matt_a

OK...I'm really "out of the loop" when it comes to gaming systems. I am thinking about getting my 14 yr old son either a PS3 or an xbox 360 for Christmas. I know all about the recent price drops on both systems. I also know that the Xbox has been plagued with reliability problems (which they seem to be owning up to).
Can anyone on here give me good, objective reasons to choose one over the other? I really don't want a bunch of fanboy comments about how the one they don't own sucks. I would like legitimate facts and features.
One thing that I've already considered is the fact that I would get a Blu-Ray DVD player if I get the PS3...BUT, I heard that unless you can display the video in full 1080p, it gets knocked all the way down to 480i. Is that true? If so, the Blu-Ray would be useless to me right now, because my LCD TV only displays up to 1080i.
Game selection won't really matter too much either. My son only ever plays sports (Madden NFL, NBA, MLB...etc.) So dozens of racing games and first-person shooters won't really interest him.
Can anyone help me decide which way to go here. It's driving me nuts and it's a lot of money to spend either way. Thanks in advance.

chipzxb

Is he going to be gaming online or not? If he is definetly go with the 360. I have both systems now and the ps3 online is terrible. As for games as well the 360 has the ps beat. I would say go with the 360.

xSTANDxSTRONGx

i'd say get him the Wii, it 's the funnest system I've played on.
The 360, has a built in DVD player and an add on ($100) HDDVD player.
THe PS3 has a built in Blu-Ray.

The 360 can upgrade to 120GB of memory, I think the PS3 goes up to 80GB right now.

I hope this helps.
Try IGN.com for some more info, and you can google them also.
(I own Gameboy ADVANCE, PStwo, XBOX, and XBOX360, I have had PlayStation, NES, SNES, Gameboy, N64, DreamCast, and Genesis)

torqueTc

iTrader: (11)

im 27, and I own both systems on a 1080p 46" sharp lcd, and they both have their advantages and drawbacks :

advantage(s) right now to purchase, you get 5 blu-ray dvd's in the mail with the PS3.
the xbox 360-hd-dvd add-on for less than $170 ALSO nets you 5 free mail in(s) plus 2 OTHERS right now at best buy (and one of the movies is 300.. freakin wicked!)

as far as games go, i play more game time on the 360, however BLOCKBUSTER now supports in store blu-ray rentals, so thats where my movies get played.

honestly, your eyes could probally not tell the difference between 1080i/p.
both units will display in 1080i and NOT get "knocked down" to 480i as you suggested.

IF he really is into sports games, you may also want to consider taking a wii lol.. very interactive, and not super high def, but still fun non-the-less.

however, given my choice of all 3, my 360 gets way more game time in.

matt_a

Thanks for the replys.
I don't know if we'll let him do the on-line thing or not. I don't have a computer or phone line near where the system will be, so it would require some cabling. I also don't want him doing it if there are no language filters.

I looked at the wii, but I'm not sure about the games. Does Madden NFL come in a wii version? If not, that's a deal breaker.

So the blu-ray player would display in 1080i on my set? Hmmmmm....

I would gladly get the 360 because it's cheaper, but I'm worried about the reliability issue and I wonder if I'll miss the Blu-Ray player. Its starting to look like Blu-Ray might be winning the format wars, but who knows?

*sigh...I'm so confused.

a_german_named_hans

how about the 360 with a 2 yr best buy warranty? When ever I buy something more expensive like this I always buy it from Best Buy because of their warranty. If the 360 dies just get another one hassle free.

matt_a

Someone told me that they have extended the warranty on the Xbox 360 to 3 years because of the known problems. I don't know how "hassle free" it is though!

xSTANDxSTRONGx

Best Buy Warranty = Bring it in with your receipt, walk out with a brand new (out of box) under an hour later (Usually under 20 mins, but around Christmas, it gets worse.) I haven't had many problems with my 360, 2 or 3 times it has frozen, I just turned it off, and started back up, I don't think it even lost my save.

chipzxb

Xbox did extend the warranty period. i have had mine since the day it came out and have never really had a problem with it. Altough I have friends that have, microsoft takes care of it for you and in a good timely manner.

a_german_named_hans

I never had a problem with them. One time i brought in a psp with a huge crack down the middle of the screen and the only thing they checked was if all the accessories were in the box. Got a new PSP from them no problem.

zer0myst

xbox 360 no doubt.
had a ps3, returned it and used that money to parts for the car, lol.
bioshock just came out for the 360 this week, man that game is amazing - you must play it!

Silencei2

360 for me.
1. Recent price drop
2. Online capabilities are pretty flawless
3. Paramount and another major movie production switched from Blu-ray to HD-DVD.
4. HD-DVD is cheaper than Blu-ray
5. The **** industry has chosen HD-DVD and thus has won the war
6. Last but not least. Buy it from Best Buy and get it exchanged in 15 minutes when it dies on you

PakanaHerruus

we have both at our place.. and the x-box sees more use then the ps3.. its simple.. does your kid want a good game system or a good video player.. there are a few great games for ps3. but there are tons of great games for the 360.. we just got Bio-shock.. and that game alone is a good reason to get the 360..

if i was a 11 year old kid.. id rather have more games then movies..

on the other hand.. blu-ray does look amazing.. and there are some great movies on blu-ray..

xIxAMxHOLLYWOODx

XBOX 360!! Why might you ask?





Nuff said! haha, but really, I've played both (dont own either yet) and if I were to make a choice, it would be the xbox. The graphics are about the same quality for each, but online play for the XBOX is legit.

But like one user said, the Wii is a whole heck of a lot of fun! Especially "The BIGS" Best baseball game ever!

xSTANDxSTRONGx

That's right, the Wii is the funnest system I've ever played. Not to mention, every now and then, it promts the user to stop playing and go outside, so as a parent, (I'm not yet, but I have experience) I would lean towards the Wii for is "responsibility".

firesquare

i love my Wii. as nice as the PS3 and 360 are im only really and always interested in good racing games.

but i was raised on Nintendo and Mario and all the rest of the gang, so i picked the Wii.

graphics wise isnt super crazy nice like PS3 and 360 but the fun factor is awesome. the online feature and wireless controler is great. downloadable games from the past from NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and Turbo GraphiX 16. also a full internet broser, news and weather all right at ya. you can also recieve and send e-mail through the wii.

but of course im waiting for Gran Turismo HD. THEN ill buy a PS3

matt_a

Oh this is just freakin' great! Now you guys have me thinking about a third choice!
Is the Wii really that great? I had no idea. I always kind of assumed that the Wii would be fun at first (because of the interaction) but once the novelty wore off, people would get bored with it. Are there lots of really good sports games for it? How's Madden NFL? That's my sons favorite game. If he could only ever own one game, it would be Madden. How are the graphics on the Wii? Are any of the games 1080i or WideScreen?

firesquare

their is a wide screen setting yes. and High def hook ups are avalable. imaging downloading Super mario Bros. in high def. its better then you think.

i h=just have a S-cable in my tv and the picture for a 8-bit game is amazing

socalsciontc

Should add that on the wii there is a widescreen setting but not all games will be widescreen. Also it displays at 480p max and I have found that it looks better on a regular tv than on a widescreen high def.

hotbox05

wii