Picking Sides In the Console War

If you're having trouble picking, the reviews are beginning to come in for the PlayStation 3 and the Wii. Chris Morris at CNN offers an analysis of the Wii launch games and some frustrations about the PlayStation 3. Chris Kohler at C|Net offers a side by side comparison of both systems ... and some frustrations about the PS3 controller. Finally, 1up offers a look back at Sony's launches, and a similar look back at Nintendo's launches in an effort to judge how the weekend will go.

Comments

Toasted PS3s

[AKAImBatman]

Once you've plugged in and configured your PS3, you'll have to update the system software. Some (but not all) launch games will include that system update, which means the process will take 5 minutes or so. If not, you'll download and install the upgrade from the internet (as I did). This method takes more than 10 minutes. It's frustrating, especially having spent this much.

This reminds me of a conversation I overheard at a game store the other day. Apparently, this kid had borrowed a PSP game from his friend. The game had a firmware update on it that had failed to install properly. His PSP was absolutely toasted, and wouldn't even boot. The guy behind the counter was explaining to the kid's dad that it would cost almost as much as a new PSP to have Sony fix it.

I wonder how many PS3's will go the Way of the Brick(TM)?

Re:Kids, PLEASE buy a Wii, 360 or PS3 today =)

[Thraxen]

Like what? MUDs and the old text adventure games?

customers and editors clearly have diferent values

[theStorminMormon]

Check out the CNet comparison. Look at the rankings from the editors vs. from the readers. Whoops, just noticed the article actually links to Wired when it says it links to CNet. No matter, here's the CNet side by side comparison: http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-6464_7-6551960.html?t ag=cnetfd.mt

Here's how the editors ranked the systems:

1. PS3 (8.8) 2. Xbox 360 (8.4) 3. Wii (8.2)

Here's how the readers ranked the systems:

1. Wii (8.0) 2. Xbox 360 (7.5) 3. PS3 (7.1)

Aside from the full one-point "grade inflation" the readers ranked the systems in exactly the opposite order that the editors did. Is this because the editors are playing on machines they didn't pay for? And with HDTV equipment most users don't have? Is it perhaps related to the relative advertising might these companies are flexing at CNet? Are CNet gamers more casual and fun-oriented compared to more hardcore CNet editors?

Whatever's going on, it looks interesting to me.

-stormin (shameless self-promotion, I covered this discrepancy in my blog yesterday: http://kiriath-arba.blogspot.com/2006/11/editors-v s-gamers.html)