From the team that brought you the idea that the PSP is beating the Nintendo DS, the world has been given a new "fact sheet" explaining, through a healthy dose of confusion, that an Xbox 360 costs more than a PS3. I am waiting for the press release from Sony explaining that up is now down.
The fact sheet,
reported on by engadget, compares a PS3 20GB system with an Xbox 360 Core system, with such "necessities" as a wireless controller and an HD DVD drive added in. After juking the numbers, and common sense, Sony winds up with a $499 PS3 and a $698 Xbox 360.
The fact sheet ignores that you can get an Xbox 360 with hard drive and wireless controller for $399. By opting for a core bundle, which to be fair does exist, they intentionally pump the price of the 360 by $50 and pretend that the consumer would have no other choice.
The fact sheet also assumes that you have to buy an Xbox Live gold account. It is certainly an appealing feature, but not a requirement for all owners of the console. I hate to admit it, but I haven't played a multiplayer game online in several months.
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The most contentious issue, of course, is that of the Blu-ray Drive versus HD DVD Drive. Sony's PS3 includes a hi-def video player, while 360 owners have to spend an extra $200 to buy one. If you assume that your console needs untested next-gen video capabilities, then you do end up with an Xbox 360 that costs $100 more than the PS3.
Unfortunately, most of the people who own video game consoles do not even own HDTVs. Those who do, like me, are not 100% sold on either new HD disc format. The war could end badly for either side. It was Sony who failed to win the first home video war, pouring millions into Betamax, a home video standard that was superior in quality but failed in the market.
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Look at the console-plus-video issue a different way. Is Sony saying that owners of the Nintendo DS got a bum deal because their systems don't include a UMD player? Maybe some of you wish the PSOne had been $200 more expensive but included a "next-gen" Betamax cassette player. By buying a PSP, I invested in Sony's last untested gaming+video scheme, and I can't say the extra $100 went to good use.
As has been said numerous times, the PS3 is probably going to be a great console, but I beg Sony not to muddy the facts and figures to paint an advantage that does not exist.
