Convince Me (what to do-Xbox, GC, or PS2)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Okay, I know there are fifty million threads right now about these consoles and I really hate to start another one, but I have been doing research and there is no, at least IMO, one feature that really stands out compared to the others.

FWIW I like FPS games more than the standard RPG games with hit points and the like. I want to shoot them, not programm the sequence in which they are to be shot, and watch them do it from a third person perspective. (does this make since to anyone but me?)

Even though I have never owned anything other thatn Nintendo, today I have decided against the GC basically because I think that it will be geared to younger people. I am in the mid-twenties.

I have played both Xbox and PS2 at Target and Media Play. I like them both equally. (Maybe PS2 more so b/c its backward compatible, but the Xbox controller seemed the best.) I have the money for either one. I own a DVD player so thats not a factor. PS has more games. Xbox has more hardware. Most of the games I like will be available for both.

This sucks. I cannot make decisions like this easily. It once took me an hour to decide between a Snickers or Mars Bar. What made you decide to get an Xbox over the PS2? See, if I went to Media Play or whatever and the salesperson was really pushing one over the other I would totally listen to them and agree. Now its your turn. I hate being indecisive. Or do I?

Like I said, the research I have done has been all on the internet and they have not really stated that one stands out more than the other. Yes, Sony has owned the market for some time and the Xbox, though Microsoft, is the underdog. If I decide to get the Xbox I am going to wait until their are more games and also I am going to wait if there are any bugs that need to be worked out. I heard they overheat easily.(? care to debunk this if its false) The PS2 is the definite leader but isnt there a PS3 coming out next Xmas?

What to do, what to do. I want you opinions on what to buy. I have the N64 and its like there is no more support for this system. Hell, even Blockbuster got rid of most their games for rent to make room for the newer ones.

I especially want to hear from Xbox owners b/c most my friends have PS2 and I am real familiar with that, but I have nothing to compare it to. But maybe you PS2 owners can convince me that the PS2 is the real deal. Can you help me?

2

Well I believe X-Box has the best lineup of FPS games.

Get the system that has the games you want to play.

3

c_goat, what you say is true but I think 99.99% of the games I want will be made for both, except for Halo.

4

I’ve only had my X-Box for a few days now and I’ve been nothing but impressed with it. I’ve been wanting a next-gen system forever, and almost got a PS2 rather than wait, but now I’m glad that I held off. The graphics on it (at least for the games I’ve played, Halo, Dead or Alive 3, and Madden 2002) are at worst PS2 caliber (which is still pretty damn good) and generally much better. The hard disk saves a lot of loading time, plus saves you the trouble of having to buy a memory card and then juggle which games you want to keep on it and which ones you have to delete to save space. The system supports Dolby surround, so if you’ve got a good sound system it should sound great (I’m poor and using my mono tv speaker, so I’m just assuming here). And as far as overheating goes, my X-Box has been running for about 48 of the last 96 hours, and I haven’t had a single problem with it. Haven’t seen any bugs either.
The PS2 is still a really great system. My friend has one and I’ve spent tons of time playing Grand Tourismo, and when Final Fantasy X comes out I’m going to take over his console for about a month, so don’t think I’m putting down the PS2 at all. I just think, from what I’ve seen so far, that the X-Box is a better choice. I think that both systems are good enough though, that you’ll be happy with whichever one you chose.

5

I’d say don’t get either one yet - wait until there are more games out for the X-Box. There are several F(T?)PSs out for the PS2, and like usual for a PlayStation-ish product some of them are good and some are not so good. Right now, there is to my knowledge only 1 out for the X-Box: Halo. And while Halo is by all accounts an amazing game (modulo some annoying slowdown caused by too much graphic detail) you will eventually win it… and it doubt it has much replayability.

I second c_goat’s sentiment: buy the system that has the games you want. The problem is, you don’t know yet if the X-Box may have games you want - because there are almost no games out for it yet. Also, if you wait until about January or Feb, prices might drop on the PS2. Maybe. In which case if it turns out you want a PS2, you get one cheaper.

So, to reiterate: don’t buy either one yet. Wait two or three months and THEN see which one looks better.
-Ben

6

I own a PS2. I just want to hand you 1 piece of advice. Im sure you’ve heard rumors bashing both. Don’t listen to them if its a factor in your decision. Unless you hear something from a respectable news organization it probably not true. Just remember that.

7

If you’re so divided 'tween the systems, just flip a coin. Or wait a while. Remember, patience is a virtue, my royally-monikered friend.

8
  1. Hi, X-box!
9

We finally got a PS2 (I’m going to be using it the most, but it really is for the whole family). I think this is the best of the systems, for the following reasons:

  1. Small but growing library of action/arcade style games that are easy to get into and plenty of fun (CART Fury, Lunatea’s Veil, Silent Scope, Gauntlet Dark Legacy, etc.)
  2. Compatible with PSX controllers (but not the Gameshark or memory cards, unfortunately), so I don’t have to buy a new joystick.
  3. Games available for rental right now.
  4. Full support from strong, viable company; no qualms about premature obsolescence, bankruptcy, or abandonment.
  5. Games and perhiperals widely available from every store that sells electronics; don’t have to run from place to place looking for this one device, don’t have to worry about stores suddenly pulling everything if you decide a week too late.

The only blip is that getting a modchip could be next to impossible, but most of the import games I want can be played on the old system (which can play imports) anyway.

YMMV.

Really, get the system that’s best for you, that’s all I can say.

10

my PS2 plays all the psx games (well except for one) I threw at it. Now, I don’t know if the xbox can play psx games but at least my ps2 isn’t over heating.

11

If there are X-Box’s overheating, and there very well might be, it’s a very small percentage of them. If you stick your PS2 in a sealed case, it’s not going to last very long either though. If you don’t believe me, try it :wink: I’ve been running the hell out of my X-Box and haven’t had ANY problems with it. None. No overheating. No bugs. No probs.

True, the X-Box doesn’t have as many games as the PS2. That’s an obvious result of it being a brand new system, as opposed the the PS2 which has a decent head start. Take a look in any game magazine though, a very good portion of games being made for the PS2 are also being made for the X-Box, and I imagine that trend will increase. The system is simply able to do more than any other out right now, and developers are going to like the freedom that that power provides.

Yes, you’ll need all new joysticks. Again, it’s a new system, it’s just going to have to work that way.

I live in a relatively small town in Texas, and EVERY rental place here has X-Box games for rent, so I have to imagine it’s pretty much the same in most other places.

Microsoft is generally what I’d consider a strong and viable company, but maybe that’s just me. Maybe you don’t like them, but you have to admit, they must be doing something right, incompetence is rarely rewarded with success. They probably wont be going bankrupt.

If you can find a store that sells PS2 peripherals and doesn’t sell X-Box ones, I’d be surprised. I got all my stuff from the same store, and then saw the exact same stuff later on when I stopped into Wal-Mart.

I like the PS2. I really do, it has some great games on it, and the graphics are generally nothing short of amazing. I even think that the Gamecube has a lot of potential, so long as Nintendo doesn’t cripple it from the get-go with kiddie games. (Mario’s great, I grew up on Mario, but sometimes I really want to just shoot the crap out of something, you know?) I just don’t understand what’s with a lot of these snide remarks towards the X-Box. It really is the best system out there, the numbers don’t lie, and it’s already got a lot of support from software developers, with more on the way. It’s a good system, and I honestly think it will be here for a while.

12

Recent Xbox buyer here.
If you’re really into FPS’s (like myself) I recommend the Xbox. Halo is frickin’ amazing. Haven’t been able to put it down, practically. But more importantly, Unreal Championship comes out next Spring (playable online) only for the Xbox.
I’ve read interviews with the developers of this game saying that it won’t be appearing on the PS2 because it’s simply not powerful enough. Unreal Tournament is one of my favorite PC games and I’m dying to see the next gen of this game on my big screen with surround sound!
And for the record, I’ve had my Xbox plugged in and playing for 5+ hour spurts and it doesn’t even feel warm.

13

The only game that makes me even consider getting a 'Cube is the new Metroid game they’ll be coming out with. If they had one for the N64, I woulda picked one of those up. I love Metroid.

14

The Messiah is coming…