<![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3 - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3 - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "Wow, and you can't do anything with your fine list because there's no game or movie included - basically you bought a furniture enhancer for your living room.

--

PlayStation 3 online play for free is a far stretch (never gonna happen IMHO).
Also I don't want/need wireless (-100 USD). I use rechargeable batteries I already own (-40 USD), I ABSOLUTELY don't want HD DVD or Blu-ray movie playback (I will buy a standalone player for Hi-Fi) so again -200 USD.

Leaves a Xbox 360 as I currently own it and I don't want it any other way as a gamer:
Xbox 360: 399 USD
2nd Ctrl: 49 USD
1 Game : 49 USD (of course I own more - just as example)
Total : ~500 USD

PS3 : 599 USD
2nd Ctrl: 49 USD
1 Game : 59 USD
Total : ~700 USD"


How about using the $499 PS3 for your little list? Since you don't need wireless or a 60 gig hdd. That makes it only a $100 difference. And it still plays blu-ray. I'm quite sure there are alot of people who would gladly pay 100 extra dollars for the ability to play blu-ray movies.

Lachoy

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Well Riscaa, you can't expect much else. Could you really imagine this: "Hmm, I guess I didn't realize how much this xbox 360 has costed me in the long run. I think I would regret the purchase had I been interested in the PS3 but, I enjoy the games published in the american market. The XBox 360 experience tailors to my current needs and if PS3 does become better, I can always trade in my 360. I realize that the storage size for the games on each console is quite different (7.9GB vs 50GB) and I acknowledge that PS3 specs are higher, but I believe that developers will want to multiplatform moreso than in the past because of increased developement costs. While the PS3 controller does have motion sensing, along with the Eyetoy2 coming out for it, I don't think I need those accessories to improve my gaming experience as I am fine with a regular tried and true controller." That is pretty much my dream post of what I want to see from an XBox fanboy, but of course, the standard "XBox has Halo 3, Gears of War, and Mass Effect" arguement will prevail, drowning in their love of fps games. Oh, and of course the "Gears of War will have better graphics than any PS3 game ever" arguement.

Kadmos

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> See what happens when you run sony into the ground for months and then finally make a nice post. You become a sell out. Fickle fanboys of other systems will shit bag it no matter how logical a post may be just because it is sony.

Also a HDMI cable that is 2m long is like $50 au so I ball parking $100US is stupid when all you need to do is google. USe common sense instead of blind faith. Most fanboys are worse then fundamentalist religious zealots.

Riscaa

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> In my opinion, value really only comes down to which is more fun to play -- ie, which system has better/more fun games to play.

hyperion

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I think the easiest way for me to put this into words is this:

$399 - Premium Xbox 360
$19 - Play and Charge Kit
$59 - 1 Game

$480 Overall. I don't need wireless, and if I wanted a Hi-Def movie player, i'd get a standalone. Not to mention that without an HDTV, either hi-def format would be almost comepletely useless to me - therefore making a purchase of either format a waste of money.

Bottom line is we all as gamers look for different things that encompass our getting the most out of a system. For me, the package I own already takes care of that.

I want a PS3, but already owning a system that can create a similar experience dictates that I would be better off getting games for my current system (that's 10 games!) or another console that doesn't cost as much and a couple games for both - and that's IF I had $600 to spare in the first place.

DeejayKnight

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Zeichrat said: "But isn´t the Bluray part of the videogame proposal, evolution of gaming thing???. Well, that´s what I thought, you know the "endless possibilities" speech. The fact that the games are in BluRay was supposed to be an asset, more content and HD video & sound.

So can we really separare BR from the gaming experience???... "

Yes, we can. Look at it from the point of view of a developer creating a game that is not exclusive to the PS3. The developer, in general, is not going to create extra content just for the PS3 since the PS3 disc can hold so much. They're going to shoot for the lowest common denominator.

There may be exceptions, and some PS3 exclusives may have loads of data on that disc. But I think you'll ultimately find that Bluray isn't integral to the gaming experience.

Sabash

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Double post sucks :(

HobbaHobba

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> There is no way Blue-Ray will fail. As long as PS3 games use BR format, their sales will reflect the success of BR demand. When demand and production increase, economy scale will take place and BR price will drop due to higher manufacturing volume and efficiency.

Plus the fact that Sony is aiming 3 different markets to sell BR is a really smart move: 1) Videogaming, 2) Moviegoers, 3) PC Users

So let's say the 2nd market turns out to suck due to bad compression, too expensive etc., at least BR will appeal to the other 2 markets for backups.

And I can see the appeal to use BR as backup media to PC users. If I can just burn ONE BR disc instead of 12 DVDs for backups, that would be awesome. Sure it is expensive NOW and Harddrives are a lot cheaper, but I've had so many experiences when HDDs just died without warnings. I'm honestly more scared to store my files into HDD than backup media.

HobbaHobba

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> IMO, the reason why UMD does not survive is because PSP hasn't had a large number of great games. When great games sell well, UMD production will increase thus keeping the format from failing.

This is also the reason why Blue-Ray will not fail: as long as PS3 games use BR format, their sales will reflect the success of BR demand.

And what happens when demand and production increase? Economy scale will take place and BR price will drop due to higher manufacturing volume and efficiency.

Plus the fact that Sony is aiming 3 different markets to sell BR is a really smart move:

1) Videogaming
2) Moviegoers
3) PC Users

So let's say the 2nd market turns out to suck due to bad compression, too expensive etc., at least BR will appeal to the other 2 markets for backups.

There is no way BR will fail in videogame market segment unless PS3 games don't sell. That is Sony's only crucial strategy to keep the format alive.

And I can see the appeal to use BR as backup media to PC users. If I can just burn ONE BR disc instead of 12 DVDs for backups, that would be totally awesome. Sure, it is expensive now and Harddrives are a lot cheaper in comparison, but I've had so many experiences when harddrives just died for no reason without warnings. I'm honestly more scared to store my files in harddrive than into backup media.

HobbaHobba

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Like he said before, Inajeep, hes basing the "full expearence" by what the company defines as the full expearence, so logically i assume that if you where to ask microsoft what you would want to get to get the most out of your xbox, they would tell you the same thing as was listed here.

Evirus

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> It almost looks like $ony paid for this article :(

MVP_Rhyze_XUG

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> That's a fairly loaded post as you can see by the above comments. I don't need wireless or HD-DVD to fully expereince my 360. Your cost the Gold membership for Live is accurate but little notation is wrong because I have seen specials for it lower instead of higher. Also, we still don't know what level of online service Sony intends to provide for free and which games will charge for gameplay. Comparing the services on any basis now is misleading.

I do agree that MS should have included some type of charging battery w/ their controllers. And you can get a dual charger for $30 so you dont' have to buy two charge n' play kits, saving $10 off your figure.

inajeep

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Wow, and you can't do anything with your fine list because there's no game or movie included - basically you bought a furniture enhancer for your living room.

--

PlayStation 3 online play for free is a far stretch (never gonna happen IMHO).
Also I don't want/need wireless (-100 USD). I use rechargeable batteries I already own (-40 USD), I ABSOLUTELY don't want HD DVD or Blu-ray movie playback (I will buy a standalone player for Hi-Fi) so again -200 USD.

Leaves a Xbox 360 as I currently own it and I don't want it any other way as a gamer:
Xbox 360: 399 USD
2nd Ctrl: 49 USD
1 Game : 49 USD (of course I own more - just as example)
Total : ~500 USD

PS3 : 599 USD
2nd Ctrl: 49 USD
1 Game : 59 USD
Total : ~700 USD

--

You're quite right: controllers and memory cards are rip-offs.

retronaut

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "Now, I agree that most of those standards "failed" in terms of coming mainstream mediaformats, but if you think that MD or Memorystick have failed you should think again."

well, actually MD did fail because Sony insisted on using that stupid-ass proprietary ATRAC (or whatever they called it) format. during its "peak" prior to flooding of portable HD/Flash-based players, I could count on my fingers the number of times people used one (granted that I could only count up to 17, but that's another story...)

as for Memory stick, the format is about to go the way of the Dodo because no other brand except Sony uses the format...compared to other more standard formats like CF and SD.

so what's the point of having this post? hell if i know.

bubuli

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "not true. the xbox had a better processor and more ram than either of the other two consoles. Combined w/ the hard drive, it was capable of a bit more than the other two could have ever hoped to attain." - What The Geek

Maybe I should have stressed the word significant a bit more. Out of the CPU, RAM and other features Xbox had more than it's competition, the HDD was only significant one. CPU and RAM fell into the same realm with PS2 and NGC, but the HDD was in it's own when it comes to data caching and loadtimes.

"They use MPEG2 as the video coded. This is the same codec used since regular dvd's were invented. It's out dated." - What The Geek

The format supports all the same HD codecs than HD-DVD does, it's just that Sony and other movie studios have their current digitalisation infrastructure build on MPEG2 so they have chosen to use it at the moment.

"See a pattern here? Sony has *never* created a format that was successful, even if on paper it was a higher-quality format." - bassbeast

Now, I agree that most of those standards "failed" in terms of coming mainstream mediaformats, but if you think that MD or Memorystick have failed you should think again. MD was quite useful and was used by many people I know before MP3 players hit, and Memorystick is used between all devices made by Sony. That's how you build family of home electronics, seamless interaction. It's not any different with all the other zillion different memorycard formats, except that Sony happens to support it, I guess that makes it easy to hate it, eh?

ara

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Ok, so you have an XBOX 360 and you don't have a wireless controller, HD-DVD player etc but your friend does - who is getting the 'full experience'?

Are you getting the full experience with your setup and your friend with his wireless pad and hd-dvd is getting the full experience plus something extra?
Just think about it, your friend in this example is getting the full experience offered whilst you are clearly not.

The blogger is correct to present the comparison between the PS3 and a full complete XBOX 360 experience and should be respected for doing this knowing full well that he will get flamed by the blinkered bots. PS3 gamers will be getting these features included as standard so this is the only way to make the comparison as accurate as possible.

'(^_^)'

Zero.Wing

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> " PS3's online basic services will be offered to PS3 users free of charge"
This sounds like an Xbox Live Silver account to me. I wonder what PS3's premium online service will cost?

Also, I'm sure its been said before but I'll say it anyways. Microsoft is not forcing you to pay for all this extra stuff that may not be necessary to your gaming enjoyment. I have no need for a wireless adapter, yet Sony if forcing me to pay for one anyways. Also, I am sure there is a great deal of people that have no desire to jump on the HD-DVD or BlueRay bandwagon. Yet Sony is forcing you to whether you want it or not.

In my opinion Microsft is about choice and making the 360 what you want it to be. Sony is just telling you how its going to be.

AceHazard

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> A lot of people are like "Well I don't want hidef movie playback or wifi."

Yeah, okay. You don't. But I do, and that makes the PS3 cheaper for me. Crecente's point has been obvious ever since the words 'Five Hundred and Ninety Nine Dollars' passed through Kaz Hirai's lips. It is what Sony means when they say the PS3 is cheap for the kind of machine it is. You all think it is expensive because you don't really want that kind of machine.

That's fine by me. There won't be many units available at launch, so feel free to stay home on day zero. If you do decide to get one, get yourself a bat and try not to step on all of the broken piggybank shards.

rateoforange

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> $100 for wifi is the least needed feature for a system ever. I cannot fathom why it's in a price breakdown. Same for $200 hd-dvd adapter.

"But Sony includes it because they care!"

MS gives you the option to get ripped off.

RiskyChris

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I already had lots of NiCad AA batteries and fast charge units lying around so I was going to be damned if I was going to spend the cost of a possible new game on charge cords that my cat will chew on. You are going to have to stop your game either way in order to find your charge cord (or change batteries) and plug in unless you leave it plugged in all the time, in which case why not have a wired gamepad? Why don't you just go ahead and add in the charging base unit which was late and you still have to stop playing to switch batteries?
My moron friend got a wireless linker for his 360 instead of a couple games (moneybag$$$) and his xbox is even in the same room with his router. Now everytime the portable phone rings his xbox live disconnects.
Also, for the 360 you definitely NEED two extra faceplates to change styles, (add $20-$30). I ought to remind you that the PS3 does not have this feature so you should probably add a few bucks to the PS3 cost for occasional case repaints. (or just double the price of the PS3 estimate so that we can account for having to buy the pink and silver units)
MS live service costs about the same or less as several similar online matching products for PC (like Gamespy which also offers a tiered service where basic is free and the premium costs something.. Gamespy service technology was directly licenced by SONY for PS3 since they wisely realized they'd never be able to write the code from scratch themselves in time. (Come on, they still can't beat a bunch of students at coming out with software to encode videos for their PSP.)) XBOX Live provides anti-cheat, voice-chat, downloadable content, and skill based matching, etc, wheras SONY live will consist of 3 or 4 games (which you can already get on 360) and SOCOM and them giving you a LOT of free stuff at first because they literally have to in order to compete. I'm sure they will have a similar tiered system in place which can be called free at the sign-up level. (pro-tip: it will be just like Gamespy, because it is Gamespy!. Just go look at that if you want to see what it will be like.) SONY will likely leverage their music and movie IPs for sale with large selection at launch. Microsoft is just starting in this area so they are giving free video content for now. I'm sure if MS set up a store where people could buy stuff like on iTunes, people would spaz that it wasn't free anymore, even though they don't have to buy anything. At first, there won't be as many players on SONY live service so they will need to have lots of incentives like free matching. I'm sure they will find a way to separate you from your pocketbook somehow. I'm also pretty sure that they will be able to come up with store-bought cards like MS points or WOW membs. The biggest problem I forsee is that PS3 could massively underdeliver on promised performance like PS2 did.

GOLD5

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> defending a product that isnt out isnt any worse then bashing a product that isnt even out yet.

sirpilf

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Everything has been said, and there are tons of good arguments about how much shit costs. But that's not why people are mad.

The fact of the matter is, Sony is out there over promising and under delivering. No one would have cared if they said off the bat that the PS3 wouldn't have WIFI, it wouldn't have HDMI, it wouldn't have a router, it wouldn't have rumble, it wouldn't be in Europe, and almost no launch units elsewhere, etc. But they keep changing what they are saying. The 360 is what it is, and you get what you think you're going to get. Who knows what you're getting with a PS3. All this defending of a product that isn't even out, WTF?

Adam

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> It's "choice" you lousy excuses for informed shoppers. Choice! "Might as well buy Blu-ray movies" is what sells Blu-ray if you have it on your PS3. It's a scam. At least Microsoft gives you the choice whether or not to be taken in by the scam. For that reason, I SAVE money with the 360. With PS3, you don't have a choice. You HAVE to buy into Blu-ray, tilt controllers, and wireless networking...like it or not.

MS gives you very bad choices. $100 for WiFi? $200+ for HD-DVD? Look at my comparison the post above yours. The $500 PS3 is as good, and even better specs wise compared to the premium 360.

and dont call me a fnaboy because I own a 360 too. i just dont like having to buy add-ons.

sirpilf

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> It's "choice" you lousy excuses for informed shoppers. Choice! "Might as well buy Blu-ray movies" is what sells Blu-ray if you have it on your PS3. It's a scam. At least Microsoft gives you the choice whether or not to be taken in by the scam. For that reason, I SAVE money with the 360. With PS3, you don't have a choice. You HAVE to buy into Blu-ray, tilt controllers, and wireless networking...like it or not.

In the end, I'd gladly pay the extra cash for the "fully loaded" Xbox 360 for one reason. I'll never buy all the components you list. Sony adds in this stuff as value added crap to sucker you into buying it and convincing you it's a value and that you are "saving money". I don't know where people got off believing that you save money by spending more money. That's CLASSIC marketing and gullible isn't in the dictionary.

Edge of Blade

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I read some article about PNP. Gaming will be free, but everything else will be charged. DLC, movies, music, everything else is chargeable. And I'll bet you need a credit card.

So what? MS charges for downloadable content, and doesnt offer full movies or music. PNP sounds like it will be just lke xbox live gold but gaming and chatting will be free.

And anyone else tired of saying they dont need the wireless adaptor for 360?

If you dont need WIFI then why are you saying you have to get the $600 Ps3? Ok so it offers memory card readers... you can plug your device in via USB. So now you are gonna tell me you have to have HDMI. Well if you need HDMI WHY ARE YOU KISSING YOUR 360'S ASS? Atleast Sony offers HDMI and Wifi BUILT IN and not some expensive add on like the HD-DVD drive.

$400 Xbox 360
-Wireless Controller
-20 GB HDD
-No Next-Gen Optical Media
-No WIFI
-No HDMI
$50 One Year Xbox Live
$20 Play and Charge Kit

Total: $470 + Tax

$500 PS3
-Wireless Controller
-20 GB HDD
-Blu-ray w/50+ GB discs
-No WIFI
-No HDMI
-Included Charging Cable
-Free online gaming

Total: $500 + Tax

Personally I would rather pay $30 more for a PS3 that has everything 360 has, plus 50 GB blu-ray discs.

But I already own a 360, I plan on getting a PS3 also.

sirpilf

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I read some article about PNP. Gaming will be free, but everything else will be charged. DLC, movies, music, everything else is chargeable. And I'll bet you need a credit card.

Marasai

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "...PS3's online basic services will be offered to PS3 users free of charge."

What the heck is that supposed to mean? Because XBOX Live Sil... oh... two posts up... just saw that... yeah.

Sinnix

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I didn't forget it. Check the list again. ^_^

*sigh* so much failure...

bassbeast

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "PS3's online basic services will be offered to PS3 users free of charge"

I don't like the sound of that. Xbox Live Silver is free, too.

Guess Who

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Super Nes: $20

Extra contoller: $5

BEST DEAL!

No Loading!

ComputrBlue

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> bassbeast,

Don't forget UMD!

electro lemon

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> well you should easily knock off 99$, and that is the wireless adapter. you dont need it, how lazy are we to just use the ethernet cable?

littletad

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> time for me to put in my two cents =P

I believe that honestly Sony is fine with their current strategies. Although like all consumers I am pissed that I have to pay $600 for a damn game system but when you think about the included features it really isnt too much, and although many of them most of you deem "unneeded", I stand to disagree.

A built in 60 Gig HDD is definitely a smart idea. I currently own a 360 and I must say the built-in HDD is a genious idea, but I must complain that 20 Gig really isn't enough. Taking into consideration you can only rip music CD's and not MP3 CD's on the 360, music alone can rack up a bunch of HDD space. On top of that downloading all the new maps, updates, and Demos and ETC uses up 20 Gigs a lot quicker then most would think, at least it did so for me.

I honestly don't see why people are having a huge complain with a built in wireless. Personally although it does cost a bit more, but I think in the end built in wireless will be a very important factor for Sony, especially taking into consideration that it can now provide wireless interaction for the PS3 and the PSP, that's pretty damn neat. Not to mention I think most households nowadays are using Wireless technology, this could also lead to data transfer through laptops and etc for much easier use. I dont know about you guys but my entertainment section of the room is racked up with so much wires from all the cable boxes, computer shit and etc that I would appreciate wireless a lot more =P

As with Blu-Ray, again I love the idea. I am also a hater of getting up to change discs =P. Honestly I don't see how Blu-Ray can fail, like mentioned before the storage capacity is just simply amazing and the potential for greatness is definitely there I believe. If past history has told us anything ,it's that Sony has consistently come up with awesome titles and games. If they continue to do that than I dont think there will be any problem they will have in the long run.

Im actually a MS fan but Sony's PS3 looks really promising, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it'll kick some ass. Sure it's running into some problems right now, but I'm sure it's gonna succeed in the long-run. =D

imaznareyou

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Any savings received by including the Blu-ray drive is largely offset by a 1080p-supporting television.

You can get a 51" 1080i projection screen for under $900. A similar sized 1080p televison is 2-4 times that much.

I consider the Blu-ray drive a big con. Blu-ray just doesn't seem like it will sell better than HD-DVD, no matter if it holds more data. HD-DVD would probably be the winner, but I'm thinking that neither format is going to catch on in this generation of gaming.

And can someone tell me WHY we "need" a wireless network adapter? A wireless connection is an extremely bad choice for online gaming outside of handhelds. It's slower and much less reliable than a wired connection.

What I really dislike is that the price difference between the "core" and "premium" versions of both consoles is $100. It also happens to be at that annoying spot of cost vs features. You know, where it is stupid to buy the cheaper model even though you don't want the extra features?

SuicideNinja

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I find that comparison kind of unfair.

You aren't forced to pay for the HD-dvd player for the 360, so drop 199 dollars right there; where as Sony is forcing you to pay more for Bluray for what??? an installed movie base of about 40 movies…. sweet…

Also, you sure don't NEED a wireless network adapter for the 360. many people have their living quarters wired with cat5 outlets in many rooms. It's a different time now and most households need multiple connections, that are/aren't wifi ready. So we can knock another 99 dollars off.

Now 360 is already 140 dollars cheaper than a ps3.

Plus you need HDMI cables, which aren't cheap, for the ps3…..

Kuebel33

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> The Playstation Network Platform may be free, but there's nothing stopping individual developers from charging for online play on their games and servers.

Radjago

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Xbox 360 Standard: $399.99
Gold Xbox Live Subscription: At least $49.99
Wireless Networking Adapter: $99.99
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99
Two Play and Charge Kits: $19.99 times two.
HD-DVD: $199*
Playstation 3 standard: $599
PS3 Network Platform: Free
Wireless Networking Adapter: Built-in
Blu-ray player: Built-in
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99*
Two charge Kits: $19.99 times two*

Watching fanboys duke it out as if Crecente had just insulted their mothers: priceless.

For everything else in life, there's Nintendo. ;D

ghostgirl

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> All that money and no games. That's not good for business. Good for Best Buy, but not game devs and publishers.

PersonalSpaceInvader

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> cut these out for me. don't want 'em and never will:

Wireless Networking Adapter: $99.99
Two Play and Charge Kits: $19.99 times two.
HD-DVD: $199*

XBOX 360 now = 499.97 compared to PS3 = 688.97. My gaming experience feels pretty complete. Not to mention the console, XBL sub, and wireless controller can be had for less than MSRP, whereas the PS3 can't be had at all for at least the next year or so.

dubbfoolio

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> You don't need Wifi, hell, you don't even want it for gaming unless you like unreliability and comparably bad lag. You don't need a HD optical drive, either. Oblivion proved that.

Sony is forced to sell the PS3 at a gargantuan loss, and even then its overpriced for a mass market audience.

Microsoft owns the disposable income market. Why else would the Xbox 360 account for nearly 30% of Madden 07 sales when the PS2 console userbase is 20 times its size?

killr0y

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> You're trying to compare the ultimate experience for game consoles, yet you throw in the hd-dvd drive, which will be for movies only.

Even with Live and wi-fi (which is not required either), the 360 comes out cheaper.

Sony chose a blu-ray drive for gaming, so they're stuck with it. But there's no reason to burden the 360 with one in your comparison.

Islandkiwi

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> the key thing is that you get the nextgen experience and you can do all of that without the hd dvd player or the wierless adaptor, but unlike sony microsoft gives you that option to build your systems however you'ed like. the only options sony gives you is the option of a $500 system (very high) and a $600 system (high as hell)uh and oh yeah, you've got to buy your hdmi cables seperate to get that true hd experience but then agian thats not even necessary now is it :) i dont care who looks at it or how they look at it the xbox360 will always be the better system and the better deal so face it and go amreican with the xbox360. we finally get a product right and dead on and people and countries still want to knock us. not saying no names (JAPAN)

headblackman

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I think Frappes harware failures and this article highlights the real problem for me here. These "consoles" are way too expensive to be breaking like they do (or may do in the ps3's case).

I dont even consider these next gen platforms "consoles" anymore, they are more like custom built gaming PCs... they are priced like PCs, they use PC-type components, have PC multimedia features and need to be cared for like a PC.

The appeal of a "console" to me was always the simplicity of it compared to a PC... no requirements, no monitor or peripherals to worry about... just a SNES, TV and a game. And they were robust, they weren't delicate like a PC.

Until I'm certain they are reliable I will think of getting one instead of a PC upgrade...

...but as for console gaming, the Wii is soon to be the only one on the market.

Astrofox

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> How many games do you see on a PC that requires more than one DVD? The latest PC's are just as powerful as a PS3 and are HD, yet they still havent gone over the 9gb limit set by DVD so what makes you think that developers are suddenly going to double or triple the size of games just because they can?
And any developer that does go over 10gb is just bloody lazy!

Bubbles

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> How about doing the flipside of this article?

Price for pure gaming experince:

X360
Xbox 360 Standard: $399.99
Gold Xbox Live Subscription: around $49.99
2 games: $120
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99
-------
$620 approx (you can get live, games and controllers for much cheaper.


PS3
Playstation 3 standard: $599
Blu-ray player: Built-in
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99
2 games: 140
---
$790 approx (games will be 70, but u might see a sale, or cheaper controller, but not likly)

Thats the forumla that would satisfy most people who are just looking for gaming (which is what it should be about).

If you are looking for high def movies, then yes, the ps3 looks better, but i would reckon that most GAMERS are looking for a game system mostly, in which case, the 360 appears as better deal

however, like I said earlier, it totally depends on the individual experince of each consumer...

scazza

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I don't care, I'm still calling Bullshit on this post.

I'm not anti-Sony. Until my POS 360 broke for a second time, this was my experience:

Xbox 360: $380 (got it from Overstock.com)

yep, that's it. I already have network to my entertainment center (shouldn't everyone?), and I didn't need Live Gold or a second controller. here's what I would have considered getting though:

Live Sub: $40 (street price)
play & charge: $20

total: $459

Whatever the PS3 costs, it costs. If you want one you'll spend it. There is no way to compare the two, since you WONT be getting the Halo3 or XBL experience via Sony, no matter what you pay. And unless the PS3 totally tanks, you WONT be getting FFXIII, MGS4, Blu-Ray experience via MS, no matter what you pay.

I ebayed my 360 setup, and will be spending the proceeds on the Wii and all their f'ing accessories. I'm gonna go for the "Sony spite bundle" (as someone here called it), and spend too much money to get the whole "Wii experience".

FlapjacksAreTasty

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Another thing to consider is the price of games. While the 360 is sporting games that cost $60, PS3 will be selling its games at $70. By the time the PS3 is released, price drops on 360 games will make them buyable at $40-$50 (or less, if used). What does this mean? Significant savings for 360 users.

CyberGlitch

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]>
All I know is that I had $600 (only), I would get:

Xbox 360 $400
Live Gold 13 months $38 (check froogle)
Microsoft Play & Charge Kit $14.82 @Walmart&Amazon
Ethernet Cable $10
Saint's Row $60
Ghost Recon $50
Test Drive $40

$613

It will look great on my Sony HDTV...

gomifune

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Hmmm, agree with the "fanboy baiting" comment above. I see what Crecente was trying to do here, but there's a bit of an apples-to-oranges thing going on. As many have mentioned, the HD-DVD addon is not standard in the 360, because HD-DVD is not going to be a delivery platform for the 360's *gaming* experience.

If you're going to add the 360's HD-DVD add-on,
you're getting into the territory of "what can A do that B can too, but only with additional expense".

If that's the real comparison, then there will probably have to be an update for this article soon that includes a line-item for "SONY PC-based media streaming solution $XXX", given that it's a pack-in feature with the 360 that SONY did not see fit to include in the PS3 design (at least without an additional purchase).

I guess the point I'm trying to make is best summed up by the cost of purchasing the "full" Wii experience, according to this standard.

Wii...........................................Approx. $200
Standalone Next-Gen DVD Player.........Approx. $600

If you think the analogy's off, then would you say that by this reckoning the 360 would get a $200 price drop if Microsoft had simply ignored next-gen shiny-media and not decided to offer the HD-DVD add-on at all?

dtrain

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "When you inputted disk 2 ONCE, did you cry hysterically and wish that the world was a better place, where we could live in a world of a single disk/cart experince, without having our heart broken?"

I actually did. Ever watched Bram Stoker's Dracula, the "Why have you forsaken me?!?" scene? That was me. Final Fantasy VII went from a great game, to one of utter crap. Upon absolutely refusing to spend the energy of pressing the lid down and re-opening the case (sigh), pulling out a CD, and plopping down the lid, I decided that the interruption was just too much to go on living my hopeless life as Cloud. That's when I decided to buy a Dreamcast.

RiceBandit

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> What I find funny is the fact that the most powerful console has never won a battle in the console war. When you look at that aspect of it, which system would you rather see as more powerful ;).

DeejayKnight

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I always hate lists like this, because they don't reflect much aside from what corporate buzzwords people have bought into.

I don't need wifi for my 360. I don't need the HDDVD player. And who the hell buys two play and charge kits? You only need one for every two controllers.

With the PS3 there are also hidden costs. We know that the PNP will cost something for some services. From what I can understand, it is like Live but in reverse. Where the gaming is free but everythng else costs.

What the list doesn't take into a ccount is the things that PS3 just can't do. Can it use the best damn online network ever? No. Can it stream music and movies from my computer? Nope. Can I play my own custom soundtracks over every game? Will they have as impressive an array of free demos?

See, the PS3 may be better 'value', but only if you actively want what is in it. And if you don't, you have no choice. Your list can't take that into account, nor can it take into account the features that the PS3 will never have. I think most peopeel would rather pay a bit more in some circumstances, if they were sure they were done to their specifications.

Now, what I would like to see is how cheap the PS3 would be without all of the tacked on crap we don't need.

$600 PS3
bluray: -$300
wifi: -$100

Just with those two alone removed you could get the PS3 for abou the price of a Wii. That's what I see.

Marasai

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> £199 = US$371.19 at current exchange rate (£1 = $1.86522). I'd imagine if they sell the US version at $199 and the UK version at £199, there will be a revolt of UK gamers.

Joe Eversole

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Ya'll stupid. Period.

ComputrBlue

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I think that the majority of people who have gone out and bought the xbox 360 so far are probably mainly made up of xbox owners. The biggest reason for this is because the xbox proved to be a great choice as a console, so was the ps2, but xbox live has very clearly defined the experience for xbox owners, and they love that experience, and it's reason enough to a)pay for it on a recurring basis and b) to carry over that great experience on 360. That is the number one reason I've purchased the 360! The experience defines the hardware, not the other way around. Sony has chosen to be goaded into a hardware war that is no longer the point. It's the service that comes with it, games obviously are a big part of that, but the online is clearly become essential, and it needs to be exceptional, I think even the sony fanboys would have to admit that there really has only been praise for the xbox live service. Look at what it's morphed into!
Sony cannot build this in a year. They will not have the experience for the consumer, they may eventually, but not in even 2 years.

So, we can measure actual costs in terms of money, but the reality is I pay for the experience I'm going to get, and the experience I've already enjoyed the first time around, Sony can not lay claim to that, and until they can and do, the 360 is a better value.

rockpig

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Were the Blu-Ray player only being issued for movies, I would be a lot more skeptical than I am. Since the whole game format is designed to be not only high-def, but high capacity, I can see tht they'd want to go to an actual higher-capacity disc format. I'm not even too worried about the price. Steep, but I can afford it and even have the TV to play it on.

What really irks me on the whole PS3 issue (and lately, Sony in general) is how the company has bungled one thing after another and for all intents and purposes seemingly gone out of its way to really piss on consumer expectations. PSP is regularly "updated" (*cough*crippled*cough*), the Playstation went years without Sony admitting to major flaws in the system (the infamous blue disc issue in the earliest models), and frankly almost all of the best games for either system have come out from third parties.

In the midst of all this, Sony has maintained their holier-than-thou atttitude and forced users to embrace poorly executed technologies (even ignoring the recent media formats, how many of you who own one really use the PS2 hard drive outside of FFXI?) with little or no followup to keep them interesting and fresh.

thecactusman17

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> @ Arashi

"It's just as propertiary as VHS, CD, DVD, and everything else that has ever been used."

No, see those are SUCCESSFUL formats. How about:

- BETA
- SuperCD
- MD
- ATRAC
- UMD
- DVD MMCD (the alternative before the Toshiba SD DVD format was eventually agreed upon, and is the standard today)
- Memory Stick

See a pattern here? Sony has *never* created a format that was successful, even if on paper it was a higher-quality format. Beta looks infinitely better than VHS, but was prohibitively expensive. It's a well-known fact that Sony will make or break with BD. The question is do you want to help them or not.

Certainly the consumer is the biggest loser in all this.

bassbeast

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> My HDTV is HDCP enabled and a Sony (XBR series)but it doesn't have an HDMI connection only the origianl DVI style. It does 1080p also.

Does this mean I am stuck converting the plug or that I have a useless HDCP port?

Edi

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Ugh HDMI and HDCP.

I have an older HDCP Sony XBR TV (old HDTV ha!) that only has the DVI style connector for HDCP. How does this affect things?

Edi

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> The PS3 leaves it in the hands of the game developers to implement their own online play. I have a STRONG feeling that most of them will skimp on the PS3's online element because..why bother putting money into servers etc when you have a perfectly fine network like Xbox Live setup for another platform? With that in mind, the Xbox 360 is a MUCH greater (Gaming) value.

I personally think that Sony has sunk themselves with no dedicated online. This is going to KILL them when it comes to getting Madden gamers back over to their console. On top of that the fact that alot of people have HDTV's, but no HDMI port (Just a standard, non HDCP DVI port) and you've got a system with a greatly depreciated value to it.

That having been said..they better have enough stock to get me one by Christmas...or else

SamuraiXmas

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> from wired.com

http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1549232

also, from sony themselves

"Video output in HD requires cables and an HD-compatible display, both sold separately. Copy-protected Blu-ray video discs can only output at 1080p using an HDMI cable connected to a device that is compatible with the HDCP standard. HDMI cable not included. Additional equipment may be required to use the HDMI connector."

Anyone else wanna tell me the $500 ps3 will do 1080p?

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> there are devices (such as some older projectors) that can display 1080p w/o hdmi, but you need an unencrypted 1080p signal.

It's been my understanding for some time now that 1080p will not be available on the ps3 or anything else w/o hdcp encryption which is only available on hdmi ports.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> in the case of blu ray players you WILL need hdmi to get 1080p. everything else (1080i, 720p) will work fine over component. The HDCP endocing only available w/ hdmi is necessary for the 1080p content as per the content providers.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Wow. I think I wrote an article just about this post on my website: http://folonline.net/cgi/wp/?p=32

This is fanboyism at its worst. These breakdowns are arbitary and can be used to show how the Xbox360 or the PS3 is more expensive.

The bottom line though is that you can enter the next gen and enjoy virtually all the same games by buying the 360 at its lower price point. I think thats what most people want. To be able to pay the least amount to play the latest games.

folonline

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I still don't get the crying about not including an hdmi cable. I'm only going to say this once, "You don't need an hdmi cable to watch 1080p content!" That's the last time I'm going to say this. A combonent cable works just fine.

Also, the ps3 will recharge the controllers via usb cables. You do not need plug and charge kits.

I own an xbox 360. I bought each and every single one of the items for the xbox 360 mentioned inthis article. To get the same hardware from Sony will cost less. I think that's the only point Brian was making.

PS. I plan to buy the PS3 also....

Eyerox

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Good call Munkey... on both. ;)

Brian Crecente

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> What a joke this article is.... I know about 30 friends who have a 360 and I think ONE of them use the wireless add on.. (oh yea, they are using the one from his original Xbox.. something he payed for years ago but why mention that huh)

So the bottom line is this.. for 90%+ Gamers.. this Xmas walking into a store this is what you NEED to play GAMES...(Using the highest Price package for both)

PS3 Sytstem $600
One Game $60 (Guess but fair)
Free Online

Total $660.00

Xbox360 $400.00
One Game $60
Free Slver Account with Gold upgrade for a month

Total $460.00

This is all you NEED to play games on any TV in the house.... we this is a gaming website.. neither HD DVD or Blue Ray do much for any of us ... GAMERS are interested in what gets them GAMING.....

U2MOFO

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Next do an Australian comparison. You think the 1USD = 1EUR was dodgy, wait till you see our pricing. Convert their whacked Euro to the Aussie dollar and then add an extra hundred bucks or so just because the average Sony player doesn't know what the Internet is.

Peveus

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> When you inputted disk 2 ONCE, did you cry hysterically and wish that the world was a better place, where we could live in a world of a single disk/cart experince, without having our heart broken?

Seriously... there are so few, again... we are no where near needing blue ray. HOWEVER, as a videoformat, I am not hating it... but for the simple fact its killing the PS3, is alone reason enough to drop it.

scazza

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Star Ocean: Til The End of Time was 2 DVDs

Cydewinder

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> All I have to say is that at this point in time, Blu-ray and HD DVD are not necessary. Great games can still come out on DVD and if necessary they can be spread across multiple discs. Final Fantasy VII took multiple discs and was one of the greatest titles in gaming.

Fuse

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Cydewinder:
Sure, would have been nice if it was POSSIBLE to remove the xbox1 harddrive, plug it into the 360 and xfer easily. The PS2 had shitbox memory cards, which only 1 redeeming factor was that it was outside. I am sure sony could have spent 30c and added a memcard port where all those bloody SD/MMC/etc card ports too, or they can charge you 20+ dollars for it. So faulting the 360 because its original, and amazing xbox1 harddrive cant be removed is completly idiotic. Again, sony is in the fault here.


To those who are saying DVD is dead for games and comparing it to CD is completly uninformed on the history of the formats. Before DVD, most PS1 games were on 2 or more disks (up to 5 in cases)... where as we havn't even reached TWO DVDs in this format, so who says we "need" a new format? Jesus.... one word: OBLIVION.. period.

scazza

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "HDD was the only significant techical advantage that Xbox had over Gamecube and PS2."

not true. the xbox had a better processor and more ram than either of the other two consoles. Combined w/ the hard drive, it was capable of a bit more than the other two could have ever hoped to attain.

"And I just love how many of you scream how Blu-ray is evil Sony propertiary media format... It's just as propertiary as VHS, CD, DVD, and everything else that has ever been used."

I for one am not screaming about the evils of blu ray. It's got potential. However, in it's current state, it's flawed at best. The read speed is much slower than that of a regular dvd, which is fine if you want to watch movies on your blu ray player, but I doubt it will be ideal for gaming. Also, if you only use it for movie playback, it's got it's flaws there too. They use MPEG2 as the video coded. This is the same codec used since regular dvd's were invented. It's out dated. You lose audio and video quality with mpeg2, where as other codecs provide a better quality in a smaller filesize. This is nothing that couldn't be fixed, however, at the moment, I count that as a flaw. As a gaming disc, and as a movie disc, blu ray has potential, but it currently is not living up to it.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I tried reading everything but couldn't. In the end, the comparison isn't accurate but at least you made an effort to say as much.

Why throw online prices in it at all when what the PS3 is offering will boil down to what is already had on the PS2. Charges will occur. It many not be from Sony, but individual developers will set a price I'm sure to game online.

The HD-DVD shouldn't be added simply because it's for movies. To suggest an 'HD' experience requires either blu ray or HD-DVD is wrong. That's from a movie standpoint and not a gamine one.

Truth be told though, I'll save the comparisons until after November when we know more about the PS3 and how effective its offerings are because in the end...I wouldn't pay $10 for something if it didn't give me the experience I wanted.

DeaconBlade

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> First of all, don't let all these bitchers get to you Crecente, they must be in shock to read something about Sony that doesn't scream for murder.

Secondly, yeah, you don't need all that stuff to play games on Xbox360, but if you look at it, at storage medium PS3 has quite an edge here. Microsoft abandoned their HDD support from original Xbox and Sony picked that up, packed with 3x more spacey optical discs. HDD was the only significant techical advantage that Xbox had over Gamecube and PS2.

And I just love how many of you scream how Blu-ray is evil Sony propertiary media format... It's just as propertiary as VHS, CD, DVD, and everything else that has ever been used.

ara

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I use my PS2 as my DVD player, so when the PS3 is out I will definitely be watching HD movies on it via Blu-Ray. Funny how now all the Microsoft fans are saying "I thought this was about gaming" when they're clearly being outpriced by Sony. Now we all just have to hope that the PS3 is half as loud as the 360 and it will easily be PS3 FTW!

(Either way, it's Wii for me until there's a PS3 price drop or I get one from a poor college student via Craigslist...)

funkonaut

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> While I don't believe Sony's price is a good deal, I do believe a lot of what they are trying to say gets lost in the BS of Sony's execs. Whereas Microsoft is keeping the same formula and Nintendo is trying to break the forumula, Sony is trying to strike a chord between the two. Can most of you even comprehend how much game information can be stored on a Blu-Ray disc? As I recall a BD-ROM is about 50gigs (I could be wrong, it might have been less); Sony is going for 'gameplay immersion'. With storage and tech like that you will be able to create the most believable (I said believable, not realistic) experiences available. Just look at it this way: Microsoft is going for the community angle, Nintendo for the new and fun, and Sony for the immersive. Oh it is going to be an interesting generation. :)

DonKami

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "How about PS3 needing adaptor for memory cards?"

How about not even being able to play your Xbox saves on a 360? Atleast Sony is giving you that option.

Cydewinder

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> There is always a point where it becomes infeasible to spread a game over several discs - when the basic game content requires too much space on each disc.

For example, someone mentioned GTA3 as an example. Each and every cd has to contain all game logic, menus, car models & textures, pedestrian models & textures, radio stations, sound. This in addition to all specific data for every city district. There is a point where there's so little space left on each disc when you need to use another media with greater capacity.

park

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> The concurrent release of a lower priced console along with a large number of accessories is a much more virulent business model on Microsoft's part. It is a win for consumers, allowing them to invest money in their technology (over time) in incremental expenditures, and increases Microsoft's ability recoup the loss of launching the console; there is more profit in accessories. The PLAYSTATION 3's Achilles heel may end up being a failure to meet their expected software attachment rate. The Xbox 360 has already put up some impressive numbers (4.6 / 2.9 games/accessories per console) and it will be interesting to see if consumers are will to match those numbers after shelling out $600+ for the Sony.

Devin

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Wow that's a really really high price for both. Ironically it's the 360 that costs more overall in the comparative there. Oh well. Guess I'll be buying a Wii after all as price is a big factor for me this year.

Mr Butterscotch

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Way too many posts for me to read them all but in the first few I did notice some people trying to tear a new one for Crecente. I think what you should have done was just say here is what the PS3 is offering with the the $600 PS3 package

$600 PS3
- Next gen gaming
- Wireless network adapter
- Free online
- HD Movie player

Now in order to get that with the 360 you need

$399 Premium 360
$49.99 (recuring) Live Account
$99.99 Wireless adapter
$199 HD-DVD player.
-------
$748.97 Total

That may have been a better way to present the argument then to try to specify what the "experience" for each should be. It sill shows the PS3 MAY be a better deal but does't try to say you need all that to have the full 360 experience.

I for one have a 360 and don't plan on buying a PS3 anytime soon and I have no problem paying for Xbox Live because it is a proven service and I feel I get my money's worth. I know that the PS3 online service is going to be free but we still don't know if it will be a very good experience.

So anyway...I think it was good to make this post but as with all things in life presentation can be the key. ;) Also this post got all those 360 fanboys' panties in knots because they thought Kotaku was the PS3 hater zone with all the recent negative posts. :D

Munkey_Funk

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> WOW! the whole point of releasing the HD-DVD drive separately is that you don't have to buy it. you only buy it if you want it; it's not a necessary part of the '360 experience'. and the wireless networking adapter-- not necessary for very many people. so you added $300 of equipment that MOST people won't buy, and is ENTIRELY unnecessary for the full experience. come on, man

Nick Kostalas

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> What? I have a 2nd controller that I haven't touched since I picke dup my 360 two months ago. And landline/Ethernet is just fine, thanks. This is a ridiculous article.

GilloD

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I would have left the HD-DVD out of the comparison, since it does absolutly nothing in the way of gaming experience. Every other piece you could argue adds to gaming, but the drive does not. Just because the PS3 has an HD drive, doesn't mean it is needed, or even necesary. This leaves the overall price fairly even.

Fuzz

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> @ aphexacid
The first model of the Playstation in the US and the the first two in Japan had RCA output.

Personally, I don't mind Disc swapping. Remember Final Fantasy VII-IX? The only advantage Sony has is if they implement an install system like on a PC

Lennin

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "Also, there are those of us that live in a house rather than a room, and for us, we do not always have our computer in the same room as our gaming tv..."

Yes, there are some of us who live in a house, not a room. We have economic considerations that make us balk at paying a wad of cash for a wireless adapter we don't need for a console that won't be mobile when we've got perfectly good cat5 and attic space to run it through which will run at 10x average wireless speeds without reception issues. Makes us balk even more when its unavoidably built and priced into what we're buying.

Oh, that wasn't your point of view. I see. So in fact, you mean "some of us have wads of cash to throw around, and we don't mind paying for PS3 and unnecessary hardware". I'd have thought that was a given.

red

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> there are alot of factors to add in though, for instance your comparison compares the 20gig 360 vs the 60gig PS3. There is absolutely, 100% no doubt that if you want 60gig HD, WiFi, card readers, and next gen DvD then the PS3 is much better value for money, but if you dont want those things, then obviously the 360 is better as you can pick and choose what to have rather than having one bundle.

Bard to the Bone

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Why include two plug and play charge kits for the 360 and PS3? Surely you'd only ever need to have one controller on charge at any time?

Also, why would you really go wireless if you could avoid it when cables are twice as wide bandwidth-wise?

Walshicus

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> To address some points made here:

'Personally, when I am playing a game, I don't want to walk across the room to put in disk 2 or disk 3. I was glad when we moved from CDs because of that.'

Yet the problem is'nt the format. CD's are used instead of cartridges mostly because they are cheaper to manufacture. One might argue that having a console harddrive for actual installs of games - like on a PC - might be worthwhile, for those so inclined. Blu-ray is a way for Sony to push a proprietary format, mostly so they can cram in some advanced copy protection.

'I do not like the high failure rate of the 360 and having to pay for online play. '

I can't address the failure rate, however, paying for online play should ensure that, 4 years down the road, you are guaranteed support. Many PC games withdraw multiplayer lobby support after interest has died down or the title has been removed from store shelves. If the PS3 leaves lobby control to the vendors, what forces them to keep running a connection service for your favorite game after it is no longer in vogue?

The Commissar

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Id have to point out that the wireless adaptor and the HD DVD addon are both very unnecessary. I would imagine most Xbox owners will NOT buy the HD DVD addon. Anyone who would know what HD DVD is would probably steer away from buying one anytime soon. Format wars aren't fun.

As for the wireless adaptor - I really dont think thats necessary. We just string an ethernet cord when we want to hook up the 360. Its really hard to justify 100 bucks just so you dont have to plug it into the wall. However - 10 bucks extra for wireless controllers is quite the deal.

Now if youre trying to compare how much it costs for the same thing from both sony and microsoft - this is a valid point. Sony has the whole scheme priced cheaper than Microsoft. When you look at the components to the console, though, they probably should be the same price. So maybe on top of this you should point out the difference in how much MS is losing per console compared to Sony.

From a business standpoint it looks like Microsoft took the smart route in giving consumers choices. Not everyone wants to play online, or wireless connectivity, or a hard drive, or a new disc player. However, Sony forces this bundle on to you, and they pay for it (literally).

darkened-flame

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> "but that still a ton of cash whether you shell it out over a year or all in one go."

Yes, but it's not a fair comparison. 600-700 all at once is a lot harder to swing than 600-700 over a 1-2 year span.

KaneRobot

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> hezz,

I do agree that disc swapping would break up gameplay, however, I don't think the blu ray discs are necessary.... there's cheaper ways to achieve the same effect. If data compression doesn't do it for you, then they could also put the game on a dvd, and allow the publisher to provide additional content for download to the hard drive. Or, they could even go w/ a Desktopesque system where they allow you to install games to the hard drive. Instead, they've forced blu ray on us because they want the format to succeed.... however, in the process they've shot off not only their foot, but the whole damned leg.... the production errors are very directly to blame for the delayed launch in europe, and the fact that they're launching w/ 500,000 units rather than the two mil they were rambling about not even two weeks ago.

All in all they're charging more for what is an unnecessary component for a next gen console. There are ways to put large ammounts of data in a game that don't involve unproven slow loading optical formats. The only thing blu ray is adding to the consumer's experience w/ the ps3 is cost. It's self serving on sony's part, and in the end it's going to bite them in the ass.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Crecente did forget a few things.

You do not need charge kits for the PS3, you just use a USB to mini-USB cable to connect the controller to the console and change the built in batter. The USB to mini-USB cable must be included with controller, or you would not be able to charge the controller at all :). That removes an additional $40 from the cost of the PS3 as shown here.

Also, I really think you should be comparing the 20GB version of the PS3 to the X-Box 360 standard since they have more comparable features. They both lack WiFi, HDMI ports and come with 20GB hard drives. Of course, you still get the Blu-Ray drive and movie playback on the 20GB PS3 while you do not on the X-Box 360 Standard. Plus, you get a motion sensing controller on the PS3 but of course you lose the rumble…

VegiBo

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Oh, and who needs play and charge kits? Just get some rechargable (or some very cheap alkaline) AA batteries and use those. No need to pay the MSFT tax on play and charge kits, battery chargers, etc. The AA batteries work just fine.

If you're going to get a play and charge kit you might as well just get a wired controller. This goes for the ps3, too, assuming it takes AA batteries and not something proprietary.

gleam

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I don't think Sony will be needing a charge and play thing considering that all you need to do is plug the controllers into the provided USB ports.

Quatre

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> i wonder how these new bluray drives are hardcore-player-proof. Sony always have problem with optical drives in their console.

kejtu

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I think its also worth nothing bundled games. Like the 360 launch, most stores forced bundles on you if you bought it on launch. Im sure the same will happen to PS3. Just a thought.

^Ands its highly likely sony will have some sort of proprietary video cable for HDMI. Theyve yet to have a console that didnt. It may even be the same connector theyve been using till now.

Also, since you got a basic figure up there for the same "quality" gaming experience, it would also be interesting to see which console provides the "cheapest" gaming experience, ie. minimal purchases necessary to play.

Altima NEO

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Dont forget to keep an eye on what MS has in store for the 360 in November. If u include the free game and amy other promotions they offer, the 360 will most likely still come out looking cheaper.

Justcrim

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> To me, the whole point is that neither system is cheap. At this point, talk of speed on the PS3 and game prices are all speculative. If the games are much more expensive on the PS3, that factor will probably lead me to stay away. On the other hand, I do not like the high failure rate of the 360 and having to pay for online play. Personally, when I am playing a game, I don't want to walk across the room to put in disk 2 or disk 3. I was glad when we moved from CDs because of that. There is no question that there is the potential for some games to use more than the space provided on a single DVD, given that there are disks that are maxed out on the current gen systems. Also, there are those of us that live in a house rather than a room, and for us, we do not always have our computer in the same room as our gaming tv, so built-in wireless is a good feature.

In any case, I think that it is dishonest to claim at this point that the 360 will offer the better price value over the PS3, when they are already basically even on price. I am keeping out of this battle for at least another year, to see whether either system has must have titles at that point.

kingofallcosmos

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> @ What The Geek.

Alright, GTA3 would have been possible on multiple discs. It would have been quite easy probably, given that it's devided in 3 parts anyway. But what about GTA's best iteration without any major gameplay loadtimes, GTA: San Andreas?

The whole streaming trend in general is something against disturbing the game-flow, which disc-swapping does considerably. Except for Parallel Lines, which just seems to like locking-up.

hezz

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> What makes you guys think they wont have a proprietary HDMI output on the ps3? force you to but one specifically made for it, that fits only the ps3 made by sony. then maybe later on, pelican or whatever will make cheaper ones.

Historically, thats how its done. i can think of only 2 consoles that let you plug in an old cables....the 3DO and the Neo Geo CD.

aphexacid

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Crecente did forget a few things.

You do not need charge kits for the PS3, you just use a USB to mini-USB cable to connect the controller to the console and change the built in batter. The USB to mini-USB cable must be included with controller, or you would not be able to charge the controller at all :). That removes an additional $40 from the cost of the PS3 as shown here.

Also, I really think you should be comparing the 20GB version of the PS3 to the X-Box 360 standard since they have more comparable features. They both lack WiFi, HDMI ports and come with 20GB hard drives. Of course, you still get the Blu-Ray drive and movie playback on the 20GB PS3 while you do not on the X-Box 360 Standard. Plus, you get a motion sensing controller on the PS3 but of course you lose the rumble…

So, to due a more apple to apples comparison would be as follows:

Xbox 360 Standard (20GB): $399.99
Gold Xbox Live Subscription: At least $49.99 (Likely more.)
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99
Two Play and Charge Kits: $19.99 times two.
HD-DVD: $199*
Total: $739.95
Playstation 3 20GB: $499
PS3 Network Platform: Free
Blu-ray player: Built-in
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99*
Two charge Kits: Built-in
Total: $548.99

Even if you remove the HD-DVD drive from the X-Box 360 (which cannot be used for games, only movies) the X-Box 360 Standard (20GB) would be $540.95 compared to $548.99 for the 20GB PS3. So really, you are only paying $8 more for the PS3 20GB and you get a Blu-Ray drive, Blu-Ray movie playback and a motion sensing controller.

However, at the end of the day to me the value of the console is the games that can be played on it. So really, the true value of each console is unknown for now.

VegiBo

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Where's the games breakdown? Isn't that what matters?

Vabor

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Ok, I see what you mean. Your going by what Microsoft believes what the gaming experience should be, and what Sony believes. MS is saying the Wireless Networking Adapter, and HD-DVD are optional and isn't necessary for the best gaming experience. While Sony is saying you "need" those for the best experience. I personally don't need the adapter, but I kind of want the HD DVD add on when I get a HD TV. Xbox live Gold you can get for $35 "right now", and no one knows what Sony is offering in there "free" online service. Doing these comparisons is so difficult becuase it is about "us" the consumer and what we need in are gaming console. Microsft made the right move and made the stuff optional. I can't wait untill you compare the Wii with the 360 and the PS3. The Wii is going to look sooo weak and it shows in the price. Remember, once you play a game on the ps3 and the 360 its going to be hard to play a game of lesser quality on the Wii!

FamousAchilles

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I would like to add one thing to what Brian has said. Xbox Live is $49.99 per person.
So if you have a wife and two kids that all want to play and keep their own save games you're looking at $50x4=$200 for Xbox Live.

In my house there are 4 gamers. We can't afford $200 for Live so instead we go with Silver which sucks. No online play and even some downloads are restricted. I have emailed MS a few times about creating a "Family Live" package, but they refuse to respond.

If Sony and Nintendo offer a great online services for free then that's where my money will be. The MS service is like a bastardized MMO sceme where not only do you pay the monthly fee, but you pay for the new content as well.

Robotron

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> do you have the book 'Annoying fanboys' by J. R. Crecente?

Gaz

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> there have been rumors of hiked up game prices for the ps3.... granted, they're just rumors right now, but I wouldn't be suprised to see a six hundred dollar console that had eighty dollar games either.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I'm very curious to see how Sony's pricing on games will turn out. blank blu-Ray media will be hideously expensive (figures of $60-$80 per-disc have been mentioned) and while Sony won't be paying anywhere near that the blanks won't be a negligible cost as they were last gen.

Cell9song

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Let me fix the comparison for you:

Xbox 360 Standard: $399.99
Gold Xbox Live Subscription: $49.99
Wireless Networking Adapter: $99.99 (Don't really need this as a full experience feature, but I'll leave it in to entertain you, Crecente!)
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99
Play and Charge Kit: $19.99 (Unless you are CONSTANTLY playing with 2 people, you don't need two. Even then, you can just play with one person plugged in, and when the other is about to fail, switch it to the other controller! LOGIC, sir!)
Battery Pack: $11.99 (For that second controller)
HD-DVD: $0 (There is absolutely NO NEED for this, whatsoever! HD-DVD has NOTHING to do with the ultimate gaming experience, and guess what, consoles are about GAMING, sir. You shouldn't factor this in.)
Total: $631.94

Playstation 3 standard: $599
PS3 Network Platform: $49.99 (Honestly, you think online multiplay will be completely free? Dream on! SOMEONE, be it Sony or a publisher, will start charging, and it will become standard to charge for PS3 multiplayer.)
Wireless Networking Adapter: Built-in
Second Wireless Controller: $49.99*
Charge Kit: $19.99* (Same thing with the recharging I stated in the 360 comparison.)
Battery Pack: $11.99*
Total: $730.96

Factor in the likely higher cost for PS3 games, not to mention the lack of PS3 games, not knowing what will come in the Sony package (headset, remote, etc), and the fact Sony's online is going to fail, the Xbox 360 is not only $99.02 cheaper, but a much better experience!

AnonXbot

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> I just don't see that Blue-Ray will fail. Sony is aiming for 3 target markets:

1) Videogamers
2) Movie junkies
3) PC users

Let's say if BR fails in movie market segment (people not impressed with quality, too expensive etc.), at least Sony has 2 other "backup" markets to keep BR survived. The fact that every PS3 game uses BR means that BR production will increase as long as the games are selling well. And what happens when manufacturing increases? Economy of scale.

When that happens, BR price will decrease quicker and on faster rate than anything you can imagine. Unlike HDTV or LCD that take 5-6 years to slowly drop their prices, BR price can drop within a year, a two or even less if Sony produces more PS3 games.

Plus, the history shows that games progressively gets bigger overtime. When SNES was around, 16 or 32MB was considered huge for a game. When PS2 came out, most of the launch games were still in CDs. But guess what? Now games can barely fit into 8.9GB DVD even in PS2 platform. BR might seems unnecessary for now, but it will be useful in the future when games becomes 10GBs or more. Who knows what use it might be, but I bet developers appreciate the extra space to put more content in. This part is what I think might be the major weakness of 360. Even if a game is released dual-platform, PS3 will have the advantage of extra contents, extra levels, more behind-the-scene footages etc.

And about the PC market. Wow, imagine if you're an avid bittorent user. The fact that you only need to burn ONE 50GB BR disc instead of 12 DVDs to backup your goodies is a pretty good enticement for a consumer. Sure it costs 20 bucks a disc right now, but so was DVD when it first came out. I can see BR being used as backup media to subtitute DVD in the future. Sure, harddrive is cheaper right now, but it's not as versatile as BR or DVDs and it has a high failure rates. I've had a number of recent experience when my harddrives just died for no reason and lost all the data in it (a number of times). I'm honestly more scared putting my data on a harddrive compared to putting it into BR or DVD.

People might hate beign suffed with BR on their mouth, but strategically-wise, Sony is playing smart. What it's doing is accelerating the saturation of the market. Instead of waiting 6-10 years before BR becomes noticably cheap, it can do it within 1-2 years down the road.

The only possible scenario of BR failing is IF PS3 doesn't have any good games to sell. Sony should learn from its experience with PSP that UMD would have survived if the system has more good games, because every PSP games uses UMD format and the more they sell, the more UMD will be produced.

HobbaHobba

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Hezz is right. These discs are obviously going to be filled near the end of the PS3s lifespan. What Sony is doing is making an expensive, but future proof system. We'll see whose being flamed when Halo 5 comes out on eighteen discs.

max_lawlor

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Well, if the thrust of the argument was: "Hey hardware manufacturers - stop throwing every gee-whiz gizmo and 'innovation' into the box 'just because you can'. Blu-Ray? Wireless? DVD? Unnecessary frills." - I would have to second it.

All of this helps contribute to the price - and the way it's going, I'll stick with a home-built PC and wait till the next-gen console is on sale at the local pawn shop, thanks.

How about, instead, getting a better deal with a different chip maker to reduce the cost of core components while increasing speed? Implement a private network torrent style system to deliver content updates? There are endless opportunites to innovate that do not involve the 'throw everything in AND the kitchen sink' approach.


The Commissar

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Aight friends. I'll retract my comment on the HDMI cable.

Dragonspear, tagging this post as "idiotic" isn't the best choice of vocabulary. It's speculation and should be welcomed that way.

The fact is that DVD is not dead, and for that reason alone, I prefer to stick with 360 over PS3. I'm not forced to purchase a more expensive system that utilizes extra built-in accessories. I can choose to purchase or not purchase those with my Xbox. That cuts down the price respectively.

Second to that, I really enjoy the LIVE community experience and the overall interface. I'm not impressed with PS3's online plans until I see them in motion.

BRASH

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> You only need one play and charge kit really. Then, a single battery for each additional controller. With that said you end up with the same equipment on both sides of the fence. But...I don't know if the PS3 wireless controller will have the battery built in or if it can be replaced like the 360 pad. I would theorize that it will be removable because rechargable batteries loose their longevity over time.

Anyway, I agree that you can't forget the HDMI cable for the PS3....if you want a "fully loaded" system. Additionally, it has been reported that most PS3 games are only going to support 720p initially so HDMI would only be useful for BR playback.

SAKY

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Interesting comparison. But don't you mean put it through the
wringer (as in wring the water out of wet clothes) rather than the
ringer (as in the ringing part of a phone)?

TheEidolon

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> yes... because you couldn't have stretched gta over two or three cd's.....

blu ray is not ready for prime time. sony is still STILL having problems making the drives... and as I've stated, the read speed for a blu ray disc is much slower than that of a dvd, resulting in slow and abundant load times most likely. Disc size alone is not enough to merit the format. There's other ways to get a lot of data in a game.... maybe we'll see multi dvd games, maybe we'll see better compression techniques..... I think it's a little too soon to call blu ray a gaming inovation of any sort.

What The Geek

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> An important point missed is that Xbox Live is $49.99 for one person. If you have a spouse or kids then tack on another $49.99 for every person that wants to access Live. This is a scam that I have contacted MS about asking them to release a "Family Live" package. They refuse to respond.

If companies like Sony and Nintendo offer good online services for free then that's where I'll be. My 360 doesn't get used much anyway.

Robotron

]]> <![CDATA[Price Check: Xbox 360 Vs. PS3]]> Guys, leave him alone.
Its an estimate.
And a BLOG, not a news site.

Besides, I think he did a pretty good job with this. But I'm still happy with the 360 bundle, considering the HDDVD drive could be lower priced, and that there's no chance that the PS3 accessories will be the same as the 360's, since Sony will have to charge more to recoup their losses.

electrolemon

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