[Completly OT] Xbox or PS2?

[Sir Edgar]

Honestly, I can't make a decision yet. At the beginning of my original post, I was leaning towards an Xbox. But by the end, you can see I start leaning towards a PS2.

For me, here are the biggest strengths of each:

PS2: GTA3 & Vice City, Okage, Dark Cloud, Jak & Daxter, etc.

Xbox: DVD, newer, better graphics, DOA3, Jet Set Radio Future.

So, basically, it's all about the games on the PS2, while the Xbox has the better DVD and graphics with a few good games. I don't intend on buying a whole bunch of games, but I guess I could get the PS2 and a DVD player on the side if the PS2 DVD player sucks.

Maybe, I'll start a couple of new threads to see what are people's all-time favorite PS2 and Xbox games, respectively. It's hard to tell from those review sites and I'm curious to get the perspective of people like me who play D&D and d20 games.

 

[Sir Edgar]

Just a few comments.If you find that you have got a PS2 that doesn't play some DVDs, you can just pull out the warranty and have it replaced.Probably. But I second Tsyr on not betting the farm. If Sony is really serious on the announced PS3 architecture... making that backwards compatible would be a pain.

Yeah, but how many DVDs do you think I'll play before I know the PS2 DVD player is not that good and the warranty expires? Sure, if I play a couple of DVDs and it's no good I'll return it. But if I think it's working well and then down the road, a couple of DVDs I really want to play don't work, then it sucks.

As for the PS3, I guess I shouldn't worry too much. I sold my PS One prematurely and then never bought the PS2. So, I didn't have any games for a long while. If I buy a PS3, it will be long after the release date.

But now I'm moving towards the Xbox again because I can play a few good games and the graphics ARE better on some games. The DVD player is a big issue, too.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

3. fighting games.

Tekken IMO is the ebst of the lot and it is for PS2 for the 2d gaming crowd there are Capcom games a pelnty on the PS2 and some I think made it too X-Box(only one I like is Mutant accademy because I'm a X-Men fan) But don't count out DOA3 it is a really solid game. My big problem is that the game eventually seems to revolve around reversals(can't rememebr the DOA term for it but when someone turns your attack around and you take damage) every character has them(which I like) but they are so dang effective too many games I've seen and played are people seeing who gets bored 1st and attacks, and therefore takes insane punsihment for it.(not nearly as bad as DOA2 though) Still overall it is a good fighting game. But IMO not even close t as good ad Tekken 4.





Zelda: Is this just a rehash of the N64 game. Even though it rocked and took me forever to beat, I really don't need or want a spiffier version of it.

 

[Tsyr]

My big problem is that the game eventually seems to revolve around reversals(can't rememebr the DOA term for it but when someone turns your attack around and you take damage) every character has them(which I like) but they are so dang effective too many games I've seen and played are people seeing who gets bored 1st and attacks, and therefore takes insane punsihment for it

Counters.

They basicly exist for one thing: As a fix for two-move wonders. You know the type... finds one or two cheap moves and does them over and over to kill people. I have a couple friends who can't hardly score a hit on me... when they do, it's because I mis-timed my counter a tad... because they only seem to know one or two moves. Of the 80+ each character has (It ranges from, I think, around 82 to about 120, depending on the character), they only ever seem to use one or two. As a result, countering them is really easy...

But that's the thing. You can't counter blindly. You have to have an idea what you are countering. If you find a person has started to counter your chest punches, do a leg sweep followed by a kick to the head. Mix those up a couple times, and they won't have a clue what to counter next .

They also make "super moves" like wind-up punches and so forth a bit harder to pull off, since you can be prepared for them... you have to time them alot better now.

I like counters. They add a new edge to the game.

 

[Ristamar]

...while the Xbox has the better DVD and graphics with a few good games. I don't intend on buying a whole bunch of games, but I guess I could get the PS2 and a DVD player on the side...

I'm sure this will sound a bit strange, but you don't buy a toaster with a bacon-cooking hybrid attachment if what you really want is bacon and don't care much about the toast...

A console system is nothing without its games. Potential means nothing without proper application. Extras, such as a DVD player, are merely that... extra. They're fluff. They don't mean squat if the games suck, and unless you have the proper equipment (HDTV capabilities, surround sound speakers, etc.), add little to nothing to the gaming experience. And even if you do have a hi-tech setup, the games still take precedence by far.

Considering DVD players are so cheap in price now, and the built-in DVD's in consoles are just plain cheap, you shouldn't worry about DVD playback unless you're on an extremely tight budget or are severely lacking in space. And don't kid yourself... you are paying for that built-in DVD player in the final cost. Nothing comes for free.

Games. Games. Games. It can't be said enough. That should be the primary focus of your decision when buying a console. If, and only if, you still can't tip the scales in any one direction by looking at the available and upcoming titles should you start looking at the fluff.

And don't let 'newer, better graphics' fool you. While I can't deny that the XBOX is the most powerful console on the market and multiplatform titles generally look a bit better on XBOX, there isn't much being done graphically that irrevocably outshines even the 'dated' PS2, let alone the Gamecube. Perhaps in the future XBOX titles will make that extra step, but as of yet, the games in the XBOX library aren't sporting revolutionary graphics.

I'm not trying to bring down the 'BOX or pump up the PS2. I just want to make sure you focus on what is important on consoles. The games. If DVD is truly that important to you, you'd likely be better served by purchasing a separate DVD player.

 

[shadowlight]

XBox DVD

I had a DVD player that I really liked when I bought my XBox, but in October there was a rebate making the DVD kit essentially free so I picked it up. It works GREAT! After using it a few times I gave my DVD player to my kids and I just use the XBox now. It's an added benefit that I really hadn't expected, and it's nice to have one fewer machine in my entertainment center. I've never had any problems watching DVDs (and I watch a LOT).

But when it comes down to it, it IS about the games: Halo, Burnout, MechAssault, Project Gotham Racing, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Dragon's Lair 3D, weeehaw!!

 

[Psionicist]

Honestly, why X-box? X-box is just a, in todays terms, worthless computer without that many games. I would get a Playstation 2 any day over the X-box. More and better games (Can you say Square?), it's cheaper and so on.

 

[Tsyr]

Honestly, why X-box? X-box is just a, in todays terms, worthless computer

So is a PS2.

Your point?

 

[BadMojo]

I just went through a situation similiar to Lord Vangarel's. It was a tough decision, but I will be getting an Xbox this holiday season.

I finally made my decision based on the strength of the Xbox's hardware and Xbox Live. It seems like most of the A-List titles are now coming out on both PS2 & Xbox, so I'm not really worried about missing out on the hottest, new games (except the GTA series, which doesn't really interest me). I don't have any PS1 games, so backward compatability isn't an issue for me.

The Playstation 2 definitely has a larger library of games, but I don't have the time/money to buy or rent a ton of games. From what I've been seeing in the game commercials on TV, I'm sure there will be plenty of Xbox titles to keep me busy. Also, hundreds of additional games don't really do me much good if I have zero interest in 99% of them. I tend to be a fairly discriminate game buyer, so I probably won't buy more than 12 games/year.

Of course, the perfect solution would be to buy an Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube. Anyone care to donate some money to the cause?

I have a strange feeling that this discussion will, at some point, start getting ugly, and that's a real shame. It's not easy to get good, unbiased advise on console gaming, and $200 is a lot to spend on something (for me, at least).

 

[trancejeremy]

Really, all consoles are worth buying, because even the worst have many good games. With the possible exception of the 3d0.


But I could only afford one, and I got a PS2 for basically 3 reasons. Gran Turismo 3, Vice City, and the fact that there's a whole bunch of decent to great cheap games (around $20 new), since I can't really afford many $50 games.

Vice City is so much like my dreams it's scary. It's the greatest game I've ever played (and I used to have a pong console, so I've been playing video games for 25 years or so). It's so utterly amazing. Granted, I'm a big miami vice fan, and I used to live in Florida. So I probably like it more than most people. But it's amazing. It's fun to just drive around and listen to the radio.

OTOH, if you like FPSes or Mech Games, the Xbox is probably the best choice. (Though Ring of Red for the PS2 is pretty cool. More of a strategy game than a mech game, though)