So I'm sitting here with a broken Playstation 3 launch console..Warning console rant!

[Golgatha]

My PS3 20GB launch console broke over the weekend and I'm a sad panda. It got me really thinking about how my Wii and PS3 have both had issues which caused failures. When did we get to the point where it's just expected that consumers will have to fix or replace a console 2-3 times over its lifetime? Next generation I think I'm going to wait 3 years or so before plunking down any cash for a Wii2, XBox 720, or PS4. It's just not worth the headaches to be an early adopter.

Also, since I'm bashing console reliability, I would just like to say my PC has been up and running for years running Folding@Home constantly on the CPU and GPU in my system, and yet it still seems capable of running games reliably day in and day out. My savegame files aren't locked down with DRM, Steam keeps my games automagically patched and ready to play 24/7/365, I don't pay extra for online multiplayer, the games are cheaper, it supports console controllers anyway, and the price of video cards are currently less than most consoles. The only drawback is that PC games are generally not resellable anymore, but consoles are moving towards this model of piecemealing games out via digital distribution and unlock codes anyway. Maybe I'll just skip the next generation of consoles, finish my backlog, and stay PC only going into the future.

 

[Drako]

Nice rant - I agree with waiting a bit for the kinks to be worked out. There are no guarantees for any of these things beyond the warranty period, so it's all really a crap shoot.

 

[Dumac]

That sucks. I hope my 60GB fat doesn't break anytime soon.

I have all three consoles this gen, and strangely enough, the only one that broke was my Wii. Even though the Wii is supposed to be the least likely to break, it broke while my 360 keeps living strong (so far).

Last gen I had all three consoles two, and none of them broke. Is it me, or does the quality of product seem to have decreased since last generation?

 

[Kabob]

Sorry to hear about your PS3 croaking. I admit, overall the PC is a more reliable gaming platform, I just enjoy console gaming so much more that it's not an option for me.

I've owned 3 360's since late '06 (only one died), the first died with a video error (replaced for free), the replacement console never gave me a lick of trouble but when the Jasper Arcade units came out I sold it and the Jasper has been running like a champ. I do have a friend who's been through 7+ 360's though, it seems that as a whole this gen's consoles have been woefully unreliable, much moreso than any gen previously.

 

[Golgatha]

Sorry to hear about your PS3 croaking. I admit, overall the PC is a more reliable gaming platform, I just enjoy console gaming so much more that it's not an option for me.

I've owned 3 360's since late '06 (only one died), the first died with a video error (replaced for free), the replacement console never gave me a lick of trouble but when the Jasper Arcade units came out I sold it and the Jasper has been running like a champ. I do have a friend who's been through 7+ 360's though, it seems that as a whole this gen's consoles have been woefully unreliable, much moreso than any gen previously.

Funny, cause my Jasper 360 Arcade unit is the only one that hasn't had some catastrophic failure yet and it's the only one I held back on buying at launch.

Besides the money outlay, I'm not overly bummed about the PS3. I still have a launch PS2 fat with HD Loader installed on it, so I can play most of my PS2 games by loading up that disc and then choosing from a menu. It and the new slim PS3 I just bought use a lot less electricity than my old BC console anyway, so hopefully electricity savings will help offset part of the purchase price. I am very tempted to buy a slim PS2 and just keep it in the box for when my fat PS2 bites the dust though. I have a lot of really fun and rare PS2 games in my catalog.

 

[BenSkywalker]

When did we get to the point where it's just expected that consumers will have to fix or replace a console 2-3 times over its lifetime?

When we switched to optical drives. My average is higher then that across all players(Nin has the best, MS middle and Sony *by far* the poorest although so far this gen it has won out). BTW- this isn't a knock on moving to optical media, it's just that moving parts are far more likely to break down.

 

[Malak]

The big difference between your PS3 and your PC is size. All the electronics smashed together in a tight space, air flow is a problem.

 

[BoberFett]

When we switched to optical drives. My average is higher then that across all players(Nin has the best, MS middle and Sony *by far* the poorest although so far this gen it has won out). BTW- this isn't a knock on moving to optical media, it's just that moving parts are far more likely to break down.

My original PSX never had a problem. I have several Xboxes that are still going strong. Quality does seem to have dropped precipitously this generation.

 

[purbeast0]

more parts = more potential problems.

and that isn't just consoles.

 

[dpodblood]

Ironically the motherboard in my gaming PC died over the weekend, and my PC3 fat is still going strong .

 

[BenSkywalker]

My original PSX never had a problem. I have several Xboxes that are still going strong. Quality does seem to have dropped precipitously this generation.

Six dead PS1s, 8 dead PS2s, 3 dead XBoxs, 1 dead GC, 1 dead Wii, one dead 360, one dead PS3(PS3 wins on percentage as I still have three working). I do, however, have a ColecoVision that still worked last time I knew where the power brick went(this is bigger then a Wii, but somehow came up missing). My experience this generation has actually been fairly positive for console reliability compared to the last couple(outside the N64- launch unit still working flawlessly).

 

[BoberFett]

Six dead PS1s, 8 dead PS2s, 3 dead XBoxs, 1 dead GC, 1 dead Wii, one dead 360, one dead PS3(PS3 wins on percentage as I still have three working). I do, however, have a ColecoVision that still worked last time I knew where the power brick went(this is bigger then a Wii, but somehow came up missing). My experience this generation has actually been fairly positive for console reliability compared to the last couple(outside the N64- launch unit still working flawlessly).

Jeez dude, you have some bad luck.

 

[DaveSimmons]

It's been almost 4 years since launch, which is a decent run for what's essentially a gaming PC crammed into a small form factor case.

But it's true that the PS3 and 360 are less reliable than the old ROM-based systems with no moving parts inside.

 

[amdhunter]

I remember changing PS2 consoles a few times due to "Disc Read Errors." I do think the newer consoles die way too easily though.

I used my 360 probably 3 months before it started to fail with RROD. I didn't do anything about it. It works occasionally. lol

 

[sswingle]

How quickly everyone forgets blowing on their NES cartridges to get them to work.

 

[smackababy]

Should have bought a PS3... Oh wait.

I've always had pretty good luck with consoles. My original NES still works sans the occasional problem with games connecting properly.

 

[tk149]

Sorry to hear about your PS3 failure. My MGS 80GB BC is still going. I did have a problem with the Blu-Ray drive itself (precipitated by a bad Netflix disc), but I got it working again after researching on the internet. Have you tried checking the web to see if you can perform home surgery on your console?

Anyway, I still won't buy a 360 because I'm not convinced that they've actually gotten their failure rate down to Sony/Nintendo levels yet.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Jeez dude, you have some bad luck.

Well, the PSX's were just straight junk in terms of reliability(if you have a launch unit that still works you are a rare exception). The PSOne seemed to do much better, lasted for a few years until we had two PS2s in the house. The PS2's weren't stellar either, all of mine spent time doubling as DVD players for the kids at some point and most of the time we had at least two of them in regular use and it has been ~11 years now(still have a PS2 hooked up to the main AV setup in the house). XBox I had a faulty DVD drive in one, the other two the HDD failed. PS3 that died has a bad BRD, going to fix that at some point(haven't gotten around to it yet). 360 RROD, an exceedingly rare problem The Wii wouldn't read certain games at all, had a comparable problem with a NGC but I didn't consider that one as a failure because when I told Nin about it they paid for everything to get fixed, even sent FedEx to my house and they packed it for me(they seem to have changed that policy around since then). Every console I've had die on me has been due to mechanical parts failing(NES the slide mechnism when pushing the carts down is what bent the pins, although that one was so easy to fix I don't really consider those failures). Like I said earlier, I have a Colecovision that still works, also have 8bit NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, TGFX 16 and N64(along with an original book size GameBoy)- all of which still worked last time I checked. Doh, almost forgot, my DC died too, but I only paid like $50 for that when they were being fire saled so it didn't upset me nearly as much(plus only paid $5-$10 per game).

 

[Gunslinger08]

What's wrong with your PS3? I had to replace the laser assembly in my 60GB launch PS3 a few months ago. Didn't take very long and it was like $50.

 

[foghorn67]

For folks with numerous failures with multiple makes and models, get your power checked. You could have some awful wiring causing surging. Clean power makes a huge difference.

 

[mmntech]

The big difference between your PS3 and your PC is size. All the electronics smashed together in a tight space, air flow is a problem.

This. Especially if they vacuum up enough dust. I think that's what borked my 60gb. Fortunately Sony fixed it, $200 later, and it's been fine ever since. Knock on wood. Of course a launch 60gb is the Cadillac model so it's worth fixing.

I definitely get what the OP is saying. I've found myself gravitating back to the PC in the last year.

 

[JackBurton]

My PS3 20GB launch console broke over the weekend and I'm a sad panda. It got me really thinking about how my Wii and PS3 have both had issues which caused failures. When did we get to the point where it's just expected that consumers will have to fix or replace a console 2-3 times over its lifetime? Next generation I think I'm going to wait 3 years or so before plunking down any cash for a Wii2, XBox 720, or PS4. It's just not worth the headaches to be an early adopter.

Also, since I'm bashing console reliability, I would just like to say my PC has been up and running for years running Folding@Home constantly on the CPU and GPU in my system, and yet it still seems capable of running games reliably day in and day out. My savegame files aren't locked down with DRM, Steam keeps my games automagically patched and ready to play 24/7/365, I don't pay extra for online multiplayer, the games are cheaper, it supports console controllers anyway, and the price of video cards are currently less than most consoles. The only drawback is that PC games are generally not resellable anymore, but consoles are moving towards this model of piecemealing games out via digital distribution and unlock codes anyway. Maybe I'll just skip the next generation of consoles, finish my backlog, and stay PC only going into the future.

lol, your saved games aren't locked down with DRM? Your whole freakin' game is locked down with intrusive DRM which tries to control your whole PC. And when did they stop charging monthly fees for WoW? Oh yeah, you're only talking about the games YOU play. Sorry, I'll let you continue pretending that ALL online PC gaming is completely free.

That being said, I have 2 360s (launch Elite and new 360 S) and 2 PS3s (original 60GB and 80GB models), and I have not had ONE issue with them. I did however have 2 hard drives in my PC die within 60 days. Why are PCs so unreliable?

 

[Dumac]

lol, your saved games aren't locked down with DRM? Your whole freakin' game is locked down with intrusive DRM which tries to control your whole PC. And when did they stop charging monthly fees for WoW? Oh yeah, you're only talking about the games YOU play. Sorry, I'll let you continue pretending that ALL online PC gaming is completely free.

That being said, I have 2 360s (launch Elite and new 360 S) and 2 PS3s (original 60GB and 80GB models), and I have not had ONE issue with them. I did however have 2 hard drives in my PC die within 60 days. Why are PCs so unreliable?

Whoa, calm down there. Don't take everything so personally.

Golgatha made some very valid points about PC vs Console gaming. Some people prefer the PC due to the pros and cons, other prefer consoles, but it's nothing to get upset about.

However, I have to say that your counter-points are not valid. It is true that most PC saved games are NOT locked down with DRM; you can copy saves easily when you want to. This isn't true for consoles, which often restrict copying any game with online components.

PC online gaming IS free. The point is that you can take a game and say it cost X dollars to play on a console (well, 360 specifically) and 0 dollars to play on a PC. You can't find any examples that run the other way. If WoW was on consoles, it would have a monthly fee, like FFXI. So his point about PC gaming being free is valid.

Your personal experience does not override statistics about hardware failure. While it is true that cheaply made PC parts can fail, a quality PC is much less likely to fail than any of the current gen consoles, probably mostly due to packaging.

Instead of trying to pick apart solid points by Golgatha, you should have brought other evidence to the discussion. For example, you could have said that although PCs can be more reliable, they require much more effort to maintain than consoles.

Just saying...

 

[coreyb]

I've never had a console or PC die on me, or have any problems for that matter. I guess I'm lucky, but I've also never owned a XBOX.

 

[JackBurton]

Whoa, calm down there. Don't take everything so personally.

Golgatha made some very valid points about PC vs Console gaming. Some people prefer the PC due to the pros and cons, other prefer consoles, but it's nothing to get upset about.

However, I have to say that your counter-points are not valid. It is true that most PC saved games are NOT locked down with DRM; you can copy saves easily when you want to. This isn't true for consoles, which often restrict copying any game with online components.

PC online gaming IS free. The point is that you can take a game and say it cost X dollars to play on a console (well, 360 specifically) and 0 dollars to play on a PC. You can't find any examples that run the other way. If WoW was on consoles, it would have a monthly fee, like FFXI. So his point about PC gaming being free is valid.

Your personal experience does not override statistics about hardware failure. While it is true that cheaply made PC parts can fail, a quality PC is much less likely to fail than any of the current gen consoles, probably mostly due to packaging.

Instead of trying to pick apart solid points by Golgatha, you should have brought other evidence to the discussion. For example, you could have said that although PCs can be more reliable, they require much more effort to maintain than consoles.

Just saying...

Not really upset. I guess it seems like I am with the "freakin'" wording. It just reminds me of why I left PC gaming. Fucking DRM from games infecting my WORKstation. That was just the last straw for me.