There is no doubt that launching first gave Xbox 360 a lead of about 5 Million units over the PS3. However, the Xbox 360 has maintained this lead for nearly five full shopping seasons that the PS3 has been on the market. In fact, the sales gap in English-speaking parts of the world such as North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia has actually seen the lead of the Xbox 360 expand over that period of time.

I believe the primary reasons why Xbox 360 has outsold the PS3 have to do with superior software. This superiority is the result of better graphics (especially in multiplatform games), faster load times, and superior online features.

For example, Virtua Fighter 5 is on both Xbox 360 and PS3. But only the Xbox 360 version lets you play online against other gamers. Plus, the Xbox 360 version has better graphics and more features.

Another example is Marvel Ultimate Alliance. This game is virtually identical on both consoles. There are only a few minor differences, but they add up to something big. First is load times: On the PS3 it takes eight full seconds to swap characters in a game where you swap hundreds of times. On the Xbox 360 it takes only three seconds for loading when swapping characters. Also, on Xbox Live there are so many more people to play with. And all of those people on Xbox Live have headsets to chat with while playing; it isn't like that on PS3 since PS3 doesn't come with a headset.

Tekken 6 is a game designed as a PS3 "exclusive" using PS3 hardware. It is identical on both consoles. The only difference is load times; they are faster on Xbox 360.

Soul Calibur 4 is another great game from Namco. It runs at 40% higher resolution on Xbox 360. Xbox 360 runs at 1365x960p while PS3 runs at standard 1280x720p. This makes a difference to gamers who want the best software.

Grand Theft Auto 4 is a best-seller. It has a resolution of 720p on Xbox 360, but only 640p on PS3. And the Xbox 360 saw the exclusive launch of the two extra episodes. This made a big deal to a lot of people, as proven by the fact that two out of three gamers bought this game for Xbox 360.

Modern Warfare and Call of Duty games are the same thing. Gamers know that Microsoft has a contract with Activision where Xbox 360 gets all map packs launched exclusive. Eventually they will be available for PS3, but why wait when you can have it first on Xbox 360 and have millions of more gamers to play it with -- gamers who use headsets while playing online. Being able to use a headset online for strategy really does make a big difference in games like Modern Warfare, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and Halo.

Finally, when you look at all the hundreds of exclusive games Xbox 360 has on disc, Xbox Live Arcade, and Xbox Live Indie Games, it really seems clear to me that the reason why Xbox 360 has outsold the PS3 has a lot more to do with games than anything else.

In my opinion, the big problem with the Playstation 3 from a financial perspective is that by the time this generation is over there is absolutely no doubt that the console will have cost Sony literally (not practically, but literally) billions of dollars. No overall profit will have come to Sony from the life of the Playstation 3.

The main reason for this is because of the huge costs associated with launching a console. Sony lost $3.9 Billion when launching the PS3. I personally believe there is no way in the world a console manufacturer could hope to end up making an overall profit when sustaining huge financial losses like that to launch a console. This is the main reason why so many rumors have circulated about the Playstation 3 being the last console from Sony.

We need to give credit to the "Playstation" brand where it is due. There is no doubt that the PS1 helped reinvent the game industry. And there is no doubt that the PS2 was the best console last generation -- it had the best lineup of games in every genre except First-Person Shoother. However, there is also no doubt that the PS3 is by far the biggest disappointment in the history of the Playstation brand. PS3 lacks the third-party support that provided the overwhelming majority of the software success for the PS1 and PS2.

This generation we have seen the Xbox 360 reinvent gaming thanks to offering a vastly superior online service and packing a microphone in with Xbox 360. This means every Xbox 360 owner has a full expectation that when they are online with other games, everyone should have the ability to chat online while playing.

This generation the Xbox 360 is the console that receives the most third-party support. This is the reason why Xbox 360 has the strongest lineup of games in every genre -- even niche genres such as Puzzle, Party, Platform, RPG, Real-Time Strategy, and JRPG.

Look how all those JRPG games such as Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Tales of Vesperia, and The Last Remant all launched exclusively on Xbox 360, similar to what Microsoft has set up with the extra maps for Call of Duty and the extra episodes for Grand Theft Auto 4.

Games like Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Infinite Undiscovery, and Dead or Alive are all released for Xbox 360, but not for the PS3. This lack of third-party support hurts the PS3 in a significant way. The PS3 has been available for nearly five shopping seasons and it still has 0 (yes, zero) Tetris games, while Xbox 360 has two Tetris games.

The area where PS3 is at its biggest disadvantage is actually multiplayer games that are released for both Xbox 360 and PS3. When you compare games like Bayonetta, Splinter Cell, Assassins Creed 1 & 2, Fight Night, Orange Box, and so many others you clearly see that the Xbox 360 has superior Graphics Processing and superior online play.

And on Channel G4 I was watching a debate when everyone agreed that even during the times when the PS3 and Xbox 360 have absolutely identical versions of games, the Xbox 360 version is still fundamentally "better" due to the fact that there are millions more gamers to play online with and virtually everyone on Xbox Live has a headset to chat online while playing (since a headset comes packed with Xbox 360 but not with PS3).

Lately some of the PS3 supports have said "But what about games like Final Fantasy 13 and Dragon Age being 'better' on PS3."

When you compare games like FF13 and Dragon Age on both consoles you realize that it is not the PS3 "hardware" (GPU, CPU, RAM) showing itself off in those games; it is the simple area of "space" on a disc that gave the PS3 the edge in those games.

Look how FF13 on the PS3 is one disc, while the Xbox 360 version is three discs. The graphics while playing are exactly the same, but the cinema "video" scenes are at a slightly higher resolution on the PS3 -- not a reflection of "hardware" power, but a display of "storage space" on the disc.

Dragon Age: Origins actually shows the Xbox 360 has a superior GPU, and would definitely be better than the PS3 version if it wasn't for the simple fact that Dragon Age is such a huge game and needs more space than one 8GB DVD offers. The Xbox 360 version doesn't suffer from the framerate problems the PS3 version does, due to the fact that Xbox 360 has a superior GPU that can display far more polygons (500,000,000 compared to 275,000,000).

The one and only reason why the PS3 version of Dragon Age has "better" graphics is because the developers needed to squeeze all those textures on one disc, which meant they had no choice but to decrease the number of pixels in each texture for the Xbox 360 version (essentially lowering the resolution). This has nothing to do with "hardware," but everything to do with "space" on a disc.

The problem for the PS3 is that literally less than 1% of games need to use over 8GB of space. Literally over 99% of third-party games released today use less than 8GB of space. This means supporters of the PS3 will always be able point their finger at that 1% of games (games like FF13 and Dragon Age), while Xbox 360 supporters will always be able point their fingers at a much larger selection of games.

I really think Sony goofed up by not including any type of microphone with the PS3 the way Microsoft did with Xbox 360. On Xbox 360 you always know that people are going to have a microphone to chat online with. In games like Call of Duty, Modern Warfare, Gears of War, Halo, and so many others it makes a huge difference being able to chat with your teammates. The fact that the PS3 has only a very small percentage of owners with a microphone really makes it so you don't have the expectation of counting on that type of strategy when playing a PS3 game. If Sony would have just included a microphone, this problem would have been avoided.

The PS3 does off "free" online gaming (for now) but we have already seen that companies like EA, Square Enix, and Activision have plans for charging online. And let's not forget that Sony has said all along that they may decide to start charging in the future.

Xbox Live does cost about $4 per month to play online (less than $1 per week), but it's important to keep in mind that Xbox Live is a full generation ahead of what is offered on the PSN. Xbox Live is like stepping a full generation ahead of what Sony and Nintendo offer on their consoles.

I've seen several comments talking about first-party "exclusives." Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and both consoles have now built up a lineup of exclusives. Obviously when you add up all available options such as games on discs, games on the PSN, games on Xbox Live Arcade, and games on Xbox Live Indie Games, there is no doubt the Xbox 360 literally has hundreds of more "exclusive" games than the PS3. This really has turned into a big advantage for Microsoft, as proven by the huge profits Microsoft is now making. Someone called Microsoft a "cash cow" but I think this just shows Microsoft is a smart business organization.

Well, I did my best to respond to the comments I read. I want to make an official notice to Gamespot Moderators and Administrators that this long article I wrote reflects my personal "opinions" and should not be regarded as anything other than my "opinions." Please do not target me as a fanboy for listing hardware specifications or statistical facts -- that's the type of information that makes a website better, even when used with a person's "opinions."

Everyone have a nice weekend.

Mass Effect 2 is a Success - Reviews Prove It!

Mass Effect 2 is a game that everyone knew would be a candidate for Game of the Year. After all, the first Mass Effect won various Game of the Year awards. It is now confirmed that Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 has somehow managed to improve on the first Mass Effect game in every way possible!

The graphics of Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 are superior to the first game. The gameplay is superior in various modes of combat. The storyline is even better than the first game due to the fact that the same plot is expanded upon based on the decisions you made in the first game. The sci-fi music atmosphere is amazing in Mass Effect 2. And the list of well-known voice actors with amazing talent is incredible.

I recently got my copy of The Official Xbox Magazine, and I saw that Mass Effect 2 is rated with a score of 9.5 out of 10! This is wonderful and it makes me look forward to playing Mass Effect 2 more than ever!

2010 has been an amazing year so far, since it has already brought us two candidates for Game of the Year:

* Mass Effect 2

* Bayonetta (Xbox 360 version)

Milking

Okay, it's time to settle this debate about "milking."

I'm going to prove that absolutely nothing about the Halo series has been "milked" any more than successful franchises such as Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Tekken, or Resident Evil. I'm then going to point out the game that truly is a perfect definition of the word "milking."

Webster's dictionary defines this particular definition of the word "Milk" as:

"To draw or coerce profit or advantage from illicity or to an extreme degree."

The word "illicit" is defined as "unlawful" or "not permitted." Obviously, there is nothing unlawful about releasing software, so we will focus on the other end of the stick, which is "to an extreme degree."

There are only three games in the Halo trilogy focused on Spartan soldier Master Chief John 117, and only one of those games is on Xbox 360. I certainly don't think that is any type of "extreme degree."

Halo 3: ODST is a full game that stops focusing on Spartan soldiers in order to look at things from the point of view of human soldiers known as Shock Troopers. Halo 3: ODST even adds a new mode of survival Co-Op play known as FireFight, which has never before been seen in a Halo game. There is only one Halo game of this kind that has ever been created, so that certainly isn't any type of "extreme degree."

Halo Wars is a Real-Time Strategy game, which is a completely different genre than the other Halo games, which are First-Person Shooters. Only one of these types of Halo Wars RTS games has ever been created. Obviously, this is not any type of "extreme" degree.

Halo: Reach has not yet been released, but when it is released it will be very unique. Halo: Reach takes place prior to the first game in the series--Halo: Combat Evolved. Halo: Reach is the first game in the series where we will see the focus on "multiple" Spartan soldiers who are different from one another. This will provide incredible depth to the game in new ways that have not been seen before. Obviously, the only type of "extreme degree" Halo: Reach might be associated with is the number of "firsts" it brings to the Halo series, which is an excellent quality.

On the PC there are only two Halo games available. Certainly this isn't any form of "extreme degree."

And if you look at the Cumulative Total of Halo games ever created and compare them to a series like Mario, Sonic, Metroid, or Final Fantasy, you will see that Halo is certainly not the game series that has an "extreme degree" of games. For example, Final Fantasy 14 on the consoles represents far more of an "extreme degree" than Halo does.

The simple fact is, it is 100% alright to keep on making different games in a series as long as the software is highly rated and continues to sell well -- accomplishments which Halo games always achieve.

Did you catch what I said above: It is alright to keep on making "different" games in a series. The term "milking" seriously comes into play when you continue to try and produce the "same" individual game with the "same" name over and over and over (yes, three times) during the same console generation. After all, every time you "milk" a cow, the exact same thing squirts out with the exact same name.

The textbook example of a game that is being "milked" to an "extreme degree" is Gran Turismo 5.

For example, we first saw a game released called Gran Turismo 5 Concepts, which was simply a demo, so no harm done. But then we saw a $40 version released to the public known as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. This is quite expensive for what is essentially a larger "demo" of an incomplete game, especially since the game received mixed reviews and has the score of only an 80 on Metacritic. When Gran Turismo 5 is released in 2010, it will cost $60. This means we will have seen a whopping three versions of the exact same game with the exact same name of Gran Turismo 5 with a total of $100 as its price for all the versions.

This holds the record in any generation of console gaming in regards to "drawing or coercing profit or advantage to an extreme degree."

Webster's dictionary points out that the word "exploit" can be used as a synonym for the intransivitive verb of "milking." This definition of the word "exploit" is:

"To make use of meanly or unfairly for one's own advantage."

I think the developers of all software try and create great games. Nobody is going to accuse the developers of Halo of meanly developing software for their own advantage. Each time a Halo game is released, consumers are very happy to purchase the product because it is fun for them to play. It is a win-win scenario where the consumers get to play and have fun, while the developers get to enjoy a monetary profit.

$60 is a standard price for a standard videogame. Great games like Halo 3, Gears of War 2, and Modern Warfare 2 have additional forms of custom versions that come with things like Helmets, Lancers, or Night Vision goggles for up to $149. In this scenario you are purchasing something extra because you desire something extra. It is a win-win scenario.

But look how Gran Turismo 5 is very different. By the time you purchase the "entire" game for $40 plus $60, it will have cost you $100. The publisher of Gran Turismo 5 will have taken advantage of all the mean software delays in an unfair way by charging people $40 for an unfinished "Prologue" version of the game, and then charging another $60 once the game is complete.

According to the dictionary definition, Gran Turismo 5 is the game that is being "milked" to an extreme degree more than any other game. Consumers are being exploited with Prologue versions of games as a result of delays in the finished product.

Note: I am not referring to the Gran Turismo "series," which does have a cumulative total of games higher than Halo -- especially when you count the portable versions. There is nothing wrong with creating sequels to a game series like Gran Turismo. I am simply referring "specifically" to Gran Turismo 5. The bottom line is that three versions of the same game adding up to $100 is too much--it is an extreme degree. If we are going to focus on "milking" let's focus on the game that is doing it to the most extreme degree: Gran Turismo 5.

Graphics were one of the areas that people were most impressed by on the Halo 3: ODST Troop Transport.

This past week Microsoft has been allowing the media to take some screenshots of the game. We've known for a while that Halo 3: ODST allows you to play as the legendary Sgt. Johnson in FireFight mode if you preorder the game with a participating retailer such as Gamestop. I amhappy to report that I have found a couple of screenshots that show Sgt. Johnson fighting alongside the Shock Troopers!

In the first screenshot, our tough friend Sgt. Johnson shows just how insanely tough he is -- he doesn't even bother to take his trademark cigar out of his mouth while kicking Covenant butt! That is probably the most awesome screenshot any Halo fan could ever ask for! And the graphic detail is absolutely amazing!

The second screenshot shows Sgt. Johnson standing right next to you. The graphic detail is incredible! You can see facial expressions along with the weapons and supplies Sgt. Johnson is carrying. I can only imagine all of the cool things that Sgt. Johnson is going to say as we finally see him personally kicking Covenant butt!

In the third screenshot, Sgt. Johnson is actually firing the huge gun on the awesome-looking Warthog vehicle. Once again we see that Sgt. Johnson has his awesome looking cigar in his mouth, and we see the amazing facial detail -- he is squinting while targeting the enemies. I found out that since all of the Shock Troopers are human, Halo 3: ODST will allow you to unlock achievements that let you take the helmets off of your Shock Trooper. This is cool, because it will let you see the extra detail and facial expressions.

I hope everyone enjoys looking at these screenshots of Sgt. Johnson.

Image 1: Sgt. Johnson with Cigar, kicking Covenant butt!

Image 2: Sgt. Johnson standing within feet of you! Detail is so amazing I can smell that cigar!

Image 3: Sgt. Johnson on a Warthog!

I can definitely say that Halo 3: ODST will win Game of the Year.

In order to play Halo 3: ODST this weekend, I stood in line for 3 hours 30 minutes at the Halo 3: ODST Troop Transport that is travelling across the country. Everyone who played the game agreed on the following things:

* Halo 3: ODST has absolutely awesome gameplay that is incredibly fun -- the funnest since the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

* Halo 3: ODST has graphics that are far superior to Halo 3. The new graphics engine is awesome. The Visor Mode looks incredible, and it changes the way everything looks. The enemies have much more detail, especially when you zoom in; it allows you to see their faces when sniping and during melee attacks.

* The new weapons are awesome. The Pistol weapon that everyone loved in the original Halo: Combat Evolved is back and it adds an incredible amount of fun to the game with its zoom and power.

* The FireFight Co-Op mode is awesome -- it really is similar to the Horde mode from Gears of War 2, but it gets more intense. There are weapon drops in order to keep the team supplied with weapons and health equipment. The enemies are also getting supplies, and you are attacked by enemy ships. You must work together as a team to win, and it adds a lot of co-op strategy that is very cool.

* Everyone who waited over 3 hours to play Halo 3: ODST was in agreement that the long wait was worth it to play such an amazing game.

I also think it is awesome that Halo 3: ODST comes with a bonus disc that includes every map ever released for Halo 3, including three new maps. Halo 3: ODSTreally is wonderful, and Microsoft did a great job designing the Troop Transport. I took lots of pictures on my cell phone; it really was a special event.

Hi,

This is SalarianChemist writing to you. I recently found out that there was someone who took a screen name that "looked" identical to mine and made some very rude, racist, biased, fanboyish, and inaccurate statements. I would like to officially apologize to all the people who were exponsed to these statements, even though I was not the person responsible for writing them. Let me explain what I found out happened.

As you know, my screen name is: SalarianChemist. I use the picture of a Salarian alien from the videogame Mass Effect, which is one of my all-time favorites. If you were to spell SalarianChemist in all caps, it would look like this:

SALARIANCHEMIST

And if you were to spell SalarianChemist in all lower-case letters, it would look like this:

salarianchemist

This is very important, because it reveals how someone was able to take a screen name identical to mine.

The letter "L" in the lowercase font format used by Gamespot looks like this: "l"

The letter "i" in the uppercase font format used by Gamespot looks like this: "I"

As you can see, the lowercase L and the uppercase i look identical. This means that if the person pretending to be me were to write their screen name in all caps, it would look this this:

SAIRAIANCHEMIST

Do you notice that there is no "L"

Also, I should point out that the person who took my screen name never used my picture of a Salarian alien. I certainly hope this provided enough proof to those who had been following my comments for a while and were familar with seeing that picture.

Last generation I was called a "PS2 fanboy," because I often made comments about how the PS2 had the biggest and best lineup of games in every genre except for First Person shooters. This generation, I am called a "Sony hater" because I often make comments about how the Xbox 360 currently has the biggest and best lineup of games in all genres.

The simple fact is, I give credit where credit is due. Xbox 360 still has the biggest and best library of games in every genre. Multi-platform games from third-parties have better graphics and better online play with more people to play with on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. This literally means two-thirds of all games are better on Xbox 360.

This is not being a "fanboy" this is giving credit where credit is due. I make plenty of positive and negative comments about all consoles. If you see them, fine. If you don't see them, it was just bad luck. Most of my "fanboyish" comments that are aggressive are usually in response to other fanboys writing incorrect information -- ya know, the kind of incorrect information written by the person named SAIRIARNCHEMIST who was trying to imitate me.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who stuck up for me. And I want to say thank you to those who had faith in me and noticed that my picture was not being used in the comments made by the person imitating me. Once again, I apologize that you were exponsed to this type of situation, and I want to make it 100% clear that the person who imitated me like that DESPERATELY NEEDS the type of "videogame addition" therapy Gamespot wrote about last week. Thankfully, Gamespot has banned the screen name of the person who imitated me

Sincerely,

Salarian Chemist

The graphics of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 are ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!

The Beta Test Version of Halo 3 had lots of cool parts, but the main "test," was with gameplay, not graphics. The Epsilon Test Version CLEARLY showed that the graphics of Halo 3 were FAR SUPERIOR to Halo 2 on the original Xbox. Even the new Windows Vista PC version of Halo 2 is still not even close to the Final Version of Halo 3 on the Xbox 360!!!

The Final Version of Halo 3 that has recently "gone gold," and entered production truly does have some of the BEST GRAPHICS we have EVER SEEN!!!

Currently, Gears of War is the game that people consider the champion in terms of graphics, but in many ways, Halo 3 has significantly better graphics than Gears of War. We need to remember that Halo 3 takes place in an outdoor environment that displays a LOT more detail with a LOT more polygons, much more color, and significantly more complex lighting.

But, I'm not here to do a Halo 3 "versus," Gears of War comparison...because as Xbox 360 owners we have the ability to play BOTH of those AWESOME games!!!

I'm just trying to point out that Halo 3 truly does have AWESOME graphics, and I am using Gears of War as a measuring stick to shown just how TRULY AWESOME the graphics in the Final Version of Halo 3 are, especially in the Story Mode where up to FOUR PLAYERS can play TOGETHER against the computer!!!

Look at this screenshot comparison of Halo 3 on the Xbox 360, compared to Halo 2 on the original Xbox. I will list hyperlinks, and I will try to show the screenshots, too. But look at how much INFINITELY BETTER the graphics of Halo 3 are when compared to Halo 2...Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 is AMAZING!!!

Screenshots:

Halo 3 on Xbox 360: http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/734/734817/img_4696954.html

Halo on Xbox: http://media.xbox.ign.com/media/482/482228/img_2453023.html

Here is Halo 3 on the Xbox 360; it looks a LOT better than Halo 2:

Here is Halo 2 on the original Xbox; it doesn't come close to Halo 3:

Today I am taking the time to post a Blog entry for the first time. This is an experiment.

I absolutely love the game called Mass Effect for the Xbox 360; that is the reason why I named myself SalarianChemist on this website. The Salarian race of aliens in Mass Effect are very intelligent, just like me! So, I decided to name myself after them.