|
Xbox 360 wins.
When the PS2 launched in 2000 the system cost $100 more than a comparable DVD player but was worth it because DVD had been out for 3 years and there were plenty of titles to choose from, and better games and more movies were lined up until the end of time. You could get a 4x4 racing game, a memory card and Last of the Mohicans for an extra $85 The only other goods offered by the competition were Seaman and $100 N64 games.
When the PS3 launches in 2006, it will only play half the available HD movies, and cost at least $400, possibly $500 if bundled with crap accessories.
Add a movie and a game and the price goes up $90.
Oh, and the system outlook is about even with the competition. And the competition, you ask, what do they have for sale? They have better games (Gears of War, Halo 3, Kameo) and more services (Live, Marketplace) and better hardware, a five month head start, a single console to support instead of Sony's 3 and no format war to worry about.
What are the mascots and talking points for the PS3? The ghost of Betamax looms over the Blu-Ray section, and the spirit of forgotten peripherals warns you not to trip over PS2 hard-drives stacked on the floor. And Jak is playing Death, Jr. on his PSP.
EXCLUSIVE games for the PS3 from third parties, you ask? About 4. And these exlusive thrid-party games are exclusive in the way GTA and Resident Evil turned out to be.
So on March 15 I can pick up Genji, Snatch and a PS3 bundle for the after-tax price of $637, assuming I pre-ordered. Too bad I won’t be able to play Halo 3 or watch any Paramount, Warner, or Universal movies in high def. At least I can look forward to KillZone and MGS4 in 2007!
For about the same $600 you could buy an Xbox 360, Halo 3, and a dual-format HD-DVD player around October of 2006.
|