PS3 Gaining on 360 – MS Weaknesses Explored

Terry Olaes

Terry Olaes

I Used to be the [H] News Guy
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Ars took a look at Microsoft’s weaknesses on the 360 platform and why Sony’s PlayStation 3 is gaining on them. Interesting article.

While it's hard to find ways for Microsoft to get its mojo back, we can easily identify a few problem areas that are becoming clear as the 360 ages. These are the weaknesses in Microsoft's strategy that have to be addressed before the system can hope to get its groove back.
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Nice article, they have point on all fronts PS3 is catching up and fast. all the hardware failures it caught up with MS. Even if the HD are bigger MS is shafting it to the 360 owners on price of individual HD. And on the blue ray front, MS made a mistake and they need to find something to be able to handle that much data.
 
One of the greater reasons I got a PS3 was Sony's less proprietary approach; in other words, I didn't have to spend $170 on a 120GB hard disk.
 
I have a 360 and no PS3.

Have to say, unless you are a halo fanboy sony has and has always had better exclusive titles.

I will definitely miss SOCOM, fortunately for me they ruined that game long ago.
The thing probably supports 1024 players by now, which is just ridiculous(and laggy).
 
I been thinking about getting a PS3 for one main reason over the 360, and that is its Blue-Ray capability. You got to wonder how many people are buying the PS3 soley for the Blue Ray player. The cheapest standalone I have seen was $300 and it is one of those quistionable brands. The Sony bended ones are all $400+
 
I'd love to support my 360 with more titles but when the damn thing is broke its kinda hard to bother. not to mention the overpriced damn hard drive upgrade that I desperately want but refuse to buy.
 
On a side note, I know quite a few people that have bought the ps3 as a blu-ray player without much interest in the gaming. They're more concerned about not getting shafted next time blu-ray is changed then they are about the gaming.
 
Diablo2K said:
I been thinking about getting a PS3 for one main reason over the 360, and that is its Blue-Ray capability. You got to wonder how many people are buying the PS3 soley for the Blue Ray player. The cheapest standalone I have seen was $300 and it is one of those quistionable brands. The Sony bended ones are all $400+
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I bought mine for the blu-ray player, and am not one bit disappointed. It also upscales DVD. We also have an X-box 360, and much prefer the PS3. It has built-in wireless, which is a $100 add-on for the X-box. And an HDMI port. And as was already mentioned, you can use any 2 1/2 inch harddrive for an upgrade. Not a Sony fanboy by any means, but after having used both, the PS3 wins easily. At least in my opinion.
 
Thought this part was a little funny:
and you have a gaming world where cherry-picking old franchises is no longer enough. Gears of War 2 looks great, but Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 look just as good in terms of scale, graphics, and online play.
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Talk about cherry picking... they point out Resistance 2 and Killzone 2? Resistance was a good Halo clone, I'll give em that, but when did Killzone all of a sudden become a killer app? Perhaps if it were a sequel to a great game.. I wouldn't but that basket of cherries.

Not really a GoW fan either, so what do I care.
 
Xbox Live should be free. Being a PC gamer I could never imagine paying to play games online (except for MMO's).
 
SPARTAN VI said:
Thought this part was a little funny:

Talk about cherry picking... they point out Resistance 2 and Killzone 2? Resistance was a good Halo clone, I'll give em that, but when did Killzone all of a sudden become a killer app? Perhaps if it were a sequel to a great game.. I wouldn't but that basket of cherries.

Not really a GoW fan either, so what do I care.
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*spelling correction*

Thought this part was a little funny:

Talk about cherry picking... they point out Resistance 2 and Killzone 2? Resistance was a good Halo clone, I'll give em that, but when did Killzone all of a sudden become a killer app? Perhaps if it were a sequel to a great game.. I wouldn't buy that basket of cherries.

Not really a GoW fan either, so what do I care.[/QUOTE]
 
Those of us who are not "rabid fanboy's" and own all the systems have seen this a long time coming. I stated well over 2 years ago that MS rushing the 360 to market to beat the PS3 was a mistake. Now that big push is biting them in the ass because gamers as mentioned in the article no longer trust the 360. Trust is a funny thing, it seems easily given out until it is broken. Then it is nearly impossible to get back.

I maintain my stance that while both systems are fantastic, the PS3 remains the better overall system. My only complaint about the 360 is I always felt it was an overpriced game console. It is just now hitting the price mark where I think it justifies its value. The ps3 for me always justified its price because I used it for far more then just a mere game console. Now granted if I was a gamer only then the PS3 is an even more overpriced console, all in all personal perspective plays a big hand. All that said, MS needs to come up with if they don't have one, a solid strategy for boosting their sales. Otherwise they are going to find themselves playing third fiddle in another year again.
 
xxEIEIOxx said:
I bought mine for the blu-ray player, and am not one bit disappointed. It also upscales DVD. We also have an X-box 360, and much prefer the PS3. It has built-in wireless, which is a $100 add-on for the X-box. And an HDMI port. And as was already mentioned, you can use any 2 1/2 inch harddrive for an upgrade. Not a Sony fanboy by any means, but after having used both, the PS3 wins easily. At least in my opinion.
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Same here. Add to the fact that the 360 is so much nosier and the PS3 wins hands down. I just play the 360 exclusives on my PC. :D
 
By the way - PS3 exclusives -

MGS4
Resistance 2
Killzone 2
Disgaea 3
Persona 4
LittleBigPlanet
FF13 Versus
Gran Tourismo 5
Singstar
God of War III
Uncharted
Ratchet & Clank
SOCOM
White Knight Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles
Tekken 6

.... plus a bunch of others that aren't as awesome.
 
The main reason I bought a 360 was for native support for RB2. After hearing about lag in GH3 and RB1 on the PS3, I didn't want to deal with that on the PS3. However, if I hear about lag being fixed this time around, I have no qualms selling the 360 to pay for a PS3.

My only concerns with BC then is for GoW1 & 2, and SOTN. Don't think I really care about the rest of the Sony library though, but BC would help in any case.
 
I like the way people point to the exclusives of the PS3. All systems have exclusives. Many of the exclusives for the PS3 I could give two craps about.

I still feel the best gaming is on the PC.
 
I have both systems and I enjoy both. The PS3 is still lacking in a number of places game-wise, but so is the 360.

i.e.: PGR3/PGR4 and Forza2 vs GT5:p. I'm not paying for a glorified demo. I imagine the 360 will keep the lead in this genre, as I don't think Forza 3 will be long after the final GT5.

360 doesn't really have any platformers, while the PS3 Rachet and Clank is awesome. There's no contest in this genre. I don't see the 360 getting anywhere near the PS3.

PS3 is still lacking in RPGs which are having no problem making their way to the 360 in numbers this year. I'd expect PS3 to catch up here by the end of 2009, and for most titles to be multi-platform.

The exclusive shooter advantage over the next year or two go to the PS3 without question. Resistance 2 will be a game I buy on release day without even needing a demo. 8 player co-op ftw. SOCOM, while being online only, is only $40 and will at least be worth a rent at least. Halo 3 was absolute trash imo. The first one was the best, then it got worse.


Mav451 said:
The main reason I bought a 360 was for native support for RB2. After hearing about lag in GH3 and RB1 on the PS3, I didn't want to deal with that on the PS3. However, if I hear about lag being fixed this time around, I have no qualms selling the 360 to pay for a PS3.

My only concerns with BC then is for GoW1 & 2, and SOTN. Don't think I really care about the rest of the Sony library though, but BC would help in any case.
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If you want a PS3 with PS2 BC and you want it new, you should buy now before you never have another chance. I don't consider having both a mistake, but not everyone can afford it.
 
SGD said:
I like the way people point to the exclusives of the PS3. All systems have exclusives. Many of the exclusives for the PS3 I could give two craps about.

I still feel the best gaming is on the PC.
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We are comparing PS3 and 360 consoles. Everyone knows PC gaming is the best.
 
At this point , who cares really? They both are past their first year of being out. They are solidifed. MS was "winning" until only a few months ago, as far as consoles sold. But market penetration has been enough for me. I play on LIVE with all my friends and have a blast. The games coming out are great. Who cares if they don't sell as many units at this stage in the game? Sony loses money, MS makes money... I rather stay with company that's more financially secure and whose execs do far less coke before making press releases.

I was a hardcore PC gamer, then I got lazy, and then got an xbxo360. When did PS3 have good exclusives? Like SGD said, "all systems have exclusives. Many of the PS3 exclusives people could give a shit about. Most of the better games are multi-console.

LIVE is so cheap, who can't pay $30 for a years worth of the best online system for consoles ever?
 
Only reason I've never considered a PS3 is because it is extremely overpriced for what I want it for--a gaming system. And I really don't care what games come out for a system that is half a grand: I'm not getting it.

Blu-ray can go blow itself. I still think Sony would have 'caught up' to Microsoft a long time ago had they stayed DVD and kept the cost down. Well, at least I would have bought a PS3.

And if Wii had a good online system, I would have gone that. Sigh.

Well, here's hoping whenever the next batch of systems come out these companies learn from each other and offer good overall systems.
 
that article misses most of the marks on points it tries to make for my purposes. It goes about poopooing most of the stuff I do like about live, lofts things on both platforms comparatively that I could give two shites about and presents ideas and suggestions targeted at, well, i'm not sure who.

the only thing I can completely agree with is the 'let us use our own drives' thing.

maybe next time
 
Dreaz said:
Only reason I've never considered a PS3 is because it is extremely overpriced for what I want it for--a gaming system.
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360 launched at $399, which is what the PS3 is priced at. The 360 has a 450 unit and a 350 unit. How is that pricing any better than PS3 @ 400, considering what you get in the fucking box.
 
bigdogchris said:
360 launched at $399, which is what the PS3 is priced at. The 360 has a 450 unit and a 350 unit. How is that pricing any better than PS3 @ 400, considering what you get in the fucking box.
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lucky777 said:
They need to announce another Halo FPS. Boost up the wazoo.
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The next Halo FPS will probably be on both.

I would seriously laugh my ass off and fall out of my chair and roll around on the floor, if a Halo game is announced on PS3. It would single handedly be the funniest thing I have ever seen.
 
XamediX said:
LIVE is so cheap, who can't pay $30 for a years worth of the best online system for consoles ever?
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I am one of those, I had live while it was the free sub that came with my purchase and let it expire. There is utterly nothing of value on live for me that justifies spending a dime on it. I am far too connected online through my PC and ps3 for free to even bother paying for a sub service that offers nothing that I am personally interested in. Live was great when it came out, unfortunately the time of Live is gone because there are more and more free services popping up that give you the same content. It is only a matter of time before those free services get a foothold in consoles too.
 
bigdogchris said:
The next Halo FPS will probably be on both.

I would seriously laugh my ass off and fall out of my chair and roll around on the floor, if a Halo game is announced on PS3. It would single handedly be the funniest thing I have ever seen.
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Theres a better chance well see metal gear 4 on the nintendo wii than a halo game being made for PS3.
 
Dekoth said:
I am one of those, I had live while it was the free sub that came with my purchase and let it expire. There is utterly nothing of value on live for me that justifies spending a dime on it. I am far too connected online through my PC and ps3 for free to even bother paying for a sub service that offers nothing that I am personally interested in. Live was great when it came out, unfortunately the time of Live is gone because there are more and more free services popping up that give you the same content. It is only a matter of time before those free services get a foothold in consoles too.
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My biggest gripe about Live is the prices. $2+ for guitar hero songs? They charge to much for that shit. They charge for wallpapers? Themes? Pictures? You're paying for advertisement, to sell stuff to yourself and your friends.

I understand that Live wouldn't exist if someone wasn't making money off it but there is a line you have to draw about charging for absolutely stupid shit. And sadly, there are millions of morons each year that pay for that shit.
 
XLeezardx said:
We are comparing PS3 and 360 consoles. Everyone knows PC gaming is the best.
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absolutely, when we dont get sloppy seconds anyway.


my take:

i own both systems. I bashed the ps3 pretty hard before I got one. I still don't like their marketing practices. And i am still a microsoft supporter at heart (but on the pc side)

The 360 has a great library of games, and it has my jrpgs this time around, which keeps me coming back. I have my pc for damn near everything else, but the jrpg games define a console for me. Also it was less retarded about their controller, dont resell me a dual shock like its some great innovation.. however the hard drive issue drives me insane... don't you dare call the hard disk the way to compete with blue ray then charge me up the ass for one. My raptor x drives cost less than a 120gb hard drive. and my much faster 2.5 160gb 7200 and all that drive in my laptop cost way less. Also there is the RROD, yes i get that the later runs fixed the issue, i get that they extended warranties, but its the same as the vista thing, people avoided vista because of the MS name and heresay, do you really think that will only happen on the pc front.

The ps3 has tons a features that the 360 could take a lesson from. The fact that i can change the hard disk when i feel like it, have built in wireless (i have a 60gb), actual hardware based backwards compatibility (which incidentally is now removed and probably one of the biggest black marks i can give sony), and online play is free, though not as efficient as the 360 (but to their credit they are getting better). The games however still fail on the ps3, the ones i have don't look or play anything special. For example i remember playing folklore, and hating it for the same reason i hated god of war, its repetitive in the extreme. Currently the only games i enjoyed or look forward to enjoying are mgs4 and disgaea 3. Aside from those it will be a long time before something is exclusive and interests me (valkyria is tempting though).

So they both have inherent serious flaws. And they both have strong points. Is the ps3 better? Not really, i think when you weight their pros and cons they pretty much balance out...which is why i don't get all the hate back and forth, neither is perfect, and having them both around breeds innovation and competition... you know, like how the ps3 can thank the 360 for getting their version of achievements.


if anyone wants to loose venom at a game company i would suggest nintendo... their abandonment of their core following is like treason. They are laughing all the way to the bank with their money being made on crap games and a setup that has been watered down from innovation to gimmick. and don't even get me started about what comes out in japan that they veto for release here (ahem....MOTHER 3, Xenosaga I and II, Baiten Kaitos DS), instead we get another round of overly casual crap shoveled at us along with something retarded thats supposed to appease us... maybe the next one will be like...link's masturbation training or something...


ok i'm done :D Long story short i enjoy both my 360 and ps3. While I would like to see the 360 beat the ps3 simply for balance after last gen, the bottom line is they are both finally perfectly likable.
 
bigdogchris said:
My biggest gripe about Live is the prices. $2+ for guitar hero songs? They charge to much for that shit. They charge for wallpapers? Themes? Pictures? You're paying for advertisement, to sell stuff to yourself and your friends.

I understand that Live wouldn't exist if someone wasn't making money off it but there is a line you have to draw about charging for absolutely stupid shit. And sadly, there are millions of morons each year that pay for that shit.
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And one more thing. Who cares if it's the best online service. It's filled with retards who hold the chat button down and force people who listen to whatever garbage they are listening too and annoying high pitch voices of prepubescent boys that want the whole fucking world to look and listen to them.

Hear that story about the kid who convinced his parents to let him drop out of school to focus on a career playing Guitar Hero in professional gaming tournaments? That's the type of people that Live breeds. It's not about gaming, it's about online voice service with gaming to keep you busy in between you annoying other people on there.
 
Among my friends and I, the PS3 is the better buy, for blu-ray alone. I would rather have the 360 for the games, but for those of use lusting after blu-ray, the PS3 just has to be it. A standalone Blu-ray player + 360 is just too expensive right now.

Had HD-DVD won, I would already have a 360 with HD drive.

I have a feeling we're not alone.
 
In my opinion they need to do a refresh of the 360 hardware. Same compatibilities but with a few notable changes. First it needs to be visually distinctive from the current 360 and it needs to solve the RROD issue once and for all, so that people know when they pick it up off the shelf that it will work, no more of this "check the SN to see what the chipset is" nonsense. Second, they need built in Wi-Fi. In this day and age, nearly every device comes with it. There's no reason people should have to shell out for a $100 adapter. Third, they need to revise the hard-drive so that it's reasonably price. Moving forward, the 360 absolutely must rely on the hard-drive. It's what mitigates their disadvantage with DVD by allowing for game installs and movie downloads, and it's what helps Microsoft push their advantage with their online content also.

I don't think the games situation is as bad as the author makes it out to be. MSFT has plenty of exclusive games in the pipe this holiday season. Gears is far bigger in terms of sales than Resistance or Killzone, and Fable is probably on par with those although it could probably use a heafty marketing push.
 
One thing Microsoft can learn from Sony is to ditch the stupid Microsoft Points. Yeah, it is easy to convert $1.25US = 100 MS Points in my head and the issue pales to the many other problems, but I would rather just deal with actual currency.
 
NeoGohan said:
Wow you are annoying. Go play with your PS3. I care about the best online service as do many people. You honestly sound like a 13 year old.
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A) Obviously the amount of people that care is not enough to keep the 360 on top
B) 13 year olds are the reason i avoid live like the plague
C) live dont offer enough to justify the cost and im willing to be alot more agree with me than you.
 
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