People Swapping PS3s for Wiis?

An anonymous reader writes "To add to Sony's problems with the PS3 launch, it now appears that some Playstation 3 owners are trying to trade their PS3s for Wiis. The author writes: 'There's also speculation that people want the Wii because the PS3s best game is Resistance: Fall of Man. This, of course, forget that there are plenty of cool PS3 games on the way, and the PS3 has its own motion sensing technology, which, while not as good as the Wii, is still pretty cool and opens up Sony to emulate some of the Wii's successes.'"

To be fair

[Shados]

To be fair, it does happen the other way around plenty, and with 360s, too. I've seen a lot of people return their Wiis when they learnt that online play wouldn't be Nintendo's main focus.

Not enough people, unfortunately, since I got Zelda for christmas, and I have no Wii to play it on >. I had several chances at a PS3, but not at a Wii, grrrrrrr...

Other way around

[Tourney3p0]

I'll gladly trade my lightly used Wii for a new or lightly used PS3. Any takers?

My Humble Opinion

[NetJunkie]

Friend loaned me his PS3. Meh. If Resistance is THE game to own for it right now, save your money. GoW is 10x the game. The new GT HD "concept" demo is pretty good, but as for graphics I think PGR3 looked every bit as good a year ago. Physics in the game? That's a different story. Sony's network implementation leaves a LOT to be desired. I'll happily keep paying my $50/year Live membership over Sony's free offering. I couldn't even use my normal nickname since Junkie is a banned word on their service.

I love consoles and I'm sure I'll end up with one...but it'll be at least 6 months. Luckily I just moved to a 1080p DLP set from my older HD RPTV that didn't do 720p. If I had my old set everything I've played except for GT HD would have been shown in 480p.

PS3 sucks

[mrshowtime]

I own all three systems and generally don't play favourites, but I have had the most fun on the 360, followed very closely by the Wii and I have had NO fun with any of the PS3 games. The PS3's "showcase" game: Resistance: Fall of Man is a joke, a total and utter joke. My friends came over and watched me play the game from the start without sound (we had yet to hook up my Christmas present (new audio system) and were laughing our asses off at how stupid EVERYTHING in the game is. The A.I. is sooooooooo stupid. It sticks it's head out, shoots, takes cover: rinse, repeat. I mean, come on, Half Life, TEN YEARS ago has better A.I. Everything in the game looks cartoony and crappy, especially explosions. I can't believe how anyone is giving RFOM good reviews. Honestly, if you put this game in the PS2 kiosk at a mall, nobody would look twice. I was expecting at least Half Life 2 level graphics, not PS2.5 graphics. Yes, I know super, uber games are coming out this time NEXT year, but that's an awful long wait to shell out $600 bucks (minimum) for what Sony touts as the "true" next-gen. Sony has already lost this war, and everyone knows it. Just look at all of the developers jumping ship, producing 360 versions of supposed PS3 only games. Also, don't forget that the Wii development kit is only $3,000, so you'll see a lot of really fun, inventive, games on the Wii. Sony is in a no-win situation. The public perception is that the 360 is just as powerful, if not more powerful than the PS3 and it costs upward $300. Coupled with the fact that Sony is losing at least $300 on each PS3, it's hard to see how Sony can pull this one out, let alone attain the number one spot again.

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[wizrd_nml]

I've been watching the console discussion taking place for the last couple of weeks and it's pretty clear that PS3 bashing has become the norm. Personally, I don't think I will ever buy a PS3, simply because I care more about fun games rather than good graphics.

But I don't think we should be too quick to judge the PS3 as "no better than their competition". The way it's configured, the PS3 has the potential to be better than the competition. I think it's just a matter of time before game developers get used to developing for it. A few quick thoughts:

- The sixaxis was overshadowed by the Wii's revolutionary controller, but it's still a very cool feature and makes the XBox 360's controller look disabled by comparison

- The potential of the cell processor architecture is significant. Once developers figure out how to make optimal use of it it could potentially take games to a new level (think realistic physics, better AI, a better online experience, etc..). Here, potential is the key word as it really depends on how well Sony helps game developers make use of its hardware.

- Blu-ray is a gamble, for sure. I think Sony pushed the format too soon. But if the gamble pays off and it does become the new standard, suddenly everyone's gonna wish they got a PS3 and those who don't have one will get one. In any case, Blu-ray allows game developers to put more content on the PS3 version of their games. This initially might just be bonus features (such as the-making-of videos) but eventually will translate into more gameplay content (extra levels perhaps?)

My 2 cents'.

That's what I did

[Eukaryote]

That's literally what I did. I went to Target a day early (the 16th) looking for Wiis at their opening. They didn't have them, but they had a bunch of PS3's, so I bought one.

I ended up trading it today with a friend who got a Wii. I gave him a PS3, he gave me the Wii + 350. Best trade ever.

Re:To be fair

[Anonymous Coward]

"To be fair, it does happen the other way around plenty, and with 360s, too. I've seen a lot of people return their Wiis when they learnt that online play wouldn't be Nintendo's main focus.

Not enough people, unfortunately, since I got Zelda for christmas, and I have no Wii to play it on >. I had several chances at a PS3, but not at a Wii, grrrrrrr..."

Why was this modded as troll? Am I missing something?

Re:PS3 sucks

[ryanw]

I have had the most fun on the 360, followed very closely by the Wii and I have had NO fun with any of the PS3 games. Sony has already lost this war, and everyone knows it.

Boy oh boy. You obviously know nothing about these consoles. The XBox is a powerful machine, but the PS3 is THREE times more powerful. Sure, the games are currently "alright" on the PS3. But you have to consider, you can play just about all the PS2 games on the PS3 and the XBOX 360 has been out for an entire year. You're basing who's going to win based on what's currently out for XBox 360 to what's out for PS3. Comparing a year's running to a new launch is ridiculous. You hold onto that PS3, you watch. That thing is going to be putting that XBox 360 to shame. If anyone is to blame is you for running out and buying a launch console expecting it to have more amazing games then a console that has an entire year's worth of titles out for it.

And for the record, read this DEVELOPER's Viewpoint of which console is going to win. This was posted on slashdot not too long ago.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061222/adams_0 1.shtml [gamasutra.com]

Re:Wrong, wrong, wrong.

[bucky0]

But it can't detect linear motion, which is what GP was complaining about.

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[smash]

Concomitant with that we should also think "longer development cycles and more expensive games." I think these will go hand in hand with developers trying to push the envelope on the Cell.

Maybe, maybe not.

If sony release (or a dev creates, in their first/second gen titles) a bunch of libraries and/or an optimising compiler to simplify development for it, perhaps it will be "easier" to develop for because there could be less need to optimise the game to "fit" within the hardware's abilities.

The PC platform is an awkward piece of shit (segmented memory, no standard video/audio hardware platform, etc) to program for compared to many of the platforms it displaced (eg, Amiga, Macintosh, ST, etc), but it had the raw power to make it "worth it".

Also, the dreamcast was supposedly easier to develop for than the PS2, due to it's (optional, perhaps? I know sega rally 2 uses it) use of WinCE, and look what happened there.

Sure, the saturn died, and it was awkward to program, but it also had other problems, like buggy hardware features (transparency from memory, for example) that contributed as well.

Yes, the PS3 will require developers to learn new tricks, but once they've got a couple of games/engines under their belt, and most of the "tough problems" are "solved" in their code library, they'll have a far more powerful machine to play with...

Re:Wii woe

[MayorDefacto]

I thought I'd be waiting until at least spring as well, but I just happened to be in my local big-box store two days before Christmas, and they just happened to be stocking the shelves with 5 Wiis as I watched. Apparently they were sitting in the stockroom unnoticed; I grabbed one immediately, as did two other people standing there with me. As I was walking out of the store, a couple of people saw what I had in hand and started *running* towards the electronics department.
Sometimes you just find yourself in the right place at the right time. Christmas miracles really do happen!

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[trawg]

Compare that to the Wii. It's a remote control that points. Everyone can play wii bowling. Everyone can navigate the metagame without wondering if they should use the d-pad or the left or right analog sticks. It's intuitive. You don't have to think as much about it. You can just get on with the business of playing games.

I can't agree more. I just came back from Christmas day with the family where after seeing me, my brother and my sister playing Wii, everyone from my 4 year old cousin to my 80 year old grandfather wanted a go. They were able to pick it up and Just Play It.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next year or so with games once developers build on the stuff that it can offer.

Personal Experience

[Chibi Merrow]

Sunday morning (Christmas Eve) about 10AM we met my Dad at Best Buy because he wanted to buy the family a DVR. After wandering around for over an hour (and buying a DVD-R instead, d'oh) we passed a table in the front of the store where a manager type was standing over some boxes. He looked at us and said "Anyone want a PS3?"

I realized he had four PS3s on the table. I said "No, thanks." and kept walking. Chuckling to my fiance about it.

I remembered that a friend of the family was looking for one, so I started a long chain of calls to get in contact with them. Her son arrived a little over an hour later to pick one up.

To see four PS3s sitting on the table.

In the front of the store.

With a guy asking everyone who passed if they wanted one.

On Christmas Eve.

This does not bode well.

Re:Link to the original

[dotbenjamin]

0 is a number No it isn't, it's a concept. Whoops!

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[blighter]

What's wrong with being a dinosaur? Dinosaurs evolved into the point they're at for a reason.

Should the earth spontaneously start over with small, rat-like warm-blooded mammals?

Sure the mammals are smaller, more agile, and better able to survive clamatous events, but that's the only thing unique about them. The dinosaurs enormous size and incredible power have evolved over the years to meet the needs of the widest area of terrain types and I think their current form is, while maybe not perfect, a lot better for most uses than a little rat body.

Sure these mammals are good at the little niches they've managed to find but I think it's going to be dinosaurs for a long time to come...

Re:Link to the original

[crossmr]

Actually its both: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0_(number)#0_as_a_num ber [wikipedia.org]

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[seebs]

Let me put this ease of use thing in perspective.

My in-laws were over a while back, with their kid (3 years, 11 1/2 months). He played Wii bowling. It took him two or three tries usually to roll the ball, because he has a hard time timing the release, but he could play the game.

When they came over for Christmas, he asked if he could play bowling again. We set it up. At age 4, and a couple of weeks, he can play the game moderately successfully. So can my mother-in-law, who is in no way a gamer.

Now, can he play as well as an adult who has better control? No. But he can play the game.

FWIW, I got mine on release day, and just had to replace the first pair of batteries last night. Not bad at all!

Only a few people in my extended family can get used to playstation controllers. Hell, I've been playing console games for something like 23 years now (since my Intellivision II), and I've had a playstation since who knows when, and I still can't reliably guess which of the four identical buttons will perform a given action in a game, and I can't always remember which position a given icon is. (The Nintendo/Sega thing of labeling them with letters is much easier for me.)

Wii wins on learning curve, and also on accuracy. I don't know how well the PS3's accelerometers will work yet; I do know that, without the pointing device, you can't beat the Wiimote. Best console interface ever.

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[ucblockhead]

Games? You want me to compare a platform's power by the games!?

This is how I compare: In those days (late 80s, not early 90s by the way...no Amigas or Atari ST in the early 90s) I was a MS-DOS developer. I moonlit by writing programming books, including one for the Mac. I also did a proposal for an Atari ST book, and so spent a fair bit of time coding on that thing. At the time, power was roughly equal on the three machines.

But you're ignorance really shows when you talk about games, because the Amiga was, hands down, the most powerful game computer in the late eighties. It was the first computer to have a separate graphics processor and so completely kicked the PC's ass on terms of games.

Re:Why I've adopted my girlfriend's philosophy

[scot4875]

Your example of Win95 vs. whatever version of Mac OS was out at the time is a pretty terrible one.

Say what you want about it, but Win95 was the first end-user-oriented, preemptive multitasking, (poorly) protected-memory operating system. (We won't count OS/2, because we all know that despite its marketing, it was never end-user-oriented) Crow all you want about OSX, but '95 had been through 3 major revisions by the time it showed up, and Win2k showed up at approximately the same time.

And as for it being DOS based, that's meaningless. DOS was used as a loader, nothing more. You wouldn't claim that your favorite Linux release was based on Lilo or Grub because they "run" before the OS does, would you?

--Jeremy