Comparison of Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Wii Network

Here is a short comparison of the three major gaming console networks.

Voice Communication

For the ability to communicate with other players Xbox Live is the best. After playing a while on each network I noticed that more people use microphones to talk over Xbox live than any of the other networks so Xbox Live ranks first for voice communication. I did notice that some people use microphones to talk over the PlayStation Network, but there were not nearly as many as there were over Xbox Live, which ranked the PlayStation Network in second place. The Wii network had no one talking over it with microphones when I played on it. Unlike the Xbox 360 and the PS3 in which the majority of the games out for these consoles have voice communication, there are only a few games for the Wii that have voice communication. So the Wii network ranks in last place for voice communication.

Performance and Reliability

I have noticed lots of times when Xbox Live was down or experiencing technical difficulties unlike the other major gaming console networks so obviously Xbox Live ranks worst for reliability. Additionally, I have noticed more lag and connection losses over xbox live than any other gaming console networks so obviously Xbox Live has the worst performance and reliability of the three major gaming networks. There were times when I noticed lag and connection losses over the PlayStation Network but I haven't wxperienced any of that over the Wii network so I would say the Wii network has the best reliability and performance.

Price

Xbox Live has a subscription fee while the Playstation Network and the Wii network are free so Xbox Live is obiously the most expensive out of the three.

Fun

This matters on what you personally like so I can't really say which one is the most fun to play, but I can tell you that in my opinion I find Xbox Live to be the most enjoyable out of the three.

Other Factors

Other factors like the maximum number of players in a game depend on the game you are playing.

New Halo 3 Multiplayer Maps

Three new multilayer maps are coming out with Halo 3 ODST on the game disc when it is released. Additionally all of the previous Halo 3 download multiplayer map packs and the original multiplayer maps on the Halo 3 game disc will be on the Halo 3 ODST disc. I don't know if they will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace for download. The new maps are Heretic, Longshore, and Citadel. Heretic is a remake of the Halo 2 multiplayer map Midship. These maps are the second part of the Mythic map pack and like the other maps in the mythic map pack, there is a hidden skull, that if found unlocks an achievement, located on each of these new maps. More information on the new Halo 3 maps can be found here.

Heretic



Citadel



Longshore



Pictures and info from Bungie LLC