The PS3 Is More Of A Party Machine Than The Wii
See Full ImageThe answer is almost inevitable when you ask someone why they bought the Wii: "for the multiplayer," or something to that effect. They sure as hell didn't buy the thing for the software. Therefore, the Wii is always hyped as being the choice for social gaming gatherings of any kind, especially family-oriented.
...why? Just because everyone can wave an electronic wand around? Should we completely ignore the multimedia capabilities of the PlayStation 3? Here's just one example (and yes, I'm well aware that its entirely anecdotal): I just got back from a fairly large Memorial Day party that quite literally ran all weekend - ranging from languorous lapses to staccato bursts - and with a PS3 on the premises, the entertainment really didn't end from a video perspective. Not only could everyone sit and play any number of games, ranging from Guitar Hero to Killzone 2, but they could also peruse the PlayStation Store. Hell, the girls were downloading TV episodes and renting movies while the guys had several Blu-Ray flicks that, obviously, aren't exactly playable on the Wii. And oh yeah, there were games that included motion sensing, too - Rag Doll Kung-Fu, anyone? - so what exactly were we missing by not having the Wii?
As much as I applaud Nintendo for producing an electronics item that really caters to the non-gamers worldwide, this whole fallacy that the PS3 (and the Xbox 360) aren't as "good" for social gatherings and parties has to die. With the multimedia options on the two true next-gen systems, it's a no-brainer. People were uploading pics, setting playlists, downloading new demos, hopping on the still FREE Network, and in general, doing whatever they wanted. The PS3 wore many hats this past weekend, and besides some intricate wand-waving, it did everything the Wii could do plus a whole lot more. As I was driving home, I figured Nintendo should probably clarify that the Wii is best for social groups of a younger age demographic, while adults who party may be more inclined to give something like the PS3 or the 360 a chance. At this point, there's very little the PS3 can't do, and the capabilities will only increase in number and quality over time.
I watched one girl spend a solid hour decorating a space in Home. That just doesn't happen on the Wii. I'm sorry, but as time goes on, I'm finding more and more reasons to discount the Wii in my brain. So sue me. As I always say, I just calls 'em as I sees 'em. And yes peeps, I am back, and with E3 coming up, we're gonna go off the chain at PSXE and give you everything you desire. I suppose that may include my gaming and even non-gaming related rants, too! You know, if y'all want 'em... ;)
5/25/2009 Ben Dutka
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Comments (Beta)
HeXeN
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 12:02:54 AM
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5 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:51:08 AM
Rock Band and Littlebig Planet, Singstar and Buzz, COD 4 and Motorstorm Pacific Rift, always big at parties
2 up, 0 down
phantomMenace
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 12:06:37 AM
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3 up, 0 down
Troy Powers
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 8:17:15 AM
2 up, 0 down
Scarecrow
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 12:20:51 AM
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E3 will be freaking awesome
PS: I have a Wii, and I'll say this, the games which don't try to be gimmicky or "multiplayer" friendly are the best titles for it. Zelda, Tales of Symphonia 2, Mario Galaxy, etc.
Overall though the Wii doesn't offer anything new. The price.....
That's the only difference really. The Wiimote isn't being taken to new heights at all.....
I like the Wii though, the Virtual console games are awesome. And like I said it has some good games. Just nothing to look forward to anymore, sadly.
0 up, 0 down
Cpt_Geez
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 12:38:44 AM
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1 up, 0 down
karneli lll
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 12:57:21 AM
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1 up, 2 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:54:25 AM
When people think console Karaoke, they think Singstar, not Lips. The Singstore is the greatest unknown gem to most casual gamers.
Working at EB Games, most people go with a PS3 when I tell them about Singstar's Singstore, the Blu-Ray player and the easy to update hard drive. I also compare the 2009 game lineup to 360, and they are immediately sold on the PS3.
3 up, 0 down
Wage SLAVES
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 1:01:48 AM
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To add to the controls, I felt like I wasn't gettin a next gen experience. The visuals weren't all to write about. Im not a graphics whore but c'mon we do expect progress.
4 up, 0 down
crump602
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 1:29:44 AM
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4 up, 0 down
Ghidora
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 1:49:32 AM
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I got a wii about one and a half year ago.. my GF bought one for me... but i traded it in for a PS3... and ooh boy i dont regret that!
Greetings from denmark! :)
10 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:29:02 AM
1 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 2:01:19 AM
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2 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:57:29 AM
.... I thought so.
0 up, 0 down
laksh
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 3:14:42 AM
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4 up, 0 down
ImInFFXIII
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:13:34 AM
0 up, 0 down
N a S a H
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 11:07:20 AM
0 up, 0 down
Deleted User
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 3:31:36 AM
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We also play Mario Strikers, TimeSplitters for the GameCube and Day of Wreckoning. We hardly touch the PS3 or 360.
0 up, 6 down
migabyte
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 4:00:21 AM
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1 up, 0 down
karneli lll
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 5:01:18 AM
1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:59:42 AM
Get into the Singstore. Best thing for creating your own Karaoke parties!!! Plus, the PS3 singstar update from a few months back allows backwards compatability with PS2 singstar games.
Go check it out!!!!
0 up, 0 down
DGo8
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 4:11:33 AM
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I wouldnt call the PS3 a party machine like the WII i would say the PS3 is more of an all rounder....its good when your at home and you just wanna kill some Helghast or Sneak past some soliders in Metal Gear Solid...and its great to play when theres a party goin on..singing away on Singstar...or getting invold with Buzz...and then with your friends over...the list goes on...show off your skills on FIFA(what most people i kno play when there mates come over in UK)...and many more...i think PS3 is better...fun wise then the Wii...only ting Wii has on PS3 is...for about two hours...everyone is getting a hard on over the motion controls...then...it gets boring..and people end up going hospital because they get hit with the controler lol
2 up, 0 down
Deathstriker
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 4:31:25 AM
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i have nothing against xbox, but the ps3 is far better...xbox is good for like full time...school, work, and xbox while the ps3 can be school, work, bang your wife, go for lunch, take your kids to the park, ps3 (kz2 pwning noobs) :D
who agrees?? a family man who can be number 1 in every game of kz2...ownage right??
1 up, 0 down
Deathstriker
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 4:41:09 AM
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the wii for one i have to say has bad graphix and people like me who see good graphix and then see a bad looking game we wanna run in the corner and slit our throats...ive been playing games since i was 4 i was playing the orginal MGS when i was 11 and if i played mgs now after mgs4 id end up quiting...i even have mercs 2 on ps3...i saw it on ps2 and wanted to blow blow up the disc...the wii in my perspective is dead
if you have ps3 for party you got... just about everything for party mode...you got your hardcore gamers, your guys why just play somtimes, and you got soft gamers too...
0 up, 0 down
ImInFFXIII
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:15:19 AM
2 up, 0 down
Edito
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 4:50:59 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:47:44 AM
Families and non-gamers like the Wii's easy to approach gameplay. Look at the success of Wii Sports!!
Gamers and young adults like a challenge and fantasies that give them the feeling of being a hero. That is why they play shooters and RPGs on 360 and PS3.
Wii = Family entertainment for non-gamers
PS3/360 = Challenge and entertainment for real gamers
2 up, 1 down
piratedrunk
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:36:43 AM
0 up, 1 down
www
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 5:07:16 AM
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It's natural, he feels too old for it and still wants a manly machine like the ps3.
2 up, 0 down
Ghidora
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 5:16:36 AM
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Thats what most ppl seem to use it for!
0 up, 0 down
Awoken
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 5:32:56 AM
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5 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:43:15 AM
A sad truth we must accept, Sony has very little money to spend on advertising compared to Micro$oft, and I am 100% correct when I say that this is because Micro$oft built a cheap crappy console that breaks down easily while Sony poured their heart, soul and a lot of cash into the machine itself, leaving it up to gamers and users of their machine to spread the word.
Give it time, once the word has spread far and long enough, Sony will reign supreme once more. Look at the number of developers flocking to blu ray now!!!
1 up, 0 down
Kurenai
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:47:06 AM
1 up, 0 down
Lord carlos
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 6:30:22 AM
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I haven't played the WII since!!
Last edited by Lord carlos on 5/26/2009 6:32:44 AM
2 up, 1 down
Karosso
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:14:57 AM
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We almost did not make it without you... There was almost a mutiny, angry words were thrown here and there and tempers ran high.
I guess we are so addicted to your articles that going cold turkey for a week was kind of hard on us :-)
I agree 100% with the article. My new years bash was centered around my PS3, and many of may friend don't even game, not yet anyways (smile that evil smile).
We watch some funny videos on UTube, played some Pain (the girls kind of liked it WTF?!), watched some Russel Peters on DVD, and listened to my music streaming straight from my server.
Two of them already bought one and I'm sure more will follow. I will start to look at more games that cam be played in groups. Wish I had Little Big Planet at the time :-(
0 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:35:23 AM
0 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:31:16 AM
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Thanks to Buzz, Singstar, Rock Band, Guitar Hero,Littlebig Planet, Motorstorm Pacific Rift and COD 4, the PS3 truly is the real party machine.
Lets not forget the updatable HDD. Replaced my 40 GB with a 320 GB HDD, I placed all my videos and TV shows, even some movies, on the hard drive. Now it is considered a must at parties!!
Sadly tho, COD 4 on 360 and Halo 3 4 player split screen and online play usually beat out what my PS3 can offer. My friends still need to grow up and accept Halo 3 as the generic everyday video game shooter for wannabes that older gamers and some others see it as. The number of loud annoying teens whose voices are yet to break frustrates most of us into boredom, particualrly me.
Who here agrees with me????
Is Halo 3 an average shooter that grows boring after half an hour of play, or is it just me?
Does the repetitive shoot, die, spawn, shoot, die, spawn chain of things bore anyone else after half an hour? Why is it popular!?!?!?! It really is beyond me what these millions of teens see in it.
Actually, if it weren't for the Griffball challenges, I might never have played it again. A Nice mix to spice up Halo a bit.
Does anyone else here have a suggestion as to why a generic shooter like Halo is popular? How can people play it for hours on end!?!?! Its so boring!!! Good for half an hour, but it eventually gets repetitive!!!! I wish I could get my friends hooked onto Killzone capture the flag, or motorstorm elimination, or rock band duels. Much more fun and varied.
Its a shame, every single one of my friends like the PS3, most want a PS3, but at 699 bucks (Australia) compared to 360 being 399 (again, this is in Australia), my friends are often forced to go the cheaper alternative AND to play each other on Live, leaving me with a near empty friends list on my PS Network. :(
Anyway, straying off topic, yes, the PS3 beats the Wii in terms of great party games. Hands down.
One friend brought his Wii to the party, along with his PS3, we played Mario Kart for 10 minutes but got sick of the motion controls, and had no idea what was happening in super smash brothers. Ended up playing Rock Band for an hour, followed by an hour of COD. Then watched a tv show stored on the HDD. The PS3 easily won the console of choice for parties. Now the Wii rarely makes an appearance.
Sorry Nintendo, it was a nice toy at first, but the shine is wearing off. Shame you didn't think long term strategy like Sony and its PS3. Strongest game lineup yet!!!
0 up, 0 down
Phoelix
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:34:33 AM
My friends, at least, hate CoD4 because they die so quickly. Killzone 2 isn't even an option because it has no offline multiplayer. Resistance 2 has the same problem. For whatever reason, the best PS3 shooters only support 1 or 2 people, and not 4. (Another reason why Halo is the game of choice)
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brighat1971
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 7:40:37 AM
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0 up, 0 down
big6
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:14:18 AM
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Other than that, the Wii and x360 don't get much play. I have them both hooked up to the same TV in another room, whereas the PS3 sits in the main living room with the new Plasma. lol
4 up, 0 down
Phoelix
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:30:36 AM
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0 up, 0 down
DVE SIXBURGH
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:55:02 AM
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28% own a Wii, on average aged 32
4.3% own a PS3, average age 26
5.6% own both
77% of PS3 owners play alone
78% of Wii owners play with family
PS3 owners mostly play action games
Wii owners mostly play RPGs
81% of PS3 owners purchased the system for the games
52% of Wii owners purchased the system for the games
66% of PS3 owners purchased the system for graphics
37% of Wii owners purchased the system as a health tool
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:54:48 AM
Wii owners average aged 32
PS3 owners average age 26
Strangely enough in the western markets, the average age of a Wii owner is about 15 years younger than the average age of a PS3 owner. Interesting how things are different.
81% of PS3 owners purchased the system for the games
52% of Wii owners purchased the system for the games
So, only half of Wii owners bought if for the games? Interesting, it's not a games console, it's a lifestyle item - aka GADGET.
66% of PS3 owners purchased the system for graphics
So two thirds of PS3 owners wanted HD games then.
37% of Wii owners purchased the system as a health tool
This just blows me away, the stupidity of people knows no bounds. A games console, even a Wii, is no substitute for real physical activity, no matter how much body jerking the game induces, it's not a bloody work out. Good grief, more than a third of Wii buyers thought they were buying exercise equipment. Well I guess that jives with half of the Wii buyers not wanting the thing for games.
And people still call the Wii a games console?
1 up, 0 down
ImInFFXIII
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 11:35:20 AM
Go Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates, in that order
0 up, 0 down
Robochic
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:19:40 AM
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The Wii in my eyes is great for my RPGs that i can't play on the PS3 i like FFCC, tales of symphonia, but i only play RPGs on the Wii. My ps3 is for rockband, FPS, ect... if I could get Final fantasy crystal chronicals on my PS3 i wouldn't need a Wii but i can't so thats why i have a Wii.
When my friends are over i will admit we play the PS3, we may play the Wii but its mostly me showing them how far i've gotten in FFCC thats it. I love my Ps3 and I love my Wii both consoles are great and reliable.
3 up, 1 down
piratedrunk
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:41:07 AM
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:31:21 AM
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But at this party...man, I was like, "geez...who needs the Wii at ALL?" LOL
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:56:50 AM
1 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:32:16 AM
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In that case, can you offer any conjecture as to why the Sixaxis is so poorly thought of by many gamers (regardless of their platform loyalty) and yet the Wii's motion sensing wand is pretty much given a free pass as the only motion sensing controller this generation?
I ask because I personally have found a number of games that make really good use of the SixAxis, whether it's games like Flower or Ratchet and Clank for flight controls (R&C does a better job than anyone admits with the flight controls), High Velocity Bowling for authentic motion control (yes, you can use a real bowling motion and the game will work perfectly). Then there are other games that use it intermittently in mini-games or for additional controls like after touch when you control something in-flight by the movement of the controller.
The negativity surrounding the game Lair was probably not very fair. But represents a good illustration of the unfair fate that's befallen the Sixaxis. From what I saw in the reviews the game (Lair) was fairly reviewed outside the US and UK. But it was slammed by fanboy reviewers with a particular anti-Sony bias in the US and UK especially.
The main point of aggression against Lair was the sixaxis based flight controls. Many of these reviewers seemed to feel that the flight controls of their dragon, should less resemble hauling the dragon's reigns around when in flight, and more resemble the twitchy flight stick of an F16. The thing is that the utter negativity surrounding the Sixaxis controller mushroomed during that early period of the PS3s life. The result has been a marginalization of the sixaxis to the point where many PS3 users dismiss the Sixaxis as if it were a Wii wannabe that failed to launch.
Sixaxis is no such thing, and when done well is a great controller. Just as a Wii game with poor controller handling sucks, so does a game with poor Sixaxis control. But well written game and control scheme shines in both instances.
4 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 2:50:28 PM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:36:46 AM
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1 up, 2 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:58:44 AM
1 up, 1 down
telly
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 10:40:19 AM
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3 up, 3 down
DVE SIXBURGH
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 11:37:49 AM
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Last edited by DVE SIXBURGH on 5/26/2009 11:43:19 AM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 2:47:50 PM
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0 up, 0 down
darthLegion
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 3:33:20 PM
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0 up, 0 down
picklejar
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 9:28:00 PM
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0 up, 0 down
somethingrandom
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 @ 11:46:57 PM
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1 up, 1 down
tes37
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Monday, May 25, 2009 @ 11:56:49 PM
I believe if people were to have tried the wii for a while before buying, some would have passed on it. The PS3 does, in my opinion, have so much more to offer to a social gathering.
Bring on the rants.
Last edited by tes37 on 5/26/2009 12:02:23 AM