Originally posted by: VIAN
The PS3 is Sony?s endeavor to market themselves 3 times: Cell, Blu-Ray, and Playstation. Because of their greed, we are forced to pay 600 bucks for a Hi-def console that doesn't even come with Hi-def cables. Sure, it is an impressive piece of hardware for an amazing price, but the price is too high for a gaming console, and the mainstream won't go for it.
I agree, the price is very high for a pure gaming console. However, I feel the same way about the 360; the price is too high. Those who say that less than 15% of American households have HDTV have forgotten another important statistic: How many of those owners are also gamers? A large number, whereas the percentage of Americans that actually play console games is probably around the same number. Gaming is not what one would consider a mainstream activity. Gamers will go for it, and they are going for it. By next year there won't be any question as to whether or not the PS3 is a contender, by then it will have as many great titles as the 360 and that's really saying something considering the time difference of a year.
It is nuts for Sony to push a price so high, but then again, they haven?t done anything right for a while. The success of the PSX was luck. They just happened to release the PSX at the right time, which made them look better compared to the other two idiots, who released with only a small amount of games to play. The PSX was so popular that the PS2, as mediocre as the technology was (4MB of VRAM?), sold out fast. Sony probably expects it to happen the same way with the PS3, but I think they shot themselves in the foot with Blu-Ray, which delayed the PS3 for far too long.
The success of the PSX really wasn't just luck. The console had killer games. The EXISTENCE of the PSX was just luck. Its success formula was obvious, get some killer games going for it and you're golden. The execs at Sony used a new tactic with the PS2, and that was to release a console that could survive up to 5 years. Well, it worked beautifully. The PS2 is still a strong console system with tons of great games. It was the clear winner of its era, and not because of the PSX. The PS2 is superior to the PSX in every way, including gaming library. That same strategy of designing a console with a long shelf life is what they're applying to the PS3. The 360 was released a year earlier and is only now experiencing some good title releases. The PS3 will be out 4-5 months before Metal Gear Solid hits. Three final fantasy games are just a year away. A year from now you'll already have over half a dozen exclusive titles that are absolutely awesome, whereas the 360 will have Halo 3 and Gears of War, a paltry list to say the least.
There are many things that could prevent the PS3?s success, including: high price, no good online support, 360 user base, and high price, and even the Wii. I predict that this generation will be a long and painful struggle for Sony. Why pay 500 bucks when you could get a similar or better gaming experience with the 360 for only $400. I say a better experience because of the near free 2xAA and the 360 controller. I loved the Dreamcast controller and the evolution from that to this 360 controller has only improved it. The analog sticks on the new SixAxis, as well as the trigger buttons pale in comfort and usability compared with the 360 controller. And again, there is also the possibility of getting better graphics on the 360 due to the 10MB of on die memory in the 360 GPU.
The high price is a detriment, but I believe it can be overcome. After all, the 360 has a high price. Realistically, the PS3 doesn't cost much more than an xbox, and you get a lot more for your money. It's a better value. Why do people buy products at stores like Costco when they cost more? Because they receive more than their money's worth. The bold argument that the PS3 costs sooooo much more is really just lack of thought.
Let's not forget, you may have loved the Dreamcast, but it was a clear flop of a console. Frankly, I prefer the playstation controller to the 360 controller. I preferred the PS2 controller to the xbox controller too. Different strokes for different folks. However, there is no possibility of getting "better graphics" on the 360 if you're considering raw hardware capability.
If the 360 has a bigger user base than the PS3, where do you think developers are going to go? Think about that. And at such a high price, there is no way the PS3 user base will grow quick enough to compete with the 360. Then think about how difficult developers find the PS3 to program in comparison to the 360. Two big issues developers have against the PS3 that will surely result in the 360 taking the trophy this time around.
The developers have already allied themselves with one console or the other. Frankly, most companies are producing for multiple platforms. The bEST exclusive titles are already being produced for the playstation. By next December the PS3 user base will easily rival that of the 360 if it hasn't arleady surpassed it. The PS3 is still THE console for the best exclusive RPGs. Explain why the developers have chosen PS3 when the Xbox 360 should be equally viable for great RPG games.
If there is one thing that can save Sony, it'll be the mainstream?s reluctance to upgrade from the PS2. But at least, for Sony?s sake, they?ll buy games which will offset some of the cost of the PS3. The PS3 may be such a large leap in price for them that they may just settle for the 360. One thing fanbois have to learn is that you're only hurting yourself with brand loyalty.
Again, there really isn't a huge leap in price between the 360 and the PS3. The $400 Xbox 360 is essentially the $500 PS3 minus Blu-Ray.
Unfortunately, your last sentence only applies to you in this debate. If you'd take a good hard look at the facts, the PS3 is going to be the more valuable pruchase. The 360 is great if you want to play some FPS multiplayer, but the PS3 is going to have a wider selection of exclusive titles that everyone will inevitably want to play. Consider this
Resident Evil Series
Final Fantasy Series
Metal Gear Series
Various other previewable games that look absolutely amazing
Versus
Gears of War
Halo 3
The price difference is essentially null if you ever plan on playing back HD content. Part of the beauty of the PS3 is that 3 years from now a lot more people will want to be able to play HD movies. I think we're seriously underestimating the rate of adaptation for the average American. Not that long ago we were just barely being introduced to the DVD.