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Okay. Webmaster Dave has issued the challenge so
I guess I must (yawn) -- again -- give Microsoft
their due.
The Big Bad Wolf of Redmond (Uncle Bill to those
of us that have gotten to know him) is in the COMPUTER
business. Sony is in the ELECTRONICS business.
And, although the Playstation 2 is one hell of
a machine, its creators can only gape in awe of
the raw power of the XBox.
First, let's look at the numbers:
CPU:
XBox: 733 MHz
PS2: 294.912 MHz
Graphics Processor:
XBox: 233 MHz custom-designed chip, developed by
Microsoft and nVidia
PS2: 147.456MHz chip
Total Memory:
XBox: 64MB
PS2: 32MB
Memory Bandwidth:
XBox: 6.4GB/sec
PS2: 3.2 GB/sec
Built in Hard Disk:
XBox: Yes
PS2: No
Audio Channels:
XBox: 256
PS2: 48
3D Audio Support in Hardware: XBox: Yes (64
3D channels)
PS2: No
Dolby® Digital 5.1 Surround Sound in Hardware:
XBox: Yes
PS2: No
Parental Control in Hardware:
XBox: Yes
PS2: No No
The list goes on and on.
As for the games, we can only expect the latest
and greatest to be developed for the XBox, since
the developers don't have to stay within the constraints
of the PS2's limitations for graphics and audio.
Obviously, the best games will come from Microsoft
or from developers that are designing games only
for the XBox, because it will be easier (and cheaper)
for the multiplatform gamemakers to design for the
lowest common denominator and then play with the
code for each system.
This is clearly evident with Halo and Munch's Odyssey,
which blow away anything developed for a gaming
system thus far.
Obviously the list of titles available for the XBox
are meager when compared with those for the PS2,
but isn't that the same scenario Sony faced when
they released the first PlayStation to compete with
Sega and Nintendo?
It was the superiority of the sound and graphics
that made them dominant. And that's what will happen
here!
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I've seen both.
I've played both.
I like both.
Now if I had to make a choice and only had $300
to spend I'd get the Playstation.
Why? Two words. More games.
Here's a few of my favorites:
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Metal Gear Solid 2
- Batman Vengeance
- Spy Hunter
- DOA 2
The graphics on the Playstation are clean, the
action is smooth and the sound is good enough for
me. Why do I need 256 channels of audio? I'd then
need a surround sound system and, while I'm at,
it I'd have to throw a few grand at a big screen
composite TV. The XBox then beocmes a $5,000 investment
instead of a $300 one.
I'm perfectly happy with my 19" Trinitron and Radio
Shack cable box. All I need to do now is find the
remote.
I tried DOA 3 for the XBox and I didn't see any
huge differences between the Playstation version
and the XBox version. Is DOA 3 taking full advantage
of what the XBox can do? Are all the colors being
used? It's the same gosh darn blasted thing with
Batman Vengeance.
These games are not being developed up to the machine's
full potential and that's a fact Jack! Mike!.
I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts that an XBox
version of a PC game will play exactly the same
way, with the same number of colors and the same
number of audio channels being used.
While it may be easy for developers to develop
for the XBox and the PC, in reality they won't have
to make any changes. If they do, great. But I think
those that believe this'll happen are a bit too
optimistic.
When I see an XBox game that blows away the competition,
I'll go out and buy it (or maybe my father will
surprise me and buy me one. Afterall I do this website
stuff for free *winkwink*)..
Sony has also been in the gaming business for quite
some time and they're still around. What happened
to Sega? They folded. Nintendo? Now a kid's toy.
Sony is the Microsoft of gaming systems.
Let Microsoft stick to what they're good at --
making buggy software that keeps guys like me in
business.
Lastly, an XBox is just a trimmed down computer.
I'm perfectly happy with the computer I have. All
I have to do in order to make my computer work like
an XBox is:
- Install Windows 2000
- Pop in an NVidia 3 graphics card
- Take out my extra 40gb hard drive
- Downgrade my 1.2ghz processor to a 733
- Find these games made for the computer.
And guess what? I can do more with a computer!
Bah humbug.
The choice is clear. Hello Playstation, good-bye
XBox! |
