As Christmas draws closer many parents/kids and adults will be making the choice of which Game console to buy.

So, which one's best? "Only joking"

What are the good/bad points about each console?

Which console will still be around in a couple of years time?

Thoughts?

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I had a PS2 but traded it in for a xbox.

I think the Gamecube is on it's last legs which is a shame.

I prefer the Xbox and think it will continue to out perform the others.

The poXyBox is just an out of date PC, and, being M$ is a bit poo. One of my friends has a poXyBox, and it seems to crash quite a lot, which isn't good - and he now regrets getting one over a PS2.

There doesn't seem to be the range of games for the poXyBox as there is for the PS2, but I have to admit that although I don't like the poXyBox, there are one or two good games for it - Halo is a great multiplayer game, and Knights of the Old Republic is a great RPG game. Other than that, I don't really like it to be honest - I'm just not impressed with most of the games available.

The only thing I can say about the Game Cube is that it seems very much to be aimed at the younger market, whereas both the PS2 and poXyBox both have more adult oriented games available as well as children's games.

Personally, I'd opt for the PS2 - a wider choice of games, and an established system in the market (I think the poXyBox may be starting to struggle as M$ realise they can't just barge into any market and take over, as they'd hoped).

Depends what you want the console for:

Graphics - get an Xbox
Online gaming - get an Xbox
DVDs - get a PS2
Great software titles - get a PS2
Multiplayer games - get a gamecube
Party games - get a gamecube

Or just get a gamecube anyway cos they're so cheap and have the Zelda games on them! And the best secret character in Soul Calibur 2 - Link!

I will watch this thread with interest - Santa ;) is wondering which to buy too.

There are some fantastic offers for buying the PS2. Argos is currently offering a satin edition with two cotrols, free game and driving wheel for only £150!

Now to add to the above I think PS2 seems great value for money if you shop around and find a bargin

Moon

The problem with the argos-type deals is that the free games are inevitably rubbish!! Better going to gamestation on the Moor...

... but both PS2 and GameCube have cheap games available - £20 or so...

Argos offer (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=1001&productId=66665)

That is the other thing too - it may be cheap to start off with - but what will it cost you in the long run.

Moon

It's rumoured the PS2, along with XBOX, are going to drop to £99 in December. However, I certainly wouldn't pay extra for a PS2 just becuase it's painted silver.

I'm a PS2 user, I got one after many years of happy PS1 gaming and was not disappointed.

we are more interested in the silver ones cos you get an extra control as standard. The plain ones you just get one control.

Unless someone can show me an offer otherwise?

Moon

Originally posted by Agent Dan
Depends what you want the console for:

DVDs - get a PS2


The XBox is a very competent DVD player, from what I've read in professional DVD publications.

Older Playstation 2s lagged far behind in terms of DVD playback, but Sony recently (quietly) brought out a revised model, with significantly better DVD playback support.

The new model can be recognised visually from the front as it does NOT have the itsy little 4pin firewire/i.link port on the front. It also has the all important numbers SCPH-50003 on the back.

I'd go for the PS2 but only because of GTA3 .. yabba yabba :clap: :clap:

i look at it like this...

you buy a games-console to play games
ps2 has the best games
so get a ps2!

seriously i urge anyone looking to buy a console to get a ps2 - forget about xbox and gamecube or you could regret it

HAS to be the PS2. Now has online gaming if you have broadband.
DVD player.
Superb games like Medal of Honor, SSX etc

No competition.

Take my word as a serious gamer :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Hodge
The poXyBox is just an out of date PC, and, being M$ is a bit poo. One of my friends has a poXyBox, and it seems to crash quite a lot, which isn't good - and he now regrets getting one over a PS2.

An out of date PC? Well sure if you were to stick windows XP on the xbox then yes it would be a poor system.
Because the xbox doesn't have to deal with windows wasting memory and resourses it can concentrate on running games, which it does extremely well.

Originally posted by chri5
An out of date PC? Well sure if you were to stick windows XP on the xbox then yes it would be a poor system.
Because the xbox doesn't have to deal with windows wasting memory and resourses it can concentrate on running games, which it does extremely well.

It just has to deal with an equally bad, cut down M$ OS, lol :) Cheap OS, on cheap components, from a cheap company. Now, if it was running Linux, it may actually work...

Sorry mate, just a little friendly banter - I'm just a little bias, being a PS2 owner, and with my antipathy for M$. I agree there are a couple of good games for the poXyBox, but I have seen it crash quite a few times - something I've never noticed with the PS2. It just doesn't seem to have the range of good games the other consoles have, either. Just my opinion though.

deffo a ps2 I nearly cleared out my bank account wanting to buy games and dvds for it yesterday

as a student though, there wasn't much in the bank account in the first place

Originally posted by Hodge
It just has to deal with an equally bad, cut down M$ OS, lol :) Cheap OS, on cheap components, from a cheap company. Now, if it was running Linux, it may actually work...

It does run linux very happily

Originally posted by fnkysknky
It does run linux very happily

It still smells though, lol

so basically your reasoning behind the xbox being worse than the ps2 is that it's m$ - that's just daft

Originally posted by fnkysknky
so basically your reasoning behind the xbox being worse than the ps2 is that it's m$ - that's just daft

Erm, yeah, pretty much.

You tend to find people sticking up for their purchase.
I love the ps2 (paid £300 when they fist arrived) but I'm afraid the Xbox wipes the floor with it.
What few games you can't get for the Xbox which are on the ps2 they're either not worth getting are will be out soon (GTAIII&VICE CITY)

:)

Originally posted by Hodge
It just has to deal with an equally bad, cut down M$ OS, lol :) Cheap OS, on cheap components, from a cheap company. Now, if it was running Linux, it may actually work...

I was wondering when Intel & NVIDIA was ever classed as cheap??

Now we could say cheap if the Xbox used say another brand of CPU and had some 3rd party onboard graphics but that’s just not the case.

The M$ OS on the Xbox can hardly be classed as cheap with 3D animation, ambient music with a great look and feel?

(This reminds me of the arguments I used to have with my mates at school between the Spectrum/C64 & Amstrad!)

Originally posted by chri5
I was wondering when Intel & NVIDIA was ever classed as cheap??

Now we could say cheap if the Xbox used say another brand of CPU and had some 3rd party onboard graphics but that’s just not the case.

The M$ OS on the Xbox can hardly be classed as cheap with 3D animation, ambient music with a great look and feel?

(This reminds me of the arguments I used to have with my mates at school between the Spectrum/C64 & Amstrad!)

My thoughts exactly. The XBox uses DirectX - the same API's that Windows uses and there are some damn fine Windows games. Technically the XBox is better than the PS2, there's no denying that. Also you don't need a multitap for 4 player action which is important in our house :)

As for the selection of games I don't think there's much to choose between the two - personally I go with the XBox due to Amped, Halo, Brute Force... Doesn't mean the PS2 isn't a good console though :)

Originally posted by chri5
I was wondering when Intel & NVIDIA was ever classed as cheap??

Now we could say cheap if the Xbox used say another brand of CPU and had some 3rd party onboard graphics but that’s just not the case.

The M$ OS on the Xbox can hardly be classed as cheap with 3D animation, ambient music with a great look and feel?

(This reminds me of the arguments I used to have with my mates at school between the Spectrum/C64 & Amstrad!)

Like I said, it was just a little friendly banter :)

Although I would say that Intel pale in comparison to AMD.

Anyway, my dad's bigger than your dad :P

P.S - the Speccy 48k, all the way :)

Originally posted by Hodge
P.S - the Speccy 48k, all the way :)

Thought you'd be a speccy owner,.... C64 was the best though!!!:P

Originally posted by chri5
Thought you'd be a speccy owner,.... C64 was the best though!!!:P

Pffft! :P

C64!! Now THAT was a class computer... mine even had a little cartridge slot on the back - for which they made one game!!! :D

Originally posted by Agent Dan
C64!! Now THAT was a class computer... mine even had a little cartridge slot on the back - for which they made one game!!! :D

Hey, Your talking about that football game right? I managed to find a way to score from the kick off in 5 seconds every single time.

I don't get the point of consoles. You can do everything you want on a PC, why should you need a console too?

C64?!? Bah...grumble, mutter, winge... :)

Now, when Commadore brought the Amiga out, that was a class computer!

Originally posted by Lickszz
Hey, Your talking about that football game right? I managed to find a way to score form the kick off in 5 seconds every single time.

Heh heh - wasn't it class?! Great multi-player for the time when it came out!!

Originally posted by Agent Dan
Heh heh - wasn't it class?! Great multi-player for the time when it came out!!

Yes and more playable than some of todays football games on the consoles mentioned.

Originally posted by Agent Dan
C64!! Now THAT was a class computer... mine even had a little cartridge slot on the back - for which they made one game!!! :D

Ahhhh, I had 2 of those cartridge games - a minesweeper one and rat race :D

Originally posted by Sidla
I don't get the point of consoles. You can do everything you want on a PC, why should you need a console too?

They're cheaper than a PC, you don't have to install games, they have 2-4 joypad ports for multiplayer action, some play DVD's, different selection of games, games tend to crash less etc............

Who ever decided that PCs were a great medium for games? My earliest recollection of 'games' for PC were rubbish CGA golf games and the simple BASIC ones you got for DOS.

Originally posted by Abby

I'd go for the PS2 but only because of GTA3 .. yabba yabba :clap: :clap:

I thought you could now get it on the Xbox as well.

Originally posted by Lickszz
I thought you could now get it on the Xbox as well.

Yup, GTA3 + Vice City in one box :)

who needs to be so picky??

any would do me :(

if i got one for crimbo i wouldnt be bothred which it was id be happy for any

Originally posted by Lickszz
I thought you could now get it on the Xbox as well.

Hmmm...if they're both great for playing DVDs, and if all the best games are available for both platforms, then I suppose it comes down to whichever console is cheapest in the New Year.

So, Nintendo have announced another Gamecube will be launched in 2005/6. I wonder if they will do a better job this time or will it be yet another flop. :D

Originally posted by Hodge
The poXyBox is just an out of date PC, and, being M$ is a bit poo. One of my friends has a poXyBox, and it seems to crash quite a lot, which isn't good - and he now regrets getting one over a PS2.

There doesn't seem to be the range of games for the poXyBox as there is for the PS2, but I have to admit that although I don't like the poXyBox, there are one or two good games for it - Halo is a great multiplayer game, and Knights of the Old Republic is a great RPG game. Other than that, I don't really like it to be honest - I'm just not impressed with most of the games available.

The only thing I can say about the Game Cube is that it seems very much to be aimed at the younger market, whereas both the PS2 and poXyBox both have more adult oriented games available as well as children's games.

Personally, I'd opt for the PS2 - a wider choice of games, and an established system in the market (I think the poXyBox may be starting to struggle as M$ realise they can't just barge into any market and take over, as they'd hoped).

*Cough*Fanboy*Cough*

Although I am quite loud in my hatred of Microsoft, and would have rather given the money to Sony, when it came down to it, the XBox has better graphics, the same games (except, unfortunately for the FF series), the ability to store music AND play it during your games, better DVD playback and doesn't require you to buy a multitap to invite your mates round... bought one in January sales and it's still fantastic!! Highly recommend Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Soul Calibur 2 and Kung Fu Chaos... (but not Halo - it's the worst FPS I've ever played in my life)

They are very sensitive to scratches and dust on cds, however,so some people often think they crash a lot... all you need to do is look after the games and it'll be fine!!! (even if you don't, it doesn't crash as much as my N64 or my PC!!!)

Originally posted by Agent Dan
C64!! Now THAT was a class computer... mine even had a little cartridge slot on the back - for which they made one game!!! :D
Me also, think cartridge game I had was called Myth got as far as the Viking level but game had a fault in it so it crashed every time you got close to completing it! :mad:
Got a C64 emulator on CDrom, not played it for a bit though :sad: Aztec Challenge and Dizzy rules! but no one seems to have heard of a lesser known C64 adventure game called Munroe Manor!