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Which gen had the best console war?
- Thread starter Squarehard
- Start date
No one forgot anything, we are literally remembering the pathetic things we witnessed lol. One individual wrote this
I hope he made it through the PS4's success though, that must have been rough for him lol.
Most of you were too young for this, but the Atari 2600 vs. Intellivsion wars were brutal. We had no internet back then, so it was more face to face battles. In order of personal experience being an old man i would say the top 3 were:
1) Atari 2600 vs. Intellivision
2) Genesis vs. Nes/Snes
3) PS3 vs. 360
1) Atari 2600 vs. Intellivision
2) Genesis vs. Nes/Snes
3) PS3 vs. 360
If you're old enough to experience SNES vs Genesis vs turbo/pc engine that has to be your choice. The games were different enough where you can have good arguments. PS3 and 360 were way too similar where all the 3rd party games came down to minor resolution differences. It just came down to a handful of 1st party exclusives. 2nd place would be ps1/n64/Saturn.
Snes vs genesis. Companies didn't have the internet fanboys doing the fighting for them on social media.
Genesis/SNES was obviously the intense big one in North America for the largest competition-bashing marketing, close market share, very different but phenomenal line ups, etc.. It sucks the TG16/Duo was left out of the success but I don't think the market could have sustained three consoles equally anyway.
On a personal note, Atari 2600/InTV/etc. and NES/SMS generated more arguments, though, mostly because of the age I was.
On a personal note, Atari 2600/InTV/etc. and NES/SMS generated more arguments, though, mostly because of the age I was.
All I know is Last-Gen and This Gen is fucking tiring. Maybe it's because I'm a mod and see more of it because of that. But people argue over the dumbest shit that I wonder why they even play video games in the first place.
PS3 vs 360
vs Wii. It was the first gen where the online console war was visible on every forum.
But people identifying with a commercial product they bought is a thing of forever. People are so silly.
A lot of people won't recall the early gens. Where commercials were aimed at each other.
vs Wii. It was the first gen where the online console war was visible on every forum.
But people identifying with a commercial product they bought is a thing of forever. People are so silly.
A lot of people won't recall the early gens. Where commercials were aimed at each other.
PS3 vs. Wii60 back in 2007. It was beyond vicious on GameFAQs back then.
Also, it's not really remembered, but there was a pretty fierce war between DS and PSP loyalists back in the day. Both systems were masterpieces with very few faults, so it was funny seeing how deep fans would have to reach to insult the other side.
Also, it's not really remembered, but there was a pretty fierce war between DS and PSP loyalists back in the day. Both systems were masterpieces with very few faults, so it was funny seeing how deep fans would have to reach to insult the other side.
I dunno about 'best', but I think the PS3/Wii/360 era was the nastiest for a few reasons.
It's a generation that no single console can be pinpointed as the clear 'winner' (unlike say GameCube, Xbox, PS2, Dreamcast generation), which meant that all the console warriors thought they had something to fight for til the bitter end.
The internet was in such a place that it became the first truly online console war, which obviously made it way more toxic.
Crucially (and I think this goes underappreciated), but that was the generation where online multiplayer really took over. Because you were locked to playing only with friends with the same console, it heightened the stakes for the warriors to ensure their console was as popular as possible.
Motion controls presented a 'threat' to core gamers™, so that naturally spilled into the war, especially when kinect and move came around.
It's a generation that no single console can be pinpointed as the clear 'winner' (unlike say GameCube, Xbox, PS2, Dreamcast generation), which meant that all the console warriors thought they had something to fight for til the bitter end.
The internet was in such a place that it became the first truly online console war, which obviously made it way more toxic.
Crucially (and I think this goes underappreciated), but that was the generation where online multiplayer really took over. Because you were locked to playing only with friends with the same console, it heightened the stakes for the warriors to ensure their console was as popular as possible.
Motion controls presented a 'threat' to core gamers™, so that naturally spilled into the war, especially when kinect and move came around.
This one... the defense of *insert favorite company* are becoming very creative.
Like yesterday i stumbled back in gaming side and there it was. Full on creativity on how MS was playing 7d PR chess.... very funny. Than again also very tiring and weird. I think i am going to leave gaming side again lol.
Like yesterday i stumbled back in gaming side and there it was. Full on creativity on how MS was playing 7d PR chess.... very funny. Than again also very tiring and weird. I think i am going to leave gaming side again lol.
Most Toxic - PS3/Wii/Xbox
Most Stupid - PS2/Xbox/Gamecube
Best - Snes/Genesis
Most Pathetic - PS4/Xbone/WiiU
This new gen is shaping up to be in the range of stupid/toxic already, with people peddling coorporate talking points/products as if they designed them themselves and supporting predatory behaviour because "F it I got mine".
Also the barrage of constant claims of "Anti-consumer" in the run up to launch was a sight to behold, and it seems to still be a thing.
Most Stupid - PS2/Xbox/Gamecube
Best - Snes/Genesis
Most Pathetic - PS4/Xbone/WiiU
This new gen is shaping up to be in the range of stupid/toxic already, with people peddling coorporate talking points/products as if they designed them themselves and supporting predatory behaviour because "F it I got mine".
Also the barrage of constant claims of "Anti-consumer" in the run up to launch was a sight to behold, and it seems to still be a thing.
That was decided before the PlayStation even launched once the $300 price was announced. Nintendo didn't even participate.
SNES vs Megadrive. It was still a formative time for the industry and the advertising was vicious, still aimed at fuelling arguments that happened in playgrounds rather than online forums.
360/PS3/Wii is interesting because of how well all three did following their own path.
360/PS3/Wii is interesting because of how well all three did following their own path.
The SNES vs Mega Drive was something else, like. Proper war of competitors and the discussion localised to your school yard, friends and magazines.
But the Triple vs 360 was just another level of vitriol and the internet had a big part of that. Like it was nasty. I don't even consider it the best because of how fucking awful it was, you couldn't even discuss it online without a load of shitehawks jumping on it.
But the Triple vs 360 was just another level of vitriol and the internet had a big part of that. Like it was nasty. I don't even consider it the best because of how fucking awful it was, you couldn't even discuss it online without a load of shitehawks jumping on it.
Yeah, and we got such awesome games on both consoles. Often even third party games were very different on the two consoles.
The DS-PSP-WII-360-PS3 generation was absolutely wild. Incredibly entertaining, full of twists and turns and basically nothing ended up like anyone expected or most hoped for at the beginning.
The PSP looked like something from the future and people thought it would crush the bizarre looking DS - and while it did well the DS became a beast beyond any reasonable expectations. Sony had one of the biggest and quickest falls from grace with the first couple years of the PS3, but they managed to right the ship and set themselves up for the killer PS4 (apart from in Japan). Its closely fought battle with the 360 in the first few years was pretty much sidelined by the lightning in a bottle craziness of the Wii, but Nintendo ultimately couldn't sustain it themselves and most of the rest of the industry wasn't much interested. Still, what Nintendo achieved in that generation was just unbelievable and the reaction and bitterness to it from many hardcore gamers was hilarious. And then the next generation came along and upended everything once again!
Definitely gets my vote - most of the other generations were blowout victories and not really as interesting (I don't have any memories of the pre-PS1-N64 period though).
The PSP looked like something from the future and people thought it would crush the bizarre looking DS - and while it did well the DS became a beast beyond any reasonable expectations. Sony had one of the biggest and quickest falls from grace with the first couple years of the PS3, but they managed to right the ship and set themselves up for the killer PS4 (apart from in Japan). Its closely fought battle with the 360 in the first few years was pretty much sidelined by the lightning in a bottle craziness of the Wii, but Nintendo ultimately couldn't sustain it themselves and most of the rest of the industry wasn't much interested. Still, what Nintendo achieved in that generation was just unbelievable and the reaction and bitterness to it from many hardcore gamers was hilarious. And then the next generation came along and upended everything once again!
Definitely gets my vote - most of the other generations were blowout victories and not really as interesting (I don't have any memories of the pre-PS1-N64 period though).
SNES v Genesis, it's not close in terms of best war. You always remember your first.
PSX v N64, this one's good because the two consoles offered legitimate very different games and features with legit exclusives that couldn't really be reproduced on the other hardware. This was also a true ideological console war and while it seems like a pretty obvious win for Playstation, Nintendo partisans absolutely refused to possibly entertain it.
360 v PS3 v Wii
PSX v N64, this one's good because the two consoles offered legitimate very different games and features with legit exclusives that couldn't really be reproduced on the other hardware. This was also a true ideological console war and while it seems like a pretty obvious win for Playstation, Nintendo partisans absolutely refused to possibly entertain it.
360 v PS3 v Wii
I think the three most notable are...
SNES Vs. Genesis... This was such a slugfest. Both systems had tons of awesome games that were totally exclusive. I felt like I profited greatly from that "war" as it motivated both companies to develop killer titles. That seems like the clear winner to me.
PS1 Vs. N64... This was an interesting one, as all the games that defined the N64 were exclusive to that console. However, it really felt like the PS1 was just such an obvious winner early on and Nintendo sorta gave up. So, ultimately, the N64 became that system you booted up when friends were over (as it was definitely the best party console) and only used occasionally otherwise.
PS3 Vs. 360... This was an odd one. It started with the 360 just ruling the roost and then ended up with a complete reversal. It makes so much sense that they ended up being close to even in sales when all was said and done.
TG16 is one of my all-time favorite consoles. It felt like a secret console that just so happened to have an awesome library of games. That being said, I don't remember it ever feeling like it was really in competition with anyone else (probably because I didn't encounter it until long after it launched and it was already on its last legs).
SNES Vs. Genesis... This was such a slugfest. Both systems had tons of awesome games that were totally exclusive. I felt like I profited greatly from that "war" as it motivated both companies to develop killer titles. That seems like the clear winner to me.
PS1 Vs. N64... This was an interesting one, as all the games that defined the N64 were exclusive to that console. However, it really felt like the PS1 was just such an obvious winner early on and Nintendo sorta gave up. So, ultimately, the N64 became that system you booted up when friends were over (as it was definitely the best party console) and only used occasionally otherwise.
PS3 Vs. 360... This was an odd one. It started with the 360 just ruling the roost and then ended up with a complete reversal. It makes so much sense that they ended up being close to even in sales when all was said and done.
TG16 is one of my all-time favorite consoles. It felt like a secret console that just so happened to have an awesome library of games. That being said, I don't remember it ever feeling like it was really in competition with anyone else (probably because I didn't encounter it until long after it launched and it was already on its last legs).
I remember being surprised at how little marketing that TurboGrafx had outside of gaming mags. I only saw one TV commercial its entire lifespan. It made the Master System look heavily advertised by comparison.
NEC did partner with Compucentre (a Canadian chain that existed back then) for a Devil's Crush competition at malls which made me briefly think they would make an effort to sell the system but I guess that was just a one time thing in 1990.
The only time NEC or TTI seemed to acknowledge the competition was in those Johnny Turbo comics for the TurboDuo but that was an even more niche product than the original TG16. It's kind of funny seeing the Johnny Turbo branding on Data East games on Switch this gen, though.
SNK just stayed in their expensive lane for consoles, which made sense. They had some competition-bashing ads in magazines but even those were worded to show Neo Geo as a premium item and not a mass market thing; they weren't all over TV like Mattel was for Intellivision vs. 2600 or Sega was for Genesis vs. SNES.
Who doesn't remember the great battle of the Twin Breaks. I was but a young whippersnapper back then, but had risen through the ranks quickly as a result of my valor during the Siege of the Climbing Frame or the Great Betrayal of the Principal, when he said he also liked playing on the computer but ended up sending a platoon of our finest to detention.
We had landed a decisive victory during the small outside break. Johnny had eaten sand, Hank had been scratched by a particularly sharp rainbow colored snap bracelet, the Super Soakers were depleted and taken in by Ms Crawford who let us know in no unsure terms that this wasn't the last of it.
But their troops had shot out of the gate during big recess and soon we found both sides trenched in. We had already lost Flint with a black eye and Jake had been crying about missing his mommy and was being comforted by Ms. Hanson. Worse, we were down to five Koosh balls and one Slinky. It was then in that desperate hour that I convinced Timmy to make the ultimate sacrifice. He slunk past the bike shed and through the bushes. Within ear range of the enemy he belted out their secret code word. "SEGA". It wasn't quite right. He got the melody down well, but the vibrato in the final A was off. How could he have known. The console was beneath him as it was beneath all of us, sure the temptation of Gunstar Heroes had been seductive and we had lost Freddy to it, but Timmy was one of our finest and he had resisted. Alas in this hour it proved his downfall. He choked on the elaborate braid in the hair of Hank's sister's Troll. We will never forget his brave sacrifice. Because in the confusion and commotion whether he pronounced SEGA correctly, our enemy had been routed from their hiding place and the righteous army of the Moustached Hero descended down upon them with all of their Koosh Balls, jump ropes and Yo-Yo melee weapons. It may not have been pretty, but Nintendo's honor had been saved that day. Of course it was but one playground battle, but a decisive one.
Ah you young-uns with your funny GIFs, and message board anonymous shit posting, you wouldn't understand.
We had landed a decisive victory during the small outside break. Johnny had eaten sand, Hank had been scratched by a particularly sharp rainbow colored snap bracelet, the Super Soakers were depleted and taken in by Ms Crawford who let us know in no unsure terms that this wasn't the last of it.
But their troops had shot out of the gate during big recess and soon we found both sides trenched in. We had already lost Flint with a black eye and Jake had been crying about missing his mommy and was being comforted by Ms. Hanson. Worse, we were down to five Koosh balls and one Slinky. It was then in that desperate hour that I convinced Timmy to make the ultimate sacrifice. He slunk past the bike shed and through the bushes. Within ear range of the enemy he belted out their secret code word. "SEGA". It wasn't quite right. He got the melody down well, but the vibrato in the final A was off. How could he have known. The console was beneath him as it was beneath all of us, sure the temptation of Gunstar Heroes had been seductive and we had lost Freddy to it, but Timmy was one of our finest and he had resisted. Alas in this hour it proved his downfall. He choked on the elaborate braid in the hair of Hank's sister's Troll. We will never forget his brave sacrifice. Because in the confusion and commotion whether he pronounced SEGA correctly, our enemy had been routed from their hiding place and the righteous army of the Moustached Hero descended down upon them with all of their Koosh Balls, jump ropes and Yo-Yo melee weapons. It may not have been pretty, but Nintendo's honor had been saved that day. Of course it was but one playground battle, but a decisive one.
Ah you young-uns with your funny GIFs, and message board anonymous shit posting, you wouldn't understand.
I feel like PSP is the most universally liked system. Like it got crushed by the DS, but it had enough advantages as a piece of hardware to be a relevant alternative, and it had a super diverse library of solid games from all genres.
PS3 vs Xbox 360. I was a young one back then and I shilled super hard for the ps3 back then. Internet arguments were insane as fuck and im pretty sure having a different console at school would lead to some heated moments. It was also a weird gen in terms of which company was being dominant - 360 had a blowout first few years and a complete reversal happened in the second half of the generation.