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Why is XBL still the superior online service...

Card Boy

Banned
For real. I can't even imagine how much time it would take for stuff like LBP. Simple firmware updates take ages and they seem to push them out all the time.

You should see Uncharted 2 update for the first time. Holy fuck. There is no 'to be fair' excuse about it.
 

Raoh

Member
Title updates, for one. It typically goes something like this:

XBOX:
There is a title update for the game you just bought. System automatically logs you out of the service as it downloads and installs the patch. This takes around 10-20 seconds. Game then automatically restarts and you are automatically logged back into the service. You play your game.

PS3:
There is a title update for the game you just bought. System reboots. Your TV looses signal. It begins to download a massive update that takes several minutes. It then proceeds to inform you that it is unzipping and installing the update. The system restarts and your TV looses signal again before returning to the same install screen. Apparently, there is another update to download and install. Repeat this process one or two more times. Finally, you play your game.

I can't even argue this. Thank god for auto updates between 4am and 6am. Its only for plus members but it solves all those issues.
 

cornerman

Member
It depends on what we're defining as the online service?

Cross game chat, group messaging is more of the standardization of the firmware from what we've been told. I guess part of it goes across the network. The actual network to play games with friends, the store, the services offered - all those things put it about equal to me as far as functionality. The aesthetics and UI seem to be a matter of preference I suppose. I think for some aesthetically XBL just looks better than PSN.

For majority of features, PSN gives you the same functionality without the pay-wall. The key is that some of it is not standardized across the board. I don't think they planned for that level of online offerings, and have been limited in the design for this generation. The same definitely won't be true for the PS4, as we can see they've gotten a clue with the Vita.

I think XBL is more successful financially, because they pioneered it in the space, and peer pressure. Alot of folks (at least in the US) adopted the 360 first and that's where their friends are. Its the best because its all we know (for some people).

Personally, I don't feel XBL is vastly superior to PSN. I do think Sony has and will learn from them.
 

NIGHT-

Member
Steam.

This is coming from someone with a 360, but this generation all you need is a capable PC and a PS3 for gaming enjoyment.

Sure, you'll miss out on Gears and Halo...but, so what?

Depends on the person... I prefer the 360 exclusives over the PS3 ones. But I can justify owning all my consoles.
 

pleunv

Member
Isn't always capped though, I remember downloading at ~10MB/s a few times in the past year.

What annoys me more is that installing a game takes probably 3-4 times longer if there is a download running in the background. Beats me why.
 

nowai

Member
Depends on the person... I prefer the 360 exclusives over the PS3 ones. But I can justify owning all my consoles.

What other major exclusives are there? Or are you referring the XBLA titles that usually end up on Steam as well?

Honestly, for me the best thing about the 360 is the controller. I hate the dual shock with all of my being, but that's what converters are for.
 

NIGHT-

Member
What other major exclusives are there? Or are you referring the XBLA titles that usually end up on Steam as well?

Honestly, for me the best thing about the 360 is the controller. I hate the dual shock with all of my being, but that's what converters are for.

What do you mean by "major". Crackdown is my favorite game from this generation for example. I'm not gonna start a list war, but there is a shit load of retail games and XBLA games that haven't come to other platforms
 

nowai

Member
What do you mean by "major". Crackdown is my favorite game from this generation for example. I'm not gonna start a list war, but there is a shit load of retail games and XBLA games that haven't come to other platforms

Nah, no list war. I'm honestly struggling to think of any other AAA titles like Gears or Halo that are 360 exclusives.

I personally wouldn't put Crackdown in the same league as Gears, Halo, GoW, Uncharted etc.

I also struggle to think of all that many more PS3 exclusives. I play 99% of my games on my PC and the few I can't, I usually play on PS3 and 360 for fighting games.

Only reason I play on 360 for fighting games is because there is a larger player pool.

Edit: Please don't put Fable on that list either. ;) Not trying to be trollbate, I just laugh at Molyneux's constant lame over hype.
 
If MS is so superior from a technical and service perspective, why am I unable to cancel my service online and have to make a fucking phone call to prevent XBL from autorenewing?

You know how to cancel PS+? You can fucking take your CC info off your account. From the console even.

Sorry, but cancelling XBL was such a chore it made me wonder why I ever got it in the first place.
 

Yagharek

Member
The OPs assertion is wrong.

From a convenience factor, XBL is not vastly superior at all.

From perspectives of the different aspects:

1. Voice chat is quality poor on both - marginally better on xbl
2. Interface for navigating menus (marketplace/applications/streaming services/finding demos videos etc) is better on PSN
3. Patching is (strangely) better and quicker on PS3
4. Party features are better on XBL
5. Community is full of racist loudmouthed arseholes on both

There is very little nothing to justify paying for xbl at all. If it were free, maybe it would be clearly better. But at $70 a year (Aus) XBL is less appealing to me even than wii online.

Security wise, both services need serious improvement. I wont trust either company with credit card info, and neither is doing anything to improve that perception.
 
Having experienced all of the online services, PC with KB/M Steam (largely on games with steamworks integration) is probably the best. I don't go online a ton on consoles and the XBL doesn't offer nearly enough for me to pay for it (maybe if they had 100% dedicated servers for every game or something - even then I probably wouldn't). I am trying out PSN+ as a service currently and it has been alright (although it PSN+ as a service is not really relateable to this thread).
 

Mxrz

Member
MS PR? Yeah I'm sure the OP is completely unbiased, and not stirring the pot.

XBL is the main reason the 360 never clicked with me. Ever rising fees, ads, the complete fucking nightmare that is cs / tech support, CC# crap, hacks, etc. Just too much cumulative bullshit to deal with. If people dig it thats one thing, but saying its superior is a joke.
 

GraveRobberX

Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
Paying $59.99 and not paying $0 is a huge difference

XBL is considered better due to the fluid-ness of it all, it just flows

Doesn't annoy and gets frustrating to use

Sony I bet didn't even want Online in the PS3 in it's first 2-3 years with what it was, but when it realized there is potential, it started working at it

XBL - Message comes, you hit the Home button, automatically gets you to the message and respond
SEN - Message comes, if you have notifications off (Good Luck), if on, a Prompt shows you, if you didn't look thinking someone else was just signing in, you missed it, you have to press home button, look at the top of the right screen, see an envelope icon, go to message list, read message, reply

Trophies take for fucking ever to show up, Cheevs Instantly (God Forbid you compare with me @104+ platinums and 6500+ trophies), takes 4-5 minutes to just load all that bullshit, and if you press O by mistake LOL, start it up again
Don't forget if you just wanna change your message on your gamercard while you are playing a game without synching the trophy list to the server and you cancel it, the software glitches, either reboot or wait 15+ minutes for it to go back to normal

XBL cost $60 and streamlines your flow/experience while gaming easily
SEN is free and you get what they offer, they try, but you can tell, they get some aspects right, but always fuck up something someway

I think PS4 might be more user friendly and more streamlined in tune with XBL
Sony is playing catch-up, and is literally LTTP

Also XBL money does get dispersed for moneyhats also, forces devs/pubs to have demos/releases due to keeping their base happy (it's just hidden away), always release content world wide instantly like clockwork
SEN is just whatever you feel like, dev/pubs discretion and we will release it when we think it's ready
Tell me what time do all the PSN store updates?, no one would have the right time, and all are released at separate times
 

Lothars

Member
Nope it's not, The only thing that XBL has over PSN on the PS3 is party chat otherwise they are pretty similar.

XBL is also not worth the money and hasn't been in over 5 years, I see who made the thread and it explains everything though.
 

unomas

Banned
Paying $59.99 and not paying $0 is a huge difference

XBL is considered better due to the fluid-ness of it all, it just flows

Doesn't annoy and gets frustrating to use

Sony I bet didn't even want Online in the PS3 in it's first 2-3 years with what it was, but when it realized there is potential, it started working at it

XBL - Message comes, you hit the Home button, automatically gets you to the message and respond
SEN - Message comes, if you have notifications off (Good Luck), if on, a Prompt shows you, if you didn't look thinking someone else was just signing in, you missed it, you have to press home button, look at the top of the right screen, see an envelope icon, go to message list, read message, reply

Trophies take for fucking ever to show up, Cheevs Instantly (God Forbid you compare with me @104+ platinums and 6500+ trophies), takes 4-5 minutes to just load all that bullshit, and if you press O by mistake LOL, start it up again
Don't forget if you just wanna change your message on your gamercard while you are playing a game without synching the trophy list to the server and you cancel it, the software glitches, either reboot or wait 15+ minutes for it to go back to normal

XBL cost $60 and streamlines your flow/experience while gaming easily
SEN is free and you get what they offer, they try, but you can tell, they get some aspects right, but always fuck up something someway

I think PS4 might be more user friendly and more streamlined in tune with XBL
Sony is playing catch-up, and is literally LTTP

Also XBL money does get dispersed for moneyhats also, forces devs/pubs to have demos/releases due to keeping their base happy (it's just hidden away), always release content world wide instantly like clockwork
SEN is just whatever you feel like, dev/pubs discretion and we will release it when we think it's ready
Tell me what time do all the PSN store updates?, no one would have the right time, and all are released at separate times

And these are some of the main reasons why I pay for Live. Bottom line is the $$$ is worth the ease of use issues for most people, and for those that don't want to spend you can't really bitch about free online anyway. Now next gen I just hope Sony lifts it's game so I have another viable option.

MS is like the hot trophy wife who you know doesn't love you and just wants your money, but god is she nice to carry around on your arm and fuck. Sony is like the ugly chick who you're embarrassed to show to your friends, but when she gives she gives it good.
 

Lothars

Member
Paying $59.99 and not paying $0 is a huge difference

XBL is considered better due to the fluid-ness of it all, it just flows

Doesn't annoy and gets frustrating to use

Sony I bet didn't even want Online in the PS3 in it's first 2-3 years with what it was, but when it realized there is potential, it started working at it
The thing is Achievements take just as long as trophies to come up as does anything else on the dashboard, If I am going through the store or in the achievement list or in the my games section takes forever to load up and has for the last couple years, Trophies take a long time as well but they are about the same speed. Messages are pretty equal speed to access when in a game.
 

impact

Banned
MS is like the hot trophy wife who you know doesn't love you and just wants your money, but god is she nice to carry around on your arm and fuck. Sony is like the ugly chick who you're embarrassed to show to your friends, but when she gives she gives it good.

this is such an awful analogy
 

kevinski

Banned
Xbox LIVE was there pretty much from the beginning on Xbox 360, wasn't it? I'd honestly chalk it up to that as far as Microsoft vs. Sony goes. PlayStation 3's online features were generally added as time passed, and I get the feeling that none of what was added later on was properly optimized (nor could it be without breaking older games, I assume). As for Nintendo, honestly, I just don't think that Nintendo was taking online functionality very seriously.
 

coldfoot

Banned
Two things:

1. If you have PS+, the PS3 will automatically download and install patches every day in the wee hours of the morning so you don't have to wait before playing a game.
2. Cost of XBL is $60 (yea I know sales etc) if you're never going to have it for more than a year. Cost of it over a console generation is staggeringly expensive, more than what you pay for the console. When viewed that way, it's DEFINITELY not worth it over PSN for me.
 
Nah, no list war. I'm honestly struggling to think of any other AAA titles like Gears or Halo that are 360 exclusives.

Gaming budget doesn't mean the game is something to own a console for or is even that good.

Killzone and Resistance are nothing to write home about. Whereas Gears and Halo are popular on their own merit as something ppl want and like. There's plenty of variety and selection on XBLA and retail of good games. Believe it or not big budget titles haven't done much to change Sony marketshare. Those type of games are more important at console release, not years later.
 

coldfoot

Banned
Gaming budget doesn't mean the game is something to own a console for or is even that good.

Killzone and Resistance are nothing to write home about. Whereas Gears and Halo are popular on their own merit as something ppl want and like. There's plenty of variety and selection on XBLA and retail of good games. Believe it or not big budget titles haven't done much to change Sony marketshare. Those type of games are more important at console release, not years later.

Interesting you picked a pretty small exclusive franchise like Resistance instead of the 800 lb gorilla that's Uncharted, where many people define UC2 is the best game of this generation.
And Gran Turismo, which will always be more popular than Forza.
 

Joni

Member
I pay $50 to Sony and I get 50 free games (59 is the amount of games I got from Plus after paying my subsription fee only once), I pay $50 to MS and I get to play online. Yes, XBL is better but for me PSN offers more worthwile stuff for my money.
 
Nah, no list war. I'm honestly struggling to think of any other AAA titles like Gears or Halo that are 360 exclusives.

First of all, I'm honestly struggling to think of any Gears or Halo level series on PS3 other than GT, God of War and Uncharted. But what does it matter if it's "major" or "minor"? There are dozens and dozens of smaller games that I prefer to practically any "AAA" franchise. Why is it so hard for some people to grasp the concept of personal taste, not dictated by general popularity or production values?

That said, not getting to play Halo is a deal breaker for me, and the same can be said for Team ICO's games. But this has very little to do with the initial discussion.
 

madmackem

Member
The OPs assertion is wrong.

From a convenience factor, XBL is not vastly superior at all.

From perspectives of the different aspects:

1. Voice chat is quality poor on both - marginally better on xbl
2. Interface for navigating menus (marketplace/applications/streaming services/finding demos videos etc) is better on PSN
3. Patching is (strangely) better and quicker on PS3
4. Party features are better on XBL
5. Community is full of racist loudmouthed arseholes on both

There is very little nothing to justify paying for xbl at all. If it were free, maybe it would be clearly better. But at $70 a year (Aus) XBL is less appealing to me even than wii online.

Security wise, both services need serious improvement. I wont trust either company with credit card info, and neither is doing anything to improve that perception.

Dude what???
 

madmackem

Member
If MS is so superior from a technical and service perspective, why am I unable to cancel my service online and have to make a fucking phone call to prevent XBL from autorenewing?

You know how to cancel PS+? You can fucking take your CC info off your account. From the console even.

Sorry, but cancelling XBL was such a chore it made me wonder why I ever got it in the first place.

This, i feel almost like my expired card is being held to ransom until i phone up and ask them to remove it. I have been using paid cards for live for three years since i used it once for live and the stories i hear of ghost cards somehow still being charged makes me even more pissed off i cant remove it without phoneing up.
 

Q8D3vil

Member
the only real advantage in xbl is the voice chat, otherwise i find ps3 interface more simple and easier to use.
 

mollipen

Member
Title updates, for one. It typically goes something like this;

And a few months down the line, when you go back to that game you updated on the Xbox 360, you'll have to download the exact same update again, because your Xbox 360 only keeps a certain amount of updates in memory at any one time.

Were something to happen where you couldn't get to updates anymore (you no longer have internet, Microsoft stops providing the updated), you could find yourself with a console that has forgotten every update it once downloaded.

The PS3 needs a better system for providing updates, but personally, I'd rather invest more time in updates and know I'll always have them around no matter what. (Plus, we could get into the argument of how Microsoft's patch rules have screwed up other things like free DLC and getting timely patches.)
 
Xbla may be better, but it still has loads wrong with it. It doesn't even have a sent items for your messages. Things get replied to with no context, very frustrating Realistically the whole messaging is rudimentary and needs to catch up to smartphone standards of threaded conversations at the least.

Other communication features need to be front and center, and fast. Let me set I'm away from the sofa with a single push so people in my party arnt confused as to why I'm not responding. Coinciding with this give me feedback that my mic is working fine, the " hello..? Can you hear meh?" needs to end.

From there a notification center of sorts, centralising events.

A global ability to schedule gaming events between friends, send invites in advance, reminders popping up, etc etc.

Yes, the next gen needs to work like a smart phone. I'd even say fast app switching so twitter, Facebook, whatever, is feasible while waiting in a game lobby. These are my expectations.
 

lowrider007

Licorice-flavoured booze?
Paying $59.99 and not paying $0 is a huge difference

Think about those that have been paying from day one, that's $419.93 vs $0, I'm always thinking long term costs, the money I've saved on live over the course of this generation pays for my next generation console outright.
 
I have Xbox Live and I tend to play my PS3 more. The cost of XBL doesn't bother me, it's the horrible dashboard they currently have. I understand the need for change but I think they actually took a big step back with the last update. What blows my mind is how hard it is to find stuff I want to buy on the day that it's released.

In terms of online play and being able to group up with friends, Xbox Live definitely has the advantage. It's easy to get in a group and actually get organized to play some games. I personally don't play online with people I know so it's not something I really care about.

What I do use on Live is a bunch of the video apps. The Vevo app is always on in a room of our house and I'd be willing to pay the annual cost of Live for just that one app.
 
Title updates, for one. It typically goes something like this:

XBOX:
There is a title update for the game you just bought. System automatically logs you out of the service as it downloads and installs the patch. This takes around 10-20 seconds. Game then automatically restarts and you are automatically logged back into the service. You play your game.

PS3:
There is a title update for the game you just bought. System reboots. Your TV looses signal. It begins to download a massive update that takes several minutes. It then proceeds to inform you that it is unzipping and installing the update. The system restarts and your TV looses signal again before returning to the same install screen. Apparently, there is another update to download and install. Repeat this process one or two more times. Finally, you play your game.

I'm quoting this again because it states the case rationally. The PS3's a nice system but it's a pain in the ass. I love my PS3 for Uncharted, Demon's Souls, and Blu-Ray, but for everything else I go 360/PC. The cross platform games are almost always a mess.
 
I got the PS3 at launch and the 360 shortly after Halo 3 came out. The thing that struck me was the lack of dedicated servers on XBL, Resistance: FoM was my first taste of online gaming and the notion of being able to set up a custom game, play it for a while, leave and come back to my room again was amazing to me. The high player counts were a bonus too.

I stopped being interested in XBL when it became clear that in the run of play, the nuts and bolts of online multiplayer there was no clear difference between the two services. Lag was lag and both were susceptible to it (I know this because I double dipped on a number of games). In the end the XBL subscriber is paying for a handful of network enabled OS features.
 

Ranger X

Member
6 years later and PS3 fans are still blaming devs. Never one to learn, eh?

I just said to the guy who he should blame. If I give you all the tools to make a great product but you badly use it, you are the one to blame, not the tool provider. In this manner of thinking, the dev is to blame on PS3. The other way to see it, as I said also to the other guy, is that you can blame Sony for not being too tolerant and not force tight devellopment rules like Microsoft does. Personally this is where I sit. I would like devellopment rules that are even tighter than Microsoft's or again Nintendo's.

Because those features require you to spare additional RAM, unlike on 360.

You think the guide and stuff appear magically on the 360? As far as I know you get to do whatever you want with the whole available ram on 360. Wich means you need to spare space at least for the guide.
 

Yagharek

Member
Dude what???

I know, it shocked me too. I timed the ps3 and xbl firmware updates last time I came back from holiday/work trip and both had to be updated. I did them sequentially and timed them. PS3 firmware update including install took less time than the 360 did. They are now roughly on par for me (about 5 minutes from start to finish).

edit: I should stress Im talking about system firmware updates, not game title updates (which are worse on ps3).
 

Brera

Banned
Live isn't £39.99 better than PSN.

PSN is much better value especially when you consider that stuff like Netflix is also free on PSN and much much more!
 
haha, holy shit. I've stopped reading when I saw this.

Why? Am I wrong?

I Sony's online offering even close to being as good as MS' offering? The answer is a resounding no.

I have a vita and I still think it's not even close to being as good as MS, the service is too fractured, is still far too clunky and hard to use and the absolutely arse marketplace is still as bad it was when I got my PS3 all those years ago.

Sony still don't have something as simple as telling you the file size of a download until after you've paid, their download list is completely fucked, the search engine isn't as refined as MS' and the less said about layout the better. Add to this, the lack of website store and the constant maintenance shit they pull, they've got a long damn way to go before they even come close to offering something similar to XBL.

And before I forget, trophy synch is also completely fucked if you've played more than 50 games and download your profile onto a new PS3. I've had trophies I've already earnt pop up again when I play a game after a certain period. The whole service screams unprofessional, there's not clear vision for what they want to achieve, it leaves a sour taste in the consumers mouth and it let's MS continue to get away with shitting on their userbase by not making XBLG more competitive/more value for money.

Seriously, if you have nothing more to add that quoting my tag, don't bother posting.
 
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