XBox 360 or PS3

[Gidan]

I am planning to buy one of these 2 very soon. The requirements are HDMI and Ethernet

I want to use this not only as a console but also to play my music and videos from my server. My server runs linux, however I can easily setup a windows VM if i need to on it.

I know the xbox has a Media Center Extender and that would work, however can you do it without using the extender just to play the music and movies? The PS3 I hear can do it but needs to be connected to WMP 11, is that true or cn I share them in other ways ie samba or windows file sharing?

What is the role of theHD with both of these systems? Can I load Music or Vid files onto it and play them?

Also for the xbox, what version do yall recommend? Do you really need to buy the elite version or can you get away with one of the lower versions?

I am going to shell out a good chunk of cash on this and really want to be sure it does it all before I do it.

[Tossica]

Don't buy either if all you want is a media extender.

The 360 is a kickass media extender but it's a console so make your decision based on what games you want to play.

[Lyion]

The 360 Media Center extender shines with Windows Media Center. If you don't have a Media Center PC or Vista Home Premium or above one, you'll lose out on a lot of good functionality.

The 360 has the better current selection of games. Most people also prefer LIVE for online gaming, but it is a pay feature, unlike the free multiplayer for PS3.

The PS3 can have it's hard drive upgraded easily and has out of the box support for Linux operating systems. It has a Blu-ray drive so it is nice if you want to watch Hi Def movies.

I'd do the due diligence and research the specs and what each can do yourself, Gid. Most people seem to be biased.

Both consoles have their positive and negatives. A lot of those seem to be getting slowly resolved.

[Tikker]

neither system has any "must have" exclusive games at this point, so it's just a matter of how much you want to bet

in terms of a media extender, the 360 is right now the more well rounded (as long as your server is vista, or MCE 2k5)

i think the ps3 has more upside, but sony is a couple years of active development behind MS at this point in terms of media hub, and online play

[Harrison]

As much as I hate Micro$oft, I'd go with the 360 for many reasons.

[Ouchyfish]

Asking this question is like asking "Should I vote Democrat or Republican" during a Presidential election.

The opinions and views are as dramatically different and radically fanatical.

99.9% of the info out there is raving fanboy shit-on both sides but I swear to Christ the 360 fanboys are worse.

Get to heart of the specs and then look at all upcoming releases planned for the next year. Look at what has come out already. Look at the features for both systems.

Do not rely on opinions thoiugh, as it would be about as informative as asking who you should vote for 1 week before an election. 99% passion, 1% fact.

[Tikker]

honestly, specs are meaningless to a certain extent

the only thing that's really important is the exclusive titles. this is where I have a tough time pulling the trigger on a 360

you know every game for the 360 is going to hit pc at some point, especially now that they're trying to merge pc gaming and console gaming

[Yamori]

Buy the system that has the games you're interested in.

[Ouchyfish]

Specs are not meaningless if you are looking long term. I didn't mean they were the only factor but by god they are an important one in the decision making process. For instance, do not expect next-gen ass-kicking greatness from the specs on a Wii.

Saint happenin....no matter how many titles they release.

[Darcler]

He asks things like this *because* people will give their biased opinion. They think something is bad about it, they will tell him, it goes down as a "con" for that system...depending on if it really is a con.

There are a handful of games we would play on it right now. (by it, I mean a system in general). The system would take the place of our old XBox that finally kicked the bucket and will provide us with movie watching abilities, hold all our junk so that we can watch downloaded movies and music through our living room speakers (this seems a big point for him for some reason). I'd play GH, he'd play some sports games, a little Hotshots golf or hockey or something...the rest is movies.

Having said this, we think we've decided which we are going to get, we're just doing some final opinions from people before we sink money into it.

[Naethyn]

360 > ps3

[Ouchyfish]

360 is > than PS3 if your brain can only handle mindless shooter games.

It is the only fucking game they know how to make for the 360.

[Naethyn]

Need for Speed: Carbon will rox ur sox off.

[Ouchyfish]

Need for Speed: Carbon will rox ur sox off.

Nice game but not exclusive.

[Tossica]

360 is > than PS3 if your brain can only handle mindless shooter games.

It is the only fucking game they know how to make for the 360.

The PS3 on the other hand is chock full of must have, completely original, exclusive content.

[Ouchyfish]

The future is much brighter for PS3 titles. As for 360, more of the same shit.

PS2 wtfpwned xbox and PS3 will do the same to 360. Accept it now and save yourself the headache.

[Tossica]

The future is much brighter for PS3 titles. As for 360, more of the same shit.

Oh?

[Lyion]

The future is much brighter for PS3 titles. As for 360, more of the same shit.

PS2 wtfpwned xbox and PS3 will do the same to 360. Accept it now and save yourself the headache.

MS is in it for the long run and has billions to burn <and they have>.

Exclusives, like Mass Effect, which is one of the few games that is must buy for me, make it very attractive.

The PS3 is, has been, and will continue to be the better deal, except it lacks the 360 exclusive titles right now. MS spent 1.5 billion just fixing the Red Ring of Death, and has had horrid hardware failures. They also shipped their console without a lot of goodness that came standard on the PS3. Want Wireless? Suddenly your 360 is more expensive than a PS3 since that's 100 bucks. Want HD? Another surcharge. Want to play multiplayer online? Fork over more cash.

People are sheep though, and they don't look at the big picture and are happy to keep sending Bill Gates more $$$.

I'm no Sony fan, but MS is not good for the gaming market, and are about the nickel and dimeing of people.

[Ouchyfish]

Once the Final Fantasys and Kingdom hearts start piling in as well as shooters for the run around and shoot shit crowd (Haze will do really well) Metal gear will be awesome, PS3 will break away.

Ask 360 how well their Japan market is doing...

[Tossica]

Once the Final Fantasys and Kingdom hearts start piling in as well as shooters for the run around and shoot shit crowd (Haze will do really well) Metal gear will be awesome, PS3 will break away.

Ask 360 how well their Japan market is doing...

The 360 and Wii will own this holiday season but next year the PS3 will start to catch up. By 2009, the PS3 and 360 will be about even but the 360 will already be 4 years old and rumors of the next console will start to come out. Sales will trickle off for both consoles and the 720 or whatever they call it will be released for Xmas 2009 making all the people that bought their PS3's in 2008 feel dumb and wish they had waited for the latest greatest.

Everyone who wants a 360 will own one by next summer or so unless MS figures out a way to start selling the premiums for $200 or less creating a larger demand for the media center extender functionality. I expect next years sales to be dominated by Wii and PS3 sales but by that time there will already by like 15 million 360's out there cementing it as a viable console to developers for a couple more years at least.

[Arlos]

Exclusives, like Mass Effect, which is one of the few games that is must buy for me, make it very attractive.

Lemme know how you end up liking the game. My bro helped out with a lot of design work on it, though he was just initially supposed to be Bioware's publisher contact and resource. I think he's happy it's about to ship though, means he's done having to take trips up to Edmonton. rofl. He SO loved having to go up there in the middle of winter. Not that the other game he's supervising is any better placed for that, really. That one is in Helsinki.... heh.

-Arlos

[Zanchief]

Exclusives, like Mass Effect, which is one of the few games that is must buy for me, make it very attractive.

Lemme know how you end up liking the game. My bro helped out with a lot of design work on it, though he was just initially supposed to be Bioware's publisher contact and resource. I think he's happy it's about to ship though, means he's done having to take trips up to Edmonton. rofl. He SO loved having to go up there in the middle of winter. Not that the other game he's supervising is any better placed for that, really. That one is in Helsinki.... heh.

-Arlos

HAHA that's funny I have a buddy working for Bio-Ware, and he thinks the game is poop. Word around the water cooler is it pretty much didn't come out as planned.

[Lyion]

Ugh, I hope that's not the case. I'm a big Bioware fan and have really enjoyed almost all of their titles. I was really looking forward to Mass Effect.

[Jay]

Metal Gear is no longer exclusive. Final Fantasy is, and Kingdom Hearts I'm not really sure of. It's pretty clear that despite XBox having a million generic shooters, has better titles right now. PS3 exclusives that are coming now aren't really that exciting. Uncharted looks interesting but not something I will rush to Gamestop for. I'd say 360 is winning right now because of 1) Titles 2) 25x better multiplayer setup 3) Way more owners (which means more dev support, which will mean more future exclusive titles). Yeah PS3 has better hardware, yeah PS3 isn't nickel and diming you as much as XBox360, but I have seen a list of games clear into holidays of 08 and right now there's NOTHING really in development that gets me excited that is exclusive except for Final Fantasy.

[Ouchyfish]

Metal Gear is no longer exclusive.

Proof please? All I have seen is fanboy make-a-wish foundation rumors.

Don't get me wrong, it would be wonderful for me because that means double my money, however I haven't heard JACK shit about this in stone. The best I could come up with is "possibly 6 months after PS3" and no solid proof of that either.