All the Pro-PS2 posts make some good points. However, there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what each system can and cannot do, so I thought I’d stand up in front of the firing squad and take a crack at explaining a bit more about the XBOX, and how it differs with the other systems. DADINK13’s post covers most of the points brought up thus far, so I’ll base this off it for now.
DADINK13 wrote:The xBox is nothing more than MS trying to enter yet another market and take it over..but yet with each box they sell, they loose money.
How many different markets is Sony in?? Quite a few. Nintendo is the only one of these three companies that is apparently dedicated solely to the gaming industry. Yes, MS has entered another market to make money. Good for them, this is a capitalist economy after all. Why fear competition or innovation?
Yes, MS loses money on each system they sell so that they can make money on games and accessories. Not familiar with this tactic? You see it ever time you buy blades for your razor (assuming you shave
). That’s where the profit is made. This allows consumers to buy a superior system at the same price as the PS2. This is a great strategy--especially since MS can afford to lose money initially and reap the benefits later.
DADINK13 wrote:Sure, the xBox has better graphics--because it's built with PC technology. nVidia-designed the graphics core, and Intel makes the CPU. Sony and Nintendo go proprietary--why? Because they have all the years of expreience behind them.
The XBOX’s PC technology is one of its best features. This technology is proven and is why the XBOX has the ability to do more than any previous gaming console. Furthermore, the development library is based on DirectX 8, which makes game development
MUCH easier on developers--as opposed to learning proprietary development libraries. Plus, XBOX games can be ported to and from the PC with greater ease--a benefit for all gamers.
ATI developed the GameCube's “Flipper” GPU, not Nintendo. Nintendo has more “years of experience” with game consoles than Sony, and the PS2 is now the only modern console with a proprietary GPU.
DADINK13 wrote:The Nintendo GameCube does not play DVDs. xBox requires the purchase of a DVD playback kit to play DVDs. The PS2 plays DVDs right out of the box.
Yes, the PS2 plays DVDs right out of the box; however, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: (1) PS2 does not come with a remote control (everyone I know who owns a PS2 has made this additional purchase); and (2) PS2 DVD performance does not match that of the XBOX. XBOX sports game and DVD HDTV support, and also supports progressive scan. PS2 does not. PS2 has had serious problems with image quality and some sound quality during DVD Playback. Audio/Video Sync., Audio/Video Skipping, and Playback Failure were especially common with early PS2s.
In an attempt to rectify both of these issues PS2 owners need to purchase Sony's "
DVD Remote Control with IR Receiver Unit" that sells for about $20 separately from the PS2. If you have an older PS2, this kit requires an 8MB PS2 Memory card to function, which retails for about $25. That comes to a grand total between $20-$45 depending on which version of the PS2 you have. This kit also includes the latest DVD drivers for the PS2 in order to help resolve the PS2’s DVD playback difficulties, as well as give the PS2 a few more DVD playback features.
The Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit is a one time $30 purchase and does not require use of a memory card. It contains a remote and an IR port that activates the XBOX’s DVD playback ability.
In my opinion, the two systems seem about even with the additional costs associated with DVD playback. Keep in mind that both systems were developed first as game consoles, with DVD playback considered “icing on the cake.”
DADINK13 wrote:PS2 supports Dolby DTS 5.1 Sound via optical output at the back of the console. xBox does not have optical out..or at least I think so. GameCube supports Pro-Logic II.
XBOX does support an optical out, but it requires the Advanced or High Definition AV Pack. The XBOX is capable of real time Dolby Digital 5.1 and AC3 (3D Audio) encoding via hardware. PS2 does not have hardware capable of real time 5.1 or AC3 audio encoding. This means you do not experience 5.1 audio during game play with the PS2, only during cutscenes and cinematics. Furthermore, the XBOX has 256 audio channels vs. PS2’s 48 audio channels vs. GameCube’s 64 audio channels.
DADINK13 wrote:Yea, the xBox has a built-in harddrive, but the only real use of it is to copy your audio CDs onto it to play them back while playing Project Gotham..which isn't even that good of a racing game compared to the greatest racing game ever made: Gran Turismo 3. And since games are saved onto the harddrive, the only way to transport your saved games or other stuff is to either bring your box with you, or (surprise) buy a memory card.
The XBOX’s hard drive has many uses. Yes, you can download songs to the hard drive for playback during some games, or at your leisure. However, the hard drive allows you to save and load as many games as you like, and much faster than you can with memory cards. It also serves as a buffer area for game data extracted from DVDs. Basically, it is a huge time-saver and gives developers a ton of flexibility. Furthermore, it is simple to quickly transfer any saved game from the hard drive to a memory card so that it can be transported to another XBOX. The XBOX hard drive system is a huge advantage over PS2’s memory card system.
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