Man, sorry if this is an excessive hijack, but seems like the folk with opinions are already in here. And I’m sure you’ve gone around and around on this many times already but – which to buy, GC or PS2?
This is for my kids. They have N64, and I have been surprised at how little I am interested in it. (Having wasted mucho time in previous years on Jill of the Jungle, Commander Keen, Darkmoon, Duke, Doom, etc. while supposedly working!) I have been pleased that they enjoy it, but don’t spend ALL of their time on it.
We are talking about giving them an upgrade if they end up the school year with superior grades. They are 11-14. While we do not consider ourselves overly prudish, the N64 Bond games seem to have plenty of violence for our tastes. And they seem to be plenty happy with a library of maybe 15 games. So I don’t know that we need access to a huge number of titles. We also need to buy a DVD player. I know PS2 can double as one.
My 6th grader asked around and sounds like most of his friends have PS2.
When is the next platform expected?
What would the total cost be for the setup, 4 controllers, and maybe 5 games?
Dinsdale - I’m an admitted PS2 fanboy, so take this for what it’s worth.
The main thing to consider when picking up a game system is simply whether it has games that will hold your interest. For me personally, the PS2 has the advantage here, with a huge library of PS2 titles, and seemingly infinite PSX titles to fall back on as well. If your kids never had a PSX, there’s probably more than a few games they’ve missed that they’d enjoy.
When I picked up my PS2 in December, the game selection is something I considered heavily. I love ryhthm games, and there are a bunch available for the PS2. I don’t know if there are any available for the Xbox or Gamecube.
Another advantage for Sony in your case is the fact that your son can share games with his friends who have PS2s.
And finally, you may want to take the prices of the games into consideration. You can find a lot of older PS2 titles for between $20 and $35. You’ll have a hard time finding an Xbox or GC game that’s not in the $40 to $55 range.
The PS2 has a couple of disadvantages though. To use 4 controllers at once you’ll need an adapter, which the other two systems don’t need if I recall correctly. Also, you’ll need a memory card for the PS2 to save games and settings. The Xbox doesn’t need this, instead you can save directly to the built-in harddrive. However, a lot of people with the Xbox buy memory cards anyway so they can share saves with friends.
About the next platforms - I doubt we’ll see anything until 2005. Nothing is set in stone though of course, but the current systems are all powerful enough to last quite a while.
And for your last question:
PS2 system with 2 controllers (at ebworld.com) - $199
2 more controllers - $50
Multitap adapter (allows for 4 controllers) - $35
Memory Card - $25
5 games - anywhere from $100 to $250, depending on what you get.
If you do get a PS2, I’ll be glad to recommend some cool games.
This price drop probably has me swaying towards PS2. How well does it work as a DVD player?
It cracks me up when my kid asks me what my opinion is of the various setups. I mean - he’s in middle school, smack dab in the middle of one of the prime markets for this stuff. Should have far better access to info than this 40-year old who still misses 8-ball, and fell off the learning curve somewhere between Space Invaders and Asteroids.
Well, I’m a gamer, not a home theater junkie, so I can’t really comment about the DVD playback except to say that it works. I’m sure someone else can elaborate on it’s comparison to real DVD players. Aside from that, I’ve played maybe a dozen movies on it so far, and I haven’t had a problem.
I’m surprised you didn’t find much to like on the N64, Din. The two Zelda games were masterpieces, they had a fantastic new Tetris that I wish I could find or wish they would put out for the GBA. They had some great shooters (Bond and Turok). Resident Evil 2 was gorgeous.:shrug:
I don’t care if a system has 50,000 games. I don’t have time to play more than four or five games a year, so I look for uber-quality. Nintendo/Rare and Squaresoft are the only two companies I’ve ever been able to rely on for this (though Retro’s Metroid is looking fairly promising).
Now that Square and Nintendo might be hooking up again, you know the big N is going to be begging and bribing Square for exclusive games… and FFTactics is making it to the GBA (drool).
The advice is always to look at the games. But since you are buying it for your kid, the advice is probably to look at what his friends have. Though you CANNOT go wrong with Super Smash Brothers Melee! Hot damn.
I’m a console junkie (own 6 different consoles, but none of the new ones), but I always wait to see if a console catches on before I buy, and if there are good games for that console. I bought a N64 finally a couple summers ago, and – though the game selection overall is poor – I am very happy with it. It was worth purchasing the discounted console for the Mario Party games, Mario Kart, Mario 64, and Goldeneye, just to have as a group activity (I play it nearly exclusively with family – well, except for Mario 64).
I bought the Playstation just to play Final Fantasy VII, and I’ve enjoyed it for solo play (Final Fantasy IX, Tenchu 1 and 2), but found it sorely lacking for group play – though Chocobo Racing was fun for a few weeks.
I might have to pick up a Playstation 2 for Final Fantasy X, but we’ll see. I don’t have other games I’m drooling over – I couldn’t give half a damn over GTA 3. It definitely seems like the lead system and I wouldn’t touch the X-Box with a ten foot pole (I’d rather Microsoft didn’t take over the console industry, and besides which, are there any games worth buying the console for?). Maybe I’ll get a Game Cube – when and if they present the same group play options as the n64. (Super Smash Brothers Melee is ok, but it’s essentially a button-pound fighting game, which is not exactly the favorite game type around here.) Did anyone get that Simpsons racing game for Xbox? If so, was it any good?
I’m with erislover – I buy a console for a few good games a year. So far, only PS2 has caught my attention.
I personally own a PS2 but I do think it is premature to say this. There is one major difference between Microsoft and Sega. Microsoft has deep, DEEP pockets and they want in. They have stated publicly that that are in this for the long haul. They may not be able to catch the PS2 but they will definetly make a fight for it. It would be curious to flash 2 years into the future and see where the situation ends up
Dinsdale, it works perfectly well as a DVD player. It doesn’t compare to a high-end DVD player, but it is easily the equal of many of the entry-level to mid-level units. Given the new price, I think it’s a great deal if you don’t already have a DVD player.
The one important thing to consider is the remote control. You can play DVDs right out of the box, but you have to use the game comtroller to control playback. This is obviously not ideal! So, figure in about $20 for the DVD remote as well. Of the 3 different ones I’ve tried, the official Sony one was the best by far. It’s light and slim and it lets you control most of the features with direct button presses while some of the other remotes require you to go through an on-screen menu. Since getting the Sony remote, I’d actually rate the unit much higher as a DVD player. The picture quality with the PS2 is as good as several other DVD players I’ve looked at (all in the $120-$250 range).
The other recomendation I would make is to use the S-video output if you have a compatible TV. It helps with the DVD image quality a little bit, but it can make a big difference with some games. I noticed that small text was much clearer when I switched over to the S-video.
X-Box and PS2 both at 199.00, Morrowind released at the end of this month for the X-Box, and GTA3 released at the same time for the PC. Sony’s got more titles, but Morrowind may serve the role of a “killer app”, for X-Box, and GTA’s ability to do so just got diluted across platforms. Interesting.
Well, Microsoft wasn’t planning on turning a profit on Xbox systems until something like 2004 or 2005. Obviously, being a few million units behind won’t bother them much.
Also for the record, it reportedly runs better on Xbox than it does on PC…
That’s true, and I’ve been playing it. But I’ve also heard quite a few people saying that they need to upgrade thier computers to play it properly. An X-Box and the game could be a cheaper way to go for many. But you’re right - it is multi-platform. It’s also much newer than GTA3, so that may or may not make a difference.
NO way will Nintendo go down on this. I even heard people who work for Sony that Nintendo is a worthy compeditor. NINTENDO is now !!!$149!!!
NOT the same price as Sony!!
They had a GREAT E3 showing.
Why they have this Kiddy reputation thing is beyond me!?
Some of the biggest games they have were/ are manly adults, and Mario/Zelda are for EVERYONE. They are broad. An adult can play Zelda, but few little kids can play Grand Theft Auto. Resident Evil series is exclusive to Nintendo now. There are many adult oriented and Teen games in the future. Star Fox Adventure looks to get teen rating, (and look at the realistic fur on those creatures). Metroid will go for an older crowd, so will Perfect Dark 2. Metroid is the most anticipated game of this year, NO QUESTION.
TRUST ME, NINTENDO WILL BE FINE
They are $50 less than Sony, better technogy for games. The only reason Nintendo CAN go down in price iss because it’s not a DVD movie player… I have a DVD player. I have PS2 on a TV I had aready got DVD player for (and I don’t watch DVDs on any other TV), so it’s just a waiste of money
It is what Playstation 2 wants to be when it makes the Playstation 3. Even more. There are already 70 games out for X-box just 7 months in, and the graphics blow away whatever is on PS2, and this is just the first generation.
Nintendo’s graphics are close, but eventually the X-Box’s built in programmable hard drive will just blow the other 2 out of the water. Scuttlebutt has it that Playstation might push PS3 up to try and catch up with X-Box.
Game selection. X-Box is a year behind. But there are about 250 TITLES under development right now!
A lot of these titles will be games that were okay on Playstaion, but Microsoft is more demanding on it’s developers. The nice thing about PS owners is that us X-Boxers get to use you for guinea pigs! I cite SSX Tricky- much, much superior to the Ps2 version!
Microsoft is kind of hard to beat. A lot of people laughed when Bill Gates said he was getting into the Internet browser market, and just like the videogame market, MS got in late.
Okay, all Netscape users, raise your hands?
Microsoft is prepared to lose BILLIONS on the X-Box, which to put it in perspective, let’s say you had $100. Would you jump off a bridge if you lose $2 on the lottery? To Microsoft that $2 billion is 2 bucks in their pocket.
I think someone compared Microsoft to Sega. That’s a crock. Sega burned gamers with CD, Saturn and Dreamcast. Do you really see Microsoft burning 3.4 million customers by abandoning X-Box?
And do you really think Bill Gates, one of the shrewdest business minds on the planet, is really going to accept defeat? This is a very, very well run company that stands by its product, even when it screws up, not some faceless Japanese company looking to shaft American teenagers out of their hard earned money.
If Microsoft can pull the Internet gaming thing off, and my sources say it will be a reality, Sony and Nintendo are going to be in real trouble.
The appeal of playing superior games head to head versus total strangers on a cable modem is well, pretty nice. And the Internet stuff is built in to the X-Box, not some peripheral that can be added on later IF the game maker can make it work. That etheral port in the back of my Box is quite a commitment.
I also love the breakway controller cable, and the X-Box feels like a real piece of electronic equipment, not a piece of styrofoam. There is just more meat to the thing.
Oh and by the way I do not give a rat’s ass how the X-Box sells in Japan. Japanese deep down hate Americans anyway, so of course they are going to flock to the Playstation.
In short, I dont think Sony is going anywhere, They have a very loyal following, and deservedly so. And I’m not knocking Playstation 2, it was a very hard call for me to make when I went with X-Box.
Nintendo Gamecube worries me because they are the value leader of the three, but at $149, theres not much more room for them to drop. When Xbox and PS2 go for $99 in 2003, what is Gamecube, with really no other things to offer, going to charge? $50?
I think we can also ignore the 8.4 million to 1.4 million stat. PS2 has been on the market for 17 months; X-Box just 7. Let’s compare in a year when people catch on that X-Box is so much better.
I think its going to be X-Box versus Playstation 2, and guess what? There’s room for both systems!
