Xbox, Playstation or Wii?

[L.J.]

Tons of fun. I just can't stop playing. After I finish one game, I just start a new one. There are so many weapons, gadgets and devices. It's fun to try them each out in deferent situations. I love the disco ball. Throw it out and everyone stops fighting and starts dancing. At one time in the game, I turned everyone into dancing penguins. First a got a message saying that I got bonus points for "happy feet" then it gave me more bonus points for "a chorus line." Then when I smoked them with my flame thrower, I got more bonus points for "disco inferno." The game is really a trip. At one point another character says, "Oh, it's you two? I didn't recognize you in high def."

Nice list of games there.

Yeah I'll have to take a closer look at that one. I will probably be picking up Time Crisis 4 soon. I was hoping it would drop in price but I doubt it. Using the light gun should be pretty fun. No need to go to the arcade anymore.

[GMichael]

Yeah I'll have to take a closer look at that one. I will probably be picking up Time Crisis 4 soon. I was hoping it would drop in price but I doubt it. Using the light gun should be pretty fun. No need to go to the arcade anymore.

Wow, that does look cool. Wifey might like that one. She loves shooting things.

[ForeverAutumn]

GM, congrats on 7000K man.

Okay, after talking to you guys, another friend of mine, on-line research and a trip to Future Shop during my lunch break, here's where things stand...

I was considering the PS2 due to the substantially lower cost. However, a friend of mine talked me out of it. His reasoning was that if I'm going to invest at least $300 in Rock Band and Dance Revolution then I should spend the extra money to get the better system to play them on. He didn't think that I should invest in a system that is already outdated as I would have to upgrade in the long run anyway. He also found out for me that the PS2 version of Rock Band is a stripped down version of the PS3 one. If the PS2 game is stripped down, is that a sign of things to come? So, out goes PS2.

I ruled out Wii for now because it's sold out everywhere anyway. The guy at Future Shop said that it's hard to find games and accessories for it as everything sells out as soon as they get stock in. I don't want a console that I can't get games for (assuming that I can even find the console!).

Xbox is a contender, but if I'm going to spend that kind of cash then I might as well get a Blu-Ray player with it for the same price. It becomes a "bang for the buck" issue at this point.

So, it comes down to the PS3 I think. If that's the case then the next decision is 40GB or 80GB.

I'm cool with two USB ports since it seems that you only need them to charge the controllers. I don't see myself storing a lot of media on the system and the card slots aren't a big deal to me. So, it would appear that the biggest difference between the two units is the ability to play PS2 games. So the new question is this...

Is there any reason that I might want to buy a PS2 game over a PS3 game so that compatibility would be important to me?

The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.

[Rich-n-Texas]

7000K. And I just bought new glasses too... GM, you REALLY need to find more outdoor activities!

[GMichael]

GM, congrats on 7000K man.



The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.

Thanks,

$120? 499 - 399 = 120? Are the prices different in Ca?

The 80 does come with a game called Motorstorm. It's an off road racing game that I've enjoyed very much. But you could still buy it for $60 if you decide you want it.
No SACD's on the 40G either.
Other than that, you've got it.

[kexodusc]

Xbox is a contender, but if I'm going to spend that kind of cash then I might as well get a Blu-Ray player with it for the same price. It becomes a "bang for the buck" issue at this point.

So, it comes down to the PS3 I think. If that's the case then the next decision is 40GB or 80GB.

I'm cool with two USB ports since it seems that you only need them to charge the controllers. I don't see myself storing a lot of media on the system and the card slots aren't a big deal to me. So, it would appear that the biggest difference between the two units is the ability to play PS2 games. So the new question is this...

Is there any reason that I might want to buy a PS2 game over a PS3 game so that compatibility would be important to me?

The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.

Bingo - I dont' think there's a compelling reason for you to nab the extra 40 GB unit. Maybe our PS3 buffs here can persuade me...er...you...to get one though?

I'm looking at a $100 price tag difference and thinking if I fill 40 GB, I'm going to fill 80 GB just as fast and probably use my computer's hard drive (or alternative storage) anyway?

[GMichael]

7000K. And I just bought new glasses too... GM, you REALLY need to find more outdoor activities!

Sold my Harley to buy AV equipment.

[GMichael]

Bingo - I dont' think there's a compelling reason for you to nab the extra 40 GB unit. Maybe our PS3 buffs here can persuade me...er...you...to get one though?

I'm looking at a $100 price tag difference and thinking if I fill 40 GB, I'm going to fill 80 GB just as fast and probably use my computer's hard drive (or alternative storage) anyway?

I've read that the drives in PS3's can be easily replaced with mega drives. There are a few threads about it over on AV forms.

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks,

$120? 499 - 399 = 120? Are the prices different in Ca?

That's right. It's Canadian Math born out off all those years of calculating why things are more expensive in Canada than they are in the US.

Actually, Best Buy has the 40GB on sale for $379 thus the $120 savings.

So it looks like the PS3 40GB just might be the one. The SACD would be nice to have but it's not a deal breaker since I'm eventually going to upgrade my whole audio system and will likely get an SACD/CD player at that time. I'd rather use the saved cash for the second controller.

Thanks for all your input guys. It was a big help! I'm going to pop into Best Buy on my way to the gym tonight and hopefully they'll have one in stock. The great thing about BB is that I can play for 14 days and then return it if I decide on something different. Maybe I'll rent a couple of games before buying anything...just in case.

[L.J.]

It's been about a year and I have 38g's filled out of 60. Some of that I could clear off though, but my kid likes to play some of the free demos(some of these demos take up almost 1gb) so I leave them on there. Another year from now I might be in trouble. I have alot of stuff stored on my PS3 and may have to move it onto my 500g HD and stream it or pop a new HD in my PS3.

I've purchased a few PS2 games but I actually don't play PS2 games on my PS3 as much as I thought I would. I have a PS2 up front so the games just get played up there.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Sold my Harley to buy AV equipment.

Sold my pool table to buy AV equipment.

It's too bad they haven't created a console - PC platform yet.

[GMichael]

That's right. It's Canadian Math born out off all those years of calculating why things are more expensive in Canada than they are in the US.

Actually, Best Buy has the 40GB on sale for $379 thus the $120 savings.

So it looks like the PS3 40GB just might be the one. The SACD would be nice to have but it's not a deal breaker since I'm eventually going to upgrade my whole audio system and will likely get an SACD/CD player at that time. I'd rather use the saved cash for the second controller.

Thanks for all your input guys. It was a big help! I'm going to pop into Best Buy on my way to the gym tonight and hopefully they'll have one in stock. The great thing about BB is that I can play for 14 days and then return it if I decide on something different. Maybe I'll rent a couple of games before buying anything...just in case.

One? Hopefully they'll have ONE?
Last time I was there they were stacked high as h.ll!

Glad you were able to choose. I'm sure you'll love it for many years.
Now, what games do you have in mind?

[GMichael]

Sold my pool table to buy AV equipment.

It's too bad they haven't created a console - PC platform yet.

Must have been a nice table. My table wouldn't bring in enough to be worth selling it. Maybe that's a good thing.

I have a dream! And in my dream, I see PCers, Xboxers and PS3ers playing online with each other without any issues.

[ForeverAutumn]

One? Hopefully they'll have ONE?
Last time I was there they were stacked high as h.ll!

Glad you were able to choose. I'm sure you'll love it for many years.
Now, what games do you have in mind?

Well, once I've recovered from dropping $500 on the PS3 I'll buy the Rock Band bundle...it's about $200 bucks. Hubby is a drummer and I play guitar so I figure that we'll have some fun jamming with that one. On New Year's Eve we played Dance Dance Revolution at a friend's house and it was a good cardio workout, so I plan on buying that one pretty soon. It's hard to find fun ways to do cardio in the winter. That was actually what finally tipped my decision to buy one of these things (I've been thinking about it for a while but not taking the plunge).

As for other games, I'm not sure yet. I'll probably pick up a couple of cheap games to fool around with while I do some research on which are the games that I really want. Any suggestions? Nothing too bloody please. I don't like games that are violent but I do like to blow things up!!!

[GMichael]

I haven't played all that many games to be able to say, "this one is better than that one." But I do love this Ratchet and Clank game. You get to blow things up all through it. There's no blood of any kind. The hero is a cute cat. It will make you jump, scream and laugh. (not always in that order) I've played it for hours and hours and still haven't tired of it.

I've heard good things about Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. It's on my short list.

[L.J.]

Once you get online, you can download plenty of free game demos so you can give them a try before you go out to purchase them.

[GMichael]

Once you get online, you can download plenty of free game demos so you can give them a try before you go out to purchase them.

That's it! I'm ordering a 50 foot cable to start downloading.
Is this the right cable? http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[L.J.]

So there's no wifi in the 40g? You haven't been on the PSN network yet?

If not, yeah that's the cable.

[GMichael]

So there's no wifi in the 40g? You haven't been on the PSN network yet?

If not, yeah that's the cable.

I have the 80. I'm sure it does have the wifi, but the cable is cheaper. I'll upgrade later when I can.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if this was the same as the ethernet the PS3 uses or not.

[ForeverAutumn]

After talking to a guy in Best Buy, I'm thinking that Xbox might have better games for me. ARRRRGH!!!

Or I could just forget the whole damn thing and put the money towards a new guitar. I fell in love with a Taylor guitar made of Hawaiian Koa over the weekend. Shhhh. Don't tell my Hubby!

[audio_dude]

haha, autumn, you've got some expensive tastes!

Good choice not getting a PS2...that thing is almost 10 years old.

I've got a Wii, bought it at the local...GROCERY STORE. yep, thats right.

I'm in ottawa, so I know your price gripes
but anyways, if you ever want a wii, make sure to look in the places everyone else forgets to, such as grocery store electronic sections, those sort of things.

Oh, and it's post boxing week that means everthing wii is sold out, stock will even out in a couple weeks.

[kexodusc]

After talking to a guy in Best Buy, I'm thinking that Xbox might have better games for me. ARRRRGH!!!

Or I could just forget the whole damn thing and put the money towards a new guitar. I fell in love with a Taylor guitar made of Hawaiian Koa over the weekend. Shhhh. Don't tell my Hubby!

LOL!
This is exactly what happened to me.

I'm a big Halo and Star Wars nut, and those games were exclusive to the Xbox. Through in Mass Effect, Bioshock, Call of Duty, and it just became an insurmountable lead.
This coming from a guy who might play 5-10 hrs per week if he's not on the road.

For me, I wasn't in a rush to buy the BluRay player, and since my receiver doesn't have HDMI, I want (and need) a fully separate BluRay player anyway with analog 7.1 audio output. I'm not getting an HDMI receiver until the industry figures out what it's doing with it. You can always get the PS3 later.

As for games you might like, FA, hockey, maybe that Scene It game. Hmmm, throw some out there fellas. My wife is addicted to Viva Pinata. There's a few good racing games...

[ForeverAutumn]

haha, autumn, you've got some expensive tastes!

Are you referring to the guitar that is the current love of my life? I was supposed to be out test driving cars, but I passed the music store on the way to the Mazda dealer and decided to pop in and see what was on sale for Boxing Day. ...I never made it to the Mazda dealer. But its going to take a much deeper discount than the boxing day sale before I can afford that guitar.

[ForeverAutumn]

LOL!
This is exactly what happened to me.

I'm a big Halo and Star Wars nut, and those games were exclusive to the Xbox. Through in Mass Effect, Bioshock, Call of Duty, and it just became an insurmountable lead.
This coming from a guy who might play 5-10 hrs per week if he's not on the road.

For me, I wasn't in a rush to buy the BluRay player, and since my receiver doesn't have HDMI, I want (and need) a fully separate BluRay player anyway with analog 7.1 audio output. I'm not getting an HDMI receiver until the industry figures out what it's doing with it. You can always get the PS3 later.

As for games you might like, FA, hockey, maybe that Scene It game. Hmmm, throw some out there fellas. My wife is addicted to Viva Pinata. There's a few good racing games...

That's how I feel about the Blu-Ray player. We really don't use our DVD player much so upgrading to a Blu-Ray player that I won't use isn't a big deal. The game selection is much more important and the PS3 games, for the most part, seem to be very dark and violent. I'm more a Super Mario or Crash kind of girl...much better selection of light, family-type games on Xbox.

Did you get the 360 or the Arcade? Again, there's about a $120 difference and I'm trying to figure out whether I can get away with the Arcade version.

[kexodusc]

That's how I feel about the Blu-Ray player. We really don't use our DVD player much so upgrading to a Blu-Ray player that I won't use isn't a big deal. The game selection is much more important and the PS3 games, for the most part, seem to be very dark and violent. I'm more a Super Mario or Crash kind of girl...much better selection of light, family-type games on Xbox.

Did you get the 360 or the Arcade? Again, there's about a $120 difference and I'm trying to figure out whether I can get away with the Arcade version.

Originally, my mother in law bought it for me as a b-day gift. I was working out of town so never had a chance to open it. When I got home, Futureshop had a deal on the above bundle, at the time they threw in Guitar Hero II with the guitar controller free. So I exchanged the old unit for this one:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...0095080&catid=

They aren't giving away Guitar Hero 2 with it anymore though.

I've put in some time on the Forza 2 racing game, but I haven't touched the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance game yet. Just been busy with some other games, I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. Unless you're a comic nut, I don't think it's a must have game.

I'd be inclined to get the Pro bundle or whatever comes with a hard drive - that turns the xbox into more of a multimedia device, you might find yourself renting movies from Xbox LIve or downloading Pac Man or some other cool games from the past. You can always trade the 2 included games for store credit somewhere. Might not get a lot for them, but the hard drive is a must I think.

You'll probably want a controller battery pack and charger for the wireless controllers too so you arent' buying Energizers every few weeks. That'll be $30 for each controller you buy.
My wife bought LEGO Star Wars for me about a week later. That's a blast if you're a fan of Star Wars at all.