Q4 PLATFORM BATTLE PART 3: PS3

Sure, the 360 has more standard shooter games, such as Halo and Bioshock, but the PS3 has plenty of great games of that exact type such as Unreal Tournament 3, Warhawk, Call of Duty 4 and Resistance. But what makes the PS3 really stand out is that it has the widest variety to choose from.

There is no 360 platformer like Ratchet & Clank, no adventure titles that compare to Uncharted, Ninja Gaiden, or Heavenly Sword, no innovative gesture recognition games like you get with the PS Eye, and there are no quirky fun games like LocoRoco, Everyday Shooter or flOw on PSN. The PS3 simply has a better variety of high quality games.

Also, the 360 hardware is a rip-off: after you buy the base unit, you have to pay a yearly subscription fee for standard online functionality and you have to buy an overpriced adapter if you want to use a WiFi network, both of which are free with the PS3. Many 360 units require an expensive adapter for optical audio output which isn’t needed with the PS3.

The 360 also requires you to buy overpriced proprietary peripherals for memory cards, hard drives, headsets, and keyboards, while the PS3 supports cheaper industry standard versions of all of those. In addition to cost savings, industry standard technology provides convenience; you can use a memory card from almost any digital camera or cell phone to transfer photos, music, and save games between your PS3 and other devices.

The PS3 is not only more attractively priced, but it’s simply better hardware. The PS3 offers high bit-rate, lossless audio, not just for movies, but games as well while the 360 offers merely DVD level audio. The PS3 also runs much more quietly, plays Blu-Ray movies, and most importantly, it’s very reliable and does not have the 30 per cent plus failure rates that have been reported on the Xbox 360.

And the Wii? Sure, that’s a nice system with a few great titles, but the PS3 offers a far larger and broader selection of content, with far more functionality, at a slightly higher price.

And most importantly, you can actually buy a PS3 this holiday.

Something else to consider is the near future. Look at the upcoming titles for all the major systems: the PS3 has the best content by a commanding margin. Not only games, but the PS3 will offer other innovative functionality such as PlayStation Home and video on demand functionality.

Regardless of which way you look at it: whether you want the best value for your money, the most flexibility, the broadest selection of high quality games, or the best upcoming content, the PS3 is the system to get.