360 w/Forza4 or PS3 w/GT5 ?

[Dr. McKay]

I want to buy one of the current gen consoles towards the end of the year. We'll probably see the release of the X-Box One and the PS4 around the holidays.

I suspect the 360 and the PS3 will see a considerable price drop and that's cool (bought my PS2 for next to nothing when the PS3 was released).

Now, I'm into arcade games. I'm not one to spend hours and hours in a game like final fantasy. Two games I'll be wanting for sure are SF4 Arcade and MarvelvsCapcom. Both games are available on both platforms. No problem there.
I also like racing games. Forza 4 looks very appealing to me, and I must admit that GT5 on the PS3 seems a bit boring. To be honest, I don't really like GT4 on the PS2 (career mode) so I only play the arcade mode.
My question is, which has the better arcade mode, GT5 or Forza 4 ? There are other arcade racers that are available for both platforms so those will not be the deciding factor.

So basically, GT5 or Forza 4 will be the deciding factor as to which console I'll be buying.
GT5, still as boring as GT4, or is it better (or is there a cheat to unlock ALL cars and ALL tracks in arcade mode ) ? Or is Forza 4 a definite must-have ?

 

[e²Studios]

Two different games, GT is a real simulator (as close as you're gonna get to driving on a console) vs. Forza which is a glorified arcade "pimp your ride" racer.

I prefer GT, I'm sure Forza appeals to the teenaged boy/mindeset/key demographic on xbox though.

 

[0098386]

There's nothing quite like GT5 with a racing wheel and 3D TV! It's all I do in that game now, and just doing that is more enjoyable than any other driving game I've played.

 

[MacRazySwe]

Here's some input from someone who owns both setups.

First of all, I'm a great GT fan. I've been playing GT since GT3 was released. I loved GT3 and GT4. Back in the days, I much preferred GT4 over Forza 1.

Come next generation, I bought the 360 as well as Forza 2. Truth be told, Forza 2 was not my kind of game - still preferred GT4 with my Logitech DFP. As GT5 arrived, I bought a PS3 - simply for the reason of playing GT5 and GT5. I liked GT5, not much more than that, I wasn't really amazed. When GT5 arrived (after numerous delays) though, I was thoroughly disappointed. Yes, premium cars look good, but standards look awful. Oh, and the driving physics of GT5 are ridiculously over exaggerated. I use a Logitech G27 on PS3, and have probably done more than 1000 laps around the Nordschleife on GT4, GT5, Forza 3, Forza 4 in total. I've also driven the Nordschleife IRL in a Porsche 987 Boxster S, as well as the GP-strecke. Have also driven a few 991s, 981s, as well as BMW's. Trust me, not many cars behave/feel/sound like they do in GT5 in real life.

Truth be told, Forza 4 comes a lot closer to providing a realistic driving feel, and then I'm not even using a steering wheel. Also, Forza features interior views on all cars, something I enjoy. Also, the customization of cars, paint options, availability to sell paints/vinyl-designs online et.c. is something which I enjoy. Moreover, you cannot beat the Xbox Live features, such as rivals, and club garages on Forza. If these reasons aren't enough, Forza is also better updated with new cars/tracks, as well as plenty more fun than GT5. I think Forza has 10x the amount of races to complete compared to GT5, where there are very few drive events, and all of which were lifted from GT4. Also, Forza gives you access to all cars in Arcade mode, but in GT5 you have to purchase EVERY single car in order to use them.

That said, I will probably give GT6 a go once its out, but for now Forza is the way to go, IMO.

 

[Dr. McKay]

Also, Forza gives you access to all cars in Arcade mode, but in GT5 you have to purchase EVERY single car in order to use them.

That's what I needed to hear. I don't want to spend hours and hours driving a honda civic around the track and perform stupid tests...

360 it is, then ! (apparently, cross platform games are usually better on 360 as well).
Last question : is the basic 360 a good idea or not (4Gb). It's about 100€ cheaper than the 250Gb version.
Everybody seems to say that the 4Gb version isn't worth it. What would I be missing out on with this version ? I'm not too bothered about being able to install a game to disc (i can wait a few seconds between levels), but i guess downloading DLC for any game is out of the question ?
On the other hand, I'd only use it for fighting games, racing games, etc. No adventure games and so on.

 

[MacRazySwe]

That's what I needed to hear. I don't want to spend hours and hours driving a honda civic around the track and perform stupid tests...

360 it is, then ! (apparently, cross platform games are usually better on 360 as well).
Last question : is the basic 360 a good idea or not (4Gb). It's about 100€ cheaper than the 250Gb version.
Everybody seems to say that the 4Gb version isn't worth it. What would I be missing out on with this version ? I'm not too bothered about being able to install a game to disc (i can wait a few seconds between levels), but i guess downloading DLC for any game is out of the question ?
On the other hand, I'd only use it for fighting games, racing games, etc. No adventure games and so on.

I'd get the 250GB. I bought one of the early 20GB models, and the 20GB is a limiting factor for me, as many games HAVE to be installed on the HD (just like PS3), or at least some of the material. In Forza, you get a separate content install disc, which contains tracks/cars you want in the game. Just that single disc takes approx. 3GB. Of course you can install it on ext. storage like a USB drive, but that seems a bit tiresome to me at least.

 

[Dr. McKay]

I knew I'll have to get the 250Gb version, but I was trying to convince myself I didn't need it and be a cheapskate...

That's settled, then. Only trouble is, don't know if I will be able to wait until the end of the year