The GTAIV Debate Rages On....
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to my "cherry-buster" blog here on n4g!
For this post, I decided to talk about the upcoming "battle" between the 360 and PS3 versions of GTAIV. I'm not going to make any introductions to what each side has, because if you're reading this I assume you already know that. If not, get some knowledge under your belt, and then come back.
Let's hit the 360 version first. The main advantages here seem to be Achievements, custom sound tracks, Live itself, and the exclusive DLC. Achievements are awesome; only the most diehard Sony fanboy would deny this, so that's definitely a huge draw for many. Custom soundtracks, particularly in a game like this, makes sense as well. The other two . . . ok, let's dive in.
I'm just going to come out and say it. The idea that the DLC will sway the casual audience who currently do not own a 360 is absurd. They are not going to care about some unknown content with an unknown pricetag of unknown quality some time in the future. The only people this currently effects are those with both a PS3 and a 360, and may cause them to lean towards the 360 version. To everyone else, not only do they not know about this content, but they more likely than not don't even care.
As far as Live is concerned, this seems to be more or less a wash. GTA4's multiplayer is controlled by the in-game cell phone, not so much the 360's dashboard. Bottom line here is that the game on both systems will be played online. Period point blank.
Also, as much as I hate to say it, console reliability is still an issue here. I'm not talking about the RRoD specifically here, but rather some of the 360's other problems. Like the disk drive failing, or the 360 deciding to scratch the hell out of your disk. Those are minor issues, yes, but they happen often enough that cases such as these appear on the news, and thus the casual audience is aware of them.
Okay, now on to the PS3. Benefits here seem to be PSN is free, DLC "may" come later down the line, and Home integration (yes, I am aware that R* can easily add custom soundtracks to this version, but as this is not confirmed, I'm not going to talk about it.).
Now, if the casual market doesn't care about the 360's exclusive DLC that we know for sure is coming, pie-in-the-sky promises and rumors about PS3 DLC matters even less. I can easily say the same about Home integration. Home ISN'T EVEN OUT YET, so services that cater to the Home crowd isn't even close to being relevant (sidenote: If Sony has any damn sense whatsoever, they will release the Home beta next week. They NEED to get this out before GTA4) yet.
Playing games online for free is important to some people and can easily be a factor when choosing which console to play GTA4 on. Ever hear the phrase, "If it's for free, it's for me," before? It applies here.
So, from looking at these facts, the 360 version seems to have a considerable edge in this battle. However, let's not forget one thing. This is the casual market here. When GTA3 was hot, what system were they playing it on? The PS2. How about GTA:VC or GTA:SA? Yup . . . the PS2 again. Yes, I know that they were also on the Xbox, but not until GTA was a phenomenon and most people had already played it. To the casual market, GTA is a PlayStation game, and the fact that there seems to be a bundle pack for the PS3 that includes GTA4 in the same box simply re-enforces this mind set.
Also, you really do have to factor in Blu-Ray into this argument. For the price of admission alone, consumers get a game system, arguably the best BRD player on the market, GTA4, and the ability to game online for free all in one, nice package.
My verdict? In the minds of the 360 owners and multi-plat owners, the 360 version wins. However, to the casual market (the ones that are responsible for roughly 60% of the sales of previous iterations of the franchise), the PS3 version has the edge here, and I believe the sales will show that.
To everyone else, just buy it on whatever system makes you happy. Remember, we're all gamers here, and we all (minus Wii-only owners) get to play this masterpiece that Rockstar has created for us. As a sidenote, don't forget to sign up for the R* Social Club (http://rockstargames.com/socialclub/) when registration starts on the 15th.
To the 360 gamers, have fun, and I'll check out how you're doing via the Social Club. To the PS3 gamers, I'll see you online.
Peace.....
I think that the casual gamers have been labeled as idiots by the gaming public. The same people that played GTA on PS2, have likely played the gta3/vice city pack on Xbox. Now, I used to be a PS fanboy because of GTA3, and after playing GTA on the Xbox I was converted. or should I say enlightened to how awesome GTA can be on another system. A casual gamer is going to go for the best deal possible, and on paper the 360 version has the best package. Think about it, would you rather use component cables or composite? The answer is obvious to someone who is tech savvy. However, when a casual consumer walks into a store and reads the description for the two, they'll go with the one that provides the best experience. Throw in the fact that both GTA4 sku's are the same price, well the choice is really simple. The experience will undoubtedly be awesome on both consoles,however, I personally believe the 360 version will be the definitive variant over time.