Xbox 360--(November 22, 2005):
The Xbox 360 initially came in two sku's, but has recently been joined by a third. The three models include the Xbox 360 Core, Premium, and Elite bundles. The Core bundle, which sells for $299, includes the console, a wired 360 controller, composite cables, and a Xbox Live Silver account. The Premium bundle retails for $399. It includes the console, a wireless 360 controller with two AA batteries, component cables, composite cables, an Ethernet cable, a 20GB HDD, an Xbox Live headset, an Xbox Live Silver account, and a 1 month Gold subscription. Finally, the Elite model is essentially identical to the Premium bundle with a few changes. First, the console has been changed to a black color, the HDD was increased to 120GB, an HDMI cable was added, and optical audio options were included.

While the Core system only cost $299 the lack of any storage media, means that in order to save video games consumers are forced to either invest in 64MB memory cards (which are not large enough to store information for some games) or a separate HDD. A 20GB HDD runs for $99 while the larger 120GB HDD runs for $179. In addition to this, the free Silver membership to Xbox Live, while allowing users to chat with one another, does not allow for online gaming. As such, individuals wishing to play their games online would be required to pay a yearly subscription fee of $50. Additionally, for individuals who purchased the Premium or Elite models, as well as individuals who switched to a wireless controller would need to either frequently replace their controllers' batteries or pay an average of $15 for rechargeable batteries for each wireless controller they own. Finally, individuals wishing to access the Xbox Live services without stringing wires through their home would be required to spend another $99 for the wireless network adaptor.

Xbox 360 Total Cost:
$299-Core Model
$99-HDD or upgrade to Premium Model
$15-rechargeable batteries for each wireless controller (cheaper than disposable ones)
$99-wireless network adaptor (if desired)
$50/year-for Xbox Live Gold membership (in order to play games online)
$562-initial investment, with an additional $50 every year after first year in order to maintain Xbox Live Gold membership status.

Playstation 3--(November 17, 2006):
The PS3 was initially available in two sku's. The Core model, which sold for $499, shipped with built-in Blu-Ray capabilities, an upgradeable 20GB HDD (can be replaced with a standard SATA HDD), and a wireless controller with built-in rechargeable battery. The Premium version, which sold for $599, was identical to the Core model but featured an upgradeable 60GB HDD (can be replaced with a standard SATA HDD), built-in Wi-Fi access, and flash card ports for SD, Memory Sticks, and CompactFlash cards.

Out of the box, both systems are fully prepared to play and save game progress. However, the Core model does not allow for wireless internet access. As such, consumers wishing to avoid the clutter of additional wires, would need to invest in a third-party wireless gaming adaptor, since one is not offered by Sony. These adaptors very greatly in price based on the model selected. I am going to assume a fee of about $100 for such an upgrade. Additionally, unlike the 360, all PS3 controllers are wireless and come with an included rechargeable battery. Finally online gaming, while still limited at this time, is free and included with the system.

Playstation 3 Total Cost:
$499-Core Model
$100-wireless network adaptor or upgrade to Premium model
$599-initial investment

Nintendo Wii--(November 19, 2006):
The Nintendo Wii, which was the last system to launch, shipped with a suggested retail price of $250. This includes the console, a sensor bar (necessary for the system to work), a stand, a Wii Remote, a Nunchuk controller, composite cables, limited built-in flash memory, slots for SD and Gamecube memory cards, ports for Gamecube controllers, and online access to WiiConnect24.

Out of the box, the system is fully capable of playing any games purchased for the system. Additionally, no memory cards are needed to play or save the games. However, the limited size of the internal storage may force some consumers to invest in SD cards at a later time. Similarly to the PS3, the Wii is able to access the internet for free for downloads or online play. However, the first online enabled game will not be released until late June, when Pokemon Battle Revolution ships. Also, like the Premium PS3, the Wii does not require an adaptor in order to wirelessly access the internet, as the system comes standard with Wi-Fi. Unlike the previous two consoles, however, playing downloaded Virtual Console titles often requires the purchase of aold typecontroller for $20. Additionally, the majority of Wii titles are multiplayer or party orientated, meaning most consumers are likely to purchase an additional set of controllers. The Nunchuk is $20, while the Wii Remote is $40. I will not factor the extra controllers into the total cost however, since I did not include this option in the previous two systems. Finally, as with the Xbox 360, the Wii Remote does not come with rechargeable batteries. The systems high power requirements make rechargeable batteries essential. Unfortunately, Nintendo does not sell rechargeable batteries and there are limited third-party options available. These options typically run about $30.

Nintendo Wii Total Cost:
$250-Wii Console
$30-rechargeable batteries
$20-old typecontroller
$300-initial investment

Final Comments:
As you can see, while each console has noticeably different initial price points, once you add certain option components most consumers are likely to need, the price difference is considerably less noticeable. Additionally, of the three next gen consoles on the market, the Xbox 360 is the one with the highest overall cost. While the initial investment in the PS3 is more than the 360 by roughly $35, the continued cost of a yearly subscription to Xbox Live in order to play games online, pushes the cost of the 360 above it's competitors by the second year of ownership. In addition to this, one other issue to note is the handling of Digital Rights Management for downloaded content on each console. The Wii allows content to be downloaded to a single system. If the system fails and needs to be replaced, the only option to fully unlock your downloads on the new system is to send both consoles to Nintendo who would then transfer the necessary information and ship the system back. Depending on if this is an out of pocket expense, this could be quite problematic for consumers late in the consoles life cycle. The 360, similarly links downloads to the original console of purchase. Unlike the Wii, when a 360 fails and is replaced or if a consumer chooses to upgrade to a different model (such as moving from the Premium to the Elite), content that was paid for and downloaded becomes locked. In order to use the data, consumers are forced to log onto their Xbox Live account that originally downloaded the content and to stay logged in during the entire time it's in use. Other users of the console, would no longer be able to access the information. In the even that consumers wish to fully unlock the content, they would either be forced to try and convince Microsoft to refund their points or they would need to pay to redownload the content on a different account. With the high rate of failure for the initial shipments of 360's this issue has already impacted a large number of consumers, many of whom lost hundreds of dollars worth of content or where left with unwanted restraints on it's use. Finally, the PS3 handles it's DRM rights differently than the other two companies. Instead of linking it to the system, content is linked primarily to the account that paid for it. The content can then be downloaded and accessed on up to 5 different systems including the original console, a PSP, and a replacement system if the console were to fail. As such, PS3 consumers are the least like to lose access to content they paid for due to hardware failures. These cost issues, while not immediately important to most consumers, these DRM concerns are likely to become important issues to nearly every individual who purchased a next-gen system after they have owned their consoles for several years. As a result, consumers should consider this when choosing which console best suits their gaming needs.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I apologize for it's length, but hope that it was informative.

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What is wrong with the media these days? Everyone seems so apt to write the Playstation 3 out of the next-gen race. It's all but impossible to go a week reading gaming news, reviews, or stories without hearing someone comment on how Sony screwed up, how they killed the Playstation brand, etc., etc., etc. I got to be honest, it drives me absolutely nuts. I'm not a Sony Fanboy. Nor do I prefer Nintendo or Microsoft. I have virtually every console that has come out in the last 10 years. So, I'm not basing my opinion on some obsessive need to defend Sony, because quite frankly, I love all three of them. That being said, I am so fed up with all the anti-Sony and anti-PS3 propaganda spreading around the entertainment news industry.

Given all the facts and figures that have been available since the launch of all three next-gen systems, there is nothing to indicate that Sony has failed or that they killed the Playstation brand. Virtually every problem they have been criticized for since the system launched, was also a problem when the Xbox 360 launched and, quite frankly, have been problematic with nearly every console launch ever.

To illustrate my point, I'm going to go through each of the major complaints regarding the PS3 one-by-one to show why these arguments are premature, biased, and not supported by the facts most of the time.

1. The Playstation 3 is the most expensive console in history:
   Yes, in terms of actual list prices, the PS3 is one of the most expensive systems ever released. It's not the most expensive though. The Neo Geo, which released in 1990, was offered for $650 ($50 more than the PS3). Likewise, the 3DO Interactive, launched with a suggested retail price of $700 when it shipped in 1993. Both of these consoles were more expensive than the PS3 in terms of actual retail price, but when inflation is taken into consideration, they surpass every other system release by far. That includes the PS3.
2. Sony's launch was a complete fiasco:
   Ok, so this is true. It was a fiasco. Although, what launch isn't. Every system is plagued by shortages when it's released despite the cost of the system at retail. Early adopters buy out systems before anyone really has any idea about the future of the console. Yes, the PS3 sold for enormous premiums online. Most being sold on eBay were netting the seller anywhere from 2 to 3 times the retail value (don't buy reports of systems sell for upwards of $10,000 as it's very likely that most selling for over $5,000 were part of a scam in which buyers bid outrageous amounts only to stiff the seller and close their accounts). The thing is, the same was true of the Xbox 360 as well. It wasn't uncommon for a system to sell for far more than what it retailed for often hitting a value of 2 or 3 times as high. Of course, this lead to people flooding eBay with systems and before long, the prices dropped to more respectable levels. Once supply in retail stores was finally high enough to meet demand, it became common to find the systems selling for less than retail on eBay. This was true of both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Unfortunately, this didn't occur fast enough which resulted in news reports detailing robberies, thefts, assaults, and various other crimes perpetrated by individuals looking to make a quick buck. However, this was true of both launches.
3. The PS3 launch lineup was terrible:
   This really isn't so much untrue, but rather it's misleading. With the exception of Resistance: Fall of Man, the launch of the PS3 failed to bring any really important titles. However, how often does a system launch bring killer apps along? When the Xbox 360 launched in November 2005, the lineup of games was mediocre. Quite frankly, this is the norm with console launches, not the exception. It usually takes several months after the system launches for anything truly exceptional to be released. The simple reason for this is because game developers usually don't really start tapping into the true potential of a console until the release of the second or even third wave of games. This can take months. Obviously, a rare gem makes it through now and then. Halo, Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, and Resistance: Fall of Man, are all good examples of this. Even so, this isn't the norm by any stretch of the imagination. Now, if after 6 or 7 months, there is still a drought for a new console, than that would be a time to start complaining. However, there is no indication that that is going to be a problem with the PS3, since numerous high profile games are slated for release over the next few months.
4. Playstation 3 is losing all it's exclusives:
   While it may look like this is true with announcements of several high profile games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed going multiplatform, this issue is still being highly exaggerated. The tendency to make a game multiplatform was something that started becoming very common in the previous generation. Game developers need to maximize there profits. With the cost of developing a game often reaching the cost of making a major motion picture, it's becoming more and more necessary for companies to make their games multiplatform. This isn't simply leading to losses of exclusive titles for the PS3, but for other consoles as well. Rayman Raving Rabbids, originally a Wii launch title, has since been ported to most other major consoles despite the game being built for the Wii control scheme from the ground up. The same is true of games that were previously exclusive to the Xbox 360. Take Saint's Row, Enchanted Arms, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. All of these titles were originally available on only one console (thought Oblivion was also available for the PC). Now, all of these games are being ported to the PS3. Needless to say, the loss of exclusives is indeed hitting every console, just as each is receiving new titles as well.
5. Blu-Ray is unnecessary and should have been left out of the PS3:
   While this is largely a matter of opinion and concern over cost, there are a few things to say in defense of the decision. Current generation consoles use DVDs to store game contact. Unfortunately, this greatly reduces the amount of data a game can have. Even when using a Dual-Layer DVD (the current standard for DVD games), you can only fit about 8GB of data on a disc. This is compared to the roughly 25GB than can be stored on a single layer Blu-Ray disc. Yes, HD-DVD offers larger storage over that of a standard DVD and an HD-DVD player is considerably cheaper than a Blu-Ray player, but the storage is still about half that of Blu-Ray. Ask any game developer and they will tell you that fitting a game on a single DVD is difficult and most games fill up the majority of the disc. In fact, towards the end of the current generation of consoles, it was becoming more common to see multi-disc games for this vary reason. While its unlikely games will utilize the entire disc for sometime, offering Blu-Ray will give developers the freedom to include more details, more levels, more extras, and more of everything in general to a game without having to compress files more or adding additional disc. Granted, we aren't likely to notice a big difference on the buying end, but it doesn't mean this isn't a considerable advantage.
6. The Playstation Network is poorly realized and unable to compete with Xbox Live:
   To be truthful, this one is true, at least right now. Very few games have been released for the PS3 that fully realize online play. The online community features are cumbersome and irritating at times. Downloading content is slow, and the store is poorly stocked with content. Honestly, the online component leaves much to be desired. The thing is, many of the complaints raised about the PS3s online component were also true of the Xbox 360 when it first launched. Just as with the PS3, the ability to download content in the background wasn't added until a firmware update after the systems launch. Additionally, some of the 360s messaging features have also been expanded through hardware updates. Needless to say, the successful changes made to the 360s online features and the favorable reviews it met with; make it clear that with time and future updates, many of the problems with the PS3s online features will likely be fixed. They have already shown that they intend to improve on the system with a recent update that has allowed for background downloading (though that needs a bit of improvement as well). Additionally, recent announcement for Home hold great promise for incredible advancements in the systems community features. Unfortunately, it will take some time for them to implement the feature and even more time for it to catch on if successful. The one thing to keep in mind, however, is that the Xbox 360 had a full year head start making improvements to its user interface and its online features and Sony is going to need time to make similar improvements to the PS3.
7. The Playstation 3 losing the sales race:
   Complaints have been raised that Sony is losing the sales race. The system is trailing both the Xbox 360 and Wii in overall sales. However, a few points need to be made. The Xbox 360 was the first system to launch and had a full year head start in sales. That lead is a substantial boost to Microsoft and one that cannot be easily countered. Even so, the PS3 sold out everywhere at launch. This fact was despite costing considerably more than the 360. Additionally, the system has been selling faster than the PS1 or PS2 did when it first launched. Also, during the first 3 months it was available for purchase, the PS3 sold more units than the Xbox 360 did during its first 3 months the year before. That is according to official sales numbers from NPD. Given that the Xbox 360 had no competition from other next-gen consoles at the time and the PS3 launch found the system competing against not only the 360, but also the Wii, this fact is actually fairly impressive. More importantly, it clearly shows that counting the PS3 sales as a complete failure is not only premature, but completely untrue.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I can be very long-winded at times. Please, feel free to post your own comments regarding this issue.

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SaySwap can be found at http://www.sayswap.com/?invitation_code=27512ab5c6b370c6d0932aaa360047b3695063bb and uses a point system. You get points for the games you send to others. You can then use those points to get games you want. So far, I've only been a member for less than a week. I've already received my first game and I've sent out 4. I still have points, but I just need to find a game I want for them. When you sign up, they give you 20 points. That's enough for at least 1 game. You still need to pay a fee to cover for the shipping though, but it's a reasonable price.

The last site I've been using is called Goozex. It's at http://www.goozex.com/trading/asp/join.asp?idr=4395812891 and is my favorite so far. I've already received my first game. It was in new condition. I've sent out 2 so far and have another 2 I need to ship. Games are traded using a points system, but it's fairly automated. You still have to okay a game before sending it, but it's based on a queue system. Needless to say, it's actually quite fair. You don't have to wait long to get games or to send them out. Also, they give you enough points when you sign up to get a game. The only fee charged is $1. That's usually less than the cost of shipping. I definitely recommend it over most sites.

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’While there isn’t a lot of precedence for this kind of thing in contests, there is precedence in other areas. In the case of hazing, some states have actually outlawed hazing for this very reason. The risks associated with it are seen as sufficient to warrant legal intervention. The radio station has a legal obligation to do research prior to implementing the contest. While the city may choose not to file criminal charges, that doesn’t mean that the family has no grounds to file a civil case. Criminal trials usually require some level of intent and civil cases do not. Also, further investigation may in fact lead to charges being brought, even if there are no plans for it at this time.

’There are certain rules in place that manage medical testing. While these rules aren’t currently in place for contests such as this one, there is a very good chance that this will change in the future or at the very least it can be used to argue the case in civil court. Just because there is no current precedence, that doesn’t mean anything. Precedence is set once a decision is made in court. From my understanding, an issue such as this hasn’t yet been decided on by United States courts, meaning they would have to rely on the precedence set in other similar situations. The radio station had an obligation to make sure all participants had informed consent. Informed consent requires not just that an individual is aware of the risks involved with an action, but also that the person is of sound mind and capable of making that decision. If the individual was mentally handicapped (or really stupid as one person stated) or was otherwise incapable of making this decision for whatever reason, then they should not have been allowed to participate. Also, by joking about the potential of someone dying from water intoxication, the radio employees where diminishing the issue and making it seem less important than it was. As a result, the altered the level at which the contestants were truly informed about the risks, as the contestants may not have been fully aware of how dangerous water intoxication really is.

Additionally, rules are in place regulating the amount of compensation that individuals can receive for medical testing. The reason is because the courts have acknowledged that people that are desperate (whether because of financial considerations or for other reasons) are likely to go to extreme and unsafe measures for compensation. While $250 may not seem like much, for many that is a lot of money. More importantly, the difficulty in obtaining the system via retail stores, raises the perceived value of the system far beyond it’s $250 cost. As a result, the woman was clearly willing to go to unsafe measures to win this contest. While it’s unlikely the radio station will be prosecuted criminally, that doesn’t negate their responsibility to the family or their involvement in the woman’s death. I can all but guarantee that the family will likely sue the station and will probably win. Yes, the woman was stupid. She freely participated in an event that ultimately cost her her life. However, the station had a responsibility to make sure she was fully aware of the risks and that she was of sound mind to make a decision to participate. Given that the woman wanted to continue participating even after she was developing symptoms, she was obviously lacking in one of these areas. Additionally, at that point, the station should have either pulled her from the competition or had her evaluated by a doctor prior to allowing her to continue. It’s for these reason that the station holds culpability.

I have seen numerous posts stating that the radio station won't or shouldn't be held accountable because the woman signed a waiver. However, while I did mention the issue of informed consent (which can negate any waiver a person may sign), there is another issue at play. Waivers and release forms can be challenged and have been overturned on numerous occasions. If the company was asking individuals to participate in an activity in which there was a foreseeable risk to life and limb and the company did not properly inform participants and take necessary precautions, the release can be overturned. In this case, it is clear that the radio station had foreseeable information indicating the potential for death, but it's not clear that the contestants were fully aware of this. Even if they were told, having those administering the contest blow it off the way they did, is likely to counter any warning they may have given. Add to that, the lack of research the station did prior to the contest and the lack of medical personnel standing at the ready and there is sufficient grounds to possible overturn the release waiver, presuming it goes in front of the right judge and/or jury. So, needless to say, just because they got her to sign the waiver, that doesn't mean they can't be charged criminally. Waivers cannot fully release companies if their actions clearly fall in the realm of negligence or indifference.

Additionally, more recent reports indicate that the contestants didn’t actually sign a liability waiver anyway. They only signed a release stating that the company could use their likeness in promotions. In any case, it now appears that the family has already filed a lawsuit and criminal charges are currently under investigation. Personally, I sincerely hope the family is fairly compensated and that the company and the responsible employees be held fully accountable for their role in her death.

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