If you plan on playing all the games available on PC there, then I think you can make a strong case for getting a PS3 only. I say this even though my own PS3 mostly collects dust, as I play all the cross-platform games on the 360. The 360 has better online, better downloadable titles, a better interface, a better controller, and achievements are better implemented than trophies.
But does all that really outweigh a blu-ray player? No, probably not. And Heavy Rain shouldn't be missed, nor should MGS4 if you're a fan of the series. In contrast, the vast majority of the 360's exclusives are also on PC.
If you plan on playing all the games available on PC there, then I think you can make a strong case for getting a PS3 only. I say this even though my own PS3 mostly collects dust, as I play all the cross-platform games on the 360. The 360 has better online, better downloadable titles, a better interface, a better controller, and achievements are better implemented than trophies.
But does all that really outweigh a blu-ray player? No, probably not. And Heavy Rain shouldn't be missed, nor should MGS4 if you're a fan of the series. In contrast, the vast majority of the 360's exclusives are also on PC.
Microsoft is probably the same way, but Sony has a policy (I'm not sure if it's enforced) that says a console which has been tampered with they will refuse to repair, even for out of warranty repairs.
Fortunately, I can say the YLOD repair that involves removing the heatsink, replacing the thermal paste, and adding washers so the heatsink is held to the processor more tightly works, unfortunately in my case it only worked for a matter of a week or 2 each time I repaired it. I could see someone trading in a PS3 or 360 that they just couldn't get to consistantly repair by making sure it was working just for when they took it in.
Can I just make sure the warranty sticker on a PS3 is intact before making a purchase, or are there ways around that?
Microsoft is probably the same way, but Sony has a policy (I'm not sure if it's enforced) that says a console which has been tampered with they will refuse to repair, even for out of warranty repairs.
Fortunately, I can say the YLOD repair that involves removing the heatsink, replacing the thermal paste, and adding washers so the heatsink is held to the processor more tightly works, unfortunately in my case it only worked for a matter of a week or 2 each time I repaired it. I could see someone trading in a PS3 or 360 that they just couldn't get to consistantly repair by making sure it was working just for when they took it in.
Can I just make sure the warranty sticker on a PS3 is intact before making a purchase, or are there ways around that?
The failure rates aren't even close, Castle Crashers is on both consoles and I said I was biased!
Castle Crashers isn't actually available on the PS3 yet.
But hey, you win some, you lose some. The 360 gets Castle Crashers as an exclusive for about 2 years. The PS3 gets Scott Pilgrim as an exclusive for 2 weeks.
Microsoft is probably the same way, but Sony has a policy (I'm not sure if it's enforced) that says a console which has been tampered with they will refuse to repair, even for out of warranty repairs.
Fortunately, I can say the YLOD repair that involves removing the heatsink, replacing the thermal paste, and adding washers so the heatsink is held to the processor more tightly works, unfortunately in my case it only worked for a matter of a week or 2 each time I repaired it. I could see someone trading in a PS3 or 360 that they just couldn't get to consistantly repair by making sure it was working just for when they took it in.
Can I just make sure the warranty sticker on a PS3 is intact before making a purchase, or are there ways around that?
I didn't even think of that really. I'm sure someone knows a way to get around it, but anyone trying to fix their ps3 isn't gonna assume they'll be unsuccessful.
Microsoft is probably the same way, but Sony has a policy (I'm not sure if it's enforced) that says a console which has been tampered with they will refuse to repair, even for out of warranty repairs.
Fortunately, I can say the YLOD repair that involves removing the heatsink, replacing the thermal paste, and adding washers so the heatsink is held to the processor more tightly works, unfortunately in my case it only worked for a matter of a week or 2 each time I repaired it. I could see someone trading in a PS3 or 360 that they just couldn't get to consistantly repair by making sure it was working just for when they took it in.
Can I just make sure the warranty sticker on a PS3 is intact before making a purchase, or are there ways around that?
How much do you really save by buying a used one?
Assuming these craigslist ads aren't scams, like $100.
And it costs $150 to repair a PS3 out of warranty, so I'd only lose $50 if I was able to pick a system that Sony won't turn away.
I’ll tell you what happens in Demon’s Souls when you die. You come back as a ghost with your health capped at half. And when you keep on dying, the alignment of the world turns black and the enemies get harder. That’s right, when you fail in this game, it gets harder. Why? Because fuck you is why.
I have both consoles and a gaming PC and personally play my 360 way more often. I also find its integration of Netflix, etc far more streamlined compared to my PS3.
That said, your oft repeated mention of having a larger interest in PS3 exclusives than 360 ones should make it a pretty easy decision to make.
And to the people who keep bringing up the paying for Gold aspect of the 360...really? If 50 bucks a year is an issue, maybe looking to buy video game consoles isn't the best thing to be doing to begin with.
Eh, it's not much, but it's still fifty bucks more than having access to online multiplayer should cost. It's more of a principle thing than an "we can't afford it" thing.
Heavy Rain is a ridiculous game and shouldn't be a dealbreaker...
I bought a 360 because I wanted to play FFXIII and there were no PS3s available at the time. Eventually I picked up a PS3 anyway. I think as a device, the PS3 is better due to blu-ray and free online, but to be fair, I don't use either of those features much (except the Netflix streaming, which you'd need a Live Gold account to use if you wanted it on 360.)
Since I like RPGs and they never get ported to PC, that's why I own the systems and there are a fair amount for both systems. 360 might edge out the PS3 slightly for having both Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia.
You also have to take into account that sometimes PC ports suck ass. Even on high end PCs people can have issues with Saints Row 2 or GTAIV.
I can see rejecting it out of principle (though, for me personally, it's more like $30 a year than $50). Of course, it's not like DLC is free either.
That being said, PSN is inferior, for the most part. Fewer people. No party options (to my knowledge). I have lag problems that I don't have on the Xbox 360, despite the obvious fact that both consoles use the same wireless connection (and both have internal wireless devices), but maybe I'm just living in the twilight zone. No standardized way to mute people. In some games, apparently, you can't mute other people.
...that alone is enough to convince me, personally. That being said, online as a whole is just one facet (one I don't think is close, even with the fee). As I've said, OP is more interested in PS3 exclusives, and has shown little interest in mentioned Xbox 360 exclusives, apparently. That would be the overwhelming factor, I'd say.
Yeah PS3 exclusives seem to be more centered around SP anyway, so if that's the route he goes, then lag and not being able to mute people won't be huge problems for him.
Got an old rickety Arcade that has started to give me disk read errors. I'm really torn between the two systems. Since my current computer is pretty solid I decided to wait it out until around christmas and see what kind of deals start to pop up then and base my decision off of that.
Ferrus on
I would like to pause for a moment, to talk about my penis.
My penis is like a toddler. A toddler—who is a perfectly normal size for his age—on a long road trip to what he thinks is Disney World. My penis is excited because he hasn’t been to Disney World in a long, long time, but remembers a time when he used to go every day. So now the penis toddler is constantly fidgeting, whining “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How about now? Now? How about... now?”
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
If you gave me the choice of whether to pay for the differences between PSN and XBL, I'd definitely (definitely) not pay for it. Skip XBL and pick up Little Big Planet GOTY for 30$. I have a hard time believing anyone would find that to be a bad trade-off.
I also didn't, despite several attempts to do so (I normally love gameplay level creation--I also really enjoyed Halo 3's Forge). It's the reason I own a PS3, but don't own LBP.
It was too late. Psychonauts won the platformer genre forever.
Back on topic, did the OP already choose or is he leaving us here to discuss this for eternity? In the first post he sounded like he had his mind set, so I sort of feel this thread was kind of pointless.
I don't think I'd have paid the initial investment for my PS3 ($300 for 80 BC) if the only thing I could play online was LBP.
Actually, personally, I know I wouldn't. That's just me though. Even now, I play a small handful of PS3 games online on occasion, but it wouldn't have warranted the cost if it was only LBP. Except as a replacement PS2, because those damn things keep dying on me. I wasn't buying a fourth one in as many years.
Having owned both, I'll offer my own very subjective lists of Pros and Cons.
PS3
Pros:
Dependable hardware and very quiet
Bluetooth integration
Bluray player makes it a fantastic media machine
Excellent exclusives
Cons:
Terrible online platform. No cross game chat? No party system? No name changes?
PSN store is nothing to write home about
I'm not a fan of the controller
Xbox 360
Pros:
Excellent online offering. If you have a lot of friends on XBL, this is a system seller.
Halo. Enough said.
Xbox Live Arcade is amazing and full of great games
ESPN coming soon!
Cons:
Hardware not as dependable, and loud. Though the later models and new Slim model will probably help here.
Not as many great exclusives.
No bluetooth means batteries or play and charge kits.
Standard dvd player.
On the issue of loudness--which I think we'd all agree is a pretty minor factor, but worth thinking about--I'm wondering if anyone could shed some insight.
I've got an old PS3 (80 BC), which I sat next to a launch Xbox 360 (then a Xbox 360 S). I can say that my launch Xbox 360 was louder than my PS3 when both were playing. However, then I bought a 250 GB hard disc and started installing games. After that, my PS3 was somewhat louder than the Xbox 360 when running games (of course, not all PS3 games have installations, and those that do have mandatory partial installations, I think--Uncharted 2 did not have installations, and ran a bit louder).
My Xbox 360 S is somewhat quieter still--but that's because I install all the games I play regularly. I have one game, I think, that does not have the option to install, so it may be louder running in the Xbox 360 S than a game on the PS3. A side issue, but has anyone else noticed something like this? There's very little control over how loud a PS3 is (I guess besides buying a PS3 Slim).
Depends on your personal tastes, really. On one hand, the 360 definitely has a huge plethora of games of various sorts and gameplay styles, but on the other, the PS3 is catching up to it and is nearly equal, if not equal already, to the 360.
If you don't have the current 360 gear already, and just want to save money, go for a PS3. Most of the stuff that would have to be purchased in stores to be more convenient for 360 players is already available to PS3 buyers (Wireless Controller with recharger, built in wireless connection, no online membership fees, etc.)
I'm not saying the PS3 is better, but Microsoft just thinks of tons of ways to steal your money legally.
Synthesis, I had a Slim, so I can't comment on the loudness of the original. The slim PS3 was quiet as a whisper, though.
I'd expect as much. Honestly, the original PS3 was...well, pretty loud. Uninstalled games were as loud, maybe louder, than on the original Xbox 360 without installation (Uncharted 2 being my example).
I've heard the Slim is substantially quieter. Unfortunately, it lacks BC, so that rules it out as an option for me personally.
Haven't read anything but the OP but I will say this -
Since you have a powerful PC you can game on, go for the PS3. As someone whos only current gen system (not counting handhelds) is the 360 and then my PC, I pretty much never touch my 360 at all. I have pretty much all the same games with better graphics, controls, etc. on my PC. The only time I've even touched my 360 since I got my gaming computer has pretty much been for Red Dead Redemption. Most of the 360 "exclusives" like Mass Effect, Splinter Cell, etc. are all playable on your PC so unless you're really big into stuff like halo and a handful of (albeit really good) JRPGs, theres not much you cant get already. In that regard I think the PS3 would have more games you cant play anywhere else.
It's hard to tell a person whether or not they should get one console over the other. Because everyone is a little bit different. I personally own a very powerful gaming PC, a 360, and a PS3. I hardly, if ever, use my PS3 for anything. For some reason I feel like most of the PS3 exclusive games just aren't as fun as the 360 ones. The only PS3 exclusive game I've actually finished and enjoyed (even with the two bullshit parts in the game) was Uncharted. I've played just about all of the others and really can't get into them.
Owning a powerful PC doesn't immediately invalidate owning a 360. If the guy has friends that come over there are a ton of games on the XBLA that he could enjoy. On top of that you've got all the RPGs that the 360 has... And there are a few multiplatform games that run like shit on the PC/PS3 that run good on the 360.
That said the OP seriously sounds like he just wants a PS3 and wants people to tell him that, so: get a PS3.
That said the OP seriously sounds like he just wants a PS3 and wants people to tell him that, so: get a PS3.
I think he just wanted to know if he was missing something that the 360 had and the PS3 didn't.
So you mean like a better controller? Seriously the PS3 controller was designed for sissies in mind. :P But honestly he seriously just sounds like he wants a PS3. So he should get one and be done with it.
Honestly, if I were op and I had the decision between 360 or PS3 then i'd go with PS3.
However, I happen to be in a situation where I already own both and I prefer the PS3. The majority of the games I own on the 360 I can get on the pc and when Mass Effect 3 comes out i'll be getting the pc version. (planet scanning in ME2 killed the game for me, on the pc version you can obviously use a trainer to give yourself loads of minerals etc so you never have to fuck around with the intense annoyance of planet scanning)
The whole performance or visual differences I honestly haven't seen, I own Assassins Creed 1 on the 360 and Assassins Creed 2 on the PS3. Both look and run great. Beatles Rock Band/Rock Band 2 plays and looks great on the PS3 as does Batman Arkham Asylum. Anybody who goes on about inferior versions is talking bollocks with maybe the exception of GTA 4 (however, I think the blurry muddy brown is common to both versions)
If you like online then apparently the 360 is better than the PS3, however I've never paid for gold out of principle so I can't comment on the 360 online. PS3 is fine online, the whole friends, messaging etc.
I personally like the XMB on the PS3 a lot more than I do the xbox's NXE, it seems MS have this obsession with making the user interface prettier whilst at the same time more annoying. The NXE looks pretty but is a convoluted mess of a maze to trawl through.
That said the OP seriously sounds like he just wants a PS3 and wants people to tell him that, so: get a PS3.
I think he just wanted to know if he was missing something that the 360 had and the PS3 didn't.
So you mean like a better controller? Seriously the PS3 controller was designed for sissies in mind. :P But honestly he seriously just sounds like he wants a PS3. So he should get one and be done with it.
Sony should probably at some point redo their controller, for the PS4 or whatever. The 360 controller is a teensy bit more comfier, but the PS3's dpad bitch slaps the 360's horrible dpad.
GrimReaper on
PSN | Steam
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
I love how light the PS3 controllers are. I hated the triggers for a week or two until I got over it. Sometimes it's just an issue of familiarity. I don't think any of the big 3 consoles have objectively bad controllers this time out.
Yeah, there's no argument here about the D-Pad on the 360 sucking major balls, but the analog stick is definitely better on the 360. I'm not sure if anyone else experiences this, but the different spots of the analog sticks really bothers me. I now prefer it to be on the left-most side. When I play the PS3 if I am pressing right on the left analog stick, and left on the right stick, both my thumbs hit each other which annoys me.
e: Hockey, how can you say the SIXAXIS is better than any of the other controllers?
I love how light the PS3 controllers are. I hated the triggers for a week or two until I got over it. Sometimes it's just an issue of familiarity. I don't think any of the big 3 consoles have objectively bad controllers this time out.
Hate to burst your bubble, but ever since the dualshock 3, PS3 controllers aren't light anymore.
I find loading games on the Xbox seems a bit quicker generally, but otherwise there are no differences. At all (Blu-ray excluded). Even the controllers are basically identical.
To repeat what was earlier said, multi-platform titles aren't really a great reason to get a PS3, like exclusives are. Mostly because they tend to be, well, better on the Xbox 360. Games like GTAIV get DLC much, much earlier, while others like Tomb Raider Underworld only get DLC on the Xbox 360. Others like Ghostbusters tend to look better.
The vast majority of DLC's multiplatform anyway so who cares? Most of the exclusive DLC for big games shows up on the other a few months later (Fallout 3 and GTAIV) and the stuff that doesn't tends to be pretty insubstantial (Batman: Arkham Asylum Joker Challenges).
That said the OP seriously sounds like he just wants a PS3 and wants people to tell him that, so: get a PS3.
I think he just wanted to know if he was missing something that the 360 had and the PS3 didn't.
I think if there were anything big enough to completely change his mind, he probably would've heard of it by now.
Whenever a thread like this pops up, my default response is to tell the OP to list down all the games they want for each system and choose the one with the better list. Sounds like he already mentally did that and went with the PS3, so he should go with it. We can talk about XBL vs PSN all day but the reality is, most of the stuff on each system is so close that it's completely insubstantial to the game preferences.
A few people have mentioned it, but I would definitely stress how many fantastic downloadable titles are available on both the 360 and PS3, and weigh them into your ultimate decision. I have a 360 and have probably twice as many XBLA and Indie Games as I do disc titles, and other than Gears 1/2 and EDF, I think all of my discs are multiplat titles anyway. But games like Shadow Complex, Splosion Man, Geo Wars 2, Rez HD and such are fantastic. I don't have as much experience with PSN titles, but Flower blew my mind, and Wipeout HD and Shatter look killer.
These kinds of titles are often exclusives, but typically get left out in List Wars due to a strange stigma about them being lesser than typical retail releases.
I'm pretty much locked into the 360 structure due to an obscene amount of Rock Band DLC and all of those XBLA games, and I love the system but I'll admit that if I had to start new and pick it over the PS3 I'd be hard-pressed to make a clear decision. It's a copout answer, but both have great exclusives, and by getting one over the other you'll inevitably miss some excellent games on the other side of the fence, so don't stress and just pick the one you have in your gut.
Posts
But does all that really outweigh a blu-ray player? No, probably not. And Heavy Rain shouldn't be missed, nor should MGS4 if you're a fan of the series. In contrast, the vast majority of the 360's exclusives are also on PC.
This seems to be the general consensus.
Can I just make sure the warranty sticker on a PS3 is intact before making a purchase, or are there ways around that?
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
How much do you really save by buying a used one?
Castle Crashers isn't actually available on the PS3 yet.
But hey, you win some, you lose some. The 360 gets Castle Crashers as an exclusive for about 2 years. The PS3 gets Scott Pilgrim as an exclusive for 2 weeks.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
I didn't even think of that really. I'm sure someone knows a way to get around it, but anyone trying to fix their ps3 isn't gonna assume they'll be unsuccessful.
Assuming these craigslist ads aren't scams, like $100.
And it costs $150 to repair a PS3 out of warranty, so I'd only lose $50 if I was able to pick a system that Sony won't turn away.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Xbox has better social multiplayer (that you pay for) and more downloadable stuff.
Since you have a good pc and don't gave a bunch of friends on live I would get the ps3. (I would get an xbox later as well but that's just me)
Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
That said, your oft repeated mention of having a larger interest in PS3 exclusives than 360 ones should make it a pretty easy decision to make.
And to the people who keep bringing up the paying for Gold aspect of the 360...really? If 50 bucks a year is an issue, maybe looking to buy video game consoles isn't the best thing to be doing to begin with.
I bought a 360 because I wanted to play FFXIII and there were no PS3s available at the time. Eventually I picked up a PS3 anyway. I think as a device, the PS3 is better due to blu-ray and free online, but to be fair, I don't use either of those features much (except the Netflix streaming, which you'd need a Live Gold account to use if you wanted it on 360.)
Since I like RPGs and they never get ported to PC, that's why I own the systems and there are a fair amount for both systems. 360 might edge out the PS3 slightly for having both Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia.
You also have to take into account that sometimes PC ports suck ass. Even on high end PCs people can have issues with Saints Row 2 or GTAIV.
That being said, PSN is inferior, for the most part. Fewer people. No party options (to my knowledge). I have lag problems that I don't have on the Xbox 360, despite the obvious fact that both consoles use the same wireless connection (and both have internal wireless devices), but maybe I'm just living in the twilight zone. No standardized way to mute people. In some games, apparently, you can't mute other people.
...that alone is enough to convince me, personally. That being said, online as a whole is just one facet (one I don't think is close, even with the fee). As I've said, OP is more interested in PS3 exclusives, and has shown little interest in mentioned Xbox 360 exclusives, apparently. That would be the overwhelming factor, I'd say.
Got an old rickety Arcade that has started to give me disk read errors. I'm really torn between the two systems. Since my current computer is pretty solid I decided to wait it out until around christmas and see what kind of deals start to pop up then and base my decision off of that.
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
This is awkward.
Back on topic, did the OP already choose or is he leaving us here to discuss this for eternity? In the first post he sounded like he had his mind set, so I sort of feel this thread was kind of pointless.
Actually, personally, I know I wouldn't. That's just me though. Even now, I play a small handful of PS3 games online on occasion, but it wouldn't have warranted the cost if it was only LBP. Except as a replacement PS2, because those damn things keep dying on me. I wasn't buying a fourth one in as many years.
PS3
Pros:
Dependable hardware and very quiet
Bluetooth integration
Bluray player makes it a fantastic media machine
Excellent exclusives
Cons:
Terrible online platform. No cross game chat? No party system? No name changes?
PSN store is nothing to write home about
I'm not a fan of the controller
Xbox 360
Pros:
Excellent online offering. If you have a lot of friends on XBL, this is a system seller.
Halo. Enough said.
Xbox Live Arcade is amazing and full of great games
ESPN coming soon!
Cons:
Hardware not as dependable, and loud. Though the later models and new Slim model will probably help here.
Not as many great exclusives.
No bluetooth means batteries or play and charge kits.
Standard dvd player.
I've got an old PS3 (80 BC), which I sat next to a launch Xbox 360 (then a Xbox 360 S). I can say that my launch Xbox 360 was louder than my PS3 when both were playing. However, then I bought a 250 GB hard disc and started installing games. After that, my PS3 was somewhat louder than the Xbox 360 when running games (of course, not all PS3 games have installations, and those that do have mandatory partial installations, I think--Uncharted 2 did not have installations, and ran a bit louder).
My Xbox 360 S is somewhat quieter still--but that's because I install all the games I play regularly. I have one game, I think, that does not have the option to install, so it may be louder running in the Xbox 360 S than a game on the PS3. A side issue, but has anyone else noticed something like this? There's very little control over how loud a PS3 is (I guess besides buying a PS3 Slim).
Also AuburnTiger, you put Halo and ESPN in you list of pros. That automatically invalidates your entire list.
If you don't have the current 360 gear already, and just want to save money, go for a PS3. Most of the stuff that would have to be purchased in stores to be more convenient for 360 players is already available to PS3 buyers (Wireless Controller with recharger, built in wireless connection, no online membership fees, etc.)
I'm not saying the PS3 is better, but Microsoft just thinks of tons of ways to steal your money legally.
XBL: GamingFreak5514
PSN: GamingFreak1234
Well, I did say it was a very subjective list.
I'd expect as much. Honestly, the original PS3 was...well, pretty loud. Uninstalled games were as loud, maybe louder, than on the original Xbox 360 without installation (Uncharted 2 being my example).
I've heard the Slim is substantially quieter. Unfortunately, it lacks BC, so that rules it out as an option for me personally.
Since you have a powerful PC you can game on, go for the PS3. As someone whos only current gen system (not counting handhelds) is the 360 and then my PC, I pretty much never touch my 360 at all. I have pretty much all the same games with better graphics, controls, etc. on my PC. The only time I've even touched my 360 since I got my gaming computer has pretty much been for Red Dead Redemption. Most of the 360 "exclusives" like Mass Effect, Splinter Cell, etc. are all playable on your PC so unless you're really big into stuff like halo and a handful of (albeit really good) JRPGs, theres not much you cant get already. In that regard I think the PS3 would have more games you cant play anywhere else.
The Pipe Vault|Twitter|Steam|Backloggery|3DS:1332-7703-1083
Owning a powerful PC doesn't immediately invalidate owning a 360. If the guy has friends that come over there are a ton of games on the XBLA that he could enjoy. On top of that you've got all the RPGs that the 360 has... And there are a few multiplatform games that run like shit on the PC/PS3 that run good on the 360.
That said the OP seriously sounds like he just wants a PS3 and wants people to tell him that, so: get a PS3.
I think he just wanted to know if he was missing something that the 360 had and the PS3 didn't.
So you mean like a better controller? Seriously the PS3 controller was designed for sissies in mind. :P But honestly he seriously just sounds like he wants a PS3. So he should get one and be done with it.
However, I happen to be in a situation where I already own both and I prefer the PS3. The majority of the games I own on the 360 I can get on the pc and when Mass Effect 3 comes out i'll be getting the pc version. (planet scanning in ME2 killed the game for me, on the pc version you can obviously use a trainer to give yourself loads of minerals etc so you never have to fuck around with the intense annoyance of planet scanning)
The whole performance or visual differences I honestly haven't seen, I own Assassins Creed 1 on the 360 and Assassins Creed 2 on the PS3. Both look and run great. Beatles Rock Band/Rock Band 2 plays and looks great on the PS3 as does Batman Arkham Asylum. Anybody who goes on about inferior versions is talking bollocks with maybe the exception of GTA 4 (however, I think the blurry muddy brown is common to both versions)
If you like online then apparently the 360 is better than the PS3, however I've never paid for gold out of principle so I can't comment on the 360 online. PS3 is fine online, the whole friends, messaging etc.
I personally like the XMB on the PS3 a lot more than I do the xbox's NXE, it seems MS have this obsession with making the user interface prettier whilst at the same time more annoying. The NXE looks pretty but is a convoluted mess of a maze to trawl through.
EDIT:
Sony should probably at some point redo their controller, for the PS4 or whatever. The 360 controller is a teensy bit more comfier, but the PS3's dpad bitch slaps the 360's horrible dpad.
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
e: Hockey, how can you say the SIXAXIS is better than any of the other controllers?
Hate to burst your bubble, but ever since the dualshock 3, PS3 controllers aren't light anymore.
The sixaxis, on the other hand, felt like a toy.
The vast majority of DLC's multiplatform anyway so who cares? Most of the exclusive DLC for big games shows up on the other a few months later (Fallout 3 and GTAIV) and the stuff that doesn't tends to be pretty insubstantial (Batman: Arkham Asylum Joker Challenges).
I think if there were anything big enough to completely change his mind, he probably would've heard of it by now.
Whenever a thread like this pops up, my default response is to tell the OP to list down all the games they want for each system and choose the one with the better list. Sounds like he already mentally did that and went with the PS3, so he should go with it. We can talk about XBL vs PSN all day but the reality is, most of the stuff on each system is so close that it's completely insubstantial to the game preferences.
These kinds of titles are often exclusives, but typically get left out in List Wars due to a strange stigma about them being lesser than typical retail releases.
I'm pretty much locked into the 360 structure due to an obscene amount of Rock Band DLC and all of those XBLA games, and I love the system but I'll admit that if I had to start new and pick it over the PS3 I'd be hard-pressed to make a clear decision. It's a copout answer, but both have great exclusives, and by getting one over the other you'll inevitably miss some excellent games on the other side of the fence, so don't stress and just pick the one you have in your gut.