Console War - Year 2005 Edition

No_Style · Nov 15, 2004, 02:17 PM

So which console is the best? Is it the newcomer, Microsoft X-Box? Or one of the veterans, Nintendo or Sony? This piece I’m writing is not about who’s better, but primarily about the high profile games (some hidden gems too) and how the games have propelled all three companies forward this year.

So what makes a console good? Is it the hardware? The games? Or both? Well obviously the answer is both, but it leans a lot more towards what titles appear where and when.

This piece of writing will go through some of the highlights and insights I have noticed over the past year which appeared exclusively in their respective consoles..

Microsoft X-Box - It’s good to play together.

Starting the year with the cancellation of the highly anticipated True Fantasy Online, Microsoft X-Box’s counter to Sony’s FFXI, the X-Box was relatively quiet for the first two quarters of the year. Promotion for the X-Box Live! Really started to pick up this year along side Sony’s online campaign. The promotion of online play has been Microsoft’s plus and con. It’s great to be able to play online with a game which has the “X-Box Live!” logo on it, however keep an eye out for some of those titles which don’t actually let you play on “X-Box Live!”, but still have the logo. Some of these titles merely are enabled to notify your X-Box Live! buddies that you’re playing that game or merely allow you to upload your high scores.

Some of this years gems include Fable, an action RPG by the game designer of Black & White for the PC. One of the best (rare) RPGs on the X-Box and it’s definitely worth the pick up if you’re a fan of the genre.

In the action department, who would have guessed that a movie licensed game would actually be good? Especially one from a Vin Diesel movie. Well, this year, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay gave a nice surprise to X-Box owners who were looking for an action game that looked great and played great while they were waiting for biggest bombshell to be dropped in next generation console history. Of course, I’m talking about Halo 2. The sequel to the highly successful Halo, Halo 2 is a refinement update of what made the original Halo great. However, with X-Box Live! now in full swing, Bungie can truly take advantage of online play now.

Here’s a hidden gem for sure. Ever played the original Outrun? Well the sequel is here brought to you by Sega-AM2. Outrun 2 brings classic style gameplay you loved in the original Outrun, but into today’s standards. Sure it’s not as complex as Project Gotham Street Racing, but it’s still fun.

With the war in Iraq going on, some may want to play a game related to this world tragedy. Well Pandemic Studios brings us just that in this action strategy, Full Spectrum Warrior. You control a squad of U.S soldiers through missions in this great looking game. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s worth a rental.

Well, by far the biggest “thing” to hit the X-Box this year landed on November 9th. Halo 2 made over $125 Million on launch day and that’s quite the accomplishment for the duel wielding cyborg.

So that’s all on the software side of things for the X-Box, but how about the hardware? Well for a couple of months, the X-Box began to outsell the PS2 in the U.S. Well what does that say? Either A) A lot of Americans already own a PS2 and don’t need to get one, or B) the X-Box began to pick up momentum. Either way, the console backed up by Microsoft is a force to be reckoned with.

Sony PlayStation 2 - Live in Your World. Play in Ours.

Sony Playstation is by far the leading console in terms of hardware sales. And why is that? Could it be the head start over the other consoles? Could it be its speedy hardware for an affordable price? Or maybe it’s the fact that it had the most high profile exclusives per year?

Any broad gamer, will tell you that the PlayStation 2 has the broadest spectrum of games and the biggest variety to boot. This year is no slouch for the PS2. So let’s get to it.

In the action genre, we have Jak 3, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection, R-Type Final and Maximo vs Army of Zin. All these titles are fun and worthy of rentals. Is it geared towards everybody? No, but they’re definitely worth a look if you’re looking for a good action game for the PS2. Just by pure observation, if you were an SNES gamer, you’ll feel right at home with any one of these games, especially with Street Fighter and R-Type.

Final Fantasy XI kicked off the RPG genre this year for the PS2 in a big way. This game breaks new ground for the PS2. The first MMORPG by the highly successful Square-Enix, cross platform playing (between PC and PS2) and the PS2's first extensive use of the network adapter and HDD expansion. If online RPGs aren’t your thing, give Star Ocean: Til the End of Time a try. It’s definitely one of the longest and deepest RPGs to date. If you’re looking for a worthy RPG that is not from Square Enix give Shadow Hearts: Covenant a look.

Looking for an action adventure with plenty of style? Onimusha 3: Demon Siege brings just that. A solid beat em up, indeed. With the drought of RE due to the exclusive remakes landing on the GC, RE fans may want to take a look at Resident Evil: Outbreak. Definitely worth a try if you have a network adapter and a RE fan.

For the simulation genre, Ace Combat 5 by Namco rises high above for those looking for a flight simulation with a touch of arcade style dog fights in the air.

Well nothing in the racing genre is more anticipated than Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2, but that doesn’t leave ATV Offroad Fury 3 from revving its engines. If you’re a fan of the series, give this one a whirl. If you’re not and looking for something to drive on your PS2 besides your typical car, give this one a test drive.

What do you get when you take WWE wrestling and filter out all the guys and leave just the girls? Rumble Roses. It’s not the greatest game in the world, but if you’re looking for some girl on girl action without resorting to porn, then give this one a rental. So after you’re done doing breaking a sweat playing Rumble Roses, maybe it’ll be best that you get some exercise which doesn’t require you to lock the door. Try the EyeToy: AntiGrav if you own an EyeToy.

Puzzles, Puzzles. Who doesn’t enjoy a good puzzle? If you do, pick up Katamari Damacy. “Katamari Damacy is far and away one of the strangest, most original games to come along in years.”. Keeping up the tradition of DDR on the Sony platforms, Konami also released DDR: Extreme.

This one is definitely for the fans of the series; Square Enix quietly released Front Mission 4 which delivers a satisfactory sci-fi mech based strategy game.

Smaller is better? Well that’s what Sony thinks, and they’ve done so with their new PSTwo.

Still on top of its game, the Sony PlayStation delivers an assortment of fun for gamers this year thus far. With a month and a half left, there are still a few other worthy titles in store for PS2 owners.

Nintendo GameCube - Too Much Fun

A kid’s console. That’s what the GameCube started out like at launch, but like kid the console grows and matures.

What’s a better way to hit puberty with a remake of the classic Metal Gear Solid, with Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes? Looking for a great co-op action game? The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures fits that niche very nicely. The pinnacle of GameCube’s success this year would have to be Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

RPGs on the GameCube have been quite good this year as well. With the recent addition to the Paper Mario franchise, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the RPG is plenty alive in Nintendo land. Other worthy RPG titles include, Tales of Symphonia from Namco, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles from Square Enix and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life from Marvelous.

Looking for some puzzles on the GC? They’re scarce, but a noteworthy one is WarioWare Inc.: Mega Party Game$. Great for group of friends wanting to “party” with Mario’s opposite. Be warned though, if you own WarioWare for the GBA, it’s nearly identical.

Mario and sports go together like peanut butter and jelly. This year, Nintendo released Mario Power Tennis. It’s definitely fun with a group of friends who’re not so savvy with the whole FPS gaming thing.

In the realm of strategy in Nintendo land, nothing tops Nintendo’s Pikmin 2. If you adored the first one, or didn’t find it too appealing, give the sequel another look.

Hardware wise, the Nintendo GameCube remains the same. Nothing overwhelming here.

What’s in store for the future?

At the time of this article, every console has dropped something big. But what about the future? One of Nintendo’s biggest “thunders”, Resident Evil 4, is going to be shared with the PS2. The PS2 has Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Gran Turismo 4 coming. The X-Box has Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.

All three consoles have some steam left before the end of Q1 of next year, some more than others.

Conclusion

So who wins this year? I personally see the Sony PS2 as the winner, but it may be different for you. The PS2's large amount of high profile exclusives is reason enough for me to regard it as the best console, but those exclusives may not be your cup of tea. It all depends on you the gamer and what you like to play.

Warpy · Nov 15, 2004, 04:14 PM

Excellent article... that was a good read.

ericdrum · Nov 15, 2004, 11:23 PM

Since the demise of my beloved Dreamcast, I'm so glad that M$ got into the console business. The competition for Sony really benefits us consumers.

Davisorle · Nov 16, 2004, 12:48 AM

I agree with last reply and thanks to M$ I actually bought a console after 10-12 years since I had an NES! I always thought that Sony was using everything to just make as much money as they could and knowing that a strong console like Xbox was sold for income that Sony would feel sick atracted me! I don't like M$'s empire but I love their console and hopefully they will be reasonable with the next Xbox console!

I feel disapointed that Sega is out of the game (at least for now) and I hope that Nintendo will come out with a better console next time! And not loaded with a buch of little arcade games to have family fun... I rather go to the circus... I have faith in them!

Now about the exclusives I don't like the onld story of GTA anymore... It sucks.. I rather play the first one that was with the 3 different camers in a 2d mode and was something different when it first came out... Devil may Cry won't go any further... And What I have to admit that I was on the console I have (Xbox) is a Final Fantasy that is worth the money for buying original!

But when I have Halo that was the only FPS game that though even worthy playing on a console, a ninja Gaiden that maybe didn't keep me up with it for more than a month, a Fable that unfortunately was small... a Splinter Cell that it came out a year or so after anywhere else and I had triplefinished it... A Ridick or a FUll Spectrum That kept all the building up cause I couldnt get enough of it with my Surround system... And a bunch of other titles that I don't think would give you in a PS 2 and I only had problems when my friends would put that thing on... Forget it

I still can't believe they were selling PS2s for 300$ + ... Worthless

I paid 166Euros if I remember right and it was more than worthy!

About the final results of the thread I dissagree at one point.. If you consider the HUGE empire in the bussines of Sony, the trust that the gamer had for their tittles, exclusive or not, their consoles after being the top for more than 7-8 years now... I would say that M$ is the big winner cause with just their first console they managed to get a Huge audience and funs waiting for their next console within just 2-3 years! I know a lot of people that sold PS 2s to get an Xbox or that They left the PS 2 on the side cause they had from before and using the Xbox only as well! For me it was more than unexpected to see that happening to Sony, loosing so much ground when PS2 was sold way before Xbox and had most of the kids with a console at home already! Not anyone is willing to spend money for more than one console and I do think its worthless... So, acording to all that Sony was just lucky that Xbox wasn't released at the same time with the PS2...

swatX · Nov 17, 2004, 10:39 PM

well if you think about it Sony's PS2 got a year headstart than both M$ xbox and Nintendo's GC and after like 3 years the xbox finally began to pick up the pace and outsell PS2 in AMERICA ! which is really good!

Considering halo2s revenue, this will certainly boost the xboxs pace even more! wheres has Sony Ps2 halo killer game "killzone" went down the drain!

all in all i think xbox is the best console to pick up overall! and its no lag LIVE service is a +

YAYitsAndrew · Nov 18, 2004, 09:20 AM

There's a good puzzle game for all the current gen systems called Egg Mania

amuro · Nov 20, 2004, 05:56 AM

I guess No style is a long time game player too.

Although I "started" with a space invaders type of game on a wrist watch my dad gave me, later the 2600 my friends had, the NES my friends had and later I had. I really consider that I started with the very first gaming console I purchased back when Sonic 2 was given for free if you bought a Sonic 1 pack in SEGA Genesis and with a SNES I also got during that time as well.

On 3d I chose PSX (Playstation circa 1995) and played Ridge Racer and Tekken but I found my way to SEGA Saturn, N64 and Dreamcast.

I am really pissed off that PSX and PS2 killed the 2d genre and worst of all Dreamcast, the best hardcore gaming system since the Saturn.

I was really disappointed that PS2 only has 4MB of vram but only because at some point I became a Mobile Suit Gundam fan (thanks to Dreamcast) did I see myself forced to buy a PS2. I also got VF4evo and since I still hate Sony for what they did, I modded my PS2 and only get copies of games I don't believe in wasting money on (MGSS, Blood Omen, GTASA, etc)

The PS2 is a dissappointment for what it isn't and could have been, a trully powerfull console.

Unfortunately it is on top and all the game developers are making games for it and its even more unfortunate that many of these developers use the PS2 as a base console to make games and later port them with minimal enhancements on more powerfull consoles like GC and XBox.

At least PS2 games have improved into very impressive games but still I hope that PS3 has no mistakes since we are going to be forced to serve under the PS3's default dictatorship, unless Nintendo makes a console with a real DVD drive.

I don't own a GC but I will because of one MS Gundam game called Path of Ace Pilots that I already have and prolly I'll check out the Resident Evil games.

Now XBox to me is where its at, its very satisfying to know that all that is needed is that the game developers are skilled and the games will be great like Halo CE, Halo 2, SW KOTOR, Fable, Splinter Cell, Panzer Dragoon Orta have proven.

However XBox is also a disappointment because many game developers, (specially Japanese) refuse to support the console because of its low user installed base compared to PS2 and also because of bias that helped kill Saturn and Dreamcast.

And that is a shame because I know that some Japanese gamers would really love to have a Gundam FPS on XBox with XBox live and so would I.

Therefore videogame evolution and revolution is suffering because of it, but at least we have Halo and Halo 2.

And at least we will have Star Wars Republic Commando and KOTOR II Sith Lords only on XBox (PC too) with full Dx8 graphical effects like pixel and vertex shaders and enviroment mapped bump mapping, transform and lighting, etc.

I personally don't have a reason to hate Microsoft since I think WinXP Pro is great and I also have and use Win 98se, NT workstation, 2000 Pro and XP Home.

fireball · Nov 20, 2004, 07:24 AM

Very Nice Article...Never knew Mario Power Tennis was out...I loved Mario Tennis 64 on the n64.

Counterfe1t · Nov 20, 2004, 11:49 PM

while it benefits some of the consumers it hurts pcgamers at times where developers crossplatform games resulting in low-res textures which i have been seen a lot of lately.

No_Style · Nov 21, 2004, 01:10 AM

We have to face the fact, not a lot of developers like making games for PC. Two big reasons to consider are:

1) Piracy is much too easy on the PC.
2) Developing for consoles is much more easier in terms of knowing what the hardware specs will be. PCs have way too many variables.

Counterfe1t · Nov 21, 2004, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No_Style

We have to face the fact, not a lot of developers like making games for PC. Two big reasons to consider are:

1) Piracy is much too easy on the PC.
2) Developing for consoles is much more easier in terms of knowing what the hardware specs will be. PCs have way too many variables.

i feel as if pcgamers will become a dying breed if things continue this way.

Senor_Mota · Nov 22, 2004, 06:24 PM

Quote:

i feel as if pcgamers will become a dying breed if things continue this way

Pretty much, yeah. The grip that the console market has upon the U.S. alone and the fact that people want "user-friendly"(which basically means people are just too f*cking stupid or too poor to buy a real PC) computers and consoles these days.

It's like the old saying says - "If you want the rewards without earning them first, the lazy man does twice the work".

Just think about what it's going to be like in five years...

No_Style · Nov 22, 2004, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Counterfe1t

i feel as if pcgamers will become a dying breed if things continue this way.

ATI and nVidia aren't making it easier either. What with the games siding with various types of hardware and all.

ferret2004 · Nov 24, 2004, 01:35 AM

Console wars, blah

I always purchase every new system that comes out, so I pick and choose the best games for each one. However, the GBA SP and the X-box are the ones I favor, and I just got a Nintendo DS and I know that will get lots of play time.

furysfury · Dec 1, 2004, 08:50 AM

whoever wins we consumers will always be the winners as competition gets tough consoles try to outdo their counterparts, as we could see in price reducing on both hardware and games. the games are also improving unlike if there's a console monopoly developers of the specific console can just throw anything to the consumer and due to lack of other titles from diff. console hardcore gamers are forced to buy it.

as for me ps2's getting the lion's share of my attention right now, with mgs3 and gta4 releases.

Nov 15, 2004, 02:17 PM	#1
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,049 Rep Power: 0	Console War - Year 2005 Edition So which console is the best? Is it the newcomer, Microsoft X-Box? Or one of the veterans, Nintendo or Sony? This piece I’m writing is not about who’s better, but primarily about the high profile games (some hidden gems too) and how the games have propelled all three companies forward this year. So what makes a console good? Is it the hardware? The games? Or both? Well obviously the answer is both, but it leans a lot more towards what titles appear where and when. This piece of writing will go through some of the highlights and insights I have noticed over the past year which appeared exclusively in their respective consoles.. Microsoft X-Box - It’s good to play together. Starting the year with the cancellation of the highly anticipated True Fantasy Online, Microsoft X-Box’s counter to Sony’s FFXI, the X-Box was relatively quiet for the first two quarters of the year. Promotion for the X-Box Live! Really started to pick up this year along side Sony’s online campaign. The promotion of online play has been Microsoft’s plus and con. It’s great to be able to play online with a game which has the “X-Box Live!” logo on it, however keep an eye out for some of those titles which don’t actually let you play on “X-Box Live!”, but still have the logo. Some of these titles merely are enabled to notify your X-Box Live! buddies that you’re playing that game or merely allow you to upload your high scores. Some of this years gems include Fable, an action RPG by the game designer of Black & White for the PC. One of the best (rare) RPGs on the X-Box and it’s definitely worth the pick up if you’re a fan of the genre. In the action department, who would have guessed that a movie licensed game would actually be good? Especially one from a Vin Diesel movie. Well, this year, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay gave a nice surprise to X-Box owners who were looking for an action game that looked great and played great while they were waiting for biggest bombshell to be dropped in next generation console history. Of course, I’m talking about Halo 2. The sequel to the highly successful Halo, Halo 2 is a refinement update of what made the original Halo great. However, with X-Box Live! now in full swing, Bungie can truly take advantage of online play now. Here’s a hidden gem for sure. Ever played the original Outrun? Well the sequel is here brought to you by Sega-AM2. Outrun 2 brings classic style gameplay you loved in the original Outrun, but into today’s standards. Sure it’s not as complex as Project Gotham Street Racing, but it’s still fun. With the war in Iraq going on, some may want to play a game related to this world tragedy. Well Pandemic Studios brings us just that in this action strategy, Full Spectrum Warrior. You control a squad of U.S soldiers through missions in this great looking game. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s worth a rental. Well, by far the biggest “thing” to hit the X-Box this year landed on November 9th. Halo 2 made over $125 Million on launch day and that’s quite the accomplishment for the duel wielding cyborg. So that’s all on the software side of things for the X-Box, but how about the hardware? Well for a couple of months, the X-Box began to outsell the PS2 in the U.S. Well what does that say? Either A) A lot of Americans already own a PS2 and don’t need to get one, or B) the X-Box began to pick up momentum. Either way, the console backed up by Microsoft is a force to be reckoned with. Sony PlayStation 2 - Live in Your World. Play in Ours. Sony Playstation is by far the leading console in terms of hardware sales. And why is that? Could it be the head start over the other consoles? Could it be its speedy hardware for an affordable price? Or maybe it’s the fact that it had the most high profile exclusives per year? Any broad gamer, will tell you that the PlayStation 2 has the broadest spectrum of games and the biggest variety to boot. This year is no slouch for the PS2. So let’s get to it. In the action genre, we have Jak 3, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection, R-Type Final and Maximo vs Army of Zin. All these titles are fun and worthy of rentals. Is it geared towards everybody? No, but they’re definitely worth a look if you’re looking for a good action game for the PS2. Just by pure observation, if you were an SNES gamer, you’ll feel right at home with any one of these games, especially with Street Fighter and R-Type. Final Fantasy XI kicked off the RPG genre this year for the PS2 in a big way. This game breaks new ground for the PS2. The first MMORPG by the highly successful Square-Enix, cross platform playing (between PC and PS2) and the PS2's first extensive use of the network adapter and HDD expansion. If online RPGs aren’t your thing, give Star Ocean: Til the End of Time a try. It’s definitely one of the longest and deepest RPGs to date. If you’re looking for a worthy RPG that is not from Square Enix give Shadow Hearts: Covenant a look. Looking for an action adventure with plenty of style? Onimusha 3: Demon Siege brings just that. A solid beat em up, indeed. With the drought of RE due to the exclusive remakes landing on the GC, RE fans may want to take a look at Resident Evil: Outbreak. Definitely worth a try if you have a network adapter and a RE fan. For the simulation genre, Ace Combat 5 by Namco rises high above for those looking for a flight simulation with a touch of arcade style dog fights in the air. Well nothing in the racing genre is more anticipated than Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2, but that doesn’t leave ATV Offroad Fury 3 from revving its engines. If you’re a fan of the series, give this one a whirl. If you’re not and looking for something to drive on your PS2 besides your typical car, give this one a test drive. What do you get when you take WWE wrestling and filter out all the guys and leave just the girls? Rumble Roses. It’s not the greatest game in the world, but if you’re looking for some girl on girl action without resorting to porn, then give this one a rental. So after you’re done doing breaking a sweat playing Rumble Roses, maybe it’ll be best that you get some exercise which doesn’t require you to lock the door. Try the EyeToy: AntiGrav if you own an EyeToy. Puzzles, Puzzles. Who doesn’t enjoy a good puzzle? If you do, pick up Katamari Damacy. “Katamari Damacy is far and away one of the strangest, most original games to come along in years.”. Keeping up the tradition of DDR on the Sony platforms, Konami also released DDR: Extreme. This one is definitely for the fans of the series; Square Enix quietly released Front Mission 4 which delivers a satisfactory sci-fi mech based strategy game. Smaller is better? Well that’s what Sony thinks, and they’ve done so with their new PSTwo. Still on top of its game, the Sony PlayStation delivers an assortment of fun for gamers this year thus far. With a month and a half left, there are still a few other worthy titles in store for PS2 owners. Nintendo GameCube - Too Much Fun A kid’s console. That’s what the GameCube started out like at launch, but like kid the console grows and matures. What’s a better way to hit puberty with a remake of the classic Metal Gear Solid, with Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes? Looking for a great co-op action game? The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures fits that niche very nicely. The pinnacle of GameCube’s success this year would have to be Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. RPGs on the GameCube have been quite good this year as well. With the recent addition to the Paper Mario franchise, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the RPG is plenty alive in Nintendo land. Other worthy RPG titles include, Tales of Symphonia from Namco, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles from Square Enix and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life from Marvelous. Looking for some puzzles on the GC? They’re scarce, but a noteworthy one is WarioWare Inc.: Mega Party Game$. Great for group of friends wanting to “party” with Mario’s opposite. Be warned though, if you own WarioWare for the GBA, it’s nearly identical. Mario and sports go together like peanut butter and jelly. This year, Nintendo released Mario Power Tennis. It’s definitely fun with a group of friends who’re not so savvy with the whole FPS gaming thing. In the realm of strategy in Nintendo land, nothing tops Nintendo’s Pikmin 2. If you adored the first one, or didn’t find it too appealing, give the sequel another look. Hardware wise, the Nintendo GameCube remains the same. Nothing overwhelming here. What’s in store for the future? At the time of this article, every console has dropped something big. But what about the future? One of Nintendo’s biggest “thunders”, Resident Evil 4, is going to be shared with the PS2. The PS2 has Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Gran Turismo 4 coming. The X-Box has Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. All three consoles have some steam left before the end of Q1 of next year, some more than others. Conclusion So who wins this year? I personally see the Sony PS2 as the winner, but it may be different for you. The PS2's large amount of high profile exclusives is reason enough for me to regard it as the best console, but those exclusives may not be your cup of tea. It all depends on you the gamer and what you like to play. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here Last edited by No_Style; Nov 25, 2004 at 02:22 PM.

Nov 15, 2004, 04:14 PM	#2
Warpy DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: USA Posts: 2,772 Rep Power: 0	Excellent article... that was a good read. __________________ The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Nov 15, 2004, 11:23 PM	#3
ericdrum DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: The SLC Posts: 149 Rep Power: 0	Since the demise of my beloved Dreamcast, I'm so glad that M$ got into the console business. The competition for Sony really benefits us consumers. __________________ AMD Athlon 64 3500+ MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum nForce3 Ultra 2 gig Corsair XMS 3200 eVGA 6800 GT SB Audigy2 w/ KX Project Drivers 2-80 gig Western Digital SATA 7200 RAID 0 200 GB Seagate Barricuda 7200 for Storage Ultra Xconnect 500W Power Supply Windows XP SP2 Antec P160W case

Nov 16, 2004, 12:48 AM	#4
Davisorle DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: USA CA Posts: 134 Rep Power: 0	I agree with last reply and thanks to M$ I actually bought a console after 10-12 years since I had an NES! I always thought that Sony was using everything to just make as much money as they could and knowing that a strong console like Xbox was sold for income that Sony would feel sick atracted me! I don't like M$'s empire but I love their console and hopefully they will be reasonable with the next Xbox console! I feel disapointed that Sega is out of the game (at least for now) and I hope that Nintendo will come out with a better console next time! And not loaded with a buch of little arcade games to have family fun... I rather go to the circus... I have faith in them! Now about the exclusives I don't like the onld story of GTA anymore... It sucks.. I rather play the first one that was with the 3 different camers in a 2d mode and was something different when it first came out... Devil may Cry won't go any further... And What I have to admit that I was on the console I have (Xbox) is a Final Fantasy that is worth the money for buying original! But when I have Halo that was the only FPS game that though even worthy playing on a console, a ninja Gaiden that maybe didn't keep me up with it for more than a month, a Fable that unfortunately was small... a Splinter Cell that it came out a year or so after anywhere else and I had triplefinished it... A Ridick or a FUll Spectrum That kept all the building up cause I couldnt get enough of it with my Surround system... And a bunch of other titles that I don't think would give you in a PS 2 and I only had problems when my friends would put that thing on... Forget it I still can't believe they were selling PS2s for 300$ + ... Worthless I paid 166Euros if I remember right and it was more than worthy! About the final results of the thread I dissagree at one point.. If you consider the HUGE empire in the bussines of Sony, the trust that the gamer had for their tittles, exclusive or not, their consoles after being the top for more than 7-8 years now... I would say that M$ is the big winner cause with just their first console they managed to get a Huge audience and funs waiting for their next console within just 2-3 years! I know a lot of people that sold PS 2s to get an Xbox or that They left the PS 2 on the side cause they had from before and using the Xbox only as well! For me it was more than unexpected to see that happening to Sony, loosing so much ground when PS2 was sold way before Xbox and had most of the kids with a console at home already! Not anyone is willing to spend money for more than one console and I do think its worthless... So, acording to all that Sony was just lucky that Xbox wasn't released at the same time with the PS2... __________________ P4 2.8Ghz HT - ASUS P4C800 DELUXE - AIW 9800 PRO 128Mb - CORSAIR XMS 512MB DUAL CHANNEL ( 256 x 2 ) - MAXTOR 120GB 8MB + MAXTOR 60GB 8MB(RAID ?) - SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY 2 Last edited by Davisorle; Nov 16, 2004 at 01:00 AM.

Nov 17, 2004, 10:39 PM	#5
swatX ba\|\\|\\|ed Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 635 Rep Power: 0	well if you think about it Sony's PS2 got a year headstart than both M$ xbox and Nintendo's GC and after like 3 years the xbox finally began to pick up the pace and outsell PS2 in AMERICA ! which is really good! Considering halo2s revenue, this will certainly boost the xboxs pace even more! wheres has Sony Ps2 halo killer game "killzone" went down the drain! all in all i think xbox is the best console to pick up overall! and its no lag LIVE service is a + __________________ thx stick for the sig

Nov 18, 2004, 09:20 AM	#6
YAYitsAndrew Anti-Piracy Poster Boy Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,583 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	There's a good puzzle game for all the current gen systems called Egg Mania __________________ "It is because the resistance to paying for copyrighted material, although often characterized as arising from a supposed technical burden or principled concern for the public interest, arises rather from exactly the same segment of the brain that is dominant in shoplifters." - Mark Helprin, Digital Barbarism So you think piracy isn't hurting anyone? www.yayitsandrew.com

Nov 20, 2004, 05:56 AM	#7
amuro DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 147 Rep Power: 0	I guess No style is a long time game player too. Although I "started" with a space invaders type of game on a wrist watch my dad gave me, later the 2600 my friends had, the NES my friends had and later I had. I really consider that I started with the very first gaming console I purchased back when Sonic 2 was given for free if you bought a Sonic 1 pack in SEGA Genesis and with a SNES I also got during that time as well. On 3d I chose PSX (Playstation circa 1995) and played Ridge Racer and Tekken but I found my way to SEGA Saturn, N64 and Dreamcast. I am really pissed off that PSX and PS2 killed the 2d genre and worst of all Dreamcast, the best hardcore gaming system since the Saturn. I was really disappointed that PS2 only has 4MB of vram but only because at some point I became a Mobile Suit Gundam fan (thanks to Dreamcast) did I see myself forced to buy a PS2. I also got VF4evo and since I still hate Sony for what they did, I modded my PS2 and only get copies of games I don't believe in wasting money on (MGSS, Blood Omen, GTASA, etc) The PS2 is a dissappointment for what it isn't and could have been, a trully powerfull console. Unfortunately it is on top and all the game developers are making games for it and its even more unfortunate that many of these developers use the PS2 as a base console to make games and later port them with minimal enhancements on more powerfull consoles like GC and XBox. At least PS2 games have improved into very impressive games but still I hope that PS3 has no mistakes since we are going to be forced to serve under the PS3's default dictatorship, unless Nintendo makes a console with a real DVD drive. I don't own a GC but I will because of one MS Gundam game called Path of Ace Pilots that I already have and prolly I'll check out the Resident Evil games. Now XBox to me is where its at, its very satisfying to know that all that is needed is that the game developers are skilled and the games will be great like Halo CE, Halo 2, SW KOTOR, Fable, Splinter Cell, Panzer Dragoon Orta have proven. However XBox is also a disappointment because many game developers, (specially Japanese) refuse to support the console because of its low user installed base compared to PS2 and also because of bias that helped kill Saturn and Dreamcast. And that is a shame because I know that some Japanese gamers would really love to have a Gundam FPS on XBox with XBox live and so would I. Therefore videogame evolution and revolution is suffering because of it, but at least we have Halo and Halo 2. And at least we will have Star Wars Republic Commando and KOTOR II Sith Lords only on XBox (PC too) with full Dx8 graphical effects like pixel and vertex shaders and enviroment mapped bump mapping, transform and lighting, etc. I personally don't have a reason to hate Microsoft since I think WinXP Pro is great and I also have and use Win 98se, NT workstation, 2000 Pro and XP Home. __________________ Intel PIII 1Ghz Slot 1 Intel VC820 P18 Bios 133Mhz FSB 256 PC600 ECC RDRAM Matrox G400 Max 32MB SGRAM AGP4X Rev A modded for AGP 4X enabled Official Matrox Bios update Default Matrox clock speed Win98 SE DirectX6.1a XBox Tech Specs: http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1561&p=1

Nov 20, 2004, 07:24 AM	#8
fireball DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 2,899 Rep Power: 0	Very Nice Article...Never knew Mario Power Tennis was out...I loved Mario Tennis 64 on the n64. __________________ [color=gray][/color]

Nov 20, 2004, 11:49 PM	#9
Counterfe1t DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 440 Rep Power: 0	while it benefits some of the consumers it hurts pcgamers at times where developers crossplatform games resulting in low-res textures which i have been seen a lot of lately. __________________

Nov 21, 2004, 01:10 AM	#10
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,049 Rep Power: 0	We have to face the fact, not a lot of developers like making games for PC. Two big reasons to consider are: 1) Piracy is much too easy on the PC. 2) Developing for consoles is much more easier in terms of knowing what the hardware specs will be. PCs have way too many variables. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here

Nov 24, 2004, 01:35 AM	#14
ferret2004 DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 278 Rep Power: 32	Console wars, blah I always purchase every new system that comes out, so I pick and choose the best games for each one. However, the GBA SP and the X-box are the ones I favor, and I just got a Nintendo DS and I know that will get lots of play time.

Dec 1, 2004, 08:50 AM	#15
furysfury DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	whoever wins we consumers will always be the winners as competition gets tough consoles try to outdo their counterparts, as we could see in price reducing on both hardware and games. the games are also improving unlike if there's a console monopoly developers of the specific console can just throw anything to the consumer and due to lack of other titles from diff. console hardcore gamers are forced to buy it. as for me ps2's getting the lion's share of my attention right now, with mgs3 and gta4 releases.