The Official "Next Generation Game Systems" Thread.

[ShadowRiffer]

Welcome to the Next Generation Game Systems Thread. Here you can discuss the new game systems that have come out, these include, Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii. Lets not get this thread too out of control ok?

:wave:

[Jeff Flowerday]

I've got a Xbox 360 and a Wii.

Gears of War on the 360 absolutely rocks. I won't be getting a PS3 it really doesn't offer anything above and beyond the 360. I've got the HD-DVD for the 360 so no interest in Blue Ray.

[Metal#J#]

Can't stand them myself!

I'd rather jerk off:banana:

[MaxWedge]

CAUTION: Jerkin' off will make your banana dance.

[Mr. David Severson]

I got my got my Wii!

[nine]

Gears of War on the 360 absolutely rocks.

No kidding. The game looks amazing and the game play is fun as heck. Gets my heart pumping, that's for sure. I'd love to try co-op mode sometime, but none of my friends play video games.

I'm not sure if I'll get a PS3. I'm going to wait it out and see if Gran Turismo 5 is good or not. That lame thing they're putting out next (GT HD or whatever it's called) just seems like a bad idea.

I can't wait for Guitar Hero to come out for Xbox 360 though. Should be fairly soon.

[Jeff Flowerday]

No kidding. The game looks amazing and the game play is fun as heck. Gets my heart pumping, that's for sure. I'd love to try co-op mode sometime, but none of my friends play video games.

I'm not sure if I'll get a PS3. I'm going to wait it out and see if Gran Turismo 5 is good or not. That lame thing they're putting out next (GT HD or whatever it's called) just seems like a bad idea.

I can't wait for Guitar Hero to come out for Xbox 360 though. Should be fairly soon.

I'll go Co-op with you sometime. Just add my ID to your friends.

My ID is:

Dr Tone


PS) I just upgraded to a Sony XBR w/1080p and GOW looks even more amazing running it at that resolution.

[nine]

Just so you know, the 360 only renders at 720p and upconverts to 1080. That's not to say that a good TV makes a big difference though.

I'll definitely add you when I get the wireless adapter thingo for my 360. Right now it's not networked at all.

[hush]

The Wii does it for me. I hope my kid saves up enough money to buy one soon :-)

[Jeff Flowerday]

Just so you know, the 360 only renders at 720p and upconverts to 1080. That's not to say that a good TV makes a big difference though.

I'll definitely add you when I get the wireless adapter thingo for my 360. Right now it's not networked at all.

[Computer nerd talk on]

Yep, I know all the current games render in 720p. The upconversion is pretty good on it though. I compared it to my Panasonic S-97 upconverting DVD player and it was on par if not better. FYI, I have the HD-DVD drive so regular DVDs are upscaled as well when using VGA.

I have heard rumblings of 1080p games coming down the pipe, but I have to wonder if there is enough power in the unit to render at that resolution.

[\Computer nerd talk off] :tongue: :tongue:

[Jeff Flowerday]

The Wii does it for me. I hope my kid saves up enough money to buy one soon :-)

The Wii is a good workout! Which makes it a perfect choice for someone's kids. Instead of sitting on their but playing they are getting a little exercise.

[ShadowRiffer]

I myself have fallen in love with the Wii.

[TheTallCoolOne]

The Wii is a good workout! Which makes it a perfect choice for someone's kids. Instead of sitting on their but playing they are getting a little exercise.
And it might just improve your love life too:
http://www.break.com/index/wii_sex_toy.html

[Jeff Flowerday]

And it might just improve your love life too:
http://www.break.com/index/wii_sex_toy.html


LMAO. :eek:

[Jeff Flowerday]

Just picked up a PS3 as a BD player. So now I have all 3.

They are really screwing with my practice time!

[nine]

Just picked up a PS3 as a BD player.

Honestly, it's worth it for that alone based on the price. And you get a sweet game and multimedia system for free!

[2005fz1]

Just picked up a Wii, Great system, so much better than my older xbox. My arms and back are so sore from boxing :tongue: Internet surfing is pretty cool also!
I wonder if a guitar game will be released like Guitar Hero 2 ?

FZ1

[nine]

GH2 is supposedly coming out on Wii at some point. I know it should be available for xbox360 in a short while.

http://www.thetanooki.com/2007/02/08/breaking-guitar-hero-comes-to-the-wii/

[Jeff Flowerday]

Honestly, it's worth it for that alone based on the price. And you get a sweet game and multimedia system for free!

Yah, I have a 60GB drive with nothing on it, so I've been ripping some of my favorite CDs @ 320AAC -> PS3 to get the best sound quality. I'm running fiber to my Yamaha receiver.

As for a gaming system, I still think the Xbox 360 is better. I'm hooked on achievements, plus GOW kicks anything Sony has to offer right now. I guess only time will tell when some real 1080p games come out for the PS3.

I will say this though the PS3 does an amazing job of 480p regular DVDs. It doesn't upconvert yet, but it's the best progressive DVD player out there, IMO. So when they finally update it with upconversion I have high expectations, it has 10x times the processing power of any other upconverting DVD player.

.02

[nine]

I'm always very skeptical of upconverting. I've tried it with my computer and the Samsung upconverting DVD player I have and neither really looked like anything more than just a good 480p picture.

Upconversion, in the way that it's currently done, provokes more of a placebo effect than anything else. Lots of people saying "Holy crap- it's amazing!!!!!!" when you could've just switched it over to a normal DVD player without them knowing. There's a lot of that in the A/V world.

[noobcake]

IMO the x360 is king of the new consoles right now, it's priced reasonably, it got a 1 year headstart so it's already got a good library of games, Xbox live is the best way to play online on a console period. and the PS3 doesn't look all that much better than it. But yeah the wii is really fun for light-hearted casual gaming, Wii sports anyone?:tongue:

[Jeff Flowerday]

IMO the x360 is king of the new consoles right now, it's priced reasonably, it got a 1 year headstart so it's already got a good library of games, Xbox live is the best way to play online on a console period. and the PS3 doesn't look all that much better than it. But yeah the wii is really fun for light-hearted casual gaming, Wii sports anyone?:tongue:

Xbox 360 Second Gen games are the best looking games hands down. GOW, rainbow etc.
PS3 games are on par with first Gen Xbox 360 games right now. That may change when they actually release some 1080p games, currently all are rendering 720p I do believe.

I'm looking forward to some online capable Wii games and a good golf game. I plan on kicking Severson's ass online!

[GuitarsCanada]

I pulled the trigger on an Xbox 360 last night. It came with the new Call of Duty and I picked up the new Tiger Woods Golf. With the new TV (HD 1080 dpi) the graphics are outstanding. Was doing a little multiplayer as well. No lag whatsoever, like playing single player.

[Jeff Flowerday]

I pulled the trigger on an Xbox 360 last night. It came with the new Call of Duty and I picked up the new Tiger Woods Golf. With the new TV (HD 1080 dpi) the graphics are outstanding. Was doing a little multiplayer as well. No lag whatsoever, like playing single player.

Your next game should be Gears of War. Best 360 game to date.

[GuitarsCanada]

Yes, I was reading the reviews and that seems to be the number 1 game for xBox at this point. I will check into that first. Would like to get a few of the sports games.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Yes, I was reading the reviews and that seems to be the number 1 game for xBaox at this point. I will check into that first. Would like to get a few of the sports games.

NHL 2007 is great I hear. Don't get MLB 2006 major issue apparently and 2007 will be out shortly.

[mrdylan]

I am planning to buy a Wii very soon. PS3 and Xbox 360 I will wait until the prices come down a good bit. I own PS2 Gamecube and Xbox 1 now all still work fine for us really.

xbox 360 has a rumoured update coming out I would advise anyone wanting to buy one to wait till after it is out the specs are much better on this "rumoured machine"

[Jeff Flowerday]

I am planning to buy a Wii very soon. PS3 and Xbox 360 I will wait until the prices come down a good bit. I own PS2 Gamecube and Xbox 1 now all still work fine for us really.

xbox 360 has a rumoured update coming out I would advise anyone wanting to buy one to wait till after it is out the specs are much better on this "rumoured machine"

Rumour: HDMI and a bigger hard drive. If you are using the HD-DVD add on otherwire the first one will suffice. It may also cause the price drop on the original.

[GuitarsCanada]

So, I picked up the Gears of War. It is a pretty darn good game. Graphics and game play are superb. We have so far gotten that, 2K7 Basketball, Tiger Woods Golf and it came with Call of Duty 3

All very good games. I have the EA Sports hockey on order, picking it up at the US office this week.

[Jeff Flowerday]

So, I picked up the Gears of War. It is a pretty darn good game. Graphics and game play are superb. We have so far gotten that, 2K7 Basketball, Tiger Woods Golf and it came with Call of Duty 3

All very good games. I have the EA Sports hockey on order, picking it up at the US office this week.

I've been playing Rainbow Six and it's pretty good as well. No creatures just terrorists that you are killing.

GRAW2 comes out Thursday, I loved GRAW so it should be just as good.

If you need help getting past anything in Gears of War let me know, I'll coop with you.

[Jeff Flowerday]

So I have the Vision camera for the 360. Played "Rainbow Six - Las Vegas" online for the first time. Created my character using the camera. The game took a picture from the front and then the side, and then went away and generated my head. Now I'm running around this virtual world as myself. Crazy!!!

[GuitarsCanada]

It's certainly challenging. Going to be fun getting through it

[GuitarsCanada]

So I have the Vision camera for the 360. Played "Rainbow Six - Las Vegas" online for the first time. Created my character using the camera. The game took a picture from the front and then the side, and then went away and generated my head. Now I'm running around this virtual world as myself. Crazy!!!

Thats bizarre, have not tried that yet. I defeated the Gears Of War, now doing a little work getting all the COG dog tags.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Thats bizarre, have not tried that yet. I defeated the Gears Of War, now doing a little work getting all the COG dog tags.

What's your gamertag? I wouldn't mind doing GOW again as Dom in Coop mode.

[GuitarsCanada]

Take a guess at what my gamer tag is :banana:

[Jeff Flowerday]

Take a guess at what my gamer tag is :banana:

Allrighty, I added you to my friend list.

[bubkusjones]

The only console I have an interest in is the Wii. Nintendo has Zelda, and those games are the only reason I'd get a console (as any other game I have an interest in playing is available for PC).

[Jeff Flowerday]

Guitar Hero for the 360 next week. Best Buy has it for $90.

[Jeff Flowerday]

GRAW2 for the 360 is alright. Campaign is a little to short. Online multiplayer is nowhere near as good as RB6.

I say this is a rental.

[GuitarsCanada]

I am working on the Rainbow six, Vegas for the 360 right now. Probably the hardest game I have ever played. Realistic mode, one good hit and you are dead.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Just grabbed Guitar Hero for the 360.

What a blast. I know everyone will think I'm nuts but you have try it!

[Tarl]

Just got a 360 yesterday. It came with 99 Nights and Call of Duty 3. I also got NHL 2K7 and GRAW2. Very impressed so far. HD gaming is sweet.......

[Jeff Flowerday]

Just got a 360 yesterday. It came with 99 Nights and Call of Duty 3. I also got NHL 2K7 and GRAW2. Very impressed so far. HD gaming is sweet.......

Excellent! I just bought one for my brother. Going back home to set it up next weekend.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Sold the Wii. Just left with the 360 and PS3.

I've been having a blast with Guitar Hero II. Most will think it's stupid but you have to take it for what it's worth, it's a game.

[nine]

Guitar Hero is a fantastic game. My only criticism of it is that it can make me feel kind of woozy due to the scrolling notes.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Guitar Hero is a fantastic game. My only criticism of it is that it can make me feel kind of woozy due to the scrolling notes.

That woozy things happens to everyone. No drugs needed with this game. :tongue:

[nine]

Look at the floor sometime after playing it for a while. It's a fun optical effect that you'll be able to enjoy after you're done throwing up a little. Haha.

[Jeff Flowerday]

New dashboard update out today for the 360. Adds IM integration, showing which game is in the drive. I was hoping for a little more, maybe this fall.

[GuitarsCanada]

Some interesting info on Xbox. I personally have not spent a nickle yet on the on line stuff. But you never know.

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- New charges for online extras are sharply raising the price serious video gamers pay for Xbox 360 games, a profitable move by Microsoft Corp. , but one that could alienate some fans.

With more than 6 million users, Microsoft's Xbox Live online network has become the key feature distinguishing the Xbox 360 from rival Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii.

More than 3 million Xbox Live subscribers pay a $50 annual fee that allows them to play games online against one another. About 3 million more use the service without an annual subscription, taking the total to more than half Xbox users.

Through Xbox Live, players can buy maps for fighting terrains and other add-ons that are indispensable to serious gamers, usually at a cost of $10 each. Such add-ons used to be free most of the time and the additions can raise a game's cost to $80 or even $100 over its life span .

"The (downloadable maps) are very profitable for us," said Tony Key, vice president of marketing for UbiSoft Entertainment SA, whose Tom Clancy-themed shooters such as "Rainbow Six" and "GRAW 2" are among the most popular games on Xbox Live.

"If you're a 'Rainbow' guy and you don't have the maps, then you can't play a match," said Key, referring to online competitions. "I doubt there will ever be a Clancy game without the Xbox Live component any more. It's now a key part of the game's DNA."

Games such as UbiSoft's "Rainbow Six Vegas" and Activision Inc.'s "Call of Duty 3" can cost as much as $25 million to make, but extra game levels and maps are extremely cheap to produce, by comparison. Key said they required only about 10 percent of a game's development staff.

Maps and other content are also profitable for Microsoft.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter estimates Microsoft charges a royalty rate of 30 percent for most downloads. That means that, for a $10 download, Microsoft gets $3, while the publisher pockets $7.

Pachter estimates the entire downloadable game content market is currently valued at $200 million, compared with $19 billion for overall game software sales last year, but he points out the additional sales have much higher profit margins.

"It's like building an extra room in a house," Pachter said. "It's nowhere near the cost of building the house."

But pricing the downloads is a tricky science that many game publishers, including Microsoft, are still figuring out as they try to balance profit with the risk of alienating gamers who might feel they are being taken advantage of.

Microsoft was criticized by many gamers after the May 3 release of a map download to its popular alien-blasting game, "Gears of War," which has sold more than 3.7 million copies worldwide since its November release.

The first map pack was released for free months earlier and generated more than 1.5 million downloads. The new download included several new battlegrounds online users could fight on during multiplayer matches, but this time they cost $10.

Mark Rein, vice president of "Gears" developer Epic Games, said in an interview on video game Web site 1up.com that the studio would have preferred to give away the maps, but Microsoft, which published the game, decided to charge for it.

This set off angry complaints from fans who felt Microsoft was taking advantage of them. Epic declined to comment for this article.

Microsoft Xbox Live group product manager Aaron Greenberg said few gamers complained about the add-on features and that the charge helped Microsoft recoup the cost of developing games and running the expensive online service.

"We are like the complaint department. We hear from the small minority that are not happy," he said.

Third-quarter revenue at the entertainment and devices division dropped 18.7 percent to $947 million, with an operating loss of $330 million, compared with a loss of $438 million a year earlier. Microsoft shipped 500,000 Xbox 360 consoles during the quarter.

.

[Jeff Flowerday]

$55 a year is cheap. Look at what some people pay for that silly World of Warcraft. PSN is free but not near in the league as Gold Xbox Live, so I have no problem paying the $55.

I buy the odd live arcade game on top of my $55 but nothing more.

If you don't play online a silver member is good enough and free. You get updates and all the essentials.

[Jeff Flowerday]

On a PS3 note, it just got a great Firmware update 1.8. PS/PS2 upscaling. SD DVD upscaling. Advanced HDMI support for black and whites. Media streaming from a PC.

Now if someone would just release a good game for the PS3... None

[Jeff Flowerday]

Created a Xbox Live leaderboard

http://www.mygamercard.net/clboard.php?id=e5VewC1M

Join up!

[GuitarsCanada]

Created a Xbox Live leaderboard

http://www.mygamercard.net/clboard.php?id=e5VewC1M

Join up!

I'm in man, but it appears I am far from your level.

[GuitarsCanada]

$55 a year is cheap. Look at what some people pay for that silly World of Warcraft. PSN is free but not near in the league as Gold Xbox Live, so I have no problem paying the $55.

I buy the odd live arcade game on top of my $55 but nothing more.

If you don't play online a silver member is good enough and free. You get updates and all the essentials.

So, you cannot play online with the basic free membership?

[Jeff Flowerday]

So, you cannot play online with the basic free membership?


No you can't. Free just lets you see friends and chat and such.

[GuitarsCanada]

Just grabbed Guitar Hero for the 360.

What a blast. I know everyone will think I'm nuts but you have try it!

Check ths out. Might have to grab that one.

The LARA Games Awards in Munich, Germany recently presented popular video game Guitar Hero II with the award for Best Music Game. During the event, an Ebony SG-3—signed by several German celebrities—was auctioned off on stage to benefit Hand in Hand, a campaign for the children of South Africa’s Namibia.

Compatible with Sony PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, Guitar Hero II controllers are shaped like miniature SGs and Explorers, and the game heavily features Epiphone and Gibson guitars, among them the Les Paul, SG, and Explorer. The double neck EDS-1275 and the rare Corvus also make an appearance. Players may choose from several available finishes, including Zakk Wylde’s Bullseye Les Paul.

Check out Guitar Hero II at www.guitarherogame.com.

[Tarl]

For anyone with a 360 that likes racing games. I recently downloaded the demo for "Forza 2". It looks like a nice game with tons of cars and tweaks. Then I downloaded the demo for "Dirt".......WOW! What a gorgeous and fun game. It,s the latest installment of the Colin McRae franchise from Codemasters. The demo has rally racing, rally cross and dune buggys. I will definately be bypassing Forza for this one. Anyway check them out and see what you think.

[GuitarsCanada]

I have been holding out buying the wheel for 360 because there has been relatively nothing in the racing genre that has been worth the expenditure. I see where they are developing a Nascar game for 360. I am really hoping they or someone will come out with an open wheel racing game. I will check out this one you mentioned.

[Jeff Flowerday]

For anyone with a 360 that likes racing games. I recently downloaded the demo for "Forza 2". It looks like a nice game with tons of cars and tweaks. Then I downloaded the demo for "Dirt".......WOW! What a gorgeous and fun game. It,s the latest installment of the Colin McRae franchise from Codemasters. The demo has rally racing, rally cross and dune buggys. I will definately be bypassing Forza for this one. Anyway check them out and see what you think.

Hey Tarl sign up for my leaderboard:

http://www.mygamercard.net/clboard.php?id=e5VewC1M


Forza 2 is about game play and zero blurr. They gave up a little in the graphics department to achieve those goals. I've got the wheel so I'll pick it up, I'm interested in the building a car from ground up portion of it.

I've been wondering about Dirt and how it compares to the PS3's Motostorm, which has some nice eye candy and dynamic track. When I say dynamic track, I mean the ruts you make the first time around are there the second time around. :smile:

[Jeff Flowerday]

Hey Scott, I see you playing allot of Tiger. You've almost caught me for achievments on it.

PS) Get Guitar Hero II it's a blast. Greeeeaaaat party game.

Can't believe no one else signed up for the GC leaderboard. We must have more than 3 360 owners here??

[Jeff Flowerday]

Price drop on the PS3 but you have to grab one before supplies dwindle because the prices are going back up with the new 80GB version.

Xbox 360 got a price drop of $100 for the premium. $50 for the Elite.

[Robboman]

Price drop on the PS3 but you have to grab one before supplies dwindle because the prices are going back up with the new 80GB version.

Xbox 360 got a price drop of $100 for the premium. $50 for the Elite.

There's also a rumor that all future 360 motherboards will have HDMI, plus a 65-nanometer chipset which might cure the overheating issue completely. As soon as I can get one of those at the new lower price, I'm IN.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/08/hdmi-premium-xbox-360-potentially-caught-on-film/

[Jeff Flowerday]

There's also a rumor that all future 360 motherboards will have HDMI, plus a 65-nanometer chipset which might cure the overheating issue completely. As soon as I can get one of those at the new lower price, I'm IN.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/08/hdmi-premium-xbox-360-potentially-caught-on-film/

I'm pretty sure the only one with HDMI will be the Elite. They are all getting 65nm for sure, actually some rumours say they are in the production pipe right now.

[Jeff Flowerday]

I'm pretty sure the only one with HDMI will be the Elite.

Ok it looks like I might be wrong on this, apparently Microsoft confirmed it. Too bad it's only a 20GB drive because the soon to be new downloadable Canadian content will fill that in a hurry.

[DUCK]

Got the PS3, getting the kids a wii for Christmas and already have psone & 2, regular xbox and pretty much every Nintendo item thats been on the market.

Games for the PS3 right now are crap, but with all the extras you can stik on blu-ray it will be interesting to see what future games will hold! Blu-ray I believe is a 40-50 gb disk and HD-DVD only has 9 gb.

[GuitarsCanada]

Ok it looks like I might be wrong on this, apparently Microsoft confirmed it. Too bad it's only a 20GB drive because the soon to be new downloadable Canadian content will fill that in a hurry.

What does this mean to us layman? I have the 360 now, what am I going to be missing out on?

[Jeff Flowerday]

What does this mean to us layman? I have the 360 now, what am I going to be missing out on?

Nothing really. We are getting much more downloadable content this fall sometime. If you want to download it or pay to download it is up to you.