PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Wii: The Current Breakdown
Apr 16, 2007
Latest developments
There have been more developments in the ongoing next-generation console war. The first would be Sony's recent announcement that they're dropping the cheaper 20GB PlayStation 3 package at retail. Or, as Sony's PR director Dave Karraker put it last week, "Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America."
Sure, there are plenty of ways to spin that move, but few that seem to make sense for PS3 buyers. The basic PS3 model certainly looked like poor value next to its better-equipped colleague, and what's an extra $100 when you're already blowing $500 on a new toy? So it's no wonder demand was lackluster. But why would Sony opt to ditch the cheaper model altogether, instead of increasing its value by trimming the price or packing it with a game or two?
Meanwhile, and almost unbelievably, the Wii shortages that made headlines last holiday season continue in many areas of the country. Media outlets six months ago confidently predicted the PS3 would be the one with lasting availability problems, while the Wii was supposed to be in ample supply by January. No end is in sight, either; Nintendo marketing veep Perrin Kaplan said last week she expects this situation to continue for "some time."
Another interesting item is that while Sony ditched one of its retail SKUs, Microsoft decided to introduce a third retail package: the Xbox 360 Elite. The $479 box includes everything from the $399 Premium edition, as well as an HDMI port and 120GB hard drive. It seems consumer choice is working for Microsoft, even if current hardcore 360 owners are left feeling neglected with an unreasonably priced hard drive add-on ($180) and no HDMI upgrade option.
Game drought
Sony's move comes at a quiet time for gamers, with all three consoles in the middle of a release drought. There's only light at the end of the 360's tunnel, with May holding two triple-A exclusives: Forza Motorsport and online shooter Shadowrun... of course, by the end of the year, we'll have forgotten them both for Halo 3. Sadly, with the excellent Paper Mario out of the way, Wii fans have some months to wait for compelling exclusives. Unless you're a Pokemon fan, there's little of real interest on Nintendo's machine until fall, when Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 should kick the Wii back into the headlines -- not that it's being staying out of them.
Meanwhile, Sony is shedding exclusives faster than a cat sheds hair in August. April saw another big PlayStation exclusive, Guitar Hero, land on the Xbox 360, including extra downloadable tracks. This fall, the Grand Theft Auto 4 bombshell will drop on the PS3 and 360 simultaneously, representing the loss of another high-value card in Sony's hand. What's left? A handful of 2007-scheduled unknown quantities like Lair or Killzone? Metal Gear Solid 4? The vague promise of Gran Turismo 5 sometime next year? PlayStation Home, whatever that turns out to be? No wonder the higher-priced PS3 model outsold the basic nine to one -- it's not like there's any games to spend the extra cash on.
Heading into this generation, the PS2 held over two-thirds of the market, with the Nintendo Gamecube and Xbox roughly splitting the rest. Financial analysts 2K Advisors (which has no connection to 2K Sports) predicted by the end of this generation we'll have a much more equal split, and saw the PS3 losing ground to both the Wii and 360. Looking at the results so far -- and the year's game schedule -- it's hard to come to a different conclusion.
The downside of such a strong opening position is that there's little room for improvement and plenty of distance to fall, and Sony had nowhere to go but down. Meantime, as the PS3, and its diminutive (but equally black and shiny) brother the PSP continue to come up short in the software department, Nintendo and Microsoft are both quite happy to take chunks out of Sony's hindquarters. It's not hard for shoppers to come up with convincing justifications for buying a Wii or a 360, but until some better games come along, the PS3's key advantages are narrowed down to the Blu-Ray drive's movie-playing ability, and the considerable future potential of the powerful hardware. Sony's games division is not in a happy place at the moment.
Fickle
But the games market is notoriously fickle. All Sony needs to do is show us one big exclusive game -- something that'll stand up to this fall's heavyweight tag-team of Mario Galaxy and Halo 3. Something that'll wow us like Grand Theft Auto 3, Wipeout, or Gran Turismo did, back in the days. Some indication that Killzone 2 will live up to the snippet of footage we saw in 2005, perhaps. Something, in short, that'll give PlayStation 3 owners a reason to get excited about their console. How about it?
Sony PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
Released:
Nov 2006
Price:
$599
Hardware:
* Blu-Ray optical drive
* 60 GB hard drive
* Memory card reader
* Wireless network support
* Tilt-sensitive wireless controllers
Get it?
* Plays Blu-Ray movies
* Best HDTV support
* Flexible
* High-end hardware
* Strong backwards compatibility
Forget it!
* No great exclusive games
* Pricey
* Online functions aren't "there" yet
Top Exclusive Games:
Lack of software and a mortgage-payment price tag means the PlayStation 3 is off to a slow start.
Microsoft Xbox 360
Xbox 360
Released:
Nov 2005
Price:
$299 (Core); $399 (Premium); $479 (Elite)
Hardware:
* Varies with package
* Optional 20GB, 120GB hard drive
* Optional HD-DVD drive for hi-def movies
* Optional wireless controllers
* Optional wi-fi networking
Get it?
* Very strong online services
* Broad range of games
* Wide range of hardware choices
* Buy or rent digital download hi-def movies and TV
Forget it!
* Hardware not as advanced as PS3
* Problems with backwards compatibility
Top Exclusive Games:
The Xbox 360 has the best balance of games, hardware potential, online options, and price -- for now.
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Wii
Released:
Nov 2006
Price:
$249.99
Hardware:
* Motion sensitive controllers
* Wi-fi networking
* SD card reader (photos, saves)
* GameCube controller ports
Get it:
* Most original software selection
* Many downloadable classic games
* Cheapest system
* Best multiplayer and family gaming potential
Forget it!
* Comparatively basic graphical and audio capabilities
* Weak in driving and sports genres
* No online play yet
Top exclusive games:
Nintendo's bold attempt to snare gamers of all ages will liven up your living room, but the low price isn't much help if you can't find one...