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. :)

[queen]

lol i do have a DS, and i still prefer the PSP, assuming we're talking only about legit aspects of both handhelds. the DS does have superior online play, but that's just because more companies cater to it. i do see a good future for the PSP though, especially in the PS3-PSP connectivity realm.

like kevin said, it's just preference really. what are you comparing the PSP to anyway? the only other handheld in the competition is the DS, and there are such vast differences between the two that they practically cater to different demographics (moreso in america than in japan). if there was another handheld in the market, i'd understand your reasoning more, but if you're just comparing those two i could just as well say the DS is a piece of shit ;|

in the case of PSP vs PS3 & 360, i do appreciate my PSP more. i spend more time on it and would even rather have it than my ps3, more than just for mobility/convenience reasons. where is this "next level" you speak of 'cause i think i've seen all that is available within our technological reach ;o

assuming everyone here has played (and still plays consistently) with all the consoles in the current market, every single answer posted here would just be preference. i think i'm one of the few who considers the great and bad aspects of all the consoles and STILL prefer the PSP over all. of course, the war between fanboys has been goin' on forever and will continue to go on, but i will defend my beloved PSP even after sony stops supporting it lol. even without the consideration that it's recently been in a slump, i think it's made a huge enough market dent (in both console and game sales) that it deserves to be considered a serious console.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

lol i do have a DS, and i still prefer the PSP, assuming we're talking only about legit aspects of both handhelds. the DS does have superior online play, but that's just because more companies cater to it. i do see a good future for the PSP though, especially in the PS3-PSP connectivity realm.

like kevin said, it's just preference really. what are you comparing the PSP to anyway? the only other handheld in the competition is the DS, and there are such vast differences between the two that they practically cater to different demographics (moreso in america than in japan). if there was another handheld in the market, i'd understand your reasoning more, but if you're just comparing those two i could just as well say the DS is a piece of shit ;|

in the case of PSP vs PS3 & 360, i do appreciate my PSP more. i spend more time on it and would even rather have it than my ps3, more than just for mobility/convenience reasons. where is this "next level" you speak of 'cause i think i've seen all that is available within our technological reach ;o

assuming everyone here has played (and still plays consistently) with all the consoles in the current market, every single answer posted here would just be preference. i think i'm one of the few who considers the great and bad aspects of all the consoles and STILL prefer the PSP over all. of course, the war between fanboys has been goin' on forever and will continue to go on, but i will defend my beloved PSP even after sony stops supporting it lol. even without the consideration that it's recently been in a slump, i think it's made a huge enough market dent (in both console and game sales) that it deserves to be considered a serious console.

The PSP sucks when compared to the Game Boy Color.