Same here. The price of the PS3 practically made my next-gen decision for me---especially considering the fact that I don't have an HDTV nor do I have enough money to buy one. Heck, even if I did have the money, out of principle I wouldn't buy the PS3. Simply too much and I'd hate to see this become the standard later.

You can't get digital video out of either the Core or the Premium.

You can't get a HDD larger than 20GB for either the Core or the Premium (that may change today).

You can't play HD movies on either the Core or the Premium (without spending a few hundred bucks - maybe more - to put on an attachment).

So yeah, you can upgrade the Core or the Premium all you want, but you still won't be able to reach the PS3.

People are bitching about the $500-$600 price tag and while sure it's alot of money it's not like Sony is sticking it to the consumer. For what you're getting for $500-$600 is a pretty damn good deal if you ask me.

If you need everything the console does at $600 I agree. For people just wanting a gaming machine I'm not so sure the 360 isn't a much better deal.

2 generation rule. No console manufactor has been able to hold on the lead for more than 2 generations. Considering sony usurped the crown from Nintendo in the late 90's, it would be more than fitting for the reverse to happen.

Considering that my HD-ready TV is about 4 years old and only has component inputs, coupled with a complete lack of interest in either HD or Blu-ray and the inability to justify $600 for a system I would only use for games means I won't be picking up a PS3 any time soon.

And since my friends and my wife and I have had more fun with games like Guitar Hero lately, the Wii is the only way to go for me this generation. I might pick up a 360 eventually, but I haven't seen much on either the 360 or the PS3 that looks interesting to me. Same old, same old if you ask me.

What are you getting? Seriously. Blu-Ray player. Great. Get involved in a format war; maybe get a slight improvement in picture and sound. Plus, even if Blu-Ray wins out, you know that players will be $150 in 2 years, assuming that Blu-Ray does win out.

Hard drive hooked to your TV? A lot of people already have it; if they don't have it services like Tivo allow you to stream stuff to your TV.

Last I checked, Microsoft isn't FORCING me to buy a next gen DVD drive at an additional $200 with their system are they?

First off, to get the digital out you're looking at spending $300 more than the base 360. If you want a larger HDD, it's $200 more than the premium 360.

If the hard drive and higher visual quality were that important, the Xbox would've trounced the PS2, which had neither.

The PS2/DVD comparisons will not work with PS3/BR.

The comparisons thus far of the relative value of the PS3 compared to the 360 miss a very important point. Sure, the 360 hardware is a better bargain, but MS has not in any way proven that they can deliver the first or second party games to take advantage of that hardware.

Blu-ray is value added, but it's a marginal value added...and if I were a customer, I'd resent paying for it. I think the vast vast majority of people are satisfied with DVD.

Disclosure: I won't be buying the PS3 at launch and don't plan to buy a 360 at all, though it looks like a nice console. Once things shake out a bit and prices come way down, I'll look into one or the other.

MS does have some 1st party games on the horizon....little game called Halo 3 and Gears of War

Correct. In both the PS1 and PS2 generations, Sony won because it had the best games. Its success as a console was due to the fact that it had the best games.

In fact, success has never been determined by any part of the console - whether that be price or color or shape or size or ability. It was always about the games that were on that hardware and how it used that hardware.

So all this talk about doom for Sony is unfounded. It doesn't matter how much the system costs, its all about the games. And of the ones we know about, PS2 fans should be very happy and willing to buy.

but will they be able to convert NEW fans with such an expensive entry fee?

I was REALLY looking forward to getting a PS3 for the Blue Ray mostly but now its just too damn pricey. Ive never owned a Playstation but have had a N64, Xbox and now a 360. I figure Ill have plenty of entertainment with a Nintendo and a 360 PLUS some kind of blue ray drive for my computer when they get around $300

Do they really need to? 100M units is going to be a winner, even in this generation.

Link stolen from the GAF:

http://chunkps3.ytmnd.com/

Hi. 103 Million PS2's sold. I think they're good on the potential buyers area.

I'm surprised about the release of two versions at such a high price point. Despite claims otherwise on here about pricing, I had anticipated a $500 tag, but I really didn't expect two versions of the console ala Microsoft. If anything, I would have thought the "light" version would have been priced to match the Premium XBox360.

Don't confuse "best" with "most." Which was the same philosophy with PS1. Release anything and everything, no matter the quality. The sheer volume trounced the N64's release schedule. People like options, PS offers the "most" options to a gamer, not necessarily the "best."

True, but because the PS1 and PS2 had the most they had the best variety and the odds are you will have some gems in that large of a collection. Its all about the games and the Playstation line really wins there.

Superman64?

The basic PS3, a couple games, and an extra controller will set parents back over $700 for their initial purchase. Are there really 2 million parents that will spend that much for their kids this Christmas? Considering the inevitable $100 price drop of the Xbox 360 when the PS3 launches, I think times will be tough for Sony.

First of all, you are assuming that all 2 million units will be bought by parents which is quite ridiculous. Second of all, people had no problem paying that much for 360 on ebay when it came out.

my guess would be that most of these will end up on ebay with a BIN of atleast 1200.00.

Still, on Ebay, how many Xbox 360s were sold at that price? 20,000 units? Xbox 360 was never stocked in large quantities, thus the high ebay prices. If the PS3 does indeed launch with 1 million units, I guarantee that they will be widely available at launch due to the $500 price tag.

^ I thought the same thing about the 360 and the $400 price. Quantites kinda screwed that up.