Viewing Thread:
"How do you go about in deciding which console to get?"

*Clears throat*

Today there are obviously some great consoles out. Sega have said they are going to stop producing games for the Dreamcast soon, but the Dreamcast is still an excellent console with superb games. It has a really cool online option to, so if you don’t have any friends (hehe) you can play with someone over the net. The Dreamcast set a few records to; it was the first 128-bit console and was the first console that had the ability to play online games. Sega have had to make the dreaded decision on weather to carry on making Dreamcast games or not, and they have decided to stop developing games for it. This has really upset a lot of people who have bought the Dreamcast. I had only been playing the Dreamcast for two weeks, when Sega suddenly announced that they were ditching it. I was really annoyed, along with other Dreamcast fans. It is really a great shame because Dremcast has great potential and if Sega could stick with it, the Dreamcast would have got better and better.

Then you have the Playstation2 which is disliked by some, and loved by others. I own a PS2 and think that it has great potential for a truly superb console but it doesn’t satisfy everyone. Some people say that it doesn’t have a wide range of games, but the ones it does have are pretty good, however, is “pretty good” good enough for a £300 console? The answer to that is no, its just not good enough. Most people are fairly confident that in a years time it will have a wide variety of games, which will live up to expectations.

The other two consoles are the Nintendo Gamecube and Microsoft X-box. Both of which will be excellent consoles. Some people have all ready made up their minds though on what console they are going to get. This will mean that if the customer has decided that they are going to get, say the Gamecube for instance, the customer must have great faith in it. I say this because people haven’t even played on the thing yet, so how can they be so certain on weather to buy it or not?

This brings me on to my main point, what are your ways of deciding weather to buy a console or not.

Everyone has different ways of sussing out a console. Maybe it could be hype? Yes, let me start of with hype.
Hype? What is this you people speak of? I have so far gathered information that it is something used for making people get excited about something that isn’t out yet. Well, surely this is a good thing?
*Thinks of ways to back up the idea of hype*

Well, it is the best thing possible for game developers, well it can be, or it can be bad. I know I shouldn’t keep referring to Metal Gear Solid 2 all the time but it is the game that is just so hyped up it makes you wonder will it survive all of it?

If a game gets lots of hype, so much that people begin to think that it’s the best game ever, but really it isn’t even out yet. Yes people, that is how big hype can get, even to the stage where people are throwing their arms in the air and buy a pogo stick and bounce around chanting “MGS2 rocks!” even though they haven’t played it.

I can understand people getting really excited about MGS2 now because we have been blessed with a top quality playable demo! You really do have to feel sorry for the games that just get to much hype that they can handle. When a game gets too much UNWANTED hype then it can all go dreadfully wrong from there.

Bouncer is a classic example for this, the game was really hyped, so much that when the game was played by people, gamers were disgusted. It was and is going to be a great shame because I predict the game to be very good, just not as good as the hype led us to believe.

*Hears groans coming from people* Don’t worry I’m nearly done.
*M16 spots people making faces behind his back* Hey! Enough of that! :-)

So we have good and bad points with hype, but what we have to remember that hype is not just in the gaming world, but in everything imaginable! Cars, TV’s, Movies, Music…. I could go on forever!

So, there we have it. Hype, loved by some and hated by others, but does it help you decide weather to buy a console or not?

If no, what else do you go by? Specs?
Yes, why not specs? The thing many people forget is that it doesn’t matter how powerful the machine is, the big question is can it produce top quality games or not?

Don’t get me wrong, specs are still important but it doesn’t decide weather a console is good or not. If I were to help someone to decide on buying a console that isn’t out yet, it would have to be to look at the game developers it has first. If it has plenty of game develops that is a great start! Next, get as much news ASAP on the console. When I say news I mean try to look for game previews and early screen shots that you can find. Hopefully by now the machine has been released in Japan, so there should be plenty of opinions hovering around on gaming sites.

The other very important part of deciding what console to get is of course the cost of a console. Not everyone can shell out £300 on a games console. The PS2 costs around £300 which is a little on the steep side, but hopefully when gamecube and x box come out they will be cheaper.

I think to round it off, if you are still not 100% sure on weather to buy the console or not just wait for the release of the console. Hopefully one of your mates will have it, plead with him/her to go around his/her house to play with the console. That way you can judge it for yourself as you will have played it and you have witnessed it for your own eyes!

So the question for everyone is “what helps you decide what console to get”

Sorry for the length but I have tried to include most important issues with deciding in which console to get, but if you have any more please post them.

Thanks for reading,
-M16-

I decided to get a PS2 as I liked the look of the games to be released for it, and also, it had a DVD player (extra bonus, as I don't have one), and after the success of the PSX, which I loved, I couldn't not get the PS2.

And I'm not disappointed. When the next wave of consoles start to emerge, I'll look at the games coming out for them, and see what I like the look of.

Although, anything over £350 is out of the question.

Not a problem!

Lol @ WM falling off his chair.


Seriously though, sorry for bringing that up, i didnt know...

Your Honour wrote:
> You mean you look at pictures on the net wookiee? Someone told me
> you're married, you're an example to kids like Sniper, you should
> act grownup, even if you're not!!!

Me? Act grown up? Ha ha ha ha ha! Wooo hooo hoooo! Oh my aching sides! Hee hee hee...



Ow!

Sorry - laughing so hard I fell off my chair.

Ahem... anyway... married? Me? No siree bob - I'm young, free and single. Actually that's a lie - I'm not exactly young. Well, not physically... mentally I'm about 15. Months, that is. Sometimes I border on pre-natal, but only on a very good day. :-)

I was engaged once - about 5 years ago. But we don't wanna go there... messy business.

You mean you look at pictures on the net wookiee? Someone told me you're married, you're an example to kids like Sniper, you should act grownup, even if you're not!!!

:-)

SNIPER wrote:
> Plenty to find in my school....hee hee.

And you sit at a keyboard looking at pictures of them...

Welcome to Geekdom, Snipe! :-)

The best way to catch a console is to look out for really good bargains that how i got around to afford a N64 well my parents did, but that isn't the case try a console out first before buying!

I'd tell them to buy whatever one they want and not get drawn into the marketing and the hype and the peer pressure.

Look at the games, look at your wallet, look at future releases (both hardware and software), look back at your wallet, sigh and shrug and buy what you want.

The way i got to get my N64 was..... i got a test drive of the machine first.....i loved it and bought for christmas sceond hand.

Okay on with the original post, anyone else have any more ideas on what helps you buy a console.

If someone asked you to give them advice on how to choose a console what would you tell them?

Come on, lets get the topic back on tracks. Thank you.