Microsoft has tried to catch up with some of the titans of the
gaming world, such as Sony with the release of the Xbox
360. The Xbox 360 offers many new features that players
will love:
- Free limited subscription to online gaming - This
allows players who have not been participating in online gaming
a chance to see what is available at no charge.
- All Xbox 360s come with Live-aware - This means you can get
a friend invite or see who is online and what they are playing
from your Xbox 360. The button in the middle of the
controller makes all this very easy.
- It offers great
media features including listening to music while you play
games, the ability to create custom playlists and your own
custom soundtracks, the ability to rip songs from original CDs
to your Xbox 360 and stream music from your MP3 player to your
Xbox 360. You can also create slideshows of photos to
share with friends and family.
- Xbox 360 has a wireless
controller. No more tripping over the wires, although it
can support two wired controllers through USB ports in the
front.
- The game console is not only great for gamers,
but developers as well. It is a powerful machine with an
unprecedented amount of RAM - a feature added on the request of
developers.
But, Xbox 360 still has some problems that need to be worked out:
- Their Japanese third party
support is lacking - While some Japanese developers offer
software for the Xbox, it is small in number when compared to
what the same developers offer for Playstation.
- While the controller is wireless, it eats batteries rather
quickly. Standard alkaline batteries only last about
thirty hours, so if you buy Xbox 360, invest in rechargeable
batteries to save yourself some money in the end.
- When
they were set up in WalMart stores before days before the
launch, many suffered what is known as the Xbox "360 screen of
death," an error screen. The Xbox 360 had also had some
problems with overheating.
- Some report the Xbox 360
system as being very noisy when playing an Xbox 360
disc.
Many people are eagerly awaiting the release of
Playstation 3, which may occur as soon as November of this
year. It has been said that the Playstation 3 has an
outward feel (which allows it to stand vertically or
horizontally on its own), as opposed to the Xbox 360's inward
feel. It is a much larger console than the Playstation 2
and closer to the original size of the Xbox. Game discs
slide into the console like CDs slide into a car player.
Here are a few attractive features of the Playstation 3:
- It is always on, so you can access your Playstation 3 from
anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.
- With a Playstation Portable, you can connect to your
Playstation 3 and transfer media such as music and movies.
- The Playstation 3 appears to be much more powerful than that
Xbox 360, Ninetindo Revolution, and Playstation 2. Initial
reports say it will be twice as fast as the Xbox 360.
- Developers and publishers of over 230 games have announced
titles for Playstation 3 games.
Here are a few reported cons and problems with the Playstation 360:
- Comes with only 256 MB, less than the 512 MB the Xbox
360 will come with.
- Their Playstation Network Platform
(the online service) is still in development and may not be
ready by the time Playstation 3 is released.
- The launch
of the Playstation 3 has already been delayed due to disk
problems.
Both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are
incredible gaming consoles. It seems that although the
Xbox 360 came out first, the best bet is still the Playstation
3. The strongest point of the Xbox 360 is its online
functionality, but Sony may be working on something similar to
Xbox Live right now. However, Microsoft is closing the gap
with Xbox 360 and probably will eventually catch up with Sony in
gaming consoles. For some users, it may come down to
something as simple as which one is more compatible with the
games they already own.
About the Author:
Mark Robbins is a gamer providing valuable tips and advice on
video game systems, game cheats, and giving new game reviews.
www.xbox-360-guide.com.
Related Articles from Xbox 360
XBOX 360 vs. PS3: An In Depth Look
Notice: Undefined variable: score in
/home/craftyfo/public_html/cryosphere/articles/article.php on line
187
Console Gaming vs. Computer Gaming
Why A PC Is Better Than A Game Console For Online Gaming
A Shopping Comparison: Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
How Does The New Playstation 3 Compare?
Read more in the
Xbox 360 versus Playstation 3 (PS3) mini topic