casualimp said:
I'm on the fence as far as gaming goes lately. Gaming feels solitary to me now when I'm on a console in front of the TV. None of my friends are into the gaming thing so any hardware I have seems to be going to waste. I'm debating of just doing a few PC upgrades and playing online. There's nobetter gamer rush to me than fragging someone you don't know and picturing them swearing in front of their PC. This makes me sound a bit crazy doesn't it?
Why picture it when you can hear it or see it?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If the current console war is fought and decided by online gaming, then Microsoft leaves Sony & Nintendo in the dust.
The head start that they had in building Xbox Live has given them a distinct advantage that the other companies are forced to follow suit by basically copying them.
Nintendo has a great idea by publishing their back catalogue of games (as well as Sega, TG16 etc...) but with their release schedule (1 game or more a week) they're going to run out of good games within a year. I haven't heard anything from them regarding new titles to be distributed for the virtual console, only retro titles. How cool would it be to have "new" 8-Bit style NES games published?
For multiplayer on the Wii, if they can capture the feeling of Mario Cart DS, but with voice interaction, they could do really well for themselves. Factor in that their online component is basically free and it bodes well for them.
Sony hasn't promised anything with the exception of a
Geometry Wars clone and promised downloadable PS1 titles. Wow. So, why would you make the most powerful system on paper fully backwards compatible, and criticize Microsoft for not doing so, only to put out PS1 games that people either have in their collection ('cause let's be honest, even Sony Fanboys are more loyal than Nintendoites) or can pick up off of Ebay for less than $10?
Given time, they will more than likely get it right. They're good at eventually nailing things, but it takes them forever. Look at how many firmware revisions the PSP has gone through just to do things it should have in the first place.
Now, as for the multiplayer aspect of online gaming...Microsoft has done a really good job of creating the "online community" feel, rather than the solitary PC User experience. The fact that you can have a friend list and see what they're up to, whether it be gaming or watching a movie or donwloading or whatever, is revolutionary. The fact that you can check them out even from your PC is even better.
The only problem is that a select minority, who also happen to be the loudest voice, are wrecking the experience for many. I like to play
a lot of CTF style multiplayer games, as opposed to fragging, but the smacktalk, racism and general ignorance has really turned me off...so much so that I'm embracing older classics lately to avoid playing the newest multiplayer craze.
My point imp, is that if you haven't tried out XBL yet, you owe it to yourself to. Many of the great PC multiplayer games (FEAR, Quake, Doom, Painkiller, HL2 etc) are available for the Xbox or Xbox 360, and give you a full feature set that can't be replicated on a PC. Plus, and this is why I don't game on the PC, you don't have to worry that some guy who has the ability to throw all of his money into a gaming rig, has a distinct strategic advantage over you. Go to a LAN party sometime and you'll see what I mean. Everyone on a console is on equal ground.
Now that Microsoft is offering HD movie downloads and episodic television content, they're looking pretty golden.
Ultimately it's your call when you evaluate what you want out of the online experience, but Microsoft is clearly in the lead when it comes to this.
BTW, my Gamertag is TheCassidy if anyone wants to add me to their friend list.