http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=145561
I have started a general “console wars” thread over in Cafe Society which might be of some interest to the readers of this thread.
Playstation 2 because it has Grand Theft Fucking Auto 3 and Vice City, plus it plays the same games that are on X-Box and Gamecube. The X-Box only games are lame (Blood Wake), expensive (Steel Battalion with it’s uber controller) or have extra levels (Metal Gear Solid) not featured on other consoles. X-Box isn’t even a contender, Gamecube has fun games that transcend age barriers like Super Mario Sunshine and Super Monkey Ball 2 but on the downside it doesn’t play the old N64 games. The PS2 plays the PSX games which can be acquired cheaply nowadays in addition to lots of new games.
You lie. You’re a big fat liar.
X-BOX all the way. It’s the same price as the PS2, but is way more powerful. A lot of games are coming out on all 3 consoles as well, which means less ‘exclusive’ games.
The only reasons to buy a PS2 are GTA3, and if you had a PSONE, the ability to play the old games.
Considering the types of games your husband likes I wouldn’t get him a console. Everything you mentioned wont translate well tha console. War games and first person shooters are very hard to adapt to on a console if you have ever used a keyboard and mouse.
Just get 200 dollars worth of upgrades.
I don’t think you’ll really go wrong with either. (Me, I’m apt to pick up a PS2 in the near future, which will surely drive the price down precisely 31 days after I purchase one. 
)
One factor to consider: which system has the most games available to rent at your local video store? Rentability is a godsend to console gaming, as many titles don’t have much long-range chops, but are still a blast over a weekend.
I agree with this, personally, except that $200 doesn’t buy you a whole lot of upgrade these days.
Keep in mind that an xbox has a hard drive which means no need for a memory card.
I would recommend the xbox. But that’s only because Shenmue 2 and Hunter The Reckoning are only available for the xbox.
Randy