PS2 or X-Box

[Clong]

Which is it to be then, have played both and the box was good but there was some big hang up in frame rate on Halo. Although the spec of the box appears better on paper, PS2 runs a RISK chip which is apparently vastly superiour to the intel chip in the box, despite the box running at faster rate. I get the impression that Intel lost out to AMD and had to get rid of all their excess chips, so they developed the box to cash in on the excess. I have also heard that the graphics card in the box isn't all that. Despite that, the Halo game was very good, but i just don't like microsoft. Anyone got some thoughts on either of these?

[Dave_S]

Ok then,

First things first, the gfx chip in the Xbox is the NV25 (I think) Which is what the new pc GFx card Geforce4 is based on. If thats anything to go by, then it is an amazing chip. I'll put it simply (the way I thought about it!! :) ) Xbox 399 with two games PS2 229 with MGS2 (Metal Gear Solid 2). Thats an awful lot cheaper and it's still an amazing console. I used to be completely against PS2 because there were no good games (I have a Dreamcast as well). Then all of a sudden some absolute marvellous games started appearing and I had to admit defeat. Buy a PS2 mate, unless you HAVE to have the newest gadgets, in that case, wait a couple of months for the Gamecube. Rumoured to retail over here for 150. I've played a couple of games on one of these and they're rather good :) Ultimately, its down to price. Id take the PS2 at the mo though. I might get an XBOX when they get a little cheaper, but not just yet ...

Dave

[shadow21]

Are you in a hurry?

If not, wait a little to see what comes out of the X-box. Being myself an hardcore gamer (and multi-console owner, including PS2 :p ), I decided to wait a little to see if the X-box was worth 457 Euros.

Why?:
- Japanese guys (Sony) have far more experience on video gaming
- I don't like Microsoft policy (that's not objective, but you asked, didn't you?)
- You have to pay for DVD reading: what Microsoft is going to make us pay for next???
- X-Box runs on Windows: you can be sure than half the resources of the machine are used for that!! (once again, I'm not objective: don't take it too seriously ;))
- Those microsoft suckers decided ONCE AGAIN to make Europeans pay for their products:
The price of X-box in USA and Japan is merely 300 euros, in Europe, 450 Euros, which is, you'll agree, 33% more expensive.
- Yes, Halo is great, but it's only a FPS... Have you seen Red Faction on PS2?
- The X-box will quickly be exploited to the max with its PC architecture and Intel chip (as opposite to the PS2 with the emotion engine: very hard to program, but full of surprises...)
- I don't like X-box GamePad (Well, I have problems with the Dreamcast one too...)

* On the other hand:
- X-box has an hard drive
- X-box can be connected to the internet (I don't know, but let's be non-objective again: via a microsoft $$$ paysite?)
- Due to its easy programming, a full load of games are to come, but once again, look at the PC games world: how many big ****s for a good game?
- It can be cracked :D (I found yesterday a X-box cracking site...)

That's all that comes to my mind now...
So, my final advice would be (like my first advice): if you feel you can wait 2 or 3 months before exploding, then wait...
If not: buy a ****** (sorry, not objective ;) )

Cheers

Fabien

[Vez]

Just need to mention one thing....Xbox uses the same operating system as the Dreamcast, I.e. Windows CE. So it aint processor hungry!

[Vez]

Oh and the point of consoles, to get the power out of them, programmers are forced to optimise code, thus PS2 games are getting better and better, and the same will happen too the X-box. Most PC games would run on a PIII 400, but seems as everyone has stupid amounts of processing power now, programmers can be lazy. If they did optimise there PC games, they could and would be bloody amaxing ;)

[shadow21]

Xbox uses the same operating system as the Dreamcast, I.e. Windows CE. So it aint processor hungry!
But random hang generator... (I love my dreamcast, but it's sometimes boring...)


programmers can be lazy.
Thats TOO true mate... That's why I want to "wait and see" before spendig cash on an X-box. After all, it's already a beautiful baby in terms of processor, memory, etc... and programmers are not yet forced to optimize code: what will the future be?


If they did optimise there PC games, they could and would be bloody amaxing
How true again... I remember the good old time, where saving 1Ko of memory was crucial... Ahhh, Amstrad CPC, Atari, Amiga... where are you??...

Cheers

Fabien

[PhilMorrison]

My m8's had an Xbox for 3 or 4 months.. He links it up to this LCD projecter worth about 9grand, we were playin Halo, and I can quite honestly say, I have never seen anythin like it b4, It's an amazin game, on wat looks to be an amazin console.

But who needs a console, do wat i do, I've spent bin loads on Graphics cards for me Comp and all I do is Play Counter-Strike :)
Feckin love that game :)

[tubstar]

I admit to be sad. I have both. Halo is great, we are waiting to link up with my mates. I like the fact that the link methed is ethernet, I already have all of the cables and hub I need to link 8 of these x boxes together for a massive session. Just waiting on me mates to get some too. (Could be a while). I got mine, still sealed for £250. If anyone wants one I can see what I can do for you if you like.

Don't get me wrong, if I had neither I would go for a PS2 at the moment due to cost and selection of games, some of which are even quite cheap now. :) I can get these for about £150 if you want one.

I am saying this but maybe I should check with my mate who got me mine first but he is a decent enough chap and I sure he could oblidge.

[Clong]

Originally posted by Vez:
<STRONG>Just need to mention one thing....Xbox uses the same operating system as the Dreamcast, I.e. Windows CE. So it aint processor hungry!</STRONG>

That's sold me the PS2, no way i am paying for a window's based console. :D. Windows is bad enough on the PC, where you can attempt to correct some of the problems it cause.

Shadow21, how do Halo and Red faction compare? Not seen red faction in the flesh, but Halo suffered serious frame drop in some of the busier sections.

Dstretch, i heard the gfx chip is the Geforce3, not 4. Does this make a difference? Seems a bit of a pointless exersize to have screaming graphics card, when the resolution of most TV's is very poor compared to monitors.

I have looked at games console sites regarding this, but tings just got very heated (my dad's bigger than yours, kind of thing)so i thought i would ask you chaps as most of you are computer literate, unlike me who barely knows how to turn the things on.

[shadow21]

Shadow21, how do Halo and Red faction compare? Not seen red faction in the flesh

Well... Not seen Halo on the flesh either, just on TV tests (we have a tv channel in France, called Game one, with "real" tests -about half an hour gaming).
Hard to do compare so...
To be objective, I would just say:

- Halo is certainly more beautiful than Red Faction (wich is not as young)
- I saw the jeep driving in Halo: shame on programmmers...

Oh, and don't worry on how to turn the things on. Except if Microsoft decided to include a new bug in the X-Box (sorry, not objective again :D ), you just need to press the button... and play!

Cheers

Fabien

[Dave_S]

Dstretch, i heard the gfx chip is the Geforce3, not 4. Does this make a difference? Seems a bit of a pointless exersize to have screaming graphics card, when the resolution of most TV's is very poor compared to monitors.

Hmmm, I found this ...

"The second thing is the part that we have in the box is not just a super-clocked NV20 but it actually draws some of the geometry features out of the NV30. So if you put a label on it, it's really an NV27.5 or somewhere in that range in terms of the family. But it doesn't really have an official name so we're settling on the NV2A and calling it a day at that." J Allard
So its a sort of GF3/4 hybrid.

But you forget that the Xbox supports HDTV (Which we dont really have over here) (supporting 1024i res)

[Clong]

Tubstar, if it checks out with your mate, mail me and i will be interested in either unit for that price.

[Vez]

Nowt wrong with CE...it was fine on DC

It was great on the DC....and it wont be long before programmers have a free DVD player due to the CE platform!

Im just waiting for the PS2 Hardrive which has a version of Linus on it.....PC's should be worried cuase this could be the big Linux revolution in the making!

[AshT_200]

A Top Bloke at Dixons Group reckoned that if the XBox didn't sell out in the first week, it would flop. Lets see what happens.