Comparing The "value" Of Gaming Systems, No fanboy flamewar please Options

[Devedander]

I don't know how to phrase this without getting a fanboy riot started so I will just do my best by saying: please don't degrade this into proving which is better... 360 and PS3 have both sold millions and have a stable of good games. Which is better is like arguing whether toyota is better than honda. If one is, it's so minisculy so it doesn't really matter.

So... on with it then.

I have seen many comparisons of PS3 vs 360 noting the fact that PS3 comes with wifi built in and that MS is raping people by charging $100 for a wifi adapter.

So by the time you buy that $100 adapter, you now are in the same ball park as a PS3 without the BR ability.

This always assumes you will want to use wifi and an extension of that argument is that if a product comes with a feature, the value of the product is increased because it is assumed you will want to use that feature.

So I have always wondered... does the fact that the MS wireless adapter is wireless A factor into it anywhere? What does it cost to make a PS3 wireless A capable?

Now one could say "You can't argue wireless A is worth more than G becuase everyone uses G". But that's not really true and it's like saying everyone uses wifi... with cable tv bringing internet in via the same cable as your TV I see plenty of cable internet boxes right next to tv sets and hence next to gaming systems.

So if you really examine it, and calculate the $100 it takes to make a 360 wifi enabled, what is the equivalent cost to make the PS3 similarly wifi enabled (ie supports wireless a/b/g)?

And further into that... the 360 comes with Media Center Extender functionality built right in... I know that media center extenders can easily cost over $100 so do we figure that value in to the value of the 360? How much does it cost to make a Ps3 a media center extender?

Now I know that not everyone has use for Media Center Extender, but doesn't the same argument that says "PS3 has wifi and 360 costs $100 to get wifi" carry over that "360 has MCE and you will have to buy a $100+ box to use along side your PS3 for MCE functionality"?

Just wondered as it always seems that there is no shortage in pointing out that to make the $299 360 equal to the PS3 you have to add a $100 part, but no one ever points out that to make a PS3 equal to the 360, you have to buy a MCE device of some kind...

That's also not considering that when you add the $100 part to the 360 you now actually exceed the ability of the PS3.

Mods if this is inappropriate (not sure if there is a more appropriate forum) please move or remove as fit.

This post has been edited by Devedander: Dec 10 2008, 02:30 AM

[carniver]

That's also not considering that when you add the $100 part to the 360 you now actually exceed the ability of the PS3.

Solely from the perspective of wireless connectivity, yes. But PS3 lets you connect and play for free, hardware can also run Linux as an extra, as well as play hi-def discs by default. Also it has flash card readers built-in

[rappa]

You can use media centers on ps3, just use something like tversity, or red kawa, it works fine. But the easiest thing to do is just have an external hard drive and plug it in, works great.

[STICKY_BUD]

i suppose it would be a big jumbled spreadsheet, or db query, to best determine value for each type of gamer/enthusiast, but it always boils down to which features you will use and how does each manufacturers attitude towards features affect you. my thoughts on this topic in the order i think is most important for me...

free online vs premium service - m$ thinks i will enjoy their online gaming service enough to give me a free month and a free headset on day 1 so i can enjoy it all right out of the box. sony thinks i will accept any service called free online multiplayer, but in order to enjoy it fully on day 1 i must remember to purchase a headset that costs almost as much as 1 year of xbl gold. i can understand this... why do the work to provide that service when they can sell me more hardware and keep claiming that free is better than premium. i should also mention that i have received free months, free m$ points and free swag from xbl just because i was playing on their service.

achievements - this is really self-explanatory, but besides preferring xbl to psn, i like the 360 achievement system too so i always buy multiplatform games for 360.

controller layout - i prefer the nyko zero wireless controller to the ds3, but the 360 controller is better than both. actually, my blue 360 horipad ex is even better, but it is also wired and getting old now.

netflix - i know this does not enter into the consideration of non-USA gamers, but it plays a big factor for us in which console is on more. last week, i bought a wifi adapter from amazon for $83 and they charged me $39 about 2 months ago for a 12+1 xbl gold subscription. the bonus value(or feature value as a wifi netflix player) that those purchases add to the 360 is worth almost as much as the cost i paid for the service and the accessory. consider the roku wifi netflix player at $99... i do not need another tv input or more plug sockets for a netflix player either.

wifi - i can now play online with a free headset on our largest tv screen instead of always playing in my studio. this is something i could only do without a headset on my ps3, or wii, before, but it was much less fun. judging by the number of G signals available in our neighborhood, everyone in the sf bay area uses wifi.

mce/media streaming - i am happy with wmp11 streaming so i do not use mce, but i may in the future. does my ps3 have an equivalent feature? i do not know because i have had the 360 much longer and it already does this so well. i do not browse youtube, but i will watch the occasional linked clip from an email. no need for youtube or internet on my tv.

movies on disk - we do not own any BR disks. i owned approx 125 dvd and hd-dvd's until last summer when they were all stolen from my old house during a move transition. my wife's, and kid's, movies were moved already so they were not taken, but for now we are only using netflix for new movies. also, considering sony's success in the arena of propietary media formats i have no faith in BluRay.

hardware changes - 2 of the usb ports and the flash card readers are no longer included on ps3.

you might ask why i even bought a ps3? my brother-in-law is a voice actor in the mgs franchise and i wanted to play the game.

This post has been edited by STICKY_BUD: Dec 10 2008, 06:58 AM

[Devedander]

I should clarify when I say media center extender, I mean the official MS one that ties into a Media Center Windows PC, lets you watch TV directly of your tuner, lets you schedule recordings and browse listings etc, not just streaming video.

Stand alone media center extenders are just now dropping under $200 so for most of the 360's life you have been getting a $200+ bonus with your 360.

And I am not trying to debate which system is better, I am just wondering aloud why when comparing the two systems certain values are routinely left out.

[Chancer]

And I am not trying to debate which system is better, I am just wondering aloud why when comparing the two systems certain values are routinely left out.

The bottom line is cost. the PS3 is higher cost for more included features. MS have left it to the consumers to decide if they need a particular feature or not and then pay the extra. Sort of customisable system.
Sony have taken a risk that people will pay for features as standard. In this present economic climate it may well not be the case.

sony thinks i will accept any service called free online multiplayer, but in order to enjoy it fully on day 1 i must remember to purchase a headset that costs almost as much as 1 year of xbl gold.

XBL must be cheap. You can get a headset for £4.99. The offcial one for £17.99.
There will always be things like this. For someone living a concrete floor above their router they must remember to buy the wireless adapter for the 360 to enjoy it from day one and to purchase a gold card.
The PS3 needs a HDMI cable for HI DEF... not in the box.
You can quote stuff like this forever. Both systems have additions that some people will see as a necessary add on. Just that the Xbox 360 does less out of the box but the balance is it is way cheaper.
I would say cheap enough to buy as an addition to whatever console you already have.

I think both systems have some great features. The Media Centre features alone are excellent. I think the 360 should have had HD-DVD built in. I would have gladly paid more for it, but many would not.

[rappa]

I agree with Chancer, we could debate this all day.

Just another example: ps3 controllers have lithium-ion batteries so you don't need to buy batteries for your controller when it runs out, you just charge it. For the 360 if you don't intend to buy batteries, you have to buy the play and charge kit or the quick charge kit.

I think it can be summed up like this: ps3 includes many features that everyone doesn't need which drives up the cost. xbox 360 leaves the consumer to buy the accessories that they feel they need, which allows microsoft to sell at a lower price. All in all, for my needs from the system, ps3 was more beneficial. Although I have both consoles, for xbox 360 I had to buy battery packs and the quick charge kit, xbox live, and I still wish it had wireless included b/c that adapter is very costly, a computer usb adapter costs 40 bucks, the xbox 360 one costs more than double.

[D3troitGangsta]

Your on an Xbox forum asking for an unbiased opinion, shouldn't you be asking elsewhere? I agree with all above replies, M$ has made it simple to upgrade features as you please instead of gambling with the out of the box scenario. BTW I'll take my 360 any day over my PS3.

[manatarms25]

[/quote] I'll take my 360 any day over my PS3.[quote]

After my launch 360 died and all the RROD problems started I swore I will never buy another 360. I purchased a new PS3 and tried to become a fan boy, bought 15 or so Blu-Rays, bought the good games at the time. Played it for 8 months and the blu-ray drive died!! Got it repaired and sold it on craigslist and realized no system is perfect. Took my 600 bucks and bought a new elite a year xbox live membership and my fav games.
Could not be happier. Do not get me wrong the PS3 is awesome but my draw is online gaming, and the PSN is not up to par with Xbox Live IMO..

But thats just me

[Devedander]

Your on an Xbox forum asking for an unbiased opinion, shouldn't you be asking elsewhere?

Of all the places I would expect to see people touting the values of the 360, it would be on a 360 site... so I asked here since no one here seems to do it either.

If Toyota Camry's had wings and could fly but no one talked about them, wouldn't the most obvious place to ask why be a Toyota forum?