I don't see a difference in multiplats

[TheLycanKing144]

I often see people on the internet fighting about what version of a multiplat is better on 360 or PS3, and I honestly have no idea why these people are doing this. I have seen, and even played, many multiplats on both systems and I didn't notice a single difference in them from the other version.

Well that's not entirely true, I did notice a difference with Fallout 3 and Splinter Cell Double Agent, both of those I own on PS3 but also played on 360, and indeed there was a difference and the 360 version was better (but PS3 Fallout got patched so it's equal now). But besides those two examples, I haven't noticed a single difference.

So why do people do this?

 

[Smertnik]

What on Earth is a multiplat?

 

[TheLycanKing144]

What on Earth is a multiplat?

Cross platform title.

 

[balladbird]

there are minor differences, but generally multi-platform releases are all but indistinguishable to the average gamer from console to console.

Why do some people make a big deal out of differences, major, minor, or made up? Well, I don't speak for others, naturally, but were I to venture a guess I'd say it has to do with old fashioned pride in one's preferred console. With console exclusive titles far less common in this generation than the last, why not simply claim that your console has the better variation of a third party developed game? It feels like a pedantic reason to split hairs on minor performance differences, but if there's one thing I've learned about the internet, it's that nothing is ever too unimportant to argue passionately.

 

[TheLycanKing144]

there are minor differences, but generally multi-platform releases are all but indistinguishable to the average gamer from console to console.

Why do some people make a big deal out of differences, major, minor, or made up? Well, I don't speak for others, naturally, but were I to venture a guess I'd say it has to do with old fashioned pride in one's preferred console. With console exclusive titles far less common in this generation than the last, why not simply claim that your console has the better variation of a third party developed game? It feels like a pedantic reason to split hairs on minor performance differences, but if there's one thing I've learned about the internet, it's that nothing is ever too unimportant to argue passionately.

I just never understood it lol. I remember when Red Dead Redemption came out and some people were making a big deal about the PS3 version having slightly less grass, I was like "are you guys for real? Who cares?". I even played both versions of the game and didn't notice it, guess I'm not overly nit picky.

 

[fezgod]

As an XBOX 360 owner, I can confidently say that the PC version is usually the best. If I could afford a really powerful gaming computer, I'd probably start playing only the PC.

But I honestly don't care if I'm playing a game on the PS3 or the 360, although I prefer Xbox controllers because I'm more used to them.

 

[Smertnik]

Cross platform title.

Why don't you use the word then..

In any case, the two consoles do have different hardware and depending on how well a game is optimised for the respective system it can make a difference. And if you have the option why wouldn't you want to have the (even if only slightly) better version?

 

[TheLycanKing144]

Cross platform title.

Why don't you use the word then..

In any case, the two consoles do have different hardware and depending on how well a game is optimised for the respective system it can make a difference. And if you have the option why wouldn't you want to have the (even if only slightly) better version?

Mulitplat and cross platform are the same thing, no reason to be so strict about it.

While it is true they have different architecture, in most cases this does not matter as one cannot tell a difference. And "better" version is very subjective, for example I buy my games for PS3 because of I prefer it's controller and free online. So for me the PS3 version of the game is "better" where as for someone else it could be 360.

 

[madwarper]

Mulitplat and cross platform are the same thing,

And, they're both the same as snathlyhoogleegarg. Though, the main difference is that 'platform' is a word that exists in the English language, not just something I made up and expected other people to understand when I use it.

OT: Unless the game completely unplayable on a certain platform (read PS3), then most people will likely just use that game as an extension of justification for which console they chose.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

A lot of it is a hold over from generations past. The current (about to be last) gen is the first one with such a small gap in power between the systems. Before this generation, the consoles had always been massively different in terms of both power and architecture, which meant that two games with the same title were often two completely different games, because everything had to be re-built from the ground up to work on the other system. It's why exclusives used to mean something -- developers did it more because they couldn't afford to port to more than one system, or because technical limitations made it impossible, than because of some agreement with the system's manufacturer. The current systems, however, are pretty much on the same level in terms of raw power. The difference is in the way you have to optimize for the architecture. The 360 is pretty much just a PC under the hood, which is why the 360 tends to have the better multiplatform ports of the two main consoles, with the PC winding up with the best one overall: more people have either a 360 or a PC than have a PS3, so it's a safer target. The PC beats the 360 because the 360 is almost ten years old, while PCs never stopped getting more powerful, so games just run better on that more powerful hardware. Meanwhile, the PS3 tends to get worse ports not because it's less powerful, but because the Cell processor is really difficult to program for, and to do it properly would require re-programming the engine from the ground up, which most companies don't bother to do.

Even then, though, the worst you see in most PS3 games is the occasional bit of screen tear where it loses V-sync. The exceptions tend to be huge RPGs (typically made by Bethesda) with massive amounts of stuff going on in the background, and that's because the PS3 has a really weird memory setup, with half of it only going to the GPU, and the other half only going to the CPU. The 360 has the same amount of RAM, but all of it can be used for whatever is needed.

The PS3 also often has better textures than the 360, because Blurays have more room on the disc for hi res textures than the DVDs that the 360 uses.

 

[ZCAB]

In general, I've found differences between the same game on 360 and PS3 to be negligible to the degree of looking exactly the same until played side by side. There have been cases where there is a dramatic difference (such as Mafia II), but they're the exception rather than the rule.
The only true benefit one version of a game might have over the other to me is if you prefer a specific controller, or when a game comes on one disc on PS3 and multiple discs for 360.

 

[Legion]

The only difference that really matters to me is the ability to use mods. Skyrim and the last two Fallout games are better on the PC purely because of the thousands of them available.

In terms of things such as graphics, I don't notice that much of a difference. Not enough to actually make the game more enjoyable anyway.

Controls vary.

Cross platform title.

Why don't you use the word then..

In any case, the two consoles do have different hardware and depending on how well a game is optimised for the respective system it can make a difference. And if you have the option why wouldn't you want to have the (even if only slightly) better version?

Mulitplat and cross platform are the same thing, no reason to be so strict about it.

It's not really about being strict, it is just that it is normally best to not assume people that know all of the terms that you do. It's best to use the most common/well known ones to avoid confusion. Especially as some terms can be region/country specific.

I will be honest, but I spent half of your post wondering if you meant multiplayer, until you mentioned Fallout 3.