i hope there is a 360 price drop simply because its the only one i don't have at this point. however i would probably wait for a 60 gig version if it is announced because 20 is small and there's no way im paying retail for one of their stupid hdds seperate. i have the other 2 so getting a 360 is the inevitable (i try to always go with all consoles eventually it's just a matter of the order lol)

demonknightinuyasha

@Leepox: "lol at the person who said wireless is overrated. What do you mean overrated?"

If you've lived in an apartment complex with enough wireless networks to cover all the allotted channels, broadcasting so close together that your wireless laptop can't find the wireless router it is sitting next to you would understand that wireless is overrated... for NETWORKING. All those other things you listed have a wide enough spectrum to broadcast on that is doesn't matter. Wireless networking has a measly 11 channels.

I would much rather game, surf, and download over a reliable wired connection than a wireless one any day.

MantisDragon

@Azures:

How is the gap getting closed in America?? ps3 has only surpassed 360 sales a couple of months at most in two years. Let alone 360 had a one year head start they would need to be selling alot more consoles each month to close that gap.

YourAnthony

actually, the Wii turns out to cost quite a bit more than they let on. To take full advantage of the party console, you pretty much need to get all 4 controllers so everyone can play WiiSports (and all the other party games).

So you're looking at $250 + 3x$40 (3 wiimotes) + 3x$20 (3 nunchakus), so it ends up being closer to $430.

With the 360, I only needed a single extra controller, so the 360 cost $399 + $40 = $430.

As for wireless, I got a wireless-g bridge for $40, and there are ways to convert a wireless-AP to a bridge. most APs even come with 4 ports in case you need to hook up an HTPC.

syronimus

@Orionsaint:

You always could transfer your Live account to another machine.

OGHowie

I love my ps3. its my most used console out of all 3. but if sony wants to keep this forward progress, they really need to step it up even more.

RabidPinata

Japan prefers the PS3 as well as Europe. The gap is getting closed in America, but 360 still does lead, obviously.

E3 is looking more and more interesting every day, because its got that feeling it will be one to remember.

Azures

All I know is I love my pswii60! When the competition fights each other for market share we get more and more and more. I love it!

Numlock

So the 360 has that new way of transferring your Xbox live account to another 360. What if I buy the 120 hdd. Can I transfer my account there as if I have a new 360?

Orionsaint

"a weak online experience "

at least he can tell

YourAnthony

@Leepox: If you put aside the monthly fee as an argument it has been my experience that I've had to pay for everything on PSN that is charged for on Xbox Live such as map packs and addons.

It wouldn't surprise me if Sony were to get their money back through other means instead of subscription. Stuff costs money and Sony is no more benevolent than Microsoft. If anything they are about the same level of greedy(same goes for Nintendo).

PixelRambo

@VixDiesel:

It's probably, because most PS3 users don't have mics? That's one of the reasons I get all multiplayer games on 360 vs PS3. I like my online games to have some amount of teamwork.

OGHowie

@omegamalexxx: lol fanboy much?

Cloral

@SG79: they dont? that's a shame, seriously.

@Solid_hedgehog: heh, also likely true. then again, 360 (in my mind) stands to gain a lot the closer it gets to $200; the wii's got little to no call to do so from what i can see.

TheIrishNinja

@PhilVillarreal: haha, sad but true.

TheIrishNinja

Heh, the 360 will be below Wii price before the Wii price drops.

Solid_hedgehog

@VixDiesel: Saying PSN is easier to use than Live is just a mindboggling statement. In its current state Live is much more straightforward(in some ways even too much so) compared to the PSN.

... but I agree with the d-pad, the d-pad on the Xbox sucks some blue alien balls, but the analog is much better designed, which is probably why us "fratboys" tend to play so many fps games on the Xbox. The controller is just made for it.

PixelRambo

"The Wii audience is not choosing between 360 and Wii," said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. "Either they will buy a Wii only, or they will buy both a Wii and either a 360 or PS3."

that quote pretty much is true. It's like buying candy when you're at the register

tralfaz23

Interested in the supposed 60 gig model. That may be the version of the 360 I finally get. I know I missed out on a couple of great titles, but by the time I get a 360, I'm hoping most are budget priced...plus the 360 RPGs should be out in full force.

Saint Anima

@omegamalexxx: What are you on about?

justhesh

youre not playing for blu ray support when you buy an xbox, not even a built in wireless. You dont even get to play your games on line until youve paid for xbl. Not to mention the brick adaptor.

lol at the person who said wireless is overrated. What do you mean overrated? Other forms of wireless includes radio, ty signals, microwave signals, etc. There are thousands of satellites that ables us all to communicate and you to post here. The same goes for Wi-fi... cables = clutter as i see it. Being able to move my PS3 around the house because of priorities (i.e. if my brother is watching a movie on the lounge i can carry it upstairs and connect to my monitor hassle free)

ah shiz i shouldnt be bashing platforms... Im just resentful how MS are money suckers.. having to pay for every single little download that you have to do. Jeez, the running costs for the 360 over a 4 year console life cycle will negate the effects of the PS3 being more expensive at initial purchase. Theyre even trying to murder their own band of windows gamers.

Leepox

its all good cuz the 360 is outdated anyway
its all last gen so it shouldnt even make to 2010
i think ms jumped the gun when they released the 360

omegamalexxx

"So Microsoft is right to consider the PS3 as the competition and to ignore the Wii."

Because the Wii's unexpectedly outperformed (given Nintendo's situation at the end of GameCube days) this generation. Aw diddums.

Oh well, rumour, rumour, rumour.

Gunmetal_Grey

Ever since I started playing games on the ps3 I think the price is justifiable. With the 360 a hundred dollars cheaper I think this would be the fairest pricing we've seen these two consoles at ever, in relativity to each other.

Numlock

@meltyman:

And not everyone finds Yahtzee to be funny at all.

SG79

@RealmRPGer:

Actually the Live experience is pretty damn sweet without paying for it. By paying you get to play multiplayer games, but everything else is there for free.

I own both, and would still recommend the 360 over the PS3 as a gaming console. Yes, I think the PS3 is a better piece of hardware. But I think the 360 still has better games, I like the controller more, and I like Live over the PS3. A price drop would do a lot for MS, especially with the games coming round the bend.

Islandkiwi

i have a 60gb ps3 on wireless even though it's 3 ft from my router. in fact, it's sitting right next to my brand new roku netflix player, which actually is plugged into the router. still, i think the majority of people do not want their computers/routers in their entertainment centers. i don't see it that way, but having to pay an extra $100 for a wireless adapter is kind of bullshit.

in fact, some of my closest friends live together and they don't play online simply because they don't want to spend another c-note on something that isn't a game.

having said that, i have been waiting for the zephyr chipset to drop this summer to buy a 360. if they drop in an HDD big enough to really take advantage of the xbl marketplace, they've done done good work.

mister_shhh

100 million in console sales is a last-gen feature.

PhilVillarreal

everyone says the ps3's online sucks. honestly, i will totally take a free system 95% devoid of assholic boys in puberty and a few features over paying to play, get scores on scoreboards(in some cases) and those same assholic boys in puberty.

in all my time on both systems. once have i encountered a group of guys who harassed me being a female gamer. and everytime i turned on live for the month i had it.

no thanks.

i'm quite content with my ps3 over my 360. while there are some games on the 360 i want, 90% of them are on the ps3 as well so i go there.

it's free, the people are nicer, and to me, it's easier to use. plus the d-pad on the controller doesn't suck balls like the d-pad on the 360 does.

VixDiesel

All in a days work for...CAAAPTAAAIN OBVIOOOOUS(obvious obvious obvious)!

justhesh

@RealmRPGer:
PS3s online is good but it varies from game to game. The free factor is a really grate selling point though.

Devil240Z

@DigitalHero: hey, Yahzee did say it...

meltyman

@Lootskin: fanboy.

alexkidd

Theres no chance that sony will drop their price.
if the 60 gig 360 is $300 i might actually buy one. maybe ill wait till the next price drop though.

Devil240Z

@RealmRPGer: Crap, I forgot these comments use html.

RealmRPGer

@DarthTauri: There's really no reason not to include both. I mean, I can understand the Wii lacking ethernet, it's pretty stripped down in general, but the fact that Microsoft still will not add it into the system is quite irritating. I paid their ridiculously high price ($99 or so?) for the original Xbox wireless bridge. Granted, back then, most wireless adapters were that expensive anyway. It's 2008. How can they justify continuing to charge $100 for one? That and the overpriced hard drive situation are infuriating.

Grave

"a weak online experience" <-- should have waited until 2.4 to cast judgment, since that may very well change by tomorrow

mfwahwah

[i]a weak online experience[/i]

Now, I haven't actually played any games on the PS3, but I hear the fanboys talk about how PS3 online is better because it uses dedicated servers. Whether that is true or not...

In any case, however, Pachter shouldn't really say you get "a very well-thought out Live experience" for $299 because, really, you have to pay extra for that.

RealmRPGer

@DarthTauri: My wireless router is in a completely different room than my consoles. My game systems reside inside a built in cabinet. It would take about 30 - 50 feet of cat 5 + going through a wall (and other cabinets) to get to the wireless router/cable modem.

So, yes, wireless was pretty important for me.

Marikir

@Sundermania:
"white enough to afford all three systems"?

That appears to be a silly comment.

DigitalHero

Will the 60gb have the new chip set? That's all I want to know.

Silent Predator

Eh. I don't care. I have 360 and a PS3.

Amazon_Chris

@Sundermania: I can afford all three as well, which is odd, because I seem to be orange.

Godot

@DigitalHero: Ah, forgot about the Blu-Ray. That also helped, as did the Blade Runner complete version on Blu-Ray.

What?

Marikir

Wireless is overrated anyways, on a console that should not have to be moved there is no need. Well, unless your home networking situation is such that wireless is your only option.

DarthTauri

Anyone see the Zero Punctuation where Yahzee says that he is "white enough to afford all three systems"?

Now I chuckle anytime I see an article like this.

Sundermania

Nothing can save Xbox at this rate.

Lootskin

For the past two months, I had been considering which to buy. It was specifically the fact that the PS3 had built in Wi-Fi, a fairly large hard drive, free online gaming, and was about to bundle together a system, controller, and game that I wanted that made me go with a PS3.

The 360 + Wireless Adapter + Xbox Live total cost became greater than the cost for the PS3.

That's what finally made me get the PS3. Believe me, I want both. At the time, however, getting the MGS4 bundle was a better deal and made better sense.

I fully believe that Microsoft needs to bump their price down and include wireless to make a huge impact. If they do so, good for them. It's why I didn't get one this last time, but I will probably do so if they go ahead and make their offering more economical.

Marikir

Pachtodamus is right in some respect, but you get better qualty hardware and functionality with a PS3. (built inwifi, easy hdd swapping, free multiplayer and blu-ray)

DigitalHero

I have all 3 systems...I <3 them all equally...but spend most of my time on my 360...

Elemence

I think they're just going to clearance 20GB units for $300, and then release a 60GB system with the new chipset for $350 again. Sony would be wise to somehow drop their system prices, but that ish still costs a lot of money I'm pretty sure they don't want to lose even more cash right now. It would certainly be nice for us though. They could just keep their prices up and depend on their upcoming software onslaught to sell systems.

Mit

All empty, meaningless talk. The world, you see, keeps turning, and we must turn with it. Price drops are an inevitability. They've made their money on those who would pay more, now they want to make it on those who would pay less.

Godot

I think they mean "no wireless adapter".

Jazhuis

@Orionsaint: The 120gb hard drive comes with a transfer kit.

mind in rewind

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: It's funny, I just typed a long argument against you. Then I realized, I could sum it up: You sir, are a jackass.

Coors Light is God

@syronimus:

Dumbest argument I've seen in forever. I don't know about you, but I have real friends. Do these friends like to play Wii Sports? Sure. Do these friends like to play Halo and CoD4? They sure as hell do, but I guess I should make my friends go home before we can play together (assuming they even HAVE their own console) on a service that costs US$50 a year? If you add 3 controllers to one console, you can't ignore the same duty on the other console, unless the console has no local multiplayer games at all (which if this damned online generation had its way, might happen).

I can't wait until Sony and Microsoft ignore the Wii long enough for it to eclipse the install base of both HD consoles combined and 3rd party publishers treat them as second class citizens like they do with Nintendo now. SO long as all 3 are competing for the same 3rd party support, all 3 are in direct competition.

usfslacker

I will also say that adding a blade on the dashboard to play with your Wiimote ripoff isn't too appealing to me. That 60GB could be though but if/when I finally do buy a 360 it will be the elite anyway.

Sollus

@Grave:
Wii has wireless ethernet included, so does the DS for that matter and it costs almost the same as an Xbox wireless adapater!

exolstice

@RageW: how much clearer can they make it? It's been stated since launch that you could swap the HDD using almost any 2.5in on the market and they stated it doesn't void your warranty. Without the actual data backup switching out the HDD took all of 5 minutes if that.

full USB HDD/thumb drive/headset/mouse keyboard/camera and bluetooth support is flat out awesome too!

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@Orionsaint: Of course. You can recover gamertag via live or use a memory card.

NeVeRMoRe666

I'm getting sick of this HD size switching going on. Just quit with this crap.

Sollus

Am I the only one thinking that Sony would make a buck or two more if they are a bit clearer that you can switch the HDD?

RageW

still waiting for Wii price drop!

neo177117

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: sorry about that...I meant to type..."far and away better this year..." not overall. We haven't quite gotten there yet.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@PixelRambo: dude PSN IS easier to use than Live.

------------------------

I laugh at this. There was a time when I thought MS releasing 360 early was genius in its simplicity and effectiveness. But now, after owning all three consoles, I honestly believe MS is in panic mode. 360 should be the dominant console but it's being pushed to the number three spot. the number one position isn't even an option for 360 at this point. Live is 360's saving grace and even that isn't as powerful a bullet point as it used to be. PS3's library is far and away better than 360's not to mention better hardware and more functionality.

Just goes to show you that being first isn't always best. Let's say the rumors are true and MS updates Live with a 3D interface with its version of the Wiimote. It's still an add-on. It's not a crucial part of the hardware or the 360 experience. Let's say that Live does bring a "Home/Mii" like option to the network. This flies in the face of what MS has preached since launch. Gaming for the core demographic goes out the window to cater to an audience that Nintendo said was there but no one listened...until they made billions on it and continue to do so. MS is scrambling trying to offer everything the competition is offering when all 360 did originally was be a better PS2.

360 doesn't have anything distinctive other than Live which is quickly becoming less so. Ps3 has a ridiculous among of upgrade options, sound options, blu-ray, PSN (which is still better than LiveArcade) Wifi, backwards compatibility (depending on model of course) PSP support, remote play support, PS1 to PSP to PS3 gaming options...it's pretty clear. Even the custom themes on PS3 are better than 360's. Wii has the motion controller, the channel interface and the Miis.

PS3 is clearly a "long haul" option that does far more and allows far more than any other console ever conceived. 360 is good for now, but if RRoD doesn't get you, DRM will, or lack of storage options that even a 60GB solution doesn't help in the long run.

@Numlock: Exactly. which is why once I got my mouse and keyboard setup for the PS3 (which allows you to control the XMB with that instead of a controller) and my Bravia 5.1 sound sound system and the 250GB internal drive and the 500GB external HDD...I packed up my 360. I'm having a blast playing PS/PS2/PSN and PS3 games, surfing the web, setting up extensive music playlists, transferring video to the PS3 and downloading smut from the browser. i just wasn't doing anything with the 360 and when I went back to it just before packing it up...it just wasn't the same. I realized then that the 60GB PS3 was a steal at $600 and people against it didn't know what the fuck they were talking about.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@YourAnthony: Not to be an ass, but you said it yourself, PS3 has begun to surpass 360 sales in the past few months. Since that is the case, the PS3 is closing the gap.

If a car is behind at the start of the race, and the lead car begins to "lose speed" and the tail car "gains speed", the gap is being closed. Not the best example but I think you get what I mean.

XRFlip05

@Godot:
holy shit its godot!

im drinking a mug of godot's special blend #107 in your honor.

CorrinZGW

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: Well thought opinion bro. To me, however, it's different. I think Sony is in panic mode. The Xbox and M$ gaming division in all was a bust. M$ and Ninty should be dead at this time in the face of the PS3 simply due to brand. This is not the case though.

M$ is a company who lost billions on what could be considered a failed attempt (original Xbox), however, they came out early, with faulty hardware, in the PlayStation era.

They have made a name for themselves even with the odd (still) against them. M$ are the underdogs in this race, not sony nor nintendo. Due to Sonys pricing at the beginning, however, it allowed more people to adopt the other system.

This is when the drastic 100+ dollar drops started hitting within months of the PlayStations release, this is not something Sony wanted to do, they're still losing money, but they have the power of the brand name to keep hope alive.

M$ will be number three this generation no doubt, but Sony has just allowed an essentially dead competitor gain recognition, this was their time to finish the Xbox, but it has been adopted as another console to buy. Sony is not pleased.

R3load

I've only encountered people with a Wii AND a PS3, rather than a Wii AND a 360.

MistaJeff

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: can we please stop having the PS3 vs 360 fanboy debate.....please. Does anyone really believe that they have a fresh take on this that hasn't been said over and over and over and over and is still almost all subjective ANYWAY!!!

We all game here (I hope), don't be so insecure with your purchase that you feel the need to reinforce yourself on a web forum.

QuasarSquirrel

@lenandude:

/agree

EnigmaNemesis

I don't see why people think the PS3 has a weak online experience. I have a PS3 and I'm not a fanboy and I have played both and I personally think that they are pretty much equal. Of course the XBLM has more stuff on it but one of the reasons for that is that the 360 has a year headstart on the PS3. And I also think that the PS3 has a pretty equal software line-up and just because the 360 has a ton of games doesn't mean all of them are actually worth playing. In the end they are both pretty equal and it all comes down to preference. I wish people would stop saying their system is better cuz both of them are really not too much different. People just need to focus on enjoying their system (or systems).

lenandude

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: Have to agree with you on the PS3 price comment. $600 is looking like a pretty good deal nearly two years out considering I got a Blu-Ray player(which are still North of $300 today), 60GB of onboard storage, full PS2 BC(with upscaling), USB HD support and wi-fi. NOTE: this is not the usual "look at all the stuff the PS3 has compared to the 360". Just saying that while expensive, I don't regret my early PS3 purchase.

I still prefer the 360's unified matchmaking system to the PC style, game specific, server browsers common in PS3 games.

aka Bitter

I wonder if they'll toss wi-fi in with the elite. Having to immediately buy a $100 adapter for a $450 console is pretty awful.

Wolfers

@Cloral:

i was fixing to say the exact same thing...

kneehighspy

@Lootskin: Except for the fact that gamers who own the xbox buy hella games for it. The average games/console ratio exceeds the other 2 systems. And people are still buying it. While I don't think MS is the best thing since sliced bread, I do like the fun I get from the off-white box under my TV.

peacefuloutrage

The Xbox 360 is the best console out for gamers. Terms like "weak online experience" and "thin library of games" speak for themselves. Meanwhile my 360 library is pushing 50 titles and the rest of 2008 looks like it'll belong to xbox as well.

ThisIsSick

i hope this is tru so i can finally afford a 360

ShnitzelsBelgianROFLs

@ThisIsSick: Either we can agree to disagree, or I must not be a gamer, because I've owned both and have to say I value one for things that I don't value the other one for and vice versa. That is, until my 360 crapped out, which pulls it down to the bottom of my favourite console list. Console bricking like that mustn't happen in my world and flaws the entire experience, it might be acceptable to others but it ain't for me.

Candlejack

"Consumers see two boxes with very similar game experiences, and have to decide if a 360 with a 20Gb HDD, no Internet adapter, a very well-thought out Live experience and an extraordinary game library is a better deal at $349 (or $299) than a PS3 with built-in Internet adapter, a 40Gb HDD, a Blu-ray disc drive, a weak online experience and a relatively thin library of games for $399," said Pachter.

Who the hell hired this analyst? The 360 has no WIRELESS adapter, a live subscription you have to pay for to play games online, and last years extraordinary game library, while the PS3 has a FREE online experience where you can play games without paying, and an increasing library.

alucardremixed

Is wireless REALLY that big of a deal? I honestly don't know many people that have a wireless network set up in their homes. And I also know gamers that HAVE a wireless network that still preferred to game using a wired connection. So does it really matter that much?

As for this story, I agree that price is going to be HUGE as people start looking for something more ... substantial than a Wii. And Sony's recently stated goals about profitability in their gaming sector makes a PS3 price cut sound ... unlikely. This'll be interesting, but I don't think it'll be a revelation about the direction this gen will take ultimately.

DARTH_TIGRIS

WOW... fanboys...
-Look whoever said the PS3 has a better library. What?
-Hands down the PS3 if a better piece of hardware.
(blu ray, wi-fi, blue tooth, re chargable controllers, etc)
-360 has better features built into its interface.
(the arcade, dvix/xvid streaming, movies, shows, music support in games, social features, etc)
-Xbox live is full of kids and duchebags
-PS3 lovers you'll get those people soon enough.
-Xbox 360's break alot
-PS3's break often(I don't wanna hear it my system broke after 2 days and more of my friends have had PS3's die on them than 360's they both break the 360 got skylined due to lousy customer support on their part)
-Microsoft sucks they have nerve splashing live with adds and garbage when we pay for it.
-Sony sucks they are tightwads when it comes to expanding their online experience, we shouldn't have to wait.
Actually this is pointless both of these companies blow and make me miss Sega. We have no chioce I guess since Nintendo hates gamers. I just want an FPS that plays like COD4 and has a online war like chromehounds... Once you own all three systems you stop complaining about which is better and start thinking about why people who make games keep recycling the same crap. My bad.

L337fool

If MS releases a 60 GB Xbox 360 that's really and truly quiet, I'll buy it...and, God help us, it'd be my fourth one (having gone through a launch unit, an Elite and now a Halo Edition, which I bought in the false hope that it had a less loud chipset. Oh yeah, the launch unit RROD'd the second that the dude I sold it to on Craigslist tried to turn it on at home for the first time! Fortunately he was cool about it and patient enough to honor the deal when the repaired unit came back from MS).

I am such a tool.

Johnny_Clueless

Re: wireless networks--

I don't use one myself, because I don't trust it. I have had some experience using the one at my parents' house, and I don't really think it's reliable enough for gaming. My brother still lives with my parents and he frequently has problems with the network. On top of that, somebody in a neighboring apartment could be free-riding on my wireless network and stealing my bandwidth.

As far as the PS3 facing price pressure, it may not be X-Box it has to compete with... there's already a standalone Blu-Ray player sneaking in just under $300. By the holiday season, if we have standalone BD players for $200 or less, half the price of a PS3, the PS3 is going to lose a LOT of its appeal at that price.

rexdart007

Microsoft have announced discounted pricing for the Xbox in new Zealand. The Basic model now has a price of NZ$399, with a fairly significant drop.

all the other models, (elite etc) received a drop too, with the elite now costing $100 less than a ps3.

norwegiankiwi

Though, Patcher ignored to add that the 360 includes headset and component cables, which is extra money if you want those two accessories for the PS3 (just like wireless adapter would be for the 360)

mcool93

MS doesn't need a price drop. They need to relaunch it with a new design; it just looks old and clunky in comparison to the PS3 and Wii. Of course, I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it drops to $199, but if they can add a couple tweaks to the design and the features, then I may be willing to part with a couple more dollars.

boopadoo

Well, the Wii is definitely competing with the other systems for *my* money. I'm really jealous of all these alleged consumers with $500+ to spend on systems alone. I haven't even bought one of those yet. I'm kinda used to spending less than $200 on a system.

supercrap

@OGHowie: Agreed. I'm sure that if the PS3 came with a mic, you would hear just as many asstards on PSN as on XBL. I mean, you still see all the same asstard behaviors, like team killing and teabagging, on PSN.

I'm a multiplayer kind of girl, and for multiplayer to truly be enjoyable you have to have a certain level of communication with your team mates. Multiplayer on XBL is just eons ahead of multiplayer on PSN. 95% of people do have mics(since the 360 you know, comes with a mic,) and in EVERY XBox game you have the ability to mute JUST the players that are annoying you. In some PS3 games your only option is to mute all players when you can no longer stand that one asstard.

robinandtami

If MS drops the price of the 360, then they should drop the price of the wireless adapter and the hard drives as well. I think everyone can agree that these add-ons are ridiculously overpriced. For the tech that's involved in the wireless adapter, it shouldn't be priced for more than $40. Let's not even start with how overpriced the hard drives are...

PeteeWJ

I'm waiting for Jasper....mine Hillary RRoDham'd on me last month, and I reFUSE to get another until the 60nm GPU config hits.

Knoxximus (360/PSN)

It's almost funny to think two years ago Nintendo were positioning themselves as the cheap #2 console for 360 and PS3 owners. Now, Sony and Microsoft are busy fighting for that position! It's still amazing how the Wii has grabbed the interests of such a huge spread of people.

photoboy

@photoboy: At what point do you believe Nintendo was vying for #2? The moment they started spouting off about 'disruption,' it became clear to anyone familiar with the concept that they weren't simply out to win this generation but utterly dominate.

Domasai

@Domasai: To me it seemed the recycling of the GameCube hardware provided a cheap and low cost hardware platform for Nintendo to take a risk with motion sensing controls with very little risk if it bombed like the VirtualBoy. The decision to not compete with Sony/Microsoft on the specs front and shun HD gaming suggested Nintendo didn't have the resources to design a system that could deliver next-gen graphics and they were content to exist in the budget segment.

The GC only ever sold in decent quantities when it was very cheap and people started buying them as a low cost second console. Given that Nintendo made a very decent profit on the GC hardware for most of its lifespan despite lower sales, it seemed clear that Nintendo didn't need to sell the most consoles to be very profitable. So a small, cheap console that could slot into a space next to the 360 or PS3 seemed to be exactly where they were aiming the Wii. I think the continued hardware shortages and Nintendo's reticence to ramp-up manufacturing showed that even Nintendo expected the "fad" to die down eventually. I'm not saying Nintendo didn't necessarily see a wide appeal for the system, but I don't think they were expecting the success it has seen.

photoboy

@DarthTauri: My console is less than one metre from my wireless router and I still want it to be wireless thanks. Same for controllers, even though I don't have a large room and have never had problems with the length of wire on 'standard' controllers. There's a huge clutter of wires behind things and wireless networking helps reduce it, if only slightly.

I'd only want wired networking if security is important, or if I'm likely to use 'internal' transfers between computers on the house network where speed is important - both of which apply to real computers, but not to game consoles.

Not saying wireless is critical for me, it's not, if I otherwise wanted a console and the only disadvantage was having to use a wire (no I'm not going to spend extra for a wireless adapter) I would buy it anyway. But it'd certainly be one little minus point.

quen

What MS really needs is to convince everybody and their mom that their console is just as reliable as the PS3 (good luck with that). Although I have a 2006 X360 Pro console, I have never had any problems with it (so far), but I also treat it as gently as I can for fear of RROD. One thing I learned this generation is to not ever buy any MS console before 2 years in its lifecycle. I also confirmed what I already expected, that Sony hardware, no matter how expensive, would not disappoint me.

gencid

As of 4 weeks ago I became a 360/PS3 owner. My PS3 is about a year old, and my 360 just over a month. They are different experiences, both satisfying in different ways. Technically I don't see a big difference in the online services as far as downloads and online play goes. I coughed up the money for Gold service and I'm not really sold on the difference from silver, aside from the online play of course.

That being said, price is the name of the console war right now. Small feature differences don't make a difference but price does. Think the landscape would be different if the PS3 20GB launched at $249? Youbetcha! A $50 reduction is good timing for 360 right now, but I don't expect Sony to respond right away. PS3 is still riding high on MGS4 (the bundle and the game) and the good feelings of update 2.4. I expect new pricing for PS3 about the time R2 hits- Septemberish- to set them up for the holiday run.

Thanks for reading my Pachnostication.

crashlanding

It really is all about the software, Gears of War 2, Fable, Halo Wars, and many more great games are coming out this year.

A price drop would really help sell a lot more xbox 360's, a $50 drop and a good bundled game/bigger hard drive could close the deal.

Can you imagine an XBOX 360 60 GB bundled with COD4, $$$$

dazyluz

I dunno about you but this is not a battle of hardware but software. I am a gamer first and foremost so titles will define what system I buy.

Also I still don't see the pint of BluRay because I won't be buying any bluRay movies for another 2 years or so. Look at the sales of BluRay even with HD-DVD out of the picture movie sales haven't picked up.

It just goes to show you that people don't care about hardware and BluRay disks so long as movies are $30-50 a pop when their DVDs go for 1/3rd that.

Not-Witzbold

This isn't a rumor any more. The price is dropping week after next. It's in about every major retailer's upcoming adds.

LockeEWiggin1

@ Photoboy: "The decision to not compete with Sony/Microsoft on the specs front and shun HD gaming suggested Nintendo didn't have the resources to design a system that could deliver next-gen graphics and they were content to exist in the budget segment."

Yeah, you completely misread Nintendo's intentions. It had nothing to do with lacking resources; Nintendo's 'war chest,' so to speak, was more than Sony's at the beginning of this generation. If they'd wanted to, they could have easily matched them technologically, but they realized a couple of things:

(1) Both Sony and Microsoft were building powerful HD machines that were going to cost a LOT of money, thus leaving the mainstream market completely untapped.

(2) To match their specs and sell the system at a price point that Nintendo felt was best ($250) would mean taking a massive loss on their end for each unit sold. [The razor and razorblades business model in which you sell your hardware for a loss, try to get its production price down over time, and attempt to make back your money on software and peripherals.] This is a very unsustainable business model though, and Nintendo is showing why this generation by NOT doing that. [Meanwhile, Microsoft and Sony have both lost billions on their consoles using it.] The only way it makes any sense whatsoever is if you're *guaranteed* first place in the market.

(3) The cost of games has shot up this generation due to the shift to HD, and it has also affected the speed at which games come out on the systems. [GTAIV cost 100 million to produce; MGS4, approximately 70 million.] The problem with this is, it's insanely difficult for anyone but a major player in the industry to afford such outlandish development fees and it puts a crunch on companies by forcing them to dedicate much of their workforce to one or two titles, rather than the several they would've produced during the PS2 years. Nintendo realized this and chose to not advance their specs to HD or anything similar in order to provide themselves (as a software developer / publisher) and 3rd parties an easier time developing for the system and in order to garner the largest library of total games. [Not 'good' games, per se, just more - which was one of the underlying reasons the PS2 dominated so phenomenally.] In other words, they learned more from Sony's domination than Sony did.

It was a business decision, not one of limited resources. Nintendo is the most successful hardware and software company in the gaming market's history. They are both conservative and very business savvy. They made a strategic choice that massively paid off.

Domasai

as long as they are more reliable. i'm gettign ready to buy my 3rd 360. if only i had bought rockband for ps3. my roomates like it too much, and we've purchased so many songs for the 360 version.

cephun