X-Box vs PS2

[dreamachines]

X-Box = Pc in a flashy box. X-box is just a basically a PC. The only thing missing from the X-Box are the bugs of windows.

 

[Sephiroth_IX]

Dream - it is not a pc. I am not even going to explain why. Read the thread.

 

[geno]

Well, Playstation 3 will own all of them....what's that? It's not even close to being released yet?? Exactly...

Both the GC and the XBox are quite a ways off...why must everyone compare them like they're on the market? We're talking about competition against something that doesn't exist. Wait a little bit before we go into direct comparisons...

 

[seewhy]

I agree with one of the previous post, x-box will not be as good as PS2 because Microsoft haven't line up any Japanese developers to develope games for it, IMHO. I am not saying American software developer sucks, I am just saying American developers write different styles of software compares to Japanese developers. Have you notice that all American titles for PS2, Dreamcast or N64 are all either ported from PC or targeted at 13 year old or under. Name any good titles for grown up market that is not a port from PC developed by American developers. But Japan market is different, adults there are very important market there, so Japanese console title developers has more experience and developes better softwares for that market.

So for an older gamer like me, (let's say I am married with a baby) x-box will not be good, since I will be able to play most games for it on my PC, if the game is not available for my PC, it is probably some wrestling games for kids anyway. American developers will simply not develop good games for my age and just have it on console. So if I want to have something different and fun, I will still have to get one of the Japanese consoles to enjoys a different perspective in game creation. So basically X-box will have to compete with PC in older gamer market, and compete with all other console in younger age market in the US, where PS2 can pretty much capture the older gamer market with DVD capability and unique games from Japanese developers. I don't know how well X-Box will do in the US market where younger gamer dominates the console markets. But for an older gamer like me, X-box is not a good option.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Seph-

"This is something I am interested on seeing Ben's thoughts though - We all know the Xbox is going to have an incredible graphics chip, but what about bandwidth. I believe it is going to have about 6gbps of bandwidth."

Did you read Abrash's article a while back? Bandwith will certainly not be a major concern. The NV2X chip used in the X-Box uses several techniques to greatly reduce bandwith needs. HSR combined wish HOSR should greatly reduce the amount of bandwith needed when compared to tradtional rasterizers. Resolution issues are the only possible problem, the X-Box supports up to 1920x1080, they have built in full support for HDTV. At 1920x1080 bandwith could become a problem, but I doubt it will.

Another major bandwith saving feature of the X-Box is its' unique(compared to what we have now) FSAA. By reusing the same texel data there won't be any bandwith loss for FSAA, only fillrate which even the current GF2 boards have loads of to spare.

Seewhy

"I agree with one of the previous post, x-box will not be as good as PS2 because Microsoft haven't line up any Japanese developers to develope games for it, IMHO."

Which developers are you looking for? NAMCO, Konami and Capcom to name a few of the larger ones are already signed up, which houses are you after? MetalGearSolid2 is already a confirmed title, a major blow to Sony.

"I don't know how well X-Box will do in the US market where younger gamer dominates the console markets. But for an older gamer like me, X-box is not a good option."

I definately think that PS2 will dominate the inmature market, the teen age boys who think having vulgarity and Lara type figures in a game make it good. The ones that put standards of an M rating on a game to deem it worth while, Sony should have this market. They pander to them and do everything they can, including eliminating all traces of good gameplay, to get it.

I am married, and have four kids, and could care less if a game is aimed at "Mature" audiences or not, only if it is good. Do I enjoy Q3, Half-Life or UT, he!! yes, but because they are good games, not because they are aimed at the "Mature" audience(well, except HL, they are aimed at the inmature but they are still fun). I have yet to see a M game that can touch Zelda64 on any console, my father and father in law agrees with me though most of the kid market, 13-19, doesn't seem to think that way. The average age of console gamers is now 23, that means a good deal are old enough to have outgrown the adolescent perspective of what makes a game good.

 

[OneEng]

Ben,
I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Remember a few years back when Intel got into the video card market? Then remember a few years later when they got back out? I think X-Box will be similiar to this.

I would have to agree with your assesment that once the hardware is done, it is done. Software development goes on for several years after product launch.

Ever see one of those all in one printer/fax/copier things? They didn't put regular printers out of business because they are too expensive.

I suppose my contention isn't that PS2 is better than X-Box, my contention is that a true embedded console is more cost effective (and consumer attractive) than a PC ported to a console. I don't want to loose the $150-200.00 full console deal in favor of a $400-500.00 pseudo-PC.

 

[BenSkywalker]

OneEng-

Don't we always end up agreeing to disagree

I think that MS can pull it off. I see this quite differently then Intel's venture into video hardware, they never devoted the type of resources they needed to to compete, MS is definately taking care of that end.

I agree on the pricing issue, but I see Sony as a bigger threat in this area then MS, and with rumblings of Nintendo launching at sub $200, possibly as low as $149, MS will clearly need to be agressive with pricing. Facing a Sony platform with a growing library of games and a Nintendo product that is looking to have at least a couple of Miyamoto classics at launch and the fact that they are the new kids, I don't think they will have a choice.

But hey, I could be wrong

 

[PlunX]

Are we talking about which one'd be better if they were both released at the same time? If so, it's obvious that the X-Box would be the better buy.. Same thing if it's released next year.

In my opinion, the PS2 is a cheap DVD player that has a couple of eye-candy filled games that take a long time to load. The loading times for the PSX were already bad enough to warn me off; from what I've experienced, some of the PS2's loading times are even -worse- than those of the PSX.

Someone mentioned something about Final Fantasy 9.. Heh.. First off, who would spend $300 just to play that? After playing Final Fantasy 7 and 8, I probably wouldn't even play Final Fantasy 9 if I had a PS2 and it was released today.

 

Just out of curiosity. What do the Japanese think of Microsoft? I got the impression that Microsoft are hated over there. It seems that piracy of MS software runs rampant in Asia and Microsoft cannot stand it.

 

[OneEng]

Ben,
Yea, MS may pull it off. It sounds to me like the next Nintendo will be more along the lines of the type of device I have been arguing for. Since I have a Nintendo 64, I understand this platform better than the Sony.

Since the dawn of the Atari platform, consoles have been as I described:
Easy, no boot, and "drop kickable". I would bet that if anyone here actually still has an original Atari in the atic with a game for it still around, if you take it out, dust it off, and hook it up, it most likely still works, and the games (frogger comes to mind) are still fun to play.

I just hate the idea of a console that needs to be upgraded in order to run the latest games out on the market for it. I fear that if X-Box makes a sweep of the game console arena, that is where we are headed.

It is always nice disagreeing with you Ben

 

[hanns]

In my opinion the ps2 is an overhyped piece of crap. Here is an interesting article for those of you who want to know why: http://www.segaweb.com/features/ps2tech.html

 

[BoberFett]

OK, here's my 2 cents. And it might not even be worth that because it's second hand information from a possibly biased source. At any rate...

My best friend interviewed for a programming position at Rainbow Studios, the company who did Motocross Madness. They flew him down to Phoenix and he got the usual company tour after the interview. While there, he saw PS2 and XBox dev kits. He didn't get a chance to see much, but he did talk to some of the guys working on games for those systems. PS2 is hated vehemently. XBox may be a PC-In-A-Box but there's something to be said for familiarity. Obviously these guys are tight with MS, and are somewhat biased. But they're still a top-notch developer, and they overwhelmingly choose XBox over PS2.

 

With all the Americans coding for the Xbob, we can expect to see plenty of FPS and RTS games. <half-hearted-yippie/>

I can't wait to see the flood of poor PC ports as well. Does anyone know if Zoob is slated as a launch title?

 

[Zucchini]

Jeez, ok that article is probably biased a bit, but if anything it says are true, ps2 is a peice of junk. No texture compression? WTF?


Linkified Why Ps2 is inferior

And i hope xbox wins, we should take back the console market from japan hehe

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

<< we should take back the console market from japan hehe >>


*chants*

U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.

 

[ForeverSilky]

<< we should take back the console market from japan >>


That would be something. But I have no doubt that the PS2 will dominate in japan.

 

[Zucchini]

Yea, it just popped into my head. Finally we have an american console with potential coming to market again .. should hope that it wins. Not like sony isn't a evil megacorp hehe

 

[Zucchini]

Yea, it just popped into my head. Finally we have an american console with potential coming to market again .. should hope that it wins. Not like sony isn't a evil megacorp hehe

grumble cluster not found error, hope i don't double post

 

[seewhy]

BenSkywalker



<< I definately think that PS2 will dominate the inmature market, the teen age boys who think having vulgarity and Lara type figures in a game make it good. The ones that put standards of an M rating on a game to deem it worth while, Sony should have this market. They pander to them and do everything they can, including eliminating all traces of good gameplay, to get it. >>



Well, that's what I am saying, PS2 have better coverage of the market with both US and Japanese developer support. X-Box will certainly have Japanese developer support, but I doubt the level of support will be as great as PS2. That makes X-box less versatile, and one dimensional. Like I said, the US developers who develope games for older market for console usually develope games for PC, and that makes PC a strong competitor of X-box. Me for instance won't buy X-box if the only games for it is like UT, Quake, RPG games like Might &amp; Magic series and strategy games like AOE. Japenese developers do develop something that are not available on PC such as FF series, Tekkan, and many other Asian historical simulation. That makes PS2 more interesting for a PC owner like me because I cannot play those games on my PC. If x-box cannot get enough support, they are doomed. But based on what you're saying, they seems to get some support, well I guess their success will depend on how much suppor they can get. As for the younger market, (immature may offend some of the people here..hehe) I am sure both will do well, who will do better depend on who has the bigger marketing budget!!

 

I find Japanese console games to be much more fun than American PC style games. The Japanese developers really pack a lot of replay value into their games as far as secret levels/characters and unlocking hidden parts of the game goes. Plus the different cultural influence is pretty cool in contrast to the standard US stuff we live with day by day.

 

[Zucchini]

Well that just means we have to get an american console accepted into the japanese markets so we can get those japanese game developers