Is it possible to FUTURE PROOF the X360 and PS3?

[+wood_jl]

 

What I mean is to basically have a spare console. Nothing's worse than when you have an investment of many games, and then the console craps out. Yeah, that's a simple thing, if we're talking Super Nintendo, etc....etc...etc...up through the Sixth-genertation (Gamecube/PS2/Xbox (original)). It used to be as easy having a spare Super Nintendo, and it still is, up through the 6th-gen.

 

I understand if the hard drive crashes (whatever) you're going to lose your downloaded content. That's not really what this inquiry is about, as that's a given. I am new to the Seventh-generation, and I'm talking about just being able to play the game discs, since they're still around. I just want to be able to play the disc games, after the servers go down. I think that when I bought the PS3 "Gran Turismo 5 Legacy Bundle," it wouldn't even play the damn pack-in game until I downloaded a system update.

 

So my question is to you seasoned PS3/X360 veterans: How shall the "spare console" be handled, in this 7th-generation? As the X360 is the one I play the most - and since the X360-S is discontinuted - I went ahead and bought a spare new one. It's still sealed. As one never knows what the future holds (maybe trade it for food after the big crash), I didn't open it. Should I? Should I open it and get it started, and download some updates, while the servers are still online? If I wait 10 years and there's no server, shall it be worthless?

 

I ask the same of the PS3. I don't have a "spare" PS3 yet, as I'm just becoming accustomed to the console (I really like it, as I do the X360). But I want to get one. I bought the latest "Super Slim" model. The sliding door (covering the disc) seems **REALLY** cheap. As I always handle my stuff **VERY** carefully, I don't see it breaking on me. But I am quite reticent of purchasing a used PS3 of this model, for this cheap disc door is fragile.

 

See, the difference is (with the 7th-generation) that IF you had a new-in-box "spare" console previously, you could keep it sealed, and it would work. Now, it seems that you're keeping obsolescence sealed in that box, since everything is tied to "System Updates" in a way that I'd never imagined. PC gaming and Console gaming have always each had their advantages and disadvantages. One of the greatest strengths - obviously - of "traditional" console-gaming was the timelessness of it; your NES plays whatever you pop into the cartridge slot, and your NES is not the least bit concerned with what year it is. I'm not so sure about this newer stuff; it seems that retrogaming may hit a brick wall.

 

So the question is: IF you buy a spare X360 or PS3 - SHOULD YOU OPEN IT AND DOWNLOAD THE SYSTEM UPDATES NOW, WHILE YOU CAN? One hates to open sealed stuff unless they absolutely have to. I'm wondering if one absolutely has to.

 

At any rate, the life of the system is therefore dependent upon the life of the hard drive. I'm wondering if anybody (in pursuit of "FUTURE PROOF") has swapped in a Solid-State (crash-proof) drive for the X360 or PS3? These things use laptop PC drives, eh?

 

Thanks for any info and advise! I feel that retrogaming is drawing to a close, but I am still THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED with the X360 and PS3, after having waited so long to dive in. I just can't believe the graphics that everyone [else] has been enjoying for 8-9 years!!!

[cimerians]

If your a collector keep it sealed. If your a gamer open it and play..play...play or take your time and build it up and have it ready for a future backup. That's what I do.

 

I have three 360's and three PS3's. Two "backups" of each. The third units (of the three) do not have patches or anything else they just sit on shelves with covers. The second units do and they are hooked up in other rooms. The primary units get played all the time so they are always current. I take the time to update the secondary units every so often.

 

A lot of games don't really require too much major patching except for the big technical games (all Bethesda games).

 

The Playstations are the easiest to swap a drive out. The 360 uses a proprietary shell which forces you to buy hard drives from MS but you can crack them open and upgrade them too as I've read.

 

If your into RPG's this is the best time to be playing a PS3.

 

Its also the best time to stock up on games for the 360 as that system has a lot more early exclusives like Quake, Kameo, Blue Dragon etc. for dirt cheap right now.

[xenomorpher]

Something to keep in mind is backing up your saved game data. With the XBOX 360 you can just put your hard drive in a new console if that one should fail if it's the same model. But the hard drive for the PS3 is tied to that system. If you put it in a different system you will have to reformat it. As for the updates, you can download system updates on your PC and put it on a USB drive and install them for the 360. I've never done it for the PS3 but I checked and you can do the same thing.

Edited May 1, 2014 by xenomorpher

[+FujiSkunk]

Each 360 hard drive is also tied to a specific console, if not quite as inconveniently as a PS3 hard drive. My understanding is, you can still use everything on a 360 hard drive even with it plugged into a different console, but only if you are logged into the XBox Live account that downloaded that content.

 

This will likely change if/when Microsoft pulls the plug on online services for the 360. At that point, content will probably still play on the console it was originally downloaded on, but other consoles may be a different story. Of course, people have already found ways to hack their 360 drives, so, the odds are good the 360 can be made as "future proof" as any previous console, even if it takes a little more effort.

[Keatah]

To me, Retro/Classic gaming ended right around the era of the PS1. DLC and online accounts and all that which became popular shortly thereafter have only added to my annoyance and inconvenience. I always felt that "things online" should be 100% optional and not 100% required.

But I guess I was wrong. There's no way I can argue against the overwhelming popularity of the current distribution model.. No frakking way. And man-O-man is it ever popular!

[TheGameCollector]

You'll probably be able to find the USB updates on PC, so I wouldn't worry about opening them. Also often times the system will update itself when you buy a late release game and use it. For patches I don't know if you can use the USB update in the same way. Greatest Hits releases usually already have the patches on them though.

[+bennybingo]

My guess...you will be able to find these consoles (with the latest and greatest firmware updates) for many generations to come. If you think about it, you can still find NIB Vectrex consoles every rare now and again. That said, I completely agree Cimerian's post above:

"If your a collector keep it sealed. If your a gamer open it and play..play...play or take your time and build it up and have it ready for a future backup. That's what I do."

I couldn't have put it any better!