PS3... $600?!

Ok, first, fuck you to Microsoft for getting this 2-tier console thing going. Only Microsoft could figure out a way for parents to give kids an Xbox 360 and still have them disappointed ala "Aw, man, you cheap bastards gave me the CORE set."

Yeah yeah, Nintendo did it first, but they weren't the first to start super-stripped versions. The console wars did that by not giving us a free game with the system, removing an extra controller, etc etc etc.

So you have the xbox 360 "tard pack" that's missing a bunch of stuff but at least can be upgraded. Note that having TWO editions of a console means extra shortages (since core systems, once boxed and unsold, have to be recalled in order to be factory refurbished into better selling premiums) AND the overhead costs more money in the long run.

SONY decides to do the same trick, except their "tard pack" is a whopping $500. AND it's missing WiFi, HD output, and a bunch of other rather important things. The offical one is $600!! Having two editions, from other buisness models, adds about 10% to the highest-tier item, so, the PS3 COULD have cost $540.

Highest level costs them $800 in parts, according to industry analysts. Still, though, OUCH. The biggest deal is evidently the BluRay drive. Am I alone in saying I don't care about BluRay? So you can store 20 Gigs on a disk or something like that. I havn't seen a game use more than one DVD and actually NEED more than one DVD. Dual layer DVD stores 8 Gigs... but if the game gets up to 9 Gigs they copy the game on both disks and put some videos on one and some on the other and say "WOW! It's a 2-DVD GAME!!!!111" Unnecessary. Extremely unnecessary on a system that will now be equipped with a hard drive to store the common code elements.

And these cats wanna be competitve with the 360? What about Wii? Wii sure as hell won't cost $600. And I'm praying that the big N won't do a two-level console release. I suspect they won't to help keep costs down and crying kids around Christmas.

For your same $600, you can build a very visually impressive computer system. I have a link to a wishlist. I skimped a bit on the brand names but it could be done. That wishlist has components that can be plugged into a HDTV and have the same UMPH. 80 Gig hard drive (instead of 60), U-P-G-R-A-D-E-A-B-L-E, can be used for much more than just games and movies.

Sony needs to get it's head out of the sand and quit being so cocky about their system. Cell schmell, it comes down to the games. The ONLY thing that's gonna propell this system is the promise of a new Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and Grand Theft Auto. Final Fantasy VII may have saved Playstation's ass back in 1997, it's a big question if it will do it again.

I can't WAIT to see tomorrow's Penny Arcade.

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