Do Mac users generally go for the PS3?

[TheSpaz]

I just recently go back into console gaming after getting tired of constantly booting into Windows on my Mac Pro to play one or two games. So I decided to get a dedicated gaming system. I chose the PS3 over the X360 for 2 main reasons:

1. I've always owned PlayStation (PS1 and PS2) and I'm used to the controllers they've always used.

2. I didn't wanna buy something that was made by Microsoft (because I'm a Mac guy). I know this one is weird but I couldn't stand the thought of having a Mac computer and a Microsoft game system. At least when I had Windows, I was still using my trusty Mac to do it.

3. I didn't find this out until after I bought the PS3, but I didn't realize you have to pay for internet access on the X360... that's another downside.

So far I'm liking my PS3, but you really need to get the PS3 Exclusives to really enjoy the system. The cross platform games almost always have framerate issues on the PS3... not because the PS3 isn't powerful, it's because the developers have a harder time working with the PS3. The X360 is more like a computer so the translation is easier... and it uses Direct X.

So my question is... do Mac users generally tend to go for Sony PlayStation because of the whole Microsoft thing?

[Sambo110]

I used to love the 360, hated the PS3. Sold my 360 for a PS3 eventually and loved it. I eventually bought a 360 again but I am just keeping it for Halo, but I spend 95% of my time on the PS3 and by most/all games for it. It's just the better system in my opinion, and if it wasn't for Reach, I don't know if I would keep my 360.

[ManhattanPrjct]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

So far I'm liking my PS3, but you really need to get the PS3 Exclusives to really enjoy the system. The cross platform games almost always have framerate issues on the PS3... not because the PS3 isn't powerful, it's because the developers have a harder time working with the PS3. The X360 is more like a computer so the translation is easier... and it uses Direct X.

Either I don't know what to look for, or am just blind, but I don't really notice this. The multi-platform games I have played for the PS3 work just fine for me.

I bought my PS3 for a reason you don't list - at the time, it was more cost effective to buy the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, since (at the time) it was the best one out there.

Since then, there have been three VERY good exclusive titles (Uncharted 2, MGS4, and LBP) and I haven't regretted it at all, but you may want to wait for somebody who has owned both to comment.

Don't forget about the build quality differences!

[SevenInchScrew]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

So my question is... do Mac users generally tend to go for Sony PlayStation because of the whole Microsoft thing?

Not me, personally. I have both a 360 and a PS3, and I enjoy them both, but for different reasons. Many of my friends have 360s, so I do almost all of my online gaming there. And while you do have to pay for Xbox Live Gold to get some of the features of the console, I will gladly pay it, because they make the console great. I wish it were free, for sure. But, for the small amount it costs, I will gladly pay for the service. Same goes for Sony. If they charged for PSN, but it started to offer feature parity with XBL Gold, I would gladly pay.

Party Chat is the big one with me. Many of my old high school and college friends have moved, and/or have families now, so we don't generally have a lot of time to get together. But almost every night, 4 or 5 of us will be online. We use the "Party Chat" feature all the time. It is really awesome being able to do that, given we are all in different cities, and often playing different games. The convenience and simplicity of that is worth the price of XBL Gold, personally.

And yes, as you said, if there is a big multi-platform release, I will usually get it for 360. All of the games I have have for PS3 are exclusives for that system, with the exception being Burnout Paradise. But that game was developed with the PS3 as the lead SKU, so it plays perfectly. But given that multiplayer is such a huge part of games now, and my friends and I play online on the 360, I tend to get the 360 almost all the time.

I've never put any thought into the whole "Apple v MS" thing when buying a console. The reason I use Apple computers isn't because they aren't a MS product. I use them because they work better for what I want to do, and how I want to use a computer. Same with my game consoles. I don't have a favorite brand or anything. I like many games across many platforms. My 360 serves a purpose with my gaming needs, just as my PS3 does. I do tend to spend more time gaming on my 360, but that is mostly because most of my friends are there and I enjoy using it a little more. But, what time I do spend with my PS3 is good. Well, aside from the whole "30-minute system update" process. That is annoying. But, I'm a huge Gran Turismo and Metal Gear fan, so a Playstation will always be in my collection.

[TheSpaz]

Originally Posted by ManhattanPrjct

Either I don't know what to look for, or am just blind, but I don't really notice this. The multi-platform games I have played for the PS3 work just fine for me.

I bought my PS3 for a reason you don't list - at the time, it was more cost effective to buy the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, since (at the time) it was the best one out there.

Since then, there have been three VERY good exclusive titles (Uncharted 2, MGS4, and LBP) and I haven't regretted it at all, but you may want to wait for somebody who has owned both to comment.

Don't forget about the build quality differences!

For example... games like Skate, Skate 2, Tomb Raider, and Grand Theft Auto all suffer from stuttery framerates, but those same titles are smooth as butter on the X360. I heard that developers tend to develop multi-platform games on the X360 first and then port them over to the PS3 which results in less performance for us PS3 owners. However, games that are designed for PS3's hardware, run amazingly well and have really great graphics (Uncharted 2, Killzone 2).

I think it sucks that developers favor the X360 over the PS3 because they don't like dealing with PS3's hard learning curve.

I still like playing the Skate games and Grand Theft Auto, but the frame skipping is very apparent and it brings down the experience a little bit.

[mstrze]

I don't think you can make any generalizations. I have always been a Nintendo fan...Gamecube and then Wii for us over the last decade. We have been Mac owners since the mid-90s.

[roadbloc]

Nope. I had a PS2, but now I'm building a Gaming Rig.

And yes, it will have Windows on it.

[Sambo110]

Plus the 360 hardware is crap. All the old consoles get the RROD, which is fixed now, but now a lot get the e74 error. And the rechargeable batteries, which should be included free, are crap and often break and don't hold a charge.

[TheSpaz]

Well, I did some more research on Burnout Paradise and it looks as if developers are starting to use the PS3 as the lead platform and then porting the game to the X360. Only a few so far, but if this continues, we'll all have games that look and perform well on all platforms. Here's some links to check out:

http://www.ps3attitude.com/new/2010/...e-medal-honor/

http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/...or-developers/

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/up...tation-3-says/

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

2. I didn't wanna buy something that was made by Microsoft (because I'm a Mac guy). I know this one is weird but I couldn't stand the thought of having a Mac computer and a Microsoft game system. At least when I had Windows, I was still using my trusty Mac to do it.

There have been a few people on this forum that had that attitude.

95% of those on here thankfully do not share it.

We can differentiate between and operating system and a console. We also realize that most of the Microsoft vitriol a lot of people with this attitude pronounce is based mostly on ignorance and a twisted perspective of reality.
They also tend to believe by hating Microsoft or 'actively avoiding' them and products by them somehow makes them better 'mac' owners or more 'macish' than the rest of us.

It's a silly position when you actually rationalize it, but hey we live in an irrational world where freedom allows people to be as irrational as they wish to be.

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

So my question is... do Mac users generally tend to go for Sony PlayStation because of the whole Microsoft thing?

As for whether most mac users use PS3 or 360. I think you will find the majority of regular posters here use or own both consoles. And the rest are split mostly 50/50.




And of course your hypothesis of PS3 being more preferred by Mac users is flawed for two more reasons.

1) You forgot the third option which of course is the Wii and a lot of people here also own one.

2) Architecture wise both the 360 & Wii are closer to the Mac than the PS3. PS3 uses Cell & Blu-Ray (A mac has never used either ) whereas both 360 & Wii use PowerPC Architecture, and therefore has more relationship to the mac.

It still remains a flawed argument / hypothesis.





Basically people tend to buy whatever they want. You chose PS3 mostly because you had PS, PS2. Likewise I'm sure many of those with 360's previously owned an Xbox.

I like many have owned a lot more machines than that and my relationship with gaming stretches long before PS1 was around. For that reason I'm more open to all platforms, regardless of the 'brand' logo slapped on the front of it.

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Well, I did some more research on Burnout Paradise and it looks as if developers are starting to use the PS3 as the lead platform

Your research is a little out of date with Burnout Paradise, it is a 2008 game. 2010 - the 360 is still the lead development for most multi platform titles. Though granted the PS3 lead has come on.

Those where the PS3 has been the lead either results in a pretty even gaming experience when ported to 360 (forgetting Bayonetta & Final Fantasy piss poor conversions on either platform), however in some cases there still is a small but tangible benefit to the 360 (ghostbusters). Either way both systems like we have discussed 500 billion times before are much of a muchness.

[TheSpaz]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

There have been a few people on this forum that had that attitude.

95% of those on here thankfully do not share it.

We can differentiate between and operating system and a console. We also realize that most of the Microsoft vitriol a lot of people with this attitude pronounce is based mostly on ignorance and a twisted perspective of reality.
They also tend to believe by hating Microsoft or 'actively avoiding' them and products by them somehow makes them better 'mac' owners or more 'macish' than the rest of us.

It's a silly position when you actually rationalize it, but hey we live in an irrational world where freedom allows people to be as irrational as they wish to be.







As for whether most mac users use PS3 or 360. I think you will find the majority of regular posters here use or own both consoles. And the rest are split mostly 50/50.




And of course your hypothesis of PS3 being more preferred by Mac users is flawed for two more reasons.

1) You forgot the third option which of course is the Wii and a lot of people here also own one.

2) Architecture wise both the 360 & Wii are closer to the Mac than the PS3. PS3 uses Cell & Blu-Ray (A mac has never used either ) whereas both 360 & Wii use PowerPC Architecture, and therefore has more relationship to the mac.

It still remains a flawed argument / hypothesis.





Basically people tend to buy whatever they want. You chose PS3 mostly because you had PS, PS2. Likewise I'm sure many of those with 360's previously owned an Xbox.

I like many have owned a lot more machines than that and my relationship with gaming stretches long before PS1 was around. For that reason I'm more open to all platforms, regardless of the 'brand' logo slapped on the front of it.






Your research is a little out of date with Burnout Paradise, it is a 2008 game. 2010 - the 360 is still the lead development for most multi platform titles. Though granted the PS3 lead has come on.

Those where the PS3 has been the lead either results in a pretty even gaming experience when ported to 360 (forgetting Bayonetta & Final Fantasy piss poor conversions on either platform), however in some cases there still is a small but tangible benefit to the 360 (ghostbusters). Either way both systems like we have discussed 500 billion times before are much of a muchness.

Owning an X360 would go against everything that I am about. It would just feel like "joining the other team" to me. I would view myself as a traitor if I got a 360. Yeah, brand matters to me. I'm sorry if that bothers you. Once I like a certain brand and dislike a certain brand, I stick with them. It's part of my loyalty to the companies I like.

For example... I only buy Samsung TVs and I only buy Apple computers. Now I only buy Sony gaming consoles.

I forgot to mention that the X360 controller bothers me and I don't like the way the console looks and I'm not a fan of the UI design of the menu system.

The PS3 looks more like a pro console (I know that sounds stupid) and the X360 looks more like a kids toy. The PS3 UI is so clean and elegant and the look and feel of the console just has a higher quality to it. Plus, it has HDMI.

[Dagless]

Haha, what.
I own an Xbox 360 and enjoy it very much so. I also own a few Apple computers. Mostly I'm a PC gamer though.

My brand loyalty lies with nobody. I don't feel bad about "playing for the other team" or whatever ridiculous thing that is. If one company makes a good product why on earth would I not buy it because another product of theirs isn't so good? That makes no sense.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Owning an X360 would go against everything that I am about. It would just feel like "joining the other team" to me. I would view myself as a traitor if I got a 360. Yeah, brand matters to me. I'm sorry if that bothers you. Once I like a certain brand and dislike a certain brand, I stick with them. It's part of my loyalty to the companies I like.

It doesn't bother me. I just see it as pretty redundant position.

You loyal to Brand A, great for them.. Are you especially rewarded from Brand A for your loyalty ? NOT in the slightest. So why are you being brand loyal ? It's an illogical argument.

Brand loyalty can actually be bad for business, as companies just assume consumer A will buy anything because Brand A has put a logo on the front of it, regardless of whether it's a shoddy product or not. It leads to complacency and lack of desire to innovate and improve.

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Plus, it has HDMI.

Goodness your research really is dated isn't it. The 360 has had HDMI since 2007.

Originally Posted by Dagless

My brand loyalty lies with nobody. I don't feel bad about "playing for the other team" or whatever ridiculous thing that is. If one company makes a good product why on earth would I not buy it because another product of theirs isn't so good? That makes no sense.

Exactly.

You miss out on a good product because of the label on it ? How does that benefit you ? Are any of the companies your loyal to going to send you a nice thank you card ?


Your brand loyal as a consumer and yet the biggest and most important part, the brand is not consumer loyal.

You are a commodity, a dot in sales figures, a miniscule factor in an gigantic operation. Will your loyalty be missed ? Will your loyalty be rewarded ?

[flopticalcube]

360 is a great console (hardware designed by Toshiba, I believe). The XBox Live software is great. Everyone needs to look beyond prejudice to fully enjoy the experience. I have 4 Macs in the house plus loads of iPods.

[SevenInchScrew]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Plus, it has HDMI.

All 360s sold for like the last 2 years have HDMI now. It started with the Elite, in early 2007, but has since transitioned to the whole line.

*OOPS, I was beaten by MRU while I was typing. Oh well*

[TheSpaz]

Sorry about the HDMI thing. I'm new to consoles. I guess I'm just picky about which products I buy. I still think the X360 looks like a kids toy, but the PS3 looks more adult-oriented.... to me.

The main reason I bought a PS3 is the fact that I've had all the other Sony game consoles. They've made the best selling game console ever (PS2) and I'm quite confident in their products.

Plus, I like the added bonus of having a nice Blu-ray player. (unless this info is dated too, I don't think the X360 has Blu-ray).

[SevenInchScrew]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

They've made the best selling game console ever (PS2)

For now, though it seems only a matter of time until the DS surpasses it. On sale for 4 years less than the PS2 has been available, and the DS is only ~15M units behind. That isn't to say the PS2 is a sales slouch, by any means. But the DS is a monster, and Nintendo just know how to sell product better than any other company in the business.

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Plus, I like the added bonus of having a nice Blu-ray player. (unless this info is dated too, I don't think the X360 has Blu-ray).

You are correct on that. There is currently no Blu-ray option for the 360. It does DVD, HD-DVD (with add-on drive), HD downloads and HD streaming.

[IntelliUser]

Cross Platform games are pretty much the same on both platform nowadays.
The advantage of the PS3 are the exclusives. The 360 ones are pretty meh.
And I don't see the "Xbox Live" being worth the money anymore.
Plus, the PS3 is pretty future-proof compared to the 360.


One thing though. Project Natal. If done well enough, that's quite an advantage for the 360.

[TheSpaz]

Originally Posted by IntelliUser

Cross Platform games are pretty much the same on both platform nowadays.

Do you know which games perform the same on both platforms? I'm not being sarcastic, I really wanna know because I'm new to the X360 vs PS3 thing and from the few games I've tried, the X360 beats the PS3 in multi-platform. Maybe the games I'm playing aren't new enough?

Modern Warfare 2 runs really well on the PS3, but Skate 2 and Grand Theft Auto are pretty bad.

Anyways... please give me some examples of some newer games that are pretty much the same on both consoles.

[IntelliUser]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Do you know which games perform the same on both platforms? I'm not being sarcastic, I really wanna know because I'm new to the X360 vs PS3 thing and from the few games I've tried, the X360 beats the PS3 in multi-platform. Maybe the games I'm playing aren't new enough?

Modern Warfare 2 runs really well on the PS3, but Skate 2 and Grand Theft Auto are pretty bad.

Anyways... please give me some examples of some newer games that are pretty much the same on both consoles.

What genres do you play? And what GTA did you try?

[SevenInchScrew]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

Anyways... please give me some examples of some newer games that are pretty much the same on both consoles.

I have an example of one that does NOT run the same. Fallout 3 is damn near unplayable on PS3. I love that game, and have played through it 4-5 times on 360. A buddy of mine got the "Game of the Year" edition for PS3, so I borrowed it from him with the intention of getting some more trophies, since I have all the achievements on 360. HOLY CRAP!! The game is buggy in general, as most big open-world RPG type games are, so that isn't really new. But man, I had nothing but problems with the PS3 version. It would freeze up on me practically every 30 minutes, saves would constantly get corrupted, and Dog Meat randomly disappeared, TWICE!

I never played the PS3 version of Oblivion, so I don't know if this is something new to Fallout, or if Bethesda just has problems developing for the hardware, but I would recommend people steer clear of the PS3 version of Fallout 3.

[Dr. McKay]

I'm a dedicated Mac user and have owned a Gamecube for years. Last year I decided it was time for something else. I went out and bought... a PS2 !!

Dirt cheap, and with a great back catalogue (dirt cheap as well)...

[mslide]

Originally Posted by TheSpaz

2. I didn't wanna buy something that was made by Microsoft (because I'm a Mac guy). I know this one is weird but I couldn't stand the thought of having a Mac computer and a Microsoft game system. At least when I had Windows, I was still using my trusty Mac to do it.

Not me. I own an XBox 360 and really like it. The name of the company that produced a product doesn't usually factor into my decision. I buy what best meets my needs and sometimes that's a Microsoft product. Then again, I'm not a die-hard Mac/Apple fan (although I do like my iphone and prefer to use Macbooks over windows-based laptops) and I have an equal mix of Apple and Windows-based computers in my house (and they all run equally well).

In fact, a lot of Mac users I personally know are not anti-microsoft at all.

[TheSpaz]

Originally Posted by IntelliUser

What genres do you play? And what GTA did you try?

I play:

Skate
Call of Duty
Grand Theft Auto IV (is there more than this for PS3?)
Rock Band 2 (runs fine)

I generally go for modern shooters and free roaming games (I play Freeskate on Skate a lot and I like Grand Theft Auto and Just Cause).

Any suggestions of some more games to pick up that I might like? I was thinking about Resistance 2 or Prototype.

[NoSmokingBandit]

I cant speak for anyone else, but i didnt care who made what console, i just didnt want a 360 because of its unreliable hardware and Sony has better first party games. I'm not anit-MS like a lot of apple fans, so that may have something to do with it. If the 360 had more games i liked and didnt break every few months i'd probably have one.


Spaz:
A lot of newer cross platform games are still bad on the ps3, but thats because they make the 360 version then port it over without actually building the engines from the ground up. FF13 was made for ps3 from scratch and theres a night/day difference between the ps3 and 360 copies. I generally stick to exclusives because of this, and the Ps3 has a great selection of exclusives so i'm never without a great game to play.
The only way to make similar cross platform games is to code each one separately, no porting. This costs a ton of money and most studios just cant do it.

inFamous is about a million times better than Prototype. I have Prototype on my pc and it bored the balls off me in a few hours. The powers are cool, but the city is just so dead and lifeless. inFamous was pretty much just great, its one of the few games i got a platinum trophy in. Its not huge like GTA4, but its really fun to run around the city.

I'd get Resistance:FoM before Resistance 2. Both were good, but completely different. R2 has pretty good squad-based online coop. Killzone 2 is great too, and has a pretty awesome online mode. Its the ony game i actually played online for more than a week.