Battle of the Game Consoles, article + questions + discussion *crosses fingers* Options

[superstitious]

First off, I'd prefer this to stay here and not moved to News because the real reason I'm posting this is to get a feel for what next gen console would be the best choice for me (um, and Iz, of course).

Hope Fades for PS3 as a Comeback Player
In Battle of the Game Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI

TOKYO -- For most of this year, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 videogame console seemed finally to be taking off after a slow start. The PS3, trailing Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 consoles, was closing in on the No. 2 Xbox 360, with new games and quarterly sales growth at twice the speed of last year.

But early results from this holiday season aren't promising. U.S. sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to research firm NPD. Analysts say they expect PS3 sales for this month to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are likely to rise. And Sony may not reach its goal of selling 10 million PS3 consoles in the fiscal year through March, analysts say.

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more here

Last year (2008, so almost last year) was a very financially straining year, so I decided to wait until I receive my tax returns to get a new console. I had my mind on a Wii for a while, but after visiting a friend who has a 360, I'm sort of conflicted now. Then I had read a few comments on Amazon (I was browsing through some games) and a few reviewers were singing PS3 praises and I became even more conflicted.

I'm sure many of you have one (if not more than one) of these, so I was hoping that people might find a bit of time to give me their take. Also, does a potential financial fallout have much of an impact? I mean, I'd hate to spend so much money on something that will possibly be obsolete in the near future. Maybe "obsolete" isn't the best word to use, but I'm not sure how else to phrase it.

I swear, I'm not always so cautious when it comes to game related purchases. I bought the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox without much thought. It's just that the new equipment seems like more of an investment as a whole.

If you could be specific as to why/if you have a preference, that would be great. :)

[smoke]

Wow. Ok, I thought that too for the first couple months I had it. But I quickly realized PSP sucks balls. UMD failed, online play failed, control failed, everything about that stupid thing failed. And there's a total of maybe 5 good games and it's how old now? Like father, like son, I guess. Mine has been collecting dust for literally over a year. I'm not even sure where the damn thing is, or else I'd try and scam some little kid out of $250.

[queen]

Wow. Ok, I thought that too for the first couple months I had it. But I quickly realized PSP sucks balls. UMD failed, online play failed, control failed, everything about that stupid thing failed. And there's a total of maybe 5 good games and it's how old now? Like father, like son, I guess. Mine has been collecting dust for literally over a year. I'm not even sure where the damn thing is, or else I'd try and scam some little kid out of $250.

UMD is a little slow, i guess, which the slim tried to correct. it's not something that bothers me; i have both slim and old, and i even prefer the original. yes, i would like more infrastructure play, but i'm actually satisfied with the adhoc.

as for games, i love all of mine. '09 has a kickass lineup, but i'm mostly waiting for: phantasy star portable, ff dissidia (us version), ff agito, monster hunter freedom unite (YAYAYAYA!!), prinny, samurai showdown anthology, galactrix, resistance retribution (eh maybe).

[smoke]

UMD is a little slow, i guess, which the slim tried to correct. it's not something that bothers me; i have both slim and old, and i even prefer the original. yes, i would like more infrastructure play, but i'm actually satisfied with the adhoc.

as for games, i love all of mine. '09 has a kickass lineup, but i'm mostly waiting for: phantasy star portable, ff dissidia (us version), ff agito, monster hunter freedom unite (YAYAYAYA!!), prinny, samurai showdown anthology, galactrix, resistance retribution (eh maybe).

Listen, I'm happy you own something you enjoy, but if you enjoy the PSP that much, I can't imagine how you'd feel about, you know, a gaming platform that's worth a shit. You should definitely try something else. Seeing how you're so invested in a handheld of all things, I'm guessing that's the only kind of gaming platform you own. Or, at least, the newest kind you own.