Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Microsoft and Sony aren't just battling for video game supremacy: They want control of your living room too. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 play music and high-def movies and connect to an online network. USATODAY's Mike Snider compares the two systems beyond just games.

PlayStation 3
This week, Sony plans to post additional, downloadable free features for hit game Resistance: Fall of Man and offer new levels for purchase in May.

For movies such as Kingdom of Heaven and Superman Returns, the Blu-ray player provides video as good as or better than any HD movies seen so far, whether via broadcast, satellite or disc.

Xbox 360
The Xbox Live online service has about 6 million users. Basic service is free, but gamers will want to pay $50 annually for the gold level that offers such features as multiplayer gaming, ranked matchmaking, private voice and video chat.

The [Xbox Live] Marketplace has movie trailers, music videos, TV episodes and more than 100 movies (rental fee, $4.50-$7) including Saw III and older films such as All The President's Men; many are in high definition.

The HD DVD add-on is a fairly inexpensive way for HDTV owners to try it out. The red-rock vistas in The Searchers viewed on the 360's HD DVD player and the PS3's Blu-ray drive were comparable.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360