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General discussion

Thinking about getting a PS3, input please

Jul 10, 2007 12:29AM PDT

I'm asking here because discussions on this topic on traditional gaming websites (gamespot etc.) turn into shouting matches bewteen xbox and sony fans.
I currently have an xbox 360 premium and with the recent PS3 price drop, I am considering trading in/selling my 360 and buying PS3, or just buying a PS3 and playing both. I like the PS3' included blu-ray player (seems like blu-ray is winning and here to stay), web-browser and free online play. A couple questions:

1. How good is the online play? I've read that xbox live is regarded as a superioir service with a very active community. I enjoy xbox live but don't play it a ton (but still enjoy using it), and if the PS network was similar in quality I'd like to avoid the xbox live fees.

2. How good is the blu-ray player/ other media features? Part of the reason I want the PS3 is to have a full service media center for movies, pictures, music etc. However, if the quality of the Blu-ray player is sub-par, or will be vastly outdated in the next few years the purchase does not seem worth it.

3. Will the PS3 have good game development in the future?

4. How much trade in value would the 360 have at a store? How much could it be sold for on ebay?

Thanks a ton. Please add if there are othings things you feel should be addressed.

Discussion is locked

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A few answers
Jul 10, 2007 2:29AM PDT

I don't know how well the online play is, I don't really go in for that sort of thing personally.

I will say that I wouldn't really use a game console as a DVD player as well unless you had no other choice. The PS3's player is going to be pretty basic and no-frills. But stand alone blu-ray players will be coming down in price in the not too distant future, and will quickly become much cheaper than a PS3. However, only the PS3 will play PS3 games, so once the laser starts to go on the optical drive...

It's impossible to say what game development will be like. Sony is planning quite a few releases for next year, but how many of those will be any good is anyone's guess. Most will probably be very pretty, but be a complete disaster in terms of gameplay, just like with the last gen consoles.

As for the resale value of a 360... It all depends on the demand for used units. One store could have a waiting list a mile long for used 360s, and trade in values would be high. A store down the street might be having problems moving the used units it has already, so trade in values would be low. Ebay is kind of the same thing. If there are a lot of people selling 360s, but not many people looking, it may not sell for much, or at all. If you have few units being sold, and a lot of people looking, it's a different story. It's all basic supply and demand from high school economics.

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thanks for your input...
Jul 10, 2007 4:25AM PDT

"I will say that I wouldn't really use a game console as a DVD player as well unless you had no other choice. The PS3's player is going to be pretty basic and no-frills. But stand alone blu-ray players will be coming down in price in the not too distant future, and will quickly become much cheaper than a PS3. However, only the PS3 will play PS3 games, so once the laser starts to go on the optical drive..."

With regard to the blu-ray player, do you mean it will be basic and no frills as far as options go, or the playback quality will be subpar compared to newer ones? I read that the firmware was recently upgraded so that it now upconverts regular dvds. Also whats the deal with the last on the optical drive?

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Well..
Jul 10, 2007 5:03AM PDT

It's that you're just going to have the bare bones sort of functions. Image quality will be pretty much the same, unless dedicated players start including some sort of image enhancing functions beyond upscaling.

I'm just saying that any optical drive's laser is only going to last so long, and while it will soon be pretty cheap to replace a blu-ray DVD player, it won't necessarily be the same with the PS3. So I'd save the console drive's laser for games, not movies.

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ps3 as a Blu-ray player
Jul 10, 2007 6:19AM PDT

At first many people make the assumption that the ps3 is like the ps2 as far as using it as a movie player. This is not the case. The key difference being the hardware is way more aggressive then what the ps2 was in it day in time, and there are constant firmware upgrades which are improving the quality of the console. I am using mine as a blu-ray player and DVD player and from what I have read it is one of the best if not the best player on the market (and it will continue to improve). The online functionality is free which is nice and it does what I want it to do.... play games online... Sony is also planning to release a lot more content in the near future... I would stay tuned to E3. I have heard of movie and music downloads.

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Response
Jul 10, 2007 11:24PM PDT

I have a PS3 and also use it for Blu-ray movies and it works just fine. Just as good of picture quality as the other stand alone BR units. Google PS3 reviews and you find that to be true.

Can't say about the online play, haven't tried it yet.

Good game development is really not in Sony's hands. And that is all subjective really. What one person finds a game to be a pile of crap, someone else loves it. Short is, don't too much about the amount of games that are out right now. I would say by the end of the year there should be a flood of new games out for it.

No idea what the 360 would trade in for.

Hope that helps.

P.S. Get the Blu-ray remote for the PS3. Extra $25 but well worth it. Using the game controler is a pain for watching movies.

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In regards to online play...
Jul 11, 2007 3:50AM PDT

... I'll give some input here as the other respondents don't use it much.

Yes, Xbox Live costs gamers to use, but there are significant benefits as a result. You basically have standardized performance quality across online games, which reduces lag, cheating, etc. The Playstation Network online functionality can vary from game to game. The games that run the best are hosted on dedicated servers (Resistance: Fall of Man) and suffer little to no lag. However, games which are hosted by individuals are subject to personal bandwidth (Rainbow Six: Vegas), and may frustrate gamers with more frequent lag. The biggest downside to the PSN is the lack of consistent quality online play, with success or failure dependent on how each game maker sets up the servers (or doesn't). The biggest plus is, obviously, that it is a completely free service: you will never have to pay a dime to game online with PSN.

As far as the PSN community goes, I've never had much difficulty finding a game to join with any title. One difference you may notice coming from Xbox Live is the far lower percentage of PSN gamers who have headsets. This obviously hinders competent, team-based communication and may prove a major source of frustration for you. The good news is, with online-only Warhawk (coming out this fall bundled with a BT headset) on the horizon and an impending influx of new PSNers (thanks for the price drop, Sony!) the headset owning population is bound to increase exponentially over the course of the next few months. With any luck, this issue will soon be a relic of the past.

In short, if you don't use Xbox Live very often, you won't miss much by switching to the Playstation Network cold turkey. Although the level of quality may not be consistent from game to game, PSN can and oftentimes does deliver a quality online experience well worth the $0.00 price tag. Plus, with Home launching this fall (a much anticipated, Second Life -like online 3D interface/lobby system), things can only get better.

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thanks for everyone's input
Jul 11, 2007 11:02PM PDT

So playstation's network is set up more like PC gaming, where the software companies set up the servers where the games are played? Any experience with sports games (madden etc)? I've found those to be virtually unplayable on xbox live due to the lag.

Can anyone speak to the multimedia features other than the bluray player? Can one link their laptop to the PS3 via bluetooth and upload music, movies, and photos?

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Multimedia Features
Jul 11, 2007 11:34PM PDT

I'm not sure about linking your laptop to the PS3 via bluetooth. You can stream music from all computers connected to your network through your PS3. It also takes flash memory sticks and memory card duos, and obviously supports direct hookups via USB to digital devices. You can rip CDs and tracks from data discs directly to the hard drive, etc. The PS3 now also upscales SD DVDs to 1080p, but I've found the picture to be of slightly lower quality than a normal upconverting standalone player. You can surf the web, but I've found the feature much less robust than I'd hoped for: definitely not as functional as an actual PC or laptop (trouble with Java, Flash, etc.). However, there is the option of downloading Linux OS, which I've heard improves the web surfing considerably.

Also, I have no experience playing sports titles online.

I guess that's about all the multimedia info I have for you. Viel gluck.

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I love my PS3
Jul 12, 2007 8:10AM PDT

I have to say I love my PS3. I bought it back in May and only paid 500 dollars, because I got 100 dollars credit for my PS2 trade-in.

My PS3 has already updated dozens of times on its own via the web. I also enjoy playing NHL 2K7 and Calling all Cars on the web.

As far as using it as a DVD player: I've only experienced quality upconversion. I just watched the original star wars trilogy again and it looked great. And wait until you see the full power of the blu-ray force.

I know they're haven't been tons of amazing games, but I am confident in the PS3 and know those will come. I'm also NOT a Halo fan. Being able to play Halo 3 would be one huge advantage of keeping your 360.

I also liked that Sony had all of the E3 Game trailers in the Sony store for free the DAY they were presented. They're starting to get it right. I hope this helps.

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Switching to Ps3
Jul 12, 2007 10:21AM PDT

Well, I have both the 360 Premium and the PS3. The PS3 is getting mighty dusty! I HAVE used it to watch a Blu-ray movie... once. It looked great. I am running both systems at 1080p. The 360 LOOKS better to me. I have them both hooked to a 6.1 DTS system. The PS3 SOUNDS better to me, but it is very slight. I don't enjoy the PS3's web browser at all; I use a media PC I built for that function. I don't like Sony's Online Store either. The 360's Marketplace is incredible! I love watching tv shows and movies. I think I do that more now than playing games. So, to sum things up:

Xbox 360 for games (Xbox Arcade has free demos out the wazoo!)
PS3 for music & photos (It can zoom pictures which is nice)
PS3 for HD movies
Xbox 360 for upscaled DVDs via VGA

There are lots of 360 games for $20 now versus $60 PS3 games that mostly suck. It's up to you in the end... but I'd keep the 360 or buy both like I did.

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Keep your 360 and buy the PS3!!
Jul 15, 2007 1:07AM PDT

Hi. I'm also in the same situation that you're in.
I've had the 360 for about 7 months as I got the premium for $200 at "MicroCenter" with various rebates. The only reason that I bought the 360 is because it was $200 dollars. But I have to say, the 360 is great for game play ie. GOW, Halo and Oblivion(trust me, it was hard for me to type that sentence as I'm not a Bill Gates/Microsoft fan).

I just recently bought the Wii from my trip to Asia. I'm excited about it as this machine is "burned/fixed" to read any discs from any region. Therefore, it means I can buy/download both English and Japanese games or play DVD from the US or Asia with my new Wii. Plus I didn't have to pay up to 2x the retail price here in the US. I must say, with the limited time I've had with the Wii, it's pretty cool and fun.

Now, with the PS3. The deciding factor comes down to this for me. I don't believe that there is going to be any significant upgrades from the new 80 gig version coming out in Aug. 2007 when compared to the 60 gig version (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). In fact, if I've read correctly, I think Sony is getting rid of the "emoticon chip" for the new version (which means you won't have full compatibility with old PS1 and 2 games). So pretty much the only difference with the 80 gig vs 60 gig PS3 comes down to the 20 gig harddrive space you're getting. Couple that with the crazy drop in prices of harddrives recently, it doesn't justify to pay the extra $100 and wait for the 80 gig PS3 version.
Seriously, I feel that PS3 is superior to 360 in the hardware dept. but since 360 is based on windows (damn you Microsoft!!), 360 has the edge in the software dept. But I really feel now that the game studios have had time to mess with the PS3 codes, PS3 will catch up in the future (just how far into the future is the ?). If it was me, I'd buy the 60 gig version now compared to the $600 80 gig version in Aug. and keep your 360 also. Hope I've helped you out.....
Now on to my mission to find a PS3....
Enjoy both consoles!!! That's the way to go!

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wat I think
Jul 31, 2007 5:23AM PDT

I think play station makes a better gaming console then xobx ever will.

There failure rate is terrible, my friend has had to have his xobx 360 repaired twice now an its only about 6 to 8 months old if thats old.
never had any problems with a play station I have the original fat ps2 an the slim ps2 no problems, thats why I went with the new ps3.

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aboot the the online
Aug 24, 2007 3:19PM PDT

Well as that other guy said, the online isnt as great as, say the xbox live service. While it is free compared to xbl, it just dosent feel the same.(probably due to the lack of mics, but as he said again it could change with warhawk)Also, unlike xbl, the ps3's matchmaking system isnt as balanced, or at least I dont think. You'll probably have no lag on all the games you'd want to play, such as resistance(or whatever else your into) but that all depends on the game, server, etc. Another good thing is that like xbl, the ps3 online supports downloads such as maps and dodads or whatnots. Overall id say my online gaming was about the same on both consoles, even though i haven't been playing in a while...