XBox or PS2

[DanGarion]

Ok guys. I own a PS2. I've owned a PS2 since the day it was released. Why are so many of you big on the XBox? One of the main detractors to me about playing anything online with the XBox is that you have to pay for XBox Live, whereas PS2 games that offer online play are freely built into the game and require no extra fees. I've paid enough fees in my lifetime to play games online, I'm pretty set against doing it any longer since I don't dedicate myself to playing a game weekly like I have in the past.

So...

Why XBox?

and for those that are big PS2 guys.

Why PS2?

[SackAttack]

You pay for Xbox Live, true. But y'know what? You get a universal feature set out of the bargain. Every Xbox Live game supports the same standard features. For instance, universal buddy list, voice chat, OptiMatch technology so you can find a game close to your skill level, and so forth. Every Xbox Live game supports these.

On the PS2? It's a little more of a mishmash. EA's games have a similar setup, with EA Messenger so you can see your buddies on any EA game, but somebody playing, say, Champions of Norrath online has no way to invite a buddy to join him if that buddy is playing, say, SOCOM II.

It's just an online experience that's head and shoulders above anything going on with the PS2, and I like that.

What I'm trying to say, in a roundabout way, is that having to pay for Xbox Live shouldn't necessarily be a black mark. Free is always good, of course, but you also ought to keep in mind the old saying, "you get what you pay for."

[Kodos]

I knew SackAttack wouldn't be long in showing up in this thread to tout the Xbox. ;)

[VPI97]

PS2 4 Life, yo.

[SackAttack]

Kodos, think of it less as touting, and more trying to convince him to at least give Xbox Live a try. Live really is the best thing going in console gaming, I hate to see anybody dismiss it out of hand. :)

[Kodos]

If I am the EA whore of the board, you are definitely the Xbox whore. I think both of us have been somewhat unfairly tagged, but that's fine. No big whup!

[Franklinnoble]

I got the PS2 because of the bigger library and backwards compatiblity to PS1.

I sort of wish I'd gotten the XBox for the internal hard drive and a few of the exclusive titles that it has.

I wish Microsoft would sell XBox emulator software for WinXP, so you could play XBox games on your PC if you have a DVD-ROM drive. That would kick ass...

[DanGarion]

So, are there any hardware reversions on the XBox since it's conception. I know someone that has had one for maybe 2 years but rarely uses it and I'm wondering it's worth purchasing his or buying one refurbished or new...

I ask this cause being that I have the VERY 1st PS2 it does have problems from time to time with games...

[Laddin]

I bought a PS2 first, I swear by my PS2 because I'm an RPGer, and I knew the PS2 would be better for that (KOTOR aside).

I bought the XBOX and almost exlusively play the XBOX for one reason.

The ability to mod it until I was blue in the face.

[Laddin]

They are on version 5 or six now, not much has changed, they've changed DVD drives a few times. Most of the changes have been to stay ahead of mod chips and the like.

[mgadfly]

I got the PS2 because of the bigger library and backwards compatiblity to PS1.

I sort of wish I'd gotten the XBox for the internal hard drive and a few of the exclusive titles that it has.

I wish Microsoft would sell XBox emulator software for WinXP, so you could play XBox games on your PC if you have a DVD-ROM drive. That would kick ass...


I purchased the PS2 for the same reason. After it (the XBox) had been out about six months I realized I never used any of my PS1 games anymore, and all the games I wanted seemed to be coming out on the XBox. So, I bought the XBox as well. Now my PS2 sits alone on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center gathering dust as I like the XBox quite a bit better (Harddrive is a huge deal for me, plus I actually like the original "big" XBox controllers-I have fat chubby hands, and I think the games look quite a bit better-plus my friends have XBoxes and about once every other month it is fun for 4 to 8 of us 30 yearolds to gather in a basement, hook up our XBoxes to a hub and play the heck out of some army game or racing game).

[ice4277]

I have had a PS2 since it first came out, but just picked up an XBox a couple weeks ago. I like that the system is more powerful and has a hard drive, and the game library is more to my style on XBox I think. Most of the console-exclusive games on PS2 lately have done nothing for me, while I am very intrigued about many of the Xbox-only offerings. Truthfully, I don't think you can go wrong with either, its mainly a matter of personal taste.

[TargetPractice6]

My biggest problem with the Xbox is the lack of exclusives. I like my Gamecube because the majority of the games I own for it say "Only for" on the label. :)

[kingnebwsu]

XBox, Cube, PS2 are the order I purchased the systems...and also the order of which one gets the most PT. Xbox gets about 85%, Cube 12%, PS2 3%. That sounds about right. Xbox gets the most because of its great online strategy and the hard drive which gives it custom soundtracks. I don't mind paying the yearly fee for XBL. There are various sites where you can get it discounted. It may be just for Retail employees, but I'm not sure. I got a starter&renewal for $55. As of right now, the Xbox is the closest thing to my vision for online gaming. Next gen I think PS3&X2 will be competing for my money. Whichever one shows the most forward thinking (and has the best games) will be the one that gets my money first.

[Tzar007]

I have both consoles :) (Well, I am working for a video game company, so it's kind of normal)

Technologically speaking, the Xbox is superior because it appeared one year after the PS2. Graphically speaking, a developer can make more eye candy than with a PS2. For example, we can't do normal mapping on a PS2, but we can on a Xbox (to grossly summarize, normal mapping is a technique by which you get the impression that a texture or image has relief into it). The PS2 has 32 Megs of RAM while the Xbox has 64 Megs. There are also differences in terms of GPU (graphics processing unit). All in all, the Xbox has an edge on the performance side. Now, that being said, it does not mean the PS2 is outdated and can’t compete with the Xbox. After all, the Xbox is simply a stripped-down barebone PC system, with a motherboard, graphics card and hard drive. The engineering in the PS2 is superior to the Xbox since most components of the PSE were specifically designed for the PS2. This is why the PS2 is still able to hold up to the Xbox for most games.

What makes PS2 a solid purchase is the fact that it dominates the market. And games for it will continue to be done for it for a long time, since Sony does not want to release any new system before 2006 at the earliest. By that time, the number of PS2 consoles on Earth will be so huge that games will continue to be produced for the PS2 for a long time (as it is the case for the PS One). The Xbox is not at that stage yet. Although Xbox is popular in North America, it is less popular outside the US. In fact, the Xbox is just barely over Nintendo’s GameCube in terms of units sold. Microsoft has only lost money since getting out the Xbox in 2001. Believe it or not, they lose money every time a Xbox is sold, since they are selling it below cost. Don’t worry though: MS is doing this intentionally to try to rip market out of Sony’s hands, and MS has deep pockets also.

These days, almost every game that gets out, except for a couple of PS2 or Xbox exclusives, is available on both consoles, so it does not really matter which console you want to get. If I would not have both consoles already, I would probably get an Xbox because of the performance superiority but then again, I would not be unhappy with a PS2. I don’t give a damn about Xbox Live, I’m just not an online guy. By the way, online games on the PS2 are somewhat well-less organized and free because Sony never intended the PS2 to be an online console. It came as an afterthought. But believe me, Sony’s next console will have a Live system and you will have to pay for it, like the Xbox. Free rides will be over.