$500 is still a bit too rich for my blood. Considering that I don't want a Blu-Ray player, most of Sony's exclusives are going multi console, and there's only a marginal performance difference.

It's definitely a more compelling deal now though.

Isn't the split between the $500 and $600 units something like 20%/80%? Good luck finding one of the $500 units at launch.

So now it's $100 more for what? The memory slots and a larger hard drive?

Isn't Sony doing the wired controller thing just like the 360? What was the last news on that? Wired on the tard pack, wireless on the real PS3.

I believe another difference between the two is the $600 one has a wireless adapter.

That's cool, good news finally from Sony.

But.. it's still too expensive for me, but it makes it more likely for me to stay with the Playstation brand, at least once some games that interest me hit it, which will be about a dozen times more likely than with the 360. Though, I still may be duped into the 360 with the trio of RPGs they showed at Tokyo Game Show.

But first I need an HDTV. Sigh.

Launch Day PS3 + selling it on eBay = HDTV

Well, it'll HELP.. but I'm looking at least 42" to make the upgrade from 32" SD seem worthwhile (size wise).

No. All versions come with a wireless controller. I really don't think there's any reason to call the $500 version a "tard pack" anymore.

Actually, I'd call the $500 one the "better value" pack now.

So at this point it is pretty pointless to even have two sku's.

Not really considering MS charges $99 for their wireless adapter and the $600 version will have a larger HD and flash media reader as well.

Agreed. I won't need wireless since my router is in my living room already. 20gigs is plenty of storage and who the hell needs a memory card reader in a video game system...

It could be useful for NCAA games to downlaod the named rosters and transfer them over w/o having to buy a memory card and kit for your PC, although for the 360 that would only be about a $45 cost, not worth the upgrade price to me. If you could actually save games on the HD like you do for PC games the extra HD would be useful but as it is do you really need the extra 40gb? I barely have 4gb on my 360 used.

That's the plan!

Have we discussed the trailer for Level 5's White Knight Story?

Allow me to start:

So, what is the difference between the two SKU's NOW? Is it just the HDD?

I have my name on a call-list for a PS3 through GameRush (I have around $500 credit).

I will probably go to EBAY with this to hopefully make some cash and pay off some bills since I have a child on the way.

40 more gig hdd, built-in wifi, memory card reader, $100.

Still a decent value if you want the wifi and the 40 extra gig may come in real handy if you have to download over 700 cars for Riiiiiiidge Racer.

Thanks for the quick answer....we'll see what, if any, GameRush gets in. I'll take either.

Yeah, but we're talking about standard content. This is like picking up a new Zelda game and finding out it'll cost you ten more bucks to get Link. I can see premium pricing for extras if it's either 1) bonus cheat/unlockable type stuff, or 2) new content developed after the game was released. But this is a scary new precendent. I don't want the game makers to think they can get away with the idea of "bare bones games".

Now, I can see the potential in "game shells". Say someone developed a basketball game engine, you could buy the shell, then choose the NBA content or the college content. But the shell would have to be $30 and each content pack could be $30... you'd have to sell them separately due to the separate licenses. But $90 would essentially get you the equivalent of two games. The same could theoretically apply to wrestling games... a WWE game and a TNA game could be running off the same engine. Of course, this would require the company to have both licenses which would never happen. And in reality, the game makers would never go for it because right now they can essentially sell the engine twice with the current setup.

This is a great idea. It would even allow for Madden & NCAA to be on the same playing field instead of NCAA lagging a year behind. Really that's all that is different, right, teams and stadiums and announcers?

No.

Can you elaborate? Granted I already admitted NCAA lags behind a year in the engine and this solution would seem to offset that.

Another downside for the racing game shell, would be the fact that 95% of people will be buying the same 10 best/fastest cars, eliminating everything else. There would be no incentive to purchase a lower class car. Just look how that turned out with Test Drive on the 360.

$1 to download a demo ??

I ain't paying to download a #&*!ing demo.