3-4 years on from the launch of the 7th generation consoles and the wheels are in motion. They were considered some of the most high profiled console launches in history and both had their ups and downs. Sony is finally on its feet after 4 years and Microsoft have started to decline throughout the gaming community. Although each company took a beating to get there, it was worth it. Sony has stated that they are going to start making a profit on the PS3 in 2010 and Microsoft is starting to perfect Xbox Live, where will it all end?
The Xbox 360 was launched within the last few months of 2005; overall the world considered it a success, however also it became apparent; especially in
It is known that both companies have had trouble with previous models that have been manufactured. To date the PS3 has gone through 4 generations resulting in 9 models which Sony have produced in order to cut costs from the original average price of $805.85… a 20 GB model. On the other hand the Xbox 360 which launched a year before has gone through 5 generations from a previous price of $399.99 for a 20 GB hard drive.
At launch there were fewer than 20 titles for each console which is considered normal, especially due to initial lack of support from developers. Microsoft’s initial report of promising over 1000 titles at the end of 2008 was left forgotten by the gaming community who revelled at titles such as Halo and Gears of War. After these titles was there really any need for 1000 titles?
As of 2009 there are currently 750 games for Xbox 360 and counting, which great news for the fans. In contrast the PS3 as of 2009 the PS3 had 557 games although only half of these had trophy support; but it is to be considered that the PS3 did actually launch an entire year after the Xbox 360 so credit is due.
Since the beginning both consoles have had their technical problems. Various patches have resulted in a small number of consoles being frozen and in some cases becoming irreplaceable. The Red Ring of Death (RROD) has been a constant problem for Microsoft, the resultant of poor manufacturing has resulted in the company extending their warranty to 3 years. Although Microsoft have replaced gamers’ consoles for free, this hasn’t stopped the flurry of angry gamers criticizing Microsoft for their poor failure rate.
The same can be said for the PS3, gamers have complained about the Yellow Light of Death (YLOD). Recent studies by the BBC found that 0.5% of PS3 users have experienced this failure. Although this number is relatively small it is still unacceptable for someone’s console to die after a year. However after a year Sony will repair broken consoles for a small price. If the percentage were to increase in the future with new models like the PS3 Slim, then surely Sony would extend the warranty?
Online gaming has been an issue which has engaged fuelled fan-boy fights on sites such as N4G and VGChartz. The Playstation Network since the beginning has been a free service; buying the console and enjoying the games free online experience. PSN users have had the luxury of enjoying applications such as the PSN Store, Playstation Home, VidZone and many more. Xbox 360 owners may not want or miss the applications presented due to the fact that they have equally good subscription based services.
For as little as $49.99 a year (€59.99), Xbox 360 owners can enjoy services such as Twitter and Facebook; uploading your gaming status and screenshots to both seems like a reasonable excuse for the price. As well as a variety of content, the Xbox Live Market Place has free demos, exclusive games (GTA 4 Content) and many other future applications. Right now Xbox Live currently has Netflix however some time in the future PSN is going to receive Netflix which will surely be a blow for Xbox Live subscribers who already pay a fair amount to pay for a service that will soon be free on PSN. The real question here is whether current Xbox Live subscribers will change to the PSN once Netflix is released?
This year both the PS3 and Xbox 360 have come out strong; improving their services and even slimming down in the PS3’s case. The PS3 Slim is considered a success over its predecessor, giving Sony a chance to turn a profit and give gamers more room for their game collection. Advertising has ultimately improved; people tell me that they have seen advertisements for the consoles on major TV channels such as MTV, ABC and Sky Sports. Billboards in metro stations, street corners and even supermarkets have been seen! So will the PS3 switch to second place or will the Xbox 360 move back on track? The next few weeks will be important for both consoles. Christmas will prove to be the come back for one of them as analysts believe consumer spending will rise significantly; as gamers we look to the future…
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