Current/Future Video Game Systems - Opinions?

[Brian]

With all the "next gen" systems starting to hit (or coming this fall), it seems like we're really starting into a new area of gaming.  Where my friends and I used to get a new system when they came out (back in the days of NES/SNES/Genesis/PS1/etc.), now its getting to the point where the prices are getting so high its harder to justify the spending.

Personally, the last game system I bought was the Nintendo Gamecube.  At the time, I got it because it was the most affordable and because I really wanted the Rogue Leader game (which was GC only then).  Also, along with some of the other Star Wars games, some superhero-type games (or movie), and sports games - that's pretty much all I play.  I also got the Nintendo at the time thinking I would buy some of the Mario/Metroid/Zelda games that were on the way, bringing back the nostalgia of the original NES.  Anyways, I have been happy with the Gamecube, but it does seem to be a little more limited as to what games it carries.  Now it looks like 2006 will be the last year that has new games for the Cube, at least according to the releases listed on IGN.

Going into the future of gaming, how many of you are planning on buying a new system?  The 360 is out, the PS3 is on its way (in $400/$500 ranges the way it sounds), and the Nintendo Wii is supposed to be out before the end of the year (at I read around $250 pricetag).  I'm not sure that I could justify getting a new system at the new prices, although if the Wii was $250 it might at least be an option.  I've also thought about getting a handheld system, since they are cheaper, but I've never owned one.  Or, I might just have to hang up on getting a new system altogether.  I guess I was just curious what many of you were thinking about video games as we move ahead into the next generation now.  Things are more expensive than ever before (hardware and software), and I guess I personally don't have as many "gaming hours" as I did in high school and college.  Are you getting a new system - if so, which one?, sticking with a current one, or just passing altogether?

[Matt]

I'm looking to have a 360 and a Wii by Christmas.  PS3 ($500 and $600) is way down the line, if ever.  Probably 2008 sometime.

And I'll be getting a black Nintendo DS before the new Zelda DS game comes out, too.

Adjusted for inflation, the Atari 2600 is still the most expensive console ever released.

[Rob]

I've always valued the individual games over the systems... so for example, I bought a PS2 pretty much for King's Field and the handful of Resident Evil games I couldn't get anywhere else.

Maybe I'm a sucker that way, but it means that I'll end up probably getting all three - but I will say that I'm currently very turned off by the controller on the Wii - maybe it's not as dumb as it looks to me at the moment.

Anyways, I've played the 360 a few times, and I love it.  I'm getting one on Friday... I picked up Oblivion this week and am going to grab Call of Duty 2 and Madden this weekend.

[JoshEEE]

I'm quite the gamer, so I usually buy most of the systems just so I can play the best games.

Last generation, I bought the Gamecube for Mario Kart, Sunshine and of course the Star Wars flight titles.  That's pretty much all I ever played on it.

My PS2 is used exclusively for DDR, Katamari and Karaoke Revolution titles (I just pre-ordered the newest DDR for it to get the "free" soundtrack CD.

My Xbox was my favorite of the last generation, mostly due to Halo and Halo 2, though PGR and Soul Calibur were also given countless hours. Worms 3D was also a sleeper hit for me.

I've owned Every version of the Gameboy since the original black and white one, except for the Micro.  I went right to the DS and the DS-Lite from there.  Tetris and Mario Kart DS are both awesome, New Super Mario is amazing.


This generation, I already have my 360.  The other two, I have a feeling I'll get eventually, though not next month.

At over 600 dollars after tax before you even buy a game, the PS3 needs to show me some completely wonderful titles before I'll make that kind of Neo Geo type investment on it.   I've seen some good demos, but I want to see actual games.  They've been pretty quiet lately.   I didn't pre-order, so I think this might be a 2007 console....if the price goes down or they release some awesome games.  At launch, it's just a lot of money to spend on a Blu-Ray player I don't need.

I think I'll end up with a Wii, though I'm not sure if that'll be at Christmas time or sometime after.   There's a great video on IGN where they walk you through several of the titles. The graphics suck, but the console looks like it might be fun to have around for parties or whatever.  I'll probably use it exclusively for that, as I can't imagine waving my hands around on a regular basis just to play a game.

Today though, it's pretty much all about the 360 and DS.  I'm playing Dead Rising right now, along with Ninety Nine Nights and a few of the arcade titles on Xbox Live. When those are done, I'm getting Saints Row (too many good reviews from my friends not to get it).  In the next few months, Gears of war, DOA Extreme 2, Viva Pinata, DDR Universe, Lego Star Wars 2 and a bunch of others will be competing for my video game dollar.  My thumbs are getting sore just thinking about all these good games.

[Ben]

The PS3 would be neat simply for the Blu-Ray capability, but I'll see which format wins before I drop any cash in any way.

The X-Box 360 would be pretty neat, but I don't see anything that screams "BUY ME" there. The only current gen (is that the proper term?) system I have is the X-Box, and the only stuff I play on it is single-player games and the Star Wars games, and I don't use Live, so there isn't much there for me.

The Wii, on the other hand, has me intrigued with the ability to play past games on it via download. I'm sure it sounds better in words than in practice, so I'll wait a bit and see what happens there.


All of them are too expensive for me to buy at launch, so I'll likely be waiting a couple of years to buy another. I'm still quite satisified with what I have now. My 8-bit NES sees more game time than all of my other systems combined (PS1, SNES, Genesis, X-Box, and Game Boy) so I'm clearly not cutting-edge by any stretch of the imagination.

[Diddly]

I plan on getting a Wii sometime in the next few months. Not only am I a loyal Nintendo gamer, I'm digging the controller. I know a lot of people hate it, but I like the uniqueness of it. I also like the Nintendo iTunes thing (I forget the official name), where you can buy old Nintendo, Sega, and Independent Developer's games. Plus, it's backwards compatible with the Gamecube games I already have. In my eyes, there's nothing wrong with the Wii.

X-Box 360... all I can say is meh. The price, while not too bad, is still a bit pricy for me. I know it's backwards compatible with the original X-Box, but there have yet to be any 360 games that have reached out and made me want to buy a system just to play it. Plus, I never really liked X-Box Live, and since Live on the 360 isn't much different, I'll be passing for now.

PS3... ouch. I'm definately waiting a few years for the price to drop. I could care less about Blu-Ray, but I'm sure my mind will change if it really is the DVD killer everyone is hyping it up to be. I'll definately get one though, since I need to play Grand Theft Auto IV, so I'm hoping the PS3's price will fall to a more affordable price by the time GTA IV comes out in late 2007.

[Matt]

GTA IV will be available on both the 360 and the PS3.

[ruiner]

I'm going to wait this one out.  I just don't have time to play video games anymore and use my PS2 more for DVD viewing than video games.

I want to see how this HD-DVD / Blu-Ray thing pans out before I make a decision on the PS3.

[Brian]

My 8-bit NES sees more game time than all of my other systems combined (PS1, SNES, Genesis, X-Box, and Game Boy) so I'm clearly not cutting-edge by any stretch of the imagination.

You're not the only one.  My old NES got much of game time as well, until it crapped out a couple of months ago.  I still hope to get it fixed up (or buy another one if that is cheaper) to start playing those games again.  I never get tired of Super Tecmo Bowl.  I still think that system overall was the most fun I ever had with a video game system, between friends' games and my own.  Maybe some wouldn't seem as fun now, but back in the day we could spend all day playing Tecmo Bowl, Double Dribble, Punch Out, Excitebike, Mario, Wrestling, Castlevania, etc.  Good stuff.

[Rob]

Who needs an NES when you can just get Nesticle or some other emulator and keep every single NES game ever made on your computer - and the whole thing only takes a few megabytes.   

[Paul]

I haven't had a new box since X-box...I do have a PSP which is AWESOME for travel but more for the movies that I have on the Memory Card than gaming.

The games I play just don't end up on XBox, PS2 etc...if they did, I'd probably get them, most of my gaming is mostly on the PC.

But now that I have a nice big TV, I'd love to get some games on it just for the view...

[JayDouble]

I'm looking into buying a HD tv first before I get the next gen systems.  What good is having a next gen system if I can't enjoy it on a HD tv.

This is a perfect time for me, as far as current sytems go.  I'm picking up a bunch of titles for PS2 and GC on clearance at various stores. 

[JoshEEE]

Plus, I never really liked X-Box Live, and since Live on the 360 isn't much different, I'll be passing for now.

 I don't know if it's worth buying if you're not into multiplayer, but they now have free accounts and paid accounts so you get to choose whether or not you want to spring for the fee.  Free accounts get access to everything except multiplayer and leaderboards....so in that respect, Live is a lot better than it was for 1.0.  Plus, Live on the 360 has all sorts of new stuff, and lots of it is free.

Demos: You can download tons of free trials of games to see if you like them before you buy them. 

Multiplayer:  This is the same sort of thing, except now you have zones. 

Recreation, Pro, Family, Underground. You set yours and then it helps you find the type of people you like to play with better.  This will be especially useful if you like playing hardcore in one game but goofing around in another.  You always find the right type of match.   The feedback is better now too.  Run into some little jerkass you don't like and you can not only leave him negative feedback, you can select never to see him in multiplayer again.  As long as there are enough people to fill a room online, you won't see the jerkass again. That's a useful feature.

Marketplace: It has music videos, movie trailers, Red Vs Blue type stuff all for free download. You can also download wallpapers and stuff, but that costs money so I don't do it a lot.  I did buy the Penny Arcade pack, because I wanted the fruit ****** gamer pictures.   

Best of all though is Live Arcade.  They had this on Xbox, but you had to have a disk to run it, so it was a pain.  It's built into Live now, so you can download trials of every game up there and play for free.  Then...if you like them, they're like 5-10 bucks.  Geometry Wars and Marble Blast ended up being two of my favorite 360 games.   They just gave away Texas Hold Em for free, so now I don't have to go to the PC to get my online poker fix.   Pretty good stuff.

[Brian]

Just curious now that all the systems are out (or are supposed to be out), how many of you have picked up one or more of the systems?  Are you planning/hoping to get any of them, or sticking with previous ones because of the pricepoint(s)?  Personally, I can't say I'm a huge gamer anymore, simply because I can't afford to buy a lot of games right now.  I mainly play sports games, and Star Wars/Spidey/comic-based games for the most part.  I'd probably pick up a few more if I didn't spend the money I do on collecting.  Anyways, the most recent gaming system I have is the Gamecube - which I have gotten good use out of - but they are basically not making games for it anymore, and certainly not in the future, so I've thought of getting something new.  I'm not sure I could ever afford the PS3, so that's likely out.  The 360 would require a pricedrop as well.  The Wii might be within range, but I haven't seen one around here yet.  I've thought about just getting a PS2 for now, since they are relatively cheap and they seem to be continuing to make games for it for at least the next couple years.  Who knows, with a little one on the way later this year, I might not end up being able to get anything - but I was just curious what some others have done.  I've considered getting a handheld system as well, but I've never done that before - and don't know if I'd like having that be my "primary" gaming system or not.  Anyways, what system are you playing - or hoping to pick up?

[Matt]

Why not get a Wii?  Provided you can find one, of course.  It's the cheapest, it comes with a game, it's fully-backwards-compatible with all the old GameCube games, and you can download all kinds of old school Nintendo games (and others) to it, if you want.