Editorial: Will The $299 Xbox 360 Elite Be Tough Competition For The $299 PS3 Slim?
As we steer forward into the holiday season and Sony has showed what they are bringing to the table (lower PS3 price, PS3 slim), it is natural to see response from their rivals and Microsoft has aimed to fight back hard. Rumors are circulating on the Internet that Microsoft is poised to drop the price of the Xbox 360 Elite to $299 very soon, and engadget has received a clipping from a Wal-Mart ad showing a reduced price of $299. The Elite is the most feature-rich, and expensive standard variation of the console to date. It includes a 120 GB hard drive and a matte black finish. The Elite retail package also includes 1 month Gold trial Xbox live membership, HDMI 1.2 cable, HD/SD cable, and a wireless controller with headset that match the system’s black finish. Microsoft cut Elite’s price tag from $449 to $399 back in September 2008, which is almost a year ago and definitely strengthens the possibility of this happening.
I’ve played the Xbox 360, and while I never really grew into it I’ve always respected its offerings and community. It’s a great device, and the number sold have proven that. Many of my friends have them and what has built its popularity is that if your friends have one, you have to get one. The controller is good, but I have used both and I prefer what comes with the Playstation 3. Some like both, some prefer the 360 controller, some prefer the Playstation controller. There isn’t a way to say which one is better. I just happen to think that I perform more fluently on it because I have muscle memory from using it while owning a Playstation 1 and 2.
The Xbox 360 Elite sold at $299 will be very difficult for the PS3 Slim, only because people will blindly say that they are much more similar in features (games, hard drive, wireless, etc) and the Xbox Live community is better. The communities are not better than one another in any sense – when I am playing a popular title, it is not difficult to get online with the PS3 and have multiplayer opponents within a few minutes of starting the game. I’ve proven that with a video I shot called “Five Minutes Of Battlefield 1943 on the Playstation 3,” which shows me on a boat, in a tank, and in a plane all online killing people in less than five minutes from launch.
I honestly have found many mature and immature people on Xbox Live, and the same on Playstation Network. It’s like hanging out in the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars. Some have said that there seems to be a higher concentration of mature players on the Playstation Network, which is generally true in my experiences, but then again you will come across juveniles in Playstation Home or other socially enabled games. However, what remains true to this day is that Xbox Live is a paid service, and the online capabilities of the PS3 is free. That is a value that you cannot deny, and please don’t sit here and try to tell me that you pay for what you get, or that the quality of the online experience is better. As the Playstation Network fleshes out beyond how it already has, I feel that Sony will continue to demonstrate that their free service is worth a gamer’s time. You don’t need to pay money to have a good time online with a console.
I also wanted to comment to some of the online services Microsoft has implemented with the Xbox 360, such as Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, and so forth. While some of these services are unique and valuable, I can also access some through the PS3′s web browser that has flash support. So, while a built-in client is nice, its not impossible on the PS3. I would like to see Sony embrace more social media avenues with the PS3, and it’s unrealistic to say that Sony cannot do that. It is most certainly possible with the PS3.
Another point is that the 360 doesn’t use Blu-ray, which is extremely advantageous to Sony because it allows a game, such as Final Fantasy XIII, that could take 3 discs on DVD’s for the Xbox 360 to only be one Blu-ray disc for the PS3. I hate changing discs. Plus the movies look unbelievable – I’ve seen Comcast HD VOD, ripped HD discs, Comcast HD cable, and other “HD” and there is just something about Blu-ray quality that in my mind is superior than the rest of the generic offerings today. See Blu for yourself on the proper set up (big screen, HDMI, correct color settings, good audio) – it really is the ultimate experience. Anyone who has watched a Blu-ray movie at my house and has seen HD elsewhere is usually stunned by the quality, and those people are usually the ones who aren’t phased by such things. Why would I want to bind myself to a console such as the Xbox 360 that only has DVD capability, when the PS3 has Blu-ray and DVD. It’s a no-brainer.
The hard drive argument is really irrelevant. The PS3 allows you to replace your hard drive with any compatible sized equivalent at ANY capacity (such as 500GB, 1TB, etc). The sky is the limit. So yes, both consoles going forward will have the same hard drive space, but I can expand the PS3 and to do that on the 360 is a very expensive and proprietary situation. As for software and upcoming hardware, I won’t say one thing or another about Microsoft’s Natal for the 360 nor will I really delve into the PS3′s upcoming Motion Controller. Those are still in progress, and to say one is better than the other without using the final product is silly. Natal is very exciting, and is sometimes overall more exciting, but I also see great strengths in the accuracy and the know-how Sony already has with the EyeToy.
It’s tough to compare games, because that is a very biased argument, but I can assure you that there is definitely something for everyone coming to the PS3 in the next six months and it will push the bar beyond what is available now. The line up of upcoming PS3 games is simply unbelievable. I understand that not all of them are exclusives, but they are there. I honestly think when we see a MMO or two in the next year that is only possible on the PS3 then you will see what advantages this hardware really has. A 256 player FPS on one server games such as MAG is really the beginning of large scale gaming that the PS3 will use to gain more users down the road, and upcoming MMO titles such as Final Fantasy XIV (an area in the game is pictured above) will absorb millions of reoccurring users. I don’t see that kind of longevity, nor sheer size with games in the Xbox 360. I think that if anything, investing in a 360 is almost useless at this point because it sure seems possible Microsoft is going to do a significant hardware refresh within the next two years, and I don’t see Sony doing that to the PS3 for at least another four.
With these facts and thoughts in mind – which I’m sure make sense to many people – I’m just not sure why its even a competition at all.
Wow! That article wasn't biased or anything. I have all three consoles and I prefer my 360. The PS3 is a Bluray player 1st while the 360 is a console. I understand the value the PS3 brings, but when i want to play, exspecially online, the 360 is my choice. Sorry Just my opinion. If you think otherwise, well good for you. I think the PS3 is too little too late.
I think the slim PS3 at that price will blow away the competition.
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Until Playstation 3 goes to $199 or $149, it doesn't justify the cost for me if I have an XBOX 360.
All my friends are on XBox live, Netflix rules, the exclusive games are better and the non exclusive games are still better on Xbox 360 (which is weird but it could be simply easier to develop for).
Blu Ray disks are too expensive and I would rather watch something on-demand than own a Blu-Ray or even rent Blu-Ray (since I can't play it in the car or in the other DVD players in the house).
Microsoft should correct some things like expensive hard drive upgrades, expensive wireless adapters and get 2K to make a better baseball game (MLB the Show is a big difference).
You do have to pay Microsoft for online but it is now $29.99 for 13 months when it goes on sale at Amazon and you can tell with their recent updates, that MS put that money right back into the service.
Sony should have lowered thier price before the holiday season last year if they really wanted to have a chance this generation.
In addition, I totally don't agree that the exclusives coming out in the next 6 months for Playstation 3 are enticing…they are mostly sequels with better graphics and nothing to get people talking or enough for people to lay out the extra cash. If you don't believe me, look at Killzone 2. It was a amazing game for a short while but then totally fizzled out and was outsold by Halo Wars. My friends bought Killzone 2, loved it for 2 weeks and then after that were back on the Xbox 360 playing Gears 2, Halo Wars, COD, and all the rest. How many developers are going to look at Killzone 2 and worry they might not make back thier investment as much as releasing the same or exlusive software on the Xobx 360 (like Activision said in the past).
I loved the Playstation 1 and the Playstation 2 had great exclusives but Playstation 3 should be a learning experience for all hardware makers going forward and maybe learn something from Nintendo.
I feel it sound kind of suspicious to see microsoft to drop the price of the 360, EXACTLY on the release date of the PS3 slim…………..
O, and it has already been said to get the Elite console cheaper, that some components taken out of the box, such as the removal of HD cables in box, and the games given too are gone as seen in the ad as well pictured above, and as seen on new amazon post of new 360 with the box art of the new elite going to most likely be the one to be dropped in price soon http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Elite/dp/B002KJ9...
Also, the 360 will cost somewhat more if wireless internet is wanted and if a gold membership is wanted, as it most likely just comes with a silver membership raisin the price up at least 100 $ and compared to the PS3 slim, this is an inferior console. Now, i do admit Xbox live has some features that ps3 doesnt have theat are better and good, but PS3, the same price is a much better buy, with a blu ray drive, superior hardware, a great lineup of games released and to be released, its quiet, consumes less energy, is smaller, has internet browser, is getting updated to where PSN is basically on par with xbox live, PSN is free, option of a replaceable harddrive of any harddrive, disc slot instead of tray and ps3 has a very low failure rate, as opposed to 360's high faliure rate, where of over 54.2% of 360 of Xboxes have already failed.
this is irrelevant, but it shows you didn't really research your facts very much.
first off: the drives that the ps3 uses, a 2.5″ sata 1 (1.5gb/s) drive, don't come larger than 500gb.
second: there's no need for larger than a 120gb hd on a 360, since you can't load all your ripped HD pr0n onto it anyways. it's for games and streaming movies, and demos.
third: the larger hard drives for the ps3 can cost as much as 300$, even if you order from a bargain basement store.
check your facts, fangirl.
just wanted to point this out since you obviously don't know what you're talking about.
tray drives fail much less than slot drives, for a variety of reasons. you'd know this if you've ever used a computer with a similar drive – if there's any error whatsoever, you can't get your disc back out of a slot drive.
bluray's pretty nice, and the ps3's bluray player is fantastic. i can't knock that. i can knock the fact that using your ps3 as a bluray player is pretty darn stupid, since it not only wears out the drive faster but also means you paid 300$ – AFTER the price cut – for a fancy dvd player.
all this stuff about xbl being the same as psn isn't very bright, either, and shows you've never actually used xbl. being someone who develops for both networks, not only is xbl easier to program for, it's much easier to find what you need and be done with it. not to mention that you get what you pay for, in each instance – psn doesn't even really have a working voicechat system outside of specific games…after three years of it being around for xbl.
Not a very biased article is it. I have an xbox 360 and there's no way I would buy a PS3 now. The good majority of people I know that own a PS3 use it for one thing to play Blue Rays. The Xbox is a game console you can watch movies on. The PS3 is a Blue Ray player you can play some games on. I've played MGS4, and Killzone 2 on a friends PS3 and quite honestly found them boring half-way through. I'm not saying their aren't boring games on the Xbox, but if those are the games that most PS3 fan boys say rule the PS3. I'll pass, since those games didn't do anything for me, and since I have no real interest in Blue Ray discs. Most newer movies that are up-converted look just as good as Blue Ray discs, or darn close. At least close enough that I can't justify paying $20 more a disc for the Blue Ray version. Microsoft will probably end up cutting the price of the Elites to $249 to undercut Sony if the $299 price tag doesn't compete well anyway.
I was in my local Gamestop tonight and there were 7 people looking at 360 games and no one looking at PS3 games. I was surprised. I thought sure the PS3 games would have been flying off the shelves with all the people loading up on PS3s. I mean it's not scientific, but it does make me wonder if the prices have swayed anyone. Even the Best Buys ad this week didn't even promote the PS3 price drop. I think maybe everyone that wants a PS3 already has a PS3.
What Sony needs to do if they want their sales to go up is eliminate the PS2 and put the backwards compatibility back into the PS3. More people would buy them for sure. There were about 10 people looking at PS2 games tonight. Sony needs to stop competing with itself if it ever wants to take on Microsoft. Most parents would rather pay $100 for a PS2 system with tons of games instead of a $300 PS3 with hardly any good games.
HAving both I can honestly say that I go back and fourth to which one I prefer at any given week, but I can say that I ultimately always go back to the 360. I prefer the big colorful dash and interface… it's fun looking. Sony's for me is cold and has small writing even with an HDTV. Then there is my friends. They all have and use the 360 (many exclusively) and if I want to play a game, or now watch a movie with them it's just easier on the 360. This price drop should ultimately ease Sony's woe's in the US, but not enough to pull in front.
Well, this is Sony Insider you know. I tried very hard to be unbiased but I am obviously a bigger fan of the Playstation. I stated that very clearly at the beginning of the article. I feel that the 360 has great strengths online, but the Playstation Network has come a very long way. Why is the 360 your choice when you want to play online? Your opinion reflects the thoughts of millions.
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Obviously i did not mean “any” harddrive, but any hardrive of its size, and yeah they can probably go to as much as to 300, but i got my 250 gb harddrive brand new for my ps3 at 80 $ at tigerdirect
It might wear off the drive faster, yes, but it is a big decision maker for many people to buy a PS3 where in this generation of HD games and movies, i would say the Blu ray drive is one of the best thing to say about the ps3, as the PS3 is also the best blu drive out there.
Maybe the slot drives do fail more often, doesn't mean that the games are not removable if fails, and i rather have a disc slot on a console tat does not fail, than a disc tray on a console that could fail any moment, as the cheap and faulty hardware decisions were made when in development of the 360.
And i know that xbl and PSN are not same, i never said they were, i just said that PSN is getting update to become around the lines of where xbl is at in terms of features, and i did not limit the statement to where PSN is at now, but i also meant including future updates that are planned to enhance the PSN and PS3 experience. A voice chat system is being made as said by sony, just still being worked on, for in game, and i dont know if you are talking about interfaces in your comment, but i can say the XMB is one of the easiest and most accessible interfaces you can have, and an award winning interface, even to the point that th 360 was updated to a very similar system, just backwards.
if you were smart enough to see what i meant, then you would'nt have had to post this, even though i admit i wasnt exactly being specific, and you only backing up the 360, and putting down the PS3 doesnt make you any less of a fan girl i am ^.^
Ill start out by saying that I have had all three consoles. The reason I say had is because I sold my PS3. I am no fanboy of anything and only speak my opinion. I like Sony, had the PS1 -3 and they are all great consoles. The PS3 is a great deal for all you get. WiFi, free online play, bluray,etc. When you look at both the Xbox and PS3 the PS3 shines, but once you play both you see what you get. Awful online play, games that load constantly, and a horrible interface. I just think Sony did too much and did not concentrate on why they created the PS3, GAMES. XBOX has a sweet interface which is visually beautiful and easy to navigate. The online play is awesome and the games are plentiful. What really hurt PS3 was that it came a year later than the Xbox and when it did come out it cost way too much. At which time xbox had already established a online community and a huge game library. All my friends are on Live, so Xbox is my choice along with the great games, GOW, Halo, etc. You cant go wrong. And Live which you can find 12+1 month memberships for $40 is a price Im willing to pay. The PS3 just was not my cup of tea. I played MGS4 which was a great game, I understand its a large game,but out of 40-50 hrs of gameplay it loaded about 2 of those hours. Unacceptable! Killzone would freeze mid gameplay too load. Annoying! Sorry! The Xbox just works better. Also, bluray looks good but still to expensive and when I can go to the Redbox and rent a dvd for $1 why would i buy a movie for $30-$35. Insane! I just sold my PS3 so I can upgrade my Xbox to an Elite. Thats all I have to say about that.
Ill start out by saying that I have had all three consoles. The reason I say had is because I sold my PS3. I am no fanboy of anything and only speak my opinion. I like Sony, had the PS1 -3 and they are all great consoles. The PS3 is a great deal for all you get. WiFi, free online play, bluray,etc. When you look at both the Xbox and PS3 the PS3 shines, but once you play both you see what you get. Awful online play, games that load constantly, and a horrible interface. I just think Sony did too much and did not concentrate on why they created the PS3, GAMES. XBOX has a sweet interface which is visually beautiful and easy to navigate. The online play is awesome and the games are plentiful. What really hurt PS3 was that it came a year later than the Xbox and when it did come out it cost way too much. At which time xbox had already established a online community and a huge game library. All my friends are on Live, so Xbox is my choice along with the great games, GOW, Halo, etc. You cant go wrong. And Live which you can find 12+1 month memberships for $40 is a price Im willing to pay. The PS3 just was not my cup of tea. I played MGS4 which was a great game, I understand its a large game,but out of 40-50 hrs of gameplay it loaded about 2 of those hours. Unacceptable! Killzone would freeze mid gameplay too load. Annoying! Sorry! The Xbox just works better. Also, bluray looks good but still to expensive and when I can go to the Redbox and rent a dvd for $1 why would i buy a movie for $30-$35. Insane! I just sold my PS3 so I can upgrade my Xbox to an Elite. Thats all I have to say about that.