PS3 and Wii — Head To Head

1up has a piece looking at the Wii vs. the PS3, running down the particulars on graphical power, online capabilities, launch titles, and control scheme. For the most part, they're siding with the PS3: "Traditionally, Nintendo's never been much for online gaming (the GameCube had two online games&ever), but Wii appears poised to finally bring Mario and Co. into the multiplayer arena. Wii will use a modified version of the DS' Wi-Fi Connection software to facilitate online matchmaking. (Most likely, you'll only be able to play against players who give you 'friend codes' first, just like with the DS.) Like the PS3, the Wii will offer online gaming free of charge."

Comments

Technically, PS3 wins - Heart, Wii wins

[WillAffleckUW]

And I'll be lined up with five teens who are dying to get a Wii on Sunday - none of them are interested in getting a PS3, so in the end, the Wii wins.

It's the games.

Re:Technically, PS3 wins - Heart, Wii wins

[harrkev]

Is it that they aren't interested?? Or did they all get turned down for the mortgage they needed to purchase a PS3?

You nailed it.

I freely admit that the PS3 is more powerful with better hardware. But... how does eye candy make a game more fun? If your character in a FPS now had individually-rendered arm hair, does that make the game somehow better? Would Daikatana be any better with greatly improved graphics? I think that we are approaching the point of diminishing returns in graphics.

The key here, though, is price. By definition, half of the US population makes average income or below. Those are the sorts of people who are MUCH more likely to pick up a Wii than a PS3. Sony has effectively alienated a full half of the population from purchasing their product. Nintendo, on the other hand, is the best bet for those whose pockets do not run over, and they are also cheap enough to be picked up as a 2nd system for people who have deep enough pockets to get a 360 or a PS3.

Overall winner: Nintendo.

Re:Proofreading?

[j00r0m4nc3r]

If I was going to buy a console exclusively based on online play I would get an Xbox 360. I'm going to get a Wii because I want to play fun games with my wife and kid.

Re:Proofreading and one sided article

[EmperorKagato]

Also, the article talks about the promising lineup of 2007 PS3 not 2006 PS3 and then compares it to the lineup of 2006 Wii not 2007 Wii. Therefore, after comparison you can only declare PS3 the winner.

Am I the only one that feels this article is too biased or unfair to the Wii?

Most Promising Software Lineup

[DumbWhiteGuy777]

I think this is all depending on who you ask, really. The Wii's whole approach was to appeal to other types of people than hardcore gamers, and it looks like the PS3's whole lineup is for hardcore gamers. So, it's a little bit like comparing apples and oranges, I think.

I hope they trade their 360s in..

[Channard]

.. because that way there'll be less sweary kids on the 360's Live service. I'm still on my free month and given how many annoying trash-talking kids there are, I probably won't be buying a year's subscription to the service. I know you can mute them, but you still have to run into them first to know who they are, and rep doesn't help much. It'd be interesting to see how Sony and Nintendo tackle this. Nintendo in particular have a reputation as being family friendly. Imagine the outcry there'll be when parents discover little billy has been called a 'flaming cocktard' by some high-school kid.

Re:Proofreading and one sided article

[AKAImBatman]

Am I the only one that feels this article is too biased or unfair to the Wii?

Nope. All it really says is: "We (the author(s)) are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY excited about the PS3. Here's some boilerplate stuff about the Wii. See how the PS3 is cool?"

I'm glad they're excited, but they should probably be more upfront about it rather than pretending to have journalistic objectivity. A better solution might be to pit a couple different authors (with two different opinions) against each other. It would make for a more interesting read, at least.

Multiplayer != online play

[Phisbut]

TFA says :

but Wii appears poised to finally bring Mario and Co. into the multiplayer arena.

That's strange, I remember playing Mario Kart in multiplayer mode, with friends, in the same living room. Oh, and I had Super-Smash-Brothers Melee too, multiplayer, same living room.

Heck, Nintendo has been making multiplayer games decades ago with Mario Bros.

Yep, your old games still work-Sony promises full backward compatibility with all PS1 and PS2 games

Funny... that's not what I heard...

This is kind of a stupid article.

[Tarlus]

You have to keep in mind that, as one other Slashdotter just said, 1up is comparing apples and oranges.

The PS3 takes the cake with graphics because that was their goal. The best graphics hardware was not Nintendo's goal.

The Wii takes the cake with controls because that's what Nintendo's goal was... Sony instead chose to remain somewhat conservative by continuing to use its tried-and-true PSX controller layout.

So of course each one is going to win in each of its given categories, because it's the opposite of what the other company wanted to do with their respective console.

...And what's this about "extra functionality?" The PS3 plays PS2 and PS1 games?
NEWS FLASH: The Wii is capable of playing games from NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, TurboGrafix, Genesis, and probably more...
And the PS3 can play Blu-Ray movies? Woop-dee freakin' doo. I don't know about everybody else, but I'm going to buy a gaming console to play games. If I want to watch movies, I'll buy a movie player.

Re:Biased much?

[anlprb]

One thing I do not understand is why Friend Codes are so hated. They do exactly what Nintendo wants. Keep their kid safe image. With friends codes, you only play with the yahoos who you KNOW PHYSICALLY. There isn't much chance of getting caught with a predator when he doesn't know your friend code or name. There is no chat, no way to get heavy breathing over the DS. It allows friends to play and parents to feel safe that little Jill can be playing with her friends over the internet and they don't have to worry about looking to censor it. It works PERFECTLY for kids. Friends can play friends and the wierdos don't know who you are. And yes, I know there are web sites that allow you to put friends codes out there. But, you have to do that yourself and if you are doing that, you can use a computer and a chat room too. At that point, a DS game is the least of the parents' worries.

PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Wii

[ConfusedSelfHating]

It's not a competition between just the Wii and the PS3. In fact I would say that there are very few people who are deciding between those two systems. The PS3 and the Wii are just too far apart. You are willing to pay for high definition graphics or you are not. You either want the traditional controller scheme or you love the idea of the Wii controller. I would suggest that the competition is Wii vs. Xbox 360 and PS3 vs. Xbox 360.

First, the people who buy a PS3 before Christmas are going to be hardcore Playstation fans. The PS3 is in such short supply and costs so much, it will not be a casual purchase. Even if you're rich, you will have to track one down or pre-order it. The Wii is half the price of the PS3 and there will be an ample supply of them because Nintendo doesn't have production problems.

A price sensitive gamer will ignore the PS3. The Xbox 360 will become more affordable once Microsoft cuts it's price. Even with a price cut, the Xbox 360 will be more expensive than the Wii. But it won't be twice the price. Meaning that someone who is willing to pay for a Wii doesn't have to pay that much more for an Xbox 360. It comes down to consumer choice.

A gamer looking for high definition graphics will be comparing the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The Wii is limited to 480p, so someone who wants HD will ignore it. A gamer must decide whether they want to pay $100 to $200 extra for the PS3. There are certainly Xbox 360 games with high quality graphics. We will have to wait and see how PS3 games look.

I think that Xbox 360 demand is pretty high in the US. I only say this because there are deals being offered in Canada that are not being offered in the US. Maybe Americans tend to spend more on Christmas than Canadians.

Re:Proofreading and one sided article

[Fozzyuw]

Nope. All it really says is: "We (the author(s)) are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY excited about the PS3. Here's some boilerplate stuff about the Wii. See how the PS3 is cool?"

I agree with you. However, this day an age, journalism, with the advent of the online medium, is shifting towards opinion pieces than objective journalism. One only has to look to traditional media to see biased reporting, on many levels.

I personally attribute this to the fact that I think people are drawn to news of scandal and such in much the same say they're drawn to 'negative' news. It's more enjoyable to talk about. Afterall, why else would 'reality TV' be popular, rarely see 'good news', the explosion of online journals (blogs), etc. Women have always known this. They've been watching Soap operas forever. =P It's all about the water cooler gossip. It's not fun to debate something if everyone agrees!

Cheers,
Fozzy

Re:Proofreading and one sided article

[Grey Ninja]

Yeah. I had my suspicions when I read the summary on Slashdot, where it said that the DS only allowed you to play online with people who's friend codes you had. I guess I was just hallucinating when I was playing Mario Kart and Metroid with completely random strangers. Anything that incorrect is bound to be backed up by further nonsense.

Why the illusion of a controversy?

[OldeTimeGeek]

Why not "Ferrari vs. Hundai, a side-by-side comparison?" It makes just about as much sense.

The PS3 and Wii are aimed at two different markets - the PS3 is definitely not aimed at the cost-conscious gamer (why buy an HD-ready system if you can't afford HDTV) and the Wii is never going to please the people who want high-end, graphic intensive games, so comparing them feature-for-feature is useless. People who can't afford a PS3 won't get one. People who aren't interested in a Nintendo won't get one. People who can afford a PS3 may also get a Wii. For most people, it isn't a binary decision, so why the illusion of controversy?

Re:Wii and PS3 aren't competitors

[Omestes]

People who love Nintendo games, a child-friendly console at a lower cost will choose the Wii.

I'm getting sick of this "kid friendly" thing. Sure, there are some Nintendo games that are going to be for kids, as there will be on the 360, and PS3. There will also be some "hardcore" gorefest games on the Wii, though in a lower proportion than to the other consoles (RE4 on GC?). But then again the only games that make the PS2 worthwhile to me happen to be the more kid friendly ones, like katamari, where the emphasis is more on fun than how many polys you can render gibs in. Most violent games are not actually for adults, they are for the 16-30 crowd, mature players realize that they were drawn to gaming for fun, pure and simple, and not pure violence.