I have the option of getting a PS2 game console or an Xbox (not both!).
I can’t figure out which is better. What I know is that the Xbox is a mini computer and you need to buy extra attachments to play DVD’s.
The Playstation2 plays DVD’s out of the box and has less memory.
What I don’t know is which one has more games and a greater propensity to be around in a couple of years. Is the game console market like the PC software market? That is, a new unit comes out every year and all the new software (ie. games) won’t function on the old systems?
The PS2 has been around longer than the XBox and consequently has a larger variety of games. About ten times as many PS2s than Gamecubes and XBoxes are sold, IIRC. The PS2 has also been out for about two years, and although there are minor modifications available, there hasn’t been a replacement for it. I don’t think one’s coming out anytime soon.
PS2s, incidentally, are able to play old Playstation games, and with the number of PS2 titles currently out, it would be foolish for Sony to introduce a spiffier console that wasn’t backward compatible.
I think you’re better off determining what games you want to play and which console they’re available for, and basing your decision on that.
Well, Xbox loads faster, has a hard drive so there’s no need to bother with memory cards (but you do have that option if you see fit), it is capable of better graphics, and IMHO it has a much better controller.
The only thing that the PS2 has going for it is the fact that is has about 450 games plus all the PSX games. The Xbox, on the other hand, only has about 200 games.
If you want a good system in the coming months and years then get the Xbox but if you’re the type that wants everything NOW NOW NOW then you might want to go with the PS2.
This question isn’t suitable for this board? There may not be ONE correct answer, but the ones I’m looking for are based on facts…isn’t this the place for factual questions?
Which is console “better” is really a matter of opinion. Each system has its good and bad points, and the “better” one is a subjective assessment, a matter of personal preference.
We can offer our opinions, and the bases for our opinions can be based on facts, but that doesn’t make the opinions themselves factual answers. We can list each system’s features, but we can’t stay completely factual while saying that one is better than the other.
Your question of which console will be around in two years doesn’t have a factual answer. I could say that the XBox’s poor sales means it won’t be developed for in the coming months, and will soon be discontinued. But it’d just be a guess on my part, and I don’t think anyone could do much better. Unless you can see the future, there’s no way of knowing.
The current rate of NEW game production is about the same.
Both systems will be around for awhile. PS2 has a huge following; XBox has a growing fanbase and Microsoft is 100% behind it.
My advice: Rent them. Then choose.
MY OPINION: The XBox is clearly a better machine; it’s technically superior in almost every way and its headline games are just as good or better. It may have fewer games, but the truth is that unless you’re a multi-millionaire you aren’t going to buy 400 games anyway. XBox has more outstanding, super-fun games than you can probably afford, and is the more modern, faster, and better-looking system, so go with that.
Well, the history of consoles so far has been that whoever gets the most software support, wins. So by that standard, the PS2 has a huge head start.
However, MS throwing their weight behind the Xbox does tilt the field somewhat. Plus MS has said that they plan to make the Xbox the centerpiece of their home entertainment strategy, including a DVR, etc.
For what it’s worth, I hought a PS2 because of the software, and I’m very happy with it. I would have to agree with AudreyK and say you should choose whichever console has the games you want to play. Like GTA - Vice City…
Again, this is an ‘humble opinion’, but the PS2 is the better choice for it’s better selection of games, both in quantity and quality, and it’s already DVD compatable.
The X-box isn’t a proven commodity, and game developers are hesitant to throw their support behind it the way they have Nintendo and Playstation – both proven money makers for a game publisher.
From a game makers standpoint, it’s wiser to design for the PS2 and then simply make a 'port to the X-Box. The result? A game that’s no better on X-Box than it was on the PS2, six to eight month later, with the exception of (possibly) better texture maps and perhaps a faster loading time. Feh…
Besides, PS2 has the GTA series, and I, at the moment, am addicted to ‘Vice City’. Magnificent!.
Absolutely agree with AudreyK. We can post technical specs all day long, but it’s the games you are interested in, not the hardware. I have not found a better first-person shooter than the XBox’s Halo, but I was disappointed in general with the range of games for that console. GTA-series games are quite superb on the PS2, on the other hand, and the range currently available (together with PSX games) appeals to me.
Decide what kind of games you like, gain opinions on which specific games are best in those genres, then base the console purchase around that.
Also note that if you have broadband internet access, the ‘Xbox Live’ network is going to be the pinnacle of online console gaming for some time to come (IMHO of course ;))
X-Box owner and Beta tester for X-Box Live. (I also have a GameCube and use the PS-2 quite often).
The addon to play DVD’s is just a remote control. Nothing needs to be added to the system. If you have a learning remote in your house, you can borrow an Xbox DVD remote from somewhere and train your remote with it and won’t need to purchase it at all. (Beside, don’t you already have a DVD player?)
As mentioned (several times), the X-Box is a significantly higher performance platform than the other consoles. It doesn’t show up so much in alot of the games that come out together for all three platforms as they write to the lowest common denominator.
X-box titles are coming out fast and furious. Something that helps in this regard is the PC-game industry. As the X-Box is built on pretty standard PC hardware, a port from PC to X-Box is a breeze and this is accelerating title availability.
X-box has a built in hard drive, and ethernet card. Don’t have to spend any extra money to save games or network the boxes.
X-box fully supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and that is much more important than you might think when you try it out.
X-box support High Definition as well. (OK, no games are out to take advantage of it yet, but the first one will be out in just a matter of days… Dragon’s Lair 3-D. You can bet I will have it on its release date… 1920x1080 is gonna look sweet)
The choice was easy for me. I have spent alot of money on nearly professional grade home theater system and the X-Box can take advantage of every bit of it. If you have or plan to get HD and/or dolby digitial, this is what you want.
Damn, missed one. I always figured I would do it the way I said if I ever decided I wanted to play DVD’s for some reason through the X-Box. But there really isn’t any point for me, already have a DVD player anyway.
Another person who doesn’t think this is a “General Question” !
An important thing to consider is that North America is the only major region where the Xbox is really succeeding. In Japan it is as good as dead, which could see many (if not all) of the quality Japanese developers stopping development for it.
For this reason the majority of games available for the Xbox are more “US Developer” style, meaning a lot of sports games and first person shooters, but with few quirky, original ideas.
XBOX is the clear winner in hardware. Twice the ram, the fastest cpu and graphics processors in a console, 8 gig hard drive, ethernet, 5.1 channel audio, HDTV, and four controller ports. The graphics in exclusive titles are markedly better that what is achievable on a PS2, far less jaggies, better textures, higher polygon count (which means smoother, more detailed characters and environments). In games like Jet Set Radio and Dead or Alive you will notice the difference.
However, graphics aren’t everything. In the end the decision should come down to the games you’re interested in playing. The PS2 exclusives are very attractive, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Final Fantasy X, GT3, Devil May Cry, Kingdom Hearts, and Tekken 4. I find the XBOX exclusives just as interesting though, Halo, Jet Set Radio Future, Dead or Alive III (and DOA Extreme Beach Volleyball :)), Project Gotham Racing, Morrowind, and soon Panzer Dragoon Orta, Shenmue II, and Fable. Both consoles are great toys, I never thought I’d see the day home units were better quality than the arcades. Have fun!
Playstation 2 has pretty much tapped out it’s performance capabilities. You’ll continue to see many new titles, but not very many enhancements to graphics. It also has inferior sound capabilities (5.1 DDS capabilities on Xbox makes a significant difference in the game environment).
The only advantage the PS2 has over Xbox is more titles, and even then it’s not that big a deal (especially for me, because there have been very few games that sparked any interest in me). There were also almost no future titles that really sparked my interest (GTA3 and GTA:VC being the sole exceptions), whereas there are several Xbox titles I am looking forward to (MechAssault, Halo 2, and Fable, for a small sample).
Xbox is also less expensive than PS2 in the long run, especially if you’re going to buy one anytime soon. They have package deals for Xbox that give you TWO free games (Sega GT 2002 and Jet Set Radio Future, worth $100 total retail value), a rebate for the DVD kit, and the S controller, all for $199. If you ever want to play 4 player PS2 games, you have to buy the controller splitter, or if you want to play it online, you have to buy the addon modem/NIC. And it still doesn’t have a HDD.
Clearly, the Xbox is the superior machine. Currently, it has less games than PS2, but I see a lot more potentially high-quality Xbox games coming out than potentially high-quality PS2 games.
Anyways, Xbox for me… For many reasons.
