Get a Load of the Nerd?

I'm geeking out...

What is it exactly about the PS3 that brings out the ire in people? Maybe this isn't the world's most pressing problem at the moment, but indulge me for a bit...

when the PS3 was first released, there was almost universal criticism over its price. $600 is a lot of money for a console, but why didn't anyone consider the Xbox360 too expensive? When I bought the 360 in early '06, the base console was $350. Then I had to add a hard drive for, I believe, over $100, and a wireless network peripheral for $100. The total price of that 360 system was just about the same as a PS3, and the PS3 included all of those features as well as a high-definition movie player and HDMI interface. If I wanted to add a high-definition movie player to the 360, I would have to spend another $180, bringing the total price of a competitive 360* $130 higher than a PS3. Of course, since its inception the price for a top-of-the-line PS3 has dropped to $500. So, what gives with the hard line about the PS3's price?

There seemed to be a viral mudslinging campaign almost from day one with the PS3; indeed to this day when I speak with my contemporaries on the subject of console gaming, the PS3 is held in about as much esteem as the proverbial red-headed step child. The original collective negativity has been very effective, it seems, at steering potential consumers away from the console. Although the PS3 has eaten into the 360's market share over the past 6 months or so, it has done that mostly by dominating markets outside of North America (namely Europe and Japan**).

There are, of course, valid criticisms of anything, and certainly the PS3 is not immune: early in its life there wasn't much to recommend it in terms of software. There were a few shiny titles, but for the most part, gaming was second fiddle on the PS3 for almost a full year after its release.

However, that time is now past. There are several high quality games available for the PS3. I would argue as many as there are for the 360 (high quality titles mind you), but that is of course subjective. With the playing field leveling out in terms of games, what's wrong with the PS3? What indeed! Considering:

1. the PS3 has a blu-ray player, and will shortly be the first blu-ray player on the market to support BD-live profile 2.0 features.

2. the PS3 is a PC. It runs Yellow Dog Linux. $500 gets you a games console, a high-end blu-ray player and a very capable computer. That's not just cheap, it's the first time anything like this has ever been produced at anything close to the price.

3. any SATA harddrive can be used in the PS3. Don't like the included 80GB drive? Buy your own 250GB version for $50 and install it yourself.

4. the PS3 is much quieter than the 360.

5. The PS3 doesn't die.

Why do I choose to evangelise the PS3? It's not corporate ideology, if that's what you're thinking: Microsoft and Sony are both about even when it comes to the whole "big faceless corporation" thing. I just appreciate well-designed technology, and frankly the PS3 is a marvel.

*to be fair, the PS3 still had the advantage of an HDMI interface, something not available until later in '07 for the 360, as well as a larger hard-drive: 60GB to 20GB.
**I'm not including the Wii in this discussion. Yes, I know it far outsells both the 360 and the PS3.