Game Console Report Card -- Fall 2007 edition (page 6 of 6)
- August 14, 2007 14:55 PM PST
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WINNER
TIE: Xbox 360 & PlayStation 2
The best buys for 2007?
Now, we all know there's normally no "Winner" when it comes to grades. It's all about individual achievement, right? Except that, this holiday, your dollars are limited and your options are more plentiful than ever. Confusing, huh?
We chose the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 as the best buys this fall because, well, they have the games. The PlayStation 2 is dirt cheap ($129.99 brand new, and considerably less for a used model) and has seven-year game catalog standing behind it, including countless must-play games like Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy XII, and God of War 2. Make no mistake: if you don't yet own a PS2, now's the time to invest. For the money, it's unbeatable.
The Xbox 360, on the other hand, has its own unique strengths. Its online Xbox Live service is second-to-none (despite its annoying fees), and it has a catalog of excellent games such as Crackdown, Forza Motorsport 2, and Gears of War...hell, even Geometry Wars Evolved is impressive. The Xbox 360's tendency to overheat and fail is disturbing; luckily, Microsoft is footing the bill with a generous (though limited) three-year warranty. If you're a next-gen HD gamer, it's hard to go wrong with the Xbox 360 at the moment...though you may want to wait and buy one of the new, HDMI-equipped models.
Of course, this isn't to say that the Wii and the PS3 aren't worth owning -- they certainly are. It's just that they haven't matured yet. Once the great games start flowing, we expect Microsoft will have a much tougher fight on their hands...and Sony will finally be able to stop leaning on the PS2.
The editors of GamePro also feel strongly about the new, sexily redesigned PSP-2000 and the continued success of the DS. We expect big things from these two handheld game systems in the months and years to come.
