Best gaming platform (PC, DC, PS2,wii) if you have a few hundred bucks to spend

[Ian]

Wii is OK if you are expecting to play it with other people. I have several games for mine but only play on it when my friends come round.

My PS3 is getting hammered though seeing as I'm off work. Nothing beats playing Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on a 1080p TV.

But if you are a cheap arse I suggest you don't buy a PS3 as there is absolutely nothing "in the news" about it being modded. Sony have won the war against pirates this time round.

[Harrison]

Only for the moment! The PS3 OS is firmware based so it can be hacked. Exploits have already been discovered, but not utilised fully to gain access to unlocking the system. It is only a matter of time before someone does find a way.

Look at the PSP as a good example. To begin with, other than having the original 1.5 firmware people were stuck. Then suddenly exploits were being found nearly every week and the whole handheld console was unlocked completely over night to allow anything to be run.

And look at other systems. Dreamcast could run unsigned code without even being modded once the correctly patched discs were developed. Xbox eventually saw software modding after years of only having hardware mods available. And the first fully working software mods for the Wii now exist and work!

It will be hacked. It is only a matter of time. Anything that is physical hardware can be modified to bypass protection. And anything that is software based can be bypassed and hacked eventually.

[pkillo]

Originally Posted by MazinKaesar

I know, I know. I tried some Wii games but definitively I did not liked them, as I don't like NDS games: most of them look like the games made in flash you can play for free on the Internet, and I felt the remote controls uncomfortable. But it's just my view... consider I have a Gamecube, but I have no Nintendo classics like Zelda or Mario, I just have all Resident Evil games, Eternal Darkness and Super Robot Wars GC (but I think I will sell it as I will buy an Xobx360: the remake on this platform is better). I tired even Metroid Prime, and I liked the control system but not the game itself (too politically correct, as any other Nintendo game).

Those are all gamepad style games, right? Well, no wonder you don't like the Wii, it's not built for that. Really, the graphics capabilities are not good enough to make for a good console gamer's console.

I know Wii is a social platform, but I don't like social gaming, I prefer to play videogames alone (in facts, I never play online!!!). I don't like Wii, but I don't hate it. Well, I hate Tecmo because released Fatal Frame 4 ONLY on Wii

Fair enough, man. The Wii is definitely not a system to play by yourself. It's boring by yourself, actually. I play a lot of T.W. Golf, but there's almost always someone on controller 2 (and 3, and 4!)...

Any console must be modded, as well to play import games!!!

Unmodified hardware is ... hmm ... trying to come up with a good slogan. Ah!

Unmodified hardware is recently purchased hardware!

I would modchip my Wii, but after I put Guitar Hero III in the drive and it upgraded my firmware against my will, I'm reluctant to take a chance on bricking the system. I didn't do it at first because the modchips were new and I wanted to wait until there was a stable methodology in place, and now I don't want to, despite my desire to play 'borrowed backups of games'.

[Harrison]

Then just use the software mod that works with any Wii.

[pkillo]

Originally Posted by Harrison

Then just use the software mod that works with any Wii.

Bah. I didn't know there was one! that confirms it: my compiler construction course is eating up too much time! I must schedule time for random googling!

[MazinKaesar]

Originally Posted by pkillo

Fair enough, man. The Wii is definitely not a system to play by yourself. It's boring by yourself, actually. I play a lot of T.W. Golf, but there's almost always someone on controller 2 (and 3, and 4!)...

In facts I don't understand why Fatal Frame 4 was released only on Wii!

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Harrison

Only for the moment! The PS3 OS is firmware based so it can be hacked. Exploits have already been discovered, but not utilised fully to gain access to unlocking the system. It is only a matter of time before someone does find a way.

There has been on exploit and Sony forced a firmware update out that fixed it before the app had even been released.

It's not just firmware, CELL has a hardware based protection system that is extremely unlikely to be cracked any time soon. There's also code in each pressed blu-ray that is checked.

Sony's kung fu is strong this time round, and in fairness there's not much for 360 either although you can play copied games on some systems unlike the PS3.

Wii however is shit, their idea of fixing the protection is to change the keyword on the protection system to lowercase

[alexh]

Original X-box is currently the best gaming platform from a value for money point of view. £20 second hand. Quickly modded to use XBMC and all the emulators not to mention play all the X-box back catalogue.

Maybe if the Wii homebrew scene gets as good as the X-box scene then possibly the Wii, it's a bit stalled at the moment.

Why not just get one of everything over time? you can always move to a bigger house when the time comes
For the record chez fluffy has 3 xboxes, a megadrive, a master system, a gba colour, psp, ps1, ps2, atari 2600, wii, and I plan to add to these when the new house games room is finished. Its even marked on the plans we submitted for planning as "projector room"

I think the wii on a barco projector takes some beating if you have friends round and beer is involved. Although watching drunken relatives making a fool of themselves on xbox dance dance revolution on the mat controller is also quite fun. I wont buy a 360 until its hacked properly. Havent looked in a while.

I have a Wii. Great hardware/controller/price match, but I will never recommend it. Apart for RE4 the software titles are aimed at 6 year old children. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing simple fun games... but after a year of simplified games and after being overrun with 1001 Mario titles, I am sick to death of the hopeless selection of games.

I purchased a PSP a month ago just to have a bit of variety in games. Yes the DS has a larger library of titles, but they are all the same Wii titles cut down to a handheld.

The PS3 is a nice looking machine, but the 360 now allows bedroom programmers to release low budget games. That is very appealing for someone like myself who sees game production as my next step. I have worked on other games studios, I have been waiting for an opportunity to work on my own game and a few educational titles. Having released a couple of my own commercial educational titles, I don't see myself as being a novice ready for failure.

Other random hardware, anything from a CD32 to a moderate Windows box. Maybe find one of those old virtuality arcade machines.