Halo 3 and Shadowrun are looking to put the Xbox 360 out in front of the Playstation 3 even further.
Halo was the game that made the original Xbox; it was the one thing the PlayStation 3 still lacks – the game that defines the playing experience. While there are a lot of good games out for the Xbox 360, including Halo 2, it will be Halo 3 that will possibly go the farthest to define the power of that platform. Halo 3 is one of two games enabling Microsoft to push the limits; the other is Shadowrun, which will directly connect PC gamers to Xbox 360 gamers. Both of these games are, if you will excuse the term, game changers. Halo 3 is the first massive multi-player on-line game for the console and Shadowrun the first to connect PC gamers and console gamers together for online play (though it is limited to a max of 16 in-game players at a time). Changing Game Designed from the start is voice capability. While not new to console gamers, most of us who play MMOGs on the PC side have had to use teamspeak, or some other out of game technology, to use voice. Getting an entire team on TeamSpeak is rarely possible. Voice adds a great deal to combat in that you don’t have to stop to chat and it is much easier to give commands or warnings verbally then it is to type them on a keyboard. One interesting side note is that on a panel I had last year on gaming, the reason game developers didn’t put voice into MMOGs was because of the number of men who liked to play female characters and felt the male voice spoiled the experience. Having played with TeamSpeak and a few guys, I can tell you it is rather disconcerting to suddenly find out the girl you have been playing beside isn’t a girl after all. It will be interesting to see whether the guys playing girls get the tools necessary to either make them sound feminine, choose to play as males or simply make believe they have deep, sexy voices. Personally, I’m hoping for the middle choice. :) For a console MMOG, the huge advantage is that you can push the hardware to its limits. This is a problem with PCs where you have to assume the lowest common hardware base, which may be a modem and a Pentium 3 with old graphics. With Halo 3 the game developers can rely on the fact that gamers are on broadband, have Xbox 360s and all have the same controllers. This means we should see things in this game we rarely see on PCs, short of the new DirectX 10 Vista stuff that we are still waiting for. This should give us powerful visuals and much quicker, console-like game play, which will be a new experience for MMOG players. The fact that everyone should be on broadband should reduce network lag but I’ll bet, when there are a lot of folks shooting in close proximity at the same time, lag will be nearly impossible not to feel. Still, both games appear first rate based on early reviews and they provide a level of play the other consoles, and most PCs, can’t deliver right now. Can Sony and Nintendo Keep Up? Nintendo is playing to the beat of a different drummer right now and I don’t see these latest efforts from Microsoft having much impact. Nintendo is more physical and tends to play to a younger crowd. Nintendo also has a very attractive price point so they should be able to sleep easy while continuing to enjoy an impressive sales ramp. Sony is in trouble if these games take off. They don’t even do multi-player that well yet, MMOGs are well out of their reach and they have effectively blocked every attempt their PC unit has made to work with their game platform. This creates the very real possibility that Sony PC users will be more likely to choose an Xbox 360 over Playstation 3 if they want to experience cross-platform play. This is the same with the Media Center – the Xbox will extend a Sony Media Center but a Playstation will just treat it as another PC with limited capabilities. This seems like they put interdivisional rivalry in front of competitiveness and that’s just silly. And, if Shadowrun is good, and it looks like it is very good, that’s also going to hurt Sony a lot. Next Steps There are a number of Xbox derivative products that are likely coming. Xbox has no mobile solution yet, which is a likely future product. In addition to the PC, vendors have been asking for a seat at the Xbox table and with the advancements in emulators and virtual machines, coupled with some impressive performance capabilities from next generation PC platforms, this is increasingly possible. They could also do a stripped down Xbox, which would have the multimedia capabilities but not play games, or license the interface to someone else who could bring one of those qualities out. The advantages a software company has are flexibility and hardware partners. With these new games and the most recent Instant Messaging announcement, they are in fact showcasing that flexibility. Next, prepare for them to start using their other advantage over the next 18 long months.
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Here is the MMO primer for those asking what an MMO is:
http://www.gamingmmo.com/category/mmo-primer/
We'll see how many folks can get in on one battle whether this is a true MMO or not. Chances are, if there are big battles, they won't happen often because of the lag we've all learned to love in other MMO titles.
It is clear to me that your article is nothing more than a paid endorsement for Microsoft. As for Halo being the game that defines the playing experience, I am tempted to question your mental aptitude. Although Halo was a good game, there was nothing special about shooting the exact same Aliens over and over on different levels. You want a game that defines the gaming experience? Try Metal Gear, where the enemy is smart enough to come look for you. I can also tell from reading your article that you did not put much effort into it. Just write something quick amplifying the strengths of the XBOX and put down Sony, Then run to the bank to cash the check. Your statements about using voice chat on video games like the whole idea is brand new to you or something, just proves that your not really up to date with technology so no one should really take your opinions seriously anyway.
Last time I checked there was a huge difference between the PS2 and the PS3. History does not always repeat itself, and the Xbox 360 already has a MONSTER lead over the PS3.
As for the media stuff, unfortunately not every kid is as tech savvy as you are. The Xbox 360 bridges that gap by acting as a media extender, Orb is great, but most kids, let alone parents are not going to know how to get it working correctly - or even know it exists.
Sure, the price of the PS3 is hurting it, but so is the infancy of their online network like you mentioned, and their lack of games. Remember the Xbox 360 has a year head-start, they have a more installed user base and games are hitting the 360 quicker and more frequently than the PS3.
As for cross-platform gaming, it will be a sizeable market. The Xbox 360 controller works with Vista and you are going to see a lot more games/applications that let users interact with each other.
Read: http://news.digitaltrends.com/article12641.html
Listen, I like the PS3, but their game selection is very weak, their online marketplace is 1/20th the size of the Xbox Live marketplace, and the price is simply too high. Is this permanent? Absolutely not. I do suspect Sony to close the gap within the next year or so. I think it?s a great platform, but Microsoft is moving so quickly, and I am afraid they will lap Sony in the race to dominate the space.
But for now, I am loving my PS3 for playing Blu-Ray movies - the pictures great!
As far as his statements that "Sony is in trouble if these games (Halo 3 & Shadowrun) take off" is comical. Yes, Sony's PlayStation Network is behind Xbox Live in terms of a polished online experience but my multiplayer sessions with Resistance FOM and MotorStorm have been just fine and PlayStation Home should get them closer to (or possible exceed) Xbox Live. Sony's problem is not Halo 3 or Shadowrun - it's the current price of the PS3, plain and simple.
The jury is still out on whether cross-platform (PC vs. Console) multplayer games will ever amount to anything so he seems to be putting way too much weight on this unproven feature.
His ignorance is also pretty obvious when he says, "This creates the very real possibility that Sony PC users will be more likely to choose an Xbox 360 over Playstation 3 if they want to experience cross-platform play." Huh? Isn't the reason for cross-platform play to give PC gamers the opportunity to play online against console gamers? So why would "Sony PC users" go out and choose an Xbox 360 over a PS3, when they can just use their souped-up PC to play against console gamers? And besides, PC gamers aren't going to be using a Sony PC as a PC gaming rig. Where do these writers get their information from?
On the Media Center stuff, it is just as easy to get your PlayStation 3 to play media files off any external USB-based hard drive. If you must have it streaming from your PC, then third-party browser based software such as Orb works just fine.
This guy reminds me of when your dad becomes a video game expert after watching you play a few rounds of Halo 2 online. That's when you roll your eyes and make sure the golf is on TV when your buddies come over to get some gaming in.
As far as his statements that "Sony is in trouble if these games (Halo 3 & Shadowrun) take off" is comical. Yes, Sony's PlayStation Network is behind Xbox Live in terms of a polished online experience but my multiplayer sessions with Resistance FOM and MotorStorm have been just fine and PlayStation Home should get them closer to (or possible exceed) Xbox Live. Sony's problem is not Halo 3 or Shadowrun - it's the current price of the PS3, plain and simple.
The jury is still out on whether cross-platform (PC vs. Console) multplayer games will ever amount to anything so he seems to be putting way too much weight on this unproven feature.
His ignorance is also pretty obvious when he says, "This creates the very real possibility that Sony PC users will be more likely to choose an Xbox 360 over Playstation 3 if they want to experience cross-platform play." Huh? Isn't the reason for cross-platform play to give PC gamers the opportunity to play online against console gamers? So why would "Sony PC users" go out and choose an Xbox 360 over a PS3, when they can just use their souped-up PC to play against console gamers? And besides, PC gamers aren't going to be using a Sony PC as a PC gaming rig. Where do these writers get their information from?
On the Media Center stuff, it is just as easy to get your PlayStation 3 to play media files off any external USB-based hard drive. If you must have it streaming from your PC, then third-party browser based software such as Orb works just fine.
This guy reminds me of when your dad becomes a video game expert after watching you play a few rounds of Halo 2 online. That's when you roll your eyes and make sure the golf is on TV when your buddies come over to get some gaming in.
I don't own a PS3. It hasn't yet demonstrated a compelling reason for me to spend £430... whereas the Xbox360 Elite has an HDMI port...ZOMG!!!!! I will probably buy a second Xbox360 long before I get a PS3 (which is a most likely inevitable purchase) simply so me and my partner can play co-op Halo 3, C&C3 and Two Worlds without sharing a TV.
I never liked the Xbox but eventually I gave in and bought one pretty much just for Halo 2... oh and because every console I don't own is one I can't review games for and it's unprofessional to be biased.
I'm no fanboy, but I definitely favour the Xbox 360 above all others at the moment, but without taking a PS3 home and trying it out for a few months there really is no strength to that opinion.
Sounds like you are frustrated that your PS3 sucks. Sorry man....
:P
..sure these games are good and sure they will sell some 360 ... the 360 is an excellent machine , but the machine will soon run into trouble when facing a superior ps3 ...
As for your fanboy comment: Pot, kettle, you get the idea (or not).
Why don't you back up your facts, how is this article crap?
You look like a PS3 fanboy, the Xbox 360 is kicking its butt. There are tons of PS3's on the store shelves. It has nothing to do with the launch date PEOPLE DO NOT WANT THE PS3!!
P.S. guy who helpfully pointed out there are fewer PS3s than 360s out there: You must be a genius. Take a look at the launch dates will you?
-signed,
Microsoft
Lets look at the facts:
Wii is in the number one spot, Xbox 360 number two and the PS3 a far number 3. Thats just in sales. The people have spoken.
Halo 3 will probably be MS biggest seller, it will make ANYONE want to go sell their PS3 and get a 360.
About cross-platform its not like it can only be done on the 360. Hell, back when Valve was doing Half-Life for the Dreamcast (which was canned) they had it so Dreamcast users could play with PC users. Im sure Sony could try and do that with MMO's but I just dont see cross-platform that important right now.
Also his comment about Sony not doing multi-player that well? I think way to many bash Sony from that and have never played or played little online games for the PS2/PS3.
Yes XBL is far better but PS3 online has improved a lot coming from the PS2 and games like Resistance are blast to play online. It supports a number of game modes and a good amount of people without any sort of lag.
It easily holds its own when you compare it to Halo 2 multiplayer but people still knock it off just cause its on the PS3 using its online network. Sony still has a ton of room to improve with Home coming out so count them out yet.
Ummm FFXI??? But I'm a 360 fan anyway, in the Shadowrun Beta, and will be buying Halo 3 so whatever.
As for Halo 3, well I played Halo and loved it, played Halo 2 and liked it enough to buy the game twice (collectors edition) and from everything I have seen, Halo 3 will blow all of the games I mention out of the water so to speak.
I have a PS3 and right now nothing on it stands up to Halo 2, not even Resistance: Fall of Man. Although Sony's announcement of Home and the Little Big Planet could very well help it catch up to the Xbox 360, if they can keep the momentum going with better games and fix many of the multi player problems they have with the console.