maybe "Mickey Mouse" was a bit too harsh because I do still like the system ALOT. Bowling and the experience of being able to do more than poke at buttons is terrifc.



I think what i'm experiencing is that I'm not getting the FULL "next gen" experience from any single machine. The PS3 is lacking what the Wii offers. The Wii is lacking what the PS3 can do.

In fantasy land:
combine the features of the PS3 with the controls and game innovation of the Wii ... i'd die happy.

 

I'm waiting for the system that has 3D gameplay around you in a room...and that you can actually die.

 

Yeah it's called 11B deployment to Iraq

 

since I have something to compare against now, not just blindly recycled internet rants ... here's what I've learned:

PS3:
NOT for everyone. The games have steep learning curves and generate a "solo" experience. When it's on, I'm sure nobody can enjoy it but me.

Wii:
Proven for a fact, it's for everyone. I was at an Xmas party last weekend. Adults (45 to 65) were playing the system. "Kids" (16 to 30) were on it next. A controller was never idle, everyone loved it.

When I'm doing something social, hosting, or trying to entertain ... Wii is nothing more than brilliant. The Wii will accelerate in titles which involve the person as a whole (think DDR).

The Wii will fail at games that have progressed in realism over the years. Think about going from Madden 93 to Madden 06 ... and back to Madden 03. It feels like the natural progression stopped.

The PS3 throws graphics and rich content in your face. Again, this is following the cookie cutter mold of "next gen" expectations.

This isn't a bad thing though. You could:

a) go the traditional route of "next gen"
b) go the Wii route of "next gen"

neither way is really wrong and we'll all benefit when the game companies learn from all of this stiff competition.



I do feel the 360 is a bit screwed here. Because they launched so early, innovations (such as tilt controllers) and new standards (such as high capacity discs & 1080p) weren't available. The only thing 360 has right now is the ability to say, "we have a larger install base" (due to the 05 release) and "Halo" (because truth is, the Xbox 1 was nothing more than a Halo TV adapter for most)

 

me personally, i think i will continue to look at my PC as the true "next gen" gaming system, and will maybe pick up a Wii a year from now if i happen across a great deal. and that will be for the same reason i got the gamecube (long after it was released): great, fun gaming for a group at a great deal.

the only thing i would probably ever want the PS for is gran turismo, but again, that just goes back to my PC, which is not lacking in excellent driving simulators.

 

pc will always be "next gen" because they come out with new hardware every month
add to the fact that most popular console title NOT on nintendo are/will be available on pc

nintendo and pc ftw

 

and you bring up a great point.

360 & PS3 are nothing more than standalone PC game systems. What's their draw?

High Def graphics
Digital audio
added features (picture player, movie player, mp3 player, wi-fi this, down loadable that)

a PC does all of that and then some.



These systems keep going "next gen", but all they're doing is catching up to computers.

You can't ever do what a Wii does without the Wii. You can do what a PS3 does, without the PS3.


you got that baller setup, that's why :wtc:

 

23rd century holodeck

 

The 360 actually already has a lead on the others as far as game support. The plus with the 360 is total control of all media from a central location.

Yeah it launched early but then they had the beta model on the shelves for 3 years so that everyone else would show them what to make, all MS had to do was implement it

PS3 however still has yet to prove itself as a worthy piece of equipment that is worth $600-800 a toss, a price that many see as outrageous. Add to that the issues it has had (though nothing truly major yet) makes it's appeal to the market even less and of course the BluRay which many are holding off on since HDDVD has already fashioned a hold on the market.

Wii...now this is a cool system with a truly unique approach to gaming. The downfall as you have mentioned is the graphics are lacking. The plus is that if the games are truly fun to play then graphics really don't matter all that much some of the funnest games I have played had shitty graphics. The problem though is that is not a consumers way of thinking and it will hurt them at some point.

The other issue they have to contend with is that Nintendo has hurt theselves with their past 2 units (64 and GC) by letting them drop off in game support after only a relativley short period of time. Many consumers will sit back and wait for a year to see where the game support goes with this one as well. A few good launch titles will not hold a system alive for very long.


I dunno I want a Wii, I have a 360 and rarely ever play games on my comp. so I guess in the end it is a question of which console plays the type of games you and your family like to play.

 

With the safety off of course; pending the typical malfunction :chuckles: