Thread: Next Gen Consoles - My Take On Em

Continuation:
But what do I think of the PS3? ...I like it. The exclusive games are awesome, the graphics are awesome, and the whole "not having to pay for quality online gaming" is pretty sweet. I don't use its full-power for connecting with my PSP, but I don't really care for now. Ummm... what else? Oh, it's shiny, and huge. ...it's intimidating for anyone who sees it in my room. Even much more intimidating when they see TWO in my room. ... I still have a lack of games on it, being a console known for exclusiveness makes it hard for a number of developers to want to make games for it. ...it's intimidating for them. Oh, and I like how it can charge the controller. I don't like having to buy batteries / having to buy an accessory just to charge the 360 controllers. The D-pad's pretty cool too. Much more responsive than the 360 controller. It's useful for fighting games. Oh and the PSN's ability to use actual money instead of converting cash into points is pretty nice, I don't have to worry about not knowing whether I've been ripped off or not. ...I like how easy it is to find things in the store, not as easy as the Wii, but not as hard as the 360. It also seems to connect to my PC much easier than my 360 can. I also like the built-in WiFi. That's always a plus. Also like being able to play my PS2 titles on it with my PS2 memory cards being engraved into the system (no worries of losing your memory cards if it's already in the system)... aaaand yeah.
...I don't use the BluRay though... not yet at least. I need to get me 300 on bluRay. Overall, it's a cool system. A tad expensive in the beginning, but it does exactly I want it to.


Get ready with your warhammers, because it's time for the most debated system of all time~! The WII!!!!! -
The Wii is an odd one. Instead of taking the same steps as the Xbox and PS2 of improving its power and graphics, it decided to just aim for a different way of playing. Motion control.
Think of this first: Is there any Nintendo-exclusive game that feels the same when it's emulated on a computer? Truly? No, I thought not.
A Nintendo game to me has always needed to be played on a Nintendo system. In that sense, it's not about changing the graphics or improving the options, it's always about "the feel" of the game. And in that sense, Nintendo decided to go for a different direction, but with the same feel.
Now here's the thing, the Wii's not Nintendo's best. Nintendo knows that. While it's not an "improved Gamecube" as many people see it, it is in fact completely related to the Gamecube. The patent for motion controls was originally for the Gamecube!! ...but due to how late in the game it would've been to add it & how few people owned a Gamecube, the idea was scrapped... until the Wii appeared.
Now what many people complain about is how accurate the controls are and how kiddy are the games.
Let me take this into two notes...
1) The controls were never advertised to be extremely accurate. The idea of 1:1 motion control never existed in the beginning designs for the Wii. It could very well have been possible to incorporate 1:1 motion sensitivity before the Wii came out, but the price would've been much higher (the Wii Motion+, the one added to the Wiimote to make it 1:1 motion sensitivity, is fairly cheap in price)... and where's the convenience in that?
The controllers themselves are fairly cheap ($40) compared to the original prices of 360 and PS3 controllers ($60-80)... having 1:1 sensitivity would've made the controller probably $50-60... which though still the same price as a 360 and PS3 controller, a Nunchuk is $20.
Whoah now, now you're thinking the Wii's a money-whore! ...though it kinda' is, that's not what it's trying to say with the controllers. Have you ever looked at the back of Wii games? It says which controllers are needed. Not every Wii game needs a Nunchuk.
So what?
Easy: If there's only so few games you're interested in playing on the Wii / only care about Virtual Console and WiiWare games :: hardly any of them need the Nunchuk, you don't need to spend that extra $20 to play your games.
...think about it, if the PS3 split apart its gimmicky motion control on the PS3 controllers, it'd easily drop $10-20... Now all of a sudden, it's cheaper, and you KNOW hardly any PS3 games really use that motion control option. Money-whorish on Wii's part, or convenient for the casual smart players? You choose.
...But anyways, the motion controls are "gimmicky" because all motion controls were hardly ever used in video games before the Wii's existence. Sure there are a lot of things you can do with it, but will you be able to implement it correctly and easily? Most of the best motion-controlled games are from Nintendo games themselves, and some other games were done with a lot time and care from other developers.
Most developers don't put the amazing love and care into their games as many 1st party and the top 3rd-party developers do.
In that sense, you'll rarely run into another Heavenly Sword, you'll rarely run into another Gears of War, you'll rarely run into another DBZ Tenkaichi 3. 3rd parties they were, but you rarely feel that same "smoothness" of that game in all the other games (and before some of you state that Tenkaichi 3 was also on the PS2, I can tell you with the utmost confidence that the Wii controls are a lot less frustrating than the PS2 controls, guaranteed).
That's the problem here... why do most Wii games suck? It's not the console itself, it's the care and appreciation of the developer.
Many developers have realized that the Wii's a goldmine. You put any game there, no matter how little time you've spent on it, and it'll get bought, by the tens of thousands at least.
Yet every once in a while, you run into a magical game that makes you realize why the Wii should still be considered a "next gen" console.
So other than control, what good is the Wii?
...WiiWare and Virtual Console.
Hardly the size of the Xbox Marketplace & Playstation Store, yet has an amazing amount of great games.
"Gimmicky softwares"... I doubt you can lazily scroll through people's opinions on lame questions in the 360 or PS3. Sure, most people don't care about the Everybody Votes channel, but it's nice. It's a cute little addition that's fun to look at. I don't think I can find anything I can casually look at about trivial things for the 360 or PS3... I like looking at my Weather Channel. The SD card system is now new and improved, making your virtual-games much easier to access and treat as "memory cards" (which I prefer, actually). With the introduction of the DSi, many games and softwares are now in development and some in close-release that access features and creates interaction between the DSi and your Wii (not for everyone, but I like it)! Casual gaming goodness~! Many people despise casual games, yet it what keeps most of us gamers level-headed and realize that games aren't that useful in real life. And yes, many of the casual games on the Wii suck, and there are many AMAZING casual games for the 360 and PS3. But hardly any of them keep an innocent smile to your face. Seen as "kiddy" to some, "friendly" to others, many casual Wii games (whether on disc found at a store or software found in the WiiShop Channel) are hardly stressfully competitive or aggravatingly aggressive. Hardly can I find a family all cheering and having fun in front of any other gaming console. A Wii strangely brings the family together and focuses on making it fun and not stressful. So I could say "the experience" is another thing entirely. Playing a few games at a friend's house doesn't cut it if you're a grumpy-grumps, you've gotta' find your own experience for the Wii.
Other than all that, the Wii really is all about the motion controls. You may find the controls gimmicky or annoying, but I think you're trying too hard. The Wii isn't a serious gamer's console, it's actually quite the opposite. It brings gaming back to the original concept that it had in the beginning of its creation: Virtual Fun.
Complain about the Wii all you want, I can counter anything you throw at me, the point is that even though the Wii's a money whore right now, you can't deny the fact that it's fun. FUN.
The Wii, the pauper that became a prince.
And now the ones who used to kick and spit at the pauper are now feeling threatened.


Handhelds-
I don't have much to say yet... I need to play more PSP games and much more DS games before I get back to you on that. Though I have played a good amount of them, I think I need to branch off more into different genres before I can fairly judge 'em.


So what's the summary?
The 360 is an underpowered computer, yet it's a solid system overall and pleases the average gamer.
The PS3 is a powerhouse that has yet to reach its potential, but when it does you better keep your eye on your wallet.
The Wii is Nintendo in its most basic form, but underestimated due to how casual it is - it's nothing to laugh about.
DS/DSi, I'll get back to you on that.
PSP, I'll get back to you on that.

The winner of the console wars in my mind is the 360. Since according to the general gamer, rarely has any of them been disappointed with a 360. With the general public, the Wii's the winner. The PS3 is always the winner to Final Fantasy-fans. But the unsung heroes are the DS (in the US) and the PSP (in Japan)... easily becoming a subculture of gaming that rarely gets enough praises.
But who's the winner to ME specifically? : The Wii. 360 and PS3 games are awesome and challenging... and they get me so frustrated. Wii games make me smile even when they're challenging, I think it's because I really am having fun. It's an awesome feeling.

I just realized I skipped some points...

........it's really hard to keep up with points when I don't indent them.
Indentation pisses off some people for some reason, though.

Ah well, I'll edit it later. ^^;
Sorry for the scrabbled thoughts, it's hard to think when you can't sort it out.


And wow, I made a lot of grammatical mistakes too.
Screw it, next time, I'm indenting it, no matter how many people find it annoying.

Originally Posted by Soshi Kitai

I also love playing different music from the harddrive instead of listening to some repetitious songs in games. I also appreciate songs in games, so there are many times I want to switch back to it after listening to my songs for too long. ...in this case, I prefer the 360 much more than a PC. It's quite aggravating for me to have to hit a Windows button to minimize the game in order to pick the next song I want... as I completely snap out of the "phase"

I thought I was the only one that has to do that! The biggest problem with the PC if you ask me.

I approve.

And yeah, about Wii not being a serious gamer's console: I think if one searches hard enough to find serious games there are enough to keep one entertained for quite some time. At least I was.

I just own a Wii + DS and never really felt the need for any other console. And I don't see myself as a casual player, it's the opposite actually.
But with Metroid Prime 3, Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Super Paper Mario, Excite Truck, THOTD: Overkill, MadWorld, CoD: World at War, Okami, PES 2009 I've always had my fun as a serious gamer (if you count in some Gamcecube games I've recently discovere, like F-Zero GX).
I admit it, Wii alone still isn't the real thing, so I used to play some games on PC, like WoW and Bioshock. But there ARE some games for Nintendo's console. :P
Of course, I own many of those casual games as well, like Boom Blox or Endless Ocean (I can't wait for the second part, hell yeah! >_<).
But if you search a little bit, Wii can make quite the gamer's console as well.
And with (hopefully) upcoming titels like Dragon Quest X, Monster Hunter 3 (G maybe too), Punch Out!, Red Steel 2, Sind and Punishment 2, Arc Rise Fantasia, Fatal Frame 4 and Conduit, to name a few this trend certainly proceeds the right way.
If those come up somewhen, I might be able to abandon my PC completely.