patches are around 200mb (using Killzone 2 as an example - a week after launch). It's the same for PC games (I've needed a big update for every PC game I've bought in the last 4 years), Xbox360 does everything within 10 seconds and just goes. Don't know how it's done, but it is.
Achievements don't need chasing, it's fallacy you 'need to', but it does add an extra element as it's a very social console (much more so than any other format) and comparing achievements or scores is, or can be fun.
I also never used them as reasons to get an Xbox360 (last, Twitter, Facebook), I was mentioning the social side of the console and how it's pushing its boundaries to allow for these things, much better for family use, no?
I use Steam as I need to for the SDK's and it's improved, but how people can compare it to Live is beyond me. It's better than it was, but it's still pretty poor. It's catching up with Live, I couldn't claim otherwise and it's ahead of PS3. But I was compariing them all against each other and LIVE is a strong feature.
What people mean by 'working off the disc' is that you put the disc in, you can play. No installing, no patching, no tweaking settings, all of this is inevitably done on PC. Addons, Mods, Skins are good additions (expansions are on consoles now), but truly, how many people have played a mod and stuck to it religiously? Desert Combat, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Day of Defeat (the latter still not comparible to the other 3). It's nice to have them.
But to say PC games don't have problems is naive at best. I can check Overclockers and there will be complaining bitterly about the same things in every major release. PC has tried many things, Xfire and Steam are two that did well, but it's not a unified system which is where Live shines, I mentioned this above, every Live user uses that set up so everything is so well linked.
What I mean by patching is that on PS3 for example, the patches are around 200mb (using Killzone 2 as an example - a week after launch). It's the same for PC games (I've needed a big update for every PC game I've bought in the last 4 years), Xbox360 does everything within 10 seconds and just goes. Don't know how it's done, but it is.
To be fair KillZone is a pretty poor example. A lot of other PS3 games I have in my library all have been micro-patched. UFC, Shaun Whites, FIFA, StreetFighter, SingStar to name but a few
Achievements don't need chasing, it's fallacy you 'need to', but it does add an extra element as it's a very social console (much more so than any other format) and comparing achievements or scores is, or can be fun
I don't agree that it adds an extra element. Many Many hours I have played COD4 and not given 2 hoots if I was level 1 or level 55, PC Gaming is very social, status in game I accept comes part and parcel of gaming in general. Maybe thats why I never really got on board the whole MMORPG bus
I also never used them as reasons to get an Xbox360 (last, Twitter, Facebook), I was mentioning the social side of the console and how it's pushing its boundaries to allow for these things, much better for family use, no?
I got and get all that with my PC, Laptop, Netbook, iTouch and Mobile, if I want to go and shoot some zombies or play games for half an hour its because I wan't to escape the social side of things :p
I use Steam as I need to for the SDK's and it's improved, but how people can compare it to Live is beyond me. It's better than it was, but it's still pretty poor. It's catching up with Live, I couldn't claim otherwise and it's ahead of PS3. But I was compariing them all against each other and LIVE is a strong feature.
I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one Nokkon. We are coming at this from two completely different perspectives. I use Steam, it has all the functionallity that I need, it has a comms system, it has a storefront. It does what it is supposed to do efficiently and quickly on my PC and I can't ask for anymore. I think if you were to ask the guys at Valve they would say that they are not trying to catch up with XBL, they are developing and evolving a PC Gaming Platform nothing more. Like XBL just works for you, Steam just works for me. I really can't see anyway in which you can objectively compare them to suggest it's poor.
What people mean by 'working off the disc' is that you put the disc in, you can play. No installing, no patching, no tweaking settings, all of this is inevitably done on PC. Addons, Mods, Skins are good additions (expansions are on consoles now), but truly, how many people have played a mod and stuck to it religiously? Desert Combat, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Day of Defeat (the latter still not comparible to the other 3). It's nice to have them.
I buy off steam so I have no media, I click play and it runs without the need for tweaking. The only difference is that I have to install. Given that steam is the supposed poorer relation, I would like to see both XBL and PSN have a lot more titles available via digital distribution. Done correctly, this is where both platforms need to catch up with Steam, D2D and Good old Games.
But to say PC games don't have problems is naive at best. I can check Overclockers and there will be complaining bitterly about the same things in every major release. PC has tried many things, Xfire and Steam are two that did well, but it's not a unified system which is where Live shines, I mentioned this above, every Live user uses that set up so everything is so well linked.
Steam and Xfire are not the same thing at all though, the former being an integrated gaming platform with some of the functionallity of the latter. Im not suggesting that PC Gaming is not without it's problems because it quite clearly does. Unfortunately that's life though, people bitch moan and whine when it doesn't work, very rarely do they do say anything when it does work. As I have said before, I run my system at stock and can't think of many games that I have not been able to play once installed.
Maybe me and my friends are in the minority but ten of us have purchased, Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament 3, Company of Heroes and World in Conflict to name five of the many games we have played. All installed at the first time of asking and all played single player and multiplayer without a problem. Just because people bitch and moan does not mean it is representative of PC Gaming in general.
NokkonWud
25-06-2009, 01:32
The funny thing is, as I wrote what I did the game I was thinking of that was plagued with issues was Battlefield 2. Now this is a game I love, it was also the last game I loved on PC. But there was a VERY well known issue with sound on release that required the download of a file, something like OpenAL and needed replacing in the install directory. That problem crippled users when it came out as all they would hear was horrible feedback in their games which would snap, crackle and pop, or simply disappear, or in some cases, crash the whole game.
Where I was getting at Xfire is that it's something comparible to Xbox live, you can see users, see what they're doing, leap in to join, message users etc... But because it's not a standard, unified system it's never gonna be able to compete with something that is.
Well, on Xbox alone we have the Xbox Live Arcade which has an awful lot of games. Microsoft also have their NetFlix rental service for downloadable media which hasn't taken off here so much but is massive in the US. They also have classic Xbox titles that you can buy and download and they are also bringing in the ability to download full Xbox360 games and play them. So, I would say it has more than Steam.
I don't know about PS3, I didn't hear of any announcements at e3 about downloadable games on PS3, but they do have PS1/PSP games you can buy as well as PSN titles and we've already had both Wipeout and Warhawk.
I don't agree that it adds an extra element. Many Many hours I have played COD4 and not given 2 hoots if I was level 1 or level 55, PC Gaming is very social, status in game I accept comes part and parcel of gaming in general. Maybe thats why I never really got on board the whole MMORPG bus.
There aren't any COD4 multiplayer achievements; they're all sp. :p
There aren't any COD4 multiplayer achievements; they're all sp. :p
By that I meant levelling Lvl 1 you get a spud gun by Lvl 55 you have unlocked all the weapons :p
Although I only ever played single player COD 4 on PC and there was no achievements just the story line :)
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 14:37
Well, went to town to trade in most of my Wii games and was told i would get approx 50% extra if i used them as store credit as opposed to getting cash for them. Result of that is a 60GB Jasper, 800msp and Kameo for £120 out of my pocket.
Can't complain really!
Only problem is i retrieved my Live! for Windows ID onto my 360 and thus missed out on the free month of Gold. Where's the cheapest place to buy a years sub, and, is there anywhere that will just email me a code? Can't be bothered waiting :p
[EDIT] Oh and i've been fortunate and got the quietest 360 i've ever used, the disk drive is still stupidly loud but installing games doesn't bother me so i'm happy.
I bought mine from: http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/860394/Xbox-Live-12-Month-Gold-Membership-Card/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0
playtrade from 'BuyGamingCodes' for £27.87 and got the code after a couple of hours with no hassle at all.
NokkonWud
01-07-2009, 16:14
A lot of places now offer the option to mail codes out, so that's great.
Have a look at my past played games and if I still have them you're more than welcome to borrow most of them (barring the few I still use, obviously). It's the least I can do :).
Glad to see you join the gaming side.
Psymonkee
01-07-2009, 16:50
Well, went to town to trade in most of my Wii games and was told i would get approx 50% extra if i used them as store credit as opposed to getting cash for them. Result of that is a 60GB Jasper, 800msp and Kameo for £120 out of my pocket.
Can't complain really!
Only problem is i retrieved my Live! for Windows ID onto my 360 and thus missed out on the free month of Gold. Where's the cheapest place to buy a years sub, and, is there anywhere that will just email me a code? Can't be bothered waiting :p
[EDIT] Oh and i've been fortunate and got the quietest 360 i've ever used, the disk drive is still stupidly loud but installing games doesn't bother me so i'm happy.
I have a free month sitting infront of me :)
Add me on XBL or something and it's yours :)
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 18:28
I bought mine from: http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/860394/Xbox-Live-12-Month-Gold-Membership-Card/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0
Awesome cheers mate, will use that in the future, however my debit card got cloned in a petrol station last week it seems to it's been cancelled so can't buy shiz online for the next week or so :(
Have a look at my past played games and if I still have them you're more than welcome to borrow most of them (barring the few I still use, obviously). It's the least I can do :).
Really kind of you mate, i'm gonna be addicted to Lost Odyssey for a while but i'll certainly give you a shout once that's done (I have a unhealthy appetite for JRPGs)
I have a free month sitting infront of me :)
Add me on XBL or something and it's yours :)
Awesome, again that's incredibly kind of you. As above i can't even actually buy a gold sub until next week and there's no way i'm paying the inflated prices you get in GAME. (Had to buy the 360 on the highstreet as i had to pay in cash direct from the bank, fortunately that means i got to check if it was a falcon)
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 18:33
Oh, one quick concern though. Just stuck LO in the disk drive and it told me to 'use this disk with an xbox 360'! I tried again and it worked second time but how strange, is this a common issue or is my disk drive dying in its first day? :/
Psymonkee
01-07-2009, 18:46
I've had that a couple of times
I just chalk it up to random hardware issues :)
Yay, hope you enjoy LO as much as I did :D
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 19:13
Can't wait, it's been a dry period for REALLY good JRPGs. Valkyria Chronicles is the first one in years that has reached standards that rivalled FFX/VIII, from what i hear, LO will do the same.
Nice, you got one!
Add me dude, 'IAmDunketh' - I have a Killzone 2 match shortly but should be on Live after that, would love to know your thoughts on LO, I am so tempted to get stuck into that myself I just have so many other games on the go right now I'm not sure it's a good thing to do lol.
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 20:02
Ah yes, will add you asap Dunketh!
I gotta say, the NXE is MILES better than the blades system was. Really pleased, had a brief hands on with the NXE before my mate (who owned the xbox i always played on) moved away and didn't like it much. Now i've figured out how it all works it really makes sense.
Don't like the fact it doesn't start on 'My Xbox' though, is there any way to change that?
Ah yes, will add you asap Dunketh!
I gotta say, the NXE is MILES better than the blades system was. Really pleased, had a brief hands on with the NXE before my mate (who owned the xbox i always played on) moved away and didn't like it much. Now i've figured out how it all works it really makes sense.
Don't like the fact it doesn't start on 'My Xbox' though, is there any way to change that?
Yeah that's one of the first things I noticed, the GUI is so much better than when I had my old 360, I do still prefer XMB but NXE is great now.
NokkonWud
01-07-2009, 21:11
Really kind of you mate, i'm gonna be addicted to Lost Odyssey for a while but i'll certainly give you a shout once that's done (I have a unhealthy appetite for JRPGs)
Sounds good. If you want one on the off-time from LO let me know. Perhaps when you're done you can borrow my Tales of Vesperia? I won't be getting rid of it, love what I've played thus far.
NokkonWud
01-07-2009, 21:17
Don't like the fact it doesn't start on 'My Xbox' though, is there any way to change that?
Hah, no. But I quite like some of the stuff it advertises, MS put some really good things together like 'The Insiders' and 'SentUAMessage', and also what games are just out or updates, so it's actually a good thing and isn't advertising.
Hah, no. But I quite like some of the stuff it advertises, MS put some really good things together like 'The Insiders' and 'SentUAMessage', and also what games are just out or updates, so it's actually a good thing and isn't advertising.
I almost feel it's a guilty pleasure to enjoy 'The Insiders' and 'SentUAMessage'; look forward to the eejits each week :)
Streeteh
01-07-2009, 23:29
Sounds good. If you want one on the off-time from LO let me know. Perhaps when you're done you can borrow my Tales of Vesperia? I won't be getting rid of it, love what I've played thus far.
That's actually top of my list of games to get so that would be epic. Obviously i'll lend you Infamous in return :)
Streeteh
02-07-2009, 00:26
Oh for christs sake, my right analogue stick has started squeaking REALLY LOUDLY. Back to Game i go...
Oh for christs sake, my right analogue stick has started squeaking REALLY LOUDLY. Back to Game i go...
lol one of mine does that on the left trigger.
NokkonWud
02-07-2009, 10:22
Oh for christs sake, my right analogue stick has started squeaking REALLY LOUDLY. Back to Game i go...
And it's a new console? Or did you get it second hand?
If so, definitely shouldn't.
Same for yours Dunketh, not the left-trigger anyway... I've killed my right one with all my racing games :p.
As for the comments on The Insiders and SentUAMessage, if anyone is on Twitter they are @MrPointyHead, @AceyBongos and @SuperKaylo and they're great fun. If you want people on the US side of things, @MajorNelson, @Trixie360 and @KPaul.
And it's a new console? Or did you get it second hand?
If so, definitely shouldn't.
Same for yours Dunketh, not the left-trigger anyway... I've killed my right one with all my racing games :p.
As for the comments on The Insiders and SentUAMessage, if anyone is on Twitter they are @MrPointyHead, @AceyBongos and @SuperKaylo and they're great fun. If you want people on the US side of things, @MajorNelson, @Trixie360 and @KPaul.
It's my spare wired pad that I've used on my PC for many years now so it's no problem, the wireless one I got with the 360 is perfectamundo!
Streeteh
02-07-2009, 11:14
And it's a new console? Or did you get it second hand?
If so, definitely shouldn't.
Tis brand new, some people have told me this is just 'breaking it in' and it will stop however. Not sure what to do tbh, gonna be difficult getting a replacement from Game as it does function perfectly, it just squeaks :/
Lost Odyssey is amazing, so glad they kept the Japanese voices on the disk, hopefully all JRPGs will be like that in the future as VC did it too.
NokkonWud
02-07-2009, 11:39
The haven't with Tales of Vesperia... but, in an almost revolutionary addition to JRPG's in Europe, the voice acting is GOOD! :o.
I can't wiat to get back into Lost Odyssey. I got a few hours in before the whole rush of games last fall put it on the back burner. ToV has given me a taste for it all over again.
I'd kill for a new Xbox360 pad, whether it squeaked or not :p. Mine are both as old as my console, one of them has a slightly dodgy stick that can pick up movement when it's not actually being moved (annoying) and the other is separated around the frame from when I lost my rag playing UFC and threw my pad :p.
Pumpkinstew
02-07-2009, 13:42
There are the games, many times the games are on PC, but you wait for ages and inevitably there will be complaints about it being "another ****ty console port", or that it "needs a patch" or, quite laughably "Needs an Xbox360 pad to be played properly" as almost all games are made for consoles as the primary market and it's got to the point where only RTS games and MMO (this could be set to change, albeit on PS3) are better on PC.
This is the heart of the argument and why I went ahead and bought a 360 Elite recently. It sits next to my PC and plugs into the same monitor and ethernet switch. ;D
No lazy ports, no duff controls, no secuROM, no driver issues, no patches just to get past the menu screen, no games for windows live or 12 year olds kicking you from a server. OK, so you pay a slight premium on games compared to PC but I'd rather do that than suffer the above.
It's even grabbed the girlfriends attention thanks to Guitar Hero, Beautiful Katamari and the casual games on Live Arcade and there's talk of moving it into the lounge - over my dead body of course;)
Briggykins
02-07-2009, 14:04
No lazy ports, no duff controls, no secuROM, no driver issues, no patches just to get past the menu screen, no games for windows live or 12 year olds kicking you from a server.
And no keyboard and mouse, which is still the reason PC will always be my preferred platform for my preferred type of game (FPS). It just can't be beat.
Pumpkinstew
02-07-2009, 22:01
There is that. I did compare my first few hours on Mass Effect with a pad to being like using a KB and mouse but wearing oven gloves. ;D
NokkonWud
02-07-2009, 23:33
And no keyboard and mouse, which is still the reason PC will always be my preferred platform for my preferred type of game (FPS). It just can't be beat.
I've argued this before. It can't be beaten on a competitive level, but on a standard level a joypad can be just as much fun, for me, I would argue more so.
Streeteh
02-07-2009, 23:35
I've always felt that in terms of enjoyment both the pad and the keyboard and mouse are more than acceptable. In terms of performance a kb+mouse blows the pad away but my competitive TFC days are long behind me, i'm only in this for fun these days so i'll just play whatever is good, regardless of what control method is required.
Davey_Pitch
03-07-2009, 09:04
If you're after pixel perfect precision then no-one can argue that the pad can match the keyboard and mouse, it's just not possible. However, the pad allows me to do something my keyboard and mouse don't - it lets me sit on my comfy couch playing COD4 online on a 42" LCD. That comfort and ease of use is why I now prefer FPS games on the console. It's completely a personal choice for me though as I don't play competitively which is where the keyboard and mouse are virtually essential.
I prefer the control pad these days, but I am fully aware that the mouse and keyboard is still the 'best' option.
I'm not decrepit yet so I still have a strong preference for KB/M :p
NokkonWud
08-07-2009, 01:37
I'm not decrepit yet so I still have a strong preference for KB/M :p
Tell that to Halo. Beeeetch.
Pumpkinstew
08-07-2009, 15:17
What about keyboard and mouse versus wiimote and nunchuk?
Streeteh
08-07-2009, 15:19
What about keyboard and mouse versus wiimote and nunchuk?
Wiimote is a slight step up from the pad if used correctly (Metroid is a example of good usage and, going by reviews, conduit is an example of bad usage). But there are still problems, turning is still slower with a wiimote (this is the main problem with pads too) and it has a slight latency detecting movement which will always be a big disadvantage.
It's a step in the right direction but still nowhere near as good as a mouse.
So Mr Streeteh, now you've now had one a week or so, what are your thoughts?
Streeteh
08-07-2009, 22:49
The hardware is ****e tbh, but it's what i expected, it's difficult to not notice everyone talking about noise, failure etc etc etc, even my pad went doolalley on me in the first 48 hours. But, as i said, i expected it so i'm pretty much writing it off as a complaint; i purchased it knowing of the issues so i will not complain about them.
The operating system (or whatever you want to call it) is fantastic, really slick and easy to use. Everything is just 'there', it's all presented well, there's very few loading times, patches apply instantly, nothing needs to install (unless you ask it to, by this i mean copying a disk to the hard drive). The biggest surprise to me was actually the ability to nearly completely interact with xbox live from my PC, i know it's a little thing but it makes a huge difference.
Games wise, i've played most of the big titles on my mates 360 (who has now moved away, hence why i needed one of my own) and the majority of my opinions remain. Gears is a great game with really sublime graphics and what was at the time ground breaking mechanics. Halo 3 is one of the most overrated games in history, that doesn't make it a bad game at all, neither was GTAIV for example, but it isn't the gold encrusted crown of gaming that many make it out to be (imo!). However with that said, there are just as many games that i've played that haven't received anywhere near as much attention as they deserved. Both Lost Odyssey and Kameo (Lost Odyssey in particular) have proven themselves to be as good if not superior to these big name titles. That to me has just proven that hype is the biggest detractor from a game, this trend is just as evident on the PS3.
My only real complaint about the system is all the buying of 'points', you have to hunt for the best deals on arcade store points or 12 month subs. Why on earth can't they just make it a standardised thing?
If i had to choose between a 360 or a PS3 which would i choose today? Still the PS3 tbh, it has more games that i'm interested in and that's all that matters to me. I'm glad to own both consoles though, each has strengths and weaknesses and to own both (if you can afford it) clearly is the way to go.
For the money i paid the 360 is a bargain.
Davey_Pitch
09-07-2009, 08:57
If i had to choose between a 360 or a PS3 which would i choose today? Still the PS3 tbh, it has more games that i'm interested in and that's all that matters to me.
That should always be all that matters to anyone IMO. Whether you prefer the hardware or OS of the PS3 or Xbox is not really important, they're games consoles after all, so the games should always be the most important thing. It's why I much prefer the 360 over the PS3, it has more games that interest me and the multi-format titles always seem slightly better on the Xbox (from the reviews and head-to-heads I've read). That being said, there are more and more games coming out on the PS3 that interest me, so hopefully I can pick one up before Christmas and get all the good old games at a really cheap price :)
NokkonWud
09-07-2009, 12:27
I don't understand how you can say the hardware is bad. The issues are almost gone, very rare now and even that was the only real problem with the hardware? I've only ever heard of one pad going mental and that's yours :p.
I do agree with points, I would like to just be able to pay with maestro, but it's a good way of trying to keep continuity between buying stuff on PC and Xbox360.
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 12:57
I don't understand how you can say the hardware is bad. The issues are almost gone, very rare now and even that was the only real problem with the hardware? I've only ever heard of one pad going mental and that's yours :p.
It's loud, it's creaky, it feels cheap and looks foul, this isnt about (severe) failures as i haven't had any yet, this is just based on my first impressions in my first week of owning one. It may only be my pad that's broken but it's what happened to me so i reserve the right to complain about it :p
Abooie asked for my first impressions, that's what they were.
Davey_Pitch
09-07-2009, 15:08
It looks foul? Don't you own a PS3? :p
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 15:27
It looks foul? Don't you own a PS3? :p
That just looks slightly ugly, neither are lookers but the big white box among all my black AV equipment stands out like a sore thumb. The PS3 would have been a pretty piece of kit if it wasn't for that stupid silver strip they insist on putting on the front.
Davey_Pitch
09-07-2009, 15:42
The white ones aren't the most attractive admittedly, but I love how my Elite looks, it's great in black :)
It's interesting Streeteh picked up on this. I bought a newer Arcade for my lounge, 8 or so months ago and I do think it, and it's controller isn't quite as 'solid' as my Elite from what 2 years ago or original launch 360.
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 16:53
The white ones aren't the most attractive admittedly, but I love how my Elite looks, it's great in black :)
The elite is much prettier aye, if the premium still had a 20gig harddrive i would have snapped one up, but now that they're 60gig i found it too difficult to justify the extra cost. I mean, 60gb is more than enough for a couple of game installs and shed loads of DLC so i would have essentially been paying extra for a pretty case... wish i had that pretty case though :(
It's interesting Streeteh picked up on this. I bought a newer Arcade for my lounge, 8 or so months ago and I do think it, and it's controller isn't quite as 'solid' as my Elite from what 2 years ago or original launch 360.
What gets me is when i pick it up it creaks surprisingly loudly, i can feel the metal side panels flexing under my fingers when i grip it, it just doesn't feel all that solid. I was slightly surprised actually as, as i mentioned previously, i used a friends 360 very often and this usually involved taking it over to my flat most of the time (he doesn't own a HDTV). I never noticed these issues when i hooked his up to my television (it is a launch day premium). I just assumed that it was down to the fact that because this one belonged to me i paid more attention to the quality, but now you've said that it's got me curious. I'll be visiting him next week so i'll have a look and see what's what.
The plus side however is that the fans in mine are about half as loud as his (ever heard a PS3 with the fans on max? That's what his sounds like) and i have 3 games installed with half a harddrive to spare whereas he has to make do with only one game :p
NokkonWud
09-07-2009, 19:39
It does creek, yes, but it doesn't creak any more than a PS3 does. If we're talking creaks then the PS3 pads are a disaster, at least the six axis pads. Euwww, so glad I don't use them any more, the Dual Shock is better, but still creaks.
I think it's just the way things are designed these days. Cheap.
In a perfect world everything would be very solid, very cool and very quiet :(.
I've had my 360 about a week longer than Streeteh, my feelings are this for each:
Xbox 360
+Live -Its better than PSN let's be honest, and it's worth the £30 a year.
+Controller -I'm good with either controller, but I do prefer the 360 controller for FPS's
+Multiplatform Games -Games that appear on both systems *usually* look better on 360 and have the bonus AA.
+Price -£160 for the 60GB version is fantastic pricing, Sony should take note.
-Noise -How people watch a DVD on this thing is beyond me.
-No built in WiFi
-Stupidly priced HDD's
PS3
+Exclusive Games -The exclusives on PS3 do appeal to me more than the ones on 360, obviously this is personal choice, I will also add that exclusive titles built for the PS3 generally look better than anything else on either console.
+Built in's -Built in wireless, Blu-Ray etc. are all nice features, however you are paying for it in the price tag.
+Playstation Store -I just love what the PS Store offers, Pixeljunk games, Flower etc. to me it is better than what XBLA offers, again personal choice.
+XMB -I just love the interface of the PS3/PSP, It's clean and works well.
+Free Online -It's nice that it's free, even with Live being better for a free service it works and works well, but as above, Live is better.
-Online -as above, although it's free, Sony's online has a lot of catching up to do.
-Price -Don't think I need to say anything here, Sony NEED to lower the price.
-Multiplatform Games -most of the time multiplatform games look and run better on the 360.
Both systems have had hardware problems, maybe the 360's more so but I'd bet not by much, too many people are now having YLOD and BD Drive issues, I think the quality of both systems stinks to be honest, and I hope that next gen this is resolved.
At the end of the day, like Streeteh If I had to choose one it would be the PS3, purely for the games, I personally prefer the exclusives on PS3 over that of the 360, however I am now in the awesome situation of owning both and don't have to worry about that.
I just love games :D
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 21:36
What i'd love is a console where the hardware is built by Sony and MS deal with the operating system and controllers etc, pull together all of the development studios... man what a console that would be.
What i'd love is a console where the hardware is built by Sony and MS deal with the operating system and controllers etc, pull together all of the development studios... man what a console that would be.
I just want a Dreamcast 2 and a Neo Geo 2 :D
Oh and maybe Apple to make a real console, but that'd cost over a grand!
So in summary, the best thing to do is to have the best of both worlds and have a 360 and a PS3? :D
Psymonkee
09-07-2009, 21:58
Bingo ;)
Anyone fancy donating a PS3 to a struggling writer then? :D
.....No? :( Boo :p
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 22:03
So in summary, the best thing to do is to have the best of both worlds and have a 360 and a PS3? :D
I'm glad to own both consoles though, each has strengths and weaknesses and to own both (if you can afford it) clearly is the way to go.
So yeah basically :p
I'll also add that since getting my 360, my PS3 hasn't been on, BUT thats due to the rentals and games I have to finish all being on 360 :)
Streeteh
09-07-2009, 22:19
I'll also add that since getting my 360, my PS3 hasn't been on, BUT thats due to the rentals and games I have to finish all being on 360 :)
I'm nearly the same, i can't put down SFIV so the PS3 still gets fired up for a quick session once a night, other than that i haven't used it in two weeks. But then, when a big game comes out for the PS3 i can see the 360 collecting dust for a month and vice versa. People seem to think that if their console isn't used for more than a week it's obsolete (i've seen people buy and sell consoles within a fortnight). The whole point of owning both is so that you can take advantage of all of the biggest and best titles each has to offer, in order to do that one will be neglected for a while.
I do agree with points, I would like to just be able to pay with maestro, but it's a good way of trying to keep continuity between buying stuff on PC and Xbox360.
I think the bigger advantage for Microsoft (and why I think they do it) is it detaches the figures from actual sums of money and thus leads to more impulse purchasing as there is less feeling of actually spending money when something is priced in 'points'.
Couldn't agree more dude, When Fat Princess arrives, my 360 will be gathering dust :P
NokkonWud
09-07-2009, 23:28
What i'd love is a console where the hardware is built by Sony and MS deal with the operating system and controllers etc, pull together all of the development studios... man what a console that would be.
But Sony consoles are notoriously difficult to make games on due to hardware configurations :p. Plus, the Xbox was phenomenally well built where as Sony have been plagued with hardware issues in every generation.
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