Starwars games PS2, Xbox, PC. Curious about the difference

[angelus512]

Hey seems like i'm posting a lot of questions hope nobody minds.

Anyways my computer is about oh 2001 vintage now i'd say.

Not capable of playing any of the new games anymore and in truth I sorta stopped gaming altogether around 2002 or there abouts for various reasons.

 

Anyways as such this whole Xbox, PS2 vs PC thing has totally passed me by.

I just went to the lucasarts site and to my pleasure it seems there are some pretty sweet looking SW games I'd rather like to get my hands on. I think one of the reasons i stopped gaming is in between 2002 and now from my POV there hasn't been anything worth wanting to play.

My general interest centers around star wars and warcraft essentially.

 

Anyways i noticed that a game like Revenge of the Sith was available on PS2, Xbox and PC.

Now the real important central core of my question is whats the damn difference?

Considering as one of the reasons i fell away from gaming was the constant prohibative cost of upgrading your PC always.

But with PS2's and Xbox's around nowdays the cost comparatively is fairly low for what APPEARS to be good quality.

 

SO in short my question which I'm hoping you all can answer is what is the difference for games these days in terms of whether

 

A) You buy the pc version

B) xbox version

C) ps2 version

 

or is the game EXACTLY the same for each platform nowdays?

 

Because my way of thinking was the PC > * when it comes to gaming with depth and complexity.

Wherehs PS2 and Xbox was always centered around pretty graphics but incapable because of the nature of the platform of making the game into a complex multifaceted thing.

 

Least thats what i always thought but without ever asking.

So if somebody could set me straight on whats the deal these days please do.

[DarthTofu]

Might help if you let us know what genre of games you were into; For instance: Action, Strategy, RPGs, ect. (Okay, so maybe those are the only real genres for games, I'm sure there's some other genre I just missed). Anyway, if you don't care about graphics at all, then old games are deffinately the way to go. I have a huge pack of elder games and noticed that they are considerably better than most other games, such as the original X wing compared to Rogue Squadron 3-D (Honestly, In flight briefings as to why you're flying what you are and what your mission is? Get real! Throw in the blind spots, that game sucked). Anyway,give a style we can help more (Right, piloting games! Forgot thoughs!)

[Mad78]

Well the pros and cons:

PS2, XBox and Gamecube

pros:

- no need to upgrade

- price

- no virus or incompatible harware problems

 

cons:

-impossibility to mod the games

-the games can't be patched so if there is a problem with it you can't correct unless you have an XBox which is connected to XBox live

 

 

PC

pros:

- very large collection of games

- easy acces to patches, old games and help

- games can be modded

- easy online gaming

 

cons

- viruses

- game quality varies depending on Hardware

- regular hardware upgrades are necessary

 

 

I would say that for a game like Revenge of the Sith which i doubt you would want to mod getting it on a platform like the XBox would be find.

Also note that the XBox's price should quickly decrease since the XBox 360 has been released recently.

[angelus512]

strategy games almost exclusively. Rebellion, civilization series, warcraft etc.

 

Although i also do rather like the look of games such as revenge of the sith and i did enjoy Tie Fighter in the old days etc.

[DarthTofu]

strategy games almost exclusively. Rebellion, civilization series, warcraft etc.

 

Although i also do rather like the look of games such as revenge of the sith and i did enjoy Tie Fighter in the old days etc.

 

Alrighty, then. If you like piloting games, I would recommend X-wing Alliance. Its highly modable, has many mdos out, and has good online play. Actually I don't know about that last one. I just know I enjoyed blowing the crap out of TIEs on it. Other good games I would recommend are Galactic Battlegrounds (With its expansion pack) and, if you're willing to leave the Star Wars Galaxy: The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind. That one's an RPG, though not an MMORPG, unfortunately. Very well done game, though, that will frustrate you in some cases, make you wonder how you got to where you are in others, and just plain make you laugh at other's pain in even more. Really, i just said "Screw the provided quests, I'm making up my own!" And so I did... The "Kill everyone in the entire ****ing game" quest

[AdmiralToguroAni]

No game console can match the PC in terms of pure strategy games, but the PS2 has a variety of Strategy RPGs which are quite fun. Disgaea, Makai Kingdom, Final Fantasy Tactics (its for PS1, but you can still play it on the PS2), etc. All very nice stuff. Video game systems are a great bargain, too. Easily worth the money when you take the time to divide it out.

 

Average life span of a system is 4-5 years. We'll say four to be safe.

We'll say 300 dollars for a new system, since thats the XBOX 360's going price.

 

300/4 years=75 dollars a year.

75 a year/12 months a year=6.25 a month. Thats less than you pay for an online RPG!

 

If you look at it like that, theres no reason not to buy a PS2, Xbox, or whatever. With all the strategy RPGs out for it, as well as some good Star Wars games like Battlefront, Revenge of the Sith, and Lego Star Wars (what? Its a good game!), you really can't go wrong. Plus, if you go with the PS2, then you have all the original Playstation titles available.

[Evaders99]

Yet you still have to consider the accessories you pay for, as well as the games themselves. And for extra services such as XBox Live, you have to pay. Plus if it breaks down, you have little options there.

How often would you use a system that is solely dedicated to gaming, where you can have a computer that can do multiple functions?

In terms of medium, I can always backup my game disks in case I ever need them again. With other consoles, I know there are indirect ways to do so but not sure how hard it is.

[Darth_Rob]

I recommend a gaming system- the PS2 to be precise. You can find used games soooo cheap on ebay.com or at certain retailers who specialize in buying and selling used games. I have every Star Wars game for the PS2 (Dark Forces, Rebel Assult, Jedi Power Battles, Revenge of the Sith, Battlefront 1 & 2, Jedi Starfighter, and prob. some more I just forgot), and they are all GREAT! I highly recommend a PS2!!!

[Mad78]

Well with the XBox if you are ready for a bit of handywork you can quite easily change the HD and put a larger one or backup your games on you PC.

[DarthTofu]

Well with the XBox if you are ready for a bit of handywork you can quite easily change the HD and put a larger one or backup your games on you PC.

 

Quick question regarding that (Sort of). Is it possible to burn a backup disk of a PS2 game? If so, would you use a DVD or CD?

[AdmiralToguroAni]

In regards to Evaders' argument, don't let it discourage you. If you dont do anything illegal, you still have to buy the games for the PC, which are comparable in cost to PS2 games, so no change there. Paying for XBOX kive is like paying for a broadband connection or other internet connection thats above the standard for just browsing.

 

Accessories are an issue, but most systems require similar things such as a keyboard and mouse. Further, most systems come with at least 1 controller, so you really only have to buy a memory card, which is about the price of a mouse.

 

As for how often you use a medium that is dedicated to gaming as opposed to one for multiple functions, it is ia valid point, but the costs of keeping a GAMING quality PC are more than keeping up with one console every four years. If you just want one for watching online media, doing documents, and posting, then you can get a computer for much cheaper than the gaming one. Also, depending on what kind of games you play, the videogame systems are superior to the consoles in a variety of games. Yes, you can find SOME of every genre on the PC, but browsing through Best Buy and Gametstop, the PC selection seems to have "Age of Empires, Empire Earth, Civilization, Command and Conquer..." the list goes on. If you're a strategy buff like the original poster, then you definately want the PC, but if you're an RPG buff like me, or a racing/sports/fighting game fanatic, the PC just cant give you what you want.

 

As for the backup question, yes you can make backups but its not as easy to do, and about as illegal as making them on the PC, so I'll have to give this one to the computers.

[General_Crespin]

Alrighty, then. If you like piloting games, I would recommend X-wing Alliance. Its highly modable, has many mdos out, and has good online play. Actually I don't know about that last one. I just know I enjoyed blowing the crap out of TIEs on it. Other good games I would recommend are Galactic Battlegrounds (With its expansion pack) and, if you're willing to leave the Star Wars Galaxy: The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind. That one's an RPG, though not an MMORPG, unfortunately.

 

For XWA, check out http://www.xwaupgrade.com , models will blow you away. Friendly forums as well, as long as you don't ask any questions answered in the FAQ.

 

Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns is fun. It's basically Age of Kings Star Warsified (other changes, of course). If you can play online, that's even better. I was just playing Sunday night against a friend.

 

Morrowind is my favorite game. It has bugs, but the overall experience will just blow you away. Lore, graphics, freedom (do what you want, how you want, when you want, where you want, etc.)... And the mods! Hundreds of high-quality mods and thousands that people made just because. If you have more questions, ask.

[DarthTofu]

*nods feverantly about morrowind*

 

Or, if you want to either get it cheaper or buy the new game their coming out with, Oblivion, wait a bit (I think it comes out some time this year) and buy it then or else Oblivion, which looks ridiculously awesome. Interact with objects lying about and cause things to break- sounds like my kind of game

[General_Crespin]

Morrowind GotY, which is Morrowind with both expansions, is $30, and a quick eBay search reveals many cheap copies.

[Evaders99]

You have to consider too the way consoles are always on the move. You invest all the money into getting a Nintendo, and a Dreamcast, and a Playstation, and a Playstation 2, and a Gamecube, and an XBox. The next generation consoles coming out, you have to invest in a Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, Nintendo Revolution. And what can you do with the old equipment? Nothing except keep them, or have someone buy them back at a used price. And most consoles won't have backward compatibility.. so you can't even play the old games without running it on the old console.

 

You could invest all that money into computers, you'd have something you can easily upgrade by putting in more memory, a better video card, or a better processor, etc. And when the time comes, buying a new system these days isn't that expensive.. you don't need to buy a top-of-the-line computer to run all the games. Most of the games are backwards-compatible, with compatibily modes and so forth. And you can still use the computers as a general-purpose system.. say you have other siblings, children, etc...

 

I just think that computers are the best value for the buck. Not against anyone who buys console games, I have and I do. But I'd just like to encourage people to get the computer version and not mindlessly shelling out money for the latest exclusive console-only product. There are people who don't have the money to shell out for every new console, I'd like to encourage games to be marketed for the PC, as even the developers use PCs to develop their games.

[Guest Scathane]

I have to agree with EV, although I do own an XBox and enjoy playing it. When bying a console, there are several other things I haven't heard people mention...

 

Firstly, the XBox is a more powerful console than the PS2. Secondly, a PC has more processing power than an XBox (save the 360). In other words, a game can differ depending on whether you buy XBox or playstation. Although not a large difference, a more distinguishable difference between pc- and console-games: a lot of console-games were 'arcaded down' to fit the consoles' lesser processing power.

[AdmiralToguroAni]

As I stated above, the cost of buying consoles are worth it when you consider that they last 4 years. Its actually cheaper than keeping up with top-of-the-line gaming computers, so I'm pretty sure Evader's argument on that is invalid. Further, while backwards compatibility was nonexistant during the N64 era, the invention of CDs has allowed consoles to use backwards compatibility. Here's an example:

 

Revolution-->Backwards Compatible (BC) with Gamecube

PS3--> BC with PS1 AND PS2.

PS2--> BC with PS1

XBOX360--> BC with Xbox.

 

While Evaders would certainly be correct prior to 2001, this just isnt the case anymore. I will concede that no game system is BC with the NES, SNES, or N64, however.

[Evaders99]

You don't need a top of the line gaming computer. That's my point. Plus its easier to upgrade a computer than buying a new console.

 

Backward compatibility

- Revolution, only compatible with Gamecube discs .. older games will need to be bought and downloaded

- PS3 is said to be backward compatible - to what extent, we've not seen yet

- XBox 360 is only compatible with a certain list of XBox games

[General_Crespin]

And what if you don't have broadband, how are you supposed to patch those Xbox games so they're playable on the Xr?

[Guest Scathane]

You don't need a top of the line gaming computer. That's my point. Plus its easier to upgrade a computer than buying a new console.

I agree. For about 249 to 349 euro, I can order a Dell computer to suit any gaming needs.

[Mad78]

That interest me Scath. What model?

[Guest Scathane]

the cheapest models on http://www.dell.nl ... Mind you, I don't know what the cheapest model on http://www.dell.com costs... Edited January 5, 2006 by Scathane

[Mad78]

THX I shall check it out.

[AdmiralToguroAni]

A correction about the Nintendo Revolution's backwards compatibility. You will not need to download Gamecube games, as the Revolution will have a built-in gamecube player. What you are probably referring to is the ability to buy older games (N64, Super NES, etc) and download them.

[Guest Scathane]

I wonder... Maybe Nintendo's the future...