There’s going to be a fair bit of angst between XBOX fanboys and PS3 fanboys as to which GTA IV version will be “superior” and the must-have of the two versions. With the PS3 version, you get the typical, easy and accessible “GTA feel” that most GTA gamers are accustomned with, especially after last generation. Granted, GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas all appeared on XBOX, but they made nowhere near as much of a splash as they did on the Playstation 2. In other words, they weren’t “XBOX sellers” but could very well have been considered “PS2 sellers”.
This generation with GTA IV, it’s different. The game is launching across both the PS3 and 360 simultaneiously. Both versions are said to be identical (graphically, at least) and up to this stage, Rockstar have only shown off the 360 version to game sites and publications (see our GTA IV previews). That’s not all that big a deal, as most publishers show off titles on the 360 anyway. Besides, when you walk into EB Games or JB Hi-Fi, the pre-order stands have Playstation 3 GTA IV box-art instead of 360 box-art. Whether Sony has paid substantial dollars for this sort of retail placement is unknown, but I’m yet to see a GTA IV 360 box on display in store (it’s been in the 360 section, but not on obvious/stand-out display).
Personally, and this might cause a bit of a flame war between those of you on MyPS3, but I cannot find any logical reason as to why someone who owns both a Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 would get the PS3 version of this game. As it stands (in my eyes), the 360 version is already superior. There are a few reasons for this.
Firstly, the episodic content. I have no doubt that this future content will be substantial, be in the form of extra missions or multiplayer modes. I’m sure that eventually, further down the track, the Playstation 3 version will get some kind of content, and PS3 owners do deserve something.
Secondly, the multiplayer in GTA IV looks set to be massive. Word has already spread around the internet that the single-player takes 40 hours to complete, without completing side-missions, so add on multiplayer to that and you have what seems like a never-ending gaming experience. There’s no doubt that XBOX Live is superior in every which way to PSN. The theory of, “you get what you pay for” fits this whole comparison perfectly, as XBOX Live is worth every penny you spend on it. The PSN is worth every penny you spend on it also, and that’s nothing. It’s a harsh truth when you compare the two services. PSN has nothing on Live. It has content, but the interface isn’t user-friendly. Besides, the PS3 isn’t marketed as an online console, whereas the 360 is. Strange, considering the PS3 has wi-fi and the 360 doesn’t.
However, there is one thing that might deem to be the Playstation 3 versions final hope. That’s the poor quality of the 360 hardware. GTA IV looks set to have over 100+ hours of game time, not including multiplayer, so that means a lot of gaming time for your console which, in some cases, leads to the RROD. Those of you with newly purchased 360 consoles should probably be OK, but those of us with a launch or thereabouts consoles probably should prey that nothing happens to our console.
Those of you without a PS3 or 360 console should probably go with the 360 version. From a console-purchasing standpoint, both have exceptional librarys, but the 360 currently has better exclusives. That’s going to change with MGS4 and GT5 however. Even when those two titles do hit the PS3, the 360 library will still be substantially larger then the PS3’s, so you’ll have to consider what exclusives you want and whether or not you’ll be playing online a lot. If the latter is your gaming style, you shouldn’t have any second thoughts about a 360. Plus, with the exclusive GTA IV content and online modes, you can’t go wrong. Either way, you’ll have to buy a PS3 down the track eventually for MGS4.
As for you Wii owners…at least you have No More Heroes…
By the way, everyone head on over to www.MyBluRay.com.au
We’re giving away one Blu-Ray disc ever two weeks for the best written review of a movie or Blu-Ray disc!
Submitted by Gaetano
01/04/2008
21
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