Return of the $339.99 PlayStation 3

(Credit: Dell)

Seriously? Sony is still pricing the PlayStation 3 at $400? That was fine when Blu-ray Disc players were selling for about the same price (the PS3 doubles as one), but now that you can snag a standalone player for as low as $150 (and an Xbox Arcade for $170), it's time for Sony to seriously rethink the PS3's price tag.

In the meantime, the best deal going comes from Dell: an 80GB PlayStation 3 for $339.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). These are new consoles, not refurbs, and you don't need the usual Dell coupon code.

At the risk of repeating myself, the PS3 is a killer gaming console, notable not just for state-of-the-art graphics and gaming but also for its aforementioned Blu-ray acumen. I'll cop to being an Xbox 360 and Wii guy myself, but some of the stuff I've seen on the PS3 just blows me away.

But even $340 is tough to swallow, especially with Xboxes and Wiis selling for so much less. I know one user who will disagree vehemently, but what about the rest of you? Is this a decent price on a PS3, or does it need to drop lower still? What's your magic number?

[mawells787]

I would love to buy a PS3 but i wouldn't pay the price, even though i have the money its just so extreme, they can barely sell PS3's and they still think that people are going to buy a $400 system when you can get a 360 for much less.

[Jawknee1]

First off, the 360 is over priced for what you get. No internet browsing, it breaks down a year after buying it. You have to pay 50 bucks a year to use their LIVE network, you don?t get a Blu Ray player or True HD gaming. It really doesn?t have any great exclusives, most of the great games you can get for it are multiplatform anyways. The disc tray can and probably will end up scratching your discs at some point. Games that require more then 9gigabytes will have to come on multiple discs as apposed the only on on the PS3 due to the 50gigabyte dual layer blu ray disc. I bought a 360, it broke 3 times before I decided to scraped it and fork out the 500 I paid for my 60gig ps3 and I love it now. Never had any problems, has always worked perfectly. Internet browsing in great, The Blu Ray movies are great(I only buy blu ray now) and the games are great. Ill admit at 1st it didn?t have many great exclusives but the later part of 2008 we got Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and 2009 is sure to bring in more great exclusives like Killzone 2, Gran Terismo HD, God of War etc etc. Oh and the Online PSN is free! No yearly or monthly fees. I wasn?t excited about forking out 500 for my PS3 but after getting it I would gladly pay that again. 400 to 339 isnt not a bad price for what you get. A lot more features then the 360 and much much more reliable. Also it comes with build in Wifi. 360 does not.

[sobishop]

I call BS on that one Jawknee1. All three systems are game consoles first and everything else second. Xbox 360 is far superior as a game console than the other two. At $200 (sometimes less if you shop around) for the system, you get any of the games PS3 can play outside of the exclusives and they usual cost less. The games look just as good if not better and the online aspect dominates due to paid regulation. Just by simply removing the blu-ray aspect of the system, they could knock off $200 dollars to compete with Microsoft. If they kept everything else intact, they would easily dominate due to the stability of the system and added premiums that Xbox does not include such as a HDD, built in wifi, and free internet access. If I want a blu-ray system, I will go out and buy one seperately. What am I suppose to do if either the gaming aspect or the blu-ray aspect decides to quite working, then I have to replace the whole thing.

[The_BossApplesauce]

The people who have not bought a next gen system do not care about all the extra features. They just want what their friends have at the best deal possible. Therefore, the 360 arcade is going to sell more while the PS3 struggles.

[nismo2nr]

You have to look at the overall picture. Xbox 360 Pro = 299.99 + 38.99 Xbox Live Subscription + 86.99 Wifi Adapter + 14.99 Play N Charge Kit = $440.96

PS3 Comes in box with the above listed accessories bundled.

Sony should have done the nickel and dime strategy to try to get consumers roped in and then have to pay for accessories as they ad up. I for one am glad they did not.

[norcalrivercat]

I agree with nismo, after you start paying for all the extra stuff that is needed to really make the 360 a gaming machine the price tag jumps a considerable amount. 85 dollars for a wifi adapter? It doesn't come built in? What year is this? My cell phone has a wifi chip in it...

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

@norcalrivercat - you are right the wifi thing is ridiculous (when the elite was rumoured everyone thought it would have wifi). I think MS made a big mistake

@nismo2nr - First, I'm too cheap to even buy a refurb Xb360 pro for $150, but in any case...since this is the cheapskate blog I'll give you a few shopping tips. Dell runs promos on XB360 ALL THE TIME, recently they had a PRO for around $259 FS with 3 games. Secondly MS is offering bundles with controllers and P&C kits for 43 or other bundles that include gold. STILL, the cheapskate in me agrees the GOLD should be free.

It still bugs me that the PS3 sucks so much electricity $40 p.a. @ 2 hours per day (Gizmondo), thats twice as much as the XB360. Most serious gamers would play more than that. When I was a gaming addict - my name is Jasper and I'm a gameaholic - I played 8 hours every weekday and even more on weekends. Then I grew up.

[scobydo98]

Yea Jawknee.... i gotta say i own all three consoles. I love different things about each one, but some of the things you argue against the 360 are pretty off. Online play beats the crap out of the ps3 any day of the week. Id say going online and not having connection errors all the time, or if you're using wifi having it drop signal all the time. The ps3 isnt good online, the lobbies suck its hard to play with people you know.... its just sub par, its gets the job done, but xbox is a pro at online play and has always done it best. i agree the ps3 is a more solid built system any day of the week as well though, i dont understand how 360s are still breaking... but if you dont mind being out a system for a week or whatever microsoft does at least stand by it pretty well. the disc tray thing... dont know what thats about, dont see why that would scratch games doesnt really make sense considering thats how cds have loaded into systems and computers for... pretty much since cds came about and weve never had problems with em. if you are referring to the scratches people reported when the system first came out then yes, those people put a disc in, it started to spin and then they took the system and put it on its side, hence disorienting the system, im pretty sure u wouldnt take your computer and toss it around while it was running, but people dont realize these systems are basically just computers. The game libraries are always going to be competitive there are great games on both (this year is gunna suck compared to last for games but thats another story) i think sony has more a life to it they put out games for their systems way past their primes, so its a better value there, the hardware is better and will last longer than the 360, but i dont think the 360 is a bad system for what you get price wise. i do think ps3 is still over priced, but it will go down when people stop saying "o well i have an hd tv and i want a blu ray player... well i mine as well get a ps3 because it has a blu ray player and you get a system for a hundred or so dollars more" once that value disappears, then you will have a price drop again.... o and i did hear a rumor of a future price drop on xbox live ... so heres hoping for that.... but no hate for the ps3 or xbox love em both

[Untamo]

Those who are serious gamers NEVER use wi-fi anyway. I always use even with PS3 wired connection because it's faster and has much less lag. Wi-fi is great for browsing and e-mail but not for gaming.

[parkstony]

I love this debate! Comparing ps3 to xbox/wii is like comparing a ferrari to a corvette, they do similiar things but they are in a different league. I could be wrong on this, but isn't the xbox arcade the really stripped down one with no hdmi, hi def playback and no wifi? That thing is 170, you pay the 150 for the blu ray player that sucks and then 99 to get wifi! Right there you have just gone above the ps3 price. I have a wii and I love it, having said that the graphics/media capabilities are way below the ps3's. 250 for the wii, 150 for the blu ray, no support for media networking with pc, no built in browser unless you want to pay for it and you have a inferior platform.

You get what you pay for and in the long run you end up saving with the ps3. I may buy a xbox for my theatre due to it's media center capabilities/exclusive titles but that will be after I exhaust all capabilities on my ps3 first.

One must conclude when you look at all aspects that the ps3 is a value. If you are purely in it for the gaming and nothing else I'll throw a check in the xbox column or maybe even in the wii column. Nintendo makes a fun platform, may not be groundbreaking as far as technology but it's fun to play.

[mgwatson]

my price point was $250, which is why i just bought a new ps3 from sonystyle. they gave back $150 if i signed up for a sony playstation credit card. obviously i'll just cancel the card after paying for it. it was the 80gb version, by the way.

[cleptomaniac]

I just don't get it. I payed the full 600 for my PS3 and people are still going to complain about 340? Don't get me wrong, I love all video games and I buy every single console at release (I guess I am fortunate enough to always have the money when the time comes). But honestly my XBOX has ended up costing my as much as my PS3 and I was extremely surprised. But my circumstances aren't the same as everyone elses but I still think a lot of people similar. My router is across the room and I needed the wireless adapter, the 20 Gig hard drive it came with is pretty wimpy with all the great arcade games and tv and movies you can download. And just those two accessories right there put my xbox beyond this PS3's price, So i would deffinitally pick this PS3 up while they still offer the deal, especially since there are going to be some good games over the next few month. Just my two cents. And PS Fable 2 was alright but Fallout 3 is amazing (if you are in to that sort of thing :)

[cleptomaniac]

I'm sorry for the double post, but I just couldn't help it. First, why are people saying that the PS3 needs to be 250-300 dollars like the Wii? It makes absolutely no sense unless you also complain about the price of the Wii. If, as an example, the PS3 were to go down to $299.99, that would make the PS3, which I'm sure everyone agrees is FAR superior, $50 more then the Wii. Shouldn't that mean the Wii needs to be in the $100-150 range? Come on, if you have researched the Wii at all, you would realize it is a gamecube with very slight enhamcements. Now lets move on the the Xbox. At 299 the PS3 would be directly competing with the Xbox 360 Pro. Wait? That doesn't make sense. Xbox came out with the elite to compete directly with the PS3, which would make the more expensive PS3 the Elite Plus. If anything, maybe you should be complaining that the Xbox 360 Elite cost 399 when it is lacking considerably compared to the 399 PS3. So honestly, it seems like people shouldn't be complaing about the price of the current PS3s on the market. You should be complaining that they don't have a cheapskate model that you can buy for $200-250, and then sell the wireless adapter seperatly, the hard drive seperatly, start charging for their online play, and start making them more cheaply in the factory so that you have to buy 2-4 of them thru the life of the console. (which, as a side note, I honestly think console makers use to help boost their sales numbers. When you return a broken console do they subtract that from their sales? No. When you send yours back to be fixed and they have to send you a brand new one, do they count that?) I think you should be honest when you gripe on the internet and don't blame sony if you can't afford their new product.

[pithenumber]

Why would you pay $600 for a console. For that you can build a budget gaming PC that is much faster. PS3 graphics are horrible compared to my old gaming PC ($650, built slightly before PS3 launch). At $340, its a great deal, so BUY IT before sony decides selling it at 340 is too unprofitable.

[jc230492]

Clepto - before you start spouting off about revenue recognition, "When you return a broken console do they subtract that from their sales? No." you should check your facts before you sound like you are drunk on the kool-aid. When the systems are returned it is a credit to revenue. Also, companies are required to budget for warranty and repair expenses, so the greater the number of systems returned for such repairs, the worse it is for the company because margins decrease and the more systems they need to sell to make up for the lack of quality. I have all 3 systems and I have not and will not buy any PS3 games (only use it for Blu Ray) because the difference in quality is not that great. But then again either your brain processes at 30 frames per second, or you compensate for your lack of social skills by losing yourself in technical specs.

[cleptomaniac]

@jc - The sad fact is that your argueement isn't even relevant. You took what I said and skewed so far off to make yourself look smart or something. Fine, Microsoft get a credit to revenue, but what I said was that that number isn't subtract from total consoles sold, and it isn't. I would like to know how many of the millions they say they have sold are technically counted multiple times per customer. Especially if Microsoft is using these number to help sell more consoles.

Microsoft rushed out a slightly inferior, cheaply made product and it ended up paying off because the market penetration was so high by the time the PS3 came out. But what arguements are you going to come up with when you have to buy the "Xbox 3" in the next 2-3 years?

All this anger and agruements just to try and convince people the PS3 is not worth buying. It's pretty sad when you sit back and think about it. Buy them all!! Every system is awesome in their own way.

[ahalemano]

"I guess I am fortunate enough to always have the money when the time comes..." - Cleptomaniac

This is completely off subject and highly insinuative, but I'm curious whether you "always have the money" or always find the "opportunity" to get what you what you want...huh, clepto?

[cleptomaniac]

@ ahalemano

With the Wii I just had the money flat out. For my 360 I had just got from a deployment and had some extra cash. For my PS3 I had a whole bunch of those super cheap Xbox and PS2 games, you know, the ones you can find for like 5 bucks, that I traded in so I only had to come up with about 300. Which wasn't too hard to swing at that point in time. So for your question, good catch, I really only had the full cash on hand for two of the three and had to do some trade ins for the PS3.

[Hockeyfan333]

$299.99 That's the magic number. It is low enough to start to make sense. A Wii (when you can find them) + a controller or 2 (or 4 + nunchucks ;) ) will then cost about the same or more as a PS3 and a game. The XBOX 360 arcade is not enough to play online and since XBOX Live is such a popular feature, I'd guess that most of the 360 arcade consumers also buy a hard drive. So, once you start adding accessories to the mix, all of the consoles would then be hitting around the same price range. The biggest problem for me at this point is that the blu-ray player isn't catching on. The media war seemed over with the death of HD-DVD, but with more and more of the industry leaning toward downloads and streaming content, I wonder if the Blu-ray will last. Sony has lost this generation in my opinion. It is all too little, too late. The price kept me away at first, then media war, then the lack of popular exclusive titles, and now the uncertianty of the Blu-ray format will likely be the last nail in the coffin. I love my 360 and my Wii, and since I can get a blu-ray player so cheap, I might grab an inexpensive one while I wait to see what is around between now and the next gen consoles in 3-5 years.

[ktappe]

Who bothers getting nunchucks for Wii? I never use the one I have...
But back to the topic, yes, $400 is not going to sell many more PS3's. It's odd that the Sony folks haven't figured out that the platform will die if they don't keep moving consoles.

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

If it were a windows media extender with netflix support (like the XB360) then the BD would be a nice feature to make it a complete media connector. That said without the BD I can get a XB360 prem refurb from geeks for $150 that is both an extender and netflix watch instantly receiver (yes I know gold membership is required but you can get that for $38 for 13 months, or better yet get one of the bundles that includes a controller or extra game with the card). Even with all that I would not even buy a PS3 for $200 because its a power hog, calc your annual electric cost for the thing... My friend that has one complains about the title selection and has some buyers remorese.

[techaddict75]

You can actually download Playon and stream Netflix movies on your PS3 (http://www.themediamall.com/playon). Playon also adds functionality to watch Hulu, CBS, and ESPN on your console without have to pay for any kind of ongoing service fee like X-Box Live. You just need to pay a small one time fee of $29.99 for the software (it's free to try). Obviously, you need a valid Netflix account as well. I've used it, and it works great!

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

techAddct75 - what about begin a media extender. I want to control my media center PC from a console

[brandonh33]

@jasper, you obviously have not done your homework. The ps3 is in fact a media extender. I will say that the xbox media server has a better interface for those who arnt very tech savvy, but the ps3 media center extender does have all the functionality of the xbox if not more. I can oddly pull up more files from my ps3 using extender than my xbox. Also I must add that you do not need any extra software to watch hulu on your ps3, just go into the web browser and pull up the site. It works great.

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

@brandonh33 - HOW? I want a true media extender that can control my tuners, pause tv etc. Not a network media player. How do you make PS3 a Windows media extender. I love my Vista Premium with the tv tuners and music features... At the moment the XB360 and other true windows media extenders are the only ones that do what I need to do. Netflix switched to Silverlight a lot the old hacks and software based on the WMA don't work any more

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

@techaddict75 - Silverlight netflix DOES NOT WORK on Playon. All new accounts are on Silverlight and even with old accounts once you click the button to get that nice HD Silverlight on your PC there is no going back. Pretty soon everyone will be switched over

[pgutto]

If you really want a PS3 and don't want to pay even $339.99 you can visit SonyStyle.com and only $299 but you have to sign up for their credit card and purchase the PS3 with that card. I believe, if I read correctly, that they are running that promotion through the end of March. You must also apply for the card by 2/28/09. The offer also does not include sales tax or shipping.

[Matt_Perth]

Awesome!! So I can save myself $100 by signing up for a credit card that will end up costing me at least 3-4 times that amount a year in interest? Pass....

And I swear I've seen this EXACT comment at a number of sites.... you wouldn't happen to work for Sony by any chance?

Also, Jawknee1? Explain what you mean by you don't get True HD gaming with the 360? I could swear my 360 is running full HD right this second, whereas the PS3 you have to buy a seperate HDMI cable, they don't give you HD out of the box for God's sake!!!

[nismo2nr]

I bought my PS3 with the credit card offer, do your research before you run your mouth. I got $150 back, and it is INTEREST FREE for one year. So pay it off within a year and you are okay. And no I don't work for Sony. And you were using the HDMI cable argument. Isn't the elite the only one that comes with an HDMI cable?

[Editor's note: personal attack deleted]

[edmundh]

I got my PS3 groove on last summer when the 40GB was gettable at $300 (okay, $400 got me the console and a $100 best buy gift card...as good as cash to me). But again, that was when standalone blu-ray players were just as much, $350 or so. I don't think Sony is going to move on price much until summer, but by Christmas we'll see a $299 PS3, guaranteed.

[dkwhylie]

I myself own a 360 and would buy a PS3 but would never purchase it at that price. I would rather buy a standalone Blu-Ray player along with a 360 before shelling out that $ on a PS3. I don't think Sony will change its price because after all they are the mighty Sony Corp.

[thorton]

Dood, don't waste your money on the PS3. I have both and the people on this thread are only telling half the story.
1) Netflix does not support PlayOn. Netflix blocks your account for 2 hours every time you use playon
2) The internet browser on PS3 - are you kidding me! I'd rather use my iPhone - it's more compatible and isn't painful like the PS3.
3) Games on the PS3 -hmmm, I don't know because they always come out on the XBox first - I buy them then.
4)Who wants a BluRay DVD player that doesn't support universal remotes.

I have the XBox 360 and PS3, but my PS3 is essentially a DVD player at best (and not a good one).
You may not agree with me, but you have to face reality. People are buying the XBox and they aren't buying the PS3. Can you say VHS versus Beta?

[kjsalchow]

@thorton
VHS versus Beta may not be the argument you want to make. Beta was far superior to VHS in every conceivable way (smaller size, larger capacity, etc) and the ONLY reason it lost was something entirely out of its control (which I won't go into here).

[dcgilpin]

I bought my a year ago for the same price. At the time I was only looking for a BD player and a friend recommended the PS3 because of it's system upgrade feature. The gaming feature is awesome, but it's only one of many. The PS3 could quickly replace every set top box if SONY would open it up to other content providers -- either as a link through the SONY/PS3 Store or allow direct streaming. I'd buy it again.

[drewu]

PS3 does allow streaming, via media servers. See apps like PlayOn.

[choctawfootball]

$ 199 is the magic price point for me (and it will probably be $199 by the time final fantasy comes out).

i do not buy at $ 299.

i dont understand why sony wont let us hook up our own personal external hard drives to the ps3.

[duperstar]

You can, it just has to be formatted Fat32. I have 750 gigs hooked up to mine with movies, music and shows. The last update (last week) expanded the video formats that it plays. I have a 60 gig ps3 and it is worth the money. My only concern is the controllers which seem to disconnect sometimes and it's hell getting them hooked back up.

[brandonh33]

I also have an external hooked up to my ps3 as well as a new internal 250GB HDD. It is a little tricky though because windows will not let you format fat32 in large partitions so you need to use a third party application for an external drive.

[Sgr76]

Now that i got the 60gb BC model (429 @ gamestop traded in my 40gb model for 205) i play more PS2 games than PS3. If they want to continue to push that price tag they need to bring back all the features they took away. The only people buying that console these days is the tech geeks who like to own everything (like me) and fanboys.

[sticks1839]

Rick, good find on the PS3 price, but please don't compare it to the Wii or the Xbox Arcade (which has no hard drive or wireless network). I understand that price can be prohibitive and maybe Microsoft's strategy of piece-meal options is easier for the consumer to swallow (even if they end up spending the same amount); but I think this type of comparison doesn't make sense. Let's instead, compare it to the also $400 Xbox Elite. The Elite gives you 40GB more hard drive space, but still lacks wireless. You could buy a 120GB 2.5" hard drive for the same price as the Xbox 360 wireless adapter. Now the 2 consoles are equal price and as similar spec-wise as can be.

The differences are:

PS3 has Blu-ray and you now have an extra 80GB laptop hard drive that you can fairly easily toss into an external enclosure if you want. It's online play is free, but still not the best. It works with regular bluetooth headsets and many plug-n-play PC peripherals. Since it uses bluetooth, it does not easily mix into a home theater control scheme.

Xbox 360 has Netflix streaming (I don't know why Sony is reluctant to include this in the PS3) and media center extender capabilities. It has a better online experience and larger online user base.

It depends on what you're looking for in a console as to which one makes more sense. It's nice that the 360 allows the consumer to make a purchase within their financial means then progressively spend more over time, but ultimately they are selling you a product with substantially limited abilities. The new consoles just don't work without at least a hard drive.

[skeeterzx225]

My magic number is $300, if the 80gb PS3 hits stores at that price, I will buy one. I just hope they don't cut too many corners on the package to get the $300 price point.

As cleptomaniac mentioned, the TCO [ total cost of ownership] on a Xbox 360 makes it equal if not more costly than a PS3. Between the 3 rings of death [ ship, wait, wait, arrive, fail, ship, wait arrive, .....], cost of all the add-ons plus Xbox Live] Xbox360 eventually creeps up in terms of both real and opportunity costs to be more expensive than the Xbox. A PS3 gives you an excellent BD player as well as HD movie rentals, upgradeable system, excellent media center and the capability to load an another OS and add other capabilities. If you know your hardware and software, there is no competition.

I do worry about Sony's committment to the device, though. We will see with time.
BTW I have all 3 consoles: , XBOX, WII, and PS3 so I speak from experience.

[duperstar]

I agree with you 100%. If they support it like the do with the PS2, we will have that system thru 2015. Fingers crossed. My sis has a Wii and PS2 and still plays the PS2 3 to 1.

[sticks1839]

@duperstar: I think they will support it for many years to come. They continually talk of the 10 year life-cycle in the media. I also think it'll really start selling like crazy around the time (or even after) the next gen consoles are released. Then those consoles will be too expensive and everyone will buy a PS3 similar to how PS2's still sell well.

Others who feel streaming/downloaded content will overtake Blu-ray might be expecting too much progress on that front. It may be the end game, but the infrastructure is not and will not be there in time to "kill" Blu-ray.

[blusky08]

Yep. $299 WITH included remote control.
As is, the PS3 is approx. $450 at checkout after adding a remote to make it truly functional. (And this doesn't even include any games).

[Lenman_99]

Everyone acts like the PS3, WII and XBox are equal technologies. The PS3 is the only HD gaming system. That is a huge difference. Blu-Ray, HDMI and wireless. Does either of the other come with these features? NO. Here is a link to a story about PS3's being linked together to mimick a super computer. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/090128-playstation3-blackholes.html
Do you think a bunck of WII's could do this? I doubt it. When it comes to technology you get what you pay for.

[sticks1839]

While I agree, it does not mean that the PS3's technology is necessary or advantageous for a console. I own a PS3 and love it, but this argument is empty when speaking about a home video game console. It's a powerful machine, but the games have not yet shown the power to produce better or more entertaining interactivity for the consumer. Until it does, it will be compared to the other two on price (maybe less so the Wii).

[Tedders85]

No, the 360 does not have wifi or a Bluray player, but it does have HDMI.

[Matt_Perth]

*sigh....* Do you plan on explaining exactly WHY the PS3 is the ONLY HD gaming system?
HD is any resolution 720p and above... the 360 does 480i, all the way through to 1080p....
I bought myself a PS3 last year purely as a dvd / blu-ray player, and it performs BEAUTIFULLY!!
But the games.... the games are lacking...
Sony are saying "oh we've got a number of exclusive games coming in 2009".... um, how many? 2? 3?

Too expensive to develop for, too hard to develop for, developers have already shown they're not happy.....

[Wolfpack_17]

haha SWEET SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS!!! Please, i cahllenge you to do a side by side comparison of a ps3 playing in 1080p vs an xbox in 1080p... Heck, while you're at it, go on and put the PS3 in 720... i guarantee you the ps3 will look far superior to the xbox.... BR DVDS vs DVD ROM hmmmmm thats an easy one

[AVgadgetguru]

Both the 360 and PS3 are HD gaming systems. Why do people insist this isn't so ?

Whether you use the 720p 1080i or 1080p output ..... it's all HD gaming !!!!

[angelchimi]

Actually if you work for a company that has discounts with dell, this comes out to be $316 w/ free shipping. Not a bad deal after all. The only reason I don't do it is that I'm actually reapin some benefits now with the HD DVD for the 360 since you can get movies in the $4-$6 range right now, and since blu-ray movies are still too expensive, I can't seem to jump and buy the PS3, even at that reasonable price (reasonable for what you get with this system). Also, the game library for the 360 is way superior than the PS3. So as a gamer (I currenlty own the 360 and the Wii) the 360 is hands down the best gaming console out there. I agree with the comment before about the TCO, but the main difference is that with the 360 you can do it at your own pace (you really only need $170 to start playing if you buy through Dell or less w/ the corporate discount of 7%), you don't have to make that big purchase at the beginning as with the PS3 (you can't play a PS3 without spending about twice the money). My logic for potentially buying this system is for the blu-ray, but with players going down in price so much lately, it's not worth it. For someone that doesn't have any game system, is not necessarily a big gamer and has to decide on buying just one, this is a great deal.

[crapcooksanji]

I don't think that the PS3 price is the biggest problem it has. If the price was lower it could help alot but the big problem is the game selection. For many people having the coolest gadgets are important but the biggest reason still that people buy video game systems is for the games.

Sony has lost so many games that should have been exclusives such as Final Fantasy XIII, Tekkan 6, among others. The fact that you can get them on the 360 also makes it almost pointless to buy a ps3 if you already own a 360.

Playstation used to be the main system for RPG's also, but even those have moved to the 360. Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery, Tales of Vesperia, The Last Remnant.

I have heard the argument many times that even though 360 will have Final Fantasy XIII it will still need multiple discs, but if you think about the original playstation that's the way many RPG's were. It is not a big deal to have to change a disc on a system. It is just a way that PS3 owners can make themselves feel superior.

But in the end it comes down to the games on the system and being a very big RPG fan myself the 360 will be my choice of system.

But if the PS3 comes out with a $250. Maybe even a $299. Price tag, AND Kingdom Hearts 3 exclusive. (which may not even be made) I will finally consider buying one. But for the moment I will stick with the system that has the RPG's I love.

Sony who had the RPG market cornered for the past 2 consoles should have kept their reign.

I do think that the PS3 is finally starting to make the right move as far as the game selection they are releaseing goes, and other things that they are doing with the system. But in an economy like the one we are in right now. People can not freely spend the way they once could and $400 is still high. So for Sony the right moves are a little to late. No matter how amazing the system they have created is.

[sticks1839]

I disagree with your argument that multiple discs wouldn't be that big of a deal (even though I'm not sure the 360 will need multiple discs for FFXIII). Set aside the actual process of switching discs, and think about what it means to the game itself.

In the past, many RPG's were fairly linear games with a set progression, so that it was easy to minimize disc switching if the gamer followed the storyline. You used one disc for the first X hours, then swapped to disc 2 for the next Y hours, etc... Occasionally you would need to go back a disc if you forgot something, but in general there was a progression that allowed you to move from disc to disc in a predictable and coordinated manner.

Today RPG's are becoming much less linear, and gamers can easily jump from place to place. Assuming the entire map can't fit onto one disc, this could mean a lot of disc swapping for someone who travels the game world in a non-predictive fashion. Could you imagine traveling to a city to grab something, then traveling back and switching discs twice in a 15 minute span just because you forgot to do something or finally had the money for that next item?

To avoid this the developers either need to limit the incentives for city hopping or make the game more linear. If they don't, the gamer may become annoyed with switching discs and simply choose his traveling based on the disc he has in at the moment. Either way, someone has to make concessions to make sure the game itself is worth the disc swapping and that the process doesn't encumber the experience (and yes, there are a lot of people in today's instant-gratification society who would find the need to swap discs very frustrating).

Ultimately the lack of space, and the use of multiple discs causes two possible issues. What limitations or concessions did the developers have to incorporate into the game to make sure the disc swapping aspect disappeared into the experience of gameplay? And how does the public today feel the disc swapping affects the game experience? Finding the right balance between the two may not be easy to do.

[Polarsunray]

In case you all forgot, you can copy discs to the 360 hard rive. You can have, let's say, 3 discs totaling to 10 GB. you an install the first two discs onto the counsel, than just use the 3rd disc for starting the game and for the features on the 3rd disc. It's not that hard to accept

[Dan7637]

what is wrong with you people, you want a handout or something or better for free?, sony is losing money as it is making these systems and you want them to lower the price to the wii's price, cheapskates

[sobishop]

Not all of us wipe our @$$ with $100 bills, Dan.

[jsnowbordr47]

The problem with the PS3 is that it forces equipment on people who either don't want or need it or can't even take advantage of it.

I have a slow wireless router so I use an ethernet cable for my gaming. I don't have an HDTV so why do I need a blu-ray drive. (And don't give me that crap about the space, I'm fine with switching discs a few times, and from what we see with multi-platform games and even PS3 exclusives, they don't look much better if at all than 360 equivalents. (GTA4, Assasins Creed, RE5; Resistance 2 vs Halo 3/ Gears 2 vs anything else. Sure Killzone 2 looks amazing, but we haven't seen any 360 games under development that long. Who's to say a future 360 game won't equal that game (just look at RE5, looks just as good if not better on both PS3 and 360. And yes I am admitting that Killzone 2 looks better than Gears 2, mainly because one is based on an "older" engine with minor tune-ups.

The only thing I can see that the PS3 really has the advantage with vs the 360 is the Hard Drive, it's easier to upgrade and is much larger in stock configurations. However, of all my buddies with PS3's none have yet to really use their hard drives for anything except required game installations. So why no offer PS3 models with smaller hard drives for a smaller price?

It's not competitive right now because not everyone needs or wants all those extras that are required with a PS3 purchase.

As for games, exclusives are great and all, but if they're not mainstream enough, they won't be console movers. Look at LBP on PS3 and Banjo Kazzoie/Viva Pinata on 360. I think Killzone 2 is the most mainstream game in the PS3's upcoming year, everything else isn't enough to make sales news.

[xxmjumpman23xx]

@jsnowbord. So what exactly do you want? The majority of people would say that the built-in blu-ray drive is a great plus, Sony has merely prepped us for the future. The PS3 is an HD gaming device and so is the 360, they are meant for HDTVs and if you don't have one I understand they can be expensive but its time to upgrade. PS3 games don't look much better than the 360 equivalents because developers still haven't been able to master how to best create games for the PS3. The 360 graphics are pretty much maxed out, I think the PS3 has a lot more in it.

From reading this post one might think I'm some kind of Sony fanboy. The irony is that I don't own a PS3, I have a 360 (which I love) and a standalone Blu-ray player (Panasonic DMP-BD35).

[Hunnter2k3]

@ jsnowbordr47
I actually agree with you on this one.

Sony really should consider making a barebones gaming console with the essentials, of course.
The only things you 100% need is the BD drive, Ethernet, HDD and a USB port or 2 (with support for hubs at least)
Bluetooth, wireless, and HDMI can go.

And they should maybe consider doing a version with the PS2 chipset because i know for a fact that people would pay a little more if they could play PS2 games on there as well. (my friend being one)

But all of these are slightly risky, especially at this moment in time.
Not sure exactly why it would be, just turn off the parts of the manufacturing lines to plop on the wireless / bluetooth and HDMI... but i guess it depends on how smartly they designed their lines. (which makes me think not as well as this, considering they haven't kept the PS2 capable PS3s available)

[john070171]

Wait until April to buy a PS3...this was a hint dropped to me by a manager at a Sony outlet store when I was buying my tv. Apparently, there is going to be a price drop, according to what I was told.

[sobishop]

More like another sku eliminating usb ports, wifi, wireless controllers, dvd playback, etc.... Sony is gonna either have to make the system barebones in order to compete or they need to just scratch the system and try again. PS3 is headed the way of the dreamcast, neo geo, saturn,etc...to big for its britches.

[wusupjohn]

A big problem for me is paying premium for bluray discs and having to upgrade my entire movie collection. At $30 each thats at least 3-4 g's. Next to that number the cost of the player doesn't really matter.

[thisislovell]

You know, you don't "have" to upgrade your collection. Not only does the PS3 play DVDs, it upscales them as well.

[ice82]

I agree, PS3 will upconvert your regular DVDs as well as any expensive upconverting DVD player.
Blu-ray movie price will go down as it becomes more popular.

I got mine long ago and I love it!

[Nychocolips]

Wusphohn,

I just got a Blu-Ray player myself. The only DVDs I plan to upgrade are those I will get a darn good bang out of. if the Blu-Ray conversion isn't stellar and gives you more why should you upgrade? I also would not bother upgrading a DVD you almost never watch. Be sure to read reviews of any DVD you are planning to upgrade to. HECK read dvd reviews for ANY Blu-Ray DVD you are considering. I like to use www.dvdtown.com www.dvdtown.com or www.dvdreview.com to name a few.

My 2 cents.