Patience 360: Ten Reasons to Wait for PS3
Don't rush out to the stores just yet! You may want to save some money and we'll tell you how.
by Jeremy Dunham, Chris Roper, Ivan Sulic
November 21, 2005 - Unless you're the type of gamer who enjoys playing his wares under a rock, then you no doubt know by now that this week marks the official launch for Microsoft's Xbox 360. Several years in the making, the brand new hardware from Gates 'N Company has been receiving plenty of consumer hype in the past few weeks and has been heralded by some as THE big system watch in the upcoming next-generation console wars.
We're here to tell you that they're wrong.
Now don't misunderstand us, we'll be the first to concede that the Xbox 360 is certainly an impressive system with plenty of positives to keep its customers happy. But if you're a fan of high-definition technology, enjoy playing more games than the "other guy," and want to get the most possible bang for your buck, then Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 3 will definitely be the system for you.
Listed below in descending order are the top ten reasons your faithful editors on the IGN PlayStation team think you should wait until next year to make your first next-generation upgrade. And while we absolutely came up with more reasons to ward you off than those listed below, these were the selections that we felt stood out most. Sony fans, this article is dedicated to you so without any further ado, we present to you the Top 10 Reasons to Wait for PS3!
Reason #10: Xbox 360 Doesn't Have a Killer App
360's launch lineup is admirable; there are 18 games and five first-person shooters. It can even be argued that the 360's overall average quality of titles is greater than that of previous systems. And yet not a single game is Killer App worthy? Where's the Halo? Where's the Mario? Where's the Soul Calibur? Where's the frickin' interest?
It's true, though. PS2 launched with a sorry lot of games and PSOne featured a similarly disgraceful lineup, but with the advent of PS3, Microsoft may have wished it more heavily emphasized one game its new console could forever be known for. This is because PS3 has the Metal Gear potential, Warhawk, Tekken, I-8, Gran Turismo, Killzone, and a dozen other high profile games that may hit day one to put a smiling face to the splendid PlayStation name. And when you can associate Dante with PS3, will anything else matter?
Reason #9: Dual-Screen and 1080p Support
1080p! Sweet Marie! Even if most televisions don't support it, why limit yourself to interlaced images when you can experience the glory of 1080 progressive? Support is for the weak! PS3 is forward looking, if anything. This means when you invest in the ultimate display technology however many years down the road, PS3 will make good on your purchase by outputting the absolute best image available on the market. And according to boastful Sony reps, we'll see games running at 120fps, too.
The Dual-Screen support also adds some interesting 3D potential. Layering images is a great way to fake depth. But if Killzone in full 3D isn't your cup of tea, maybe panoramic F1 racing will be? The option is certainly there. If the next Ace Combat doesn't feature dual screen-in cockpit support, we know it at least could have if it wanted to. Boo-yah, 360. Where your 720p now?
Reason #8: Hefty Expandability / Connectivity Options
Have expansion, will travel. The best way to maximize a console's lifespan is by lining it with a thousand ports and interfaces of every type. In this way PS3 has expandability written all over it. Compact Flash, SD Card, Memory Stick, Blue Tooth, USB 2.0... If Sony ever wants to add-on, it need not limit itself to one standard. And if you ever want to jam something into your PS3, chances are you'll be able to, assuming it's not toast.
Moreover, PS3 will also be intimately familiar with the PSP, meaning cross-platform associations will be all over the place. Expect PS3 games to take full advantage of the little PlayStation Portable by offering unlockable content and new multiplayer possibilities. What if a PSP player could control Otacon's droid in the next MGS? Whoops!
Reason #7: You Can Still Pre-Order
It seems to happen during every system launch, but nobody ever learns their lesson. In the rush to be the first on the block to own a brand new console, mobs of people invade their local retailers while forming lines larger than what you'd see during Fourth of July weekend at Disneyland. It gets even worse once you're inside the store -- as people hurry to the videogame section eager to snatch up whatever overpriced bundle pack they can, so that the managers who decided to throw the promotion together can milk every last penny out of your paper route.
This can be avoided, however, if you just plunk down fifty or so bucks a few months ahead of time. All you have to do in this scenario is walk right into your retailer of choice, pay of the remainder of the balance and go home with a smile on your face. With a release date of just under a year away, the PS3 still lets you do this. The Xbox 360, on the other hand, does not.
Reason #6: Seven-Player Wireless Support
While being able to play with six of your buddies offline in addition to playing with a single system will only be appealing for a small number of genres, it can be especially important for sports games in particular. Being able to populate an NBA or NHL team entirely with human players is something that isn't possible on any system outside of the PlayStation line, and the PS3 will keep with this trend.
If you've ever played through a season of your favorite sports game with each of your buddies taking control of a single player for the season, you know how rewarding and fun this sort of setup can be. Again, it's only possible on a Sony system, and in the next-generation the only place to find multiplayer support of this kind will be on the PlayStation 3.
Reason #5: The HD IP Camera
The EyeToy is one of the all-time most successful peripherals released for a console for a number of reasons -- the biggest being that it works phenomenally well in its simplicity. The PlayStation 3 will see the release of the HD IP camera, which we'll assume will be called the EyeToy 2, or at least something that sounds a little more consumer-friendly.
The camera features a native HD resolution, allowing you to transmit crystal-clear images to the PS3 for online play and more. And with the increased resolution and the PS3's processing power, the camera will allow for even more advanced, yet natural, input with the system. Take that, Microsoft and Nintendo! Plus, being that it's IP-based, the camera's functionality ties directly into Internet use, allowing you to transmit feeds over the Intarweb with ease.
Reason #4: Full Backwards Compatibility
360 will let you play Halo and whatever other games Microsoft chooses to eventually support, but Sony has the PSOne and PS2 library covered, save for a few minor exceptions. Imagine booting up Tobal No. 1 just because you feel like it or taking on Shattered Soldier because you haven't gotten your ass kicked enough lately. That's what PS3 can do for you.
The coolest part is that PS3 may also be able to enhance the older games. Much in the same way PS2 improved PSOne games with better texture filters and enhanced load times, we expect PS3 games to add even better texture filtering, quicker loads, full scene anti-aliasing graphics and goodness knows what else.
Reason #3: Stronger Japanese Developer Support
One of the PlayStation 2's most powerful allies in the current-gen console wars was its strong relationship with fan favorite Japanese developers. Square Enix, Konami, Capcom, Bandai, Atlus, Nippon Ichi, and Namco (among others) each offered unique content for Sony's system that you weren't going to find anywhere else. Tekken, Final Fantasy, Ace Combat, Devil May Cry, and a host of other games are just a few examples of this successful relationship... and none of them ever came out for the Xbox.
More importantly, though, the companies above supported the PS2 more heavily than they did other systems as a general rule -- and when you consider that all of the above names have already signed on for one or more projects in the first year of PlayStation 3 alone, that support is obviously going to continue. In fact, nearly 100 games were already announced by Japanese studios at or around this year's Tokyo Game Show -- which exponentially more than the confirmed Japanese titles available for the 360. And let us not forget that Sony's own internal Japanese studio isn't too bad itself.
Reason #2: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Remember when we said that the Xbox 360 doesn't have a killer app yet? Well the PlayStation 3's Metal Gear Solid 4 is definitely a killer app. Game creator Hideo Kojima has shown time and time again that he knows how to craft an excellent videogame, and after witnessing the impressive real-time demonstration of Guns of the Patriots (and its accompanying trailer) at TGS this past September, we're already convinced that the PS3 will be capable of some amazing things. A great pedigree plus great technology? Sounds good to us!
Reason #1: The Blu-ray Player
Sony and Company's next-generation disc format has yet to see the light of day in its final form, but the pure technology behind the format is immensely promising from both a gaming and general entertainment standpoint. We're talking 50GB+ of storage space here, more than 5x the space than the 360's DVD format can muster.
More storage space means more room for content which helps widen the possibilities of the PS3's power. Who needs a next-gen system if you run out of content space on your media (and keep in mind, Microsoft has no plans to incorporate HD-DVD or anything like it)? Blu-ray's transfer rate is also quite quick, and though the PS3's actual drive speed hasn't yet been announced, speedy load times should be on the horizon. And with all of the studio support that the Blu-ray Disc Association has garnered, it's sure to be one hell of a next-gen home video format. In short, the PlayStation 3 will have the most advanced storage medium of any game system on the planet.
