Xbox 360 Vs. Playstation 3: The Battle and the War

Many serious gamers will tell you that in the Xbox 360 vs. PS3 competition, there is no competition. Xbox 360 hands down. Xbox 360 not only edges out, but dominates PS3 in online play and games. That sounds all well and good, but there is more to the story than some will let on.

Having owned both systems, I recommend the PS3. Sure, the 360 is better in some regards, but that's only if you can get it to play. I sent back my Xbox 360 three times in four months, thanks to the rings of death that completely render the system useless. After the third time, I took the system to GameStop, got store credit, and purchased a PS3. I've happily played games for the past fourteen months with no problems.

True, Xbox 360 has some awesome games that aren't available on PS3, but to reiterate my point above, that doesn't mean much if the system dies on you. Again, true, the online gaming is vastly superior to Playstation's, but even that comes at an additional cost. Online play for the PS3 is absolutely free and the PS3 has built in wireless capabilities, unlike the 360, where you have to pay at least $100 to get the add-on.

Ultimately, there are only two reasons to buy an Xbox 360 - "Halo" and the price. The latter swayed me, but I quickly discovered that you get what you pay for. Even the price factor doesn't mean much in the long run if you decide you want to play online. Xbox 360 - "The system that keeps on taking."

If you're debating on which system to purchase, pony up the extra cash and buy the Playstation 3. You won't regret it and even though it costs a little more upfront, your checking account will thank you down the road.

Long story short -- Xbox 360 may win some of the battles with "Halo" and the seemingly lower price, but Playstation 3 wins the war.