When the Microsoft Xbox 360 was released with two different versions, the tactic was debated endlessly regarding the merits of offering consumers a lower-priced bundle with fewer features. Staring a $400 price point in the face probably prompted Microsoft to offer a lower cost package to point to when the Xbox 360's price was inevitably criticized.
The Playstation 3 will probably blow those arguments out of the water in terms of scale as two versions launch, one console at a price point of $500, the other at a price point of $600. Most of the early adopters of the Xbox 360 opted for the premium bundle and expectations are that the Playstation 3 crowd will be no different.
The two bundles each feature the infamous Blu-ray drive, a Bluetooth-enabled controller and an HDMI port for high definition output from the console. Similarities end there as the basic bundle includes a 20 GB hard drive to that package and calls it a day. Sony has priced that next-generation package at $500, a steep price to get a foot in the door of Sony's Playstation 3 vision.
Naturally, higher cost comes with more bells and whistles. In the $600 premium bundle, all of the basic bundle's features are included but the hard drive is bumped up to 60 GB, Wi-Fi is built in to the console and an on-board flash card reader is included. While the basic model's hard drive can always be upgraded and a flash card reader can be added later with an adaptor, those upgrades will likely come at a cost higher than the $100 difference between the models.
One point of debate has been Sony's reluctance to include HDMI cables with either bundle, more or less requiring the consumer to purchase the cable to experience the high-definition gaming so central to Sony's marketing strategy for the Playstation 3.
Composite cables can also produce a solid picture, so that might take some of the sting out of the announcement, but the move is still a disconnect from the marketing message describing the ultimate, high-end gaming experience. Sony's specific Playstation 3-branded HDMI cable will retail for $50, but other HDMI cables can be had for less.
To round out the accessory costs of the Playstation 3, the console's special SIXAXIS controller, complete with motion-sensing ability, will retail for $50. A remote specially made for the Playstation 3's Blu-ray player will retail for $30 and perhaps the most important accessory of all, games, will see a $60 price point for Sony first-party games.
Sony has truly entered a new realm for high cost and it will be up to the Playstation 3 to make consumers and critics alike focus less on the money involved and more on the high-end gaming experience that Sony is trying to achieve. Time will tell whether Sony will emerge the victor.
Nick Crane is a successful Webmaster and publisher of CoolGamesZone.com Visit his site at http://www.coolgameszone.com to find out reasons for buying the PS3. |
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