One Console to Rule Them All

  • Thread starter LoudMusic
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A friend of mine posed an interesting question today. I had no immediate answer.

I'm not going to make this a poll, as I don't want it to be a "click and dismiss" sort of thing. I want honest discussion.

Now that the consoles have settled in, features are pretty well in place, games are pretty well established, and it'll be a while before anything major changes ...

If you had to live with one console and one console only for ... lets say until the next round begins in two or three years ... which would you chose? And why? Take serious thought on this, as I began to realize there is a lot to think about. I have an XBox and a Playstation 2 - I play both of them a few hours minimum each week. I can't decide which I would send away. The games that are exclusive to each console are really great games. The others go back and forth on which one is better.

Keep in mind, this would be a restriction to anywhere you go, not just the one you have in your house.

What are your thoughts?
 
Well, I've already made my choice - PS2. I'm really only interested in the Gran Turismo series, and the GTA series. I'd have to buy a new wheel to play the X-Box racing games, which won't be compatible with the PC.

I haven't really been playing the PS2 a whole lot lately - been flying the friendly skies of MS FS9.
 
Originally posted by Rumple Foreskin
I would take a SNES with Mario Kart, Super Metroid, Zelda, FF3 and Castelvania 7 over ANYTHING.

Interesting point. Mario Kart and Super Street Fighter Alpha II Turbo would be pretty swell. Though I would think a newer console would be more entertaining for me.
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
Why not get a flight sim for PS2? They make yolks that work with it as well.

Why would I do that when I have one for the PC? I wanted a 'simulation', rather than a game.

I picked up a Logitech 2.4 Freedom for half price, which prompted the purchase of Flight Simulator - been meaning to buy one of the Flight Simulator series for years.
 
Originally posted by vat_man
Why would I do that when I have one for the PC? I wanted a 'simulation', rather than a game.

I picked up a Logitech 2.4 Freedom for half price, which prompted the purchase of Flight Simulator - been meaning to buy one of the Flight Simulator series for years.

And you play GT3, the "driving simulator", on a console ... (:
 
Here where I live, the XBOX is way more expensive than the PS2. I don't know about you guys, but it's probably because the PS2 came out first. Yeah I know it's weird. :D

Actually, I bought my PS2 around September last year. Quite new, compared to alot of you guys. But I remember when I was looking for a console, I wanted an XBOX, mostly because of Splinter Cell. But then I noticed (at least here in the Philippines) that I didn't see that much in the way of game titles for the XBOX. For some reason, most of the game titles I saw in the shops were for the PS2. And as they say, it's not about the console, it's about the games. So I guess the PS2 gets my vote here.

Although, I know I don't have the XBOX, meaning my opinion is fairly biased. I'd still want to get it (XBOX). I'm just waiting for the proce to come down a bit so I can spring for one. So, I guess when I get both, I'll have a better understanding of things, well, console-related. :)
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
And you play GT3, the "driving simulator", on a console ... (:

Yeah - does it strike you as odd that no-one's attempted such a thing on the PC? I mean, you've got either arcade racers (Need for Speed, Midnight Club etc), or pretty niche focussed racing games (Nascar, F1, Indycar, Colin McRae and so on), but the only 'general' car type simulators are the shareware types like 'Racer' and to a lesser extent 'Live for Speed' (only because the cars are fictional).

I know we thrashed this to death a few years ago when the FALSE rumour floated around about GT coming out on PC, but I still think such a thing would sell its absolute friggin' socks off, and probably hurt PS2 sales.
 
Originally posted by vat_man
Yeah - does it strike you as odd that no-one's attempted such a thing on the PC? I mean, you've got either arcade racers (Need for Speed, Midnight Club etc), or pretty niche focussed racing games (Nascar, F1, Indycar, Colin McRae and so on), but the only 'general' car type simulators are the shareware types like 'Racer' and to a lesser extent 'Live for Speed' (only because the cars are fictional).

I know we thrashed this to death a few years ago when the FALSE rumour floated around about GT coming out on PC, but I still think such a thing would sell its absolute friggin' socks off, and probably hurt PS2 sales.

I think you're right about a driving sim on PC hurting Playstation. Sony probably knows this as well. Gran Turismo 3 isn't necesarily the most popular PS2 game, but what others have been bundled with a PS2 in a package of their name? Right now there is a PS2 + network adaptor + ATV Offroad 2. I don't think that's really the same thing as it's not the "ATV Offroad PS2 Package" - it's the PS2 with ATV Offroad. It even had a custom box. I wish the PS2 would have been red as well, and came with a red controller and red memory card. Now I'm just asking too much ...

A good driving sim on the computer that used a wheel and such would be stellar.
 
Gamecube. I could play the Wind Waker for a year straight. :D Not to mention I play SSB:M almost every other day. I need Animal Crossing...:|
 
Originally posted by Rumple Foreskin
I would take a SNES with Mario Kart, Super Metroid, Zelda, FF3 and Castelvania 7 over ANYTHING.

Heh, I have a Snes emulator for my PS2. Runs just great. Well barring mariokart.
 
ok well this thread isnt tooo dead, only 2 days.

ps2- GTA, GT
xbox- halo, pgr
gamecube-mario series

that is actually a very difficult choice, but i would have to say gamecube, its cheap and its got the mario games. who cares if you got gt or gta because the mario games are fun as h3!!
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
For this group I would imagine the PS2 would dominate based soley on Gran Turismo.

Yep, thats the answer from me. GT3 is the only game I play again and again and again and again and...... :)
 
Originally posted by DoZeRxXx
ok well this thread isnt tooo dead, only 2 days.

ps2- GTA, GT
xbox- halo, pgr
gamecube-mario series

that is actually a very difficult choice, but i would have to say gamecube, its cheap and its got the mario games. who cares if you got gt or gta because the mario games are fun as h3!!

I had to think about those things quite a bit. But in the end, there are games on every console that I could play and be happy with.

I started looking at things like number of controllers, feel / quality of controllers, network / online play, additional costs ...

The XBox is really amazing. It is definitely the best hardware.
The PS2 has significantly better games.
The GameCube ... well it's cute (:

I'm still undecided. But I think right now I'd be going with an XBox simply because of XBox Live. There are alternative games for PS2 counterparts that aren't quite as good, but matched with online-ness would probably generate a higher level of fun-factor.
 
Originally posted by DoZeRxXx
ok well this thread isnt tooo dead, only 2 days.

ps2- GTA, GT
xbox- halo, pgr
gamecube-mario series

that is actually a very difficult choice, but i would have to say gamecube, its cheap and its got the mario games. who cares if you got gt or gta because the mario games are fun as h3!!

Absolutely! Mario Party is where its at. I'm a mad fiend for the A button!
 
if i had one choice....i would loyally stand by my XBOX with Halo in it and nothing else. honestly. halo just never dies and i love it that much.:D

soul calibur 2 and NBA live 2004 could also add a year or 2 to the amount of time i would play
 
Super NES with the Mario Allstars and Mario World, Mario Kart, Contra 3 (one of the best games ever for any system), Donkey Kong Country, and the gameboy advance thingy so I can play Tetris. It just doesn't get any better than that. Oh yeah and Uniracers (racing unicycles never gets old)
 
You guys are naming lots of game-specific reasons for your console choice. And playing just a single game for that long really surprises me. If a console has one game that is really great and no others, does it really make sense to choose that console?
 
1 console to rule them all would basically be taking a ps2, xbox, and ngc apart and putting all their components into a single case. The top-loading ngc could be mounted at the top while the ps2 and xbox components fit into the drive bays. THEN, if the case is big enough, cram the components of a pc into there as well for good measure....
 
I would choose xbox because I love to play online and paying for just XBL is alot cheaper than subscribing to each individual game on PS2. Even if games don't support XBL as long as they have a multiplayer mode I can play others using Xbox Connect or Gamespy for free :) I also go through memory cards like candy making the Xbox's HD a big plus, another thing is that I dont need a multitap to play 4 player games. I also cant tell you how many times the xbox quick disconect controller has saved my box from being thrown to the ground. Another plus is that some games let you use the music you burned to your HD which is awsome :) The only thing I would miss about PS2 is the quality of RPG's that xbox doesn't have and GT of course...however HALO 2 is gonna come out...sooner or later....:D
 
Originally posted by LoudMusic
You guys are naming lots of game-specific reasons for your console choice. And playing just a single game for that long really surprises me. If a console has one game that is really great and no others, does it really make sense to choose that console?

It depends really. I am a die-hard racing fan (and I know I'm in good company), so in my twisted little mind, it made sense to pick up a PS2 knowing that GT3 was to be released on it. But that's me - I don't know quite how it works for other fans of other genres.

I did get into a discussion with some other co-workers (working with gamers has a perk of being able to geek out with other people and still be in the status quo) about having bought a console simply for a single game. Some of my co-workers got an X-Box for the chance to paly Halo - but a majority of them have all the systems just for the sake of having all the systems. And since I wanted to wait for Halo on PC, I really didn't understand their decision.

But as for the original question, I'm going with the Japanese PS2. Moreso now with all the great racing and drifting games available.
 
Damn Dude! this is such a hard question!! I'd Say the ps2 for two main reasons:

1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, I play it almost all the time, 99% of the time I'm playin' GTA VC. I also play GTA 3, and the Grand Turismo games.

2. DVD Player. I don't care if I couldn't have the PS2, i'd choose any with a DVD player. Since I bought the ps2, I have lots of DVDs.
 
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