What' up Prize Fight fans.
I'm Brian Tong and we're bringing you an epic battle that has stood the test of time.
It's a throw-down showdown for game console supremacy between Microsoft's Xbox 360 Slim and Sony's PS3 Slim.
Our judges for this fight are CENT Senior Associate Editor, Scott, The Bottom Line, Stein; Associate Editor, Jeff, Never Back Down, Bakalar; and you know who, ring-a-ling big Tong.
We'll take all 3 judges' blind scores and average them out to the nearest tenth.
The final prize fight score will be an average of all rounds using the same decimal system.
We're going six rounds deep for this face off; round 1 is, Design.
Both consoles are bringing their slim and [unk] streamline designs to the prize fight ring.
The Xbox 360 is slicker, slimmer, and improved in every way over the original.
We liked the glossy piano black finish and it's new edgy style, but
you still have that sizeable AC adapter.
The PS3 Slim is the slicker of the two and more travel-friendly, but its mad finish takes away some of the sexy and it still kind of resembles a George Foreman Grill and it feels a lot more generic compared to the new Xbox Slim.
Sometimes makeovers really make a difference and the 360 Slim takes this design round for the first time with a 4 and the PS3 Slim gets a 3.
Next round is, Features.
The centred Xbox 360 Slim rocks a larger 250 gig hard drive
finally brings built-in wi-fi.
You'll get HDMI and wireless control, but its proprietary hard drive is still a head scratcher.
Now, the biggest difference between these two consoles is Blu-ray.
The PS3 Slim has been rated one of CNET's stop Blu-ray players and it's now a real advantage.
Plus, you also have a user replaceable hard drive.
Its 160 gigs give you a little less storage.
It has built-in wi-fi, HDMI, and its Bluetooth capability allows you to connect may third-party accessories,
including almost any Bluetooth headset.
Plus, the system is already 3D-ready for movies and games through software update.
The PS3 throws its first filmmaker with a perfect 5 and the Xbox 360 gets a 3.7.
So, for averaging 2 rounds, Sony leads by one-tenth of a point, but there is plenty of fight left.
Round 3 is, Online Services.
Microsoft's Xbox live service is the gold standard for online gaming on a console.
It's going to cost you $50 per year,
but its ease of use the size of the community and access to integrated services like Netflix, Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter and more make it the total package.
Sony's PlayStation Network is absolutely free and you really have to give them credit for that, but it's not nearly as developed and after all this time, I'm still waiting for cross-game chatty.
PlayStation Plus is a new $50 annual service, but you're really paying for exclusive content instead of new online features.
Using Netflix still requires a disc.
Its built-in web browser
does allow you to watch YouTube content, and PlayStation Home still isn't a place where I spend my time.
Microsoft strikes back with a perfect 5 of its own and Sony gets a 3.3.
Round 4 is up next and is the only reason we're all here for the game.
Both consoles are packed with franchise titles that each side wishes they could have.
The 360 can brag about the blood battlefields of Gears of War, the unlimited adventure that is payable, and The World of Halo and Master Chief, but is lost some of its momentum.
The PS3 arguably boost a stronger and more diverse exclusive franchise library with their modern day Indiana Jones and the Uncharted Series, God of Wars, Epic Story, and Scale, Little Big Planet's creative community, Heavy Rains' unique control system, and so many more.
Now, when it comes down the downloadable games, the Xbox Live Arcade has a much differ and diverse library of games from the past and it continues to release awesome new exclusives like Limbo.
The PlayStation Network isn't on the same level
with its downloadable game library, but it can still hold its own with offerings like flower, but they're just aren't enough of them.
You can still play most of your original Xbox tiles on the 360 Slim, but backwards compatibility on the PS3 Slim is nonexistent.
Both consoles have games that make each one just as drool worthy as the other and the judges called this round a tie at 4 points a piece.
So, after 4 rounds, the Xbox is taking control leading by 4 tenths of a point, but we've still got 2 more to go.
Round 5 is, Graphics Performance.
The 360 Elite and PS3 both have titles that showcase their graphical prowess.
Even it it's subtle, the 360 Slim has shown to have a slight advantage when comparing the same third-party titles, but then, when it comes to a console exclusively titles, the PS3 really flexes its technical muscle.
Now, Jeff and Scott called this round even, but if we're talking about the best graphics available, why don't you sit down and play God of War 3 or Uncharted 2 and show me
an Xbox game that can best them.
The PS3 gets a slight edge with a 4.3 and the Xbox gets a 4.
Now, this is still anyone's price fight; the 6th and final round that decides at all, is Value.
Both of these consoles are $299 at their entry level and you guys can argue all you want about who has the better games and who has the better graphics.
But when you're talking about value, it really comes down to one thing and is the PS3's Blu-ray player that will support 3D content into the future
and makes the PS3 Slim more than just a gaming console.
And if you wanna play online with your Xbox, you still have to pay $50 more per year.
And the final round, the PS3 Slim gets a perfect 5 and the Xbox 360 gets a 3.7.
So, let's average out the scores for all 6 rounds and after a back-and-forth battle where both sides held the lead, we are tied, tied at 4.1 points a piece.
Now, you know we can walk away like this and this price fight
has to have a winner, so we're gonna break this down hundredths of a point.
So, do the math for yourselves people, but after a 6-round throw down, the SONY PS3 Slim holds on with a 4.10 to 4.06 and the closest price fight in CNET history and is your Price Fight winner.
You can't go wrong with either of these consoles and if you're lucky enough, get both of them.
But Sony's Blu-ray player that used to seem like a gimmick in the past is now the difference maker.
I'm Brian Tong.
Thanks for watching and we'll catch you guys next time for another price fight.
