Can the 40GB PS3 @ $400 Win the Console War for Sony?

I love gaming. That's not always a popular thing to say when most of your friends are over 35. I play games almost everyday. I read about games and write about them too. I even consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject. I think 30 years of gaming experience qualifies me as an expert.

So, when one of my best friends (who has no interest in the Wii) recently asked me which Next Gen console he should buy, an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3, I didn't hesitate.

"Xbox 360 all the way!", I told him. I gave him all the reasons why too, and they all make perfect sense. There are more games for the 360 than any other new console, and some of the games coming out over the next two months appear to be among the best in the history of gaming. You have something for every kind of gaming fan...first person shooters, driving games, adventure games, role playing games, and all the major sports. Online play is great and now with the new three year warranty, you don't have to worry about the possibility of the dreaded red ring of death.

"What about online?", he asked."You have to pay for Xbox Live and Sony is free, right?" Yes, Sony's online service is free but it isn't nearly as gamer friendly as Xbox Live. Live is only $49.99 for 13 months which comes down to a little more than $4 a month. Let's face it, if you're considering paying $400-$600 for a console, you probably aren't worried about $4 a month, especially if that $4 gets you the best online gaming in the world.

"But what about Blu-Ray?", he asked. "I've heard Blu-Ray is great and the games are better."

Of course, I had to correct him here. "Well actually, so far all the games that have been released on both consoles have looked and played better on the 360. If you specifically want a Blu-Ray Player, then yes, you should definitely consider buying a PS3," I explained. "But if you are talking about the better gaming machine, then that's the 360. There just aren't enough decent games for the PS3 to justify paying five or six hundred bucks for it. Maybe in 2009 the PS3 will be worth the money. By that time, there should be a lot more good games for it and it will cost significantly less. Plus, by that time, we may have an idea whether HD DVD or Blu Ray is going to be the accepted High Definition DVD format"

Then last week, Sony threw a big wrench in all my reasoning by confirming the November release of a 40 Gigabyte PS3 priced at $399.99. Yes, they were forced to compromise by completely dropping PS2 backwards compatibility to reach that price, but it is a move that, in my mind, they needed to make if they were serious about getting back into this console race before it is too late.

I'm not saying I'm about to jump off the Xbox 360 bandwagon...far from it. I still believe the 360 is the best pure gaming console on the market now and for at least the next six months. But I did feel the need to call my friend and ask him just how important Blu-Ray was to him down the road? If you think Blu Ray is something you're ready to invest in, then it is difficult to ignore the PS3 at $400. But if it's just about the games, I still say go with the 360.

I myself already owned a PS3 and sold it after two months because I just got sick of looking at the thing and having nothing good to play on it except Resistance:Fall of Man, which was good but not great. After a while, 95% of my gaming time was spent on the 360. So, yeah, I sold the PS3 and used the money to finance a new gaming PC, and I've never regretted the decision.

Now that this 40GB version of the PS3 is becoming available AND there are some truly good looking games like Uncharted:Drake's Fortune and MGS4 on the near horizon I am ready to get back on board and set up another PS3 alongside my 360. I already have the HD-DVD player for the 360, and my wife and I both love it. But it is aggravating that we can't get all the movies we want in High Def on HD DVD. ALL High Def players should be combo players if you ask me, but since those are still priced at $1000, having one of them in our living room is only a dream at this point.

The biggest coup for Sony over the past six months was probably getting Disney/Pixar to sign exclusively with BluRay. We have a young son and love Pixar movies ourselves, so that is a factor when making movie buying decisions.

All in all, I don't know if this 40GB PS3 at $400 can help Sony win the console war this generation because there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the future of their online gaming service and a general lack of good game titles in comparison to the 360. But if Sony can manage to get a stream of quality titles to PS3 owners and at least offer an online gaming service that can compete with Xbox Live, then this new price point certainly has the potential to get them back in the race in a big way!