Playstation Network vs. Xbox Live

[Inspector Jihad]

achievements are so ridiculous...you're playing a fucking game for godsake.

 

[Thraxen]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
achievements are so ridiculous...you're playing a fucking game for godsake.

Some people would argue that that's exactly the point. Achievements seem to fit gaming perfectly since they are basically just another form of scoring.

Of course, they are devalued somewhat because some games hand them out like candy while in other games they truly are achievements. I don't put much stock into someone's gamerscore though. You can ramp up your score with services like Gamefly or using gamesave methods. And some people just truly don't care at all and don't shoot for any of them.

But at a personal level I find them entertaining and I agree with the people saying that they can extend the life of a game. I'll usually browse a game's achievement's list (especially after I've been through the game once) and see if any of them sound like they might be fun to shoot for. If it's something stupid or overly time consuming like "Kill 10,000 people in multiplayer" I won't bother. But if it's something like the achievements found in Crackdown where you have to scale the tallest building and jump into a pool of water or pull off a certain amount of hang time while jumping in a vehicle... yeah, that sh!t's fun... I'll try it.

 

[destrekor]

my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
achievements are so ridiculous...you're playing a fucking game for godsake.

Well, achievements get you more replay value out of your fucking games, for godsake.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

Well that came out of nowhere....

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

Isn't that just a different form of ePenis?

I like achievements. I don't care about my gamerscore (it's < 3000). But achievements give me an incentive to play games longer than I otherwise would. Unfortunately I have more 360 games than I have time to play, but when I find time I'll have some games that I can go back to. I don't usually try to beat games twice, because I've already accomplished that. But achievements give me something else to accomplish.

 

[Newfie]

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

I'm a student and I carefully watch what I spend and what I save.

$5 is nothing. $5 is ONE rental or ONE movie ticket, hell it can hardly buy you a decent meal at a fast food restaurant. Getting a month of fun for $5 is a huge bargain.

While I do see your philosophy that it can add up, I have the philosophy that life is too god damn short to worry about a few dollars. If I get to the point where $5 can make or break me, I have done something seriously wrong with my life.

Also, Achievements increase the life span of the game by getting you to do things you would not normally do. Therefore it gives you a bigger bang for your buck and it gives you the satisfaction that you got the most out of your investment. To be honest my gamerscore is ~1600 and I had a 360 for ages, but do I care? No!

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

Well that came out of nowhere....

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

Isn't that just a different form of ePenis?

I like achievements. I don't care about my gamerscore (it's < 3000). But achievements give me an incentive to play games longer than I otherwise would. Unfortunately I have more 360 games than I have time to play, but when I find time I'll have some games that I can go back to. I don't usually try to beat games twice, because I've already accomplished that. But achievements give me something else to accomplish.

indeed (to both replies)

first, it wasn't really out of nowhere. I just chose not to quote anybody on their remarks of Live being so cheap.
second, sure rank in games is also a form of ePenis, but it's a less annoying way and actually has some purpose. How long and how many things in a slew of different games has no worth and tells not as to how much experience an individual has on a particular game. A rank in that game does. It's also funny because you see people trying to talk as if they are not a noob when they have a low rank, but rather they just don't get around to playing much and forgot where a certain objective is.
Frankly, I hate all ranking systems. The only one I have ever found to be good was the Honor system in Americas Army. It just worked so well and balanced into the game perfectly. And while a lot of the teamwork was really just excuses to get higher points to help them get closer to the next Honor level, it appeared as if everyone was working really well together and made for a great play experience.

 

[randay]

my gamerscore is 12"!

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Newfie

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

I'm a student and I carefully watch what I spend and what I save.

$5 is nothing. $5 is ONE rental or ONE movie ticket, hell it can hardly buy you a decent meal at a fast food restaurant. Getting a month of fun for $5 is a huge bargain.

While I do see your philosophy that it can add up, I have the philosophy that life is too god damn short to worry about a few dollars. If I get to the point where $5 can make or break me, I have done something seriously wrong with my life.

Also, Achievements increase the life span of the game by getting you to do things you would not normally do. Therefore it gives you a bigger bang for your buck and it gives you the satisfaction that you got the most out of your investment. To be honest my gamerscore is ~1600 and I had a 360 for ages, but do I care? No!

you both do and don't understand that principal of money. comical really.
seriously, five dollars here for that one thing that's cheap, and another here. It's never that $5 is going to make or break you. But just watch yourself and keep track of how many times you do that in a month, of, oh it won't matter in the long run. And now think of how much that was. THAT much CAN break you when stretched out over many months, and ultimately years. Then again, I KNOW the idea, but I don't practice it perfectly. And really it's only this month that I've started that.

but as to reply to the gaming notions, if I can get that for free, I will. I am perfectly happy with my PSN and PC gaming. I don't play online enough to justify the cost anyway.
and achievements are still not necessary. It just is for people without imagination apparently. I don't find it hard at all to go about doing things in a game that I wouldn't normally, because sometimes I just like to screw around and see what I can accomplish. I don't do this with every game because sometimes they are not structured in such a way to really permit that kind of play, but whenever I can I really explore and just set about my own brand of fun within a game before moving on.
And actually, in the GTA games, that's all I ever did. Missions? They were too damned boring when I could just drive around and get random vehicles and cause random chaos. :evil:
I'm not a fan of the GTA games as far as the actual gameplay goes, but getting together with a bunch of friends and just having fun with them was a good experience.

 

[Newfie]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Newfie

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

I'm a student and I carefully watch what I spend and what I save.

$5 is nothing. $5 is ONE rental or ONE movie ticket, hell it can hardly buy you a decent meal at a fast food restaurant. Getting a month of fun for $5 is a huge bargain.

While I do see your philosophy that it can add up, I have the philosophy that life is too god damn short to worry about a few dollars. If I get to the point where $5 can make or break me, I have done something seriously wrong with my life.

Also, Achievements increase the life span of the game by getting you to do things you would not normally do. Therefore it gives you a bigger bang for your buck and it gives you the satisfaction that you got the most out of your investment. To be honest my gamerscore is ~1600 and I had a 360 for ages, but do I care? No!

you both do and don't understand that principal of money. comical really.
seriously, five dollars here for that one thing that's cheap, and another here. It's never that $5 is going to make or break you. But just watch yourself and keep track of how many times you do that in a month, of, oh it won't matter in the long run. And now think of how much that was. THAT much CAN break you when stretched out over many months, and ultimately years. Then again, I KNOW the idea, but I don't practice it perfectly. And really it's only this month that I've started that.

but as to reply to the gaming notions, if I can get that for free, I will. I am perfectly happy with my PSN and PC gaming. I don't play online enough to justify the cost anyway.
and achievements are still not necessary. It just is for people without imagination apparently. I don't find it hard at all to go about doing things in a game that I wouldn't normally, because sometimes I just like to screw around and see what I can accomplish. I don't do this with every game because sometimes they are not structured in such a way to really permit that kind of play, but whenever I can I really explore and just set about my own brand of fun within a game before moving on.
And actually, in the GTA games, that's all I ever did. Missions? They were too damned boring when I could just drive around and get random vehicles and cause random chaos. :evil:
I'm not a fan of the GTA games as far as the actual gameplay goes, but getting together with a bunch of friends and just having fun with them was a good experience.

Maby you misunderstood what I said. Using that $5 to greatly extend the life of my games really helps me to save money. If I never had live I would be spending more money on rentals and just buying new and used games. One game rental for a week costs more then playing the games I already own (and having fun with them) for a month.

Did you add those variables into your argument?

Yes, people can screw around in games and explore with your imagination, but are there any awards for your efforts? Thats the point of achievements. I bet that the vast majority of people who play halo 3 and hunt the skulls would not go hunting for them if they never got awards to do so.

Achievements appeal to the masses and it was a great strategy by Microsoft to include them. To the average person, being awarded for something usually feels good.

Edited: For clarity

 

[CKDragon]

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too.

You can use that mentality for ANY monthly purchase. Cable TV? Internet Access? Cell Phone Service? You CAN live without many luxuries and there are alternative (i.e. free) forms of entertainment we could all use as replacements.

Are you seriously suggesting that Xbox Live is the tipping point that suggests someone is liable to be irresponsible with their money?

 

[Ackmed]

Originally posted by: purbeast0


In the PS3's lifetime, the streamlining of the PSN will never be as integrated to the PS3 as Xbox Live is to the Xbox360.

You do not know this for fact. Sure live is better, by a lot for now. Home will be out, in the next several months, and connecting will be much better, and you'll be able to do more down the road with home, than you can with live. Such as, meeting people of similar interest/age/etc. and then go play the same game. Not playing with some kid, who yells and acts like a tard.

Dont offer your opinions as facts, if you please. We do not know what is going to be happening 2-3 years down the road, or more.

 

[purbeast0]

I am just as to how to reply to destrekor. He said so many stupid, ignorant things in this thread that I am at a loss for words as to how to reply to him. If I can gather my thoughts I will reply to him but for now I'm just .

 

[bucwylde23]

It cracks me up, a majority of the people who hate achievements are PS3 owners...

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Ackmed

Originally posted by: purbeast0


In the PS3's lifetime, the streamlining of the PSN will never be as integrated to the PS3 as Xbox Live is to the Xbox360.

You do not know this for fact. Sure live is better, by a lot for now. Home will be out, in the next several months, and connecting will be much better, and you'll be able to do more down the road with home, than you can with live. Such as, meeting people of similar interest/age/etc. and then go play the same game. Not playing with some kid, who yells and acts like a tard.

Dont offer your opinions as facts, if you please. We do not know what is going to be happening 2-3 years down the road, or more.

You are right, I don't know that.

But then again, I don't know that the PS3 may start to print $$ for me in the future as well. Hell the PS3 may start cooking me dinner. Who knows what will happen with the future of the PS3.

My point is that there are already many MANY games out there for the PS3, and there technically is no feasable way for them to get some kind of streamlined interface like Xbox Live's voice chat on Xbox Live (how you can do private chats regardless what your friend is doing on the other end), make mandatory voice chat, and tons of other crap into the copy of Resistance and Motorstorm that I already own.

Again sure I don't know that for 100%, but being a programmer myself and working in software, and following the technology of the PS3 since it was announced years ago, I am pretty confident that my assumption will be a reality. But who knows, as I said before, maybe in the future my PS3 will become my sex slave and I'll leave my fiance for my PS3!

 

[purbeast0]

And to those of you saying that Achievements are so lame and worthless ... just wait until the PS3's accomplishments start coming with PS3 games when Home launches.

I guarantee you will play parts of games JUST to get them and show them off in your Home.

 

[Suture]

They aren't even comparable. XBL is integrated very well with the games and the system. PSN seems like an afterthought. $50/year for XBL (and it's not hard to get it for $40) is loose change.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: destrekor
my only comment is the continued persistence that Live is cheap. $50/year (slightly cheaper if you look around) is not cheap. Sure, a few bucks a month feels cheap. But I bet most of you who say it is cheap and have that mentality of 'it's only a couple bucks a month, big deal' are probably in debt on credit cards too. I've recently began trying to keep to habits that can save me as much money as possible, and if that means buying the big packages of different products, not to mention the kroger or target brands of said items, then I do that. That alone saves me a couple bucks every purchase. I've never done the math but that's quite easily more than a few bucks a month. I like that philosophy, not the other way around. Because by not paying a few bucks a month for something I do not need, I have said enough to buy something I'd much rather have down the road, or not buy something at all until I have even more money and buy something bigger and better.

oh and achievements are only there to help people build bigger e-penises. I don't care to hear all the whiney kids and how big their e-penis is. I'd much rather see a rank within each game, versus an overall score and star rating for a person (think military ranks in Resistance and Halo). A per-game score system has much more merit than a general score system.

$50 dollars is cheap to alot of people. It is certainly cheap to me. I guess it depends on how much you make or how much you value 50 dollars..

I guess gamer score matters to some people but I know that personally I just enjoy completing the achievements for personal satisfaction. They really do make the game more fun for me. Especially when they are difficult to achieve.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
And to those of you saying that Achievements are so lame and worthless ... just wait until the PS3's accomplishments start coming with PS3 games when Home launches.

I guarantee you will play parts of games JUST to get them and show them off in your Home.

sure, but i'm not dying for the feature.
and still not paying.

Suture, as far as integration... games have integrated the basic parts, but most of it will have to wait until Home can complete the package, then developers will be able to integrate the entire package at once. All game developers have had comments about integrating Home into their games. The friends list and messaging can already be done within games on the PS3 (skate does this, not sure if many other games do or not).
The system is pretty much all there, it just needs to be united. It won't be hard to do and I think when Home comes out and the XMB can be accesses within games, then it'll all come together real smooth-like. Of course, this isn't now, but I'm not terribly worried. Sony had a rough start, and since this is really their first outing with online in any kind of near-integrated way, most knew it wouldn't be the greatest at first.
You'll see this all the time in the console genre. A new maker will try and prove its worth, and if it catches on, it still tries hard but not as hard for the second time. In the case of Sony and Nintendo, this was evident. Nintendo had 3 successful systems before it dropped the ball with the GCN. Sony had 2 before it stumbled at the starting block. Sega, well, they kind of always stumbled, and then flat out died with a do-not-resuscitate sign pinned on their chest. Microsoft, well we'll see how their third console goes. Microsoft had their stumble with the first console, so the third console may be really good too.
It takes the major stumble to wake up the company. Nintendo went all crazy revolutionary on us with the Wii. Sony looks like it'll be able to save the PS3 too, and hopefully will apply what they learned to the PS4 and PSP2.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

I enjoy live and pay for it but the lack of dedicated servers for most games is super annoying as is microsofts iron fist when it comes to content. They are too strict.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: purbeast0
And to those of you saying that Achievements are so lame and worthless ... just wait until the PS3's accomplishments start coming with PS3 games when Home launches.

I guarantee you will play parts of games JUST to get them and show them off in your Home.

sure, but i'm not dying for the feature.
and still not paying.

Suture, as far as integration... games have integrated the basic parts, but most of it will have to wait until Home can complete the package, then developers will be able to integrate the entire package at once. All game developers have had comments about integrating Home into their games. The friends list and messaging can already be done within games on the PS3 (skate does this, not sure if many other games do or not).
The system is pretty much all there, it just needs to be united. It won't be hard to do and I think when Home comes out and the XMB can be accesses within games, then it'll all come together real smooth-like. Of course, this isn't now, but I'm not terribly worried. Sony had a rough start, and since this is really their first outing with online in any kind of near-integrated way, most knew it wouldn't be the greatest at first.
You'll see this all the time in the console genre. A new maker will try and prove its worth, and if it catches on, it still tries hard but not as hard for the second time. In the case of Sony and Nintendo, this was evident. Nintendo had 3 successful systems before it dropped the ball with the GCN. Sony had 2 before it stumbled at the starting block. Sega, well, they kind of always stumbled, and then flat out died with a do-not-resuscitate sign pinned on their chest. Microsoft, well we'll see how their third console goes. Microsoft had their stumble with the first console, so the third console may be really good too.
It takes the major stumble to wake up the company. Nintendo went all crazy revolutionary on us with the Wii. Sony looks like it'll be able to save the PS3 too, and hopefully will apply what they learned to the PS4 and PSP2.

I know you aren't paying, cause you don't have an Xbox360, and you probably never will, cause you are a PS3 fanboy

And this integration WILL be hard to do ... for the library of PS3 games that are already out there.

And your bolded stuff has absolutely nothing to do w/this thread ... no clue what you were trying to say in there (and your formatting is pretty tough to read).

 

[EvilComputer92]

Originally posted by: chrisg22
It cracks me up, a majority of the people who hate achievements are PS3 owners...

No kidding. Achievements are no different than the high scores of the ye old days of gaming. In some games it was easier to get a high score than others, same is true of achievements. If you hate achievements so much, you might as well hate every arcade game with a scoring system.

As for pricing, cable and internet with comcast are already close to a 100 bucks a month. Another 5 bucks for a service that I use frequently is nothing. Especially when you compare it to a World of Warcraft subscription that costs $15 a month, which in the end supports only one game compared with live's array of titles.

 

[bigpow]

FWIW, I think PSN's version of 2nd Life looks very promising.
Kinda reminds me of an extended version of Test Drive Unlimited social interaction (Xbox 360)

As far as online gaming, contents, features - Xbox Live is years ahead of PSN.
Why not compare PSN against Xbox Live Silver (also Free)?

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: bigpow
FWIW, I think PSN's version of 2nd Life looks very promising.
Kinda reminds me of an extended version of Test Drive Unlimited social interaction (Xbox 360)

As far as online gaming, contents, features - Xbox Live is years ahead of PSN.
Why not compare PSN against Xbox Live Silver (also Free)?

cause PSN is definitely better than Xbox Live silver since you can't even game online w/the silver membership.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: bigpow
FWIW, I think PSN's version of 2nd Life looks very promising.
Kinda reminds me of an extended version of Test Drive Unlimited social interaction (Xbox 360)

As far as online gaming, contents, features - Xbox Live is years ahead of PSN.
Why not compare PSN against Xbox Live Silver (also Free)?

cause PSN is definitely better than Xbox Live silver since you can't even game online w/the silver membership.

Well, technically you cant game online with PSN either...