590°

Why PS3, Not Xbox Was My Netflix Machine Father's Day Gift

Forbes: This Father’s Day I had a dilemma on my hands. My dad had expressed an interest in seeing what this newfangled Netflix thing was all about, and I thought a good gift would be a box through which he could get the streaming service.

Naturally, as a gamer, my first thought turned to which console I could get him that would serve as a primary Netflix box. Yes, I could go with AppleTV, but if I’d never used it, teaching him would be a chore. Plugging in a laptop each time via HDMI would be too much of a hassle, and so I went with my original assertion, picking and choosing between which gaming console I’d get my dad. It was a present I never thought I’d give.

Emilio_Estevez4319d ago

Seems like an obvious choice if you were to pick a console to stream Netflix for a not techy person. But why not a Roku box?

Snookies124319d ago

Lol, I said the same thing right as your comment was posted.

Zuperman4319d ago

Another dumb This Vs That debate, If you have Netflix for one or the other platform, great. Enjoy it. lmfao..

darthv724319d ago (Edited 4319d ago )

I stream netflix on wii, ps3, 360 and 3ds.

When it comes to streaming netflix in general I use an LG bluray player. It is the main player for all things movies and is the easiest device for my wife to use.

As for this article, why he didnt just go with either a dedicated netflix box or a bluray player is odd. Especially if the intended party is someone who isnt to tech savvy.

There are wireless bluray players for under $100 that can do netflix, vudu, hulu and a slew of other streaming services these days.

OC_MurphysLaw4319d ago

or... he could have just bought dad a new smart TV with Netflix in it. Not sure what his dad's TV situation is but these kinds of TV's are brilliant options for those only looking to do Netflix. You can get a great 30-32 inch smart LCD TV for just about the same price as the different console bundles these days.

OC_MurphysLaw4319d ago

or even better yet...

He could have bought Dad the Sony Blu Ray Player w/ Wifi(Netflix, Pandora, Youtube, facebook & Twitter apps) for $120 via Best Buy (Model: BDPS390).

My point I think there are far better cost options for getting someone a machine for Netflix play than a 360 or a PS3.

BISHOP-BRASIL4319d ago

I agree with you guys that are better options for non tech savy people, but what if his father happens to look interested in gaming?

I know my father would randomly join me in a match of International Superstar Soccer when I was a kid and it was great fun, despite he being completelly out of his confort zone. If he was still alive I would totally give him a PS3, imagine rocking out BF3 with your old man!

Other thing to consider is if it's a trojan horse of a present... Give your father a PS3, so you can play when you are visiting! LOL

pixelsword4319d ago

...the heck is a Roku box?

Army_of_Darkness4319d ago

The HD quality does not compare. besides, I'm sure any father would want more than just a bluray player eventually.

moparful994319d ago

@Dlacy13g You cannot buy a smart tv for the same price as a console.. A 32 inch lcd hd tv costs 2-3 hundred right now.. a vizio 32 inch lcd smart tv is $369 right now..

Kurt Russell4319d ago

I bought my dad a card and a bottle of whisky.

Arnon4318d ago

If I were to do this, I'd get him a 4gb 360 with Kinect, and a membership to Netflix. Using Kinect with netflix is a godsend for browsing, and my dad is a computer radio engineer, so he'd get a kick out of using Kinect as well.

ChrisGTR14318d ago

ehh last time i checked u needed a xbox live membership to even use netflix on xbox so obviously ps3 is a better choice top that off with a bluray player.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 4318d ago
nukeitall4319d ago

I was going to say the same thing, the Roku supports more apps than PS3 and cost a fraction of it, uses less power and is easier to use. You don't have to use a controller and instead use a remote like device.

Emilio_Estevez4319d ago

Yeah, but it doesn't have a Blu-Ray player, which could be another reason for it.

nukeitall4319d ago (Edited 4319d ago )

Blu-ray feature is hardly worth $150-200 extra?

If it was such an issue, here is a blu-ray player with netflix for $80 and it doesn't have that pesky controller:

http://www.amazon.com/LG-BD...

Also, Roku gets Angry Bird! XD

moparful994319d ago

@nuke Sony makes a really nice tv style remote for the ps3 that works brilliantly and also has the square, x, circle, and triangle buttons.. Buying a ps3 as a primary netflix device isn't as bad of a deal as you all are making it out to be.. The blu-ray and access to the playstation movie store makes it a great movie device...

Persistantthug4319d ago

So in his case, the PS3 makes sense.

showtimefolks4319d ago

GOOD FOR YOU PEOPLE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS SO AS LONG AS YOU HAPPY WHO CARES WHICH ONE YOU PICK

Godmars2904319d ago

You said it yourself: for some even a Roku is too technical. That or they don't advertise on TV.

Though anyone looking will just find a TV with streaming capability.

hazelamy4319d ago

because then you wouldn't be able to play games on it as well.

Hayabusa 1174319d ago (Edited 4319d ago )

I was going to say exactly the same thing everyone else was going to say: why not just buy a Roku box? Everyone else said it even though the first comment already said it, yet everyone still felt the need to say what's already been said, so I said it as well :)

mewhy324319d ago

I agree with Emilio. If you were going to buy a streaming device then they should have just bought a Roku box.

r1sh124318d ago (Edited 4318d ago )

This whole debate between and xbox or ps3 (for netflix) is mute I think.
He said it was money that made him decide for the ps3 which is a fair conclusion and I would agree with it.
But as a few people have pointed out, there are significantly cheaper devices that support netflix and do an equally good job for streaming when compared with the ps3/xbox.
A cheap blu ray player will be the first thing that comes to mind, and if he wanted all the extra features a samsung smart blu ray player would have satisfied all the needs which would have worked out cheaper. This sort of thing seems its a bit like flame bait, because there are at least another 99 devices that deliver the same content for less than a ps3/xbox...

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4318d ago
Snookies124319d ago

A Roku player would have worked as well. XD

Christopher4319d ago

Yeah, don't get why you'd get a console in the first place. I get his choice of one with a 'friendlier' user interface, but I'd rather show my dad how to navigate to the Netflix icon on the PS3 and give him a Blu-ray player as well as the other video streaming options out there without any annual costs.

nukeitall4319d ago (Edited 4319d ago )

They have that too, and it's not a PS3 and cost far less at $80 (one third):

http://www.amazon.com/LG-BD...

I don't see it either. Maybe dad will play some games once he figures out the interface?

TekoIie4319d ago

I just cant get over how this can be made into an article. Yeh for just Netflix then the PS3 is the one to go for but really?

How much further can gaming journalism fall?

Condemnedman4319d ago

This is the type of lame articles that make it to the front page of this site it's posted by some right sad losers trying to push the notion that every one should buy a PS3 over an Xbox :-#,

iceman28854319d ago

The other obvious advantage for PS3 over 360 as one's "Netflix Machine" (if your not gonna go for the cheaper Roku or AppleTV) is that it plays Blu-Ray.

darthv724319d ago

options on the market that play bluray as well as the various streaming services.

moparful994319d ago

But with a ps3 you also have access to the playstation movie store and you can rent or buy and save them to your hard drive..

Soldierone4319d ago

If he is a gamer I can see getting him a console. However I wanted to get my girlfriend's parents something to watch Netflix on, so I got them a Blu-ray player....only 80 dollars, watches Blu-rays, and an easy keyboard style peripheral to type on Netflix, all through wi-fi too.

The only reason I'd get my (or her) parents a PS3 was for free chat on it. However we live within a good radius and see them all the time, so no need for it.

Moncole4319d ago

The reason you would get your parents a PS3 is stupid, you have free chat on everything. You can use Facebook, email and texts.

Soldierone4319d ago

The point is keeping it away from the computer, and something on the TV.....

I don't see how MY viewpoint is stupid just because its different than yours though. I'm on my PS3 a lot, it would make for communication to be a lot easier, and can have video on the TV.

moparful994319d ago

Soldier he's just a sony hater and any reasonable opinion in favor of the ps3 obviously angers him so let him fume in his own little world... Just a troll..

Show all comments (108)
110°

"Invincible" AAA Game Crowdfunding Campaign Launched by Skybound

Skybound Entertainment has launched the crowdfunding campaign for its AAA Invincible game with a minimum investment set at $100.

phoenixwing13h ago

These ppl are terrible. expecting gamers to pick up the dev costs with high as he'll initial investment. When they probably already have the funds considering they already hired a team of 30 and have the creator backing them.

Inverno10h ago

They seem to be crowdfunding the idea of a studio rather than an actual game. It's already at near half a million and there isn't even concept/any kind of proof of concept. People throwing so much money at something that'll most likely be too big for crowd funding alone and will have em partner up with a publisher.

PhillyDonJawn5h ago

I was just saying, they need to make this a game

-Foxtrot34m ago

Big IPs like this shouldn’t need crowdfunding

390°

Former Blizzard President Suggests Players Should Have Option to Tip Developers

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra recently suggested an interesting concept that has sparked a debate among gamers - the idea of being able to tip developers after completing a game.

LG_Fox_Brazil1d 14h ago

If I had a 100% way to be sure that this money would go to a fund or a reserve dedicated only to the guys who develop the games, be them designers, artists, programmers and so on, I could think about it.

But we all know that this 'tip' would only end up in a publisher's CEO pocket to buy a new yacht, so, no, I ain't tipping anyone anytime soon on this industry

neutralgamer199218h ago

Exactly these companies were raising money for good causes and gamers were donation and come to find out they are keeping a good chunk of be pie

PapaBop9h ago

Yeah tip your developer, 5% proceeds go to developer, 95% to the publisher or whoever. Isn't tipping for staff not making minimum wage? How about they just pay their developers properly and like you know, give them fair bonuses? Too much to ask from Blizzard these days, Kotick saw to that and is now laughing all the way to the bank.

MrDead18h ago(Edited 18h ago)

It's the t**ts at the top looking at ways to cut devs wages and get the players to tip them like waiting staff, and I'll guarantee a percentage is skimmed and kept by Activision Blizzard. This is 100% for shareholder and CEO playouts.

Popsicle18h ago(Edited 18h ago)

I have to agree with this. On the surface tipping devs sounds like a great idea, but in the end it leads to pay cuts and subsidization of pay. Tips then become an expectation or the devs “can’t make a living.” Lastly, especially in the US, tip culture has gotten out of control, and it serves as an excuse not to properly pay employees. Sounds good but doesn’t end well.

1Victor14h ago

Uh so they’re trying triple dip or more we buy the game that they’re already withholding/cutting content for dlc we was told that season pass would help the developers thrive we felt for it.
Now on top of all that plus their sales bonus they want tips enough is enough whatever happens to you create/built a good game get a bonus for sales milestones you care about your game and community we reward you with more sales not for doing 3/4 of a game then save the other 1/4 for dlc and passes after

raWfodog13h ago

The 'tip' is me buying your game in the first place.

S2Killinit10h ago

Very well said. If it was possible to send the money to either the developer or some organization for the betterment of gaming, sure. But we all know that will not be the case.

Rynxie8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

No, it would go to those on the top. They will still fire developers, have a bunch of microtransactions, raise prices of games and so on.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 8h ago
H91d 14h ago

So they eventually don't pay their workers and depend on our tips to pay them like the case with waiters!

Deeeeznuuuts18h ago

That kind of practice is only normal in the states, as far as I know anyway, what a backwards system

H916h ago

No it's as well in a every country that wants to amercanize

bloop15h ago

Ireland is literally the first stop across the pond and we don't have a tipping culture. The only establishments here that would expect a tip are the tourist haunts that Americans visit. Other than that, you might tip in a restaurant as a sign of gratitude for great service and waiting staff would be paid a full wage anyway.

Rebel_Scum9h ago

Tipping is not customary iin most countries dude. Get a passport lol.

Jin_Sakai1d 13h ago

Is this a joke? How about the big wigs giving up some of their pay for their hard working developers.

MrBaskerville19h ago

Maybe the CEO could earn his money based on tips.

mastershredder1d 13h ago

good god. The devs are not baristas dude. Total 1% ideals. Fing Chadosaurus.

Show all comments (74)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref1d 19h ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde1d 18h ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn1d 18h ago (Edited 1d 18h ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19721d 17h ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville1d 16h ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 8h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 7h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 7h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref1d 19h ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan1d 19h ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis00723h ago(Edited 23h ago)

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref1d 19h ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde1d 18h ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19721d 17h ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19721d 17h ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier1d 14h ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto1d 16h ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 8h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 5h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 5h ago
Hofstaderman1d 20h ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts1d 16h ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate1d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts18h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 2h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)