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http://www.lasersharks.com
Top 10 Reasons PSN will be Xbox LIVE’s Equal or Superior
The title signifies the single biggest problem with the list. It says “will be.” Whenever someone touts the superiority of the PlayStation Network over Xbox Live, it is always in future tense. The reason is that currently the PSN is nowhere near the quality of Xbox Live. The arguement is all based off of Sony’s promises and hype.
1. Playstation HOME. Home offers a rich avatar graphical interface for player interaction, activities, and trophies. Oh and can’t forget the posh apartments.
The apartment is neat. The only thing I don’t like is that currently you have to be online for people to see it. Not just online, but online and in your apartment waiting on people. This could easily be fixed, but in its currently planned state it is something that will be used less often than a Mii Parade.
2. Downloadable retro Playstation content (i.e. PS1 games).
This is a good feature. The Xbox hasn’t been around as long and does not have a library of games that could easily be downloaded. They do currently have a better line up of downloadable games on Xbox Live Arcade than what are on PSN. A problem with many of the old 3D games is that they look like a really bad wersion of what we have today. 2D games are easy to play and have a definative retro feel to them. Old 3D games tend to just feel crappy.
3. FREE, FREE, FREE! The PSN is completely free unlike Xbox LIVE.
The PSN is free. XBL cost $50 bucks a year. The advantage goes to the PSN. You currently have a seamless XBL experience while every PSN experience is different. I will predict that if PSN ever becomes something that rivals XBL and Sony manages to keep it free, XBL will go free as well. Until then, I will gladly pay my $50.
3. Introduced downloadable multitasking/background downloading.
I am not sure what you mean by this. XBL has supported background downloading since launch day for the Xbox 360, and it came out about a year before PS3 or the PSN.
4. Integrated web browser with the PSN store set up similarly for a layout that most internet gamers are familiar with. PSN thereby branches out from its own system to the world wide web (gosh, that’s so 1995).
To me it seems that your biggest point with this argument is that the PS3 supports a web browser. I have plenty of web browsers. I have a web browser on my desktop. I have a web browser on my Wii. I have a web browser on my PS3. I have a web browser on my PSP. I have a web browser on my Dreamcast. I have a web browser on my PDA phone. I have a web browser on all three of my laptops. I have plenty of web browsers. If someone has a connection to the internet they most likely have at least one of these devices. I have never used any of the browsers besides my computers or phone for anything other than just seeing how it works. I have never used any game console browser more than just a few times each. My point is, it is more gimmicky than anything.
5. Future integration of Video On Demand, Music on Demand, Singstar.
“Future integration.” XBL currently offers Video on Demand and is in fact the largest digital distributor of Hi-Def movies and the second largest digital video distribution network overall. Music on demand would be nice, but I would rather have it on my computer where I can easily play it on my iPod or my Xbox 360.
6. Easier and cheaper access to the network for Wi-fiers. All PS3s come standard with wireless capability, whereas it costs $99 for a 360 (yes I shelled out the cash for my xbox)
Yeah $99 for a wi-fi adaptor is ridiculous. No arguement here.
7. Folding@Home. Using the power of the PS3 and the PSN users can contribute to the understanding and possible cure of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and MS. Come on, PSN should win hands down for this humanitarian effort.
Kinda cool. It is good to help a cause. I have heard more about this than any other single feature of PSN. However, if I were a heartless jerk I would point out that this does nothing for me as a gamer.
8. Frequent firmware updates. Some might gawk at frequency and like only the large chunky and infrequent updates from MSoft. But the slow yet steady addition of new bits and bobs is fun.
Frequent firmware updates. The reason for so many updates is that the service is still trying to find its footing. XBL does have more frequent fixes on a per game level that only affect software. Frequent firmware updates mean one thing - increased chances of bricking the console. I know it is bad compare realiability of the PS3 to the dismal failure rate of the Xbox 360, but firmware updates are the most common cause of failure for any electronics device that was working properly before.
9. PSN has already accomplished much of what LIVE has done/has in 9 months. LIVE has existed for nearly 5 years (circa 2002).
I would say taking consoles from a virtually nonexistent online experience to a point where it is one of the most important parts of a console is a much bigger accomplishment. The Xbox wasn’t designed around online connectivity, it was added later. To be fair, PlayStations have been online a lot longer than 9 months. The Xbox Live did as much, if not more, in the first nine months of the Xbox 360 as PSN has done. It set the bar for what PSN hopes to be.
10. Free. Oh wait I already said that… oh well, it’s a biggy.
See number 3.
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