The Glade 4.0

Ok, so I am trying to choose a console between an XBox and PS3. I already have a Blu-Ray Player and my PC is hooked up to the TV so I can stream Netflix. So between the two what do you recommend?

I prefer RPGs and FPS and consider myself a very casual gamer.

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Tough call, because the two genres you said you like are split between one and the other (i.e. you'll have more RPG choices on the 360, but the PS3 really has some great FPS IPs).

Both systems can lend themselves to casual gaming (although they are really more hardcore-slanted), and both have fairly robust online features.

What I would say it boils down to, is: which system seems to have the best exclusives (both in disc and virtual download form)? Whichever library impresses you the most, wins.

I know this is the most expensive route, but I in all honesty would say buy both. There will inevitably be games on both systems that you will end up wanting.

In your case, easily the 360.

The Playstation line used to be the domain of the RPG, but no longer. And FPSs generally feel more comfortable with the 360 controller.

Multi-platform games almost always look and play better on the 360, don't require the idiotic install time and space (seriously, BioShock 2, 5GB?), Xbox Live Arcade's offerings beat the pants off of the PSN Store games.

Edit: I should note that Sony retains some great original IPs, like God of War and Ratchet and Clank, but not very many.

360.

360.

You can't get Mass Effect and Halo on the PS3.

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Holy shitsnacks!

While I disagree with some of what he is saying, a good point FarSky brings up is feel of the controllers. This can be more of an important issue than people realize. After all this is something that you will be holding and using for potentially hours at a time.

Hopwin, have you held and used both controllers yet? If you have owned a PS2, then you basically know what to expect from the PS3 controller (although the new Dual Shocks are a bit heavier and, IMO, the perfect weight).

Personally, I feel both controllers lend themselves to their respective systems just fine. Same end result, different paths of getting there.

If there was a poll option for "both," I'd choose that hands down.

EDIT: I will say that it has been pretty common knowledge that this board has been mainly pro-360, so I would not be surprised at how this poll will most likely turn out, Hopwin. Read up on exclusives, handle the controllers for each yourself, see where your friends are if you plan to go online, and look at a list of each system's downloadable contents. If getting both is not an option for you at this point, then whichever wins in the categories I mentioned will be your winner. A decision based on the biases of the people here (myself included) is never a good basis for purchases of this nature.

I have both, though I tend to prefer the 360. I like the controller better for shooting things, as well as gaming in general. The Live service is pretty straight forward, and I haven't been burned by updating the software like I have 3+ times by Sony. And when I say "burned", I mean I had 3 different updates brick my PS3.

That being said, I still like having a PS around as long as they're making the Ratchet and Clank games. My wife loves 'em, I enjoy 'em myself, and they're an exclusive.

I also voted for Xbox. It just seems to be more refined at this point, both with online service and games in general.

I agree that the 360 has a better controller. (Apart from missing the gimmicky extra axis--which is hard to control anyway.) However, I use the 360 controller on my PC.

Big reason I'd say PS3 is that there aren't much for 360 exclusives. If you have a PC capable of running games well, you're better off getting a 360 controller and playing on the PC. While there may be a few games of note on 360 that were never also released on PC, I can't remember them (and probably didn't care about them.) PS3 has a number of exclusive titles that were worth getting the console for on their own. (The Ratchet & Clank: Future series of platformers, and "Little Big Planet" as recommended by the Glade, were awesome.)

Now, having seen several games play on both the Xbox360 and the PS3--when the games are on both platforms, they generally look better on the PS3. My Father-in-law's Xbox360 doesn't render games quite as nicely, nor run quite as smoothly, as our PS3. But the XBox has the nicer controller.

Without a gaming PC, assuming one already had a good media box, which you seem to, it's very possible the 360 would be a better choice. Hard to say. With the exception of a few PS3 exclusives, every game I want to play is also on PC, and I'd rather play it on PC.

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If I only had a PS3, I'd love all of the games for it. Fortunately, I have three system options.

360 Games I Own:
15

PS3 Games I Own:
3

PC Games I Own:
2

My favorite gaming system at this point in time is without-a-doubt the 360. I feel XBL works better than PSN, I like the UI better than the PS3 or Steam, the controller fits my hands best and the community is huge. The only thing to consider (for me) is exclusive titles.

Hopwin,

A few more things to consider before making your final decision:

1.) An objective look at the two consoles:

Both have controllers that ultimately offer the same functionality.

Both have a good online service that offers tons of content.

Both systems are more than capable of offering gratifying HD gaming.

Both systems offer a good-sized library of games, with many acclaimed entries. The 360 has generally had better reception when it comes to cross-platform games, but that is mainly due to the fact that a majority of these games are programmed natively to the 360, and then ported to the PS3. Also, many development houses simply do not have a PS3 dedicated development team (like Valve). That said, this disparity on quality is not always on MS's side, and people tend to make a bigger deal out of the few high-profile games where there is a difference.

Between the two, the PS3 has (for the most part) held up better than the 360, although MS has been very accommodating to those whose systems have bricked. When problems do occur, the 360 tends to have more hardware issues, while the PS3 tends to have more OS software issues (like this current Leap Year issue).

With all of that said, the actual quality/importance of the above points is open to interpretation, and personal preference.

2.) I would strongly suggest finding a friend (or friends) that have a 360 and PS3 (preferably with several games for each), and asking them to either bring their console(s) over to your house, or go to theirs and spend an evening with each just playing around with the systems, their features, and their games. A test drive scenario if you will. We all here can spout off what we think is the best all day long, but it won't mean jack until you have them both in your hands and using them.

3.) Game consoles are an investment. Obviously, they are not as important as a car or house, but they are investments nonetheless. These are things that you will be getting years of enjoyment out of, so you don't want to run out and but one or the other based simply on a poll here.

4.) Did I mention I would recommend getting both?

Lens of Truth is an excellent website detailing the disparities between 360 and PS3 multiplatform games.

Right now, among the 53 games they've reviewed, 10 look/play best on the PS3, there are 11 ties, and 32 get the nod for the 360.

I wish I could use a PS3 controller on a 360... a 360 controller has the sticks in the wrong spots >_>

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See, I wish I could use the 360 controller on the PS3... the PS controllers always seem a bit too small for me.

Which is odd, cause I hate the PS3 controllers for the exact same thing.

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Holy shitsnacks!

I'm gonna have to recommend an N64. I hear they're gonna make a comeback

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The Dude abides.

This -- the darn sticks are positioned so that I fail quicktime events half the time because my thumbs are at the wrong angle.

That, and I have to hold the PS3 controller with my fingertips; it's designed for 6-year-olds, I swear. Or people with dainty girl hands. It feels like a child's toy in my hands that I'm about to break.

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Those are the two reasons I cannot stand Playstation controllers. The sticks are in the incorrect/unnatural positions...and they are so tiny and light that I feel like I will break them whenever I hold them.

Plus, what's up with the retarded buttons? Square, X, triangle and circle? Huh?

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"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

I always thought a user interface should be as unobtrusive as possible, so I love how light the PS3 controllers are. *shrug*

And I still don't get the size comparisons. You put a PS3 controller on top of a 360 controller, and the distance to the sticks/buttons are virtually the same. (I don't wanna have to dig out the photos I posted on the old glade). :p

I dunno about size, but the 360 controller just FEELS better.. more substantial... Plus the dents they make in the wall when you throw them is very satisfying ;p

...are you saying I have dainty girl hands?

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A lot of it comes down to what you are used to. If you play primarily 360 games, you will come to prefer its controllers over the PS3's, and vice versa.

As far as the use of button symbols, shapes make just as much sense as letters or numbers. It's just a stylistic choice.

I played Playstation and PS2 a lot before I ever picked up an original Xbox controller...but as soon as I picked up that original Xbox controller, nothing felt as good.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

PC

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By "that original Xbox controller," you don't mean The Duke, do you?