Recently a comment on this blog asked what our opinion here at Plataformed is on the debate about which is better, Xbox or Playstation. To answer this question we here at Plataformed hosted a small panel and this is the discussion that came out of it:
Vlada: The question clearly isn’t new, and realistically it should take into account one other gaming platform, the Nintendo Wii. These three platforms are considered to be the most popular gaming consoles when considering consoles that are not in themselves personal computers. Let us turn to our writers here at Plataformed and get their opinions…
Liz: I'm old school because I still prefer my old Super Nintendo to all of the new systems available. Until they can recreate the general awesomeness of Final Fantasy 3 and Crono Trigger, I'll stick with it. It still works, 15 years later!
Vlada: Liz definitely has a point; there is no reason to exclude older systems from this conversation. Older systems provided hours of fun in earlier years and as long as they continue to function they are something to consider as a source of entertainment.
Lauren: I’m on the same page as Liz. I still play games on the more traditional systems like N64, if you haven’t guessed yet from my posts. If I had to choose between the Xbox, Playstation, or Wii; I would go with the Wii. It is more of a neutral gaming system and you do not have to be addicted to gaming to enjoy playing it. The Wii is also great for the ability of downloading older games and it is always good for party scenarios. In all fairness it is hard for me to judge the other two systems because I have had limited contact with them.
Vlada: Unlike Lauren and Liz, I no longer own any older systems. However, I do own both a Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360 so it’s easier for me to make a comparison between the two.
In terms of game play, the two are relatively similar; the main issue is game exclusivity. To remain competitive, consoles often seek to receive game exclusivity and in return allow software development companies permission to create games for the platform. The platform that is best for a person is usually the platform that carries the games that the individual is interested in. Due to this, the best way to choose a platform is to first find games that one is interested in and then proceeding to see which platforms carry it.
Currently however my personal preference is the Playstation 3. The main reason for this is because a PS3 is ever so slightly more compatible with a MacBook than the Xbox 360. Microsoft makes the Xbox 360 so it only makes sense that a Mac product wouldn’t work well with it. The Playstation 3, on the other hand, is slightly easier to work with in terms of connecting to a Mac. However, it’s still necessary to research and download a program in order to use thePS3 and Mac together.
The other reason I currently prefer the Playstation consol to the Xbox is because of the “Red Ring of Death”. The ring appeared on the face of the console around the power button that flashes red just a day after buying a new game for my Xbox 306. Depending on which side of the ring is lit, the problem may be fixable. The E74 error I was receiving means that the Xbox 360's hardware scaler chip is damaged, a problem that isn’t easily or permanently fixable. Now I’m stuck with a console that sits around and no longer works until I decided to purchase a newer version of the system, which is supposedly less likely to have such errors. However, as I stressed initially, the game console chosen directly relates to the kinds of games that a person enjoys. This especially applies to the Wii that tends to release games that are multiplayer, family oriented, and often directed to individuals that would not consider themselves to be ‘gamers.’
Liz: Also, we should include PC games as a platform. If anything, PC is probably one of the most accessible platforms since so many of us already have the hardware and internet access. Many gamers prefer using their PC for convenience and cost - you can download most games (illegally, of course, not that we are encouraging anyone to do so) in a few days and save yourself a lot of money. Plus, most of us are already on there quite a bit already, so gaming via PC is just a natural move.
Lauren: Whether you enjoy multiplatform gaming, more tradition ‘old school’ games, or shooter games; these three systems all have a different genre that they satisfy best. Now that the writers at Plataformed have given you reasons for why we enjoy the various gaming systems, leave us a note telling us which system is your favourite and why. Also, don’t be shy and vote on which gaming system is the best!
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Unknown
viously something incredibly difficult to render graphically is now coming around. It demonstrates how light now acts more realistic on a variety of surfaces. This allows for more interaction with the environment as well as for overall better looking games. Subsurface Scattering also deals with rendering light, and its easiest to explain using the example of a human being as opposed to a plastic action figure. The light doesn't always reflect off human skin making it look glossy like many video games have been displaying it lately. On the contrary, it is quite common for it to penetrate certain areas. Even games that have had amazing visuals (see Uncharted) have also fallen to such smaller details. What Epic promises with Unreal E
ngine 3 is indeed something revolutionary for lighting in game visuals.
