A gaming console decision

Back in 2007 I made the leap from my fourth generation gaming console (a Sega Mega Drive) to a current seventh generation console (an Xbox 360). The dilemma for me in 2007 was which current generation console to choose, a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360? I did a lot of research and considered all the pros and cons. At that stage the PS3 had been released less than a year earlier, cost considerably more than the Xbox 360 and had fewer game titles. In the end my decision was based on which console had the better range of games, best exclusive games and was best value for money. I chose the Xbox 360 and have been happy with my choice.

Fast forward almost three years to 2010. My Xbox has suffered two RRODs (Red Rings of Death) and while this was inconvenient at the time both failures were efficiently resolved by Microsoft at no cost to myself. My view of the Xbox 360 has been slightly tarnished but I still consider it an outstanding gaming system. My only real concern is the issue of ongoing reliability.

Having said that, I've never really been a total Xbox 360 fanboy or ever participated in the ridiculous console wars that seem to erupt in just about every Internet forum I read. I've always viewed the PS3 as an excellent gaming console in its own right, equivalent, if not more powerful than the Xbox 360.

With the upcoming release of Red Dead Redemption my mind has turned to online game play. I know I will be spending a great deal of time in the future playing this game online and I look forward to playing it with friends and people I know. My brother will also be getting RDR but he owns a PS3 and I have never been able to play online with him. This is a pity as I fondly recall the many sessions of the Boot Hill wild west roleplaying game we played together in our youth. It would be fun to recreate some of that western action again with him in an online posse.

In fact, when I think about it, the majority of my friends own PS3s. This has had me thinking about purchasing one myself. With the recent price drop and increased hard drive capacity of the PS3, as well as the many cool exclusive gaming titles released over the last few years, it's becoming a more attractive option for me. I've been considering purchasing a PS3 for some months now but with the upcoming release of RDR, and knowing that the majority of my friends will be playing this game online via the PlayStation Network, well, it's prompted me to make a decision. A decision which I made back on 27 April when I changed my RDR Limited Edition pre-order from the Xbox 360 version to the PS3 version. Yes, I've now committed myself to purchasing a Sony PlayStation 3.

I'm still keeping my Xbox 360 though. I love it and I've got a decent library of games that I'll be playing for quite some time yet. Now I'll have the best of both worlds.

I plan on picking up a PS3 Slim console with a 120GB hard drive in the next week or so.