I've often wondered what it is that draws gamers to a particular platform. Why is it that so many gamers flock to either the PC, PS3 or Xbox 360? What is it about these platforms that appeals to them most?
Each platform has its strengths. For instance, PC gamers enjoy having alot of free content that Xbox/PS3 gamers might have to pay for. Unless you subscribe to play a game on the PC, most of the online gaming is free whereas the Xbox 360 service Xbox Live requires an annual subscription. That said, Xbox Live gaming communities are particularly well-populated and this opens doors for alot of competitive gamers to find their niche.
I'd like to hear thoughts from gamers on the PS3 in particular. I own a PS3 but I find that there's a lack of online communities established for PS3 gamers. If you're a PS3 gamer, what is it that keeps you playing on your platform of choice? I know there are some pretty awesome franchises such as God of War and Little Big Planet that are well worth playing but is it enough to keep people interested?
I try to play equal amounts on all three major platforms (but lately, I am swaying more towards both the 360 and the PC). I love my MMOs so the PC is the perfect platform for this community but I also love shooters and play quite a fair bit on my 360.
And of course, not to leave our Ninty fans out in the cold, what is it about the Nintendo platform that excites you and keeps you coming back? Admittedly, I haven't used my Wii for quite some time because there just hasn't been a game appealing enough to play but that might just be my overall lack of exposure to the platform.
It would be great to hear your thoughts and would be nice to see you in our forums :)
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I started with the xbox for one reason- halo. It's not a very original game, not the most liked game, but it was the first console game that I really enjoyed. Weirdly enough, I only just started getting into PC games, but I'm finding I still like shooters more on the 360. While there are some good games for the ps3, I don't see enough ps3 exclusive titles to justify getting one. Nintendo seems childish, regardless of it's games rated mature, so the only time I play that is for Super Smash Bros.
Now you know!
Thanks for the comment mellowguy. It's interesting how many people will start off with a specific platform because of a game. I started playing on the PC because of Quake - Quake was (and still is) one of my favourite games to play on the PC. I actually like shooters on both PC and 360 but I tend to avoid shooters on the PS3. The only shooter I liked was Killzone.
Poor Nintendo. I don't know many gamers at all that use their Nintendo console as often as they do the 360 or PC. There's got to be some hardcore Ninty fans out there somewhere but I've yet to meet one :)
It depends on the game for me. I wanted Zelda: Twilight Princess so badly that we bought a Wii just for that. Now that I've played the game, I hardly use the Wii anymore. I will be picking up Metroid Other M, however.
I don't yet own a 360, but would like to get one for the Fable games, Mass Effect games, Ace Combat, and might like to try Halo. I've been afraid to get one because of the whole "red ring of death", but that seems to be largely resolved. I've been promised a 360 for my birthday!
For both my husband and I, the PS3 was definitely the console of choice. Blu-ray was a huge consideration for us, but more than that was the fact that there were far more PS3 exclusive games we wanted to play than 360 games.
Yay another female gamer :D Thanks for replying hrh.sassypants! It seems to be a pattern so far with the responses I've had. Some people buy consoles solely for a particular game. As for the "Red Ring of Death", I think the problem was largely related to the older chip used in the first and second generation Xbox 360s. If you were to purchase one now, you'd probably be buying one of the more stable units (but don't quote me on that, the RROD syndrome seems to hit the best of us, me included - although I did own a first gen Xbox 360). I sure hope you get one for your birthday, there are some great games to be played on the 360 and some very cool communities!
Blu-ray is also hugely appealing for some gamers which makes total sense. I love the fact that the movies I watch via the PS3 look so beautiful in full HD. Thanks for commenting :)
My gaming is split about equally between PC and PS3. Basically every console game that interests me is either a PS3 exclusive or multiplatform release; there just isn't much on 360 I'd want to play that I couldn't play on a better-supported platform like PC. The PS3's Blu-Ray drive is also a plus, and the media aspect is just overall handled better, like with the ability to transfer music to the HDD from USB drives. PSN being free is also great, and really, I wouldn't have any interest in joining a clan or whatever.
If I had to choose just one platform other than PC, however, I'm not actually sure what I'd pick.
Thanks for commenting UnclGhost. Yeah, it would be a pretty tough choice if I had to swear allegiance to one platform :) I was recently asked what my platform of choice was and it was harder to answer than I thought. Agree with the PS3's capabilities, and of course the PSN being free is a definite draw card. If you're not into competitive games, the PSN seems like a perfect fit.
As for the PC, I agree again - it's a fantastic platform and I love mine (since I recently upgraded to a brand spanking new beast, I love it even more). There's just something about mouse and keyboard that seems to make me feel like I have more control over what I'm doing, whether that be shooters or MMOs.
I own the PS3, and I'm very pleased with my purchase. I chose PS3 over the Xbox 360 because of the Blu-ray playback and the free multiplayer on PSN. The controllers have built-in rechargeable batteries and the PS3 works with the same Bluteooth headset I use for my phone (not to mention the spare keyboard and mouse I had laying around), so the perceived price advantage the Xbox has is actually lesser than it seems. I never even considered the neat secondary features, such as media playback--specifically DVD rips in VOB and AVI formats --from an external hard drive and media streaming that have really made the system a great value for my family.
Thanks for your reply threewulfmoon and also for the feedback regarding the PS3 community! I'm sure that will come in handy should I need to add people to my PSN friend's list :)
Very cool to see that you're getting alot of functionality out of your PS3. Without a doubt, the PS3 is a very strong contender as far as being a complete entertainment system is concerned. I think one of the reasons why the PS3 seems to sit behind both the 360 and PC in terms of mass-market appeal is because it's not really marketed as more than just a gaming console. It's clearly obvious that there are many reasons why people decide to buy a PS3. Functionality and value-for-money are key factors but community is important too, especially if you're into playing online and with friends.
I have all three major consoles because there's stuff on all of them that I want to play, and they're suited to different games. My Wii definitely gets the least use of the three, but Nintendo's core games are so good that it's worth it. If your Wii is not getting used with Mario Galaxy 2 right now, you are seriously missing out. I don't game really at all on my PC anymore, because consoles are just way more convenient.
I've never really been a huge fan of the Mario franchise - I know, shoot me if you want but I was just never really exposed to them. I've played a few of the Super Mario games but not for long. I think it's just more of a personal preference for me because I prefer to play fast-paced shooter type games or adventure/RPG/MMOs than I do others so opt for the PC/360 or PS3 over the Wii or GameCube.
Thanks for commenting!
I first got into my SNES when I was a little girl & playing the second controller with my brother. But since I have grown up I have swayed more towards the 360. I wanted xbox b/c of Halo. I am a Halo fan. But I still play on my Nds i & PSP. Now I have a 360 & couldn't love it any more. I love the shooters & RPG on it. I also love my NDSi b/c of the Pokemon games mainly. Just something about catching & raising the pokemon just excites my passion for it.
Yeah totally with you there sharpshooterbabe - the 360 has some great shooters to play. I have a PSP as well and I really liked the PSP God of War game when that came out. There are some pretty awesome things you can do with your PSP that makes it a very good handheld to own.
Thanks for commenting :) Nice to see you back here!
I wasn't quite crazy enough to get the Wii at launch, but I did manage to snag one the following February, thanks to my regular habit of walking through the mall after getting off the bus from work. One thing alone excited me about it, and it wasn't the motion controls. Call me crazy, but I wanted to get my hands on the Virtual Console. Easy access to classic titles from every era at a fraction of the cost they'd be if I could even find them in the secondhand shops, played with shiny new wireless controllers instead of my old beat-up pads from back in the day? They had me at "hello." Yes, I'd been pirating ROMs since my best friend got a 14.4K connection through his dad's university dial-up (we didn't have CD burners at the time, so we used WinZip's disk-spanning capabilities to get Chrono Trigger from his house to mine -- we copied that floppy) but nothing really beats being able to chillax on the couch, playin' the game on the TV screen like it was meant to be.
Of course, the pickings have been lean lately, but I recently upgraded to a new computer, and I've been spending a lot of time with similarly cheap classic games on Steam. I no longer feel compelled to buy every new $50 game that comes out. Why bother, when there are so many decent titles out there on my platforms of choice for under $15?
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Fangamer
Websites like Steam have really made it alot easier and more financially viable for PC gamers to get hold of older content and expansions for their games. I haven't used Steam alot but I did download the Borderlands expansions via Steam and that was very handy.
Haven't even looked at Virtual Console though so that's something I might keep on my 'to-do' list :)
If you want a game to be excited about and have fun playing for the wii, I'd highly recommend Monster Hunter Tri. I normally don't like alot of the games out for the wii, but this one is particularly awesome.
I personally have a 360 and a wii, the 360 I enjoy the online stuff alot, and the xbox live arcade and things make it really good to me. The wii I have mainly for the fact I have friends over alot and we enjoy playing on it - but it also has some real stars in the rough of games, and was cheap.
I'd get a PS3 if I thought it was worth the cash, but at this point I have so many games to play for the 360 that I haven't even finished yet, it wouldn't be a good idea.
Yeah the last thing you wanna do is what happened to me - end up getting too many games and running out of time in the day to play them all the way you would like. Or get hooked on one particular game that you sink all your time into and the others collect dust :(
I've actually got Monster Hunter Tri but haven't really spent much time with it - might have another look at that as well. Thanks for commenting and the suggestions :)