Which System For Uncoordinated Old Guy?

[stogie5150]

I want a gaming system. Just to give you an little idea, my first game system was an Atari 2600. My last was a Sega Genesis. My question is this: Do ANY of the systems have games that a fumble fingered non coordinated guy can play without throwing the controller at the screen? I look at a PS3 or Xbox controller and see nothing but frustration. SIX or even EIGHT buttons? Are we playing here or are we launching a spacecraft? I had a hard enough time keeping up with four on the Genesis, and thats when I was 20 years old. Now that I am 42, sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

What do I like to play? Well to put it bluntly, i like to walk around and blow sh*t up. Do games still have cheat codes so that one can be invincible? Those used to be my favorite. I did get into DOOM PC game somewhat back in the day, but again, had to have the cheat code to get anywhere. I also might be interested in something like Bass fishing or something similar.

So tell me guys, is there a system for me with games I can play and not be frustrated? and while I am at it, Xbox or PS3? I have narrowed it down to those two because whatever I buy it MUST have HD PQ. Are the "rings of death" a thing of the past on Xbox? Do I need a hard drive and why? How big of a HD do I need?

Appreciate any thoughts.

 

[Teehar]

I want a gaming system. Just to give you an little idea, my first game system was an Atari 2600. My last was a Sega Genesis. My question is this: Do ANY of the systems have games that a fumble fingered non coordinated guy can play without throwing the controller at the screen? I look at a PS3 or Xbox controller and see nothing but frustration. SIX or even EIGHT buttons? Are we playing here or are we launching a spacecraft? I had a hard enough time keeping up with four on the Genesis, and thats when I was 20 years old. Now that I am 42, sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

What do I like to play? Well to put it bluntly, i like to walk around and blow sh*t up. Do games still have cheat codes so that one can be invincible? Those used to be my favorite. I did get into DOOM PC game somewhat back in the day, but again, had to have the cheat code to get anywhere. I also might be interested in something like Bass fishing or something similar.

So tell me guys, is there a system for me with games I can play and not be frustrated? and while I am at it, Xbox or PS3? I have narrowed it down to those two because whatever I buy it MUST have HD PQ. Are the "rings of death" a thing of the past on Xbox? Do I need a hard drive and why? How big of a HD do I need?

Appreciate any thoughts.

You know the wii does have many games that aren't so much motion control driven.Even though it's not HD the 480p via component looks great on a 32" screen.Many games use control pad plus 3 buttons.Couldn't get any easier than that.

 

[yourbeliefs]

You know the wii does have many games that aren't so much motion control driven.Even though it's not HD the 480p via component looks great on a 32" screen.Many games use control pad plus 3 buttons.Couldn't get any easier than that.

Not to mention their extensive library of classic NES/SNES/SEGA/T16 games.

 

[yaz96]

Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja on a tablet!!

 

[Zookster]

My last console was the Atari 2600 before I bought a PS3 at the age of 40. Purchased as a blu-ray player, I actually never intended to play games very much with it. But I soon started downloading free demos to get a feel for what I could play without frustration. It probably took me over a year before I completely stopped looking down at the controller to see which buttons were which, but in that time I was already enjoying AAA titles from the Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, and Madden football franchises.

There is now a deep catalogue of LEGO titles that are very easy to play (lots of cheat codes!), and a good jumping off point for getting into other adult-oriented games that allow you to "blow sh*t up." There are also plenty of smaller downloadable "arcade" type games that only use a few buttons.

I'm a PS Plus subscriber ($50/year), and one of this month's free games is Borderlands--a popular (though older) full retail title that's easy to play and all about blowing sh*t up.

The point I'm trying to make here is if you really want to get the most out of the best of this generation's game consoles, then do yourself a favor and get a PS3 or 360, tryout some free demos or older bargain bin titles (many can be had for $10-$15 new or used), be patient, learn the controls, and before you know it you'll be beating a game's story campaign on hard difficulty or winning some online matches, if that's your thing.

Regarding the PS3 or 360 question, it depends on what types of games you play and what your friends have. PS Plus is an incredible deal because right now you get 12 free games up front and 3 new ones rotating in monthly. The only caveat is that you don't really own the games, but can play them as long your subscription is active ($50/year or $18/3 months). If you like online shooters or RPGs the 360 might be a better choice. I mention RPGs because many multiplatform titles like Skyrim tend to have more problems (glitches/bugs) on the PS3 than 360. If action-adventure games with jaw-dropping graphics are more your thing, then I'd consider the PS3 for the Uncharted, inFamous, and God of War franchises, though other top franchises like Batman and Assassins Creed are available on both platforms.

 

[stogie5150]

Thanks zookster that exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I only have one friend my age and he has a PS3, and likes it. Not sure I will want to do the online thing, in fact I dont even know what that involves...LOL

 

[riffjim4069]

I always preferred PC Gaming and expecially "blowing s#!7 up" games like Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem, etc. I let the kids play the Sega and Nintendo since I had no interest in them. I didn't play games for years (Duke Nukem 3D was the last) until I bought a couple PS3s in 2007. I don't play often, but I like kicking arse games and enjoy the online and offline play. Occasionally I'll play Tiger Woods golf online...but that's pretty rare. I also like the PS3 since it's a great BD Player. Additionally, since you're "new" to the gaming platform there are plenty of great FPS games you can find on the bargain rack (under $15). I personally didn't like the XBoX (mainly because the free online community and BD by Sony)...however, it's a real game machine, unlike Wii.

My my two cents...

 

[Zookster]

I'm not much for online competition either ... always getting my ass handed to me by 10-year-olds ... lol

Another thing to keep in mind, regarding your question about hard drive space, is you'll find you'll never have enough. The model these days is going in the direction of digital downloads--even for massive 15 GB games (though you should still be able to buy them on disc for the forseeable future). And even when you have the game on disc, there's often a 3-5 GB install. With the PS3, you can drop any 3.5" SATA hard drive into it, even a 1 TB-sized one. But with the 360, I believe you still have to buy a more expensive proprietary drive to upgrade.

 

[yourbeliefs]

If I can say a few things in favor of the Xbox 360 (not being a fanboy, but they are often overlooked)

1: Games on the 360 are typically more stable/better looking than they are on the PS3. It's not as jarring as say, SNES VS Genesis, but the stability thing can lead to problems. Developers are STILL having problems properly developing for the PS3. The perfect case of this is with Skyrim, where it looks like the system is not capable of running their DLC packages. Also, the PS3 firmware gets updated more than Microsoft Windows. You can expect a firmware upgrade nearly every month. Normally this doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you consider that A: It's a completely new firmware so the file size is greater than 100MB and B: Sony's network is so atrociously slow it's like your connection speed has slowed down to entry level DSL, it can get quite annoying. Games are often patched as well, and some games need to be installed. It's not uncommon that you can pop a game in and try to play it but the game needs to first download updates, install trophies, then install to the HDD. It's like playing a game on a computer, and sadly it's not that surprising for you to put a game in at 8:00 and not be able to actually PLAY it until 8:30. Finally, the PSN goes down a LOT for "maintenance," and oftentimes they'll just do it in the middle of the day US time, as opposed to say like 3am EST. The 360 gets about 2-3 major updates a year, and the network almost never goes down, and even if it's for maintenance it's often done when you're asleep. So if you want the least amount of issues, I'd say go with the 360.

2: Microsoft usually cuts deals with publishers for first access to DLC content, which means if you have the 360, you'll get access to certain DLC weeks to months before PS3 and PC gamers do. We've seen this with the Call of Duty games, as well as Skyrim. It should be noted that Sony has had some exclusive deals as well, such as with the Assassin's Creed games, but typically, major AAA publishers go with Microsoft as they have deeper pockets than Sony. So with the 360, you'll often get new stuff quicker.

3. Microsoft requires all their arcade/downloadable games have free demos. This may not sound like a big deal, but it allows for MUCH more access to potential content, and is a good "try before you buy" system. You're LUCKY if you can find a PSN game that has a demo, and what really stinks is that most if not all of their exclusive games don't have a demo, and usually cost upwards of $15.

Just some stuff to consider.

 

[stogie5150]

Fantastic, keep em coming y'all.

 

[Ronnie-]

I have the PS3 and the 360, and quite honestly, I can not remember the last time I used the PS3 for gaming (what little I do that is).

For my gaming, I am always using the 360, and nearly always playing online. With people from here actually.
Never thought I would get into the online part of gaming, but I tried it once, and it was alot more fun to be able to shoot the proverbial sh*t with people that I am playing with (of course, this has its downside as well when you get on with a bunch of pre teens, thank goodness for "party chat" so you can easily block all of that out, or you can simply mute them).

 

[Zookster]

If I can say a few things in favor of the Xbox 360 (not being a fanboy, but they are often overlooked)

1: Games on the 360 are typically more stable/better looking than they are on the PS3. It's not as jarring as say, SNES VS Genesis, but the stability thing can lead to problems. Developers are STILL having problems properly developing for the PS3. The perfect case of this is with Skyrim, where it looks like the system is not capable of running their DLC packages. Also, the PS3 firmware gets updated more than Microsoft Windows. You can expect a firmware upgrade nearly every month. Normally this doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you consider that A: It's a completely new firmware so the file size is greater than 100MB and B: Sony's network is so atrociously slow it's like your connection speed has slowed down to entry level DSL, it can get quite annoying. Games are often patched as well, and some games need to be installed. It's not uncommon that you can pop a game in and try to play it but the game needs to first download updates, install trophies, then install to the HDD. It's like playing a game on a computer, and sadly it's not that surprising for you to put a game in at 8:00 and not be able to actually PLAY it until 8:30. Finally, the PSN goes down a LOT for "maintenance," and oftentimes they'll just do it in the middle of the day US time, as opposed to say like 3am EST. The 360 gets about 2-3 major updates a year, and the network almost never goes down, and even if it's for maintenance it's often done when you're asleep. So if you want the least amount of issues, I'd say go with the 360.

2: Microsoft usually cuts deals with publishers for first access to DLC content, which means if you have the 360, you'll get access to certain DLC weeks to months before PS3 and PC gamers do. We've seen this with the Call of Duty games, as well as Skyrim. It should be noted that Sony has had some exclusive deals as well, such as with the Assassin's Creed games, but typically, major AAA publishers go with Microsoft as they have deeper pockets than Sony. So with the 360, you'll often get new stuff quicker.

3. Microsoft requires all their arcade/downloadable games have free demos. This may not sound like a big deal, but it allows for MUCH more access to potential content, and is a good "try before you buy" system. You're LUCKY if you can find a PSN game that has a demo, and what really stinks is that most if not all of their exclusive games don't have a demo, and usually cost upwards of $15.

Just some stuff to consider.

Speaking as someone who uses a PS3 30+ hours every week:

1) The system firmware patches aren't that frequent, maybe about once a month, and before I had Plus, it usually took about 5-6 minutes to download and install. And you can do it whenever you want (like while you're getting a snack, or set it to happen after you go to bed,) as long as you aren't going to be playing a game online. Now that I have Plus, everything is patched overnight, including individual game patches. But yes, putting in a 2-3 year old disc in your system for the first time that has a 5 GB mandatory install and several patches to download can be a pain--just plan ahead.

I wouldn't say the PSN goes down "a lot" for maintenance. Maybe once every two-three months, and you are warned days ahead of time. They do do it at the worst possible time of day, but in my experience, it has only ever prevented me from accessing my account information or the PSN Store (big whoop). If you don't play online, it doesn't effect you at all. It's not like you can't use your PS3 or play any games during that time.

2) For me, most DLC (add-on content for a game you own) is way overpriced anyway for what you get (on any system). You're better off waiting for it go on sale, which makes MS's exclusive window for certain games moot. The actual retail games, however, almost always come out on the same day for both systems, unless one system ports another system's exclusive title down the road.

3) It would be nice if EVERY PSN game had a demo, but you are by no means "lucky" if you find one. I would be surprised if more than 50% of the PSN titles didn't ever get a demo. Some PSN titles are becoming more ambitious in scope and content and may initially run $15. But I'm pretty sure when a title gets both an Xbox and PSN release (including DLC), the prices are the same.

Another thing to consider, you pay about $50/year for the Xbox for some very basic features that are free on the Playstation, including the ability to play online, period. Without LIVE, it's like the Xbox is always "down for maintenance," 24/7/365. You also can't access basic streaming apps like Netflix. The Plus membership is about the same price and gives you dozens of free games every year (some on the day they release, so not just older legacy titles), deep discounts on many other games and content, cloud storage, 60-minute trial versions of many full retail titles, and the other things mentioned already.