[selowitch]

I am a current Xbox owner and I'm wondering which next-gen system I should consider. Hardware specs do not really interest me nearly as much as software. My particular interests are basketball, kid-friendly games (for my 7-year-old son), and Star Wars.

I'm also wondering if the pace of game production at Lucasarts is going to slow down now that the Star Wars films are finished .

My son and I had so much fun playing Lego Star Wars this year and would love to see a sequel (I realize it's an Eidos game, but licensed by Lucasarts if I'm not mistaken). And once he goes to bed, I like to whip out something a little gorier like SW: Battlefront or something from the Jedi Knight series.

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

For the games you mentioned it sounds like Xbox 360 is your best choice.

[Millennium]

My wife and I have started a policy where we get a system when it has five games that interest us. The current next-gen set doesn't yet have any consoles that do this. Currently there's only one system with any announced games that really interest me -the Revolution- and even that one only has one game announced: SSBR. There will probably be games in the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Metal Gear series on the PS3, but none have been announced that I'm aware of. XBox360 has nothing yet, though my wife and I are watching Hironobu Sakaguchi like hawks; he may be the one to break Microsoft out of its silly enshrinment of the 3-G formula.

[lavar78]

Any of them should be fine. Basketball is overwhelmingly cross-platform and so is Star Wars to a lesser extent. If hardware doesn't matter, I'd wait until next year when all three are available. You can decide then and you'll have a better idea of what exclusive titles are available for each.

[selowitch]

Originally Posted by lavar78

Basketball is overwhelmingly cross-platform

True. I will definitely want NBA Live 2006.

[scaught]

ooh. i get to say it again.

whichever one has the games that i want to play. there should be no other reason.

enjoy your flamefest.

[Jacob]

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by scaught

ooh. i get to say it again.

whichever one has the games that i want to play. there should be no other reason.

enjoy your flamefest.

Exactly, and based on what he listed it looks like Xbox.

[selowitch]

While it's certainly true that the software is the main selling point of a console, it's hard to tell what software will be released for a particular console following the launch period, say, in 2006. That's when it makes sense to consider hardware and past quality, i.e., as indicators of what may come to pass.

[ort888]

It's too early to try and guess. We don't even know anything about any of the consoles yet.

The Xbox is supposed to come out in the next 3 months but we still don't have a date, price or launch lineup.

We have no idea when the PS# comes out or how much it will cost and we have no clue about anything on the Revolution.

[ort888]

Oh yeah, and there is going to be a Star Wars Lego sequel. It will cover the original three movies and is coming out for the current gen of consoles.

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by ort888

It's too early to try and guess. We don't even know anything about any of the consoles yet.

The Xbox is supposed to come out in the next 3 months but we still don't have a date, price or launch lineup.

We have no idea when the PS# comes out or how much it will cost and we have no clue about anything on the Revolution.

I thought they already released the 40 titles available for the 360 launch.

[ort888]

40 titles? There is no way they will have 40 titles at launch.

If they have, I haven't seen it or heard of it.

[ort888]

Xbox 360 Launch Lineup?
Retailers have lined up the games in preparation for November. Which are they?
by Douglass C. Perry
August 10, 2005 - North American retailer Electronics Boutique, which expects Microsoft to ship the Xbox 360 as early as November 2, 2005 for an MSRP of $299.99, has comprised a complete, albeit questionable, list of X360 games for the console launch, IGN learned today from several EB outlets.


The list IGN acquired from EB retailers today features 21 launch titles, including three first-party games from Microsoft Game Studios -- Perfect Dark LE (i.e. Limited Edition), Kameo: Elements of Power, and Project Gotham Racing 3, approximate pricing, and sku numbers for every game.

Microsoft representatives officially re-confirmed with IGN today Rare titles Perfect Dark and Kameo would definitely launch day and date with the system, echoing Vice President Peter Moore's comments prior to E3. "PGR3 should launch with the system, if everything works according to plan," said a Microsoft representative. "But those first two (Perfect Dark and Kameo) are our big pushes for day one."

The full list, posted here alphabetically, includes:

Amped 3 (2K Games)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
Condemned (Sega)
Dead Or Alive 4 (Tecmo)
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda)
Final Fantasy XI (Microsoft)
Full Auto (Sega)
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft)
Gun (Activision)
Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
Madden NFL 06 (EA)
NBA 2K6 (2K Games)
NHL 2K6 (2K Games)
The Outfit (THQ)
Perfect Dark LE (Microsoft)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft)
Quake 4 (Activision)
Ridge Racer 6 (Namco)
Saints Row (THQ)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision)
Top Spin 2 (2K Games)
There were noticeable mistakes, however. The Godfather, for instance, was still listed as a launch title, even though EA officially announced its delay until Q1 2006. Too Human Part 1 was included, and Microsoft officially told IGN that was incorrect (duh). It also listed Burnout Revenge as a launch title, even though EA confirmed with IGN that a version of Burnout Revenge wouldn't appear until 2006.

Xbox 360 second wave launch titles, which EB has scheduled for November 16, include the majority of Electronic Arts' games:
Burnout Revenge
FIFA Soccer 06
Peter Jackson's King Kong
NBA Live 06
Need For Speed Most Wanted
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06
Namco's Frame City Killer is listed as releasing November 19, 2005.

EB's own data includes a $59.99 price for every Xbox 360 game, except one, Kameo, which listed at $49.99. The retailer told IGN that software prices weren't fixed yet, as Microsoft, third-party publishers, and presumably North American retailers hash out final prices.

EB even has Halo 3 listed as shipping July 1, 2006, presumably the same day as Sony's PlayStation 3.

We'll have more on Xbox 360 launch titles soon.

[lavar78]

$60/title? They must be joking.

[selowitch]

$60 a title is ridiculous. It's like they don't want people to buy them. It's not like the games are going to play any better. Oh, sure, the graphics may be prettier and the tech specs may be through the roof. But if history is any guide, playability and fun will be either flat or in decline.

That's the sad truth of the videogame industry.

One great example of this is the amazing EA game, Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One-on-One. It was low-res and completely unfancy, but it played so beautifully and consumed many hours of time with my friends. It was an elegant game. Today, some basketball games are excellent, like NBA Live 2005, but most of them stink to high heaven.

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by selowitch

$60 a title is ridiculous.

I remember how some N64 titles were $80 a game.

[selowitch]

Originally Posted by Scandalous Ion Cannon

I remember how some N64 titles were $80 a game.

Yeah, and I remember why I didn't buy an N64!

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

" The retailer told IGN that software prices weren't fixed yet, as Microsoft, third-party publishers, and presumably North American retailers hash out final prices."

[sek929]

xBox. Simply because the current xBox beats the pants off of Playstatyion 2 in every way, especially online play.

I'll stick with the good horse.

[lavar78]

Originally Posted by sek929

xBox. Simply because the current xBox beats the pants off of Playstatyion 2 in every way

...except the most important one: games.

[sek929]

Thats simply a matter of opinion,

This thread can include opinions right? Because they do affect my purchases and all.

[lavar78]

What isn't a matter of opinion?

[Adam Betts]

Nintendo Revolution and Xbox 360 for sure.

No interest in PS3. Too much hype and little to prove. Also after seeing the poor quality of PS1 and PS2 machines, I have little faith in PS3.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Scandalous Ion Cannon

I remember how some N64 titles were $80 a game.

some of the square RPGs on SNES were 70 or 80. chrono trigger for sure was one of these.

[macaddict0001]

The ability to download old games is way too great to be passed up, especially for a company that has as much history as nintendo, I only hope they include non-first party titles.


REVOLUTION

[Hawkeye_a]

It's surprising...but i just realized that the PS1 was the weakest that generation(PS1, N64). the PS2 is the weakest this generation, and they have still been succesful (as far as market share).

My opinion:
too early to make a call

the factors that effect my decision:
-games
-price of console
-price of games and services(online)
-controller (thats one reason i skipped over the N64/PS1 generation...the controllers sucked)
-tech specs....the do count, but not as much as the other stuff.

Overall:
I like the 5 game rule, except its too early to make that list now. but the list with the most games i want, will be on the Revolution.Price(console, games, services) is indicating that the Revolution will be the lowest. Controller...lets face it...Nintendos always been a generation ahead in controller deisn. they might suck at marketing their products, but give credit where credit is due. And if the revolution dosent have something too far out and cookey...it'll be great. Tech specs....XB360 pales in comparison to the PS3, as faras the NRS....too early to judge. They will all have wireless controllers...and graphical fidelity will be great on all systems as well.

XBox360:
+Halo(maybe?), Project Gotham Racing.
+early launch...nice christmas present for sure
+Hopefully a large launch library
-price of console , games and online...if your willing to fork out what Microsoft wants, good for you.
-backwards compatibility. Sony's machine will allow you to play it's entire back catalogue. Revolution will allow you to do the same.

PS3:
+Jak, Grand Turismo
+Apparently it's really powerful, not sure yet cause of all the stunts they pulled at E305
+Blu Ray. i state this cause it's looking like it's going to become the standard media
-That things huge
-Price of console and games could be prohibitive
-Games...COULD be an issue with increased development time and costs (like whats happening to the PSP right now). too much power is not always a good thing
-Controller looks rediculious

Revolution:
+Mario, Zelda, Metroid, SSBM
+Free online gaming
+full backwards compatibility (NES, SNES, N64, GCN)
+Predicted to be the cheapest of the 3
+Small
-Dont know about the controller at all
-Dont know about the specs at all

Bottom line:
too early to call. ill probably get one december 06, IF there's games i want. if not, ill stick to my cube.

Cheers

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

I am going to buy a PS3 just for the Blu-Ray drive. I know stand alone players will cost as much if not more than the PS3 when it comes out and I am itching for high def DVD's.

[jcadam]

Meh, I like computer games more than console games.

[meelk]

Xbox 360 pricing announced.
http://xbox.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142883
basically, you end up paying $400, because you will eventually want the extras in the $400 package that the $300 package doesnt have.
lolz.

[selowitch]

Originally Posted by lavar78

What isn't a matter of opinion?

Facts.

[starman]

How about "All three"?