PS3 and Wii — Head To Head

1up has a piece looking at the Wii vs. the PS3, running down the particulars on graphical power, online capabilities, launch titles, and control scheme. For the most part, they're siding with the PS3: "Traditionally, Nintendo's never been much for online gaming (the GameCube had two online games&ever), but Wii appears poised to finally bring Mario and Co. into the multiplayer arena. Wii will use a modified version of the DS' Wi-Fi Connection software to facilitate online matchmaking. (Most likely, you'll only be able to play against players who give you 'friend codes' first, just like with the DS.) Like the PS3, the Wii will offer online gaming free of charge."

Re:Technically, PS3 wins - Heart, Wii wins

[Jearil]

I think your title hits something that the article didn't really mention: The difference between technical superiority and an actual fun system. Very very rarely is the system with the highest "stats" the winner in any console race.

I present to you:
* Nintendo DS vs. PSP - PSP processor is faster, the screen is a higher resolution, it has more function, yet bombed compared to the DS.

* Original Xbox/GC vs. PS2 - Both the original Xbox and gamecube had better graphical power than the PS2 and yet the PS2 sold a ton more units and games.

* N64 vs. PS - Granted what made the PS the winner in this case was using an optical drive for media, but the power of the N64 was higher than the PS1.

* Nintendo Gameboy vs. Sega Gamegear - I remember having a Gamegear. It was in color and had better graphics than the gameboy of the time. Yet it still died and the gameboy lived on.

It really is the games. For what I've been seeing on the PS3, everything looks done. Either I could get it on the PC/360 or it looks remarkably similar to a dozen other games I've played in the past. It's difficult to find something really exciting about the system, but the Wii seems to have that excitement. It may not look as good, but as Gabe on penny-arcade spoke about Zelda: "You'll never even think about the graphics while you're playing it".

That's what I'm hoping Nintendo can pull off with the Wii.

Re:Heh.

['nother poster]

No, IBM will profit the most. They make the processors for all three next-gen consoles. No matter which console wins, IBM wins.

Re:I hope they trade their 360s in..

[WillAffleckUW]

I love the friends code idea. Especially for Animal Crossing - don't want people trashing my villages - and for multi-player.

Then I can ignore all the gold farmers, product sellers, and blue mouth swearers.

Re:I hope they trade their 360s in..

[normal_guy]

In my experience on the 360, only about ten percent of voice chatters have anything worthwhile to say. Everyone else is a complete idiot or worse, a griefer. The only worthwhile voice chat experiences I've had were those few times I was with a coherent squad - people already on my friends list. For team-based games, I think a radio system like the Battlefield series would work - and it's much more immersive. Point the reticule toward an approaching enemy, press a button, and your character says "Enemy humvee spotted," etc. A few other options for quick orders (get in, defend here, thanks, sorry, need help) is all you really need to coordinate in-game.