PS3 vs 360

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 11:27 am

So after messin around with the 360 for a few weeks, here are my likes and dislikes.

Dislikes:
You're forced to pay for Xbox live for full functionality (Gold requirement for Netflix is bullshit).
No way to change the on-screen keyboard to a QWERTY layout.
It crashes a lot compared to PS3. 4 freezes in 2 weeks. (It's on top of my desk in a well ventilated area)
Forced to pay a 200% premium for MS approved hardware ($80 for a 250 gig HD is heinous)
Too many adverts on the dashboard.
Video playback controls are lacking.
Games marketplace needs more search/sort options.
MS Points < actual dollar value

Likes:
Purchase/download games from web browser and push to the console.
Older used games for the 360 are really cheap.
Comfortable controller.
Great selection of XBLA and Indie games.

My preference is still with the PS3 but both are really awesome consoles.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » May 9, 2011, 11:44 am

So how do you like that XBOX EXCLUSIVE online functionality?

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 11:49 am

masteen wrote:So how do you like that XBOX EXCLUSIVE online functionality?

Most of the games I've been playing aren't online so I can't really say.
And since my wife and newborn son have invaded the living room (where the TV and PS3 are) for the past month+, I have't really missed it on the PS3... and after the free month and $1 month runs out on the xbox gold, I can;t see myself paying for it.

I do have a stack of PS3 games that I'd like to finish but that's not gonna happen until my wife and son start sleeping in their normal rooms.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » May 9, 2011, 12:42 pm

My 360 hasn't really been turned on in 12-18 months. With the amount of pollen/dust cleaning I have had to do since mid-December, I am almost afraid of what it will do if I try to just power it up!

I agree that the Gold requirement for Netflix streaming sucks.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 9, 2011, 1:56 pm

miir wrote:Likes:

Comfortable controller.

Win!

[Show]

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 2:06 pm

I've said many times in the past that the 360 has a good controller.
I even got one for my PC.

Playing 99 Nights 2 and Bangai-O my hands actually got a bit crampy after a while.
I've played a ton of button mashers and bullet-hell shooters on the PS3 and I've never encountered even the tiniest bit of hand fatigue... even after 2-3 hours.

For racing games, I prefer the 360 controller. It has a nice little area to rest your right thumb, whereas I usually rest my right thumb under the right analog stick on the PS3. There's a little ridge under there that gets uncomfortable after a while.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » May 9, 2011, 2:33 pm

miir wrote:So after messin around with the 360 for a few weeks, here are my likes and dislikes.

Dislikes:
You're forced to pay for Xbox live for full functionality (Gold requirement for Netflix is bullshit).
No way to change the on-screen keyboard to a QWERTY layout.
It crashes a lot compared to PS3. 4 freezes in 2 weeks. (It's on top of my desk in a well ventilated area)
Forced to pay a 200% premium for MS approved hardware ($80 for a 250 gig HD is heinous)
Too many adverts on the dashboard.
Video playback controls are lacking.
Games marketplace needs more search/sort options.
MS Points < actual dollar value

For $6 a month, my info does not get hacked and sold. For what XBL offers me, $6 a month is a bargain.

You can buy the keyboard that plugs into your controller that has a full QWERTY keyboard. Totally worth it if you actually use text.

I have never had a crash on my Xbox outside of the RROD. That was on the original box and was sent in for warranty repairs....and I bought an upgraded model and sold the repaired one when it came back. If you are getting actual freezes, maybe it is related to the game disc?

The dashboard is kind of bleh. I liked the old dashboard more.

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 2:50 pm

For $6 a month, my info does not get hacked and sold.

Users should never be charged extra to secure their personal information.
My actual point is that forcing people to pay for a service to access completely unrelated paid services is bullshit.
Why do xbox users have to pay twice?

You can buy the keyboard that plugs into your controller that has a full QWERTY keyboard.

Again, you're missing my point.
I'm talking about the onscreen/virtual keyboard.
With a standard QWERTY layout, you know instinctively where the letters are and how many taps on the d-pad are needed to get to the next letter. The onscreen keyboard layout that xbox uses is some haphazard ABC layout.
I can't really understand why they wouldn't the standard english language keyboard layout.

If you are getting actual freezes, maybe it is related to the game disc?

Happened with 2 different games.
Maybe just bad luck... shrug.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » May 9, 2011, 3:53 pm

It's not even $6 a month it's $5. And that's if you pay full price. There's been a shitload of 1year Gold cards out there for $35-$40 lately thus making your monthly cost even less. If you live in a third world country like Canada then yeah you're probably out of luck unless you know someone in the US you can it have it mailed to and then they can give you the code to enter.

I would imagine why Netflix requires Gold is because MS knew it was a feature people wanted and would more than likely pay for. They are a business after all. As a consumer I'm not saying I agree but there you go. But now that Wii and PS3 have a Netflix app it should probably fall out of the Gold tier of Live into SIlver but I don't see that happening. I don't think MS will lose many customers switching over to PS3 just because Netflix requires a Gold subscription.

As far as crashes go my PS3 has frozen on me numerous times. I can't really remember than happening on the 360 but I don't use it as much.

Premium for the MS hardware I don't think you'll find an argument anywhere. PS3 is definitely nicer in that it uses standard drives you can swap out yourself.

I don't particularly like the Dashboard but it's definitely more responsive than the slow as shit (for me at least) PS3 XMB.

Oh and one item you forgot to add to your 'Likes' category: The ability to install games to the HDD. I'm really getting tired of the pokey ass Blu-Ray load times. WTF wont Sony add this feature??

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 4:06 pm

Considering how ravenous the XBox fanboys are in defending/promoting the 360 and poo-pooing the PS3, I think I was almost expecting the 360 to be exponentially better than the PS3.

The truth is that both consoles are pretty equal in terms of good/bad features, it's pretty much a wash.

My biggest like on the 360 is that huge back-catalogue of games that I haven't played.
Lots of semi-decent JRPGs!
So far I've picked up Infinite Undiscovery, Magna Carta 2 and Blue Dragon.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 9, 2011, 8:18 pm

I can't speak to Magna Carta 2 but do yourself a favor and play Lost Odyssey over Blue Dragon and Infinite Undiscovery. While both are decent, LO was a much better game.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 9, 2011, 8:47 pm

Animalor wrote:I can't speak to Magna Carta 2 but do yourself a favor and play Lost Odyssey over Blue Dragon and Infinite Undiscovery. While both are decent, LO was a much better game.

I agree with this. LO is the best of the bunch, also the most FF-ish.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » May 9, 2011, 9:56 pm

My original 360 hung up on me once, and immediately RRoD'ed. I've never had an issue with it after it was refurbished, nor have I ever had an issue with my other elite. I've never had my PS3 hang up on me either. Seriously, I would take it back now and get a new one.

I can't believe you put "MS Points < actual dollar value" in the cons. Keep yor eyes out and you can get great deals on point cards all the time. The rest of your complaints are pretty dumb IMO, but whatevz. My 360s are my default streaming devices for music, movies, and Netflix. I do play all my DVDs and Blu rays on my PS3 because the drive is quieter.

My PS3 cons are pretty significant, but I agree that they are very similar. Overall, I would rate the overall user experience a 9/10 on 360 and a 7.5/10 on the PS3. The way they handle downloading, installing, and shopping in general is insane to me. I do agree with you about ads with paid XBL. I always thought that was bullshit. However, cross game chat is pretty much the most important feature of online play for me and I have to pay to get that on PS3. Not going to happen, but I am eager to check out the free Plus trail when PSN comes back online to see if I notice anything drastic. My PS3 friends are rarely ever online, but my 360 friends list is busy at all hours every day.

There are a fucking shitload of cheap ass games for the 360. You'll notice more sales more often for 360 games vs PS3 now that you have one. You're well on your way with the JRPGs that you mentioned. LO is a great game. Traditional turn based old school style, and so is Blue Dragon. LO has modern graphics, while Blue Dragon harkens back to a cartoonish style. Both are great fun, although after awhile you'll begin to understand why there aren't many games like these anymore. Check out Neir, Resonance of Fate, Star Ocean, Tales of Vesperia, and The Last Remnant. I know some of those are on PS3 too, but I'm just throwing out the JRPGs I own that I got for dirt cheap. Some of those were under 10$ new.

XBL arcade has tons of great titles to check out.

Grats on the child. I probably play as much as I ever did, but instead I play at night. The first year of your child's life, they just eat, crap, and sleep, so not much really changes. My girls are 2.5 and 4 now, and I do have to schedule my gaming a lot more than when they were younger. My kids took over the living room, but my bedroom is actually my room of choice for console gaming anyway, so no big loss there.

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 10:04 pm

Animalor wrote:I can't speak to Magna Carta 2 but do yourself a favor and play Lost Odyssey over Blue Dragon and Infinite Undiscovery. While both are decent, LO was a much better game.

Already played Lost Odyssey on PC.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 9, 2011, 10:08 pm

miir wrote: Already played Lost Odyssey on PC.

Ah. Good job then. Lemme know how you like Magna Carta 2. I've been curious about that one.

miir · Post by **miir** » May 9, 2011, 10:12 pm

Oh wait.. I think I'm confusing Lost Odyssey with Last Remnant.

I'm already a bunch of hours into Magna Carta 2 and while it's fairly derivative, it's actually quite fun.
Think I'm gonna finish that one up first.

Played a couple of hours of Infinite Undiscovery and it's classic Tri-Ace.
I love their games.
The charcters seem a lot more likeable than the most recent Star Ocean.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 10, 2011, 12:17 am

Ugh.. The last Star Ocean is a wound I didn't really want re-opened..

You might be talking about Last Remnant. I don't believe Lost Odyssey was ever on the PC now that I think about it.

Kwonryu DragonFist · Post by **Kwonryu DragonFist** » May 10, 2011, 5:31 am

The 360-controller sucks ass for playing fightinggames.

The Ps3-controller is PERFECT for Fightinggames such as Tekken, Mortal Kombat etc

miir · Post by **miir** » May 10, 2011, 9:24 am

Animalor wrote:Ugh.. The last Star Ocean is a wound I didn't really want re-opened..

I thought it was really good, kay?

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 10, 2011, 5:43 pm

Kwonryu DragonFist wrote:The 360-controller sucks ass for playing fightinggames.

The Ps3-controller is PERFECT for Fightinggames such as Tekken, Mortal Kombat etc

Neither are really good for them. If you're big into fighting games, get a stick.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » May 10, 2011, 8:47 pm

Overall, the xbox controller is by far the best stick design out there. The left analog over the d-pad makes such a difference.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » May 10, 2011, 9:03 pm

The 360 controller is a bit bulky, but I pprefer the triigers over the PS3 triggers. That said, Overall I prefer the PS3 controller. Maybe if I had larger hands I would think differently.

As soon as I get all my AV shit hooked up (hurry up, little brother!) I'll plug in the Kinect, thereby breaking my 360 out of its 2 year slumber. Once I got a PS3, I pretty much stuck with it since that is where I stream my media to (from PC), play DVDs and stream Netflix. Also, my 360 is very noisy (1st Generation). However, I've never had crashing issues.

I do not use either online service.

All that said, I really do not have a leaning either way--I just use the PS3 more since it had the huge +1 with the Blu-Ray player, and it made it more simplistic to keep all my media presentation in one unit (I do not like to have controllers and other shit strewn about). The Kinect may change that (but probably won't)!

Siji · Post by **Siji** » May 10, 2011, 9:09 pm

Best.. video.. evah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zucnqSohfX8

(Audio NSFW)

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » May 10, 2011, 9:31 pm

Siji wrote:Best.. video.. evah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zucnqSohfX8

(Audio NSFW)

Proof that rednecks shouldn't have guns. Or video cameras. Or internet access.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » May 10, 2011, 9:39 pm

Faggot and "Jew gun"? Was just missing the word nigger for the trifecta. Jesus Christ almighty how anyone can find that remotely humorous is beyond me.

Aardor · Post by **Aardor** » May 10, 2011, 10:26 pm

Original (toaster sized) xbox controller > *

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » May 11, 2011, 8:44 am

Canelek wrote:
I do not use either online service.

WTF hippy! You really miss out without online for some of the awesomeface games.

Siji · Post by **Siji** » May 11, 2011, 11:30 am

Fairweather Pure wrote:Faggot and "Jew gun"? Was just missing the word nigger for the trifecta. Jesus Christ almighty how anyone can find that remotely humorous is beyond me.

Probably because I watched it with the sound off. And a desert eagle blowing up a PS3 is funny. Kilmoll is probably wanking off to that video! (Or maybe that WAS Kilmoll in the video..)

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » May 11, 2011, 3:54 pm

miir wrote:
Animalor wrote:Ugh.. The last Star Ocean is a wound I didn't really want re-opened..
I thought it was really good, kay?

Aside from that little beotch, I remember liking the game.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 11, 2011, 4:09 pm

I remember it only really getting interesting about 20 hours in..

Kwonryu DragonFist · Post by **Kwonryu DragonFist** » May 16, 2011, 6:12 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:
Kwonryu DragonFist wrote:The 360-controller sucks ass for playing fightinggames.

The Ps3-controller is PERFECT for Fightinggames such as Tekken, Mortal Kombat etc

Neither are really good for them. If you're big into fighting games, get a stick.

Nah, the PS3-controller is better for Mortal Kombat than one o those huge Sticks with the block-button.

Very easy to do the specials with the PS3-pad. Just perfect.

miir · Post by **miir** » June 17, 2011, 7:02 pm

Are you fucking kidding me?
I took the free and $1 month of Live gold..... and now I have to CALL Microsoft to cancel it?
It won't even let me remove my fucking credit card as a payment source.

I thought there were laws against this kind of negative billing option.
Huge fucking FAIL for xbox.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 17, 2011, 7:23 pm

miir wrote:Are you fucking kidding me?
I took the free and $1 month of Live gold..... and now I have to CALL Microsoft to cancel it?
It won't even let me remove my fucking credit card as a payment source.

I thought there were laws against this kind of negative billing option.
Huge fucking FAIL for xbox.

So if I read the agreement, it says nothing about this?

miir · Post by **miir** » June 17, 2011, 7:31 pm

Wasted 18 minutes on the phone to cancel this shit.
Dude tried to upsell me to a 12 month gold membership even after telling him 7 times NO

Tried to give me some bullshit excuse how they are working on a system that will let people cancel online.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » June 17, 2011, 8:49 pm

miir wrote:Are you fucking kidding me?
I took the free and $1 month of Live gold..... and now I have to CALL Microsoft to cancel it?
It won't even let me remove my fucking credit card as a payment source.

I thought there were laws against this kind of negative billing option.
Huge fucking FAIL for xbox.

lol. HUUUUUGE!

You can remove your credit card. On the site there's a remove button for my info under Manage Payment Option. This being on the US site so I can't speak of Canada. If you can't remove it you should at least be able to change the security code so when they go to bill you it wont go through.

When you signed up and did the $1 thing it more than likely said you'd auto-renew at the current rate. If there's any fail it's you by not reading what you agreed to.

As for the auto-renewal there used to be an easy way to turn it off. That doesn't seem to be the case at the present time that I can tell. Which, yes, is pretty lame.

miir · Post by **miir** » June 17, 2011, 11:12 pm

You can remove your credit card. On the site there's a remove button for my info under Manage Payment Option.

That was the first thing I tried.
It will not let you remove your credit card information if you have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription.

This being on the US site so I can't speak of Canada.

All of NA are on the same system.

If you can't remove it you should at least be able to change the security code so when they go to bill you it wont go through

Tried that too.

When you signed up and did the $1 thing it more than likely said you'd auto-renew at the current rate.

All of my subscription services are auto-renew.
XM Radio, Netflix, Rift, EQ2, etc, etc, etc.
I have no problem with auto-renew services.

Every single one of those services allow you to cancel or change your subscription online.
Xbox Live is the only system that has required me to be subjected to a telephone hard-sell before I could cancel.

I repeated to the dude on the phone STOP, PLEASE JUST CANCEL MY ACCOUNT no less than 7 times.
He kept reading his fucking script.
I had to sit though 15 minutes of that shit before he would process my cancellation.

Fuck xbox live.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 18, 2011, 2:09 am

That's because you signed up for the freebie month. Normally you buy a set amount of time and it doesn't automatically renew...it's a pay service...if they are offering a free month, then it's to get you to sign up.

There's no need to fuck X-Box Live. Just buy care activation cards/codes like most people and you won't be auto renewed.

I haven't run into any issues on Live like that.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » June 18, 2011, 10:23 am

I did, but only after I's signed up for the $1 month after the free one. And 3 months for $3 after that. I was 5 months in before I had to pop one of the cards I bought. So 10 minute call to deactivate wasn't that big of a deal.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » June 18, 2011, 11:56 am

Yeah, I found out about this horse shit after I took a year of Live last December. Really fucking shady if you ask me, but I guess no one did. Am I nuts, or did I even read that they will penalize your account if you remove your payment source, and they try to auto-renew anyway? And that it'll just charge your account the penalty when you put a new payment source in? Because I think that was the thing that sent me over the edge. I still haven't cancelled, got until the end of the year to do it, but Jesus, what a filthy rotten business model. It's not like there's anything to do on Live anyway.

miir · Post by **miir** » June 18, 2011, 12:51 pm

Winnow wrote:That's because you signed up for the freebie month. Normally you buy a set amount of time and it doesn't automatically renew...it's a pay service...if they are offering a free month, then it's to get you to sign up.

There's no need to fuck X-Box Live. Just buy care activation cards/codes like most people and you won't be auto renewed.

I haven't run into any issues on Live like that.

It's unbeliveable the extent you'll go to make excuses for Microsoft and Apple.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » June 18, 2011, 12:53 pm

Just like you and Sony! OMG WONDER TWINZ!

miir · Post by **miir** » June 18, 2011, 12:58 pm

Winnow wrote: Normally you buy a set amount of time and it doesn't automatically renew...it's a pay service...

Try to get this through your shit filled fanboy head.

I dont care if it is auto renew.
I have all of my subscription services on auto renew.
I think it's fucking heinous that I had to be subjected to a hard sell on the phone before they would even let me cancel my account.

miir · Post by **miir** » June 18, 2011, 1:00 pm

Boogahz wrote:Just like you and Sony! OMG WONDER TWINZ!

If Sony tried to pull the same shit, I would not be making excuses for them

I was able to cancel my PSN+ sub online without issue.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » June 18, 2011, 10:45 pm

Oh, it's horseshit, make no mistake. But at least they never lets teh haxxors steal that cc infoz yet.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 19, 2011, 12:02 am

I agree it's totally fucked up that you have to now call to cancel.

It pisses me off. I agree with you 100% that requiring someone to call to cancel is something a third rate company would do. This is pathetic.

From what I can tell, this change happened relatively recently at there are youtube videos that show how to cancel Xbox Live on the website.

Cancelling Your Subscription

The problem comes when and if you try to cancel the automatic renewal of your account with Xbox Live. Simple, right? Just click on . . . what exactly? For what should be obvious reasons, Microsoft has made it very, very difficult to figure out how to cancel your subscription. No matter what you try to click to change your account, you keep getting told that you must call a customer service representative to change your account.

Call that number and you will almost certainly hear a pleasant voice tell you that “your call is important to us” and that all lines are currently busy. After waiting and waiting, you are tempted to give up. If you are lucky enough to get through, it will take some doing to get the representative, “Joe” from India, to cooperate and actually cancel your account automatic renewal. Sometimes, even when you are told it has been accomplished, you will find that your next renewal will be made anyway, despite your instructions.

The problem got bad enough for some customers that they even turned to class action lawsuits to complain about the practice.

We all understand that Microsoft loves being able to automatically hit your credit card on a periodic basis, but does it have to be quite so devious as to throw petty little hurdles in your path? Why can’t there be a simple self-intuitive way to cancel the automatic renewal?

Two Ways to Cancel Your Subscription

There are two ways to do this that each avoid having to deal with call waiting and “Joe” in customer service. Instead of dealing directly with Microsoft, call your credit card company. If your account has been charged against your wishes, the credit card company will put the amount “in dispute.” You will probably then get a notice of a credit to your account for the disallowed charge. Whether your account has been renewed or not, you can and should tell your credit card company to disallow any further charges on the account by Microsoft. That will stop such unwanted charges dead cold.

Guess what happens next? You’ll get a friendly email from Xbox saying it is having trouble renewing your account and to please contact the company. You should tell Xbox that its message is important to you, but you can’t get back to it just yet.

Another way has apparently been figured out by someone who has been through the same problem. By clicking through somewhat complicated options on the Xbox site, there might be a way to accomplish this without resorting to a call to your credit card company. You can try to follow the instructions given in a You Tube video, but we haven’t tried it and can’t vouch for its success.

Now if we could just do something about getting in touch with customer service representatives at your credit card company!

Someone posted this:

Here are the steps to turn off auto renewal for Xbox live: Go to the account page Go to Billing Account Information and change the address to somewhere in Illinois On the account page, go to Manage Payment Options Edit the credit card's billing info to be in Chicago On the account page, click Upgrade/Manage Account Click on "on" it should be clickable Keep clicking next until you get the option to turn it off.

Credit to a guy from MLG forums

Perhaps there's some sort of law in Illinois that prevents Microsoft from being scum? I'm going to try it....hold on....

It worked!

Sorry to see you go!

Sorry that you have decided to deactivate auto-renewal on your Xbox LIVE Gold membership. We encourage you to make the most of your remaining time on your current membership and enjoy all the benefits that you are eligible for as a Gold member.

I went here which lists every zip code for Chicago:

http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/zipcodes/

Click on a zip and you get a listing of street locations crimes were committed. I found an apartment complex, changed my billing info to that address, followed the instructions above and was able to switch off autorenew.

Sweet.

I was pissed there for a second until I used my brains and figured out a way to cancel auto renew without calling.

------

Shouldn't have to change all your address/billing shit to hack your way into cancelling auto renew.

BTW, I left feedback on Live site telling them they were pathetic, disgusting practices, etc.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » June 19, 2011, 12:48 am

XBL set you up to auto-renew automatically. Free month or not and yeah you havta call to cancel. I've heard about this mythical page in the US whgere you can do it online but no such thing in Canada. (and the online part may be gone in the US too.) They will offer you free shit but I've never had a problem calling up and putting my accounts on hold.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » September 11, 2013, 12:24 am

Reading my initial post in this thread is funny. I almost sounded like a 360 defender! To be fair I think my comments about the dashboard not being that bad were before they Metroized it in an attempt to push even more ads at people.

Anyway, after looking at my 360 daily for like two years and never turning it on I finally took it off my desk and packed it up. Much more room now!