Depending on which side of the fanboy fence you are on, I have either gone to the Dark Side or have seen the light. Last Friday, I purchased a PS3 (*gasp*). Several things sent me down this path: my birthday, Iron Man on Blu-ray (with The Dark Knight coming in December) and I felt it was my duty as an American to revitalize the U.S. economy. You’re welcome, Mr. Paulson. So as the owner of both systems, I thought I’d share my opinions comparing the Sony PlayStation 3 against Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Games. In this age of rising development costs in gaming, most companies are selling their products on both systems. While early on it seemed that between the two consoles, the Xbox 360 appeared to be performing better since the Dev teams had more experience coding for that console. Going forward, I don’t think that will be the case. Therefore, which console has the better games will largely come down to who’s got the better first-party titles – and that is typically determined by the user’s preference. Metal Gear Solid or Halo? Gears of War vs. God of War. It’s really up to you. I’m a fan of all four of those series and now I don’t have to choose – I can play them all. Winner = me.

Online Service. I view this category as both online content and online multiplayer and in either case Xbox Live is the clear favorite. For free content, Microsoft has much more to offer. I saw a greater number of HD theatrical trailers available on Xbox Live than on the PlayStation Network (which is something I enjoy downloading). As for online multiplayer, you have to go where your friends are. All of mine are on Xbox Live and from what I’ve heard, it’s much easier to find them on Live as well. I keep reading about firmware updates to the PS3 and everything they’re looking to add, Xbox Live has already had from the beginning. I do love the PS3’s ability to surf the Web, I just wish all of the Flash Players were available so that I could watch TV shows off of the station’s Website. Still, you get what you pay for and Xbox Live is definitely worth the $4 a month.

Home Entertainment. For many, the PS2 might have been the first DVD player in their homes. Gaming consoles have been trying to be a household’s all-in-one media device, from playing games and movies to viewing photos and streaming your own music. Both consoles do a fine job of playing your tunes from a PC as well as displaying your photos. I haven’t tried it yet, but based on the demo I saw, I do like the way the PS3 presents the photos (I need to see how it plays out in reality). During the Next-Gen format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray, I went to the HD-DVD side mainly because all I needed was a simple add-on. I don’t regret this purchase especially after Best Buy continued to send me $100 worth of gift cards for buying a dead format player from them. Nowadays, there are plenty of Websites selling HD-DVD movies for cheap and I’ve actually continued to grow my movie library in HD-DVDs. Where it’s changed for me is from here on out. Nobody’s releasing new movies in this format going forward. Iron Man and The Dark Knight will never come out on HD-DVD, so if I want to watch these great films in all of their high definition glory, I need a Blu-ray player. As a Blu-ray player, the PS3 the best player on the market right now. Because of its network connectivity, it can update itself so that you can view all of the latest Blu-ray features on BD Live. More Blu-ray discs will be incorporating this feature in upcoming releases so it’s nice knowing that my player will be ready for them. I know people are saying that the future is digital distribution, but I’m not buying it. I like to have a physical copy of my media, especially since I’m on my third 360 after having two previous consoles get the “Red Rings of Death” and with Microsoft’s poor track record with digital rights management, I don’t need the hassle of a digital copy.

Price and value. Price was a major deterrent to the PS3 when it first launched, coming in at $600 with nothing in its library to warrant the price. The HD format was still undecided and the 360 was out a year before, so in side-by-side comparisons, the PS3 wasn’t showing off its graphical horsepower. Time has moved on and prices have dropped for both systems. If this is based on just price alone, the Xbox 360 is tough to beat. Another way to look at this is what do you get for your money and is the extra cost worth it to you. If all you are looking for is an immediate gateway into HD gaming both online and off, the Xbox 360 is a good buy. If you’re looking for a console which is capable of playing the latest games and Blu-ray movies, the PS3 is a worthwhile investment. Also keep in mind that at some point, your 360 will probably get the “Red Ring of Death” and you’ll have to send it in for repair and who knows what the warranty plan is now. My advice to you and to my friends is that if you’re going to get a 360, buy it from Best Buy and get their protection plan. Thanks to that plan, I didn’t miss a day of gaming when I had two consoles die on me. Sony has a proven track record of supporting their consoles for many years. Look at the PS2. It’s still selling and companies are still making games for it. Microsoft abandoned the original Xbox as soon as the 360 was announced. For immediate value, the 360 is great but the PS3 is a great investment for the present and future.

So in the end, it’s a push and it mainly comes down to personal preference. Which gaming franchises to you like more? Do you like to play with others or do you prefer the single player experience? Do you care about the next generation video format for your movie experience or do DVDs look just fine to you? What’s your budget like? If you can only buy one, you need to think about those questions. If money’s not an option, then why did you bother reading this? Go get both!