Damn... Sony packed so much stuff into that update that i'm getting overwhelmed. I had my PSP at version 1.50 since I bought it at launch week. Version 2.0 was my first update since I only update things when an update is really worth it. But there is so much stuff to do like changing the music files to Atrac3plus and the videos to AVC and the photos and wallpapers and the browser and blah blah blah. It all requires plenty of time. I guess all that messing around will keep me busy until Burnout Legends comes out.

I had originally planned to buy 3 Xbox 360 games at launch. Then I changed my mind and decided to buy only 2. Well, I changed my mind again and I am buying only 1. The lucky game is Perfect Dark Zero Limited Edition.

The reason for only one? Apart from saving money I have realised that I will never have the time to play any game other than PDZ. I mean... PDZ is the total package. It will have a hugely long single player mode (like PD64) and an online mode with infinite replay value. I remember when I had PD on N64 I played it for months against bots. Imagine the replay value with online!

My old Xbox360 launch plans had me paying $850. But now I will be paying only $490 (for the X360 = $400, PDZ:LE = $60, Svideo cable = $30). I decided to skip on wireless internet (i'll just use a long LAN cable for now) for about 3 months after launch. After about 3 months post launch i'll buy the gaming router and wifi adapter.

I'm also selling my GBA and GameCube soon. They suck. Plus I hate having more than 1 system. So I will have the PSP for handheld and the Xbox360 for console. And PS3 about 3 years from now if FFVII is exclusive to PS3. But with Square/Enix announcement that their games will be multiplatform next gen to increase profits it is possible that FFVII could come to the 360. You never know...

Reasons for:

PS3:
-It will be the most powerful system ever thanks to an amazing CPU called... teh Cell!!!!
-It will have Blue-Ray for watching HD movies.
-Expected to have more JRPGs than any other console (FFVII remake oh **** yeah!!!).
-Release date (in America) is a year after the Xbox 360 = time to save money (but i'll probably not buy it until FFVII or MGS4 come out which won't be until late 2007 or 2008 I suppose).
-I can use my 32mb memory stick that came with my PSP and is now collecting dust (since i'm using a 1gb one for my PSP).

Xbox 360:
-It will produce the best graphics next gen thanks to... free 4x antialiasing (that never ceases to amaze me) and other amazing things that the Ati Xenos GPU can do (48 pipelines my God!!).
-Best controller ever! (the PS3's controller makes me cry)
-It will have more (and better) games than the other systems (for releasing first + easiest to develop for)
-Xbox Live (enough said) + the HDD (we can download demos and trailers of games plus a gazillion other things to do like listen to MP3's on every game, save games, use as cache to eliminate load times, and etc.)

Revolution:
-TSHBO (teh sheep have been owned)

Annoying:

1) Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter ($100 wtf?):

2) PS3 controller (banana / batarang / female sex toy (with dual rumble for added pleasure):

Beautiful:

1) Cell processor (I get wet by just by thinking about it):

2) PSP (sleek device for my geeky pleasure):

I realized that while i'm playing videogames on my room and I start feeling hungry I have to go to the kitchen. With the PS3 that is going to end since, believe it or not, the PS3 can be used as a grill. Sony decided to implement that function after they found out that the Cell processor makes the PS3 overheat up to 300 C. That's a major selling point for me. In fact I will only consider the Xbox 360 and the N-Revolution if they include a toilet as a secondary function so that I don't have to leave the room for that either. But i'm hearing the xbox 360 can be used as a tampoon, so i don't need want that. I guess i'll wait until Nintendo unveils the Revolution. A toilet would truly be a revolutionary thing indeed.

Here's the hidden feature of PS3:

To hold me over for the next year I have my PC (for online games Oh yeah!), my PSP (for multimedia on the go Oh yeah!), my GameCube (for kiddy games Oh **** no!), and my stinking piece of crap GBA (I just play SMB3 Oh yeah!).

The fact that the xbox 360 won't have the HDD as a "standard" has dissapointed me greatly. That and having to pay an extra $100 to use a WiFi connection with a stupid adapter (the psp, ds, revolution, and ps3 have it built in). That's $500 with no games. I might as well buy a PS3 instead for that amount. But money isn't the problem really. I don't have a problem paying that. But I might as well wait and see if PS3 offers more bang for my buck. Now that both system won't have the HDD as a standard I can consider PS3. If Microsoft had only offered the $400 package it would have been awesome. But they had to screw it all up by offering a $300 package that ruined things. (yes HDD standard was a big deal for me)

I have read a lot of info on the Cell processor and it is amazing everything it can do. I mean... IBM, Sony, and Toshiba spent over $1 billion on the thing. It must live up to expectations no doubt. (Oh and yes... the Cell on the PS3 is, sadly, a watered down version.) It seems like the Cell will give programmers quite a lot of work since it is not easy to program for because of how different it is from current processors. But i'm sure that once they get used to this new technology great things will come of it.

Here is a pdf on the Cell related to graphics functions from the recent IBM presentation.

Check out everything on the cell from the presentation here.

Update:
I did some calculations and this is how much 360 will cost me if bought at launch:
System = $400,
WiFi adapter = $100,
PDZ + DoA 4 = $120,
Xbox Live Gold = $50,
S-Video cable = $30
Gaming Router with shipping = $150,

Total = $850

That is enough to buy a computer... or a very good computer upgrade for that matter.

I'll wait and see what Sony and Microsoft show at the Tokio Game Show next month before making any drastic decisions.

Xbox 360 Core System - $299 (299 Euros, 209 GBP)
•Xbox 360 console
•Wired controller
•Detachable faceplate
•Xbox Live Silver membership
•Standard AV cables

Xbox 360 - $399 (399 Euros, 279 GBP)
•Xbox 360 console
•20GB detachable hard drive
•Wireless controller
•Wireless Xbox Live headset
•High-definition AV cables
•Ethernet cable
•Xbox 360 Media Remote Control (limited time)
•Detachable faceplate
•Xbox Live Silver membership

Peripherals: (sold separately)
• Faceplate ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
• Hard Drive (20 GB) ($99.99, 99.99 Euros, 69.99 GBP)
• Memory Unit (64 MB) ($39.99, 34.99 Euros, 22.99 GBP)
• Wireless Networking Adapter ($99.99, 79.99 Euros, 59.99 GBP)
• Wireless Controller ($49.99, 44.99 Euros, 32.99 GBP)
• Play and Charge Kit ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
• Rechargeable Battery Pack ($11.99, 14.99 Euros, 9.99 GBP)
• Controller ($39.99, 34.99 Euros, 24.99 GBP)
• Headset ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
• Universal Media Remote ($29.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)
• Component HD AV Cable ($39.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)
• S-Video AV Cable (US) ($29.99)
• SCART AV Cable (Europe) (24.99 Euros, 17.99 GBP)
• VGA HD AV Cable ($39.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)

What is the point of the $300 dollar package?? Now the HDD isn't standard. :evil:

Microsoft this will cost you. I'm not so sure I want a 360 anymore.

Ok i'm having second thoughts now. In the end the Xbox 360 will cost the same as the PS3. PS3 has no need for a WiFi adapter. So it should go like this: PS3 with no HDD at $400 plus $100 for a HDD it should total $500. That's the same as the Xbox360 including the WiFi adapter! Microsoft you are stupid!

But I want PDZ! :cry:

Since Microsoft announced today that they will have 2-3 million Xbox360's ready for November I see no reason why I shouldn't take the $50 deposit I have and buy a PSP (Mercury or Ridge Racer) or GameCube (WWE DoR2) game with it. So I decided to cancel it sometime soon and buy a new game 'CAUSE I REALLY NEED ONE (speccially for PSP).

I seriously doubt that the 360 will sell more than 500 thousand units on launch date. So there will be more than enough units left (about 2 million left maybe?) for those that didn't pre-purchase.

Now for PS3 it should be a different story. I remember the PS2's launch it was hard to find if you didn't preorder. Luckly I had my PS2 preordered. Now for PS3 I expect shortages; but I don't think I'll buy a PS3 before the FFVII remake comes out so it should be a few years after launch before I buy one.

Today is the official release date of:

Just take a look at how many PS3 and Xbox 360 games will be using it, a damn lot. Even japanese developers have purchased the engine. Heck even Rockstar recently purchased it.

At least that guarantees graphical greatness in games. The physics that engine can handle are great. Even better than the physics in HL2.

The engine is very powerful no doubt about that, but i'm not so sure all developers know how to use it properly. Just take a look at the game Frame City Killer by Namco; the characters in that game look more plastic than real life plastic!

But other developers really know what they are doing. Just take a look at the Unreal Tournament 2007 pic below. It looks great in action, just watch the gameplay footage video somewhere.

Now what would be really great would be if they combined it with the GeoMod Engine to provide next gen destructible enviroments. That would be ****ing sweet!