PS3 Price A Liability? - 28.5.06

With the final prices or at least close to them on the table for all three next-gen systems, there’s a lot of speculation about whether Sony’s PlayStation 3 can possibly compete against the other two rivals.

The PS3 will come in with the hefty price tag of about $600 for the 60 gig version. The Xbox 360 prices out at about $500 for a console above the basic one and it looks as if the Wii will come in the cheapest at under $250.

GameSHOUT recently did a poll of its readers to find out if they thought the PS3 was too expensive. It seems about 64 percent did and 36 percent didn’t. This isn’t all that surprising.

The PS3 isn’t necessarily going to be a kid’s toy though. This machine is designed to be a full entertainment system, and by the looks of it, Sony’s going to capitalize on this. It wants to not necessarily impress young gamers, but the more “sophisticated” adults instead. While the move might leave the kiddy market open for the Wii, and no amount of gadgetry will pry an Xbox out of a Halo fan’s hands, the PS3 will appeal to those who want to get some serious bang for their bucks. And by all reports, that’s just what buyers will get.

The PS3 will not only be able to play some graphics heavy next-gen games, it will also offer Blu-Ray technology, its own version of Live play and more. Frankly, when the system’s looked at in its entirety, it pretty much will do everything but the dishes. Sony’s set it up to be an “entertainment supercomputer,” and if the options are all considered, it’s actually kind of a deal.

The price on the PS3 might make it hard for some to attain, but those who might be tempted to count the console out because of it, should just wait and see. If Sony gets out of the gate at launch with a console that works and is actually in stores, it’s my guess it will have no trouble taking one large chunk out of the next-gen market. The launch titles might hurt Sony, but not for long is my prediction.

Related:
Wii Price, Ship Date Narrowed Down
PS3 Release Date, Price Firmed Up
PS3 Launch Titles In Question

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