Five Reasons You Should Own an
Xbox and Not a PlayStation
There's nothing like good old-fashioned competition to stir up new products and innovation in the electronics industry. In the world of video games, it's the direct competition between two video game consoles - the Xbox and the PlayStation - that has ruled supreme over the past several years. The constant updating means that the two game systems are comparable in price and quality, right?
Wrong.
In our opinion, owning an Xbox is much more preferable to owning a PlayStation. (And, yes, we're talking about the latest incarnations of each - the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3). Here's why.
1. Two words: Xbox Live.
Whether you're dialing up a battlefield in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or revisiting Valhalla in Halo 3, Xbox Live is the premier experience for a gamer who wants to make his entertainment a social activity. CNet calls the service "excellent" and at only several dollars a month, the service is reasonably-priced: just cut your NetFlix subscription if you really have to make a sacrifice in order to make online gaming a part of your balanced budget.
Xbox Live also has the advantage of being an original, which means that it commands a lot of the gaming traffic - you won't find it difficult to find a game of Social Slayer on Halo 3 at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning if that's where your life has led you.
If you really want to get serious about your gaming, subscribing to Xbox live will be a worthy investment - and you'll also get an endless supply of new entertainment every time you log on.
2. Better hardware.
You'll notice the graphs at an Examiner.com review of the Xbox 360's hardware matched up against that of the PlayStation 3. Xbox wins in total memory by bandwith and wins in a general comparison of CPU capabilities. Not too shabby considering the Xbox is the more recent entry into the gaming world.
Some are quick to point out that the Xbox has its share of problems, and the Xbox 360 launch was famously muddy, but many of the problems have been handled and 2010 is the perfect time to buy your console if you're looking to become a gamer.
3. Price.
HardcoreWare.net - don't worry, it's not as naughty as it sounds - tackles the issue with a more comprehensive review of the prices between Xbox and PlayStation:
So after all that, who wins the price war? It’s still the XBOX 360, not just because the respective models are $50 cheaper, but all versions of the XBOX 360 come bundled with some games now. The Elite and Premium versions come with Marvel Ultimate Alliance (yawn), Hexic HD (meh), and Forza Motorsport 2 (yey!). While the 80GB PS3 comes with MotorStorm, the 40GB only includes a copy of Spiderman 3 The Movie on Blu-Ray.
Comparing prices is a little difficult due to the differences in versions and capabilities, but a close look suggests that the Xbox often holds an advantage over the PlayStation 3 in terms of price. The 18-24 crowd has to love that.
4. Microsoft ain't so bad. If you own a Zune, your friends might blink and ask you "Why don't you own an iPod?" But if you own an Xbox, no one bats an eyelash: because it's clear that Microsoft has a powerful grip on the gaming world. If you need to ditch the aversion to all things Microsoft, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
5. Easy upgrades. The Xbox is easy to upgrade, whether you're looking to build up a connection to Xbox live or expand the memory you want. There's no need to buy it all at once.
