Help! Why is the Xbox the best system?

[jaso]

Hi guys, I'm doing a persuasive speech tommorrow on why the Xbox is the "best" video game system available today. My main points are its built-in networking, hard drive and fastest graphics accelerator of the three (PS2 and GameCube the other two, of course).

Anyone care to rant on this three points of the system or any other reasons they think the system is tops? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

I already have an outline, pieces of evidence and a spec breakdown. I'm just interested in what you guys think.

Thanks!

Jaso

[dafoomie]

Not that I agree or disagree, but...

HDTV support
Dolby 5.1 surround
4 controller ports
easily modified for other purposes
best online gaming support

It helps to address the opposing argument towards the end. State that an argument can be made that other systems may have more games and your tastes may vary, but Xbox is the superior machine. Slam dunk.

[musha666]

well it is good, no Atari Jaguar tho...

[peteloaf]

If you want to get technical, you could argue that since the Xbox runs Direct X, which is a long established standard, it would be easier to develop for since the tools have existed long before the conception of the PS2 or Gamecube. The same could be said for the OS of the machine since it is running on a scaled down version of the Windows 2000 os.

[Indiana]

I don't think modified for other purposes applies but the other things mentioned are why I consider the best system.

Dolby 5.1 Sound
Live support
Best Graphics
Hard Drive (so no memory cards required)

Carefull with using built-in networking... the newest PS2s have built in networking just not the same online support.

[dafoomie]

Why wouldn't it apply? Its done the easiest out of all 3, and serves the most purposes. Having the ability to serve as a media center is a major plus.

[legion_stxds]

I would argue it is not the best system; however, depending on the games you enjoy it may be the best choice. If you love Halo... a PS2 will not garnish hours of Halo goodness. Xbox is a great system (was my first choice). Oh... the hard drive is probally one of my favorite attractions to the system.

[Jaket]

it has xbox live

[doubledown]

What the hell kind of lame ass class do you have to give a speech about a video-game system?

But yes, get technical....the 733MHZ chip (or whatever it is....compare it to PS2 and GameCube specs)

[cyberlian]

the ability to play your games to your music of choice...

[wubb]

Yeah the HDD was probably the deciding factor for me taking it over the PS2. Dolby 5.1 was just icing on the cake.

Faster load times (vs. PS2) and no memory cards thanks to the HDD.

Also multi-platform games often tend to have the best graphics and sometimes even run the smoothest on the Xbox. (Although since PS2 is the 1000 lb gorilla, some developers code for it first so this isn't always as pronouced a difference as it could be.)

Personally I think an advantage of the Xbox over the GC as far as CAGness goes is that ultra-low prices for GC games seem to be a lot fewer and farther between than for Xbox (or PS2) games. Just my general impression.

[eldad9]

Because every xbox sold helps microsoft secure its deathgrip on the operating system market.

[wubb]

What the hell kind of lame ass class do you have to give a speech about a video-game system?

But yes, get technical....the 733MHZ chip (or whatever it is....compare it to PS2 and GameCube specs)

I'd assume it's a public speaking class. Most profs let you choose your topic for the persuasive argument.

Hopefully someone will decide to do why Bush/Kerry is the only choice for pres. Depending on the profs leanings (and temperament) that could get very ugly.

[legion_stxds]

Because every xbox sold helps microsoft secure its deathgrip on the operating system market.

The operating system market was just the start... mwhaahahahaha! :twisted:

[Rig]

Gamecube is the best system of this generation. Sorry, but I can't help you go against it.

[legion_stxds]

What the hell kind of lame ass class do you have to give a speech about a video-game system?

But yes, get technical....the 733MHZ chip (or whatever it is....compare it to PS2 and GameCube specs)

I'd assume it's a public speaking class. Most profs let you choose your topic for the persuasive argument.

Hopefully someone will decide to do why Bush/Kerry is the only choice for pres. Depending on the profs leanings (and temperament) that could get very ugly.

Wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole! Xbox persuasion all the way... politics are just scary in the class room.

[Cornfedwb]

Disclaimer - I know this is going to sound fanboyish.. but its factual, not fanboy.

Unless you consider game libraries (which really have nothing to do with the console).. there really isn't an argument why the PS2 or GCN are better than the Xbox. The Xbox has the fastest processor, the best graphical acceleration, the only built in hard-drive, built in network support from day one, the only true support of Dolby and DTS 5.1 sound, etc.

Now, because of the libraries, I spend the majority of my time on my PS2 lately (mostly because I'm an rpg-whore).. but the Xbox is easily the best of the three consoles.

PS - You may want to delve into Xbox Live, and its developments in the online gaming field.. but that depends on whether your speech is based on the console or the gaming experience.

[javeryh]

If this is for school:

(1) I hope it is an all-boys school because this is dating suicude; and
(2) watch out for wedgies when you are done.

[wubb]

javeryh - :)

Just thought about the Bush/Kerry thing and actually if you knew which way the prof leaned and just went that way with your speech it might be the ticket to an easy high mark. I still wouldn't go there, however.

[legion_stxds]

If this is for school:

(1) I hope it is an all-boys school because this is dating suicude; and
(2) watch out for wedgies when you are done.

Yeah... I still don't get why girls just don't faint from excitement when I tell them about my gaming prowess?!

[ryosnk]

The dreamcast is the best system :).

[guyver2077]

The dreamcast is the best system :).

agreed

[asuitor]

because you can turn it into a Linux FTP server, cool fact but you dont see many 10 year old kids saying "Mom can I have an Xbox for christmas, so I can turn it into a linux box"

[ElwoodCuse]

No one system is the best, unless you want to argue strictly on the merits of hardware numbers. And even then, that would not satisfy the requirements of a persuasive speech since all you are doing is simple math.

[big_squirtle]

Xbox is the best all around entertainment system ever made (On paper) . Its grafx and dvd rom drive are faster than any other system (On paper) . It comes with a 700 mhz pentium processer and a 8 gig hard drive that enables the xbox to also backup and store its own data and programs such as emulators, music and videos, no other system currently has this funtionality.

{on paper = what they say, not neccesarily what I've seen}

Mind you Im just trying to help, because I think the PS2 is the best, and the NES is the greatest. But thats just me. Hope this helps.

[big_squirtle]

Also if you really want to persuade your audience into agreeing with you, get an Xbox manual. Write down all the features of the xbox. Then get a PS2 manual and write down all the trouble shooting issues / tips, as a contrast to what doesn't happen with the xbox. Just a thought.

[asuitor]

they dont get dRE

[big_squirtle]

yeah they do.

[vanlandw]

custom soundtracks, the ability to mod, loading times are normaly better on x-box then the others and I almost would say the cheapest...you get everything you need out of the box

[guessed]

Who is your audience?

Also, if you want to discuss graphical processing differences, see if you can print out some high quality screen shots of the same game running on both systems. Compare rankings of the same game running on both systems by professional reviewers. Include a few in which the PS2 won (EA Sports, online capable on PS2), explain why they won, and what MS is doing about it (future EA Sports titles will be Live! compatible).

Definitely compare the hard drive (included in xbox, all games can use it vs. PS2, extra $100 and most games aren't compatible).

[dcfox]

You're really not arguing why the X Box is the "best" system. What you're arguing is why the X Box is more technically superior to the other consoles. Arguing that the X Box is the "best" console without even mentioning games is like arguing that one book company is better than the other because they use higher quality paper.

[friedram]

It's got the guy game......

Dunno, I guess the wife and I needed to buy our first non-computer DVD player for the TV in the living room, X-Box has better tec inside of it- games look better on the X-Box by in large. The hard drive is a massive plus- not having to buy memory cards is sweet.

I watch movies 4 times more than I play games on it.

[jaso]

Thanks for all the posts, guys. I never imagined it would pass 30 responses.

Based on what I've read here, I will make the distinction between "best" and technically superior" in my speech, and a lot of the data mentioned is data that I wanted to use and most certainly will now.

And yes, talking about video games in a college class would typically be considered dating suicide. Fortunately, the people in my Saturday morning class are four guys and a bunch of older ladies. I'm not worried about looking any less attractive in their eyes.

Anyway, thanks for all the responses so far, and if anyone else has anything they'd like to add, I'm still working on the speech! Feel free!

[stormenmormon]

isn't this a pointless speech?

call me crazy, but usually speeches are supposed to be like a thesis. But saying xbox is the most technically superior console is not a these, it's a fact. You should have argued online support or something. That's more arguable. PS2 doesn't have anythign centralizing it's online support and is free (I liken it to capitalism) and XBox has a central online model (I liken it to capitalism or communism). Some people dont' mind paying and some people don't like paying (I payed for a year then didn't renew it).

[donssword]

I need to point out that graphic abilities do not determine which box has the best graphics -- that is determined by the developers and how they utilize the device's capabilitities.

XBox has some strong contenders in the utilization of its graphics technology (Crimison Skies truely looks like poetry), but it has just as many "graphical" duds, developed and published by companies that did not care to utilize its power.

Capabilities mean nothing (PS2 HDD?).

[Kaijufan]

The specs of all three of the current systems: (http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/video-game5.htm)
Sony PlayStation 2

* Processor: 128-bit "Emotion Engine"
o 300 MHz
o Floating point unit (FPU) co-processor
o Maximum bus transfer rate of 3.2 GB per second
o Includes current PlayStation CPU core
* Graphics: "Graphics Synthesizer"
o 150 MHz
o Embedded cache
o 4 MB VRAM
o 75 million polygons per second
* Audio: SPU2 (+CPU), 48 channels, 44.1- or 48-kHz sampling rate, 2 MB memory
* RAM: 32 MB RDRAM
* Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD and original PlayStation CDs
* Drive bay (for hard disk or network inteface)
* Controller: Two controller ports, "Dual Shock 2" analog controller
* Other features:
o Two memory card slots
o Optical digital output
o Two USB ports
o FireWire port
o Support for audio CDs and DVD-Video

Nintendo GameCube

* Processor: "Gekko" IBM Power PC microprocessor
o 485 MHz
o Cache:
+ level 1: 32 KB Instruction and 32 KB Data
+ level 2: 256 KB
o 32-bit address, 64-bit data bus
o Maximum bus transfer rate of 2.6 GB per second
o 0.18 micron copper interconnects
* Graphics: "Flipper" ATI graphics chip
o 162 MHz
o 1 MB embedded texture cache
o 3 MB Mosys 1T-SRAM (This static RAM uses a single transistor per cell, like DRAM.)
o Approximately 12 million polygons per second
* Audio: Special 16-bit digital signal processor, 64 channels, 48-kHz sampling rate
* RAM: 40 MB (24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB of 100-MHz DRAM)
* Game medium: Proprietary 1.5-GB optical disc
* Controller: Four game controller ports, Wavebird wireless game controller
* Other features:
o Handle for carrying
o Two slots for 4-MB Digicard Flash memory cards or a 64-MB SD-Digicard adapter
o High-speed parallel port
o Two high-speed serial ports
o Analog and digital audio-video outputs

Microsoft Xbox

* Processor: Modified Intel Pentium III
o 733 MHz
o Maximum bus transfer rate of 6.4 GB per second
* Graphics: Custom nVidia 3-D graphics chip
o 250 MHz
o Approximately 125 million polygons per second
* Audio: Custom 3-D audio processor
* RAM: 64 MB (Xbox has a unified memory architecture -- the memory can be allocated to graphics, audio, textures or any other function as needed.)
* Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD
* Modem/network: Media communications processor (MCP), 10/100-Mbps Ethernet, broadband enabled, 56K modem (optional)
* Controller: Four game controller ports
* Other features:
o 8-GB built-in hard drive
o 5X DVD drive with movie playback
o 8-MB removable memory card
o Expansion port

[Cashville Dez]

Don't need a memory card

[rajchakrabarti]

You're really not arguing why the X Box is the "best" system. What you're arguing is why the X Box is more technically superior to the other consoles. Arguing that the X Box is the "best" console without even mentioning games is like arguing that one book company is better than the other because they use higher quality paper.

yea agreed.. you could mention how the same games run at better frame rates on the xbox... or the xbox version of games that are for all systems get the highest rating. I know this maynot be true for all games but you are giving an arugement for the xbox.