PS3: No longer the next-gen console punching bag
The PS3 Slim, the newest iteration of the PlayStation 3, comes with the lowest price ever for the PS3: $299. Because of the price cut, the PS3's sales rose in August and September, and many people see signs of a resurgence for the console.
(Credit: Sony)Is Sony's PlayStation 3 at long last ready to stop being its rivals' punching bag?
With its first-place finish in September in number of units sold, Sony finally has a tangible response to persistent criticism that its PS3 can't keep up with its next-generation video game console competitors, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii.
For the month, according to video game analysts at the NPD Group, Sony sold 491,800 PS3s in the United States, while Nintendo moved 462,800 Wiis and consumers bought 352,600 of Microsoft's Xbox 360s. It was the first time since the next-generation console wars began in earnest nearly three years ago that the PS3 finished a month on top.
Yet, as everyone knows, a single positive piece of data does not a trend make--something Sony's competitors are quick to point out--especially when the existing trend is so contradictory. So, on the heels of those rosy-at-long-last September numbers, and the August price cut and launch of the new PS3 Slim that preceded them, can Sony finally demonstrate conclusively to its detractors that it is through being badly outmaneuvered?
According to a group of experts interviewed for this article, the answer appears to be yes. No one will yet predict that Sony is ready to grab hold of the leadership position it enjoyed in previous console generations. However, there does seem to be widespread agreement that for the first time since its November 2006 launch, the PS3 is ready to seriously compete for that role.
"I think that the fact that they did introduce a new footprint for the PS3 (the Slim) and a lower price point, coupled with some of the really high-demand games" coming out for the platform, "could really prime the pump for Sony to have a resurgence for the PS3," said Brian Crecente, editor of the popular video game blog Kotaku.
"I do think that we are probably going to see, if not it topping the charts leading into the holiday, it...doing better than it has in (the recent) past," he said.
Beginning a comeback in a hole
There's no doubt, however, that Sony is beginning any PS3 resurgence in a rather sizable hole. Since the start of the current console generation (in November 2006 for the PS3 and the Wii, and November 2005 for the Xbox 360), Sony has sold 25.26 million PS3s worldwide and 9.76 million in the U.S, according to VGChartz, a Web site that aggregates video game sales data. By comparison, the Wii has moved 54.19 million units worldwide, of which 25.05 million were in the U.S., and Microsoft--with its one-year head-start--has sold 32.51 million Xboxes, including 18.66 million in the U.S.
By those measures, the PS3 has a minimum of a 2-1 disadvantage, in the U.S. at least, when it comes to the PS3 install base. That fact puts pressure on third-party developers working on games for the console because they know that there are at least twice as many Xbox buyers in the U.S. as there are for the PS3.
That dynamic, in turn, has led to one of the biggest complaints over the years about the PS3: that the software lineup has paled in comparison to that of the Xbox. To be sure, Sony has always disputed that notion.
Hard to prognosticate
Over the last three years, this space has been home to multiple arguments that the PS3 would one day emerge as the clear-cut winner of the next-gen console wars. But there's also been plenty of room here for the theory that Sony's flagship video game device was doomed to languish behind the Xbox and the Wii.
Clearly, prognostication about the PS3's fortunes has been difficult. And with the state of the economy in flux, supply chains always hard to analyze, and consumers' whims ever-changing, there's no way to know for sure how the console wars will go from here on out.
But Sony definitely feels like it's finally in the driver's seat.
"Overall, we're just hitting a stride that just (reasserts) what we knew all along--that there's tremendous value under the (PS3's) hood," said Julie Han, Sony PlayStation spokesperson.
That's a notion that video game industry analysts agree with. Yet when talking about Sony's laudable September numbers, they also point, first and foremost, to the fact that there were a lot of consumers sitting on the sidelines, just waiting for the company to lower the PS3's price. In August, with the release of the $299 PS3 Slim, Sony did just that.
"It's really a combination of pent-up demand and (the point) where value and pricing meet," said Jesse Divnich, an analyst with Electronic Entertainment Design and Research. "The (thing) about the PS3 was, it was really a system ahead of its time. Developers didn't really have the capabilities to take advantage of all the power in the PS3, and at the same time you had systems like the Wii, which just had perfect timing. But now, (the PS3) has caught up."
That means, Divnich continued, that the time has finally come where the PS3's jam-packed collection of a powerful video game console, a Blu-ray player, and built-in Wi-Fi met consumers' needs, even as the price dropped to where large numbers of people feel they can afford it. The lowest-priced Xbox costs $199, while the Wii runs $249.
Finally hitting a 'sweet spot'
Divnich said that at $299, the PS3 has finally hit its "sweet spot." And he said while it's likely the initial boost of sales that came as a result of the August price cut will slow down, "Long term, into 2010 and 2011, I don't think the PS3 is going to be in last place to the degree it was before. The gap between the systems will be much smaller."
For his part, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said he expects the PS3 to outsell the Xbox during the holiday season because of the perceived value of the $299 PS3, loaded as it is with the Blu-ray player and Wi-Fi. He and others do, however, still think that Nintendo will sell more Wiis because of the broader general appeal of that device and the fact that it is seen as a better Christmas present.
"Is Sony back? Yeah," said Pachter. "Are they back as the leader? Probably not. Are they back in second? Probably."
Another analyst, Lazard Capital Markets Senior Vice President Colin Sebastian, also attributed the September PS3 sales boost to the "pent-up" demand for a lower price, and said that there would have been serious trouble for the console if the results had not been so good.
"If they had not shown the uptick with the price cut," Sebastian said, "then we'd all be putting a nail in the coffin for (the PS3). But what we're seeing is that there's still life left for the PS3, and that's an encouraging data point (for Sony)."
Still, as Pachter put it, "Microsoft is not the type of company that's going to stay (down) for a long time. They don't like it."
That's why, Pachter said, if the PS3 can keep pace with the Xbox for the next few months, there's a good chance that Microsoft will drop the price of its console another $50 sometime early next year, a move he doesn't think Sony would be able to match.
To be sure, Microsoft wouldn't easily cut the Xbox's price--"they're certainly not going to give money away just for the hell of it," Pachter said--but it is an arrow in their quiver.
Sebastian said he, too, could see an Xbox price cut next year, as well as one for the Wii. Would Sony follow suit if its rivals did so?
"They could do it," Sebastian said. "It's just a matter of what their tolerance is for absorbing less revenue on the hardware side, and whether they can make up that revenue on the software side."
According to Xbox spokesman David Dennis, a price cut is just one of many things Microsoft would consider as a way to keep pace with the market. He said other possibilities include different hardware and software bundles. "There's a lot of different levers you can pull," Dennis said.
Not surprisingly, Dennis is dismissive of the PS3's sales boost. He agreed that there were a lot of people waiting to buy the console at a lower price, but said that the impressive initial jump in units sold came as a result of early leaks of pictures and information about the PS3 Slim, and so there were "months of pent-up demand."
Further, he predicted that Sony would not see a sustained resurgence for its console and that even in September, when the PS3 outsold the Xbox and the Wii, Microsoft brought in more revenue for the entire Xbox ecosystem--including accessories, software, and fees for online services--than did Sony.
The two halves of 2010
In the end, most people seem to agree that the overall fortunes of the consoles have as much to do with software as price. That's why each of the analysts talked to for this story pointed to a bright future for Sony: They see a lot of strength in the PS3's coming games lineup, which includes titles like God of War III and Gran Turismo 5. And then there's also Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller, which could bring the PS3 more Wii-like functionality.
That's why Divnich said he thinks that the PS3 is likely to dominate the first half of 2010.
But he also expects that Microsoft will release its highly anticipated Project Natal motion-sensitive controller in the second half of 2010, a move that could stir up the console pot anew. Indeed, Divnich said he thinks that the Xbox will once again overtake the PS3 at that point.
And after that? It's anybody's guess.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel. 
wii is great but no HD
360 has a failure rate of over 50% and a 9gb disc limit
360's failure rate is less than 50%.
Wii is crap.
and PS3 still has no games that would make me consider buying it that I can't get on 360 or PC
I have not even listed all the exclusives, and the ones I did cover every genre: Platformer, Action/adventure, FPS, Flying, Racing, Espionage Action, RPG, futuristic racing....
IF YOU DON'T LIKE ANY OF THOSE GAMES COVERING EVERY GENRE OF GAMES YOU ARE NOT A GAMER. GET OUT OF HERE.
It may or may not be 50%, but it is pretty high.... from both experience and what I've read. Way too high. I know people who have had over 4 Xboxes.
Also, saying the PS3 has no games you'd consider just makes you sound like a total fanboy. I'll readily admit there are a few games I'd like on the Xbox, just not enough to make it my choice over the PS3. If I could afford both, I'd have them both. But, since I can only have one, the PS3 was a pretty easy choice (both due to game library, but also the features, build quality, and multi-media functionality of the PS3).
He's not making that 50% number up. A study was done and found a 54.2% in 360 systems. Don't believe me? Look for yourself:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=360+failure+rate&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Plus some of the new exclusive ps3 games just blow out the visuals on the xbox.(though that doesn't make it a great game but it get people excited to make a switch.) Plus the blue ray and its overall use as a media machine at $299 makes it a very tempting buy.
Also; ppl are looking at the number backwards sure xbox has more sales and ps3 is lagging in the US but they should look at that as opportunity. You still have a larger market of the population that can be potential customers. The marketing for the ps3 wasn't good when it came out but now they are getting ppl excited and making ppl think its ps3 turn. Hopefully the games can back that up.
QFT.
It appears the actual gap between the 360 and the ps3 is much smaller than MS propaganda would have you believe. I think this is why they always refuse to talk numbers. This is why Batman: Arkham Asylum sold more on PS3, and many games sell equally on the PS3 and the 360 in America -- in spite of the claimed 2:1 advantage for the 360.
However, there are other issues. Certain types of games sell more on the Xbox. I think it is related to demographics of the owners. It was widely reported that the ps3 is more popular among older users and the Xbox is more popular among younger users. This may be because of the arcade SKU. But it has some influence on game sales and game type preferences.
The software argument ("Xbox has more games") was valid 2 years ago. Now, I think the PS3's game lineup has more for everybody than the 360.
Good point. I've had the RROD and got a refurb unit back. The install base didn't increase by to two.. It was just keeping 1 going. It's also fair to mention the PS2 base. While it still dwarfs everthing else, it's not 140m in active use.
You found one game that sold better on the PS3. Check all the other games and you'll find that they sell much better on the 360. Modern Warfare 2 pre-orders are 70% more on the 360 than the PS3.
Has anyone unlocked the power in mysterious cell processor and done anything fantacular with it yet?
I agree with kewell82 that games like Killzone2 and Uncharted are probably using a majority of the power of the PS3. The sad thing is that there are only a couple games that do. But, it does show the power of the system, so I think we have good things to come as more developers start to use it.
Also, I could really care less about all this market-share banter. Either the PS3 or Xbox has PLENTY of units sold to make a profitable platform for any game studio who puts the work in. However, if Sony evens up or takes the lead, it will force some of the lazy studios to get off their butts and stop using that as an excuse (no matter how lame it is). The problem is that rhetoric seems to sell simple minds so easily these days, so a lot of people actually believe that cr*p.
It is only a DEMO. Reserve judgement until the finalized game is released.
Have you even seen Uncharted, or Killzone 2? They've unlocked the power of the Cell alright. Get over it.
It only ever was by really 'thick' people.
"That dynamic, in turn, has led to one of the biggest complaints over the years about the PS3: that the software lineup has paled in comparison to that of the Xbox. To be sure, Sony has always disputed that notion."
I don't think it ever has. This is the same argument I've heard for years about Mac and PC. MORE software doesn't equal BETTER software. Xbox might have more titles, but the PS3 has the better titles in my opinion. Xbox has Halo (which is good, but PS3 has some equally good, but different titles in that genre) and Forza (which is ahead of GT platform for sure). Outside of that, I can't think of much that would be attractive to me, anyway, on Xbox. I'd NEVER give up stuff like Warhawk, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone2, Uncharted2, etc for those couple titles.
"Developers didn't really have the capabilities to take advantage of all the power in the PS3..."
They had the capabilities, just not the will. They wanted easy money and the PS3 actually requires some work. They couldn't just write once and hit the 'port' button in their M$ development studios, and that pissed them off. They primarily want to just sell v3, v4, v5 of some tired old well known game and rake in the $ without putting in the development work. The studios actually creating the great titles today seem to be having no major problems. It's just the big lazy studios who want to drive the market with marketing, rather than great games. Well, the economy has changed, and the kiddies don't have the $60 for a week's entertainment anymore. They actually have to think about buying good games now, not just whatever the kid down the block is talking about for the day.
"In the end, most people seem to agree that the overall fortunes of the consoles have as much to do with software as price."
Bingo! And the PS3 wins here. It just took a few more titles and a price drop to get the skeptics to finally take a look and see that, rather than just shooting their mouth off, brain half-cocked.
I think it usually comes down to the quality of the top couple titles for each kind of game. Same with software. For example, I can only use one word processor, so it doesn't much matter to me if a platform has 10 word processors, or 1000. I'm going to look at the few best from each and then decide. Same for the gaming. A LOT of the titles that flooded the market were just bad sequels to old popular titles, and different graphics pasted on old game engines. I DL'd a bunch of them (as demos) from PSN (the ones that did come to the PS3 platform)... and they weren't even worth the DL time, let alone purchase (a good example was BF: Bad Company... one would think that with how good BF 1942 was on the PC in its time, they could have done a MUCH better job on Xbox and PS3... but it was garbage compared to stuff like KZ2, etc.)
About the only successful games like that, IMO, are things like Guitar Hero. They are unique enough games that they aren't really competing with anything... and the game-play is fun enough that they don't have to push the technology much in updates. But other than a few such titles, most of the more recent multi-platform ones are garbage. The only one I can think of (off the top of my head) that is great is Burnout Paradise. (Though, there are several genre of games I just don't pay much attention to... so someone else will have to comment on those).
"...rather than just shooting their mouth off, brain half-cocked."
Yeah, but you were/are "shooting your mouth off" with GT5. And its only a DEMO...
Other than that, I agree with everything else you've said. PS3 wins!
They spend more on games , online , etc.
Talk about programming.
I predict that will be short-lived if the stats are properly examined.
1) Part of the reason for this is that the xBox makes you buy all your accessories separately. So, of curse Xbox people are going to spend more after their initial Xbox purchase. The sad thing is that people seem so dense that they still think the Xbox was a better deal because of the lower entry cost. Of course they spend more on-line... they have to freakin' pay to play!
2) With the rough economy, the kiddies aren't going to be able to just plunk down $60 a week to keep up with the pop-gaming-culture anymore. They are going to have to consider what games are good and buy the ones that they think they will actually play for a while. Since the Xbox has the majority of these 'trash' titles, once sales on them drop off, I think we'll see the numbers even out.
Every month xbox360 owners are buying new hard drives (100-160 bucks), wifi (100 bucks), Controller charger packs, etc. Since ps3 comes with all that, its owners do not have to buy accessories.
And yes xbox360 owners spent more on online because they pay 50$ a yr. 20 million live users, thats ONE BILLION DOLLARS a year you pay MS for internet, yep thats ONE BILLION $s ps3 owners don't contribute to because we get FREE online.
So you are saying its a good thing because Microsoft includes nothing with xbox360 and then charges you absolutely absurd prices for all those add ons that ps3 comes with. I swear xbox owners LOVE Microsoft d*ck, there is no other explaination for being happy about being overcharged for each and every little thing. MS includes nothing, over charges for everything, has massive RROD failure issues, only releases rehashes and expansions in 2009 and the xbox360 fanboys defend them with their life. They defend giving MS a billion a yr in internet revenue, they defend the 30-50% failure rate, they defend not having wifi by saying real gamers only use ethernet, etc. Its like Xbox360 owners walk around with a bleeding a$$hole from being r*ped so many times by Microsoft, yet each one of them has a big smile on their face and glady pulls their pants down and spreads their cheeks for the next r*ping.
you sound a little mad...maybe you should calm down...the online play of the Xbox 360 must be something worth paying for if people keep PAYING FOR IT...and you threw out a number, I believe it was ONE BILLION DOLLARS, that's quite a bit of money to be making for something that isn't all that great...
and you swear xbox owners stay on "Microsofts d*ck" yet you have the most emotional comment on this page, maybe you should hop off of "it" instead of worrying about who's on it.
have a good day :)
And in all honestly Americans can be very stup*d. No offence, but they love to buy garbage, off the top of my head I personally know 3 people who had their Apple iPod randomly break on them for no reason - it just stopped working - You know what they did? Went and bought another one, one of those ppl had their 2nd one break and again bought another one. I know tons of xbox360o wners that have 2 systems incase one breaks or they dont wanna wait for MS to fix it, so they buy a new one. Also, I have been yelled at numerous times for having a Honda Accord and not buying American - what is really funny about this is the people who yelled at me for not buying american had major issues with their cars, one guy had his transmission is his chevy go at 50,000 miles, one had all their electronics fail, rusting issues at 40,000 miles - And the guy whos truck trans went at 50,000, guess wut he got? another American car. Meanwhile my Honda, with 120,000 miles has had NO issues except normal maintanence.
The majority of Americans are stup*d and stuck up. They think American stuff is the best so they buy it, then it breaks over and over and over and they keep buying it cause its American, and why would these companies improve their product? people keep buying it!!!
Just like Microsoft, why would they fix the red ring issue when people keep buying the system? If you stop buying a system, that company will be forced to up the quality. But Americans keep buying xbox's, buy 2 incase one breaks, or buy it just because its American.
I currently own both a PS3 and an Xbox 360 and yes I have had my xbox get the red ring and while it "shouldn't" happen it did and honestly the process was easy in regards to fixing it (sent it in, got it back 1 week later, shipping cost 10 dollars but I got a free month of gold membership on xbox live which canceled out what I paid for shipping either way).
I have a question though, why isn't the PSN gaming community as big as Xbox Lives then? The free internet seems to be a selling point but the numbers don't appear to reflect it...hmmm...paying for quality maybe?
Plus wi-fi isn't all that great for gaming...period.
errr...one it pretty much is and two, the console has been on sales a whole year longer. Of course they would have more customers.
"Plus wi-fi isn't all that great for gaming...period"
How the hec do you play online then without wi-fi?
Don't get me wrong, if Natal works as well as it NEEDS to then it will be revolutionary. I saw great excitement though about the Wii though before that came out and look where we are now.
PS3 ownsers buy the Honda or Toyota, may only have a 35,000 mile warranty and cost a bit more, but you get more car and could potentially last your forever.
My PS2 from launch over 10 years ago still works like new.
"...can Sony finally demonstrate conclusively to its detractors that it is through being badly outmaneuvered by its enemies?"
Next quote, which are facts:
"Sony has sold 25.26 million PS3s worldwide.....and Microsoft--with its one-year head-start--has sold 32.51 million Xboxes..."
Xbox has been out for 4 years so thats 8.13 million per year
PS3 has been out for 3 years so thats 8.42 million per year
So, since PS3 has released, it has outsold xbox360 every single year. Ontop of that from the end of 06 to august 09 ps3 was the most expensive console, sometimes by double as much. Also, from the end of 06 through 07 it is widely agreed that ps3 was lacking when it came to good games, and even further PSN was lagging beging xbox live.
So let me clear this all up, ps3 has been the most expensive console for most of its life, went thru a year and a half of having no good games, and had PSN which people claim is inferior to Live AND YET PS3 STILL MANAGED TO OUTSELL XBOX360 EVERY YEAR! So how on earth can you make a claim, CNET, saying Sony has been heavily outmaneuvered by its competition? I'm pretty sure that when a system(ps3) that was 50% -100% more expensive, lacked games for the first 1.5 yrs of a life and supposedly has inferior online sold more than xbox360 it is Sony that has outmaneuvered the competition, clearly.
So when ps3 was the most expensive, went through a period of no games and had PSN not up to par with Live and still managed to outsell the competition every yr since its been out what do you people think is going to happen now thats its not more expensive, its putting out many more top quality games than xbox360- especially this yr, and PSN is just about on par with live??? USE YOUR BRAIN!
"Sony has sold 25.26 million PS3s worldwide and 9.76 million in the U.S"
"Microsoft--with its one-year head-start--has sold 32.51 million Xboxes, including 18.66 million in the U.S."
Sony US sales 9.76 million
Microsoft US sales 18.66 million
Microsoft has sold twice as many units in the US market than Sony has.
What the article does not break down is the sales in Japan, but more than likely, the Xbox is not a big seller in Japan.
The US market is the biggest market for video games, and Microsoft has devistated Sony in this market. The Xbox is winning in the US market because Microsoft sells a console and games that are preferred by the US market.
Even in cross platform games, ie. The Beatles Rock Band, the Xbox versions have outsold the PS3 versions.
How about you use your brain.
Everytime someone buys a PS2, and not a Wii, and not Xbox Arcade, Sony has 'outmaeuvered' the competition.
PS2 may be classifed last generation, but unlike the original Xbox or Nintendo GameCube, its still been selling with a still viable market for the entire time this generation has been out, so start including the #'s.
Microsoft is bold to say, count our entire ecosystem...but compare it only to the PS3.
The entire Sony Ecosystem is PS2, PS3, and PSP. Nintendo's Wii and DS ...Microsoft has no handhold, has no previous generation still on sale...add up all the #'s and they start looking like they are dead last.
Heh, well aside from what this maybe says about the 'taste' of the US consumer vs the rest of the world (I'll not go there right now)... I'd think the world-wide market is what really counts to an international company. So, I'm not following why breaking down the stats like this has any meaning.
The only reason why Xbox is outselling PS3 in the US is because is it came out early. That is it. If PS3 and Xbox 360 would have came out in the same year I'm positive that PS3 would outsell 360.
PWNED.
Damn, Paul_Christie beat me to it. But, i still wanna say it. you just got OWNED!!!
My biggest gripe about the PSN though is not so much the service its self, but the technical support when you have a problem. Some of their PSN techs have been so rude and standoffish. other then that, i think its great.
If I am doing a multi-player FPS, I actually don't care to hear cross-team banter. Its usually a bunch of 15 year olds spewing slurs at people.
Free PSN works for me. Netflix also works for me...getting blu-rays in the mail. It takes a whole day turn around for me to get a disc after I return one. If I need to watch more than two movies a day, then I need to figure out why I don't have a life.
Also, just to clarify Donniebrasco's comment... many games on the PS3 have in-game chat, cross-team chat, etc.... what we're missing is an overall system wide audio chat that would allow people to keep talking to each other no matter which game each is playing.
So, is cross-game audio chat the thing that people are spending all that money each year to get? What happens when Sony adds it?
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=3985502
http://www.kikkoman.org/blog/2009/08/09/hulu-the-ps3-fixed-with-a-small-vm/
However, I have both and I love both. They both have great games, PS3 has the graphics and power, but 360 does have better online experience and more reliable servers. Wii though is a waste of time.
But then my friend's PS3 console died. It wasn't much more than a year old. The problem was a known issue. They called Sony tech support, and Sony told them they'd love to fix their unit for US$150. They said the product was out of warranty, so it was tough tittie for them.
If they won't stand behind their product anymore than they have to, why am I going to risk getting hit with a stupid tax for being fool enough to buy from a company that doesn't care about its customers? For a couple hundred more, I'm just going to get myself a media server.
Stop it with the entitlement mentality. Sony doesnt owe you anything or your friend anything. My Honda has a 35,000 mile warranty on it, if something breaks at 36,000 does Honda owe me? No of course not because i understood and agreed to the terms at the time of purchase. They are a company who builds and has built good reliable products for decades. Virtually none of them are going to be perfect and that goes for any company making comsumer products. Get off your high horse.
Ontop of that xbox360 is now 4 years old, some people are gonna start getting majorly screwed because systems are gonna start breaking out of warrenty. Microsoft probably figured if they did a 3 yr warrenty it will guarentee the person owns the system for 3 years which means they will buy accessories and build up quite the gaming library in those 3 years - so when their system finally breaks after 3 yrs is up, that person will have tons of money invested in games and accessories for that system thus convincing them to just buy ANOTHER xbox360 instead of loosing all that money on trade ins to get a ps3 or other system. Its a genious plan to con the stupid.
So far it's still running great 8)
If Sony can manage another price drop in a year, sales will continue to increase even as MS and Nintendo start to realize it's time for them to refresh their hardware. Sony was far enough ahead if the console curve that the PS3 should still be able to compete with the next gen Xbox and whatever Nintendo comes out with. Then it will be the PS3 with the lead.
This comment is bogus.
I've had both systems for awhile now and I enjoy playing both, but my 360 has nickle and dimed (or maybe dollared is more appropriate) me at every corner.
Besides, even if it were true, its pretty sad that MS's so called next gen console would be something Sony already did the previous gen. Add Blue Ray.
pathetic.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/23/microsoft-we-have-no-plans-for-blu-ray-on-xbox-360/
Granted most games don't take that much time, but if you are sensible and download demos when you can, check out reviews carefully, etc., then you should pretty much have a game that is going to keep you occupied for quite some time. Then, when you are done you can always sell it if you don't think you will play it again. All that is based on if you actually pay $60 as well - I don't have to run out and buy a game the second it come outs, and I have picked up quite a few decent games that may be a little older (like Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Assassins Creed) for $10 new, and several used for closer to the $20-$30 range.
Now having said that, PS3 has nothing on X-Box live. This is really the only area where x-box beats the PS3. X-Box may have more exclusive titles, but to be honest, i don't play many of them so it doesn't make much difference to me. However when it comes to finding, chatting, and gaming with friends online, x-box live is the clear winner. If Sony came out with a subscription based online experience similar to x-box live, I truly believe PS3 would be an x-box killer.
Lastly and to that note; the PS3 is free to play online, where as x-box requires a subscription to x-box live. That is something that is too quickly dismissed by the x-box fan boys. Fact is with all the built in features of the PS3 and the FREE online gaming, PS3 has a much lower cost of ownership. Not to mention it has a near 0% failure rate. Something many x-box guys have wet dreams about while they wait 4 months to get a re-manufactured x-box back from MS.
I never even considered an PS3 at launch because there were no games and the system was very expensive. So I waited and played old games on the Xbox like Soul Calibur 2, GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, Halo 1, Halo 2, PGR 2 you know the triple A titles.
Anyway I finally took the plunge at the start of september and bought a slim PS3. I was thinking about an Elite very seriously but then I looked at how Microsoft were operating. Basically they sell the base unit at a seemingly cheap price then rip you off on all the accessories. The Jasper chipset seems to have finally solved all the RROD problems but it took over 3 years. Meanwhile look at how much the Wi-Fi adaptor costs or a 120GB HDD or the fact that the controllers dont have a rechargable lithium battery like the PS3 Dual Shock 3 for have to pay for a stand and wire just to recharge the battery. And the system is still noisy.
Then if you think about the live experience then Xbox Live appears more impressive than PSN. But it costs money every month and they are equal in terms of on-line gaming. Live is impressive in terms of streaming IPTV and also game downloads. But I already have an MS mediaroom STB from BT that is much more capable than the video stuff from the Xbox marketplace. Plus I still prefer to buy cheap games on disc because I can lend them or swap them with friends. Obviously DLC nixes that. And of course if you are a film buff then Blu-Ray is the only way to get real 1080p stuff at least until people get FTTC or FTTH. Though I also have an HD-DVD player and would have preferred to have seen Toshiba win that format war.
If you go to Metacritic or gamerankings the libraries on the PS3 and Xbox 360 are very similar. The only difference are the exclusives. Xbox 360 can boast Gears of War, Halo 3 and Forza 3, while the PS3 has Unchartered 2, Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone 2.
So in conclusion both systems are very competitive but the PS3 has everything in the box whilst MS gips you on all the little extras you need.
Also don't forget the PS3 doesnt include an HDMI cable so you have to buy one of those to actually take advantage of the HD factor of the system.
So hardly "all inclusive", sure M$ sticks it to you on the accessories, but those are all optional and most you can easily live without aside from a rechargable battery and cable or the double battery stand.
I do give Sony props for using standard Hard drives and cables to recharge the controllers and even a standard power cord, however the blu ray laser failure issue starting to show up are mildly alarming, as is the Sony policy of we may have used bad parts but will gladly repair it for $150.
At least MS stepped up when they messed up on the hardware and extended the warranty, as where Sony knows they can just wait out a class action lawsuit on the faulty lasers like they did with the PS2.
And no console comes with HDMI. The Elite model did for a short time but not anymore. Its not a must either. if you want HD you can either buy a cheap HDMI cable on Amazon or a even cheaper componant cable.
As for the Blue Ray laser failure, some of them due die, but not the extent you make it sound. My blue ray drive in my launch 60gb model worked flawlessly for 3 years. So yea i had to pay $150 to fix it but so what, it was 2 years after warranty. Most comsumer electronics only come with a one year warranty. the only reason MS owned up to the RROD and E74 problem was because it was proven beyond a resonable doubt that MS screwed up. They new, the public new it, how could they have avoided it.
I have no idea what laser PS2 problem you talking about. My launch PS2 which is now running one 11 years old still works great. infact its in the bed room for DVD watching and when the wife wants to play Kingdom Hearts.
- by AluminumMonster October 22, 2009 1:36 PM PDT
- People are forgetting that the PS3 at the beginning of the generation was expected to dominate everything the sad truth is that this gen is already over for Sony, and the damage done now will be much more evident next gen when you dont have a massive fanbase that will buy your system at launch for 600.00 and absolutely zero games. Peoples perception has changed since last gen, and the primary reason MS dropped support for the original Xbox was because they were getting royally screwed by Nvidia on the cost of the xbox GPU, couple that with the fact that they werent likely to see much more growth with the orginal Xbox is was a smart business decision, but yes it sucked for consumers. For the people saying that the 360 will suffer the same fate is pure ignorance, and they are just ignoring the facts.
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- by Jawknee1 October 22, 2009 2:27 PM PDT
- this gen is already over for Sony? seriously? you stand by that? when you look at the success of the PS2 and how long its lasted, you can seriously saying somthing that incoherent? This gen is not even close to being over. Not by a long shot. And even when it is, and we have a PS4 and what ever else piece of crap MS puts out, Sony will still be supporting the PS3 and it will still be selling while the 360 will go the way of the original Xbox.
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- by Olove21 October 23, 2009 7:23 AM PDT
- Are you crazy, the 360only rules in the US only. The worldwide market say PS3 is # 1. You sound like a fanboy of 360. Get your head out of MS a** and come to reality.
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- by Absolution2009 October 23, 2009 10:13 AM PDT
- At least SOny's problem was price and not hardware and RROD and E74
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- by Renegade Knight October 24, 2009 10:00 PM PDT
- I don't care why MS dropped Xbox. The simple fact is they did and it left me hanging. I had been avoiding Sony like the plague but when they said 10 years for the PS2 and 10 years for the PS3, I figured that beat the snot out of dropping support for your products and I jumped ship. Their smart decision cost them a customer.
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Showing 1 of 4 pages (211 Comments)MS launched the 360 a year ahead, and its paid off, its not MS's fault that Sony wasnt able to compete for a year. Thats the price you pay for adding proprietary technology, and using Blu-Ray on the PS3 as a trojan horse for a new media format. Sony expected Blu-Ray to take off immediately, and they were wrong and paid the price for that.
Has Sony fixed all of those problems that plagued the PS3? The answer is yes, but dont think that one month of huge sales after a 100.00 price drop means PS3=#1 for the rest of this gen. Figures from around the world already show the PS3 sales declining rapidly, and the Wii is back to its #1 spot, while the 360/PS3 fight for 2nd place.
"Figures from around the world already show the PS3 sales declining rapidly"
This is even dummber then your first claim. Are you completely ignoring all the reports that state Sony has dominated world wide sales in Augest and September? or are you just a dense MS fangirl who lies to himself about the reality of things to make him self feel better? which is it?
Seriously, you just not living in reality if you think anything you said above is even remotely true.
PS2 and Xbox with both remain major consoles. However my money is with the company that stands beind their product. not the one who doesn't.