quote:Originally posted by Cherry In Hove: If you're not particulaly fussed about either of those, you need to decide if Blu-Ray is something you need in your life. If it is, then go for a PS3, but obviously that means rebuying all your films.
It's worth bearing in mind that the PS3 can upscale regular DVDs as well, and I've found that they look great on my HD TV. Especially compared to older DVD players which don't do upscaling which tend to look a bit blocky on my screen.
The online services were a bit ropey when the PS3 first came out, but these days are much much better. It's still a little bit fiddly in terms of managing your downloads, but by and large the system is very user friendly and there's loads of content available.
PShome, though, as I've pointed out on another thread, is a bag of wank. So I certainly wouldn't buy it for that. Just get yourself a copy of The Sims or Second Life if that's what you're into.
The price difference is pretty big, but with the PS3 you get pretty much all the features out of the box whereas with the X360 you might find you have to buy other peripherals for things like wifi access etc, I think depending on the model you go for. You're also restricted to buying specific hard drives with the 360 which are expensive, whereas the PS3 can use any you want.
Just giving balance of course. This could easily turn into a PS3 vs X360 debate which is well tired really. As has been said, look at the features of each console and work out which ones you're after and then decide from that which console is right for you.
Both are great consoles at the end of the day, and you'll probably be happy whichever one you choose.
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I think the 360 upscales regular DVDs too. I could be wrong. I was under the impression, though, that it's not really great for either console to use it as a movie player.
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Yes the PS3 does a great job of upscaling DVDs to 1080p, but remember that this only works for Region 2 discs (assuming you buy a UK console). You won't be able to play imports, which seems odd considering that pretty much all DVD players are multi-region (capable) these days.
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quote:Originally posted by Thorn Davis: I think the 360 upscales regular DVDs too. I could be wrong. I was under the impression, though, that it's not really great for either console to use it as a movie player.
Yeah I was just pointing out that you don't have to re-buy all your old DVDs, they'll still look better for the upscaling. It almost sounded like you couldn't even play DVDs on it.
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but isn't it also generally accepted that the xbox has more games, better games, and the dual platform titles play / look / feel better on the 360?
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I think current releases generally look and perform virtually the same on both consoles. Certainly no differences you would notice if you didn't have both versions sat side by side.
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quote:Originally posted by Deep Freeze: but isn't it also generally accepted that the xbox has more games, better games, and the dual platform titles play / look / feel better on the 360?
Right, but on the downside myou can't use it to watch your Blu-Ray of Stealth, starring Jamie Foxx.
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Or The Kingdom, which also stars Jamie Foxx.
If it's any help, Carter, I was listening to a discussion between five or six leading game critics recently, and they pretty much agreed that the 360 is the one to get, mainly due to the problems that the ps3 still can't shake off. But they were coming it at it from a gaming point of view, not Blu-Ray.
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If you have a ps3, you can eagerly await the long delayed release of Gran Turismo 5, which you couldn't do if you had an xbox. Xbox owners are sadly left instead to play Forza, or the award winning racing simulator GTR.
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Forza's not really all that good though, and if you want a proper driving simulator you should just use your PC instead and play Live for Speed.
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Deep Freeze - I think you've forgotten to mention that if you have a 360 you have to play through levels of game like Gears of War 2 that have been created by professional games designers to have excellent set pieces whereas if you have a PS3 you can play levels of Little Big Planet that have been designed by 12 year olds to look like a penis.
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Carter, it's worth bearing in mind that x360 owners are so insecure and unsure of the quality of their purchase (not to mention racked by the ever-present fear of the dreaded red ring of death) that they find they have to go on the internet and find every little excuse to reassure themselves that they've bought the right console by running down the PS3.
While PS3 owners just shrug, roll their eyes, and let the fanboys get on with it while they just enjoy their games consoles.
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Carter, it's worth remembering that if you're a fan of shrugging and rolling your eyes, then you'll be delighted with the online capabilities of the Ps3.
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quote:Originally posted by Deep Freeze: Carter, it's worth remembering that if you're a fan of shrugging and rolling your eyes, then you'll be delighted with the online capabilities of the Ps3.
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I'm in support of the PS3. I got offered some work recently to set up the wireless on someones PS3 for the 2nd time as it had died a few months of being bought. The good news though is that the money they saved on the free online gaming went towards a warranty so it was replaced.
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I bought GTR Evolution and Bioshock for the PC. Haven't played Bioshock yet, but GTR Evo is very good. Definitely a good purchase for anyone wanting a good Touring and GT sim for their PC. The sound in particular is really spot on.
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quote:Originally posted by Ringo: I bought GTR Evolution and Bioshock for the PC. Haven't played Bioshock yet, but GTR Evo is very good. Definitely a good purchase for anyone wanting a good Touring and GT sim for their PC. The sound in particular is really spot on.
I was thinking about picking up GTR:E, but not sure it's worth it as I already have RACE 07, which I think it's based on.
Also, I'm not sure if you're into the 60s and 70s cars so much, but I feel the need to wax lyrical about the sheer brilliance of GT Legends. I spent much of the weekend learning to powerslide a Lotus Cortina. The feeling of accomplishment when I managed to get it right regularly will stay with me as one of the highlights of my gaming history. Right up there with that time I played Chuckie Egg practically all the way through until my parents turned the power off. I still hold that grudge.
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Yeah I think I'm going to get GT:L at some point. I do love classic touring cars so it's right up my street.
I think if you have Race 07 you can get GTR:Evo as an expansion pack. It adds a bunch of GT and production cars, plus extra tracks.
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I've got Logitech's cheapo Driving Force EX - the PS3 version which also works on PC. I bought it for a paltry £30 when I was unsure if racing sims were for me. Couldn't face splashing out £100 on something that might just sit around gathering dust. It's amazing for the price - the force feedback is uncanny. Now I'm hooked, it's tempting to upgrade for something with a bigger range of motion though.
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Don't be fooled. I've got a driving force pro which has 900 degrees of movement but I've found with that kind of rotation it's all but completely useless for gaming as the force feedback isn't strong enough for you to let it make quick steering adjustments. I don't know if the G25 is better in this respect. So I have it on regular rotation which actually works out at less than 180 degrees, which is worse than most regular force feedback wheels.
What I really want is the G25 though, for its clutch pedal and H patter shifter.
You're right though, force feedback makes a massive difference, especially with games which really use it properly. Not so useful if you're playing something like need for speed, but on games like LFS, rFactor, and GTR, it really adds a dimension.
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quote:Originally posted by Ringo: You're right though, force feedback makes a massive difference, especially with games which really use it properly. Not so useful if you're playing something like need for speed, but on games like LFS, rFactor, and GTR, it really adds a dimension.
In rFactor, I've been using a mod called *Real Feel - something I previously thought was only used to describe the soft touch materials used on sex toys.
quote:It replaces the standard rFactor force feedback with a simple algorithm that sends the forces acting on the steering rack directly to the steering wheel.
Not sure how the FFB is usually calculated, but this seems to add another level of realism.
ETA:
My wheel is 180 ish degrees. I sort of assumed I wasn't getting the full story because I'd cheaped out on the wheel. Might stick with what I've got for now.
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Interesting, I'll have to check that out at some point.
The feedback in GTR:E is really some of the best I've ever felt though. The bump steer is so realistic on the more bumpy/undulating tracks. And the difference between big heavy cars and the lightweight open wheelers is massive in terms of steering feel and response. It feels immediately familiar and intuitive. Playing without this would be really difficult I think.
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FEAR is not fabulous, so it's probably best we didn't have to read that. The direction and production are spoilt by the action - a pedestrian corridor shooter. It's alright.