More on PS3's Improbable Price Point

$600 for the machine, another $50 if you want the extra controller for a friend, and then another $30 if you want the HD cables necessary to actually get the HD picture they make such a big deal about.

Since Sony announced the price tag on the PS3 in May at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, speculation has run rampant as to whether or not consumers — even brand loyalists — would be willing to plunk down so much money on a video game console.

But since then, Sony has tried to make the argument that it's not just a video game machine you're buying but an entertainment system, and that it's an investment in a product that will be in your living room for years to come.

"The thing about the PS3 you can't forget is that it's a Blu-ray player, too," said Sam Kennedy, editor in chief of 1Up.com. "If you do have an HD TV and you want a way to watch HD movies, the PS3 is a great bargain."

Yes, but what if you don't?

What if you're a teenager who wants the game for his own non-HD-TV in his bedroom, and you just want to play games?

They're bundling two pricey bits of electronics, one of which you obviously want if you're a gamer (the actual console) and one which you may or may not want (the HD DVD player). It may be cheaper to buy them bundled, but if you don't want both, well, you're either going to have to pluck down $600-$650 for a plain old game system or go elsewhere.

This seems like an ill-conceived attempt to leverage the popularity of PS into making sure Sony's Blu-Ray technology doesn't suffer the same fate as BetaMax. I don't think it's going to work.

posted by Ace at 04:26 PM

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