i know there have been a lot of threads comparing the two....i need owners to chime in......im leaning towards xbox although i am a sony faithful been on socom for a while....the cons about the xbox are the repairs.....i dont wanna have to buy the extended warranty...and after that time xbox breaks down...while on the other hand i know ps3 has outstanding quality and know it will last a long time...although the online is free yet sluggish....some input please?

In terms od game software the 360 kills both ps3 and wii,but the hardware has issues. I have an elite model and it seems to work fine so far. If you're scared I say go with ps3. If you do get a 360 try and get an elite. They aslo have some new models coming out. You might want to wait for one of these as they are supossed to fix the problems.
http://www.videogamechat.net/news/console-news/Jasper-chipset-may-fix-Xbox-360-Red-Ring-of-Death-problems-347

Well, I just bought a PS3 and have to say, in all honesty, the quality blows the other two out of the water, hands down.

BUT!

There still aren't a LOT of games for it. There's some REALLY good ones, granted, just not a LOT just yet... I think it'll still be a while before we start to see games that really take advantage of the hardware.

The Wii is definitely leading the pack in terms of popularity (by quite a wide margin, looking at the sales figures). As for the 360... I know a lot of people who love it, but I have yet to see anything on it that really blows me away.

Basically, it all boils down to what you want in a system. For me, I wanted a next-gen game system and BluRay capability, that was more or less future-proof (for now), so the PS3 was an obvious choice.

If HD isn't a big deal and you just want a pile of fun games NOW, then maybe the Wii is a good way to go (the Wii isn't HD, it's just progressive scan standard def - but it has a pile of great games and it's cheap).

The 360 seems to be somewhere in the middle...not bad hardware, with mostly hi-def display (no 1080p though), and some decent games. I seem to hear way more horror stories about bugs and whatnot though, and if you compare multi-platform games that are on BOTH the PS3 and 360, the PS3 version usually looks better (and in some cases loads more seamlessly during gameplay, such as Oblivion and GTA4)

So basically, if you want the most powerful hardware, HD movies AND something that's going to be around for a while then I'd go with the PS3. And, well, I have. :) Just don't chuck out your PS2 just yet, since the low end (40 gig) model isn't backwards compatible. At 400 bucks or less it's a steal for all the cool stuff it can do.

I still like PS3

Honestly, out of all the systems I play the 360 the most, the PS3, by far, the least. Essentially the PS3 has become an MLB 08 The Show player for me until Metal Gear Solid 4 arrives. Most of the big name third party games run better on the 360 and there are more good exclusive games right now on the 360 than there are PS3. Also, if online is important to you, Xbox Live blows the Playstation Network out of the water.

Right now there just isn't compelling enough content on the PS3, I play the Wii a lot more as well because of Nintendo's games. By the end of the year, Sony should have an improved library of games, but I still have a hard time recommending the PS3 especially when the alternative options are cheaper and have better exclusives. And I was a big Sony supporter the last two gens myself, but PS3, just like the PSP, isn't living up to the PS name right now.

Get a 360. I've had the same Core system since day 1 of the launch and I've had no hardware issues at all. As long as you don't play like a crackhead (nothing beyond 2-3 hours/day) your system will last. Another big thing that affects the 360 and all electronics is smoke, if you're a smoker and you smoke indoors where your system is, you're more likely to have issues down the road. 2 friends of mine both indoor smokers have had to exchange their 360s at least 4 times each both of them also played like crackheads.

GOOD LORD I can ramble sometimes... Well, happy reading folks! :D

Just a couple of minor quibbles (no, I'm not a fanboy, no I'm not picking a fight). And might I say, I've read a LOT of discussions on this subject and so far this is by far the most CIVILIZED discussion on the topic I've seen yet... :D So let me go into a bit more detail here and address some of the more common arguments that crop up from time to time.

With the 40gig version of the PS3 pretty much the main model now, the price argument is no longer an issue. The 360 and the PS3 are both basically the same price now for a core system. You only pay more if you want the higher end models (the 80 gig PS3 or the 360 Elite).

Gametrailers.com has some interesting videos for multi-platform games that I highly recommend checking out - side-by-side comparisons of them (in hi-def) so you can actually see how they perform on the different systems. And HONESTLY, from what I've seen of these comparisons, it is clear that the PS3 versions generally run faster, have more detail, and have far less "pop-up" issues with graphics. Compare GTA4 on the 360 to the PS3 version. The PS3 version looks better, there is no question. That gap is only going to widen as more of the game companies begin to take advantage of the hardware.

I keep hearing people talk about loading time issues, but I just don't see it. My PS3 doesn't seem to take any more time loading a game than my PS2, which is saying a LOT considering how much more data is being pulled of the disc for a PS3 game.

On the smoking issue - I have some friends who are heavy smokers and own a PS3. They also play like crack addicts, and have never had a problem.

You might hear some thing about overheating. This is an issue with BOTH systems, easily remedied by making sure you place your system in the open, with the vents kept unobstructed with lots of room to, well, VENT. :)

So going back to what I said before, if you just want a bunch of good games NOW, get a Wii or 360. If you want a system that's going to last a while longer and takes full advantage of the wonderful world of HD, get a PS3. It's not going to be long before the playing field is evened again. People were put off the PS3 because of the price when it came out, but that's no longer an issue. There's a lot of games coming out this year that will being to show off just what it can do, with plenty more in the pipeline.

There's also a lot of REALLY good game franchises on the PS platforms - Final Fantasy, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Killzone and Gran Turismo just to name a few of the heavy hitters. And they're ALL getting PS3 games (some are out already).

Bear in mind again, I'm talking from personal experience. It also boils down to the fact that I've had a PS2 for quite a while, and have never been disappointed. So I have no problem investing in the future with the new Sony system. They have a proven track record for making solid game systems, as far as I'm concerned, and I don't get what people are worried about. The games have been slow to come out because the hardware is BRAND NEW. I'm not talking about the age of the system, I'm talking about the hardware itself - it's a whole new KIND of processor, unlike anything that's ever been out before. So the learning curve for the game companies was a tad more steep than with the other systems. Therefore, it's taken longer to get games out that use it. But that's about to change. And once it picks up steam, I don't see it slowing down.

As PS3 games take more advantage of the hardware, it's only going to show in sharper relief just how underpowered the 360 truly is. I really think Microsoft made a HUGE mistake rushing it to the market a year ahead of the competition. With the original XBox, they WAITED and it was a really good system as a result. They took their time to make it a truly competitive system with the PS2 and the Gamecube. I just don't get their plan with the 360 - it doesn't make sense. Rush it out the door to be the first HD game system, even though they must have KNOW that the PS3 would blow it out of the water specs-wise... My point is, I think that as time passes, and PS3 games become more advanced, it's going to show the lack of power under the 360's hood more and more. Yeah, it's #2 in sales and installed user base at the moment (behind the Wii), but the PS3 is catching up, almost SCARILY fast. I think, at the very LEAST, the 360 needs to have a BluRay drive. Then at least the size of their games won't be limited by storage capacity. Such as that one game that came out recently on FOUR DISCS??? Sheesh...if they had a BluRay drive, they could've fit that whole game on one. With room to spare...

Ideally, I'd like to have a Wii AND a PS3. But for now, I'm happy with my purchase and look forward to many years of gaming and hi-def movies ahead. :)

So yeah, to sum up again - if you want something for the short-t

i had both the 360 and the ps3,
ps3 wins in graphics reliability usefullnes and some of its games are beast.
360 just has tons more games.
once ps3 releases more games it will be better than 360 in all aspects.
my 360 kept getting the red ring of death and overheating even with a fan on, i got it replaced and after a couple months the new one started doing the same, on the other hand i have yet to turn of my ps3 as i have it constantly playing music, pictures, videos and games.

but ive always been more of a ps fan than any other consol.
(also u get more bang for your buck with a ps3, blueray, internet,ect.)

The PS3 is the best,sure xbox 360 is deadlast in the war, PS3 has been getting a great success lately!!

I prefer Xbox 360 over PlayStation 3. Xbox 360 has a good variety of games that interest me more than the PlayStation 3. Someday, I'd like to buy an Xbox 360 so I can play games like Eternal Sonata and Blue Dragon.

The X-box 360 for sure. They have a nice veriety of games through the x-box live arcade and a bunch of other cool games. If I was to get another new video game system that's out now then it'd have to be the X-box 360.

PS3 has yet to wow me. And with Fable 2 approaching...

well i'm a gamer...so you can be ill be playing like a crackhead...and as far as you saying they had to exchange their 360's....is that free of charge? or is there a fee they have to pay in order for microsoft to exchange it?

I like the wii, but if I had to choose between those two...I guess ps3?

okay what i didnt add is im a gamer who plays alot online...a bit...on socom..since socom came out ive been a die hard...and the new socom is what i want it for..but there are a lot of games on the xbox.....i love the variety of the games xbox has out...just those red rings of death is the only thing im worried about..so i just jotted down some pros and cons of each...may be this will help me decide...ill take your input on it...
xbox pros
graphics
exclusive titles (bioshock gears of war ninja gaiden assassins creed)
xbox live with great support service from what ive been reviewing
20g HD
User Friendly Interface
150 titles out
controller rumbles

cons
the hardware(red rings of death)
no blu ray
paying for online play

PS3
Pro's
Reliable.
exlusive titles (MSG4 GT5 Socom)
Online Play is free
40g HD
Webbrowsing
Blu Ray
Sixxaxis (motion sensitive controller)

Cons
Not Many Titles out
Sluggish servers when playing online

mind you both consoles will cost the same...ill end up getting the xbox hdmi with 3 year warranty 400 about the same as ps3

Your list is pretty much dead-on, just a few minor corrections/additions to help out:

Swap graphics from 360 to PS3 (no 1080p on 360, do a side-by-side of the same game on both - the PS3 version almost always looks better). Simple fact is, it's got more sheer graphics horsepower than any other system, period. Anyone who HONESTLY believes that the 360 has better graphics, well, is ignoring the evidence of their own eyes...

Assassin's Creed is out on both systems.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma is out on PS3, but looks like the sequel is 360-only.

Other PS3 exclusives: Killzone, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, God of War, Folklore, Resistance, Final Fantasy (aside from a few DS spin-offs).

Other 360 exclusives: Halo series, Fable

I have to say I found the interface VERY easy to navigate. I was up and running on the Playstation Network literally within about 5 minutes via my wireless connection. But even just the system functions of the interface - really slick and user friendly.

I haven't tried online play yet (never been a big fan of online play, other than with friends), so can't comment on that. One thing though - if you're going to do a lot of internet stuff, I advise getting a USB keyboard. Makes it MUCH nicer. :)

I would say the PS3, it just seems to have a nicer selection of games to me.

yeah ive seen a few posts from people with both systems have the kinks but a friend i know returned it to best buy 3 different times...because of that red ring of death......im kind of leaning toward the ps3 just because of the reliability factor....but the titles on xbox are another story.....but ill take some more input...i might make the buy next week or so....im just trying to get as much input as i possibly can before making my decision

If you're an online gamer, the choice is simple... Xbox360.